11.]

[Footnote 124: The regiments were Little's and Ward's, from
Massachusetts; Varnum's and Hitchcock's, from Rhode Island;
Huntington's, Wyllys's, Tyler's, Chester's, Silliman's, and Gay's, and
Knowlton's "Rangers," from Connecticut; Lasher's and Drake's, from New
York; Smith's and Remsen's, from Long Island; Martin's, Forman's,
Johnston's, Newcomb's, and Cortland's, from New Jersey; Hand's,
Miles', Atlee's, Lutz's, Kachlein's, and Hay's, detachment from
Pennsylvania; Haslet's, from Delaware; and Smallwood's, from Maryland.
Among other artillery officers on that side were Captains Newell and
Treadwell, Captain-Lieutenants John Johnston and Benajah Carpenter;
Lieutenants Lillie and "Cadet" John Callender. This list is believed
to include all the battalions and detachments on Long Island at the
time the British attacked.]

Following in turn after Nixon and Stirling, Brigadier-General Parsons
was detailed as field officer of the day[125] for the next twenty-four
hours--the day of the engagement.

[Footnote 125: Parson's own statement, letter of October 5th: "On the
day of the surprise I was on duty."--_Document_ 5.]

* * * * *

At about the time that Washington started to return to his
headquarters at New York, on this evening, Sir William Howe began to
set his columns in motion for the attack, and on the next morning, at
the passes in the hills and along their inner slopes, was fought what
is known in our Revolutionary history as the battle of Long Island.

* * * * *

Fortunately, a point so essential to the comprehension of the progress
of any engagement, the position of both armies on Long Island, just
before the attack, is now known nearly to the last detail. The record
here is clear and satisfactory. On the night of the 26th, the various
regiments and detachments on guard at the American outposts numbered
not far from twenty-eight hundred men. At the important Flatbush Pass,
supporting the two or three gun battery there, and with strong pickets
thrown out to the edge of the woods nearest the enemy, were posted
Hitchcock's and Little's Continental regiments, and Johnston's New
Jersey battalion, the two former being commanded by their
lieutenant-colonels, Cornell and Henshaw. To this point, also,
Knowlton and his rangers appear to have been sent. The battery or
redoubt here stood about where the Flatbush and narrow Port Road
united, and was appare