Shots Exchanged

Battle of Long Island. [19, 1900] Map. Library of Congress.

Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division, The New York Public Library. “Map of Brooklyn during the Battle of Long Island” New York Public Library Digital Collections.

Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division, The New York Public Library. “Position of the American Army at New York and the Battle of Long Island, August 27th 1776” New York Public Library Digital Collections.

1Lt. Jabez Fitch, a Connecticut soldier in the Continental 17th Regiment, recalled the initial exchange of rifle and artillery fire as the British forces began assembling their troops in the woods and fields just to the south of the Brooklyn Heights.

"Friday the 23rd. Very early in the morning we advanced as far as the edge of the wood, toward the enemy, the artillery was brought and placed in the road near the front, where it continued for some time. As soon as it was fully light we were joined by a considerable reinforcement, a considerable part of which were rifle men, who soon began a scattering fire on the enemy’s advanced sentries, which game continued most of the day, there was also a considerable number of shots exchanged between the artillery of the two armies."

1Lt. Jabez Fitch Diary, 22 August 1776.

Sources

Jabez Fitch diary, Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library.

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