On this day 250 years ago, General Washington reported to John Hancock an attack the previous night by American fire ships on the HMS Phoenix and HMS Rose anchored in the Tappan Zee (or Tappan Sea) of the Hudson River that “has not succeeded to our wishes.”
Lt. Col. Benjamin Tupper of the Continental Army had organized and was in overall command of a flotilla of two American fire ships commanded by Continental Army Captains Thomas Thomas and Silas Talbot, supported by Capt. Thomas Updike Fosdick and Continental soldiers in other boats and row galleys. Many of the Continentals were experienced seamen from the Marblehead Regiment of Massachusetts. Maj. Gen. William Heath and his men watched from the eastern shore of the Hudson and Col. Ann Hawkes Hay and New York Militia watched from the western shore but were all out of range to join in the battle.
Captains Thomas and Talbot sailed their fire ships, which were packed with tar, pitch, kindling, and gunpowder, to collide with the Phoenix and the Charlotte, one of the Rose‘s tenders, and their crews briefly boarded the two British ships to attach grappling hooks as they ignited the fire ships. The American crewmen then jumped overboard to swim to swim to lifeboats. The British sailors of the heavily armed and manned Phoenix were able to cut the lines to separate from the fire ship while also battling the flames and firing on the American boarders with small arms and cannon. After twenty minutes they extinguished the flames and turned the cannons of the Phoenix on the supporting American boats. The smaller crew of the Charlotte was unable to put out the fire and it burned to the waterline as the British abandoned ship. From shore Gen. Heath observed that “[t]he water was completely illuminated by the burst of combustibles.”
The American boats were no match for the 44 guns of the Phoenix and the 20 guns of the Rose and were forced to retreat in the early morning hours of this day 250 years ago. However, the next day the damaged Phoenix, the Rose and their tenders abandoned their position in Tappan Zee, where they had been raiding American farms along the river and blocking Americans from crossing the Hudson, to sail back down the Hudson to the protection of the huge British fleet in New York Harbor. The Americans later were also able to raise the Charlotte and recover cannon, swivels, gun barrels, cutlasses, grappling irons, chains, and other equipment.
The total casualties on both sides were not reported but included Captain Thomas Thomas. Lt. Col. Tupper, Capt. Talbot and Capt. Fosdick would continue in service through the end of the War, with Tupper rising to Brigadier General, Talbot switching to the Continental Navy and promotion to Captain eventually commanding the USS Constitution, and Fosdick, who had enlisted as a fifer, finishing the War as a Major. The men of the Marblehead Regiment would also go on to even more distinguished service in the Revolution.
Although on this day 250 years ago Washington was “certain the Attempt ha[d] not succeeded” by the next day his assessment had changed and he wrote:
On the night of the 16th two of our Fire Vessels attempted to burn the Ships of War up the River. One of them boarded the Phœnix of 44 Guns and was grappled with her for some minutes, but unluckily she cleared herself—The only damage the Enemy sustained was the destruction of one Tender. It is agreed on all hands that our people engaged in this affair behaved with great resolution and intrepidity. One of the Captains—Thomas—it is to be feared perished in the attempt, or in making his escape by swimming, as he has not been heard of—His bravery entitled him to a better fate—Though this enterprise did not succeed to our wishes, I incline to think it alarmed the Enemy greatly—For this morning, the Phœnix and Rose with their two remaining Tenders taking the advantage of a brisk and prosperous gale with a favorable tide, quitted their stations and have returned and joined the rest of the Fleet.
