File:Leading American soldiers (1907) (14598099339).jpg

Identifier: leadingamericanso00john (find matches)
Title: Leading American soldiers
Year: 1907 (1900s)
Authors: Johnston, R. M. (Robert Matteson), 1867-1920
Subjects: United States. Army Generals -- United States
Publisher: London : Archibald Constable
Contributing Library: New York Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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ove would be long delayed.As it was, Howe sailed to Halifax for the present, and theAmericans had ample opportunity to make preparation forthe defence of the threatened point. The first plan for the protection of New York was drawnup by General Charles Lee, and was adopted and elaboratedby Washington after his arrival. It was based on a perfectlysound principle stated in a letter from Lee to Washingtonas follows: Whoever commands the sea must commandthe town. The plan for the defence 6f New York wasaccordingly framed so as to prevent, as far as was possible,the British fleet from approaching the city. This it couldapparently do in one of three ways. The first, and least tobe feared, was the direct approach and attack, the possibilityof which was met by strengthening the batteries at the pointof New York and the fortifications generally. The secondwas by running past the city and up the Hudson River witha view to disembarking troops above it. The Hudson ran i8 LEADING AMERICAN SOLDIERS
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OPERATIONS ABOUT NEW YORK GEORGE WASHINGTON 19 due north 150 miles to Albany, which was the objective of asecond British army, operating from Canada, and might wellattract the attention of General Howe. To ward off a blowin this direction numerous batteries had been placed fromPaulus Hook on the New Jersey shore to Kings bridge overthe Harlem River, near which point two large forts had beenerected, and some ships and other obstructions sunk in thestream. The third line of approach lay on the other sideof New York, by the East River. This arm of the searunning from the bay to Long Island Sound was commanded,so Lee thought, at the part where it passed the city, byBrooklyn Heights on Long Island. He therefore planneda line of forts and intrenchments about a mile long enclosingthe heights, forming a sort of intrenched camp, and declaredthat this was the key of New York. This defensive scheme was more specious than sound. Itset too high a value on land batteries as a means of pre-venting s

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