iEBKELEY \ LIBRARY UNIVEBSITY Of CAUPOKNJA f 1 LONG ISLAND PUBLICATIONS No. i. A FARC Em 2 acts REPRINTED BROOKLYN Only a few copies of this curious work have been reprinted for private distribution. BROOKLYN, January, 1873. THE BATTLE OF BROOKLYN A FARCE IN TWO ACTS As it was performed on LONG IS LAND On TUESDAY the 2jth Day of AUGUST, 1776. By the REPRESENTATIVES of the TYRANTS of * AMERICA Assembled at Philadelphia. For as a Flea, that goes to bed Lies ivith his tail abo-ve his head : So in this mongrel State of ours , The rabble are the fupreme powers ; Who ve hors d us on their backs, to Jbe-w us A jadijb trick, at loft, and throw us. HUDIBRAS. NEW YORK: PRINTED for J. RIVINGTON, in the Year of the REBELLION, 1776. Dramatis Personae. MEN. WASHINGTON "| PUTNAM SULLIVAN j- Rebel Chiefs. STIRLING LASHER a Shoemaker of New York CLARK a Retailer of Rum in Connecticut Colonels. EBENEZER Snuffle a New England Parfon Chaplain to General Putnam. JOE KING Servant to Stirling. NOAH Servant to Sullivan. SKINNER a Thief employed by Putnam. WO MEN. LADY GATES. BETTY her Servant. Officers and Soldiers. SCENE, partly within the Rebel Lines at Brooklyn and partly at Gwanas. 188 "THE BATTLE OF BROOKLYN ACT I. SCENE I. An Apartment at Brooklyn. Enter Stirling, as from bis bed-room, rubbing his head. STIRLING. Joe ! honeft Joe ! Damn the Fellow, where can this King be ; (looking at his watch] odfs, almoft twelve o clock. Enter KING. KING. Why here, my Lord Devil damme Sir; pray who do you damn fo ? STIR. My dear Joe, the cares that diftract, and fplit this poor head of mine KING. Split! Yes, by heaven! you drank flinkabus enough laft night, to fplit the head of an Indian ! STIR. Infolence! in future know me for your mafter your lord! who has the difpofal of your life. 2 i o The Battle of Brooklyn. KING. I muft hold a candle to this Devil. (AJide) My Lord, I afk your pardon ; I meant no harm, but only as an old acquaintance. You know, my Lord, I am given to joking, and you formerly encouraged me in it, when we were concerned together in the paper manu factory. STIR. Forgive me, honeft Joe the public cares fo hang upon me, that they quite deftroy my conftitutional good humor. The Regulars are near to us, and every moment we expect them over the hills. KING. Your Lordfhip has fo long and fo uni formly wifhed to meet them, that I thought, the nearer the profpect, the better you would have been pleafed. You have no doubt, my Lord, of fpitting, and roafting, and pickling thefe red coat fellows. STIR. We are to meet at the Church this day, to determine in council, what to do with them. I am for furrounding furround ! is the word with me ; if they were twenty times the number, I fay furround them all ! But thefe gripes, Joe, and my canteens are empty ; you muft procure me fomething for them. KING. O heavens, the gripes ! Zounds ! a puncheon of Jamaica to have the gripes, (afide) I have fome peach brandy, my Lord. The Battle of Brooklyn. 1 1 STIR. The beft of all poflible things: it fo admirably fits a man for the cabinet and the field. (A knocking at the door.) What can that mean ; run Joe and fee who knocks. KING. I go, Sir. (As be goes be obferves Stir ling s countenance.) Pale and trembling, by that auguft body the Congrefs. (Afide and exit.) STIR. Thefe bloody fellows, I fear, are in motion. I hope to God that damn d rafcal King will be mot; he has been my evil genius, ever fince I was concerned with him in counter feiting paper currency. Enter King. Dear Joe, what is the matter? KING. Nothing, but to defire you to meet the other Generals in council, two hours hence, at the church. STIR. O, is that all; I (hall attend; in the meantime, go to the Commiflary of Rum, and get my canteens filled, and by all means, my good Joe, be at home when I return. (Exit Sterling.) KING. Canteens filled and then thy whole foul will be in thy canteens. That is, if he has credit enough with the Commiflary, to get his canteens filled with rum, he will belch it out of his ftomach in the damn deft lies, that ever dif- 1 2 The Battle of Brooklyn. qualified a man for the character of a gentleman: and yet parfon McWorther bellows from his pulpit, that this moft ignobleman, is a chofen veflel, to execute the Lord s work. Ill-fated country! when will this delufion end? (Exit.) The Scene changes to a Jmall Houfe, in a Field: Cattle and Horfes grazing. Enter LASHER and CLARK. CLARK. Behold, Colonel, thefe flocks and herds ; with the fword of Gideon have I made them mine; and honeftly collected them, in the diftrict allotted to me by our agreement. LASHER. I rejoice with you in the acquisition. My harveft from the Wallabocht is like the mir aculous draught : two hundred and feven head of horned beafts, and thirty-feven horfes, graze where my guards direct. CLARK. Favour has not been fo amply mani- fefted unto me ; for from the farther! verge of Gwanas, even from Cafpar s houfe, till you come to Brewer s mills, one hundred and nine horned, and twenty eight beafts of burthen, were all I could collect: nor was there companion in my foul to fpare one of the Kine for milk, to the offfpring of a people, who believe that men can not be faved by faith alone, without works. The Battle of