Meanwhile the days slipped along, and Washington waited on the Harlem Plains, planning descents on Long Island, and determining to make a desperate stand where he was, unless the situation decidedly changed.  Then the situation did change, as neither he nor any one else apparently had anticipated.  The British warships came up the Hudson past the forts, brushing aside our boasted obstructions, destroying our little fleet, and getting command of the river.  Then General Howe landed at Frog’s Point, where he was checked for the moment by the good disposition of Heath, under Washington’s direction.  These two events made it evident that the situation of the American army was full of peril, and that retreat was again necessary.  Such certainly was the conclusion of the council of war, on the 16th, acting this time in agreement with their chief.  Six days Howe lingered on Frog’s Point, bringing up stores or artillery or something; it matters little now why he tarried.  Suffice it that he waited, and gave six days to his opponent.  They were of little value to Howe, but they were of inestimable worth to Washington, who employed them in getting everything in readiness, in holding his council of war, and then on the 17th in moving deliberately off to very strong ground at White Plains.  On his way he fought two or three slight, sharp, and successful skirmishes with the British.  Sir William followed closely, but with much caution, having now a dull glimmer in his mind that at the head of the raw troops in front of him was a man with whom it was not safe to be entirely careless.

On the 28th, Howe came up to Washington’s position, and found the Americans quite equal in numbers, strongly intrenched, and awaiting his attack with confidence.  He hesitated, doubted, and finally feeling that he must do something, sent four thousand men to storm Chatterton Hill, an outlying post, where some fourteen hundred Americans were stationed.  There was a short, sharp action, and then the Americans retreated in good order to the main army, having lost less than half as many men as their opponents.  With caution now much enlarged, Howe sent for reinforcements, and waited two days.  The third day it rained, and on the fourth Howe found that Washington had withdrawn to a higher and quite impregnable line of hills, where he held all the passes in the rear and awaited a second attack.  Howe contemplated the situation for two or three days longer, and then broke camp and withdrew to Dobbs Ferry to secure Fort Washington, which treachery offered him as an easy and inviting prize.  Such were the great results of the victory of Long Island, two wasted months, and the American army still untouched.