Battle of Long Island

“ Chapter XVI The Battle of Long Island Down on the Narrows Road, General Stirling's force was holding its own against the British. The patriot soldiers were steady and calm, and loaded and fired regularly and with considerable effect, and had fortune gone well with Sullivan's division, the Continental soldiers would probably have won the battle. ”

“ He who has dedicated himself to the service of his country is most faithful in its hour of need. After this battle on Long Island, a time of deep distress began for the Americans, of which we get a clear picture from Washington’s letters. He wrote to the president of Congress: “Our situation is truly distressing. The check our detachments sustained in the battle on Long Island has dispirited too great a proportion of our troops and filled their minds with apprehension and despair. ”

“ The heat prevented a rapid pursuit, and Clinton got into New York. Between there and Philadelphia he had lost at least two thousand men by desertions in addition to nearly five hundred who fell at Monmouth.
It is worth while to pause a moment and compare this battle with the rout of Long Island, the surprise at the Brandywine, and the fatal unsteadiness at Germantown. Here, too, a check was received at the outset, owing to blundering which no one could have foreseen. The troops, confused and without orders, began to retreat, but without panic or disorder. ”

“ Simcoe in Boston, 123 Battle of Long Island, described by eyewitness, 233 Bay of Fundy, 206 Bayard’s Hill, 64 Bayles, John, headquarters, 70 Bayside, L. I., 10 Beacons and signals on L. I., 84 Bedford, L. I., 56 Bedford, Westchester Co., 33, 66 Benson, Lieut. Colonel, 175 Bergen County, 246 Birch, Col., appointed commandant of New York, 96; at Setauket, 95; at Southampton, 236 Birdsall, Benjamin, 8 Birdsall, Margaret, 8 Black Rock, 284; Brewster’s Farm at, 287 Black Rock Harbor, 287 Block Island, 202 Board in New York is £3 per week, 37, 238 Boatman forbid to cross, 99 Bolton, John. ”

“ I hope God in his providence will guard us from falling by our open enemy, and from all traiterous wretches.... It is expected that they mean to give battle at two places at one and the same time, that is Long Island, and this City.
N. York, Augst 31, 1776.
I take this as the first opportunity to acquaint you that on Tuesday last we got a severe flogging on Long Island. The enemy surrounded a large detachment of our army, took many, killed some, and the rest got off. Major Genl. Sullivan & Brigr Genl. Lord Sterling, Col. Clark and several other field officers are prisoners. Col. ”

“ Governor Clinton, who witnessed the battle, wrote of it: "It has animated our troops, given them new spirits, and erased every bad impression the retreat from Long Island had left in their minds. They find that they are able with inferior numbers to drive their enemy, and think of nothing now but conquest."
Shortly after the occupation of New York by the British, and on the 21st of September, the city was visited by a great fire, which quickly reduced a large part of it to ashes. It is estimated that 500 houses were obliterated. ”

“ By one o'clock their appetites is whetted so keen from brain exercise that they make a bum out of a plate of soup and an order of Long Island duckling, which they figure is caught fresh every day, and they wind up with salad and apple pie à la mode and a stein of coffee. ”

“ We have been obliged to retreat from Long Island and Governor's Island, from both of which we got off without loss of men. We have left a great part of our heavy artillery behind. The field train is off. We are in hourly expectation that the town will be bombarded and cannonaded—and the enemy are drawing their men to the eastward on Long Island, as if they intended to throw a strong party over on this island, near Hell Gate, so as to get on the back of the city. ”

“ So Kate asked him how people could stand it.
"They don't," he says. "All the ones that's got a piece of change ducks out somewheres where they can get the air."
"Where do they go?" Katie asked him.
"Well," he says, "the most of my pals goes to Newport or Maine or up in the Adirondacks. But of course them places is out of most people's reach. If I was you folks I'd go over on Long Island somewheres and either take a cottage or live in one of them good hotels." ”

“ The pacific mission of the Howes having so far failed, the general on August 22-25 landed an army on Long Island, which is separated from New York by the East river. Brooklyn heights on Long Island, opposite New York, were strongly fortified and held by the Americans. Washington, believing that a larger British force was left in Staten Island than was really the case, thought it necessary to keep a numerous garrison in New York to meet a direct attack on the place, and detached only some 9,000 men under Putnam to Long Island. ”

“ On the 22d of August, 1776, landing on Long Island, he commenced a march by three separate detachments towards Brooklyn, which, after a severe battle on the 27th of August, he took. It was the first invasion by the Germans of that quiet, pleasant, New York dormitory. Then the inhabitants took it very hard. Now, however, they have become so much accustomed to the German irruptions, that they have ceased to be astonished at their own frequent captures. We may add that the Hessians did not at that time elect Herr Martin Kalbfleisch mayor of Brooklyn. ”

“ The British plan of attack, to judge from all military rules, should have been successful. First, the redcoat regulars were to land upon Long Island, lying to the north, and wade across the inlet which separates it from Sullivan's Island. Then, after the war ships had silenced the guns in the fort, the land troops were to storm the position, and thus leave the channel clear for the combined forces to sail up and capture the city. ”

“ VII LADY PERKINS got part of her hope. The areoplane fell all right, but only a couple of miles instead of a million feet. They say that they was a defect or something in poor Codd's engine. Anyway, he done an involuntary nose dive. Him and his invention was spilled all over Long Island. But Katie had been awake all night with the hysterics and Ella hadn't managed to get her to sleep till nine a. m. So when Codd had called for her Ella'd told him that Sis would go some other day. Can you beat it? ”

