08/22/2026
AUGUST 1776 – BATTLE OF LONG ISLAND AND A NIGHTTIME ESCAPE
Many New Jersey troops took part in the Battle of Long Island on August 27, the first major battle of the Revolution, which was an American disaster.
British General William Howe had moved about 20,000 troops from Staten Island to Long Island in the preceding days, and he proceeded to attack American forces on Long Island very early on the 27th. He struck at the rear of General John Sullivan’s position and took Sullivan prisoner. Gen. Lord Stirling (William Alexander) of Basking Ridge put up a gallant delay action and held his forces against repeated attacks by a superior British army. He eventually ordered his brigade to retreat but stayed behind with a small force from Maryland to serve as a rear guard, and he even used this force to launch a counter-attack. When he could not hold the position any longer he ordered his men to disperse, and Lord Stirling was taken prisoner. Because of his actions on Long Island, one newspaper called Lord Stirling “the bravest man in America,” and he was praised by both Washington and the British for his audacity and bravery.
By day’s end Washington and his army were stuck between Brooklyn Heights and the East River, with the British digging trenches to get closer and closer to American defenses. But under the cover of dense fog in the dark of night, Washington ordered his troops to escape to Manhattan on boat with the help of boatmen from Pennsylvania and Marbleheaders from Massachusetts. The next day as rain fell, Washington ordered his cannons to bombard the British from the safety of Manhattan.
Americans suffered 300 killed and over 1000 captured at the Battle of Long Island, and about half the prisoners did not survive. British casualties were small in comparison, with less than 400 killed, wounded, or missing. It was clearly a British victory. But the Continental Army’s daring retreat later that night is often viewed as one of Washington’s greatest military accomplishments. The cause for independence suffered a severe setback, but we were still around to fight another day.