The Battle of Long Island & The Ripton Parish Militia 250 years ago

The members of the Ripton Parish Chapter, NSDAR, Inc. charted in Shelton, CT, commemorate the 250^th Anniversary of the American Revolution and the events occurring throughout the war leading to the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783.

On July 8, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was read to the troops stationed in New York City which aroused their spirits and commitment to the cause. After hearing the Declaration of Independence, the troops toppled the statue of George III located in Bowling Green Manhattan, and sent the pieces to Connecticut to be melted down into bullets. However, this euphoria didn’t last long.

In anticipation of the British and Hessian forces’ plans to take over New York City in early 1776, George Washington issued instructions to construct several forts and entrenchments at the narrowest part of the Brooklyn peninsula. Lemuel Gilbert, a resident of Ripton Parish, was one of the men who helped build these fortifications, which he described as follows: “On the first of March 1776 I enlisted for two months with a Company of State Troops or part of a Company under Lieutenant John Judson and marched to Long Island where I was employed with others in building a fort opposite New York.” He later served in Captain Beach Tomlinson’s militia in July and lamented about losing the forts he helped build. “…I had the mortification to see the British take possession the same summer….”

One of Captain Beach Tomlinson’s young sons remembered his father, who was in charge of the Ripton Parish Militia, had ‘to turn out’ on all occasions of alarm. One of those “occasions” happened in July 1776, when the Ripton Parish Militia was ordered to New York City with other Connecticut Militia Companies to fortify and defend this strategic city. Captain Tomlinson’s son recalled his mother preparing his father’s knapsack and supplying it with things necessary for the service he was about to enter. Captain Tomlinson left knowing that his wife, Charity, would look after their farm and children.

Many of the men who served in the militia had never been far from home and never served in a professional army. David Beard, 21 years old, was a private in the Ripton Parish Militia. Ephraim Curtiss was Lieutenant of the company which was in Colonel Ichabod Lewis’ Regiment attached to General Israel Putnam’s Brigade. When the company was ordered to New York in July 1776, they marched about 25 miles from Ripton Parish to Norwalk. In Norwalk the company boarded a sloop and sailed to New York. Ebenezer Hyde, who served with David Beers, said they arrived in New York around the first of July when Independence was declared. They were quartered on Queen Street, near the Battery where they could see the British warships off Staten Island – the largest expeditionary force in British history. It’s not hard to imagine the anxiety of the men when the saw the size of the British fleet. There were over 300 ships, which brought 32,000 professional soldiers and Hessian mercenaries to crush the rebellion. One man remarked that it looked like “all London afloat”. The British infantry disembarked on Staten Island.

The Battle of Brooklyn (or Battle of Long Island) began just after midnight on the morning of August 27, 1776. This was the first major engagement of the American Revolution after the Declaration of Independence. Weather, which was unseasonably cool with heavy rain and fog, played a crucial role in helping General Washington and his troops.

Shortly after fighting began, the British cornered Washington and 9,000 of his men in Brooklyn Heights. He was surrounded on all sides with the East River to his back and no feasible means of winning the battle. Heavy winds, however, prevented British General Howe’s warships from moving behind Washington’s trapped army. Instead of surrendering, Washington evacuated the army and quietly retreated to Manhattan by boat under dark of night and morning fog.

From late in the evening of August 29 to dawn on the following morning, Washington watched as 9,000 Continentals were rowed back to Manhattan. David Beard, a private in Captain Tomlinson’s Militia Company, was one of the many men who assisted in transporting the troops. David said he “was employed in one of the Boats that assisted to carry over the American Troops when they retreated from Brooklyn to New York….”

As the sun came up, a fog miraculously descended on the remaining men crossing the river. According to eyewitnesses, George Washington was the last man to leave Brooklyn.

Captain Beach Tomlinson’s Company narrowly avoided capture. The company retreated to Harlem near Kings Bridge until the Autumn. David Beard was taken sick with dysentery and his father came and carried him home to Ripton Parish. Nathan Lewis remembered the retreat. “A grape shot cut the belt of our Captain’s knapsack. It fell to the ground. He stopped and picked it up, deliberately tied it, put it on and walked off….” They then left for Harlem in early October.

The outcome of the Battle of Brooklyn was a victory for the British, who killed 300 men, wounded 800 and 1,079 Americans were missing or captured. The British lost 64 men, 293 wounded and 31 were missing or captured. The result was the occupation of Brooklyn and Manhattan for seven years. The only positive outcome for the Americans was the failure of the British to capture General Washington and his army.

The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution is dedicated to promoting Historic Preservation, Education and Patriotism. DAR members are women who come from diverse backgrounds and have a variety of interests.Any woman 18 years old or older, regardless of race, religion or ethnic background, who can prove direct lineage to a Revolutionary War ancestor is eligible to join. For more information, visit https://www.dar.org/ For information on Ripton Parish Chapter, NSDAR, Inc. visit https://riptonparishchapter.org/ To learn more about America250! Visit https://www.dar.org/national-society/america-250/america250-foundation-partner