The writings of George Washington; being his correspondence, addresses, messages, and other papers, official and private, selected and published from the original manuscripts; with a life of the author, notes and illustrations. By Jared Sparks.

PART II.] THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 211
to effect your exchange, and that of all the officers
and privates, under the restrictions I have mentioned,
there shall not be a moment's delay on my part; but
on other terms, or in a different order, you will find on
reflection I can never do it. Suppose yourself for an
instant an officer taken at any of the above periods,
you would consider it an injury, a wrong, an act of high
injustice done you, if one captured on the 10th of December last, of your rank, was exchanged before you.
Perhaps on your return, you may have interest enough
with your acquaintances to obtain your release on parole, but you cannot do this on a principle of having
an officer sent in on the like indulgence; the objections
to an enlargement on parole out of due course in such
case being the same, as to an exchange. I am, dear
Sir, your most obedient servant.*
" After the troops had marched from Fishkill to join General Washington, according to his directions, General Putnam moved down, with
a part of the forces that remained, on the east side of the Hudson.
When General Dickinson made his descent upon Staten Island, Putnam
ordered Parsons's and Warner's brigades to march towards Kingsbridge,
with the view of making a diversion in that quarter. Putnam reconnoitred
in person within three miles of Kingsbridge. But, there being no opportunity for acting with effect at that point, he diverged to New Rochelle,
where he made a disposition to cross over to Long Island, and attack
the forts at Huntington and Satauket. The enemy probably got intelligence of this design, for the forts were evacuated before the preparations
were fully completed.
General Putnam remained near the Sound till the middle of December,
when, in consequence of orders from the Commander-in-chief, he returned
with his troops to the Highlands. But in the mean time an enterprise,
in part unsuccessful, had been entrusted to the separate command of
General Parsons and Colonel Webb. The object was a descent upon
Long Island, with the intention to destroy the timber and boards prepared at the east end of the Island for barracks in New Yorkl; to destroy
the shipping then at that place, from Newport, for wood; to attack a
regiment stationed about eight miles eastward of Jamaica; and to remove or destroy whatever public stores should be found on the Island.
By the plan of operations Colonel Meigs was to land at Hempstead
harbour, and attack the regiment near Jamaica; Colonel Webb was to