Excerpt from Heath's Memoirs of the American War The book here reprinted is one of the most valuable of the contemporary narratives of the Revolution, though one gains from its pages the impression that its worthy and patriotic author was a soldier better fitted for muster service and barrack duty than for active command in the field. This impression is strengthened by an incident to which General Heath makes only partial and apologetic reference. Washington, then on his retreat through New Jersey, on January 7, 1777, ordered Heath to move from his camp in Westchester toward New York, "as if with a design upon that city." Heath's forces, marching in three divisions, arrived on January 18 before Fort Independence, whose garrison of nearly 2,000 Hessians were allowed "twenty minutes in which to surrender or to abide the consequences." But the garrison did not surrender, and Heath remained for ten days in the neighborhood without attempting to enforce his demand. Then a sally from the garrison created a panic in one regiment at an advanced post, and led a little later to the withdrawal of the entire army. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.

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