| 
  • If you are citizen of an European Union member nation, you may not use this service unless you are at least 16 years old.

  • You already know Dokkio is an AI-powered assistant to organize & manage your digital files & messages. Very soon, Dokkio will support Outlook as well as One Drive. Check it out today!

View
 

Governor Jonathan Trumball at Battle of Long Island, August, 1776

Page history last edited by PBworks 16 years, 3 months ago

 Governor Jonathan Trumball of Connecticut at the Battle of Long Island, August, 1776

 

As the British landed 15,000 troops on the shores of Brooklyn, with another 5000 Hessians to follow within three days,  to face General George Washington's meager band of under 8,000 soldiers, Governor Trumball boldly called for nine more regiments of volunteers to add to the five regiments the Nutmeg State had already sent with this pointed statement:

 

"Be roused and alarmed to stand forth in our just and glorious cause.  Join...march on; this shall be your warrant:  play the man for God, and for the cities of our God!  May the Lord of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, be your leader."

 

The rest of the miracle of the story of the Battle of Long Island still needs telling.  As General Washington knew he was whipped if he engaged the British, probably ending the chances for American independence, should his small force be annilihated, he chose a bold course.  Escape the Island to fight another day.  By "coincidence" John Glover's  Marbleheaders, along with the 27th Massachusetts men from Salem, all experienced seamen, were available & ready to transport the entire army across the East River in any kind of floating craft that could be found.  All night into the early dawn boatload after boatload of soldiers were ferried to safety. As dawn approached that morning, after nearly clear skies all night, there still remained several regiments still be moved to the opposite shore.  Multiple diaries of the day relate the following story told well by Major Ben Tallmadge, "those of us who remained in the trenches became very anxious for own safety, and when the dawn appeared there were several regiments still on duty.  At this time a very dense fog began to rise [out of the ground and off the river], and it seemed to settle in a peculiar manner over both encampments.  I recollect this peculiar providential occurrence perfectly well, and so very dense was the atmosphere that I could scarcely discern a man at six yards distant....we tarried until the sun had risen, but the fog remained as dense as ever."

 

An 8000 man army had been saved due to "coincidences" from certain defeat at the hands of a much larger British Army without the loss of one life.  Providence ruled, and the American Continental Army lived! 

Comments (0)

You don't have permission to comment on this page.