- Washington Observes Battle from Brooklyn Heights - USMessageBoard
On this day in history, August 29, 1776, General George Washington ordered a brilliant, nighttime retreat from Brooklyn to Manhattan by boat, saving himself and his army from capture without the loss of a single life.
British troops under General William Howe defeated Washington, the American commander-in-chief, and his Continental Army at the Battle of Brooklyn Heights, also known as the Battle of Long Island, two days earlier.
Washington had brought the Army to defend New York City, then limited to the southern end of Manhattan Island, after beating the British at the siege of Boston in March. The next month, his 19,000 troops established their defenses and waited for the British to attack, while Long Island was cleared of Loyalists.
Huge British Fleet
Washington began moving some troops to Long Island in early May. On the eastern side of the hamlet of Brooklyn, three forts -- Fort Putnam, Fort Greene and Fort Box -- were being built to support Fort Stirling. A mounted battery was also set up on Governors Island and cannons were placed at Fort George.
In July, the British, under Howe’s command, landed in 130 ships several miles across the harbor on Staten Island, where over the next six weeks they were reinforced by ships in Lower New York Bay, bringing their total force to 32,000 men. The British fleet soon numbered 400 ships, including 73 warships.
The residents of New York went into a panic. With the British fleet controlling the entrance to New York Harbor, Washington knew that holding the city would be difficult. In the belief that Manhattan would be the first target, he moved most of his troops there.
The Battle of Brooklyn
Howe's large army landed on Long Island, across the Narrows from Staten Island and across the East River from Manhattan, on August 22, hoping to capture the city and gain control of the Hudson River, cutting the rebellious colonies in half and halting the American Revolution.
The Redcoats marched against the Patriot position at Brooklyn Heights on August 27, soundly beating them at Gowanus Pass and then outflanking the whole Continental Army. Some 250 Maryland troops prevented the capture of most of the American Army.
After his victory, Howe chose not to follow his subordinates’ advice and did not attack the Patriot defenses at Brooklyn Heights, where he could have taken their military leaders prisoner and perhaps ended the American rebellion.
Washington Orders Retreat
On the afternoon of August 28, it started to rain and Washington had his cannon bombard the British into the night. As the rain continued, he ordered every flat-bottomed boat or sloop be sent without delay.
On August 29, Washington met with his generals, who agreed that retreat was the best option. The troops were ordered to gather their ammunition and baggage. By 9:00 p.m., the sick and wounded moved to the Brooklyn Ferry. Two hours later, Massachusetts troops, who were sailors and fishermen, began to evacuate the soldiers.
As more troops were evacuated, more soldiers were ordered to withdraw from the lines and march to the ferry landing. Wagon wheels were muffled, and men were not allowed to talk. Campfires were set ablaze to deceive the British and convince them that nothing was happening.
On August 30, the remaining American troops, artillery and supplies were evacuated across the river, but it was not proceeding as quickly as Washington expected. By daybreak, a fog concealed their escape from British patrols, which began to search the area.
Washington, the last man to leave, boarded the last boat. At 7:00 a.m., the last American troops landed in Manhattan. All 9,500 had been evacuated without one life lost. The British forces, surprised to find that Washington and his army had fled, occupied the American fortifications.
British Capture New York
Howe hoped to convince the American rebels to rejoin the British Empire after this defeat. John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and other congressional leaders reopened negotiations with him on Staten Island on September 11. But the talks failed when the British refused to accept American independence.
The British captured New York City on September 15, and it would remain in their hands until the American victory in the War for Independence in 1781. On September 21, a mysterious fire destroyed much of the city. The Continental Army was able to claim victory at Harlem Heights, but at White Plains and Fort Washington, Howe again defeated Washington, who retreated again across New Jersey into Pennsylvania.
At the Battle of Brooklyn, the Americans suffered 1,000 casualties and the Redcoats lost 400 men. This battle and the loss of New York were the worst period of the Revolutionary War for Washington and the American cause. Morale in parts of the army collapsed and entire regiments deserted. It is the mark of a great leader that he was always able to recover from defeat.
Before the battle, Washington told his troops: “The time is now near at hand which must probably determine whether Americans are to be freemen or slaves; whether they are to have any property they can call their own; whether their houses and farms are to be pillaged and destroyed, and themselves consigned to a state of wretchedness from which no human efforts will deliver them.
“The fate of unborn millions will now depend, under God, on the courage and conduct of this army. Our cruel and unrelenting enemy leaves us only the choice of brave resistance, or the most abject submission. We have, therefore, to resolve to conquer or die.”
SOURCES:
Gallagher, John J. The Battle of Brooklyn 1776. 1999.
Johnston, Henry Phelps. The Campaign of 1776 around New York and Brooklyn. 1878.
John Kirshon - John Kirshon is a journalist/editor with more than 25 years of experience at the Associated Press, The New York Times and CBS News. He was ...
