14th. The fleet lay at anchor that night and started at
six the next morning, but was detained by winds and
tides, and did not reach Throg's Neck (or Frog's Point,
as Washington calls it), until nightfall. Here Howe
had previously landed his advanced guard, but
Washington had been beforehand with him, and had occupied
the passes leading to the mainland. Howe
consequently determined to push on and effect a landing
at East Chester. This he succeeded in doing on the
18th of October, after a sharp skirmish. The British
army lay on its arms that night, with its left wing
protected by a creek near East Chester, and its right
near New Rochelle. The Americans, meanwhile,
were making the best of their way to White Plains,
where they took up a strong position and intrenched
it. Just at this juncture the Second Division of
Hessians joined the rest of the army. It consisted of
three thousand nine hundred and ninety-seven men,
commanded by Lieutenant-General Wilhelm von
Knyphausen, and had left Cassel early in May. The
Waldeck regiment, six hundred and seventy strong,
came with this division, as also the second company of
chasseurs, under Captain Ewald. Thus the German
corps under the command of General von Heister was
brought up to about thirteen thousand four hundred
men. The new division was left to hold New Rochelle
during the British advance on White Plains.
Captain Ewald and his second company of chasseurs had not long to wait before coming into action. On the 23d of October, while attempting a reconnoissance, they were met by a superior force of riflemen, and would have been driven back had not the Highlanders
