Local Rev War Battle Featured On Classic New York History

Long Island was a war zone from Brooklyn to Montauk during the American Revolution. The British, along with their Hessian mercenaries and the Loyalist militias, occupied much of the landscape. A Patriot spy network filtered information from New York City through Oyster Bay and into Setauket. The Patriots frequently raided British outposts.

One daring raid was led by Colonel Return Jonathan Meigs. With more than 200 soldiers, he left Connecticut during late May 1777. Their boats landed at Southold. Meigs and his troops then crossed a bay to reach Long Island's South Fork to attack the British outpost and boats at Sag Harbor.

The raid is recalled in a new article -- The Battle Of Sag Harbor In The War For Independence -- that appears on Classic New York History. The website features news, stories and the history of New York.

The victory at Sag Harbor marked the first significant American success in New York State since New York City and Long Island had fallen to the British. In recognition for his success, Colonel Meigs was awareded "an elegant sword" by the Second Continental Congress. The hill that was occupied by a Loyalist garrison and attached by the Patriots became a cemetery. Many of the interred are local Patriots.

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Mike Virgintino is the author of Freedomland U.S.A.: The Definitive History, the story about America’s theme park located in The Bronx. Published by Theme Park Press, it can be found on Amazon, eBay and Goodreads.