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A History | Revolutionary War Battles | The Battle for New York - July/August 1776
The Battle for New York - July/August 1776
On July 3, 1776, British troops landed on Staten Island. Over a period of six weeks, British troop strength was
increased so that it number over 32,000 by the end of August. Meanwhile, General Washington was preparing his men
as well as he could under the circumstances. Washington was hampered by the British control of the sea, which
allowed them to conceivably attack either Long Island or Manhattan. Washington decided to defend both vulnerable
areas. On August 22, General Howe, the British commander, began transporting troops across the bay from Staten
Island to Long Island. Washington decided to defend Brooklyn Heights by digging in around Brooklyn Village.
Washington fortified the Heights of Guan, a range of hills 100 to 150 feet in height and covered by heavy brush
and woods. The heights were broken by four passes. The furthest away was the Jamaica pass. Only five soldiers were
detailed to defend the pass. On August 26th, Howe's troops quietly made their way to the Jamaica pass and seized
the five American guards there. The British advanced behind American lines undetected until they reached the
settlement of Bedford, where they opened fire. At that point, British troops rushed through the Bedford pass. Two
hundred fifty American troops, under General Stirling, were surrounded on three sides. They fought bravely, but
were soon overwhelmed. American troops were forced back into Brooklyn Heights. Cornwallis did not follow-up with
an immediate attack on Brooklyn Heights. Washington's advisors recommended a withdrawal before British frigates
could block the East River and any available means of escape. On the night of August 30th, Washington
successfully withdrew his troops across the East River to Manhattan. Washington turned his attention to
rebuilding his army. He was given instruction by the Continental Congress that allowed him to withdraw from
New York. Washington began moving his supplies and wounded soldiers north from Manhattan. Meanwhile, Howe had
decided not attack the heavily fortified Manhattan, but instead to outflank Washington and trap him. On September
13, Howe began to move his army across the East River to Kips Bay, there he hoped to cut Washington off. The
landing was successful, and met only limited opposition. Washington's army, however, was able to successfully
move North to Harlem Heights. The next day, a brief skirmish took place at Harlem Heights that became known as
the Battle of Harlem. In this brief battle, several hundred British light infantry were badly mauled by Colonel
Thomas Knowlton's Connecticut regiment. The Americans and the British began digging in. On October 12, Howe once
again moved his army to the north to outflank Washington, this time at Throgs Neck. He landed there successfully,
but his forces were bottled up on the Neck, which, depending on the tides, was sometimes an island. Washington
decided to withdraw north to White Plains. The British slowly followed. It took Howe ten days to arrive in White
Plains. There, on October 28th, the British troops captured Chattertons Hill, to the right of American lines.
Washington soon withdrew to New Castle, and Howe did not follow.
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