History of the city of New York : its origin, rise, and progress . er, not in actual immediate demand, were being quietly removed,as fast as conveyances could be procured, to a post partially fortified atDobbs Ferry. Days slipped by and the enemy made no further advance. They werefearful of precipitating the destruction of the richest city in as Washingtons appeal to Congress and its response were not borneon the wings of the wind, or in coaches propelled by steam, there wasample time for the expression of much diverse opinion among the militaryand civil authorities, before the sen
History of the city of New York : its origin, rise, and progress . er, not in actual immediate demand, were being quietly removed,as fast as conveyances could be procured, to a post partially fortified atDobbs Ferry. Days slipped by and the enemy made no further advance. They werefearful of precipitating the destruction of the richest city in as Washingtons appeal to Congress and its response were not borneon the wings of the wind, or in coaches propelled by steam, there wasample time for the expression of much diverse opinion among the militaryand civil authorities, before the sense of the supreme government wasknown. Putnam urged an immediate retreat from the city, as one por-tion of the army might at any moment be cut off before the other couldsupport it, the extremities of the lines being sixteen miles apart. Mercersaid, We should keep New York, if possible, as the acquiring of it willgive eclat to the arms of Great Britain, afford the soldiers good quarters,and furnish a safe harbor for their fleet. Greene, irom his sick-bed, wrote :. QiESTIOX OF BURNING NEW YORK CITY. 117 Abandon, by all means, the city and island. They should not be put incompetition with the general interests of America. There is no object tobe obtained by holding any position below Kiugsbridge. I would Imrnthe city and suburbs to deprive the enemy of barracking their wholearray together and of profiting by a general mai-ket. Scott was of thesame mind, although the city contained his entire possessions. Ueedwrote to his wife, on the 6th, We are still here, in a posture somewhatawkward. We think (at least I do) that we cannot stay, and yet we donot know how to go, so that we may be properly said to be Ijetween lia\\kand buzzard. John Jay had long since advocated the burning of thecity; and Wolcott quoted precedents where invading armies had beenstarved and ruined by the laying waste of the countries upon whichthey had built their hopes. Heath, Spencer, and George Clinton wereunwil
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