248 HISTORY OF BROOKLYN.

troops took possession of Governor's Island and constructed a redoubt upon its west side, a little southeast of Castle William.1 On the same night a regiment occupied Red Hook, the extreme point of land north of Gowanus Bay, where they constructed a redoubt for one 3-pounder and four 18’s. This redoubt, named Fort Defiance, was near the intersection of present Conover and Van Dyke streets, south of the Atlantic Docks.2

On the 14th of April, Washington arrived at New York, and his presence gave a new impulse to the work of defence, which had been so admirably planned and prosecuted by Generals Lee and Stirling; and, towards the latter part of May, he went to Philadelphia, leaving Gen. Putnam in command at New York, and Gen. Greene stationed at Brooklyn, in charge of the work of fortification there. On the 29th of June, Gen. Howe arrived from Halifax, and on the 8th of July, landed 9,000 troops upon Staten Island, where, within a few days, he was joined by his brother, Admiral Howe, with a large force of English regulars and Hessians, and on the 11th by the fragments of the defeated armies of Clinton and Parker, making the whole British force at that place, on shore and water, about 30,000 men. On the 12th of July, the Rose and Phoenix, ships of war, passed the American batteries, and went up the Hudson to Haverstraw, with the twofold object of arming the Tories of Westchester and keeping open a communica-

1 Gaine.
Maj. Shaw, June 11, ’76, writes to his family: “I am now stationed at Red Hook, about four miles from New York. It is on an island [the connection between Red Hook and the main land was so slight, and it was so nearly surrounded by water, as to make it seem an island see Appendix, No. 5], situated in such a manner as to command the entrance of the harbor entirely, where we have a fort with four 18-pounders, to fire en barbette, that is, over the top of the works, which is vastly better than firing through embrasures, as we can now bring all our guns to bear on the same object at once. The fort is named Defiance. It is thought to be one of the moot important posts we have. There are two families here—Mr. Van Dyke and his son—good, staunch Whigs, and very clever folks, between whom and our people a very pleasant intercourse subsists. I rode out with the young man, about a week ago, to a place called Flushing, sixteen miles off, where, and in most of the country towns about, the Tories from the city have taken shelter. It Is almost incredible how many of these vermin there are. Scarce a house we rode by, but Mr. Van Dyke would say, ‘There lives a rascally Tory.’”—Quincy’s Mem. of Samuel Shaw, p. 13. Capt. Foster was in command here on May 22, '76.—Force, v. 460.

2 When the Rose and Phoenix ran past the American batteries, on the 12th of July, they did not compliment this Red Hook redoubt so much as to return her fire—being, as Shaw relates, two miles distant.—Onderdonk, sec. 187.