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Show Evidem anaiox Genet". Roatxrsow. Evidence anAJon GENERAL ROBERTSON. 0 mm, 1ch immediately fit for (en, had been left in the docks and harbour have intercepted them in their retreat towards the Delaware. of Bolion. He could not afcertain the exact number. _Upon mere recollection, a hundred perhapstor more. He dldhoz know that any of thofe yellels were atterwards converted into privateers ; but they might for what he knew to the contrary. It would not have been a proper meafure to have proceeded to New-York withoit :1 fulhcrent force. The royal army had a communication with the wellnfleéted at New-York. VeflEls were lent from Bolton to New York for neceliaries; one or Purfued by Lord Cornwallis from Fort Lee, and their force being {0 very (mall, no more than between two or three thou- Neither the General not he knew the ilrcngth of the lines at the time ; but he had learned, from rebel prifoners and others, Putmm couldtlinifan immediate attack had been made on the. lines, that had no magazines, provilions coming in once in two days, or twice a week: if they had the magazines defcribed by} the honourable Member, and that fuch a movement as had been dc- fcribed by the honourable Member could have been efleéted, moll certainly Wafhington muft come down and hazard a battle in their defence, or endeavour to retreat over the Delaware,or take fome other llrong pofition. He did not know that part of the Jerfies fufiiciently to be enabled to give a decided opinion one way or the other. The diltance from Middlebrook, G. Howe might where the royal army was then fiationed, to the Delaware was g0_by land to about twenty-five miles, and thirty from thence to Philadelphia. ljhll".‘1('ll'll‘a! Sir William Howe might have marched by this route, without 95 mm" The rein-ls had taken a thong polition on fome {mall eminence: on t‘-‘e right of their lines, and fume dillance from them in front. lie that the General advance, and, by aimovement interruption, or obliged 'Wafhington to defcend from the mountain aud rifque a battle; or if not immediately, to be com- road thole Lzeights, get between them and their lines, by which means he made about two thoufand of the rebels prlfonv crs. The rebels emulated the lines by five o'clock the next meriiinrr. He {aw the rearsg'uard crofs the ferry. He had notice. to march with the firri brigade about Cl'jllt o'clock. If h: f'td had notice earlier, he would have obeyed his orders. pelled to fight in defence of Philadelphia. It would have been a march of but a few days. The country was. open on the Jer- Country not (fly fide of the Delaware; on the Pennfylvania fide there were digficuk, tome woods, but the country was not f0 firong even on that fide as to throw any remarkable difficulty in the way of the execution of fuch a meafure. He did not know the craft But a ma. ,1; 3,, If the royal detachments had received orders earlier, at fix or diliance from the head of the Elke to Philadelphia ; he under~ flood pretty near the fame diltance as from Middlcbrook. not {mm or ‘‘men o'clock, they might have come up with the rebels rears There was but one river the Schuy kill in this line of march. Ci‘ml' l" "‘1‘"? guard. It was no more than a mile and a There was much firong ground, he was informed, between the head of the Elke and Philadelphia; more, he Routc (mm Elk halt, or at mod an hour's march, from the lines to the place where the rebels embarked. He could not fay what would have been the iliue. It would be attended with fome difficulty: fierfey. He did not know, or pretend to judge, of Sir Wil-‘Sag‘ {V‘E‘Ml‘l‘ as there were l‘ome heights poll‘ell'ed by the rebels, which com! mandcd the place of cmbarkation. they might be very good ones, and he prefumed they were. He did not ltnow what degree of fucccfs might have :l‘fvr'ibd‘ "l" attended inch :1 meafure. "ML'A' Rebel retreat & magwm‘s After the flight of the rebels from thite Plains and Fort Let through the ,lctl‘eys, if a corps of two or three thoufand men :fihg‘aw 5"" had been ptnlred over from Staten Illand, and landed at Amb0Y1 underllcod, than by the direct route over the Delaware frommur: am Howe's reafons for chufing to go by fea to the fouthward ; ‘ ‘ r°° ' {3 was not prefent during,r any part of the campaign bf I777. bang then in England, or on his return to America ; but in~ formed as he was by others, he was of opinion, that land ope- Arrainfi How's rations promifed more difpatch and efleétual fuccefs than gomg (e: voyage. or Eli-.t,.t:,\eth Town, he was of opinion that they might have round to Chefapeak; becaufe, if the move to Philadelphia had 011(05th R5061 magazines near Brunfwick; and that, b§1ng "69 cffeé‘ted early in the campaign, a cooperation might have followed out otf from their magazines, the {tune body of men 1mg" have duhcult a The rebels were n63r\anhingtnn's 4‘. He knew the country. MorriSvTown, and had taken a very firong polition in theirpofitionindfur rear upon the mountain above uibbleton. He believed theyl‘llfi- whole of the troops under his command to fiand to their arms. I‘m #1" »*'1"C-P'itnain could not have been able to collect 300 out of the "d 500 mm He was not prefent in the Jerfeys on the opening ofthe cam~ paign 1777. e. x. ‘X. 4;".-.1'. finsH: E. 1:) .51... have been advileable for General Howe to proceed to New York ; the tranl‘ports were too much icrouded ; and the prefe. rence was clearly due to Hahtax, as it was confiderably nearer than Newanrk. Battle 2.7, Aug. He was p :fent at the action of the 27th of Auguft on Long. Illand. After the rebels were driperied, tne grenadiers and 3 3d. regiment pulhed forward, and \VOUld have (termed the lines at Brobklvn, if they had not been called off by the General. fair probability of their furrender or dellruétion. A corps could be {pared from New York for this fervice ; and to him it ap-\Vould have peared the molt feafible fcheme of puttingr an end to the war. mdcd the wan \ '\ 3.- .. ‘s two of them returned with the de..red fupply ; the third, he be, lievc-d was wrecked. On the whole, he thought it would not {and men, cut off from their magazines, and politions being taken in their rear, or in their direct route, there was every ‘~1 52 |