Private James Sullivan Martin,
Continental Army:

We marched… for the White Plains, in the night. We had our cooking utensils, at that time the most useless things in the army, to carry in our hands.… We arrived at the White Plains just at dawn of day, tired and faint—encamped on the plain for a few days and then removed to the hills in the rear. One day… we found that the British were advancing upon us.

An unknown American participant in the battle:

The army were immediately alarmed, and part of General Wadsworth’s brigade, with some other regiments under the command of General Spencer… were sent out as an advance party, to skirmish with the enemy, and harass them in their march. We… placed ourselves behind walls and fences, in the best manner we could, to give the enemy trouble. About half after nine o’clock, our advance parties all came in, retreating before the enemy; and the light parties of the enemy, with their advanced guard, consisting of two or three thousand, came in sight, and marched on briskly towards us… and we fi ring upon them from the walls and fences, broke and scattered them at once; but they would run from our front and get round upon our wings to flank us.… We kept the walls until the enemy were just ready to surround us. Once the Hessian grenadiers came up in front of Colonel Douglass’s regiment, and we fired a general volley upon them, at about twenty rods distance, and scattered them like leaves in a whirlwind ; and they ran off so far that some of the regiment ran out to the ground where they were when we fired upon them, and brought off their arms and accoutrements, and rum, that the men who fell had with them, which we had time to drink round with before they came on again.

Brigadier General William Heath,
Continental Army:

From the American camp to the west-southwest, there appeared to be a very commanding height [Chatterton’s Hill], worthy of attention.… “Yonder,” says Major-Gen. Lee, pointing to the grounds just mentioned, “is the ground we ought to occupy.” “Let us then go and view it,” replied the Commander in Chief. When on the way, a light-horseman came up in full gallop, his horse almost out of breath, and addressed Gen. Washington—“The British are on the camp, Sir.” The General observed—“Gentlemen, we have now other business than reconnoitring, “putting his horse in full gallop for the camp, and followed by the other officers. When arrived at HeadQuarters, the Adjutant-General who had remained at camp, informed the Commander in Chief, that the guards had been all beat in, and the whole American army were now at their respective posts, in order of battle. The Commander in Chief turned round to the officers, and only said,