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).
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