bout two miles north of New
Rochelle, with his outposts extending to Mamaroneck on the Sound.
While in this neighborhood, he was reinforced by a second division of
Hessians under General Knyphausen, and a regiment of Waldeckers, both
of which had recently arrived in New York. He was joined, also, by the
whole of the seventeenth light-dragoons, and a part of the sixteenth,
which had arrived on the 3d instant from Ireland, with
Lieutenant-colonel (afterwards Earl) Harcourt. Some of their horses
had been brought with them across the sea, others had been procured
since their arrival.

The Americans at first regarded these troopers with great dread.
Washington, therefore, took pains to convince them, that in a rough,
broken country, like the present, full of stone fences, no troops were
so inefficient as cavalry. They could be waylaid and picked off by
sharp-shooters from behind walls and thickets, while they could not
leave the road to pursue their covert foe. Further to inspirit them
against this new enemy, he proclaimed, in general orders, a reward of
one hundred dollars for every trooper brought in with his horse and
accoutrements, and so on, in proportion to the completeness of the
capture.

On the 25th, about two o'clock in the afternoon, intelligence was
brought to head-quarters that three or four detachments of the enemy
were on the march, within four miles of the camp, and the main army
following in columns. The drums beat to arms; the men were ordered to
their posts; an attack was expected. The day passed away, however,
without any demonstration of the enemy. Howe detached none of his
force on lateral expeditions, evidently meditating a general
engagement. To prepare for it, Washington drew all his troops from the
posts along the Bronx into the fortified camp at White Plains. Here
everything remained quiet but expectant, throughout the 26th. In the
morning of the 27th, which was Sunday, the heavy booming of cannon was
heard from a distance seemingly in the direction of Fort Washington.
Scouts galloped off to gain intelligence. We will anticipate their
report.

Two of the British frigates, at seven o'clock in the morning, had
moved up the Hudson, and come to anchor near Bourdett's Ferry, below
the Morris House, Washington's old head-quarters, apparently with the
intention of stopping the ferry, and cutting off the communication
between Fort Lee and Fort Washington. At the same time, troops made
their appearance