Revolution on the Island, Part 2: Long Island remained a battleground throughout the Revolutionary War
As British control spread across the island, Patriot forces turned to the waters of Long Island Sound.
More Stories
Just two months after the Declaration of Independence was adopted, the American Revolution arrived on Long Island, setting the stage for years of conflict that would leave the island under British occupation for the duration of the war.
The fighting began with the Battle of Long Island on Aug. 27, 1776, in what is now the borough of Brooklyn. The battle was the largest of the Revolutionary War and marked Gen. George Washington’s first defeat of the war. Despite the loss, the Continental Army successfully escaped, preserving its forces to continue the fight for independence.
“Long Island ends up under military occupation for the duration of the war,” said Justin Costantino, a Revolutionary War living historian.
According to Town of Huntington Historian Robert Hughes, British forces fortified positions across the island and relied on Long Island’s resources to sustain military operations.
“The British did build forts and they wanted Long Island for the supplies - crops, livestock and cordwood - all to supply the army in Manhattan,” Hughes said.
As British control spread across the island, Patriot forces turned to the waters of Long Island Sound. Operating largely under the cover of darkness, whaleboat crews conducted raids against Loyalist positions, intercepted British vessels and transported captives to Connecticut.
“So this is constant in the middle of the night, back and forth across the sound,” Hughes said. “And it went both ways. Loyalists would raid Connecticut and the patriots would raid Long Island.”
The raids served both tactical and strategic purposes.
“General Washington wanted to keep the British on their toes,” said Andrew Freleng, commander of the 3rd New York Regiment. The goal was to disrupt the British military operations in the region.
One of the most successful whaleboat operations took place on the East End. In May 1777, Continental soldiers under the command of Col. Return Jonathan Meigs crossed from Connecticut and attacked the Loyalist garrison at Sag Harbor. The force destroyed boats, munitions and supplies before returning without a single American casualty.
“The whaleboat raids was a constant reminder to the British that they could be vulnerable, and that they couldn't pull out altogether out of New York,” Freleng said.
Not every mission was successful. In August 1777, Continental troops attacked Loyalist forces in Setauket but failed to capture the fortification built around the Presbyterian church.
Long Island also became the site of notable acts of bravery during the war. Sgt. Elijah Churchill of the 2nd Light Dragoons participated in two successful raids on Long Island — at Fort St. George in Mastic and Fort Slongo in what is now Fort Salonga. Churchill was wounded in the assault on Fort Slongo.
“His heroism was legendary,” Freleng said.
Inspired by soldiers such as Churchill, Washington established the Badge of Military Merit, one of the nation’s earliest military decorations.
“It was a cloth badge, at the time, of a heart,” said Beverly Tyler, historian with the Three Village Historical Society. “It eventually became the Purple Heart, and Sergeant Elijah Churchill was one of the first ones to receive it.”
For Long Islanders, the Revolution was not a distant conflict. The war played out in local towns, harbors and waterways as Patriots and Loyalists clashed throughout the struggle for independence. Despite the ongoing resistance and periodic raids, Long Island remained under British occupation until the war’s end.
