The Battle of Long Island 1776 [aka Battle of Brooklyn - August 27, 1776]

BritishBattles.com ^

[ETL]

The Battle of Long Island(c) Illustration by John Mackenzie 2007 - available for sale.

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Source: http://www.thebattlefornewyork.com/brook-s.php

The Battle for New York
The City at the Heart of the American Revolution
By Barnet Schecter
http://www.thebattlefornewyork.com/home.php

[Vigilanteman]

New York: The only major U.S. city to remain in the hands of a hostile power at the end of the American Revolutionary War. And thus it has remained ever since.

[Red Boots]

Family rumor has it that an ancestor fought with the New York Militia in this battle. Do you know of any books with the lists of men that fought there ?

I can't think of the name off-hand, but I know our family records have the name of the Capitan our ancestor fought under.

[ladtx]

I'm in the midst of reading David McCullough's 1776. It has a very good account of the engagement on Long Island and subsequent withdrawal. I'm continually amazed at the fortitude of the fledgling American army during those days. Tougher men than I.

[ETL]

Family rumor has it that an ancestor fought with the New York Militia in this battle. Do you know of any books with the lists of men that fought there?

No, sorry, I don't. But I'm sure you can find something on the internet. Or perhaps someone else here knows?

[NonValueAdded]

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FREE ONLINE!

A WALKING TOUR OF THE BATTLEFIELD IN OUR MIDST

THE BATTLE FOR NEW YORK:
The City at the Heart of the American Revolution [Walking Tour]
by Barnet Schecter
http://www.thebattlefornewyork.com/walking_tour.php

[jonesat]

I'm fairly certain, though not positive, that the retreat from this battle was covered by a Maryland regiment (the “Maryland Line”, 5th regt maybe?).

They covered the retreat with probably the earliest organized American use of the bayonett charge.

[skeeter]

The british victory was no surprise - the American position was untenable from the start.

The real feat in this engagement was Washington's withdrawal to Manhattan Island.

[thefactor]

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[ETL]

I'm fairly certain, though not positive, that the retreat from this battle was covered by a Maryland regiment...

Yes, absolutely! The Marylanders bought Washington time. The posted article didn't really do them justice. Incredibly, the remains of many of them apparently lie buried beneath a body and fender shop in Brooklyn. However, there is a monument to them in Greenwood Cemetery where part of the battle took place.

"During the Battle of Brooklyn, Long Island, on August 27, 1776, the sturdy house and its strategic position at a cross-roads made it the focus of the most dramatic event of the day. Taken in the morning by an estimated two thousand British soldiers, it blocked the retreat of the out-manned American army in the field.

Turning against the stronghold, some four hundred soldiers from Maryland and Delaware, led by General William Alexander, Lord Stirling, attacked it five times and regained the house twice, but were finally repulsed.

Watching from Brooklyn Heights, General George Washington and 8000 troops were heartened by the valor they witnessed, and it hardened their resolve to fight on. The unit lost 256 men, a significant part of the over 1000 American casualties that day."

Source: http://www.theoldstonehouse.org/history.php

More on the Marylanders here:
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=%22battle+of+brooklyn%22%22marylanders%22&ei=UTF-8&fr=moz2

[Oatka]

The real feat in this engagement was Washington's withdrawal to Manhattan Island.

Indeed. Lots of heroes here: Smallwood's Marylanders. and Haslet's Delawares for the infantry. John Glover and his Marbleheaders, helped by 27th Massachusetts got them across the river - a tremendous feat, considering the situation.

What a great heritage for states that have now gone liberal.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

On Aug 28,29 was another of God's miracles in that Washington was able to evacuate his army into Manhattan without capture with heavy fog on the river.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

I wish David McCullough and Tom Hanks would make a another series like ( John Adams ) just on the war of the Revolutionary War.

[jonesat]

Found it,....here is an excerpt from the Army institute of Heraldry (a pretty cool, site BTW)

“The bayonet is representative of its introduction to American arms at the Battle of Long Island 1776, by the Maryland Line and in the use of which it became famed throughout the War. It is also symbolic of the “Maryland 400” which by repeated charges and sustaining heavy losses delayed General Howe’s army, which enabled General Washington to successfully withdraw his defeated army across the Hudson River.”

http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Inf/175InfantryRegiment.htm

[Prophet in the wilderness]

I read a magazine article when his book came out describing George Washington and how he was.
I guess David McCullough did his research by reading letters from George Washington, letters from his wife and family, books that Washington wrote, military memos and any kind of correspondence in order to get some kind of personality profile on George Washington.
It's interesting, we may have paintings on those early patriots, but, Washington has a French sculpture come and make a plaster mask of his face, and that is the closest thing that we can come to of knowing what Washington looked like.






In David's book, he described that Washington had grayish hazel eyes, a stature that commanded respect, yes, Washington was firm, but, he also was a fair and honest kind of leader. ( it sounds like he was a no nonsense kind of man ).
I don't know were it read it from before, but, I read a story of Washington while he was in Valley Forge.
On one cold winter morning, it was snowing, and Washington was about to sit down and eat his breakfast, then he looked out the window and saw one of his troops doing his guard duty rounds and Washington got up from the table and went out the front door and yelled out to this young grunt and asked him if he had his breakfast this morning.
Then Washington ( the Commander in Chief ) told the young trooper to come inside and have breakfast and coffee, and while the young trooper ate, George Washington went out side and did the troopers guard duty..... imagine that ? the Commander in Chief doing the guard duty rounds for this young trooper while the trooper ate George Washington's breakfast.
That is the kind of leaders we need today.
George Washington commanded respect not because he demanded it, but, for the person George Washington was.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

http://rightwingnuthouse.com/archives/2007/12/27/blogburst-for-fred-join-the-marbleheaders/

[Prophet in the wilderness]

http://www.revolutionarywararchives.org/glover.html

[Prophet in the wilderness]

General Henry Knoxs “ perseverance accomplished what at first seemed impossible .. “