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.

ET. 44.] LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 215
as you are on the spot, I leave it to you to give such
orders, as to evacuating Mount Washington, as you
may judge best." Nothing more decisive could be said
without giving a positive order, which he was always
reluctant to do, when he had confidence in an officer
on a separate command. His opinion, that the troops
ought to be withdrawn, is clearly intimated. General
Greene replied; "I cannot help thinking the garrison is
of advantage; and I cannot conceive it to be in any
great danger. The men can be brought off at any
time, but the stores may not be so easily removed.
Yet I think they may be got off, if matters grow desperate." To this opinion General Greene adhered to
the last. The evening before the assault, General
Washington went from Hackinsac to Fort Lee; and
while crossing the river, with the view of visiting the
garrison, he met Generals Greene and Putnam returning, who told him "the troops were in high spirits, and
would- make a good defence." He went back with
them to Fort Lee. The summons to surrender had
already been received by Colonel Magaw; the attack
was expected the next morning, and it was now too
late to withdraw the troops.
In a letter to his brother, written from Hackinsac
three days after the surrender, General Washington
said; "This post, after the last ships went past it, was
held contrary to my wishes and opinion, as I conceived
it to be a hazardous one; but, it having been determined on by a full council of general officers, and a
resolution of Congress having been received, strongly
expressive of their desire, that the channel of the river,
which we had been laboring to stop for a long time at
that place, might be obstructed, if possible, and knowing
that this could not be done, unless there were batteries
to protect the obstruction, I did not care to give an