BATTLES OF THE REVOLUTION

Stand-off at White Plains

Second in a series of paintings for
AMERICAN HERITAGE

BY DON TROIANI

Mid-October of 1776 found a badly beaten American army in full retreat from Manhattan Island into the forests and farmlands of Westchester County. It was by no means a rout; units of Washington’s army fought skillful and rugged rearguard actions every step of the way. William Howe, in command of the king’s forces, followed the Americans in a pursuit sluggish enough to allow Washington ample time to settle his troops in the hills surrounding the village of White Plains. The Americans dug in well, established a long, curving line, and waited for the inevitable attack. It came on the morning of October 28.

Brigadier General Joseph Spencer had posted himself and fifteen hundred men behind a low stone wall a mile and a half below the main body of the American army. As the forward units of the British army advanced up along the Bronx River, Spencer’s men let loose a volley that stopped them in their tracks. When a Hessian unit moved around to outflank the Americans, Spencer pulled his troops back uphill to another stone wall, where once again they gave their attackers a mauling. Spencer fought a slow, dogged retreat, selling his ground dearly, until finally his units joined some militiamen who were fortifying Chatterton’s Hill on the extreme right of the American line.

The hill was now held by green militia and Connecticut and New York troops still shaken by the beating they had recently taken on Long Island. Behind these units, however, were tough, battle-wise Maryland and Delaware regiments. While the main body of the British army was assembling on the plain below the Americans, gunners of the Royal Artillery opened up on Chatterton’s Hill, and the troops there replied to the heavy fire as best they could with two small fieldpieces. When the cannonading eventually lifted, long lines of Hessian and British troops splashed across the Bronx River and moved up the hill with fixed bayonets. They met unexpectedly strong resistance from the militia, and the battle seesawed back and forth, the Americans giving as good as they got.

But while the king’s troops were wavering, trumpets sounded a charge, and the 17th Dragoons galloped into view, terrible with plumed brass helmets and cavalry sabres. It was more than most of the Americans could stand, and their line dissolved. They fled the field, covered by the steadfast Delaware regiment, which brought up the rear and held off the British attack until their fellow soldiers had reached safety.

The British consolidated their position on the hill they had taken but did little else. Howe had won the field but allowed Washington’s army to escape destruction. Spirits in the American camp were high, the men feeling, quite justly, that they had fought well.

—R.F.S.

THEY WERE THERE:

Private James Sullivan Martin,
Continental Army:

We marched… for the White Plains, in the night. We had our cooking utensils, at that time the most useless things in the army, to carry in our hands.… We arrived at the White Plains just at dawn of day, tired and faint—encamped on the plain for a few days and then removed to the hills in the rear. One day… we found that the British were advancing upon us.

An unknown American participant in the battle:

The army were immediately alarmed, and part of General Wadsworth’s brigade, with some other regiments under the command of General Spencer… were sent out as an advance party, to skirmish with the enemy, and harass them in their march. We… placed ourselves behind walls and fences, in the best manner we could, to give the enemy trouble. About half after nine o’clock, our advance parties all came in, retreating before the enemy; and the light parties of the enemy, with their advanced guard, consisting of two or three thousand, came in sight, and marched on briskly towards us… and we fi ring upon them from the walls and fences, broke and scattered them at once; but they would run from our front and get round upon our wings to flank us.… We kept the walls until the enemy were just ready to surround us. Once the Hessian grenadiers came up in front of Colonel Douglass’s regiment, and we fired a general volley upon them, at about twenty rods distance, and scattered them like leaves in a whirlwind ; and they ran off so far that some of the regiment ran out to the ground where they were when we fired upon them, and brought off their arms and accoutrements, and rum, that the men who fell had with them, which we had time to drink round with before they came on again.

Brigadier General William Heath,
Continental Army:

From the American camp to the west-southwest, there appeared to be a very commanding height [Chatterton’s Hill], worthy of attention.… “Yonder,” says Major-Gen. Lee, pointing to the grounds just mentioned, “is the ground we ought to occupy.” “Let us then go and view it,” replied the Commander in Chief. When on the way, a light-horseman came up in full gallop, his horse almost out of breath, and addressed Gen. Washington—“The British are on the camp, Sir.” The General observed—“Gentlemen, we have now other business than reconnoitring, “putting his horse in full gallop for the camp, and followed by the other officers. When arrived at HeadQuarters, the Adjutant-General who had remained at camp, informed the Commander in Chief, that the guards had been all beat in, and the whole American army were now at their respective posts, in order of battle. The Commander in Chief turned round to the officers, and only said, “Gentlemen, you will repair to your respective posts, and-do the best you can.”

Colonel Stephen Kemble, British Army:

A Cannonade ensued, but about 2 o’Clock the Enemy appearing to intend throwing a strong Body on the Height to our left and in the Wood, a Body of Hessians and 2d. Brigade British were ordered to attack and drive them from them, which was done with great spirit; the Ground was warmly disputed.…

The anonymous American participant:

The scene was grand and solemn; all the adjacent hills smoked as though on fire, and bellowed and trembled with perpetual cannonade and fire of field-pieces, hobits, and mortars. The air groaned with streams of cannon and musket shot; the hills smoked and echoed terribly with the bursting of shells; the fences and walls were knocked down and torn to pieces, and men’s legs, arms, and bodies, mangled with cannon and grape-shot all around us.

Colonel John Haslet, Continental Army:

At this time the Maryland battalion was warmly engaged, and the enemy ascending the hill. The cannonade from twelve or fifteen pieces, well served, kept up a continual peal of reiterated thunder. The Militia regiment behind the fence fled in confusion, without more than a random, scattering fire.… The left of the [Delaware] regiment took post behind a fence on the top of the hill with most of the officers, and twice repulsed the Light Troops and Horse of the enemy; but seeing ourselves deserted on all hands, and the continued column of the enemy advancing, we also retired. Covering the retreat of our party, and forming at the foot of the hill, we marched into camp in the rear of the body sent to reinforce us.

Major Benjamin Tallmadge, Continental Army:

The British ascended the hill very slowly, and when arrived at its summit, formed and dressed their line without the least attempt to pursue the Americans.