The Battle of Brooklyn
On June 15, 1775, Congress chose George Washington to serve as Commander-in-Chief of the newly formed Continental Army. After the victory in Massachusetts in 1775, General Washington set his attention to New York. Aware of Manhattan Island’s strategic location between the Northern and Southern colonies, Washington promptly ordered construction on fortifications upon his arrival in April 1776.
The area described as “Woody Heights of Gaun” in the 1777 Map “A Plan of New York Island, with Parts of Long Island, Staten Island, and East New Jersey” is Jamaica Pass, an area of rolling hills captured by the British during the Battle.
On June 25th, patriot lookouts witnessed the long-awaited British fleet sailing into New York Harbor. As tensions ran high, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, and word reached New York on July 9th. Washington ordered the declaration to be read aloud to troops that day. Following the public reading, soldiers and civilians marched down Broadway and on to Bowling Green. Erected on the green was an equestrian statue of George III. The rowdy crowd toppled the statue and paraded the King’s lead head on a spike, a symbolic regicide. The body of the statue, about four-thousand pounds of lead, was sent to Connecticut and melted into musket balls to use against the King’s troops.
After an ill-fated attempt at peace by British Admiral Richard Howe, the British set forth a series of events that would lead to the Battle of Brooklyn. Believing the British would directly attack Manhattan, Washington failed to secured Jamaica Pass, located in southern Brooklyn. The British quickly captured the Pass and began their assault on American Troops on August 27th. Washington was vastly outnumbered. The British had about thirty-two thousand disciplined and equipped troops and thirteen thousand seamen under their command. In comparison, Washington had no ships nor seamen, and an estimated twenty-three thousand men with little training or proper equipment.
Pulling down the Statue of George III, 1853. John C. McRae after Johannes A. Oertel Collection of Fraunces Tavern Museum.
After three disastrous days of fighting, most of the Continental Army (roughly four to five thousand in total) and General Washington were encamped at Brooklyn Heights. The British halted troop movement and Washington seized the opportunity to evacuate Brooklyn. On August 29th, concealed under thick fog, Washington transported his men across the East River to Manhattan. Following a series of engagements across Manhattan and Westchester, Washington left New York City proper for good in November 1776, not to return until 1783. The loss of New York City was Washington’s most significant military failure. Winning the city back would be a point of consideration for Washington throughout the war.
