E-text prepared by Colin Bell, Joseph Cooper, Graeme Mackreth,
and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team
()

Note: This e-book was prepared from aReprint Edition 1971 by Arno Press Inc.
LC# 71-140874 ISBN 0-405-01219-5

Eyewitness Accounts of the American Revolution, Series III
ISBN for complete set: 0-405-01187-3
Manufactured in the United States of America

CONDUCT OF SIR WILLIAM HOWE

OBSERVATIONS

UPON THE

CONDUCT

OF

S-r W——M H—E

AT THE

WHITE PLAINS;

AS RELATED IN THE GAZETTE
OF DECEMBER 30, 1776.

(By Israel Mauduit)

LONDON:
Printed for J. BEW, Pater-noster Row.

M,DCC,LXXIX.

Tarrytown, N.Y.
REPRINTED
WILLIAM ABBATT
1927

EDITOR'S PREFACE

F the four British commanders here during the Revolution, Howe wascertainly the chief, so far as dullness amounting to apathy and slownessalmost equal to immobility, went. His first experience of Americandetermination was at Bunker's Hill; and he ever afterwards showed awholesome respect for his opponents. On the particular event we areconsidering, his expedition northward from New York to White Plains in1776, his ineptitude was so conspicuous that Israel Mauduit wrote thisstinging pamphlet (now very rare) about it, in which Howe's variousforms of inefficiency are so tersely and forcibly shown up. It wasindeed fortunate for the patriots that a really active, energeticofficer was not in command; for such a one as Simcoe or Maitland wouldhave easily defeated them. Howe afterwards explained to Parliament hisreasons for not following up his advantage at White Plains, by sayinghis inaction was "due to political reasons, which he could not thendisclose." The fact, as it afterwards came out, was that he hadreceived—and accepted—the treasonable offers of William Demont, thefirst American traitor, regarding the post of Fort Washington. By a—forhim—rapid return to New York, he was thus enabled to capture FortWashington and two thousand men. His statements as to his losses atPell's Point are clearly untrue, as shown by the detailed accounts givenin my "Battle of Pell's Point." Mauduit was probably unaware of thefacts, or he would not have failed to include them in his pamphlet.

IR W——m H—e having called for papers for the satisfaction of thepublic, and thereby invited us to read and attend to them, I have beenaccidentally led to the perusal of one of them, and here offer what hasoccurred upon the occasion.

The observations are confined solely to the General's and Admiral's ownaccount. And, that the reader's mind may not be prejudiced, he isdesired first to peruse the letters themselves; with Faden's and manyother larger maps of New York and Long Island. The latter part of theletters, upon the taking Fort Washington, is omitted as having norelation to that subject.

THE LONDON GAZETTE
Published by Authority

Extraordinary:
Monday, December 30, 1776
...