Battle of Long Island
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The Battle Pass area, also known as Flatbush Pass in the area of Prospect Park and Green-Wood Cemetery. An etching circa 1792. |
The
Battle of Long Island, also known as the
Battle of Brooklyn in August and September 1776, was the first major battle in the
American Revolutionary War following the
Declaration of Independence, and the largest battle of the entire conflict.
The battle and its immediate aftermath were marked by the British capture of New York City (which it held for the entire war), the execution of the eloquent American spy/patriot
Nathan Hale and the burning of nearly a quarter of the city's buildings. However the big prize,
George Washington, and his
Continental Army, escaped.
Background
On March 17, 1776, the British fleet retreated to Nova Scotia after an unsuccessful year-long
Siege of Boston (which began with the
Battles of Lexington and Concord and included the
Battle of Bunker Hill). Washington, who had successfully defended Boston expected a new attack on New York. He moved his troops to Long Island and the city and reinforced fortifications there.
On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was declared in Philadelphia.
Western Long Island
August 22 Howe's Staten Island British Invasion
In July 1776 the British established its headquarters for the operation on
Staten Island in New Dorp at the
Rose and Crown tavern near the junction of present
New Dorp Lane and
Amboy Road.
On
August 22,
1776, Colonel
Edward Hand sent word to
Lieutenant General George Washington that the British were preparing to cross
The Narrows to
Brooklyn from
Staten Island.
Under the overall command of
Lieutenant General Sir William Howe, and the operational command of
Major Generals
Charles Cornwallis and
Sir Henry Clinton, the British force numbered 4,000. The British commenced their landing in
Gravesend Bay, where, after strengthening his forces for over seven weeks on Staten Island,
Admiral Richard Howe, moved 88
frigates. The British landed a total of 60,000 men in
Brooklyn.
American Retreat from Jamaica to Brooklyn Heights
About half of Washington's army, under
Major General Israel Putnam, was deployed to defend the Flatbush area of Long Island, the rest held Manhattan. In a night march suggested and led by Clinton, the British forces used the lightly defended Jamaica pass to turn Putnam's left flank. The following morning, American troops were counterattacked and fell back. Major Prescott commanded 2,000 men and resisted against attacks. 9/10 of them either fell for the bayonet or got shot dead. The following morning Howe and Clinton forced the Americans to withdraw, with heavy losses, to fortifications on
Brooklyn Heights.
August 30 American evacuation to Manhattan
During the night of
August 30,
1776, the Americans evacuated Long Island for
Manhattan. This evacuation of more than 9,000 troops in the dead of night required both stealth and luck. It was not completed by sunrise as scheduled, and had a heavy fog not beset Long Island in the morning, the army may have been trapped between the British and the East River. As it happened, though, it took the British by complete surprise for the second time (the first being Washington's daring nighttime move onto
Dorchester Heights in Boston on
March 4,
1776). Even having lost the battle, Washington's skillful retreat earned him praise from both the Americans and the British.
September 11 surrender terms rejected
On
September 11,
1776, the British received a delegation of Americans consisting of
Benjamin Franklin,
Edward Rutledge, and
John Adams at the
Conference House on the southwestern tip of the island (known today as
Tottenville) on the former estate of
Christopher Billop. The Americans refused the peace offer from the British in exchange for the withdrawal of the
Declaration of Independence. The terms were formally rejected on September 15.
September 15 British invasion of Manhattan
Main article: Landing at Kip's Bay''
On September 15, 1776, after heavily bombarding green militia, the British crossed to Manhattan, landing at Kip's Bay, and routed the Americans there as well. The following day the two armies fought the Battle of Harlem Heights. After a further battle at White Plains, Washington retreated to New Jersey. The British occupied New York until 1783, when they evacuated the city as agreed in the Treaty of Paris (1783).
September 21 burning of New York City
Main story: Great Fire (New York)On September 21 a fire broke out on Whitehall Street (widely believed to be at the Fighting Cocks Tavern) in what is downtown New York City. High winds carried it to nearly a quarter of the city's buildings consuming between 300 and 600 buildings (called the
Great New York City Fire of 1776). The British accused the rebels of setting the fire but natives always accused the British of the fire.
September 21 capture of Nathan Hale
Main story: Nathan HaleIn the wake of the fire,
Nathan Hale, a captain in the Connecticut Rangers, volunteered to enter New York in civilian clothes. Posing as a Dutch schoolteacher, Hale successfully gathered intelligence but was captured before he could return to the rebel lines On September 21 Hale was captured and hanged the next day on the orders of William Howe. According to legend Hale was to have uttered "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country" before being hung.
