o General Washington, who was at
Hackensack, where the troops from Peekskill were encamped. It was
nightfall when Washington arrived at Fort Lee. Greene and Putnam were
over at the besieged fortress. He threw himself into a boat, and had
partly crossed the river, when he met those Generals returning. They
informed him of the garrison having been reinforced, and assured him
that it was in high spirits, and capable of making a good defense. It
was with difficulty, however, they could prevail on him to return with
them to the Jersey shore, for he was excessively excited."

* * *

Hark! Freedom's arms ring far and wide;
Again these forts with beacons gleam;
Loud cannon roar on every side--
I start, I wake; I did but dream.

_Wallace Bruce._

* * *

"Early the next morning, Magaw made his dispositions for the expected
attack. His forces, with the recent addition, amounted to nearly three
thousand men. As the fort could not contain above a third of its
defenders, most of them were stationed about the outworks."

About noon, a heavy cannonade thundered along the rocky hills, and
sharp volleys of musketry, proclaimed that the action was commenced.

"Washington, surrounded by several of his officers, had been an
anxious spectator of the battle from the opposite side of the Hudson.
Much of it was hidden from him by intervening hills and forest; but
the roar of cannonry from the valley of the Harlem River, the sharp
and incessant reports of rifles, and the smoke rising above the
tree-tops, told him of the spirit with which the assault was received
at various points, and gave him for a time hope that the defense might
be successful. The action about the lines to the south lay open to
him, and could be distinctly seen through a telescope; and nothing
encouraged him more than the gallant style in which Cadwalader with
inferior force maintained his position. When he saw him however,
assailed in flank, the line broken, and his troops, overpowered by
numbers, retreating to the fort, he gave up the game as lost. The
worst sight of all, was to behold his men cut down and bayoneted by
the Hessians while begging quarter. It is said so completely to have
overcome him, that he wept with the tenderness of a child."

"Seeing the flag go into the fort from Knyphausen's division, and
surmising it to be a summons to surrender, he wrote a note to Magaw,
telling him if he could hold out until evening and the pl