Battle of Long Island

26-29 August 1776

British Victory

On 22 August 1776, 22,000 British soldiers landed on Long Island, New York. General George Washington rushed reinforcements to its defense. The next day the British routed the Americans, forcing their retreat to their last entrenchments. Washington's forces fought valiantly, but were outnumbered and overwhelmed by a wide flanking attack by the British. The British commander, Sir William Howe elected not to pursue. Instead, he decided to use slow siege tactics rather than conduct a quick attack. On 29 August, bad weather allowed Washington to evacuate to Manhattan and save his Army. This move ensured the survival of his Army and the cause of independence. Howe attacked New York City in September 1776 and drove Washington's Army out of New York and New Jersey. The British gained control over New York, which they retained for the duration of the war.

Had Howe pushed his advantage immediately, he might have taken Brooklyn Heights and destroyed half of the American Army then and there. Instead, perhaps rendered cautious by his repulse the previous year at Bunker Hill, he halted at nightfall and began to dig trenches. Washington managed to evacuate his forces across the East River on the night of 29 August. According to one theory, wind and weather stopped the British warships from entering the river to prevent the escape; according to another, the Americans had placed impediments in the river that effectively barred their entry. In any case, it was a narrow escape, made possible by the skill, bravery, and perseverance of Col. John Glover’s Marblehead Regiment, infantrymen recruited from Massachusetts fishing villages, who manned the boats.

Washington had two weeks to prepare his defenses on Manhattan before Howe struck again. On 15 September, Howe landed a force at Kip’s Bay above the city of New York under the cover of a devastating naval bombardment. Raw Connecticut militia posted here behind shallow trenches broke and ran "as if the Devil was in them," despite Washington's efforts to halt them. Howe once again had an opportunity to split the American Army in two and destroy half, but again he chose to wait until his entire force had landed. This allowed General Israel Putnam to bring extra troops to the new fortifications on Harlem Heights. There, the Americans held out for another month and even won a morale-enhancing skirmish; but this position was vulnerable.

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