On August 27, 1776 in the Battle of Long Island, a force of 10,000 American military marked a staggering defeat at the hands of 20,000 British commanded by British General Howe. For the American forces, this was the first major battle of the American Revolutionary War just after the Declaration of Independence. The British Army who outnumbered and outflanked the Americans allowed them time to regroup and escape which would prove to be a very disastrous mistake.
The Landing at Kip’s Bay
While attempting to regroup on September 15, 1776, General Washington’s Army took on the British Army who occupied the eastern shore of Manhattan, New York. At Kip’s Bay, the British landed and successfully finished off what little American militia resistance was there. General Washington’s line was left exposed causing the Americans to retreat into Harlem Heights. The British would take New York City on the lower half of the island.
The Setting for a British Defeat
On September 16, 1776, the American military forces were looking towards payback while in Harlem Heights. General Washington received a message of a British advance and created a reconnoitering part of 150 soldiers under command of Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Knowlton, leader of a ranger company. He would survey the British lines and was attacked at dawn. Lieutenant Colonel Knowlton would order a retreat because of the lack of sufficient numbers to deal with the British Infantry.
Even thought the British had the more efficient numbers, they grossly under estimated the morale of the American infantry after an arrogant fox hunt was signaled. The American troops responded and attacked vigorously being able to force the British back beyond their pickets. And when they tried to regroup, General George Washington had already developed a plan of attack to capture the scattered British soldiers.
General Washington Attacks General Howe
A Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Reed reported back to General Washington on the American progress. And it was decided that the rangers would be reinforced. General Washington would put together a band of 150 soldiers to reinforce 900 more soldiers along with 3 companies of 200 riflemen to engage the British military. He would also use the British’s extended space technique against them. The British extended space technique was used so that they would not shoot their own men within close quarters. And when the Washington plan was put into motion, by accidental gunfire, the British discovered that they were being ambushed by the American forces. The remains of the scattered British militia proceeded up on top of a hill before retreating into a buckwheat field. Next, the British forces would make a hasty withdrawal and was chased down by the smaller American force. General Washington broke off the pursuit when he became concerned that he and his forces could be headed into a trap.
The First Victory of the Americans
This was General George Washington’s first victory over the British Army in the Revolutionary War. He was assisted by two first-class Generals, Israel Putnam and Nathaniel Greene. But he lost a valuable ranger member while in New York City, Lieutenant Colonel Knowlton in battle. He, next to Nathan Hale was a first rate spy who help turn the tide of war in New York City. Meanwhile, British General Alexander Leslie suffered the lost even after he had 5,000 men against George Washington’s 1,800.
Battle Casualties and Wounded
Retrospectively, the American military forces would lose 30 soldiers while 100 of them were reported wounded. The British military forces, including the assistance of the German Hessians, would lose 90 soldiers while 300 were reported wounded.
Source:
The Battle of Harlem Heights, September 16,1776. Henry Phelps Johnston (Author). Published by General Books LLC (August 13, 2009). ISBN:0217378838
Marquis Canaday - I take pleasure in writing about subjects that deal with civilizations in general, world history, U.S history, economics, occasionally ...
