persed, and, moreover, they were now beginning to
retreat. The panic which had seized the Connecticut militia was
communicated to Fellows' Massachusetts men, who were also militia; and
now it was to sweep up Parsons' Continentals, including Prescott's men
of Bunker Hill. The latter brigade had been brought on to the ground
in bad shape through the fugitive militiamen, and when the British
light infantry appeared they broke and retreated with the rest.

To Washington all this confusion and rout seemed wholly unnecessary
and unreasonable, and dashing in among the flying crowds he endeavored
to convince them that there was no danger, and used his utmost
exertions to bring them into some order. He was roused to more than
indignation at the sight, and in his letter to Congress on the
following day denounced the conduct of these troops as "disgraceful
and dastardly."[185] Putnam, Parsons, Fellows, and others were
equally active in attempting to stop the flight, but it was to no
purpose. "The very demons of fear and disorder," says Martin, "seemed
to take full possession of all and everything on that day." Nothing
remained but to continue the retreat by the Bloomingdale Road to
Harlem Heights.

[Footnote 185: Washington's account of the panic is as follows:

"As soon as I heard the firing, I rode with all possible despatch
towards the place of landing, where to my great surprise and
mortification I found the troops that had been posted in the lines
retreating with the utmost precipitation and those ordered to support
them (Parsons' and Fellows' brigades) flying in every direction, and
in the greatest confusion, notwithstanding the exertions of their
generals to form them. I used every means in my power to rally and to
get them into some order; but my attempts were fruitless and
ineffectual; and on the appearance of a small party of the enemy, not
more than sixty or seventy, their disorder increased, and they ran
away in the greatest confusion, without firing a single shot."

There were several stories current after the affair which cannot be
traced to any responsible source. One was that the Commander-in-Chief
was so "distressed and enraged" at the conduct of the troops that "he
drew his sword and snapped his pistols to check them;" and that one of
his suite was obliged to seize his horse's reins and take him out of
danger from the enemy. Another account represents that he threw his
hat on the ground and exclaimed whether