Brooklyn. i 3 LASH. Impious and blafphemous tenet; de- ftructive of Republicanism and intoleration. I doubt whether fuch people mould be fpared from the fword. But, brother Clark, to fecure what we have thus obtained by a ftrong hand, and mighty arm, was affigned to your care and pru dence. CLARK. That I am not unworthy of the truft, you are to know, that nine of our {loops will, this day, be difcharged from the continental fer- vice : to-morrow, they will be ready at the ferry to receive the fpoil. Every fifth beaft, by lot, is to be the wages of their fafe delivery, at New Haven, in Connecticut, the residence of the faithful. But, we being fellow laborers, if you approve Tabitha, the wife of mybofom, mail be charged with the care of your cattle. LASH. Be it as thou haft faid ; at her hands will I require them ; and as I had allotted to myfelf a large brafs Kettle, in a former divifion of the fpoil, with the Cattle let it be convey d, as a teftimony of the love I bear unto her. CLARK. What ever is in thy heart to do, that do and profper. I hear that twelve thoufand are to keep the hills to day ; fpies proclaim fome motion in the camp of the Philiftians. LASH. What the end of thefe things will be, I know not; but as my foul liveth I mean not 1 4 The Battle of Brooklyn. to budge a jot beyond the fummit of the hill, keeping in full view and practicable acquifition, the fort called Green. CLARK. Know you not, the wife determination of the Congrefs on that head; ftimulated thereto, by the prudence of our Generals ; who, I do be lieve, received it by infpiration ? LASH. Ignorant have I been kept ; but unfold the mighty tydings, for I already perceive they are big with joy. CLARK. Have you not obferved, with what addrefs the fouthern militias are drawn hither? LASH. That they are here I know, but am yet to learn the fecret caufe, if any fecret caufe there be. CLARK. Know, then, that the Marylanders, Pennfylvanians, and the rife regiments, are moftly compofed of Europeans ; a great majority of which are Irifh and Germans. LASH. Thefe things I am no ftranger to but ftill lack information. CLARK. Which way foever the battle tends, the burthen and heat of it will be theirs ; for thus it is refolved, to fpare the natives, and make no account of the expenditure of the Europeans; feel you not the power of infpiration now? LASH. Wonderful ! truly wonderful workings of wifdom indeed ! The Battle of Brooklyn. 15 CLARK. But for fome twenty head of cattle, the gleanings of Gwanas, in the orchard of one Bergen, I would not go fo far : thefe once ob tained, we will be near each other. Enter Remfen, without a hat, his hair on end; his coat torne, and every mark of fear about him. LASH. Mercy ! mercy ! O Lord, where are they ? CLARK. O heavens ! he is wounded and out of his fenfes ! Dear Colonel, can you fpeak. REM. Oh ! Heere Godt ! what merciful fcape I get this time. Shentlemen, have you feen my CLARK. No, where did you leave it ? Lord help us ! how near is the enemy. REM. O Godt! O Godt! O Godt ! Count the bloodt out of me in any place. LASH. Blood, no ; nor can I fee any body coming after you : your hurt, I fancy, is fear ! Colonel ; and your wound muft be fought for in your breeches ! but compofe yourfelf, and tell us what has happened. REM. Well, I will tell you, then. I was, yuft now, van the head of my regment, clofe up be hind Shon van Dinens field. I keep my eye on Arian Morte s lane. I fee, yuft by the ground, fomething creep : I fay my regment, take care of 1 6 The Eat tie of Brooklyn. yourfelf boys. I peep again mit both mine eyes, and fee nothing : I fay, boys, tis clofe up with us now they begin for to run ; my horfe he fee the danger too, and carry me off: Godt knows I get here ; I believe the reft is all killed, or taken prifoners. Enter an Officer. Godt blefs you ayndant, where is the regment ? OFF. Where ! damn them, fcattered in every cover between this and the place where you ftarted. REM. Heere Godt ! all Killed ? OFF. Killed ! no, nor any of them hurt ex cept four or five that you rode over : why there was not a regular within a mile, when you took fright. LASH. O you ungodly coward ! out from the prefence of the brave ! (Kicks him qffl and exit after him.} OFF. That fellow kicks as awkward, as if he foon expected the same difcipline : but I will go and try if poffible, to collect our heroes. (Exit Officer.} CLARK. What credulous ftuff, thefe New York ers are made of. The bill of lading for the cattle and horfes will be in my name only : Poor La mer ! not a hide of them (halt thou have to put The Battle of Brooklyn. 