Relive the Revolutionary War!
How would you like to go underwater in a hand-powered wooden submarine, big enough to hold only one person, to try and blow up an enemy ship? That’s what Sergeant Ezra Lee did near New York City in September 1776, when he tried out an American invention that later became known as the Turtle.
Continue reading “Voyage of the Turtle”
The Battle of Long Island left the American army in extreme danger. They were crowded into their fortifications at Brooklyn; in front of them was the British and Hessian army, and behind them was the East River. The British and Hessians outnumbered them, and they were steadily digging trenches toward the American lines: once they got close enough, they would attack, and they would almost certainly win. To make things worse, many of the men were exhausted, and it was raining steadily.
Continue reading “A Miraculous Retreat from Long Island”
Ever since the combined British and Hessian armies had arrived in New York harbor, the Americans had been watching, waiting, and wondering: when and where would the enemy attack? Those questions were finally answered on Long Island on August 27, 1776. Hundreds of Americans were captured, killed, or wounded; the rest were forced to retreat for their lives, and it looked as though the enemy might finish them off any day. Only a miracle could save them.
Continue reading “Americans Defeated at the Battle of Long Island”
Herman Zedwitz was a native German who had served in the Seven Years’ War (known as the French and Indian War in America) in the army of the King of Prussia. For a few months during that time, his unit, with him as the commander, was assigned to serve with the British cavalry, and he became acquainted with the famous British Lieutenant General John Manners, Marquess of Granby, who apparently thought well of him.
In 1770, a few years after the war, Granby wrote to Zedwitz in Germany. Britain and Spain were disputing over the Falkland Islands, and it looked like war might break out. Granby offered to pay Zedwitz to recruit some German riflemen to serve with the British forces. Zedwitz recruited 20 men for starters and took them to England as agreed; but then Granby died, Britain and Spain settled the dispute diplomatically, and Zedwitz couldn’t get anybody to pay him, so he had to send the men back home at his own expense.
Continue reading “German-American Officer Found Guilty of Attempted Espionage”
One step closer to battle: the British and Hessian troops moved from Staten Island to Long Island, in preparation for a major attack on the rebels stationed there. As at Staten Island earlier in the month, the Americans didn’t try to stop them from landing — and even if they had, the landing operations were covered by several British warships, including the Carcass and Thunder, which were bomb ketches (vessels made specifically for bombarding targets on shore). As they pulled back from the shore to their main positions a few miles away, however, the Americans did burn some grain, so as to keep it from falling into enemy hands.
Continue reading “Invasion of Long Island”
One of the first things that the Continental Congress did after declaring independence was to appoint a committee to come up with a “great seal” for the United States — a design that would officially symbolize the new republic. What with everything else going on, it was August 20 before the committee reported back and presented their recommendation.
Continue reading “The Great Seal: Moses, Hengist, Horsa, Hercules, or Aesop?”With the Americans trying to block up the channel of the river, and having already been through two attacks by American galleys and fire ships, Captains Parker and Wallace, of His Majesty’s Ships Phoenix and Rose, decided it was time to call it quits; they would leave the Hudson River and head back to friendly territory. At 5:00 in the morning on August 18, 1776, they weighed anchor and set sail down the river, passing through the obstacles that the Americans had sunk in the river. American artillerymen fired at them, and they fired back, but hardly any damage was done. An American chaplain heard the noise and wondered what was going on:
Whew — ! What means this roaring above us? — Crack! Crack! Crack! What can this cracking mean! — It is the upper Battery contending with the Ships coming down the River.
