“No,” answered the throng, as one man.
“Then let us start at once. But remember one thing. This statue is made of lead. And lead is the metal that bullets are made of. What more fitting than that the presentiment of a king be run into bullets to be used against his hirelings!”
Delighted with this, they streamed into Broadway and toward the fort; amid the shouts of hundreds who gathered to see the sport, the statue was pulled down and broken up. And legend has it that it was indeed run into bullets for use against Lord Howe and his army.
A few days after this the city was struck with panic. Two ships of war got under way and headed up toward the battery. One was found to be the “Phœnix,” forty guns; the other was the “Rose,” a vessel of twenty, and commanded by Captain Wallace. Alarms were sounded; the Americans flocked to their posts. With wind and tide behind them the British ships swept up the bay with three tenders following, all shaping their course for the Hudson. The batteries from both the city and Paulus Hook opened upon them. The war-ships answered with broadsides, but kept on their way. The fleet made no attempt to ascend, holding to their anchors; and seeing this and drawing from it that there were no prospects of an immediate general attack, the townspeople breathed freely.
The troops at the Highlands were made ready; river sloops and all boats of any size for miles along the Hudson were requisitioned; the forts and batteries were manned; as far as might be, all was prepared for anything that might come.
On the evening of the day that the “Rose” and the “Phœnix” made their dash there was a great booming of cannon from the enemy’s shipping off Staten Island. A ship of the line had just come in from sea; at her foretop streamed the British ensign, and her sister ships thundered a smoking welcome. And an increased feeling of dread ran through the city when it was learned that Admiral Lord Howe had arrived.
The crisis was now at hand, and all disaffected persons were removed from the city. General Lord Howe immediately opened negotiations. While military diplomats wrangled over forms, the militia along the Hudson kept up a constant bickering with the two ships that had forced their way up the river and were now within six miles of Fort Montgomery. Brushwood was piled at intervals, so that beacons could be lighted to give warning in time of danger; fire ships were made ready to float down against the war vessels, and General Putnam was proceeding with a plan for the obstruction of the channel, his notion being to prevent the passage of hostile vessels up or down the river.
Watchful eyes then made out another incoming fleet. It was of a hundred sail, and carried huge reinforcements to the British land force; one thousand of the already detested Hessians were among them. These disembarked on Staten Island and threw up earthworks. Scotch, English and German mercenary troops continued to arrive; then came the army under Sir Henry Clinton, which had only lately been rather soundly beaten at Charleston.
The British land force now numbered some thirty thousand experienced men; that under Washington was less than twenty thousand. And these latter were raw, undisciplined troops for the most part; they were badly armed, and most of all they were torn with sectional animosities. Bilious and other fevers were rampant among them; one-quarter of their number were on the hospital list; and the remainder were compelled to cover a defense fifteen miles in length.
The watchful Washington missed few of his opponent’s movements. Through spies and deserters he learned that many of the British regiments had reëmbarked, three days’ provisions had been cooked, and every indication pointed to some large movement being at hand. Then General Putnam brought word that one-quarter of the ships had sailed, probably around Long Island.