17 a ftich in : and then there is the Kettle, too ! a ! ha ! ha ! (Exit laughing.) SCENE a ROOM at Brooklyn Ferry. Enter LADY GATES and BETTY. BETTY. After Council, Mem, General Wafh- ington will wait of you ; till then he begs your patience, as the time is near when he is to meet the reft of the Generals. LADY G. Council ! a pretty collection of Councillors, indeed ; but fince it muft be fo, you mall comply with your promife to me, girl, by giving me the narrative of Harrifon and your General : it will beguile the time. BETTY. La, mem, you fo difcomfit me by claiming this promife, that I am ablufh all over. LADY G. Why, Betty, you muft have aflumed the bluming trade lately, it was not always fo with you. BETTY. Indeed your Ladyfhip does not make proper allowances for neceflity and inexperience Fifty dollars, and hard ones too with a promife of fifty times as much was irrefiftable : but Oh ! the nafty beaft ! I almoft puke at the recollection. LADY G. Oh ! that muft be affectation, for blefs me what could raife fuch ideas ? BETTY. Why, he is fuch a flobbering, odious, 3 1 8 The Battle of Brooklyn. unfavory fmelling creature, that I wonder any woman in the world could fleep a night, by his fide. LADY G. And yet you fee, that fifty hard dol lars, made you put up for a night with all the inconveniency of bad fmells. BET. Anight! your Ladyfhip wrongs me very much : why he fhored within an hour ! and the first fnore was fignal for my retreat. I am fure, I mould have been a corps, if I had been obliged to ftay the night. LADY G. Fifty dollars is a good deal of money, Betty ; but did he make no claim upon you afterwards ? BET. Indeed, mem, he ftayed from Congress on purpofe to teafe me : why he cry d and faid he was in liquor that night, and did every thing, I think, that could make me defpife him, but all would not do. LADY G. And there your affairs ended with Harrifon, did they not, Betty ? BET. Not quite, my Lady ; for when he found that I could not abide him, he propofed to in troduce General Wafhington to me. The Gene ral was a very pretty Gentleman, and I confented to it on purpofe to get rid of Harrifon. LADY G. This I mould have imagined a favor able change myfelf, Betty, was it not. The Battle of Brooklyn. 19 BET. The General is the fweeteft, meekeft, me lancholy fighing Gentleman ; and then he is fuch a warrior O mem, I mall always love the Gen eral. LADY G. And among his other qualifications, the moft liberal. BET. Why, my Lady, I will tell you honeftly: his Excellency gave me a thirty dollar bill ; he allured me it would have been more, but that he was obliged to repay Harrifon the fifty hard dol lars that he had given me : now, mem, is not Harrifon a dirty fellow in every fhape that you can view him ? LADY G. No great things, girl, to be fure, from your account of him ; neither is your meek, me lancholy hero, from my own obfervation. BET. Lord ! lord ! mem, did he not make codfifh of them all at Bofton ! and has he not feen tory men rid upon rails at New York by the tail ors and cobblers of the town ! And more, my lady, did he not order the King s ftatue to be pulled down, and the head cut off! for God s fake, mem, what would you have of a hero ? LADY G. Codfifh at Bofton ! it is really an odd term, Betty : but he did no more than that old fool Putnam would have done: his not forbid ding that infultto humanity, at New York, was countenancing an act of barbarifm ; and none, 2O The Battle of Brooklyn. but a little minded barbarian would have fuffered the Arts to be trampled under foot, as he did, in the cafe of the King s ftatue. BET. You know of thefe things beft, mem, to be fure : but I have heard the New England offi cers fay that he mould be their General no longer than he pleafed them, and may be, they would have it fo. LADY G. Be affured, girl, that if he had native dignity of heart, he would have foon convinced the rabble, that they muft be governed by him, notwithftanding that he may have obtained his power by an ufurpation from themfelves but hark ! what clamorous noife is that in the ftreet ? run and learn. (Exit Betty.) There appears to be fome commotion, and it grows late ; I begin to defpair of feeing the Gen eral. Enter Betty. BET. O, my lady, do not let us wait to fee the General. The New England Colonels are in a mutiny and fay they will not fight, if the boats are not all ready to carry their men off to New York, when they run away : let us go, dear mern, for I do not think we mall be fafe, on this fide of the Alleghany mountains. LADY G. I will take your advice girl. O Ho ratio ! that you mould fully your laurels in the The Battle of Brooklyn. 2 1 abominable caufe of republican Tyrants, and Smugglers in power : to be runnagate for fuch mifcreants, almofl diftracts me. (Exeunt.} The SCENE changes to Brooklyn Church. WASHINGTON, PUTNAM, SULLIVAN and ST I R L I N G in Council WASH. Gentlemen, fpies from Flat Bum in form that the regulars are making a difpofition to crofs the hills, near that place. General Put nam s wifdom in ordering that road to be flanked with breaft works is now apparent. Lord Stir ling, with his ufual intrepidity and precifion, has reconnoitered their numbers, which he finds to be about feven thoufand. General Sullivan has appointed the hill with exquifite judgement ; where the Brigades under him and Lord Stirling are to take poft and act as occafion may require : twelve thoufand men are allotted for the fervice offending them back to their fhips. I, with eight thoufand will flay within thefe lines, to be called out to the daughter and purfuit, unlefs our pre- fent deliberations, alter this plan of operation. My Lord, the Council expects your opinion. STIR. I rife to give it to the moft refpedlable and moft puiflant council of general officers, that this, or any other age ever produced. I would not prefume Gentlemen, to