The Battle Of Harlem Plains

Author : Henry P. Johnston
Publisher : Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN 13 : 9781546303046
Total Pages : 264 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (3 download)

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Download or read book The Battle of Harlem Heights written by Henry P. Johnston and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2017-04-25 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Under In connection with the memorial celebration of the battle of Harlem Heights last fall, on the site of the battle, the present grounds of Columbia University, Professor Johnston has published the above careful and scholarly account of the campaign which led up to that skirmish, and of the results of the latter upon the succeeding movements of the British and American armies. This task could not have fallen to a more competent writer. The author had already contributed largely to our knowledge of the campaign of 1776 about New York and Brooklyn,1 and had at his disposal the co-operation of the officials of the New York Historical Society as well as that society's valuable collection of Revolutionary documents. By a comparison of all the available original material, which is printed in full, and occupies just half the volume, Professor Johnston establishes once for all the exact site of the three successive skirmishes which constituted the battle of Harlem Heights, namely, on the present line of the Boulevard and of about 128th, 120th and 108th Streets. Earlier authorities had placed the battle some distance to the east, while Mr. E. C. Benedict had, in 1878, placed it a mile or more to the north of its true location. Mrs. Martha J. Lamb accepted his interpretation, and, in consequence, the error was perpetuated by a tablet commemorative of the battle placed by a patriotic society on the wall of Trinity Cemetery near 153d Street, and which is still there. Beside establishing the site of the battle-field beyond all possibility of doubt, the author shows clearly how the battle of Harlem, though of slight importance considered as a successful engagement of the American with the British outposts, was in reality of great importance in "stimulating the drooping spirits of the American soldier" and "in effectually disturbing the plans of the enemy." After evacuating Boston in March and recuperating some months at Halifax, General Howe appeared with his fleet in New York harbor toward the end of June, 1776. Debarking his army on Staten Island, he crossed the Narrows in August, and brought on the battle of Long Island. Unable to follow up his success at once, because of the skillful withdrawal of the Americans to Manhattan Island, Howe crossed the East River and took possession of the city of New York on September 15, Washington repeating his tactics and withdrawing to the northern end of the island. On the following day the battle of Harlem Heights was fought, the American outposts on the slope to the north of the "Hollow Way," now Manhattan Street, boldly advancing and driving back the British outposts on the heights south of that depression till their further advance was checked by the British reinforcements which hurried to the scene of action. The Americans then retired to the main body of their army. The real importance of this successful skirmish lies in the fact that it evidently raised General Howe's estimate of the fighting powers of the American army, and led him to avoid attacking it in a pitched battle on the northern end of Manhattan Island. He preferred to outflank Washington by moving the larger part of his army up the Sound and landing it near New Rochelle, thereby compelling Washington to withdraw most of his army from Manhattan Island, and to move inland toward White Plains, where the two armies met in battle on October 28. -HRFN, Vol. 3