not
equally obvious on the next morning that they were actually carrying
out their intentions, and why Miles and Brodhead did not so report at
an early hour. These officers were rightly impressed with the
conviction that the enemy would come by way of Jamaica, but it is
certain that the enemy made no observable move in that direction from
Flatlands, where they had been for three days, until nine o'clock that
night. So says Howe. It was clearly in the plan of the British to give
our outposts no ground for suspecting a flanking manoeuvre. Their
movements were far from being "plainly disclosed." The quotation given
by Mr. Bancroft in this connection, namely, that "Washington's order
to secure the Jamaica Road was not obeyed," unfortunately appears as
original in a "Review of the War" published in 1779 and written by
some irresponsible individual in England, who could neither have known
what Washington's orders were, nor whether any attempt was made to
carry them out.

A further charge is this: "Early in the morning, Putnam was informed
that infantry and cavalry were advancing on the Jamaica Road. He gave
Washington no notice of the danger; he sent Stirling no order to
retreat." This is doubtless on the authority of a letter in _Force_,
5th Series, vol. i., p. 1195. But how early was Putnam informed? The
writer of the letter who brought the word was probably one of Miles'
or Brodhead's men, for he tells us that his regiment was dressed in
hunting-shirts, and he makes the very important statement that on his
way back to his post he met the enemy! The information came too late,
for the British were now marching down towards the lines. Sullivan had
gone to the Flatbush Pass, where he could understand the situation
better than Putnam, and he was the proper officer to give directions
to the outposts at that moment.

The charges made by Mr. Dawson have still less foundation. General
Putnam is stated never to have reconnoitred the enemy's position.
Brodhead, however, states distinctly that he did. "It is also a
well-established fact," says this writer, "that no general officer was
outside the lines at Brooklyn on the night of the 26th." What is the
authority for this? Nixon, Stirling, and Parsons had been successively
officers of the day, and presumably did their duty. Parsons, on the
morning of the 27th, was on the lower road trying to rally the pickets
before Stirling appeared with reinforcements. "The mounted patrols
which