fpeak in this place, 22 The Battle of Brooklyn. without being confcious that I pofTefs the energy and oratory of a Burke ! or even write on the fubjecT:, but that I feel the powers and the pen of Junlus ! That I reconnoitered them is moft true; and if my weak opinion has any weight in council I am for Jut rounding them, and when we have got them hemmed in, I am then for fend ing to our noble Commander in chief in thefe lines, to know what to do with them. SUL. Pompous, flimfey, drunken fool. (Afide.) The noble Lord has faid nothing againft the dif- pofition that the General had pointed out, and of which I approve. His Lordfhip s ideas are ex ceedingly Jurrounding ; I wifh the practice may be as eafy as the theory, and that their numbers may not exceed feven thoufand : but if the council holds the opinion of General Wafhington and myfelf, our deliberations are at an end, and we cannot be to foon at our different pofts. PUT. I this morning gave the chaps another pill, and I will tell you how ; you know the road to Bedford, a little on this fide the houfe that the bandy legged Jew lived in ; well, d ye fee, there is on each fide the road, a ftone wall, near three feet high ; beyond that on each fide, are clear fields what do you think I have done there ? STIR. Why fornething like a great officer, no body doubts. The Battle of Brooklyn. 23 PUT. Swamp me, if I have not hove up a bread- work, right acrofs the road from wall to wall, but before we break up, determine, Gentlemen, what I am to do with my prifoners. STIR. Right, General, I mould have gone to my poft, and been at a lofs on this head. WASH. Send them to me : a great part of Fort Green is allotted for their reception ; but be fure that they are disarmed and well guarded. STIR. O, to be fure, undoubtedly, Sir, we will take care of that. I am for my poft : Gentlemen farewell. PUT. A little bufinefs defpatched, and I will call upon you there. (Exit Stirling.] If your Excellency mould have any commands for me an hour hence, I may be found upon the Flat Bum. road : your fervant, Gentlemen. (Exit Putnam.) WASH. Good betide them both. After this fuftion, a little fober reafoning, General Sul livan, may fit the mind for the doubtful events of war. My apprehensions from the King s troops believe me are trifling, compared with the rifque we run, from the people of America at large. The tyranny, that our accurfed ufurpa- tion has made neceflary, which they now feel, and feeling, I fear, will foon make them fee through the difguife. Their rage no doubt will be height- 24 The Battle of Brooklyn. ened by the {laughter that will probably enfue ; and we, as members of the Congrefs fall the firft victims of it. O Sullivan ! my heart never con- fented to this ruin of my native country. SUL. My dear General, the moments for re flection are elapfed, and irrecoverable. Our fafety is firft in conqueft ; if that is denied to our en deavors, I am fure we can obtain better terms from our much injured Sovereign, then from our more injured country, but wear a lefs rueful countenance ; it is a proverb among the troops, that their General is much melted down, lince the fleet arrived. WASH. Our foldiers are a ftanding miracle to me; they define fenfibly upon matters that are unimportant to them, and refign their powers of thinkingto us, in a cafe where their all is at ftake ; and do not yet difcover, that we make them the engines of our power at the expenfe of all that is dear and facred to them as men ! but avaunt reflection ! Our hope, my dear Sullivan, is in you ; every command of ground is ours, with a perfect knowledge of all the woods and defiles : thefe advantages, at the leaft, double the ftrength of our men ; and if we cannot defend thefe, I know of no place we can. SUL. All things that depend upon me, will, I hope meet with your approbation, and I mail aim The Battle of Brooklyn. 25 to infufe fuch fenttments into the troops, that our next meeting may be ufhered in with greet ings of congratulation ; till then, my dear Gene ral, farewell. (Exit Sullivan.) WASH. Greetings of congratulation ! oh! could I congratulate myfelf, on finding my loft peace of mind ! on the restoration of my honor ! O ! curfed ambition ! what have I facrificed to thee ? An ambition, too, of foreign growth ; obtruded upon me by the moft artful, infinuating villains, that ever enflaved a, once, free and happy coun try. To behold myfelf, againft my principle and better judgment, made the tool of their diaboli cal determinations to entail a war upon my fellow fubjects of America. Heigho ! ho ! (looking at bis watch) Blefs me, fo late and my engagement to a lady not complied with. (Exit.) SCENE. A Room in a Houje at Brooklyn. Enter PUTNAM and SNUFFLE. SNUFF. My dear General, the great, the im portant day advances ; big with the fate of em pire, in the united States of America. PUT. True, good Sir : and I laugh to think, that when we have eftablifhed our power, and driven thefe red coats into the fea, what ripping information you Gentlemen will make in church 4 26 The Battle of Brooklyn. affairs. Down goes Epifcopacy and Quakerifm, at leaft. I hope you wont leave one broad-brim on the continent. SNUFF. Why really, General we mall