We would certainly have had the cannon
had it not been for some foolish person calling retreat. The main body
of the foe returned to town, and when our lads came back they told of
their exploits."]

[Footnote 116: Little's Order Book, _Document_ 2. But it seems that
Remsen's Long Island militiamen were seized by a panic, either during
this skirmish or at a later hour, on the Bedford Road, and ran from
their posts. Sullivan rebuked them sharply in his orders of the 24th
(_Document_ 2), and confined them thereafter to "fatigue" duty. This
proved to be only the first of several militia panics experienced in
this campaign.]

On the 24th, Washington was still in doubt as to the intentions of the
enemy. Reports represented their numbers on Long Island at not more
than eight thousand, whereas they were double this estimate; and it
was suspected at headquarters that their landing might only be a feint
to draw off our troops to that side, while the real attack should be
made on New York. But the imprudence of running any risks on the
Brooklyn side was obvious, and Washington sent over a further
reinforcement of four regiments, which appear to have been Wyllys's,
Huntington's, and Tyler's of Parsons' brigade (his entire command was
there on the next day) together with the Pennsylvania detachments
under Lieutenant-Colonel Lutz and Major Hay. On this date
Brigadier-General Lord Stirling crossed over, where more than half his
brigade had preceded him; and Brigadier-General John Nixon, whose name
now first appears in connection with the operations on Long Island,
was detailed as field officer of the day, with orders to take command
of the outer line and post his men "in the edge of the woods next the
enemy."[117]

[Footnote 117: Sullivan's Orders, August 24th. _Document_ 2.]

But the principal event of the 24th was the change made in the chief
command on Long Island. Sullivan was superseded by Putnam. There were
now on that side the whole of Nixon's and Heard's brigades (the two
regiments on Governor's Island excepted), the larger part of
Stirling's and Parson's, and half of Scott's and Wadsworth's. As this
roster included one third of the army's effective force, the command
could properly be assigned to Putnam as the senior major-general
present; but it does not appear that the question of his rank entered
into the reasons for the change. In a letter to Governor Livingston
from Colonel Reed, the adjutant-general, dated August 3