CHAPTER XXXII.
BATTLE OF LONG ISLAND.--RETREAT.

The movements of the British fleet, and of the camp on Staten Island,
gave signs of a meditated attack; but as the nature of that attack was
uncertain, Washington was obliged to retain the greater part of his
troops in the city for its defence, holding them ready, however, to be
transferred to any point in the vicinity. General Mifflin, with about
five hundred of the Pennsylvania troops, of Colonels Shee and Magaw's
regiments, were at King's Bridge, ready to aid at a moment's notice.
General George Clinton was at that post, with about fourteen hundred
of his yeomanry of the Hudson.

Reports from different quarters gave Washington reason to apprehend
that the design of the enemy might be to land part of their force on
Long Island, and endeavor to get possession of the heights of
Brooklyn, which overlooked New York; while another part should land
above the city. Thus, various disconnected points, distant from each
other, and a great extent of intervening country, had to be defended
by raw troops, against a superior force well disciplined, and
possessed of every facility for operating by land and water.

General Greene, with a considerable force, was stationed at Brooklyn.
He had acquainted himself with all the localities of the island, from
Hell Gate to the Narrows, and made his plan of defence accordingly.
His troops were diligently occupied in works which he laid out, about
a mile beyond the village of Brooklyn, and facing the interior of the
island, whence a land attack might be attempted. Brooklyn was
immediately opposite to New York. The Sound, commonly called the East
River, in that place about three quarters of a mile in width, swept
its rapid tides between them. The village stood on a kind of
peninsula, formed by the deep inlets of Wallabout Bay on the north,
and Gowanus Cove on the south. A line of intrenchments and strong
redoubts extended across the neck of the peninsula, from the bay to a
swamp and creek emptying into the cove. To protect the rear of the
works from the enemy's ships, a battery was erected at Red Hook, the
south-west corner of the peninsula, and a fort on Governor's Island,
nearly opposite.

About two miles and a half in front of the line of intrenchments and
redoubts, a range of hills, densely wooded, extended from south-west
to north-east, forming a natural barrier across the island. It was
traversed by three roads. One, on the left of t