be very apt to make. free with thofe Gentlemen. We have long beheld with a jealous eye, the growing power of the Epifcopal Clergy, and confidered them as the only obftacle to our becoming the heads of the Church, in America, a dignity which fo properly belongs to the Elect, and for which they have had the aflurance to contend with the Lord s own people. As for the Quakers, who in general have joined the tories against us, we mall not fail to produce an <c ancient teftimony in their behalf: I mean the teftimony of our fore fathers : till with fines, whipping, imprifonment, and the gallows, we have extirpated them from the face of the earth. PUT. In the mean time, we fhall not be behind hand with the Tories : for as the beft eftates in America belong to them, it is but cooking up fome new fangled oath, which their fqueamifh confciences wont let them fwallow; then, whip go their eftates, like a juggler s ninepence, and themfelves to prifon, to be hanged as traitors to the commonwealth. The Battle of Brooklyn. 27 Enter SKINNER. SNUFF. Very true, my dear General : but here comes one of your officers. I will retire, to offer up my prayers for the fuccefs of our arms, while you purfue the more important bufinefs of your department. (Exit.) PUT. Adieu, Sir. Well, Skinner, what news with you ? SKIN. The horfes are delivered, as your Ex cellency directed. They are, by this time, well on their way to Connecticut ; and fo elegant a firing of nine horfes, are not to be picked up again, on all Long Ifland. PUT. My letter tells me they are clever horfes: but that horfe of Polhemus O my heart was fet upon that horfe : you let him flip through your fingers careleflly, Skinner : or did the owner of him tempt you with a bribe, to leave him I wifh to know where he is ? SKIN. I know where he is, to the length of my whip. I carelefs ! I take a bribe! why the General fhould know me better, the horfe is at Harlem. PUT. At Harlem ! why what notion of de viltry could fend him there ! Is there any body but us upon the lay, on this Ifland. SKIN. What s his name brought him there 28 The Battle of Brooklyn. damn his name, I can t remember it, he is Ton however, to the Governor of Rhode Ifland. PUT. O ho ! then I quite excufe you ; you are too young in the bufinefs to be a match for young Fitch : he inherits his father s talents. I had expectation though, that wefhouldhave done better, with your knowledge of the country and other advantages ; I had reckoned upon twenty horfes. SKIN. I myfelf, Sir, thought that number fure, but he lay in my rear and brought off fix that I had reconnoitered. PUT. Well, Skinner, as the bufinefs is over for the prefent, and we expect bloody nofes in a few hours, there is a hundred dollars for your en couragement. (Gives him a handfull of Congrejs notes] Go over, now, and join your regiment. SKIN. I hope your Excellency will reconfider the matter, and make it more ; there is not one of thofe horfes but what is worth more than a hundred and fifty foft dollars confider, Sir ! PUT. Confider why you are an unreafona- ble whelp ! do you confider, that I took you from ferving drams to Negroes, for your mother Fofter at Rockaway and robbing the neighboring hen roofts for a livlihood ! From petty larceny, you cur, I put you at the head of the proceflion; procured you a lieutenant s commiflion, and a The Eat tie of Brooklyn. 29 feparate command to hunt tories on this ifland in order to pufh you forward and dare you grumble ? SKIN. I do not grumble, but fifty dollars more would enable me to take the field with credit : it would make my regimentals my own. PUT. I feldom miftake my men : I knew that you had talents, Skinner, or I mould not have employed you ; I will therefore point out a fund for you to raife the fifty dollars more. Remem ber, Sir, the fuzee you filched at Merrick ; item, the two watches, rings &c, &c, at feveral other places ; you gave me no account of thefe, though I had an equitable demand upon you for half. There is a fifty dollar fund for you, dont you think, young man, to catch old birds with chaff. It is near night : I muft to my poft, and get you over the ferry to your duty. (Exit Putnam.) SKIN. What a damn d old fcoundrel he is : how the devil did he know of the gun and the other things ? In future I will do bufinefs for myfelf. (Exit.) 30 The Battle of Brooklyn. ACT II. SCENE a HILL at Gwanas about two miles from Brooklyn lines ^ with an encampment on it. Time, about three o clock in tbe morning. Enter a SOLDIER. SOL. Where s General Stirling? hollo, Gen eral Stirling ! Zounds how dark it is. (Enter Stirling half dre/ed.} STIR. For God s fake ! what is the matter fen try ? SOL. Here, Sir ! it is I that call, to inform your Lordfhip, there has been a great deal of mooting towards the Red Lion within this little while : there ! there it begins again. STIR. It does indeed : do you think it comes any thing nearer fentry ? SOL. Rather nearer, if anything; though much in the fame place. STIR. Run, fentry, to the rear, make my re- fpects to General Sullivan, and beg of him to come hither. SOL. I will, my Lord. There it goes again ; ripping work my Lord ! (Exit Soldier.) The Battle of Brooklyn. 