In the meantime, Washington had quitted his encampment at Morristown, and taken up a strong position at Middlebrook, about twelve miles from Princetown. He had with him forty-three regiments, or rather skeletons of regiments, for the whole amounted to only eight thousand men, divided into brigades. On the 13th of June, Howe at last marched out of New Brunswick to attack him.
On this, Washington called to his assistance a great part of the troops in the highlands, the whole force of the Jersey militia, whilst Arnold, who had the command at Philadelphia, was actively engaged with Mifflin in preparing defences for the Delaware. The object of Howe was to draw Washington from his entrenchments, certain that, on fair ground, it would require little exertion to totally dissipate his army; therefore, after marching up almost to the American lines, he commenced a retreat, evacuated even New Brunswick, and fell back to Amboy.
head-quarters of general prescott.
Washington fell into the snare; he sent a strong force in pursuit of Howe, who, keeping up the ruse, threw a bridge over the narrow strait which divides Staten Island from the mainland, and sent over part of his baggage and a number of troops. Satisfied then that Howe was bent on resuming his old quarters at New York, Washington quitted his camp, which had cost him so much labour to create, and descended with his main body to Quibbletown. On seeing this, Howe advanced again, and dispatched several bodies of soldiers by different routes, to get, if possible, betwixt Washington and his old post on the hills, so as to bring him to an engagement on the plain. To have effected this movement required, however, more rapidity and energy than belonged to Howe. Washington instantly became aware of his design, and retreated with all speed. Lord Cornwallis, who led the British van, notwithstanding, managed to come up with him, and fell upon a division of three thousand strong, advantageously posted, and defended with cannon. Cornwallis's charge, however, threw him into confusion, the route became general, and the British pursued them as far as Westfield, whence, coming to a woody country, and the heat of the day being intense, they halted for the night. This halt was again the salvation of Washington: it enabled him to regain his old fortified post in the hills, leaving behind him part of his cannon, and about two hundred men killed.
Instead of waiting to watch Washington, or leaving any force for that purpose, Howe now suddenly altered his plans, marched back in reality to Staten Island, and left in full command of the Jerseys. Neither Washington nor his own officers could now comprehend his designs. It would have been far better to have attacked Washington's camp than for Howe to have cooped up his forces in the heat of the season in the vessels lying off Staten Island. Had Howe captured or broken up Washington's army, the greatest difficulty of the war would have been over. As it was, some thought he intended to ascend the Hudson, in order to meet and support general Burgoyne, who was descending from Canada by the fort of Ticonderoga towards Albany, by which he would have secured the second great enterprise in the campaign, and have then left only Washington to encounter the whole momentum of his forces.
But, embarking his army on the 5th of July, he left general Clinton at New York with seventeen battalions, a body of loyal American militia, and a regiment of light horse. He set sail on the 23rd of July, and stood out to sea. Washington, now supposing that he meant to make an attempt on Boston, moved slowly towards the Hudson; but he had soon information that caused him to retreat again
