hat the British could reduce
the place to "a heap of ashes" in a day's time. Colonel Douglas looked
for an immediate cannonade from Fort Stirling, "which," he says, "I
have the mortification to think I helped build myself." But the enemy
kept their guns quiet, as they wished neither to injure the city nor
drive our army away. They contented themselves at first with
stretching their troops along the water front from Red Hook to Hell
Gate, Newtown, and Flushing on Long Island, and threatening to land at
any point on Manhattan Island from the Battery to Harlem, or beyond on
the Westchester shore.

As for Washington, the successful retreat had not in the least
relieved him from care or anxiety. He had escaped one trap: it was of
the utmost consequence now to see that he did not fall into another.
What he feared most was a sudden move upon his rear in Westchester
County, for in that case he would be hopelessly hemmed in on Manhattan
Island. "The enemy," continued Trumbull on the 1st, "are drawing their
men to the eastward on Long Island, as if they intended to throw a
strong party over on this island, near Hell Gate, so as to get on the
back of the city. We are preparing to meet them." Haslet wrote August
31st: "I expect every moment orders to march off to Kingsbridge to
prevent the enemy crossing the East River and confining us on another
nook.... If they can coop us up in N. York by intrenching from river
to river, horrid will be the consequences from their command of the
rivers." General Heath pressed the matter of watching the Westchester
coast, and Washington, concurring with him "as to the probability of
the enemy's endeavoring to land their forces at Hunt's Point," above
Hell Gate, wrote him on the 31st: "In order to prevent such an attempt
from being carried into execution I have sent up General Mifflin with
the troops he brought from your quarters, strengthened by
reinforcements. With this assistance I hope you will be able to defeat
their intentions. I beg you will exert yourself to the utmost of your
abilities on this momentous occasion." Several days passing without
any demonstration by the enemy, Washington's suspense was only
protracted, and on September 5th he wrote again to Heath as follows:

"As everything in a manner depends upon obtaining
intelligence of the enemy's motions, I do most earnestly
entreat you and General Clinton to exert yourselves to
accomplish this most desirable end.