138 The Story of The Bronx 



arrived and taken part in the Battle of Long Island, and those 

 under Knyphausen whose arrival was expected daily, were not 

 less than forty thousand men, and to these must be added the 

 marines of the fleet, several thousand more, who were avail- 

 able for land duty. The regiments were the flower of the 

 British army. Supporting them were the two fleets of Admi- 

 ral Lord Howe and Commodore Hotham. On the face of the 

 returns of September 21, 1776, the Americans had in the neigh- 

 borhood of thirty- two thousand men ; but if we exclude the sick 

 and furloughed, and those at Paulus Hook (Jersey City) and 

 other small and distant posts, the number of effectives was not 

 more than sixteen thousand. By the fifth of October, the 

 number had dwindled considerably. Thirteen regiments of 

 these troops were composed of militia, serving for the time in 

 the Continental service, and absolutely unreliable for any pur- 

 pose except building forts, plundering, and an almost positive 

 certainty of running at the first fire, as Washington had learned 

 to his sorrow at Kip's Bay. Further, the Commander-in-chief 

 was handicapped by many political military officers, not the 

 least of whom was Major-General Charles Lee, that conceited 

 and egotistical braggart, so prolific of plans, schemes, and 

 criticisms, and so barren of results. 



Dr. Galloway of the British army contrasts the two armies 

 as follows: 



"The British army was commanded by able and experi- 

 enced Officers; the rebel, by men destitute of military skill 

 or experience and for the most part taken from the me- 

 chanic arts or the plough. The first were possessed of the 

 best appointments, and of more than they could use ; and the 

 other, of the worst, and of less than they wanted. The one 

 were attended by the ablest Surgeons and Physicians, healthy 

 and high-spirited; the other were neglected in their health, 



