The Battle of Long Island

 The Battle of Long Island took place in August 1776 and was a victory for the British. In terms of troop deployment and fighting, it was the largest battle of the entire war.

General George Washington brought the Continental Army to defend the port city of New York, which was the southern end of Manhattan Island at the time.

In July, the British landed on Staten Island. They began to reinforce their troops with by ships in Lower New York Bay, bringing their total force to 32,000 troops. Washington moved the bulk of his forces to Manhattan, believing that it would be the first target.

On August 27, the British attacked American defenses on the Guan Heights. Unknown to the Patriots, however, Howe had brought his main army around their rear and attacked their flank soon after. The Patriots panicked, resulting in 20% losses through casualties and captures. The remainder of the army retreated to the main defenses on Brooklyn Heights.

Shortly after fighting began, the British cornered Washington and his men in Brooklyn Heights. He was surrounded on all sides with the East River to his back and no feasible means of winning the battle. Instead of surrendering, Washington evacuated the army and retreated to Manhattan. Washington’s failure there left New York firmly in British hands until the end of the war.

 

 

Sources Cited:

 “Battle of Long Island.” American Revolutionary War, American Revolutionary War, 13 Jan. 2018, revolutionarywar.us/year-1776/battle-long-island/

“Brooklyn Battle Facts and Summary.” American Battlefield Trust, www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/brooklyn