Tag Archives: New York

The Midnight Attack on Stony Point

While each campaign year of the Revolutionary War had its own purpose and series of events, the main focus of the campaign of 1779 was to maintain the vital lines of communication between the Eastern and Southern states. George Washington … Continue reading

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Battle of Brooklyn Roll of Honor

On August 27, 1776, after a week of anticipation, and hours of marching, the Continental Army fought the British at the Battle of Brooklyn, the first large-scale battle of the Revolutionary War. All told, the Americans lost about 300 killed, … Continue reading

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Introducing the Interactive Map

Geography physically connects us to the past in a way that can dust the cobwebs off of history and make it more accessible to the modern world.  This interactive map shows where Smallwood’s men came from and the places where … Continue reading

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The Prisoner and the Privateer

Two new entries have been added to the biography page! William Sterrett and Phillip Hawkins were Baltimoreans who fought in different companies of Smallwood’s Battalion at the Battle of Brooklyn. Both men were also survivors of the British prison ships … Continue reading

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“If I Fall on the Field of Battle”

Captain Daniel Bowie wrote his last will and testament on the eve of the Battle of Brooklyn. The next day he was wounded in battle and captured by the British. While imprisoned he would succumb to his wounds and become … Continue reading

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Soldiering On

In late November of 1776, the Continental Army was facing dismantlement by a surer force than the British military. The Americans’ enlistments were expiring. On December 10, a large chunk of the Continental Army, including many of the most experienced … Continue reading

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“A Cursed Affair”: The Loss of Fort Washington

“But alas! we must no longer think of holds and fortresses on the North River. There are, I hear, various opinions respecting the taking [of] fort Washington, some think that it was too easily surrendered, others say our men behaved well and that it … Continue reading

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The Battle of White Plains

On October 28, 1776, the Continental Army had marched north of Manhattan, withdrawing  to the hills of the village of White Plains. Since the Battle of Brooklyn, General Howe had been pursuing the Continental Army in an attempt to encircle … Continue reading

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Taking Names

We recently dug up a document that lists several of the men who were taken prisoner at the Battle of Brooklyn. The list was written by Lieutenant James Peale, brother of the famed painter, Charles Willson Peale (you can read … Continue reading

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The Peale Family: Picturing the Maryland Line

When the Maryland line was ordered to retreat from the Battle of Brooklyn, they were forced to ford a marsh. Many men were shot down in the quagmire and many more drowned. Two men related by marriage were part of … Continue reading

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