Highlanders and a corps of
Hessians were detached to a little distance, where they encamped. The
whole army encamped in front of the villages of Gravesend and Utrecht. A
woody range of hills, which intersected the country from east to west,
divided the opposing armies.

General Howe resolved to bring on a general action and make the attack
in three divisions. The right wing under General Clinton seized, on the
night of August 26th, a pass on the heights, about three miles from
Bedford. The main body pushed into the level country which lay between
the hills and the lines of General Israel Putnam. Whilst these movements
were in process, Major-General Grant of Ballindalloch, with his brigade,
supported by the Royal Highlanders from the reserve, was directed to
march from the left along the coast to the Narrows, and make an attack
in that quarter. At nine o'clock, on the morning of the 22nd, the right
wing having reached Bedford, attacked the left of the American army,
which, after a short resistance, quitted the woody grounds, and in
confusion retired to their lines, pursued by the British troops, Colonel
Stuart leading with his battalion of Highland grenadiers. When the
firing at Bedford was heard at Flat Bush, the Hessians advanced, and,
attacking the center of the American army, drove them through the woods,
capturing three cannon. Previously, General Grant, with the left of the
army, commenced the attack with a cannonade against the Americans under
lord Stirling. The object of lord Stirling was to defend the pass and
keep General Grant in check. He was in the British parliament when Grant
made his speech against the Americans, and addressing his soldiers said,
in allusion to the boasting Grant that he would "undertake to march from
one end of the continent to the other, with five thousand men." "He may
have his five thousand men with him now--we are not so many--but I think
we are enough to prevent his advancing further on his march over the
continent, than that mill-pond," pointing to the head of Gowanus bay.
This little speech had a powerful effect, and in the action showed how
keenly they felt the insult. General Grant had been instructed not to
press an attack until informed by signal-guns from the right wing.
These signals were not given until eleven o'clock, at which time lord
Stirling was hemmed in. When the truth flashed upon him he hurled a few
of his men against lord Cornwallis, in order to keep him at bay whi