On this day 250 years ago from Kings-Bridge (now the Kingsbridge neighborhood of the Bronx), New York, Maj. Gen. William Heath reported to General Washington on exchanging cannon fire with the HMS Phoenix and Rose as they sailed down the Hudson River to rejoin the British fleet anchored in New York Harbor.

Early this morning the Phoenix Man of War, Rose Frigate & the Two Tenders, came to Sail & stood down the River, keeping close under the East Shore, in order to avoid the Fire of our Cannon; but notwithstanding this Precaution, the Phoenix was thrice Hull’d by our Shot from Mount Washington, & one of the Tenders once—The Rose was Hull’d once by a Shot from Burdit Ferry—They kept their men close, otherwise some of them wou’d have been pickd down by a Party of Rifle-men who were posted on the bank—They fired Grape Shot as they passed, but did no damage save to one Tent—We hope to hear that your Batteries have done the work for some of them—We shall recover some Swivel Guns, Gun Barrels, Shot &c. out of the Wreck of the Tender which was burnt the other night, the Particulars of which shall be transmitted to your Excellency as soon as I can obtain them . . .

The Ships have now tryed the Practicability of passing our Works—they have explored every part of the Shore as far as they have gone up the River, and sounded the river in almost every place—Shou’d the Ships rejoin the Fleet without receiving much Damage, I think Howe, will be embolden’d to attempt an Attack some where above this place, thinking that there may be a greater probability of succeeding here, than in the face of so many & strong Works, as have been erected in and around the City—However shou’d his Inclination lead him this Way, Nature has done much for us, and we shall as fast as possible add the Strength of Art—Our Men are in good Health & Spirits, & I dare say will give them a warm reception—I should be glad to have the Carriages for the Four pounders sent forward the moment they are done, as we have not as yet a single Cannon mounted beyond Mount Washington

Source: “Major General William Heath to George Washington, 18 August 1776,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-06-02-0060. [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. 63–65.]

On this day 250 yeas ago at his headquarters in New York, General Washington wrote to thank the Convention of the Representatives for the State of New York for “the ready Attention you have paid to my Recommendation for the removal of the Women & Children and infirm persons from the City.” The day before, the New York State Convention, then meeting in Harlem, had responded to Washington’s recommendations by appointing

a Committee for the purpose of removeing and provideing for such persons [and resolved to] pay the Expences incident to the removal, and maintenance of such Persons as the said Committee shall think in such indigent Circumstances as not to be able to remove and subsist themselves.

A couple of weeks later the women, children, infirm people and Convention of New York would learn that all of Manhattan, as well as the other counties that comprise the modern City of New York, was unsafe for the Patriots.

Sources: “George Washington to the New York Convention, 18 August 1776,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-06-02-0062. [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. 65–66.]; “Abraham Yates, Jr., to George Washington, 17 August 1776,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-06-02-0053. [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. 56–57.]