August 30th
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ON THIS DAY IN 1776
CONTINENTAL ARMYESCAPES ACROSS EAST RIVER
“Till our passage across the East River was effected yesterday morning, and for the 48 hours preceeding that; I had hardly been off my horse and had never closed my eyes.”
Washington Directs Night Retreat Across East River
Library of Congress
To the President of Congress*
Head Quarters, New York
31 August 1776
Sir,
Inclination as well as duty, would have induced me to give Congress, the earliest information of my removal of the Troops from Long Island and its dependencies to this City, the night before last**; but the extreme fatigue, which myself and family have undergone (as much from the Weather as any thing else) since the incampment of the 27th. rendered me entirely unfit to take a pen in hand. Since Monday, we have scarce any of us been out of the Lines, till our passage across the East River was effected yesterday Morning, and for the 48 hours preceeding that; I had hardly been off my horse and had never closed my Eyes, so that I was quite unfit to write or dictate till this Morning.***
Our Retreat was made without any loss of Men or Ammunition and in better order than I expected, from Troops in the Situation ours were; we brought off all our Cannon and Stores, except a few heavy pieces, (which in the condition the Earth was, by a long continued rain) we found upon tryal impracticable; the Wheels of the Carriages sunk up to the Hobbs, and rendered it impossible for our whole force to drag them; We left but little Provisions on the Island, except some Cattle, which had been driven within our Lines and which after many attempts to force across the Water, we found impossible to effect. I have inclosed a Copy of the Council of War held previous to the Retreat, to which I beg leave to refer Congress for the reasons or many of them that led to the adoption of that measure. Yesterday Evening and last Night, a party of our Men were employed in removing our Stores, Cannon, Tents &ca. from Governors Island, which they nearly completed. Some of the Cannon yet remain but I expect will be got away to day.
Retreat Across Gowanus Creek (lower right)
Stirling and Marylanders Attack British (upper left)
Battle of Long Island. New York Public Library
In the Engagement on the 27th. Generals Sullivan and Stirling were made prisoners;**** The former has been permitted on his parole to return for a little time. From Lord Stirling I had a Letter by General Sullivan, a Copy of which I have the honor to transmit. It contains his Information of the Engagement with his Brigade. It is not so full and certain as I could wish, he was hurried most probably, as his Letter was unfinished. Nor have I been yet able to obtain an exact amount of our Loss, we suppose it from 700 to a 1000 killed and taken. General Sullivan says Lord Howe is extremely desirous of seeing some of the Members of Congress, for which purpose he was allowed to come out and to communicate to them what has passed between him and his Lordship. I have consented to his going to Philadelphia, as I do not mean or conceive it right to withhold or prevent him from giving such Information as he possesses, in this Instance.* ** **
Lord Stirling’s Last Struggle (Maryland 400) — Old Cortelyou House
During Battle of Long Island
New York Public Library
I am much hurried and engaged in arranging and making new Dispositions of our Forces, the movements of the Enemy requiring them to be immediately had, and therefore have only time to add that I am, with my best regards to Congress, and to you. Their and your &ca.*** ***
G:o Washington
* John Hancock
** The Continental army had lost the Battle of Long Island (Battle of Brooklyn), and was in retreat. A northeast wind had prevented the British fleet from cutting off the army’s escape to New York City across the East River after the army had fallen back to Brooklyn Heights; without this wind the army would have been lost, and with it, likely the war. — DM
*** The retreat across the East River was delayed due to rough waters caused by the northeast wind. It looked as though all would be lost, but at around 11 P.M. the wind died and then turned southwesterly allowing passage. However, the wind was now advantageous for the British ships as well, and as daylight threatened to expose the Continental boats to British firepower, a heavy fog developed and provided concealment; the army would survive to fight another day. —Source: 1DM
**** (Battle of Long Island) Soldiers commanded by Lord Stirling, including regiments from Maryland and Delaware, held off the British advance for a crucial hour which allowed the Continental army to escape to its fortified lines on Brooklyn Heights and dissuaded the British from pursuing the battle to a final conclusion at Brooklyn Heights; had the British pressed on, the Continental Army likely would have been destroyed, thus ending the revolution. As Washington watched the courageous Marylanders mount charge after charge while severely outnumbered, he remarked, “Good God, what brave fellows I must lose this day!” Out of the roughly 400 Marylanders present in the fight, 256 were killed or missing. — PKO
* ** ** “Sullivan’s visit and delivery of Lord Howe’s message to Congress caused sharp debate in that body. John Adams referred to him as ‘a decoy duck whom Lord Howe has sent among us to seduce us into a renunciation of our independence,’ and he remarked sotto voce that he wished the first shot fired by the British in the Long Island engagement had gone through Sullivan’s head. (See Benjamin Rush’s Memorial.) A committee, consisting of Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Edward Rutledge, was finally appointed (September 6) to confer with Howe. They met on Staten Island, and the conference came to naught when it was discovered that Howe had no power to grant peace except on condition that the Declaration of Independence be rescinded.” — Fitzpatrick, et al., WGW
*** *** A list of reasons for evacuating Long Island has been omitted.
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