Leitch died of his wounds on the
1st of October.

In the dead of the night, on the 20th September, a great light was
beheld by the picket guards, looming up from behind the hills in the
direction of the city. It continued throughout the night, and was at
times so strong that the heavens in that direction appeared to them,
they said, as if in flames. At daybreak huge columns of smoke were
still rising. It was evident there had been a great conflagration in
New York. In the course of the morning Captain Montresor, aide-de-camp
to General Howe, came out with a flag, bearing a letter to Washington
on the subject of an exchange of prisoners. According to Montresor's
account a great part of the city had been burnt down, and as the night
was extremely windy, the whole might have been so, but for the
exertions of the officers and men of the British army. The enemy were
now bringing up their heavy cannon, preparatory to an attack upon the
American camp by the troops and by the ships. What was the state of
Washington's army? The terms of engagement of many of his men would
soon be at an end, most of them would terminate with the year, nor did
Congress hold out offers to encourage re-enlistments. "We are now, as
it were, upon the eve of another dissolution of the army," writes he,
"and unless some speedy and effectual measures are adopted by
Congress, our cause will be lost." Under these gloomy apprehensions,
he borrowed, as he said, "a few moments from the hours allotted to
sleep," and on the night of the 24th of September, penned an admirable
letter to the President of Congress, setting forth the total
inefficiency of the existing military system, the total
insubordination, waste, confusion, and discontent produced by it among
the men, and the harassing cares and vexations to which it subjected
the commanders. Nor did he content himself with complaining, but, in
his full, clear, and sagacious manner, pointed out the remedies. To
the achievements of his indefatigable pen, we may trace the most
fortunate turns in the current of our revolutionary affairs. In the
present instance his representations, illustrated by sad experience,
produced at length a reorganization of the army, and the establishment
of it on a permanent footing. It was decreed that eighty-eight
battalions should be furnished in quotas, by the different States,
according to their abilities. The pay of the officers was raised. The
troops which engaged to serve thro