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Tag: Battle of Harlem Heights

  • Washington’s Report–September 18, 1776

    Cover art for September 18, 1776: "The Battle of Harlem Heights, September 16, 1776" (Cropped), multiple printmakers, via New York Public Library.

    Washington’s report to Congress regarding the events at Harlem Heights a couple of days earlier didn’t pull any punches with regard to how badly his army was beaten, or what mistakes he and his men might have made.

    It didn’t always make for cheerful reading in Congress, but at least they knew what they were up against. They knew they weren’t getting whitewashed “Everything Is Just Peachy” reports from someone afraid of dealing with Congressional fallout.

    And fortunately, Washington’s report in this case was a mixed bag of bad luck, extraordinarily good luck, unfortunate timing and the plain difficulty of defending an island that had so much coastline within sight of adjacent coastline (because Manhattan is surrounded by rivers, not oceans). New York ended badly for the Continental Army, but there were multiple times that it could have ended so much worse.

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  • Battle of Harlem Heights–September 16, 1776

    Cover art for September 16, 1776: "Battle of Harlem," steel engraving by James Charles Armytage ca. 1859, Based on an original illustration from the same period by Alonzo Chappel. via George Washington Presidential Library.

    While it didn’t change the result in New York, the Battle of Harlem Heights was a tactical win for the Continental Army, and a boost to morale as well.

    It was the Continental Army’s first true victory since Lexington and Concord, and after the demoralizing loss at Kip’s Bay only a day earlier, demonstrating that these soldiers (who were still little more than ordinary citizens) could, in fact, stand up successfully to the mightiest fighting force in the world.

    Harlem Heights is a neighborhood to the west of Harlem, and nowadays is called Morningside Heights. A cynic would suggest that the neighborhood changed names in the 1890s so that Columbia University wouldn’t have to be associated with a predominantly black neighborhood, but to be fair the neighborhood was also known as Cathedral Heights because of the presence of St. John the Divine Cathedral.

    At any rate, the neighborhood is definitely worth a visit. There are a few historical plaques around Columbia University, and if you like visiting cathedrals, St. John is definitely worth your while. Grant’s Tomb can also be found in that area, and if you’re a fan of the TV show Seinfeld, you will be thrilled by what you find at 112th St and Broadway. That’s all I’m sayin’.

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