Page:Charles Lee Papers 1873 Vol 3.djvu/279

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260 THE LEE PAPERS.

censurers has been fortunate enough to think of. I have already said, that had we remained on the ground where the attack commenced, or on the margin of the first ravine, which General Wayne seems to think was a good position, we should probably have been lost ; and I believe I may safely assert, that had we attached ourselves to the second position, in front of Carr's house, reconnoitred by Mons Du Portail, on the hill which Colonel Hamilton was so strongly prepossessed in favour of, and allowing our flanks to be secure in any of these positions, which it is evident they were not, security would have been the only thing we could have had to boast of. The security of the enemy would have been equally great; but any possibility of annoying them we certainly had not. I assert, then, that if we had acted wisely, it was our business to let one, two, or three thousand pass the last ravine, in the rear of which, and on the eminence pointed out to me by Mr. Wikoff, and to General Washington by Colonel Ray,* the main body of our army was posted, fresh, and unfatigued ; whereas those of the enemy were extremely harassed, or, indeed, worn down to so low a degree of debility, that had they once passed, they had little chance of repassing ; the ground was commanding, and to us, in all respects advantageous. A sort of natural glacis, extending itself in our front, from the crest of the eminence quite down to the ravine, over which there was only one narrow pass, the plain so narrowed as to give no play to the manœuvres of their cavalry ; and at two or three hundred yards distance in the rear, a space of ground most happily adapted to the arrangement of a second line.† This ground, from the nature of its front, is almost en-

To these two gentlemen not a little credit for the success of the 28th of June is due.

† It may be objected, that a part of my detachment there, under Scott and Maxwell, had already filed off in the rear, but they might easily have been brought up. It is evident they might, as not long afterwards a part of them were ordered, and did march up. It must be observed, that I myself was totally ignorant that any part of them had filed off ; but those I had with me would have formed a very respectable line of reserve.