264 HISTORY OF BROOKLYN.

along the eastern foot of the range of hills from New Utrecht to Flatlands, idly skirmishing and occupying the attention of the Americans.

Gen. Howe, meanwhile, had been informed of the unguarded state of the road at Bedford,1 “and that it would not be a difficult matter to turn the Americans' left flank, which would either oblige them to risk an engagement, or to retire under manifest disadvantage.” In view of this fact, he adopted the following plan of attack, viz.:

(1.) Gen. Grant, with two brigades, one Highland regiment, and two companies of New York Provincials, was to move forward upon the coast-road, towards Gowanus, while some of the ships-of-war were to menace New York, and to operate against the right of the American fortified lines.2 While the attention of the Americans was thus diverted by the threatened danger to the city and to their rear,

(2.) The German troops, under Gen. De Heister, were to force the Flatbush Pass and the direct road to Brooklyn, by assault; and,

(3.) At evening gun-fire, the right wing, under Clinton, Cornwallis, and Percy, accompanied by Howe himself, was to move, in light marching order, from Flatlands, across the country to New Lotts,

1 Stedman (i., p. 194) attributes the information to Generals Sir Henry Clinton and Sir William Erskine, whereas Onderdonk (Kings Co., sec. 802) says it was furnished by disaffected inhabitants.

2 (Extract from Lord Howe's letter): “Being informed next day (26th) by Gen. Howe of Ills intention to advance with the army that night to the enemy's lines, and of his wishes that some diversion might be attempted by the ships on this side, I gave direction to Sir Peter Parker for proceeding higher up in the channel towards the town of New York next morning, with the Asia, Renown, Preston (Com. Hotham embarked in the Phoenix, having been left to carry on the service in Gravesend Bay), Roebuck, and Repulse, and to keep those ships in readiness for being employed as occasion might require; but the wind veering to the northward soon after the break of day, the ships could not be moved up to the distance proposed: therefore, when the troops under Gen. Grant, forming the left column of the army, were seen to be engaged with the enemy in the morning, the Roebuck, Capt. Hammond, leading the detached squadron, was the only ship that could fetch high enough to the northward to exchange a few random shots with the battery on Red Hook; and the ebb making strongly down the river soon after, I ordered the signal to be shown for the squadron to anchor.”

From the Journal of a British Officer, we learn that "“the Admiral directed Sir Geo. Collier to place the Rainbow, at dawn of day, in the Narrows, abreast of a large stone building called Denyme's (now Fort Hamilton), where he understood the rebels had cannon and a strong post, in which situation she would also be able to enfilade the road leading from New York, and prevent re-enforcements being sent to the rebel outposts, as well as to their troops who were stationed to oppose the landing.”