This week in Revolutionary War history, let’s check in on what was going on 250 years ago in the early United States. Last week, Patriots held a field test for the world’s first attack submarine, the Turtle, all while the continuing presence of American troops in New York seemed more and more unmanageable. General George Washington and his officers agreed the city must be abandoned. On September 12, they left the city proper and moved north to Harlem.
On September 13, 1776, with plans to abandon New York hotly debated among the American officers, Major General William Heath of Roxbury writes to Washington from his post across the Harlem River. Displeased with the decision to leave New York, he writes that he is “so unhappy as to differ in sentiment from a majority of the honorable Board of General Officers of the Army of the United States of America.”
He notes an evacuation “gives such unspeakable advantage to the enemy,” who will be able to garrison it during the winter and endanger the rest of the nation, which will be cut in two down the Hudson. At this same time, the Royal Navy begins to close in on Manhattan, with the HMS Carysfort, HMS Orpheus, HMS Phoenix and HMS Roebuck moving up and blocking the East River, securing a landing point between Manhattan and Long Island.
On September 14, the ships sit anchored a few hundred feet from the shore. Around 4,000 troops remain in New York and Lower Manhattan under General Israel Putnam, with the majority, around 5,000 troops, going north to Harlem Heights under Washington. From here, he issues his General Orders, saying, “The General is exceedingly anxious that every soldier should be well provided with ammunition, and desires that every officer will be careful to see there is no deficiency in this respect, as it is highly probable, they may soon be called to action.”
He adds, “It is so critical a period, and so interesting to every true lover of his country, that the General hopes that every officer and soldier will now exert himself to the utmost.” That same day, he writes to John Hancock, president of the Continental Congress, noting he has done his best to gather supplies from the city for the escaping soldiers, and says, “I fully expected that an attack somewhere would have been made last night. In that I was disappointed, and happy shall I be if my apprehensions of one tonight or in a day or two, are not confirmed by the event. If it is deferred a little while longer I flatter myself all will be got away, and our force be more concentered and of course more likely to resist them with success.”
The next day, on September 15, the British make their move. It is a brutally hot, humid day, as defenders sit in makeshift earthworks and trenches across the island. British ships sail north up the Hudson in the morning, mostly as a distraction but also cutting off Manhattan from the sea.
The British move to land. Around 80 transport boats carrying 4,000 British and Hessian troops make for a landing at Kips Bay around 10:00 am, near the middle of the island off the East River, led by General Henry Clinton. The anchored ships begin a heavy bombardment of the bay, which only around 450 men defend. The heavy bombardment lasts a full hour, after which the British make an uncontested landing as the Patriots scattered in retreat.
Washington would later write of his “great surprise and mortification” as his men “ran away in the greatest confusion without firing a single shot.” He rides out on horseback to try to rally the troops, to no avail. Famously, and contested, a furious Washington draws his sword and pistol on the men, and following no increase in order, throws his hat from his head, exclaiming, “Are these the men with which I am to defend America?”
Then, alone, he turns to face the Redcoats charging inland. His aides and fellow commanders stop him from charging into the fray. Though 2,000 men arrive to reinforce from the north, they turn and run when they see the chaos. By sunset, nearly 10,000 British troops make landfall at Kips Bay. William Howe orders them to hold their position and build up their numbers, crucially not cutting Manhattan in two and saving thousands of Putnam’s men from death or capture.
General Putnam rides north with his aide, Aaron Burr, nearly bypassing British positions and saving the army from destruction. Alexander Hamilton and his artillery corps hold the back of the line, experiencing minor skirmishes. When men from the south of the island arrive in Harlem to link up with Washington, they are met with great applause. Similarly, the British march into New York City, raising the Union Jack to applause by the largely Loyalist population.
The next day sees the Battle of Harlem Heights, a bloody skirmish leaving dozens of dead and hundreds injured. The Americans hold the line at Harlem as roving attacks push north. Howe does not authorize a full-scale assault, considering the capture of New York a victory. The battle leads to a British rout. As the Continental Army follows up, Washington pulls them back to maintain the defensive line. In his General Orders, Washington notes that in case of a full-scale attack, men will cross the Harlem River from the north to reinforce.
Washington writes to Hancock, lamenting his men’s performance, “I used every means in my power to rally and get them into some order, but my attempts were fruitless and ineffectual — finding that no confidence was to be placed in these brigades.”
The next day, in his General Orders, he commends the men who fought at Harlem Heights, saying, “The General most heartily thanks the troops commanded yesterday — The behavior of yesterday was such a contrast to that of some troops the day before.”
For now, the frontline on Manhattan sits still. However, to the south, the Battle of the Coweecho River takes place in North Carolina between Patriots, Loyalists and their Native American allies. Three hundred Cherokee and around 50 Loyalist militia face off against a larger force of Americans and their Catawba allies. The Patriots win following the death of around 20 men on both sides, pushing the Cherokee further west over the Appalachian range.
This Week in Revolutionary War History
By Sam Bishop