on
that the British would not venture to penetrate the thick woods, but
advance along the roads through the passes.

It will be noticed that in this disposition no provision was made for
holding the fourth or Jamaica Pass far over to the left. That the
enemy could approach or make a diversion by that route, must have been
well understood. But the posting of a permanent guard there would
obviously have been attended with hazard, for the distance from the
lines to this pass was four miles, and from the Bedford Pass two miles
and a half through the woods. The position was thus extremely
isolated, if the troops stationed there were expected to make the
fortified line their point of retreat. None were stationed there
during the five days since the British landed, and it nowhere appears
that any were intended or ordered to be so stationed by either
Sullivan, Putnam, or the commander-in-chief. There was but one
effective way of preventing surprise from that quarter, and that was
to have squads of cavalry or troops constantly patrolling the road,
who on the appearance of an enemy could carry the word immediately and
rapidly to the outposts and the camp. But in all Washington's army
there was not a single company of horsemen, except the few Long Island
troopers from Kings and Queens counties, and these were now engaged
miles away in driving off stock out of reach of the enemy. The duty,
accordingly, of looking after the open left flank fell, in part, upon
Colonel Miles' two battalions. Lieutenant-Colonel Brodhead leaves it
on record that it was "hard duty." The regiment sent out scouting
parties every day a distance of four or five miles; one hundred men
were mounted for guard daily, and thirty more with a lieutenant were
kept on duty on the left, evidently in the direction of the Jamaica
Road. General Parsons reports that "in the wood was placed Colonel
Miles with his Battalion to watch the motion of the Enemy on that
part, with orders to keep a party constantly reconnoitering to and
across the Jamaica road." Should he discover the enemy at any time,
it would have been expected of him to report the fact at once, oppose
them vigorously, and retreat obstinately in order to give time for the
other detachments to govern their movements accordingly.

One other circumstance is to be noticed in regard to this Jamaica
Pass. General Sullivan, subsequently referring to his connection with
this battle, claimed that while he was in sole