3 1 STIR. Now will I endeavour to get button d up and my garters tied. Enter CLARK. O Colonel Clark ! from whence from whence are you come? CLARK, From where our out fentries are at tacked. I fee you are getting ready, my Lord. STIR. But where are they attacked ? Where is the enemy? Are there many of them are they coming forward is any body killed, fay dear Will ? CLARK. I cannot tell you half of what you have already afked me ; but I will tell you all I know. They fent a Captain to relieve me : I would not be relieved by a Captain, fo I went to fleep at one Bergen s, from whence the out fen- tries were relieved. This Bergen awaked me a while ago, and faid there was (hooting in his field. STIR. God blefs me! mooting in his field! was it near the houfe ? CLARK. Very near, fo I ftole out, for I knew the road dark as it was. Every thing was ftill, as if nothing had happened ; except fome groans of dying men that appeared to be at a little dif- tance. But I have feen nothing, nor heard any thing by the way. STIR. Then their numbers are ftill a fecret ? 32 The Battle of Brooklyn. CLARK. I will be bound there are not fifty of them, or there would have been fome noife. STIR. O damn it ! tis nothing but a fcouting party. Come Colonel, we will take a whiftle from my canteens. CLARK. With all my heart my Lord. Poi- fon take the canteens ; I have loft the cattle that were in Bergen s orchard. (Afide.) Enter five Soldiers. What are thefe ! who are you ? IST SOL. We are the remains of the out poft guard, your honours. STIR. And where are the reft of the guard, my good lads. TST SOL. In Sarah s bofom, I hope. 20 SOL. In Abraham s bofom he means, noble General. IST SOL. Blood-an-oons, is not me his wife? which makes it ail one. STIR. Leave off this trifling, and tell me what you know. IST SOL. Your honour muft know, that we was ftanding by the end of a fide of an Indian cornfield, up yonder a piece. We heard fome- thing ruftle among the water-mellon leaves, and faw fomething move; we bid them ftand and blazed away like brave boys. The Battle of Brooklyn. 33 STIR. Well, my lad, and what followed ? IST SOL. Followed ! by my foul, a fharp iron thing, that they call a bayonet. STIR. And what then ? IST. SOL. What then I your honour! why to be fure, the few that could run, run away ; and then all was peace and quietnefs. STIR. Do you not know then, how many there were ? IST. SOL. How many ! your honour muft know, that they were fpeechlefs ; they carried their tongues in them damn d bayonets, and moft of our guard, I believe, are eating break- far! with their great-grand-fathers ? STIR. What corps do you belong to ? IST SOL. Pennfylvanians, an pleafe your honour. STIR. Go, and join your regiment. (Exit Soldiers?) Colonel Clark, as it begins to be light, go and get intelligence. I every moment expect General Sullivan : one or the other of us you will find here, to make a report to. CLARK. I (hall not ftay long, my Lord. (Exit Clark). STIR. I begin to feel eafy ; it has been but a fcouting party ; and they have gone back again. It is a devilifh raw morning, and I muft have fomething to keep the cold out. (Exit.) 5 34 The Battle of Brooklyn. SCENE a HILL, with troops drawn up, under arms. Time, broad day-light. Enter SULLIVAN and STIRLING. STIR. Well, do you not think, from the ex amination of thefe fellows, that it was a mere fcouting party that furprized the guard? SUL. Their filence, my Lord, with me, marks order and good conduct : befides they do not make war by fcouting parties but here comes Colonel Clark. Enter Clark. CLARK. Gentlemen, the regulars are in mo tion : they are numerous, and will be here within an hour. From yonder hill, I looked down upon them. STIR. Good Colonel have they any artillery with them ? CLARK. I know not, my Lord; but I muft away and join my men. O what a fcrape thofe cattle have brought me into. I am afraid I (hall be obliged to fight at laft. (Aside and exit.) SUL. Well, my Lord, will you make a difpo- fition for your favorite fcheme of furrounding ? The Battle of Brooklyn. 35 STIR. For God s fake, dear General, don t mention it, I did not expert them this way. Our whole dependance is upon you, my dear General; but do not let them cut off our retreat. SUL. Let your brigades immediately take poft in the bottom, and extend from the fmall houfe below, as far as the ftone houfe upon the left ; and farther, if the hill gives them cover : let them approach as near the road as pofTible, without being difcovered. The Pennfylvanians are to draw up, at the foot of this hill, in full view of the enemy. From their uniform they may be taken for Heffians ; and the fire from the brigades be more completely furprizing and effectual. STIR. It fhall be done. Oh ! it mall be done. (Exit Stirling). SUL. If they mould force thefe brigades to the hill, we can eafily maintain this poft, againft the united force of Britain, without lofs : and make the retreat to our lines, when we pleafe unmo- lefted. Re-enter STIRLING. STIR. The Brigades are jiifpofed, as your Excellency directed ; and the regulars are nearly up to them ; you will fee their advanced guard pafs the ftone houfe, directly. 