Eastern Long Island
While most of the battle concentrated in the western Long Island, within about 10 miles of Manhattan, British troops were also deployed to the east to capture the entire 110 mile length of Long Island to Montauk. The British met little or no opposition in this operation.
Henry B. Livingston was dispatched with 200 Continental troops to draw a line at what is now
Shinnecock Canal at
Hampton Bays, New York to prevent the port of
Sag Harbor, New York from falling. Livingston faced with not having enough manpower abandoned Long Island to the British in September.
Residents of eastern Long Island were told to take a loyalty oath to the British government. In Sag Harbor families met on September 14 to discuss the matter at the Sag Harbor Meeting House. 14 of the 35 families in Sag Harbor decided to evacuate to Connecticut.
The British planned to use Long Island as a staging ground for a new invasion of New England. They attempted to regulate ships going into
Long Island Sound and blockaded
Connecitcut.
No one knows the exact number of American soldiers who fought in the Battle of Long Island, but estimates are that there were at least 10,000, mostly
New York militia reinforced from
Connecticut,
Delaware and
Maryland. Perhaps 1,407 Americans were wounded, captured, or missing, and 312 were killed. A British report claimed the capture of 89 American officers and 1,097 others. Among the captured was Col.
Samuel Miles. Miles joined Captain
Isaac Wayne's company during the French and Indian War with his compatriot and Wayne's son,
Anthony Wayne. Both Samuel and Anthony would serve
George Washington faithfully for the remainder of the War as Brigadier General and General, respectively. Samuel Miles, however would remain in a British prison until 1778. He would later become the 81st
Mayor of Philadelphia in 1790.
Out of 22,000 British and
Germans (including 9,000
Hessians) on Long Island, they sustained a total loss of 377. Five British officers and 56 men were killed, 13 officers and 275 men wounded or missing. Of the Hessian forces under
Carl von Donop, two were killed, and three officers and 23 men wounded.
Commemorations of the battle include:
*
The Minerva Statue -- The battle is commemorated with a statue of
Minerva near the top
Battle Hill, highest point of Brooklyn in
Green-wood Cemetery. The statue on the northwest corner of the cemetery looks toward to the
Statue of Liberty. In 2006 the statue was evoked in a successful defense to prevent a skycraper from blocking the Manhattan view from the cemetery.
*
Fort Washington --
Bennett Park in
Washington Heights contains the ruins of Fort Washington. It was the last fort defended by Washington. A sign in the park commemorates it as the highest natural point in Manhattan.
*
Van Cortlandt House -- The
Van Cortlandt House Museum in
Van Cortlandt Park the
Bronx was where Washington made his last New York headquarters in 1776 before retreating to
Fort Lee, New Jersey. Washington stayed there when he retraced his retreat in reverse in his
1783 return to Manhattan following the
Treaty of Paris.
*
Nathan Hale Hanging Site(s) - Memorials to Nathan Hale are scattered throughout the region. The hanging site is not officially known. A plaque erected by the
Daughters of the American Revolution hung on the
Yale Club at 44th and Vanderbilt by
Grand Central Terminal says the event occurred there. Another plaque by the
New York Historical Society says the event occurred at the northwest corner of 66th Street and
Third Avenue. A statue honoring Hale is in the park adjoining the
New York City Hall (which also claims to be the hanging site).
*
John Haslet's 1st Delaware Regiment. aka
198th Signal Battalion (for reference only)*
William Smallwood's 1st Maryland Regiment Unknown.*
17th Regiment of (Light) Dragoons*A battalion of the composite
Brigade of Guards*
4th (The King's Own) Regiment of Foot*
5th Regiment of Foot*
10th (the North Lincolnshire) Regiment of Foot*
15th Regiment of Foot*
22nd (the Cheshire) Regiment of Foot*
27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot*
28th Regiment of Foot*
33rd Regiment of Foot*
35th Regiment of Foot (The Prince of Orange's Own)*
37th Regiment of Foot*
38th Regiment of Foot*
42nd (Royal Highland) Regiment of Foot*
43rd Regiment of Foot*
44th Regiment of Foot*
45th Regiment of Foot*
49th Regiment of Foot*
52nd Regiment of Foot*
55th Regiment of Foot*
63rd Regiment of Foot*
71st Regiment of (Highland) Foot (Fraser's)*Composite Battalion of
Grenadiers
*Composite Battalion of
Light Infantry*John Gallagher;
"The Battle of Brooklyn 1776"; 1995; 2002 Castle Press edition, ISBN 0785816631.
*
Schecter, Barnet. The Battle for New York (2002)*
Britishbattles.com - The Battle of Long Island 1776*
The Battle of Long Island*
The Wild Geese Today Honoring Those who saved Washington's Army website with connections to articles on Maryland And Dedsfaflaware line*
Website on Battle of Long Island
