Mapping the New York Campaign

From the summer of 1776 to early 1777, the New York Campaign within the American Revolutionary War spanned from engagements in Long Island, New York to Princeton, New Jersey. The campaign began with the successful British invasion of New York and New Jersey led by brothers Admiral Richard Howe and General William Howe. Under the leadership of General George Washington, the Continental Army expelled the British in New Jersey by early 1777, but the British continued to occupy New York City until the end of the war. Control of New York City was vital due to its prime commercial location on the Hudson River. The British sought to capture the city to cut off New England’s supply chain and quickly suppress the colonial rebellion.

On August 22, 1776, the British Army landed on Long Island with 32,000 British and Hessian soldiers.¹ A plan of New York Island and part of Long Island by Charles Blaskowitz illustrates the opening of the campaign. Blaskowitz was one of the most accomplished topographers in the British military and made the map for Sir William Erskine, a British general in the New York Campaign.² It ultimately became known as the “headquarters map,” as New York City became the British headquarters upon their taking of the city.³

On August 27, British forces attacked the Americans’ exposed left flank during the Battle of Long Island “wherein the Rebels were defeated,” according to the headquarters map’s legend at point B. Due to the American defeat and lagging morale, Washington was forced to evacuate Long Island. On August 29, the Americans escaped into Manhattan under the cover of a storm.⁴ In reporting this decision to Congress, Washington concluded that his army would be a “retreating army,” and that he would seek opportunity to attack when “a brilliant stroke could be made with any probability of success.”⁵

On September 15, the British continued to push into New York City (per point I of the headquarters map), resulting in the Battle of Kip’s Bay. The Americans fled north to Harlem Heights, meeting the British in the Battle of Harlem Heights on September 22. Washington ordered his soldiers to attack rather than retreating, leading to a small victory for the Continental Army.⁶

On October 8, British ships sailed up the Hudson River toward Westchester County. They landed at Throgs Neck as pictured in A survey of (Throgs) Neck and the rout(e) of the British Army, (Throgs is mistakenly written as “Frogs” on this map). However, the British soon withdrew due to marshy conditions and fire from American riflemen, moving three miles north to Pell’s Point. There, the British were again confronted by American troops and lost over two hundred men in battle. The small triumph allowed the Americans to move from Manhattan to their stronghold at White Plains.⁷ The British followed Washington’s army north to White Plains, where on October 28, the Battle of White Plains erupted as seen on point S of the headquarters map and within its inset map. The battle concluded with an American retreat after Washington’s army suffered about two hundred casualties.⁸

After the hostilities at White Plains, the British army routed to Manhattan to attack the Americans at Fort Washington. Despite the fort’s vulnerability, the Americans rejected British demands to surrender. On November 16, British and Hessian troops launched their assault on the fort, overwhelming the Americans, who lost more than 2,800 troops.⁹ The battle is detailed on the third section of the headquarters map legend, as well as in the Sketch of the Hessian attack on Fort Washington under General Knyphausen which shows American fortifications and the Hessian onslaught. Fort Washington was a devastating loss for the Americans and the lowest point of Washington’s career.¹⁰ After taking Fort Washington, Generals William Howe and Charles Cornwallis set out to occupy the eastern counties of New Jersey to utilize its land and resources through the winter. On December 8, the British entered Trenton and established their winter quarters.¹¹

On the night of December 25, 1776, Washington and the Continental Army crossed the Delaware River to attack the British at Trenton. The operation was named “Victory or Death,” an homage to the risk that the Americans assumed.¹² The Americans crossed the river in icy conditions, and at around eight o’clock the next morning, began their attack as seen in the map Sketch of the engagement at Trenton created by Hessian soldier Andreas Wiederholt.¹³ Washington’s forces overpowered the Hessians, leading them to retreat (seen at point Q of Widerholt’s map) to the east of Trenton and surrender.¹⁴

Once they returned to their headquarters in Newtown, Pennsylvania, Washington and his men agreed that one victory was not enough.¹⁵ In a letter to Brigadier General William Maxwell, who was stationed in Morristown, New Jersey, Washington wrote, “I am about to enter the Jerseys with a considerable force immediately …”¹⁶ From December 29 to 31, the Continental Army moved their troops and supplies to Trenton. General Cornwallis began marching south toward Trenton on January 2, 1777, reaching the town at about five o’clock that evening.¹⁷ The Second Battle of Trenton thus broke out, consisting of “a series of probing attacks” in which the Americans again staved off the British.¹⁸

Following the second British defeat at Trenton, General Cornwallis was determined to hold Princeton, saying of General Washington, “‘We’ve got the Old Fox safe now. We’ll go over and bag him in the morning.’”¹⁹ Despite Cornwallis’ confidence, a storm that night gave the Continental Army cover to move up to Princeton. On the morning of January 3, the Battle of Princeton began and concluded with an American victory with British forces fleeing south.²⁰

The New York Campaign began with multiple defeats for the Continental Army, yet ended with decisive blows to the British Army in Trenton and Princeton. What the British thought would be a swift suppression of rebellion turned into a difficult and protracted war. Conversely, as international news of the victories at Trenton and Princeton spread through the burgeoning United States, confidence mounted in General Washington as the leader of the American cause.²¹

Bibliography

Azeez, Ziyad Rahaman. “New York Campaign.” George Washington’s Mount Vernon.

Bickham, G. “Contemporaneous Account of the Battle of Trenton.” The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 10, no. 2 (1886): 203–4.

Brown, Richard H., and Paul E. Cohen. Revolution: Mapping the Road to American Independence, 1755-1783. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2015.

Fischer, David Hackett. Washington’s Crossing. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004.

Lass, Cody. “Battle of Trenton.” George Washington’s Mount Vernon.

Stoltz III, Joseph F. “Battle of Second Trenton.” George Washington’s Mount Vernon.

“White Plains.” American Battlefield Trust.