1776

Nathanael Greene finally recovered from the illness that kept from the Battle for Brooklyn. Moreover, he had a plan: Bring the troops back together to avoid being cut further off or outflanked by the British, and then burn New York. He reasoned that most of the people living in New York were Tories anyway, and it made little sense to leave such wonderful bedding and lodging for the British troops. However, the Continental Congress would have nothing to do with burning New York.

On September 9, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Edward Rutledge agreed to a meeting with Lord Howe. The meeting came to naught, but it did buy Washington’s troops precious time. Washington and his war council decided to move all the troops, save Putnam’s, to King’s Bridge. On Saturday the 14th, Congress ordered the troops to abandon the city.

The British, however, were on the move. Against General Henry Clinton’s wishes, the Howe brothers insisted that the landing take place at Kips Bay in Manhattan. Just one day before the Americans’ retreat was finished, canons fired and the invasion started from three frigates stationed there. The remaining Americans fled under the superior firepower—all save the furious