Sixteen days after Washington and his men retreated from Long Island, the British sailed up the East River and anchored opposite a little inlet called Kip’s Bay (at the foot of what is now Thirty-sixth Street).  They fired upon those who defended the bay, and under cover of this fire landed; and the American soldiers scurried away up the island toward the north.

General Howe led his men on for half a mile, until they reached a large country house.  This was the home, and all about it was the farm, of a family named Murray (who gave their name to Murray Hill).  These Murrays were friendly to the patriots, but they were also well acquainted with Governor Tryon, who was with the British army.  So the army rested close by the house, and Howe, Tryon, and the other officers were given a fine dinner by Mrs. Murray.

[Illustration:  Mrs. Murray’s Dinner to British Officers.]

Now although the Americans had retreated north up the island from Kip’s Bay, and were safely on their way to the main army on Harlem Heights, you must remember there were 4,000 soldiers still in the city.  So the British were in the centre of the island with a very large force; the main body of the Americans was to the north; while to the south was this little band of 4,000, far away from their army and in a position to be trapped by the British.  Had the British officers at once decided to stretch their men across the island, the 4,000 would have been penned up on the lower part and would have been made prisoners.  It therefore seemed to Putnam’s men that there was but one way for them to escape capture, and that was by slipping past the British who rested at Murray house and joining the main army on Harlem Heights.

The Murrays understood the condition of affairs, so they were particularly cordial to their British guests and detained them as long as they could at dinner.  They were still feasting when General Putnam started his 4,000 men marching toward the north.

[Illustration:  Howe’s Head-Quarters, Beekman House.]

He galloped far in advance, for the country was rough and his soldiers could walk but slowly.  He galloped north, and Washington, hanging to the rear of the retreating troops from Kip’s Bay, the generals met where two roads crossed, close by where Broadway now crosses Forty-third Street.  Washington instructed Putnam to hurry his 4,000 on before they were irretrievably cut off from the main army.  They did hurry on.  They drew near the Murray house; they formed a line two miles long that moved silently over the road that led them to within half a mile of where the British soldiers were feasting.  The line passed this point.  Scarcely had the last man gone by when the British were on the move, half an hour too late for the capture of 4,000 prisoners.

Now the American forces were all together in a solid mass, moving toward the upper end of the island; plodding through pouring rain, almost dropping from the exhaustion of their long march—­but safe.