General Washington also issued orders:
Though the Fire Ships which went up the North river last Friday Evening, were not so successful as to destroy either of the Men of war, yet the General thanks the officers and men for the spirit and resolution which they shewed in grappling the Vessels before they quitted the Fire Ships; And as a reward of their merit, presents each of those who stayed last, and were somewhat burnt, Fifty Dollars, and Forty to each of the others
Sources: https://nyacknewsandviews.com/blog/2026/08/the-forgotten-battle-of-the-tappan-zee/; O’Donnell at 222-23; “George Washington to John Hancock, 17 August 1776,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-06-02-0044. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 6, 13 August 1776 – 20 October 1776, ed. Philander D. Chase and Frank E. Grizzard, Jr. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1994, pp. 48–50.]; “Major General William Heath to George Washington, 17 August 1776,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-06-02-0046. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 6, 13 August 1776 – 20 October 1776, ed. Philander D. Chase and Frank E. Grizzard, Jr. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1994, pp. 51–52.]; “General Orders, 18 August 1776,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-06-02-0055. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 6, 13 August 1776 – 20 October 1776, ed. Philander D. Chase and Frank E. Grizzard, Jr. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1994, pp. 58–59.]; “George Washington to Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 18 August 1776,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-06-02-0064. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 6, 13 August 1776 – 20 October 1776, ed. Philander D. Chase and Frank E. Grizzard, Jr. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1994, pp. 70–71.]; https://shelterislandreporter.timesreview.com/2024/03/27/the-american-revolution-at-sea-shelter-island-letter-surfaces-recounting-battles/
On this day 250 years ago broadsheets were posted all around New York City with a Proclamation by General Washington recommending the evacuation of civilians from the City and ordering all officers and soldiers to assist with the evacuation:
Whereas a Bombardment and Attack upon the City of New-York, by our cruel, and inveterate Enemy, may be hourly expected: And as there are great Numbers of Women, Children, and infirm Persons, yet remaining in the City, whose Continuance will rather be prejudicial than advantageous to the Army, and their Persons exposed to great Danger and Hazard: I Do therefore recommend it to all such Persons, as they value their own Safety and Preservation, to remove with all Expedition, out of the said Town, at this critical Period,—trusting, that with the Blessing of Heaven, upon the American Arms, they may soon return to it in perfect Security. And I do enjoin and require, all the Officers and Soldiers in the Army, under my Command, to forward and assist such Persons in their Compliance with this Recommendation.
Source: “Proclamation for the Evacuation of New York, 17 August 1776,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-06-02-0041. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 6, 13 August 1776 – 20 October 1776, ed. Philander D. Chase and Frank E. Grizzard, Jr. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1994, pp. 45–46.]
And on this day 250 years in Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Evening Post published a translation of a letter from the Dutch colony of St. Eustatius passing along a report from the French colony of Martinique and other reports of support from the French, Dutch and Spanish for the Americans. The letter reported
of the good disposition the French are in towards the continent of America, and how willing they are to admit and welcome all vessels from thence, for which purpose they have now by them and daily import all sorts of goods in demand with you, particularly powder and other warlike stores, which they may purchase and ship without any difficulty, and it is more than probable that if the Congress declares its independancy to the European states, and offers to open their ports to foreigners, your ports will be crowded with them from all parts. And it seems that France waits only for that event, to assist you in your defence.
We have at present no other news than what is brought by a Dutch ship arrived without two days here from Amsterdam, viz. That the French, Spanish and Portuguese, are making great preparations for war by land and by sea, as well as the States General. That the Spaniards had marched an army to the frontiers of Portugal, and had sent to sea a fleet of sixteen sail of the line, the destination of which was not known, and that they send considerable numbers of troops to their colonies. That the states of Holland had absolutely refused to renew the prohibition for the exportation of powder, &c. to the colonies, or to cede to the English the four Scotch regiments the states have in their service, nor furnish them with a number of men of war which the British Court had required of them. The vexation occasioned by this in the British Ministry induced them to take several Dutch ships, amongst which are two that sailed from this island, which were carried to London, and another to St. Christopher’s. In consequence of this the Dutch have armed forty ships of war, and ordered sixty more to be built, with the greatest diligence in their different ports, and to raise twenty thousand men to augment their land forces, &c.
On This Day In The Revolution 