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Communicating America’s Founding Principles
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BATTLE OF BROOKLYN
After General Washington successfully broke the British stronghold over Boston, he immediately moved his troops south to New York City. He rightly determined that the British commanders recognized that by capturing the centrally located colony of New York, and its city of Manhattan, they could separate and weaken the northern and southern American forces. Key to Manhattan being one of the most important and influential colonial cities was its commercially vibrant New York Harbor, which also provided easy access to the British Naval fleets.
As General Washington prepared his troops to defend the city, he learned that the British might also attack Brooklyn on nearby Long Island.
Although this seemed like a ploy to draw his soldiers away from their posts in lower Manhattan, Washington sent General Israel Putnam and a division of 10,000 troops across the East River to Brooklyn Heights where Putnam spent the next several weeks building up American defenses. However, in late August, Putnam’s troops were amazed when they looked out over the East River and exclaimed, “It looks like all of London is afloat!” There were now hundreds of ships, including 73 warships, flying the British flag filling the East River between Manhattan and Brooklyn. By August 27, 1776, the Battle of Brooklyn was in full force. Generals Charles Cornwallis and William Howe had earlier disembarked 20,000 troops onto Brooklyn’s shores and headed them straight for the American encampment. Sorely outnumbered, the Americans are preparing to defend two locations: Brooklyn Heights and the Guan Heights. After bloody hand-to-hand combat, the Hessian mercenaries took control of Guan Heights.
Recognizing that soon the Americans could be dangerously surrounded, the American General William Alexander, also known as Lord Stirling, tried to divert this onslaught by leading his regiment of approximately 400 New England soldiers against Cornwallis’ division of 2,000 troops on the grounds of the Old Stone House. The Continental soldiers fell, regrouped, and continued to fight until they ran out of ammunition. Cornwallis later said of General Lord Stirling that, before having to surrender, Stirling “fought like a wolf.”
The next morning, realizing the dire position of his troops, Washington responded by ferrying the rest of his army from Manhattan to Long Island in an effort to protect the Brooklyn Heights position, only to find that the sheer size of the British army would overwhelm the rest of his forces. Washington and his troops were able to hold the British back until evening, while he designed an escape which would allow his men to “live to fight another day.”
The British generals’ plan had been to defeat and capture George Washington the following morning. However, they were shocked to discover that Washington had his men commandeer every small boat along the shoreline, and he and his army of 9,000 “rabble farmers” had escaped undetected, due to a rare and dense summer fog, across the East River to New Jersey.
As a consequence of the dominance of British forces, Manhattan, Long Island, and the East River were occupied by the British for the duration of the Revolutionary War.
References:
battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/brooklyn
nyhistory.org/battle-Brooklyn
As General Washington prepared his troops to defend the city, he learned that the British might also attack Brooklyn on nearby Long Island.
Although this seemed like a ploy to draw his soldiers away from their posts in lower Manhattan, Washington sent General Israel Putnam and a division of 10,000 troops across the East River to Brooklyn Heights where Putnam spent the next several weeks building up American defenses. However, in late August, Putnam’s troops were amazed when they looked out over the East River and exclaimed, “It looks like all of London is afloat!” There were now hundreds of ships, including 73 warships, flying the British flag filling the East River between Manhattan and Brooklyn. By August 27, 1776, the Battle of Brooklyn was in full force. Generals Charles Cornwallis and William Howe had earlier disembarked 20,000 troops onto Brooklyn’s shores and headed them straight for the American encampment. Sorely outnumbered, the Americans are preparing to defend two locations: Brooklyn Heights and the Guan Heights. After bloody hand-to-hand combat, the Hessian mercenaries took control of Guan Heights.
Recognizing that soon the Americans could be dangerously surrounded, the American General William Alexander, also known as Lord Stirling, tried to divert this onslaught by leading his regiment of approximately 400 New England soldiers against Cornwallis’ division of 2,000 troops on the grounds of the Old Stone House. The Continental soldiers fell, regrouped, and continued to fight until they ran out of ammunition. Cornwallis later said of General Lord Stirling that, before having to surrender, Stirling “fought like a wolf.”
The next morning, realizing the dire position of his troops, Washington responded by ferrying the rest of his army from Manhattan to Long Island in an effort to protect the Brooklyn Heights position, only to find that the sheer size of the British army would overwhelm the rest of his forces. Washington and his troops were able to hold the British back until evening, while he designed an escape which would allow his men to “live to fight another day.”
The British generals’ plan had been to defeat and capture George Washington the following morning. However, they were shocked to discover that Washington had his men commandeer every small boat along the shoreline, and he and his army of 9,000 “rabble farmers” had escaped undetected, due to a rare and dense summer fog, across the East River to New Jersey.
As a consequence of the dominance of British forces, Manhattan, Long Island, and the East River were occupied by the British for the duration of the Revolutionary War.
References:
battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/brooklyn
nyhistory.org/battle-Brooklyn
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