atly reinforced, had taken up a strong
position at Middle Brook, having entrenchments and formidable batteries
in his front. It was the object of Howe to tempt the American general to
quit this position; and having failed in various expedients, on the 19th
of June he ordered his main body to retire to Amboy. This succeeded.
Washington abandoned what had cost him so much trouble to create, and
advanced to Quibble Town. The mass of the British troops now moved back
by different routes, in order to get on the American general's flank and
rear, and by intervening between him and the hills, to force him to
a conflict on open ground. Lord Cornwallis led the van, and he had not
marched far before he fell in with Washington's advanced body, who were
advantageously posted, and well provided with artillery. The British
troops, however, attacked them with such impetuosity that the Americans
fled, and were pursued as far as Westfield, leaving behind them some
of their cannon, and two hundred men in killed and wounded. But by
this time Washington had seen his error, and he quickly remedied it by
regaining his station on the hills, and securing those passes which were
the main object of Cornwallis's expedition. General Howe now altered his
whole plan of operation. He called in all his detachments, concentrated
his army at Amboy, and then passed over to Staten Island, leaving
Washington in possession of the Jerseys. His men wondered what he meant
to do; but they soon learned that his object was to take Philadelphia.
To this end he set sail with his army on the 23rd of July, and on the
30th he rounded the coast to the capes of Delaware. His intention was
to have sailed up the Delaware to Philadelphia; but discovering that the
Americans had raised prodigious impediments on that river, he sailed to
Chesapeake Bay, where he landed about the middle of August. By this time
his men had become worn out by the long confinement on ship-board, and
the horses had become almost useless; so that it was necessary for them
to have rest before they proceeded on their enterprise. The van was
put in motion on the 2nd of September, and on the day following, his
advanced body fell in with some detachments of the enemy, scattered
them, and took up their position, which was on Iron Hill, and which
commanded a view of the Delaware river. It was now discovered that
Washington had left the Jerseys and was in the field to oppose the
advance of the British troops.