On this day 250 years ago on Long Island, a British diarist recorded that American batteries on Manhattan fired on the HMS Rose in the East River and wounded two or three of the men onboard. He also wrote that the woods near Brooklyn are “noisome with the Stench of the dead Bodies of the Rebels” killed by the Hessians and the British.
Source: https://archive.org/details/americanjournalo0000ambr/page/90/mode/2up
On this day 250 years ago in Havana, Cuba, the Marquis de la Torre wrote to the Spanish government in Madrid that the British warship HMS Diligence “on a cruise off these coasts against shipping belonging to the Colonists of North America” had fired upon and boarded the Spanish mail frigate Patagon before escorting her into the port.
On this day 250 years ago from Bloomingdale on Manhattan Island (then a separate village north of the city of New York, but now a neighborhood within the Manhattan borough of New York City), Col. Rufus Putnam, the Chief of Engineers for the Continental Army in New York, wrote to General Washington to advise
I have Reconnoitered every part about the Island of New york and the main as Farr as Frogs point and on a full Vew Find the Enimy have Such a Veriety of places to Chuse out of that its Imposable to prevent there Landing When they please they have Such guides and Intiligence of our movements that they Can always avoid or Surprize any parties that are Posted to oppose there Landing there army is So Numerious that they Can always attack any Devition of our army with a Superour force. and yet while our army is Extended from N. york to kings Bridge tis Nesesary to have a Body of Reserve at this place. But I Can not think it would be Best nor have we time to make fortification . . .
I mentioned to your Exelency that I thought your army Should be Collected to gather in Some advantagous place where Supplys might be had and a Camp Fortified in Such a maner as the Enimy dare not attack or if they did must be Repulsed and I think So Still if it Be posable to Effect it. and to defend the passage of the North River which I take to be the Cappital object and at the Same time keep open a Communication with the Eastern and Southern Collonies . . . I think there has Ben Some Proff the Ships Dare not attempt that pasage but they are not prepaired to Defend against a land army this is Surly worth attention for if they possess them Selves of this passage we Shall be in a Bad Box for my Sentiments about that place I Referr your Exelency to Ld Stearlings Reports Last May. I know that this Doctrenn gives up york to distru[c]tion and Exposes many other towns to be Ravaged by them But what are 10: or 20 towns to the grand object
Source: “Colonel Rufus Putnam to George Washington, 3 September 1776,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-06-02-0172. [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. 210–211.]
And on this day 250 years ago in Philadelphia, John Hancock informed General Washington that the Congress had ordered three Continental regiments from Virginia, two from North Carolina, and one from Rhode Island to march immediately to reinforce the Continental Army at New York. He further wrote
that Congress having taken your Letter of the 2d Inst. into Consideration, came to a Resolution, in a Committee of the whole House, that no Damage should be done to the City of New York.
Source: “John Hancock to George Washington, 3 September 1776,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-06-02-0168. [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, p. 207.]
On This Day In The Revolution 