ing and then struck to the left of my lines in
order to cut me off from a retreat. My left wing gave way which was
formed of the militia. I lay myself on the right wing waiting for the
boats until Capt. Prentice came to me and told me, if I meant to save
myself to leave the lines, for that was the orders on the left and
that they had left the lines. I then told my men to make the best of
their way as I found I had but about ten left with me. They soon moved
out and I then made the best of my way out."--See further in
_Documents_, Part II., p. 71.]

When the cannonade at Kip's Bay began, Washington was four miles
distant, at Harlem. At the first sound of the guns he mounted his
horse and rode with all possible despatch to the scene. At about the
same time, General Parsons, probably by Putnam's order, directed
Prescott's, Tyler's, and the remnant of Huntington's regiment, not
over eighty strong, to march immediately to the assistance of the
troops where the enemy were landing.[184] Fellows' brigade was also
ordered along for the same purpose.

[Footnote 184: _Document_ 32.]

At about the corner of the present Thirty-sixth Street and Fourth
Avenue stood at that time the residence of Robert Murray, the Quaker
merchant, on what was known as "Inclenberg" heights, now Murray Hill.
His grounds extended to the Post Road, which there ran along the line
of Lexington Avenue. Just above him a cross-road connected the Post
and Bloomingdale roads, which is represented to-day by the line of
Forty-second and Forty-third streets. On the south side of the
cross-road where it intersected the Post Road was a large corn-field
adjoining or belonging to Murray's estate. When Washington reached
this vicinity he found the militia retreating in disorder along both
the cross and the Post roads, and Fellows' brigade just coming on to
the field. The general, with Putnam and others, was then on the rising
ground in the vicinity of the present Forty-second Street reservoir.
In a very short time Parsons and his regiments arrived by the
Bloomingdale Road, and Washington in person directed them to form
along the line of the Post Road in front of the enemy, who were
rapidly advancing from Kip's Bay. "Take the walls!" "Take the
corn-field!" he shouted; and Parsons' men quickly ran to the walls and
the field, but in a confused and disordered manner. Their general did
his best to get them into line on the ground, but found it impossible,
they were so dis