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.