On the 22d of August the British crossed from Staten Island to Gravesend Bay, on the Long Island shore of the Narrows.  The Navy covered the landing, and the transportation of the troops was under the charge of Commodore William Hotham, who, nineteen years later, was Nelson’s commander-in-chief in the Mediterranean.  By noon fifteen thousand men and forty field-guns had been carried over and placed on shore.  The force of the Americans permitted little opposition to the British advance; but General Howe was cautious and easy-going, and it was not till the 27th that the army, now increased to twenty-five thousand, was fairly in front of the American lines, having killed, wounded, and taken about 1,500 men.  Hoping that Howe would be tempted to storm the position, Washington replaced these with two thousand drawn from his meagre numbers; but his opponent, who had borne a distinguished part at Bunker’s Hill, held back his troops, who were eager for the assault.  The Americans now stood with their backs to a swift tidal stream, nearly a mile wide, with only a feeble line of works between them and an enemy more than double their number.

On the morning of the 27th, Sir Peter Parker, with a 64-gun ship, two 50’s, and two frigates, attempted to work up to New York, with a view of supporting the left flank of the army; but the wind came out from the north, and, the ebb-tide making, the ships got no nearer than three miles from the city.  Fortunately for the Americans, they either could not or would not go farther on the following two days.  After dark of the 28th, Howe broke ground for regular approaches.  Washington, seeing this, and knowing that there could be but one result to a siege under his condition of inferiority, resolved to withdraw.  During the night of the 29th ten thousand men silently quitted their positions, embarked, and crossed to Manhattan Island, carrying with them all their belongings, arms, and ammunition.  The enemy’s trenches were but six hundred yards distant, yet no suspicion was aroused, nor did a single deserter give treacherous warning.  The night was clear and moonlit, although a heavy fog towards daybreak prolonged the period of secrecy which shrouded the retreat.  When the fog rose, the last detachment was discovered crossing, but a few ineffectual cannon-shot were the only harassment experienced by the Americans in the course of this rapid and dexterous retirement.  The garrison of Governor’s Island was withdrawn at the same time.

The unmolested use of the water, and the nautical skill of the fishermen who composed one of the American regiments, were essential to this escape; for admirable as the movement was in arrangement and execution, no word less strong than escape applies to it.  By it Washington rescued over half his army from sure destruction, and, not improbably, the cause of his people from immediate collapse.  An opportunity thus seized implies necessarily an opportunity lost on the other side.  For that failure both army