“ You are to make a descent on Long Island and deplete227 and destroy such parties of the enemy as are found at Huntington and Setauket or other place on the Island, and, if you find it practical without too great hazard, you are to retake and bring off all the officers and soldiers of the Continental Army now on Long Island.
If any military stores, magazines, provisions, forage or naval stores are found on the Island, you are to bring off and destroy them. You are to procure such information before you attempt to go on as will render the descent possible and the design practicable. ”

“ The manner in which this critical operation was executed, and the circumstances under which it was performed, added greatly to the reputation of the American general, in the opinion of all military men. To withdraw, without loss, a defeated, dispirited, and undisciplined army from the view of an experienced and able officer, and to transport them in safety across a large river, while watched by a numerous and vigilant fleet, require talents of no ordinary kind; and the retreat from Long Island may justly be ranked among those skilful manoeuvres which distinguish a master in the art of war. ”

“ Many say the troops from Charlestown are expected at New York and that they have actually left St Augustine and Georgia. I am sorry to see trade flourish as it doth, Never was such an intercourse with your shore before. I believe not one day or scarcely an hour but live stock and produce of all kinds are landed on Long Island on vessels pushing into the Enemy’s posts. ”

“ I thank you for the magnanimity of your sentiments towards our friends, on the supposition that the late occurrences are events of consequence. I am by no means of that opinion. After the affair of Long Island, the loss of New York was inevitable; but is not the successful army still faced and kept at bay, by that over which it is supposed to have obtained, these decisive advantages? Could any one expect more from a new raised army, than that it should face the disciplined invaders, almost equal in numbers, and much superior in equipments, to win its way by inches. ”

“ The American troops had been severely defeated at Long Island in the summer, and since that time had suffered a series of reverses, being forced steadily back out of New York, after losing Fort Washington, and down through the Jerseys, relentlessly pursued by Howe and Cornwallis. ”

“ We are told the British troops are kept from plunder, but the Hessians and other foreigners, looking upon that as the right of war, plunder wherever they go, from both whigs and tories, without distinction, and horrid devastations they have made on Long Island, New York Island, White Plains, and New Jersey, being the only parts they have yet set foot on. Should they get this fine city, they will be satiated, if the ruin of thousands of worthy citizens can satisfy their avarice. ”

“ The Militia together with their ships and about four thousand regular Troops are to defend New York this winter. The English fleet consisted of about fifty sail the better half merchantmen. The best information that can be collected says the recruits do not exceed twenty five hundred men with one general officer. They have had a short passage and are not very sickly. A Cork fleet is daily expected, and the enemy are in fears about them. Should they not arrive it would ruin them and the inhabitants of Long Island. ”

“ Consternation seizes British troops on Long Island. The brave soldiers on the parapet at Governor’s Island quake with fear. All New York rushes to the river-side to find out what it can mean. Nothing, on all the face of the earth, ever happened like it before, one and all declare. ”

“ General Washington has thought proper to draw his men from Long Island, this was done last night.
“The enemy are now firing upon New York, from Long Island; our men here are drawing up to be in readiness, in case we are needed. ”

“ This island was originally the "Governor's garden," and Winthrop paid a yearly rent of two bushels of apples for it. These forts are nearly all constructed of Quincy granite, but none has seen actual warfare. Long Island spreads its high crags across the harbor, outside of the inner forts, and has a lighthouse on its northern end, while to the eastward is a low, rocky islet, bearing as a warning to the mariner a curious 33 stone monument, known as Nix's Mate. It was here the colonists used to hang the pirates caught on the New England coasts. ”

“ History assigns such a reward to Washington at Long Island.
This success—the extrication of the army from what was soon felt to be a dangerous position—was not to be achieved without a previous two days' experience of great hardship, trial, and despondency on the part of the troops; and unceasing anxiety and watchfulness on the part of the commander-in-chief. The night of the 27th had closed cheerlessly on the devoted Americans. The hills had been wrested from them; many of their best officers and soldiers were slain or prisoners ”

“ If the younger cannot be engaged again, you will endeavor to prevail upon the older to give you information of the movements and position of the enemy upon Long Island—as whether they are all confined to the port at Brooklyn or whether they have any detached posts and where, and what is their strength at those posts—in short desire him to inform you of whatever comes under his notice and what seems worthy of communication. ”

“ The apprehensions excited by the defeat on Long Island had not yet subsided; nor had the American troops recovered their confidence either in themselves or in their commanders. Their situation appeared to themselves to be perilous; and they had not yet acquired that temper which teaches the veteran to do his duty wherever he may be placed; to assure himself that others will do their duty likewise; and to rely that those, who take into view the situation of the whole, will not expose him to useless hazard ”

“ A detachment of 100 from the Hessians are at Brookline, and the 3d Battalion of G. DeLancey’s brigade consisting of about 200 are at Lloyd’s Neck, Long Island, near half of which are acting as marines on board armed vessels, and a guard of about 20 men are at Jamaica, where G. D. resides. These are all on Long Island. They have begun to fortify at the narrows on the Staten Island side and to refit the fortifications at the battery in this city. They have done nothing more than lay the platforms and not but one gun mounted, which has been there for a long time past. ”

“ It must not be forgotten that he was sent over to Long Island—the British had not yet entered New York, and from the spot from which he started on his way to Long Island it was at that time possible to send any man to any part of the city of New York within an hour. It is not possible to believe that any sane man would start on a week’s journey to reach a destination he could arrive at in safety within an hour. ”