there. General Lee
arrived with the rear division of the army, after the temporary
fortifications were well under way.

"This is but a temporary camp," remarked Washington to Lee. "Yonder
height (pointing to the north) is a more eligible location."

"I judge so," General Lee answered, taking in the situation at once.

"Let us ride out and inspect the ground for ourselves," proposed
Washington. And they galloped away. On arriving at the spot, General Lee
pointed to still another height farther north.

"That is the ground we ought to occupy," he said.

"Well, let us go and view it," replied Washington.

They had not reached the location when a courier came dashing up to
them.

"The British are in the camp, sir!" he exclaimed to Washington.

"Then we have other business to attend to than reconnoitering," quickly
and coolly replied the general, putting spurs to his horse and returning
to camp.

"The pickets are driven in, but our army is in order of battle,"
Adjutant-General Reed informed him, as he reached headquarters.

"Gentlemen, return to your respective posts, and do the best you can,"
the general responded, without the least excitement.

By this time the British army was discovered upon the high ground beyond
the village, advancing in two columns, "in all the pomp and circumstance
of war." General Heath wrote afterwards:

"It was a brilliant but formidable sight. The sun shone bright, their
arms glittered, and perhaps troops never were shown to more advantage."

A brief but hard-fought battle followed, in which there was a loss of
about four hundred men on each side.

The enemy waited for reinforcements, and Washington improved the time to
fall back to Northcastle, five miles, where, in the rocky fastness, he
could defy the whole British army. To add to his advantages, the day on
which the British commander decided upon an attack, after the arrival of
reinforcements, a violent rain set in, and continued through the day,
rendering an attack impossible, so that the Americans had still more
time to strengthen their position.

On the night of Nov. 4, a heavy rumbling sound was heard in the
direction of the British camp. It continued all through the night, and
resembled the noise of wagons and artillery in motion. Day break
disclosed the cause: the enemy was decamping. Long trains were seen
moving over the hilly country towards Dobb's Ferry on the Hudson.

"A feint!" said General Lee, as soon as he disc