CHAPTER VII 



THE REVOLUTION, FROM SEPTEMBER, 1 776, TO NOVEMBER, 1 776. 



ON the thirteenth of September, the city of New York 

 was evacuated by the Americans, and the march 

 was taken up for Harlem Heights and Kingsbridge. 

 The Howes thought this a propitious moment to renew their 

 overtures for peace, and sent the captured General Sullivan 

 on parole to carry their message to Congress at Philadel- 

 phia, a "decoy duck," as he was called by John Adams, who 

 was one of the commissioners sent to confer with the Howes 

 — the others were Benjamin Franklin and John Rutledge. As 

 the Howes refused to treat with the Americans other than 

 as private citizens, and as the three commissioners stood out 

 for a recognition of our independence, the negotiations of 

 September eleventh fell through, as the Howes were not 

 authorized to negotiate on any such basis. 



Five thousand troops were left to garrison Fort Washington, 

 while the remainder, about nine thousand in number, went 

 into quarters on the Borough side of the Harlem, extending 

 from Kingsbridge, through Fordham, Morrisania, West 

 Farms, and Westchester to Throgg's Neck and Eastchester. 

 A floating, or pontoon, bridge was thrown across Spuyten 

 Duyvil Creek to afford easy communication between the two 

 divisions of the army. A similar bridge was constructed by 

 the British after their occupation of the same neighborhood ; 



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