ongress_, September 2d, 1776.]

[Footnote 178: Colonel Reed, the adjutant-general, wrote to his wife,
September 14th, from New York: "My baggage is all at King's bridge. We
expect to remove thither this evening. I mean our headquarters."--_Reed's
Reed._ Washington, writing of the events of the 15th, says: "I had
gone the night before to the main body of the army which was posted on
the plains and heights of Harlem." These references fail to confirm
the common statement that Washington made the Murray House on
Thirty-sixth Street his quarters for a short time after leaving the
city.]

* * * * *

The enemy made no advance from Long Island until more than two weeks
after the battle. Howe's preparations were delayed because dependent
upon the co-operation of the fleet. On the night of the 3d of
September, the frigate Rose, of thirty-two guns, sailed up the East
River convoying thirty boats, and running through the fire of our guns
at the Grand Battery, the ship-yards, and Corlears Hook, anchored
close into Wallabout Bay, where on the 5th our artillerists "briskly
cannonaded" her. After dark on the 12th, thirty-six additional boats
passed our batteries to Bushwick Creek, and the night after forty more
followed. Then towards sunset on the 14th, the frigates Roebuck,
Phoenix, Orpheus, and Carysfort, with six transports, joined the
Rose without receiving material injury from the heavy fire poured upon
them by our gunners.

On the following morning, the 15th, the British moved against
Manhattan Island, and in the afternoon New York City fell into their
possession. What occurred beforehand during the day is known as the
"Kip's Bay affair."[179]

[Footnote 179: According to the Hessian major, Baurmeister, the 13th
had been first named as the date for the attack. "On this day," he
writes, "General Howe wished to land upon the island of New York,
because 18 years ago on this day General Wulff [Wolfe] had conquered
at Quebec, but also lost his life. The watchword for this end was
'Quebec' and the countersign 'Wulff,' but the frigates were too late
for this attack as they only sailed out of the fleet at five o'clock
on the evening of the 14th."

The sailing up of these ships is described as follows by the Hon.
Joshua Babcock, one of the Rhode Island Committee who had come down to
consult with Washington in regard to military matters: "Just after
Dinner 3 Frigates and a 40 Gun Ship (as if they mea