America 250

[JFischer]

On this day, August 4, 1776
Brigadier General Nathaneal Greene sent a dispatch to General Washington. He advised the General that Colonel Hand reported seeing 21 sails (ships) last evening eight of them arriving at "The Hook" this morning. This comes on the heels of Greene noted 40 ships on August 1st.
New York is where the fight will begin in earnest...but when?

On August 2, delegates began signing the Declaration. There's no turning back.

[Michael M]

Even though we know when the Battle of New York occurred and what happened, when I read what you wrote I found myself with anticipation!

I'm sorry that I could not make tonight's net as I particularly enjoy your historical updates in remembering the birth of this great nation. When possible, please also update us here in this thread. I enjoy your wordsmithing!

[JFischer]

August 17 -
Washington knows that the British bombardment is imminent and warns that women, children and the infirm should evacuate for a couple reasons. One, they are exposed and two as he writes, " shrieks & cries" will unnerve young, inexperienced soldiers.

August 18 -
British warships HMS Phoenx and HMS Rose run downriver to rejoin their fleet. They exchange fire with the American batteries as they pass. The fight is on.

[JFischer]

August 25
General Washington is still trying to discern whether the British landing on Long Island is the main attack or a diversion - he'll know soon enough.
General Nathanael Greene is dangerously ill. That's unfortunate because he is the most familiar with the ground. And as always, the good General Washington is continuing to emphasize discipline in the ranks.

[JFischer]

August 26
The battle of Brooklyn begins...in a watermelon patch. Yep. It's reported that near what is now the Green Wood Cemetery there was once a watermelon patch and it was ripe for the eating. A group of British scouts were indulging when spotted by American riflemen lookouts who began discharging their Pennsylvania Long Rifles early on the 27th. The shots alerted the American forces of the British movement.

The British effort to swamp the Americans would not be deterred but every minute helped. Later that morning a group of Marylanders stood in a gap at Gowanus Creek and like the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae (that's a much deeper story) stood to allow their retreating countryman to escape and may have helped prevent the British from uniting the various wings of their army to finish off the Americans.

The location of the mass graves of the Marylanders remains unknown but is suspected to be near the Michael A Rawley Jr. American Legion Post 1636.
hat tip articles by Patrick K O'Donnell and Robert Sullivan

[JFischer]

Most of the time in the stories focused on the first year of The Revolutionary War, the story skips from the miraculous escape from Brooklyn Heights on August 30, 1776, right to the crossing of the Delaware on Christmas night four months later.  However, a lot happened in the interim.  Washington did not immediately retreat to New Jersey.

After the British took New York City on September 15, Washington and the army was forced to move north to Harlem Heights and the next day the Americans won the Battle of Harlem Heights proving the Continental Army could win a battle against the British.  After continued British pressure, Washington moved his troops to White Plains and the next big battle took place on October 28, 1776.   The British won the battle but did not finish off the army and they escaped again, this time to North Castle before they began the eventual retreat to New Jersey.