Just a Quarter of an hour before seven in the morning the firing begun. At seven precisely they were abreast of the grand Battery at New-York. They kept over as near Powles Hook as they could, in Order to be as far as possible from the York Batteries. Before they were down so low as the grand Battery at New-York, & then quite down to the Fleet, as they passed by the Fire from Governors Island, & Red-Hook, we had them in perfect View. The Morning is rainy, the Wind at North East & Violent, so that they passed briskly, tho’ the Ebb was quite expended before they were past Red-Hook. For about four Minutes the firing was really tremendous! This was the Time while the Ships were passing between the grand Battery & Governors-Island; they were then sailing in the midst of a perpetual Blaze! — The lower Batteries at New-York; the Batteries over at Powles-Hook; the Gallies which lay between New-York & Governors Island; & all the Cannon on Governors Island, were all, like incessant Thunders, rattling on them! The Phoenix was ahead of the Rose a Mile & a half, or more; & the two Tenders were a Mile behind the Rose; Both the Ships fired briskly, on the Town & Batteries, but without much Effect, as their Pass was so transient. Our Lodging is on the Shore in Range with Governors-Island, at which the Ships fired bitterly, but we saw no Balls come quite ashore, tho’ great Numbers struck the Water between the Island & us. When they were past Red-Hook they clued [i.e., hauled] up their Sails & scudded away proudly to the Fleet under only a Main Top Sail each! Thus the British Navy triumphs: And that Daemon Wallace [captain of the Rose], is, no Doubt, elated with his present Security.
But let the Traitors dare to tread the Land! Let us stand on equal Ground, & we defy even British Prowess.
By 8:00, the ships had rejoined the rest of the British fleet and were safely anchored off Staten Island.
The tension in New York was building. With a huge British fleet in the harbor, it was only a matter of time before the Americans would be attacked, so the American commander-in-chief issued a proclamation on August 17, encouraging “Women, Children, and infirm Persons” to evacuate — not only for their own safety, but so that the army wouldn’t have to worry about them in the event of an attack:
Whereas a Bombardment and Attack upon the City of New-York, by our cruel, and inveterate Enemy, may be hourly expected: And as there are great Numbers of Women, Children, and infirm Persons, yet remaining in the City, whose Continuance will rather be prejudicial than advantageous to the Army, and their Persons exposed to great Danger and Hazard: I Do therefore recommend it to all such Persons, as they value their own Safety and Preservation, to remove with all Expedition, out of the said Town, at this critical Period,—trusting, that with the Blessing of Heaven, upon the American Arms, they may soon return to it in perfect Security. And I do enjoin and require, all the Officers and Soldiers in the Army, under my Command, to forward and assist such Persons in their Compliance with this Recommendation. Given, under my Hand, at Head-Quarters, New-York, August 17, 1776.
GEORGE WASHINGTON.
Some of them did leave, but some stayed — perhaps because they had no place to go, or because they were confident that the American forces would succeed in defending the city, or because they were still loyal to the king and hoped that the British would take over the city.
When the British ships Phoenix and Rose got past the American defenses and went up the Hudson River, orders immediately went out among the American forces to prepare fire ships for attacking them.
A fire ship, or fire raft, was a vessel meant for setting enemy ships on fire. It might be made especially for the purpose, or it might just be an old vessel that they could afford to dispose of. It was filled with flammable materials, arranged in such a way that the fire would start quickly and burn well. The idea was to sail it right up against the enemy’s ship, throw out grappling hooks to hold it alongside, start the fire — and then get out of there as fast as possible.
Although it sounds simple, it took a few weeks for the Americans to get everything ready. In the meanwhile, they made a rather unsuccessful attack in galleys. Finally, at about 11:00 or 11:30 p.m. on August 16, 1776, while lying at anchor in the Hudson, the British crews aboard the Phoenix and Rose (and the three smaller vessels — two tenders and one schooner — that accompanied them) saw a few vessels “silently moving up with the tide.” Two of them were fire ships, and the others were galleys (low, flat-built vessels that used oars as well as sails).
Continue reading “American Fire-Ship Attack in the Hudson”
On the morning of August 3, 1776, the crews of the British warships Phoenix and Rose saw six American ships coming up the Hudson River toward them, along with a number of boats. It wasn’t likely that they were coming for a friendly chat, so the British prepared for action. These American ships were actually galleys — low, flat-built vessels that had both oars and sails — and were definitely less formidable than the British ships, but they were still a threat.
Continue reading “British Warships and American Galleys Face Off in the Tappan Zee”
