Back in July, I wrote a column about the Declaration of Independence in which I praised the document while also arguing that, in many ways, it was worthless. Its ideas were revolutionary, but words alone did little to secure American independence. To accomplish that, the colonists would have to defeat the greatest military power in the world, a task that seemed almost impossible.
The war had actually begun more than a year earlier, in April 1775, with the shots fired at Lexington and Concord. However, a major turning point occurred March 1776. I wrote a column then about General Henry Knox’s remarkable effort to transport artillery from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston, a journey of more than 300 miles. Once those guns were in place, the British abandoned Boston, but General George Washington knew they would return.
Washington correctly predicted that the British would target New York. Their objective was not simply to capture the city but to control the mouth of the Hudson River. Britain’s early strategy was to seize the river and cut New England off from the rest of the colonies. British leaders wrongfully believed New England was the center of the rebellion and that isolating it would quickly end the war.
Washington moved his army of 19,000 soldiers to present-day Lower Manhattan and began strengthening the city’s defenses. He reinforced harbor batteries and built fortifications in northern Manhattan and on Brooklyn Heights. At that point in the war, Washington had yet to learn that his inexperienced troops could not stand toe-to-toe with the professional British army. He believed he could defend the city.
He was wrong.
In July 1776, 400 British ships carrying 32,000 troops under General William Howe arrived at Staten Island. Preparing for the attack, Washington placed General Israel Putnam in command of the defenses on Brooklyn Heights. Although guards were stationed along the major roads, Washington failed to secure Jamaica Pass, a little-used route east of the American lines. That oversight became one of the most significant mistakes of the war.
Howe quickly took advantage of the weakness. On the night of Aug. 26, he led 10,000 British soldiers through the lightly defended pass, allowing them to attack the Americans from behind.
The Battle of Long Island began on the morning of Aug. 27, 1776. British forces launched coordinated attacks against American positions while Hessian soldiers and British regulars overwhelmed troops south of Brooklyn under the command of General John Sullivan. Washington quickly crossed the East River from Manhattan, but there was little he could do except watch the battle unfold.
Sullivan’s men fought bravely but suffered heavy losses from Hessian artillery and bayonet attacks. Realizing his troops were in danger of being surrounded, Sullivan ordered a retreat before eventually being captured.
Although the battle ended in a major British victory, historian David McCullough argued in his Pulitzer Prize-winning book “1776” that Washington’s leadership during the evacuation prevented an even greater disaster. Washington was also learning an important lesson: he could not fight the British army in a conventional battle; he would have to adapt his strategy if the revolution was to survive.
My favorite part of the story happened that night, and, to me, it explains how the American army ultimately won the war.
After Howe halted his assault and began surrounding the American position, Washington ordered a silent nighttime withdrawal. Campfires continued to burn, giving the impression that the Continental Army was preparing to defend its position the next day. Instead, Washington gathered every available vessel, from military transports to small fishing boats. Throughout the night and into the following morning, approximately 9,000 Continental soldiers were quietly ferried across the East River to Manhattan.
The problem was that as dawn approached, nearly one-third of the army had yet to cross. Washington knew that once the British discovered the evacuation, they would attack and capture the soldiers left behind, troops he could not afford to lose.
Then something remarkable happened.
As the sun began to rise, a thick fog settled over the battlefield, concealing the remaining American troops and allowing them to complete their escape. According to eyewitness accounts, Washington was the last man to leave Brooklyn. Shortly after he reached Manhattan, the fog lifted. The army had escaped to fight another day.
There is no logical reason why a small force of farmers and tradesmen should have been able to defeat the most powerful military in the world. Many have called it fate, luck, or fortune.
I believe it was divine providence.
For the past 250 years, Americans have often spoken of a special blessing on this nation. Whether one attributes it to God or something else, the events at Brooklyn in August 1776 remain one of the most remarkable moments in American history.
James Finck is a professor of American history at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma. He can be reached at james.finck@swoknews.com. Thanks to the Southwest Ledger and the Lawton Constitution for sharing his column.