36 The Battle of Brooklyn. SUL. There they are, and have difcovered the Pennfylvanians for they have quited the road, and pufh towards them. STIR. I hope to God they will pufh back again, as foon as our fire begins. O ! there they go well fired my boys! they cannot {land this ! you ll fee, they will pufh directly, General. SUL. I fee they do pufh, but it is with their bayonets, and our men are fcampering towards us. Enter a Pennfylvanian hajlily. Stop foldier, you are far enough. PEN. I will be judge of that my dear; for by my foul, honey, you have brought old Ireland about your ears, at laft ; and we can find the way to eat iron without afking fuch vermin as you for victuals. (Exit). STIR. Dear General, what fhall we do now ? SUL. Ply the artillery as far as poffible. Enter an Officer. OFF. Towards the fouth, an inceflant firing has prevailed for half an hour, nor has it ought approached : my poft is that way advanced, but I thought my duty bid me quit it, to give you this information. The Eat tie of Brooklyn. 37 SUL. You have my thanks. To your poft again, and let me be fpeedily informed, if the firing approaches. (Exit Officer). While they are kept at bay my Lord we are fafe upon this hill. STIR. But yet we mould prepare for a re treatfor fee, where they fearlefs climb up yonder hill. SUL. There is nothing to obftrucl us in our rear, my Lord, we will retreat in good time. Enter Clark. CLARK. Loft ! O Lord ! undone ! ruined ! deftroyed ! SUL. Amazement ! what ails the man ? CLARK. In the rear there in our rear no retreat ! no retreat ! SUL. Too true there is part of the royal army, indeed, between us and our lines. STIR. O General Sullivan ! General Sullivan ! what do you think of it now ? SUL. This I now know, my Lord, that we heaven-born Generals are exceedingly apt to lead our troops, to the devil. STIR. But my dear General, what mall we do ? SUL. Just what you pleafe, every man is now his own General, so Gentlemen farewel. (Exit.) 38 The Battle of Brooklyn. STIR. Do not leave me alfo Colonel Clark. Lord incline their hearts to mercy. CLARK. Amen, and amen. I hope, however, we are not of confequence to be hanged. This way, my Lord, this way. SCENE FORT GREEN, in Brooklyn Lines: A Centinelon one of the Merlins, looking out. Enter WASHINGTON. WASH. What do you look fo earneftly at, Sentry ? CEN. At our people, Sir, that are fetting fire to the houfes and barns in their retreat. WASH. What, are they retreating then ? CEN. Look this way, Sir; there they run like fo many deer, and will get in : but the poor fouls yonder, that come acrofs the meadow, and attempt to crofs the mill creek ; O, what a number of them flick in the mud, and the ftronger ones make a bridge of them. WASH. All other retreat muft be cut off; but 1 (hall foon know the event, for there comes Putnam galloping. Enter Putnam. What is the difafter ? What news do you bring me General Putnam. The Battle of Brooklyn. 39 PUT. This is no Bofton work, Sir; they are in earneft ! Orders muft be immediately iflued for the boats to be in readinefs to carry our people over to New York. WASH. There is time enough for that General Putnam, after we have defended thefe works ; the account of the Battle is what I wifh to hear. PUT. Defend, Sir ! we cannot defend thefe works ; our people won t defend them ; if they do not fee the boats, they will fwim over, they won t be hemmed in to be made minc d of. If you don t give your orders, I will give the -orders myself. WASH. If it muft be fo, the orders mall originate with me; and as foon as you have fatiffied me on the fate of the day proper meafures mall be taken. % PUT. Accurfed fate, indeed, and moft im pious, for they took us fafting ; and then they deceived us a moft devilifh deception too; for they did not come any one way that we had marked out for them. WASH. Well, but you had the woods, and the hills, and every other advantage. The riflemen did great execution from behind the trees, furely ! PUT. Zounds ! Sir, the regulars did all t",e execution ! They know that rifle-men are deer 40 The Battle of Brooklyn. killers ! Rifle guns and rifle frocks, will be as cheap in their camp to-morrow, as cods heads in New Foundland. But the orders Sir ; there is no time to be loft ; they are at our heels. WASH. Have patience, General, What is our lofs ? Where are the other Generals ? Put. How can I tell, where they are, or what our lofs really is ; but I am fure it is thoufands. Good God, Sir, let us make hafte to fave what is not loft. WASH. This, General Putnam, is againft my will ; but I wait on you to execute yours. (Exeunt.} SCENE a Room at Brooklyn Ferry. Enter Noah, Solus, his clothes covered with creek mud. NOAH. Notwithftanding your dirty condi tion, Mr. Noah, I congratulate you on your fafe arrival into your old quarters ; neither hol d by mufquet balls, nor fwelled up with fait water and creek mud. Thanks to my activity that I am not crabs meat with the reft. Enter King. Welcome, Joe ; dripping from the creek, I fee ; but 1 am glad to fee you alive ! The Battle of Brooklyn. 