At Sag Harbor, New York, Patriot troops under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Return Jonathan Meigs capture several British vessels and burn Redcoat supplies.
With the help of two local men, Meigs and his Connecticut raiders grabbed the British commander from his bed in the wee hours of the morning, firing only one gunshot. Instead of guns, the Patriots used silent but deadly bayonets to capture the British fort, successfully avoiding announcing their presence with gunfire.The British had built their fort on the site of a burial ground because it was the highest land in the area and had the best view of the harbor. The Redcoats desecrated colonists’ family gravesites, and in the process, lost the important battle for the hearts and minds of the residents. Nearly half of Sag Harbor’s families fled to Connecticut during the British occupation.With six Redcoats dead and 53 captive from their success on land, the Patriots moved from the hilltop fort towards the harbor. The British ships anchored there eventually noticed the body of men moving towards them and opened fire. The Patriots, though, went on to burn 24 British ships and their cargoes of hay, rum, grain and other merchandise. With an additional 37 prisoners in custody, the 170 Yankee raiders returned to Connecticut without having lost a single man in their party.
The Sag Harbor ambush was the only successful Patriot attack on Long Island between the British takeover in 1776 and their departure following the Treaty of Paris in 1783.
Interesting Story:
Return Jonathan Meigs (#90) was born in Middletown, Connecticut on December 17, 1740, the son of Return and Elizabeth (Hamlin) Meigs. He was one of 13 children. His father, a hatter, was a member of the Connecticut General Assembly. He is the first of a long line of Return Jonathan's which are found throughout the Meigs history, over 13 as of the writing of this - 1989.
The traditional story behind this delightful name follows, but let it be noted that the Meigs family has a long history of unusual names. Some that come to mind are Concurrence, Mindwell, Recompense, Silence and Submit (twins), Thankful, Mercy, Wait-still and Church. Now, as the story goes, Return Jonathan's father was very much in love with a fair Quaker maid who lived near Middletown, Connecticut. He wooed her persistently, offering her his hand, heart and the name of Meigs over and over again, but she always put him off with 'Nay, Jonathan, I respect thee much, but I cannot marry thee.' Finally Jonathan grew tired of the fruitless chase. He dejectedly mounted his horse to depart for the last time, but when she realized she was about to lose him, she relented and called to him, 'Return Jonathan! Return Jonathan!' These were the sweetest words he ever heard in his life, and he vowed that if he had a son he would name him Return Jonathan. As delightful as this story is, it is false. His father's name was not Jonathan, but Return, and his grandfather's name was Janna. He was not the first born and the name Jonathan never appears in the family before this occurrence. The story behind his name appears to have been confused with his grandfather's courtship of one Hannah Willard. Rear Admiral R. W. Meade relates the following:
Janna Meigs [#12] of East Guilford, CT., the father of Return Meigs and grandfather of Col. Return J. Meigs, courted Hannah Willard, of Wethersfield. Hannah was not a Quakeress, but a Puritan damsel, the daughter of Josiah and Hannah (Hosmer) Willard, and granddaughter of Major Simon Willard, the most famous Indian fighter of his day, in the Colony of Massachusetts Bay.
Hannah refused Janna Meigs' suit, but as he mounted his horse and turned to ride away, she repented her refusal and called after him, 'Return Janna, return! ' Janna did return. They were married May 16, 1698, (O.S.) and had ten children, of whom 'Return' the father of 'Return Jonathan' was the fifth child (not the eldest son as the legend has it.)
This is the true story as given in the family records. It may now with propriety be asked how I know all of this. My reply is that my mother's grandfather was Josiah Meigs (#98], a professor in Yale College, and younger brother of Col. Return Jonathan Meigs, the first owner of the Puritan name." For more information visit: http://www.meigs.org/rjm90.htm
