Indeed, the evacuation resembled rather a flight than a retreat all the heavy artillery, military stores, baggage, and provisions, falling into the hands of the enemy. A large portion of the American forces, at that time, consisted of militia, the conduct of which was scandalous beyond endurance. They deserted, not only in small numbers, but in companies and squadrons, whenever they could; and their conduct, in the face of the enemy, or rather when running from the faces of the enemy, was most cowardly. So disorderly was their demeanor, and so like poltroons did they behave when flying from Sir Henry Clinton, that even Washington himself lost his patience, and was excited to a degree of hot exasperation. In writing from Harlem Heights to a friend, General Greene said that "two brigades of militia ran away from about fifty men, leaving the Commander-in-Chief on the ground, within eighty yards of the enemy, so vexed with the conduct of his troops that he sought death rather than life. His attempts to stop them were fruitless. He drew his sword and threatened to run them through, and cocked and snapped his pistols.* But all his exertions were to no purpose." In a letter upon the subject of this infamous conduct of the militia, to the President of Congress, the Commander-in-Chief declared that, "were he called to give his opinion upon oath, he should say that .militia did more injury to the service than good." General Greene strongly urged the destruction of the city by fire-a measure afterward so effectively adopted by Count Rostopchin, Governor of the ancient capital of Muscovy, to arrest the career of Napoleon-that the enemy might be deprived of the advantage of establishing their winter-quarters therein. His reasons for this measure were sound, and ought, doubtless, to have been * Mr. Bancroft, it is true, discredits this statement; but, it seems to me, without sufficient reason. |