41 KING. Confirm it, that I am really alive, for I feel fome doubts about it. No. Don t you- know me, then ? KING. As well as I know myfelf, Noah ; but are we not both in the other world. No. Why, man, look about you ; and you will find this to be the very room that we have inhabited for fome time part. KING. My fenfes, good Noah, claim convic tion : fomething, first, to cherifh me, and then I may be convinced, that I can, with propriety, talk upon fublunary fubjects. No. Behold, Joe, this pocket bottle; one- half of its contents, I prefcribe to your convic tion and reftoration. KING. (Drinks.} Now I return your congratu lations, and am heartily glad to find you on this fide the grave but, Noah, what has be come of our Generals? No. Killed or taken prifoners; but I fuppofe the latter. My poor General, I quite lament him. KING. Mine is under the fame predicament, but I have not a pity for him : nor should I love you very much, if I thought you ferious in your lamentation. No. Confider; he and I were brought up together : we went together to fea before the 42 The Battle of Brooklyn. maft, and fince he commenced lawyer, he main tained a fuit for me againft my mother, and got the caufe. KING. Confound the dog ! But was he really a lawyer, and did he influence you, to commence an action againft your mother? No. He ! why, that fellow, drank flip every night with the common people of our town of Berwick, and had art enough, to influence them to all his ends. KING. And fome hundreds of the common people has he influenced to their end, this day. But, for God s fake, Noah, how came a man of your underftanding, in the capacity of this fel low s fervant ? No. Without doubt, I might have ftarted with a regiment, and probably, have been, my- felf, a general by this time. But I faw through their, topfy-turvey schemes; though I was obliged to float with the tide I knew the poft of honour, would be the moft private ftatio-n. But Sullivan will be a lofs to his family. KING. So will not Stirling. He will be a lofs to no body but thofe that find him. Had Sullivan any property ? No. Moft excellent property, for he made a property of weaknefs and ignorance, and con- fequently had an extenfive fund. But yours The Battle of Brooklyn. 43 was a titled general, and I suppofe very full of property ; as he has often declared he was of principle. KING. His principle, Noah, has for years paft, been to withhold other people s property from them ; and when all the refources of art failed, his eftate was expofed to fale by virtue of an execution : But he refifted the Sheriff, and declared himfelf a partizan of confufion becaufe law and order, would compel him to acts of juflice. But do you recollect, that this is the fail day ? No. Is it really ! then it is one of the baits, which the Continental Congrefs threw out, for the people of America to bite at; and the event gives the lie to the inflaming and prophetic oratory, this day refounded from the pulpits of New England. A day, on which, Heaven has difcarded them and difavowed their caufe, in a remarkable manner. O King, our preachers prevented this unhappy difpute from coming to a bloodlefs iffue. KING. It is a maxim with the Congrefs at Philadelphia that by the marvellous, the vulgar are to be robb d of their reafon ; but heaven has rejected the facrifice, that the people may open their eyes, and be no longer the dupes of their tyranny, deception and bloodmed. 44 The Battle of Brooklyn. No. From the firft meeting of that Hydra at Philadelphia, its fixty-four mouths, have all been open to devour two ftrangers ! KING. Devouring mouths, I know they are ; but what ftrangers do you point at. No. Power ! and Riches ! KING True, very true ftrangers indeed to moft of them : the firft they have amply ufurped from the people, and have art enough to make ufe of them as instruments, to confirm the ufurpation. No. They are indeed, fuch monopolizers of liberty, that they do not fuffer other people to follow their inclinations : but as we know and confequently deteft their machinations; let us avail ourfelves of the character of fervants, and the confufion of retreat to lie concealed, until they are clear of the Ifland. KING. Agreed ; and in order that we may claim the mercy that our good old mafter has extended to his erring fervants, and return to that authority which never opprefled a fubjecl ; let us renew our allegiance to the moft amiable and virtuous Prince that ever fwayed fceptre ; and join our weak endeavours, in fupporting a conftitution, that has been, at once, the envy and admiration of the whole world. No. I honour your fentiments because I ex- The Battle of Brooklyn. 45 perimentally know them to be juft. And O ! almighty difpofer of human events, open the eyes of my deluded fellow fubjects, in this, once, happy country : encourage them to a free exer- cife of that reafon, which is the portion of every individual, that each may judge for himfelf : then peace and order will fmile, triumphant, over the rugged face of war and horror ; the fame hand that fows mall reap the field ; and our vines and vineyards mall be our own. (Exeunt omnes.) THE END. 14 DAY USE RETURN TO DESK FROM WHICH BORROWED LOAN DEPT. This book is due on the last date stamped below, or on the date to which renewed. Renewed books are subject to immediate recall. INTER-LIBRARY LOAN OCT151988 -;, LD 21A-40m-4, 63 (D6471slO)476B General Library University of California Berkeley YC T6366 U.C. BERKELEY LIBRARIES