ore they landed, who gave them a heavy fire.
Notwithstanding this the Col. landed with the party in his boat, gave
them battle and compelled them to retreat, called to the other boats
to push and land, but the scoundrels, coward-like, retreated back and
left him and his party to fall a sacrifice. The enemy seeing this, 150
of them rushed out of the woods and attacked them again at 30 yards
distance. Jackson with his little party nobly defended the ground
until every man but eight was killed on the spot, and himself wounded,
before he ordered a retreat. Major Hendly carrying off Col. Jackson
was shot dead as he was putting him into a boat, and not a single man
of the 8 but what was wounded. One of them died at the oar before they
landed on the Main. The officers who commanded the other boats are all
under arrest and will be tried for their lives. In short if some
example is not made of such rascally conduct, there will be no
encouragement for men of spirit to exert themselves. As the case now
is they will always fall a sacrifice, while such low-lived scoundrels,
that have neither Honour nor the Good of their Country at heart, will
skulk behind and get off clear.

Yours &c
JOHN GLOVER.

[Collections of the Essex, Mass., Institute, vol. v. No. 2.]

[No. 36.]

GENERAL GREENE TO COLONEL KNOX

WHITE PLAINS.

FORT LEE, Nov. [17], 1776.

Your favor of the 14th reached me in a melancholy temper. The
misfortune of losing Fort Washington, with between two and three
thousand men, will reach you before this, if it has not already. His
Excellency General Washington has been with me for several days. The
evacuation or reinforcement of Fort Washington was under
consideration, but finally nothing concluded on. Day before yesterday,
about one o'clock, Howe's adjutant-general made a demand of the
surrender of the garrison in the general's name, but was answered by
the commanding officer that he should defend it to the last extremity.
Yesterday morning, General Washington, General Putnam, General Mercer,
and myself, went to the island to determine what was best to be done;
but just at the instant we stepped on board the boat the enemy made
their appearance on the hill where the Monday action was, and began a
severe cannonade with several field-pieces. Our guards soon fled, the
enemy advanced up to the second line. This was done while we were
crossing the river and getting upon the hill. The enemy made several
marches to