** The battery on Bunker Hill was upon the space included within the intersections of Center, Mott, Mulberry, Grand, and Broome Streets; and for a long time after the hill was digged down, the brick lining of a well, constructed within the works, stood up like a huge chimney. This battery had nine eight-pounders, four three's, and six royal cohorns and mortars. The first work on the Hudson, after leaving Fort George, was the Oyster Battery in the rear of No. 1 Broadway. It had two thirty-two pounders and three twelve's. Southwest of Trinity Independent Batteky. church, on the high river bank, was a Battery of four guns. West of Greenwich Street ("Greenwich road"), near the water, between Reade and Duane Streets, was the Jersey Battery, with five guns. Along the high river bank a breast-work extended almost to the Vauxhall (see page 788) at the corner of Warren and Greenwich Streets. On Greenwich, between Franklin and North Moore Streets, was the "Air-furnace" and "Brew-house." The former was fortified, and from it a line of intrenchments extended northeast, to the north part of the present St. John's Park, overlooking Lispenard's Meadows. On the river bank, in front of the "Brew-house," was a circular work called the Grenadier's Battery, with three twelve pounders and two mortars From it a line of breast-works extended along the river to Hubert Street. From that point, close along the west side of Greenwich Street, was a line of breast-works, extending to Desbrosses Street. Where Watt Street crosses Greenwich was another small breastwork; at the foot of King Street was another; and from the foot of Clarkson to Barrow was another. Upon the high ground known until within a few years as Richmond Hill, there was quite an extensive line of fortifications, which commanded the river, and the Greenwich and Broadway roads. This line commenced near the junction of Spring and M'Dougal Streets, and, sweeping around near Houston and Hammersley, ended at Variek, near King Street. On the west side of Broadway, near Houston Street, was an eminence on which works were erected; and directly east of them, between Broadway and the Bowery, were four small breast-works, a few rods apart. East of the Bowery, at the intersection of Forsyth and Delancey Streets, was a small circular battery. On the west side of Broadway, near Walker, was an irregular work; and the Hospital on Broadway, fronting Pearl Street), a strong stone building, was fortified. There was also a line of breast-works extending along the East River from the present Dry Dock to Stuyvesant Square; and at Horn's Hook, at the foot of Eighty-ninth Street, was a work ealled Thompson's Battery, with nine guns. I was informed by the venerable Judge Woodhull, of Franklinville, Long Island (now ninety-eight years of age), that when the lines across the island, from the East River toward the Hudson, were constructed, the merchants and other citizens were, pressed into service. It must be remembered that most of the streets here mentioned were not then in existence. Chambers Street up Broadway, Hester Street up the Bowery, and Catharine Street up the East River, were the extreme points to which streets were laid out at the time of the Revolution. Now (1852) the streets and avenues are all opened to Fortieth Street, and some beyond and almost a solid mass of edifices cover the island from river to river below Thirty-second Street. Then the Hospital was quite in the fields, and Greenwich was a country village.
Washington's Conference with Congress.—Preparation for the Defense of New York.—Landing of British Troops.
close of May,May 23 he left the troops in command of General Putnam, while he hastened to Philadelphia to confer with Congress respecting the general defense of the colonies.
The wicked bargain of Great Britain with the German princes for their men was now known, and it was believed that New York was the point where the mercenary vultures would probably strike their first blow. To that point the eyes of all America were now turned. Congress authorized a re-enforcement of thirteen thousand eight hundred militia, to be drawn from New England, New York, * and New Jersey, and provided for the establishment of a flying camp of ten thousand men, to be formed of militia from Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland. The latter were to rendezvous at Amboy, and the accomplished General Mercer was appointed to the command. General Greene took post at Brooklyn, and Superintended the preparation of defenses there. On his return,June 7Washington went to the upper end of the island, and personally aided in the surveys and the arrangement of the plan of Fort Washington and its outworks.
General Howe, who went to Halifax from Boston, arrived at Sandy Hook on the twenty-ninth of June,1776 with ships and transports bearing his recruited army, where he was visited by Governor Tryon.
