to
artillery, where with proportionate numbers a successful defence could
be sustained.

The roads across the ridge passed through its natural depressions, of
which there were four within a distance of six miles from the harbor.
The main highway, or Jamaica Road--that which led up from Brooklyn
Ferry--after passing through Bedford, kept on still north of the
hills, and crossed them at the "Jamaica Pass," about four miles from
the fortified line. From this branched three roads leading to the
villages in the plain. The most direct was that to Flatbush, which cut
through the ridge a mile and a half from the works. Three quarters of
a mile to the left, towards the Jamaica Pass, a road from Bedford led
also to Flatbush; and near the coast ran the Gowanus Road to the
Narrows. Where the Red Lion Tavern stood on this road, about three
miles from Brooklyn Church, a narrow lane, known as the Martense Lane,
now marking the southern boundary of Greenwood Cemetery, diverged to
the left through a hollow in the ridge and connected with roads on the
plain. To clearly understand succeeding movements on Long Island, it
is necessary to have in mind the relative situation of these several
routes and passes.

When word of the enemy's landing reached Sullivan and Washington the
troops were immediately put under arms. The commander-in-chief had
already been prepared for the intelligence by a dispatch from Governor
Livingston, of New Jersey, the night before, to the effect that he had
certain information from the British camp that they were then
embarking troops and would move to the attack on the following
day.[112] As the report came in that the enemy intended to march at
once upon Sullivan, Washington promptly sent him a reinforcement of
six regiments, which included Miles' and Atlee's from Stirling's
brigade, Chester's and Silliman's from Wadsworth's, and probably
Lasher's and Drake's from Scott's, numbering together some eighteen
hundred men. They crossed with light spirits, and were marched to
alarm-posts. Miles' two battalions went on to the Bedford Pass;
Silliman was ordered down into "a woody hill near Red Hook, to prevent
any more troops from landing thereabout."[113] Hand's riflemen,
supported by one of the Eastern regiments, watched and annoyed the
Hessians under Donop at Flatbush, and detachments were sent to guard
the lower roads near the Red Lion.[114] Within the Brooklyn lines the
troops stood to their alarm-posts. Colonel