d seventeen eventful months
elapsed before the British again seriously tried negotiation. General
Howe had extended his lines northward, and on the 15th his army crossed
the East River in boats, and landed near the site of Thirty-Fourth
street. On the same day Washington completed the work of evacuating the
city. His army was drawn up across the island from the mouth of Harlem
river to Fort Washington, and over on the Jersey side of the Hudson,
opposite Fort Washington, a detachment occupied Fort Lee. It was hoped
that these two forts would be able to prevent British ships from going
up the Hudson river, but this hope soon proved to be delusive.

On the 16th General Howe tried to break through the centre of
Washington's position at Harlem Heights, but after losing 300 men he
gave up the attempt, and spent the next three weeks in studying the
situation. A sad incident came now to remind the people of the sternness
of military law. Nathan Hale, a young graduate of Yale College, captain
of a company of Connecticut rangers, had been for several days within
the British lines gathering information. Just as he had accomplished his
purpose, and was on the point of departing with his memoranda, he was
arrested as a spy and hanged next morning, lamenting on the gallows that
he had but one life to lose for his country.

[Sidenote: Battle of White Plains, Oct. 28, 1776.]

As Howe deemed it prudent not to attack Washington in front, he tried to
get around into his rear, and began on October 12 by landing a large
force at Throg's Neck, in the Sound. But Washington baffled him by
changing front, swinging his left wing northward as far as White Plains.
After further reflection Howe decided to try a front attack once more;
on the 28th he assaulted the position at White Plains, and carried one
of the outposts, losing twice as many men as the Americans. Not wishing
to continue the fight at such a disadvantage he paused again, and
Washington improved the occasion by retiring to a still stronger
position at Northcastle. These movements had separated Washington's main
body from his right wing at Forts Washington and Lee, and Howe now
changed his plan. Desisting from the attempt against the American main
body, he moved southward against this exposed wing.

A sad catastrophe now followed, which showed how many obstacles
Washington had to contend with. It was known that Carleton's army was on
the way from Canada. Congress was nervously a