1776: "We Marched From White Plains"

Lieutenant James McMichael kept a diary during part of his military service in the Pennsylvania Rifle Regiment. He served in other Pennsylvania units later during the war, but these diary except focus on the late autumn of 1776 as the Rifle Regiment fought at the Battle of White Plains and then marched into New Jersey. McMichael was born in Scotland, but immigrated to the colony of Pennsylvania and lived near Lancaster at the beginning of the American Revolution.

Original spelling is included in this transcription.

October 21. At sun-up we marched for White Plains, where we arrived at 2 P.M. At 4 o'clock a party of 100 men, properly officered, from our riflemen left to scour the woods near the enemies lines. We have intelligence that they mean to attack us in a few days - they are said to number 30,000.

October 23. Our scouting party returned early this morning with 35 prisoners - 1 regular the remainder Tories. The enemy had fourteen killed in the attack, but unfortunately taking the Delaware Blues for the enemy, we fired on each other, in which six of our riflemen and nine of the Blues were killed.

October 25. One captain, two subalterns, three sergeants with one hundred men, were ordered on a scouting expedition. We left White Plains at 11 P.M. direct for the enemies advance sentries.

October 27. Our scouting-party brought in 13 Waldeck and 3 regulars as prisoners.

October 28. We have received an express that the enemy are rapidly advancing, in consequence of which all our troops were ordered under arms. my regiment was sent to the front to bring on the action, but not to endanger ourselves enough to be taken prisoners. We had not marched two miles before we saw them coming. We were attacked by their right wing (all Hessians) and after keeping up an incessant fire for an hour, we were informed by our flanking party, that their light horse was surrounding us, when we retreated to the lines. Their left wing attacked a party of ours at an advanced post on a hill. Our troops behaved with great fortitude, but being overpowered by numbers, were obliged to fall back to the lines. The enemy attempted to force our right wing in the lines, but were driven back, and finally retreated. The attack lasted from 11 A.M. to 2 P.M.; our loss did not exceed fifty. At 10 o'clock at night we marched from White Plains about four miles and encamped on a hill near Hudson's River, suitable to entrench upon. Being without our baggage and cooking utensils (they had been sent to North Castle) we were very uncomfortable.

November 1. Today we had a heavy cannonade near the Liberty Pole - our loss was not much. We encamp in the woods, have no tents, frost and cold severe.

November 6. The enemy have evacuated their lines and burned part of White Plains, going off towards King's Bridge, which has been the cause of us now receiving marching orders for New Jersey.

November 7. Left our encampment at noon and proceeded to North Castle, where we encamped.

November 8. At 6 A.M. left North Castle, and proceeded thro' Phillip's, Van Cortland's and Livingston's Manors, and reached Peekskill at dusk and encamped. 

November 9. We embarked on boats at 10 A.M. and sailed five miles down Hudson's River to Lamb's Landing, where we went on shore and marched fives miles to camp.

November 10. Left our encampment at 10 A.M. proceeded thro' Haverstraw and to Clarkstown and encamped on the plains. 

November 11. At Reveille left camp to Tappan and encamped in the woods.

November 12. This morning continued our march from Tappan, through Scranburg, New Bridge and reached Hackensack at 5 P.M.

November 14. From Hackensack crossed the Bridge over the Passaic, thence to a pretty town called Sackin river, three miles from Newark, near which we encamped.

November 15. At day break we left Newark and proceeded to Elizabethtown, where we got to quarter at 3 P.M.

[Diary continues; end of this excerpt]

Source:

James McMichael. “Diary of Lieutenant James McMichael, of the Pennsylvania Line, 1776-1778.” The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 16, no. 2 (1892): 129–59. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20083473.