battle fort anne fought july engagement continental_army forces retreat forward elements larger british army driven early campaign american revolutionary war surprised american withdrawal troops possible forward pursuit retreating americans main body american forces departed fort independence road smaller body troops accompanying sick wounded camp followers evacuated fort sailed moving overland group included men arms fort anne smaller advance company army caught british clearly outnumbered sent reinforcements americans decided attack numerical advantage succeeded nearly surrounding british position quarters mile north fort americans retreated fort war indicated arrival british reinforcements ruse reinforcements single officer saved british force probable capture army soon came road forcing americans retreat fort anne claimed flag flown fort anne instance flag consisting stars stripes claim supposedly false background night july continental_army forces occupying ordered evacuate fort general following approach general man army men placed gun battery overlooking fort american avenues retreat risk cut american forces left surrounding defense works road men colonel new_hampshire sailed lake flotilla consisting armed smaller transport vessels vessels loaded sick fort stores supplies armaments believing log boom bridge placed mount independence sufficient delay british pursuit long began sail lake southernmost point lake pace pursuit british hardly slowed water defenses learned american withdrawal morning july ordered defenses taken placed gunfire bridge boom eliminated obstacles space minutes point breaking rigid military discipline ordered troops follow southward rapidly possible instead remaining formation sailed southward pursuit assisted favorable winds miles end july americans arrived hours earlier small fort attempt surround position landed men 9th 20th 21st regiments commanded lieutenant colonel point south objective cutting road americans process falls boats arrived opened fire enterprise liberty gates destroyed americans ships revenge forced surrender process american supplies destroyed abandoned british americans retreated fort anne disarray starting fire eventually structures reached fort anne met new_york militia sent general received news retreat british hill finally reached road captured american supplies sick wounded camp followers trailed main body moved south mile fort anne encountered american reconnaissance party numbering captain ensuing skirmish american killed wounded americans retreated fort battle morning july supposed american spy informed hill fort occupied nearly troops opting attack numerically superior force hill sent message outlining situation ordered 20th 21st regiments quick march fort anne support poor weather hampered movement arrive battle returned fort anne reported british position troop strength long seeing british soldiers following decided attack position moving possible force tried surround british road hill men heard rebel movements flanks retreated higher position abandoning wounded men eventually captured americans americans opened fire heavy directed fire according british officer battle lasted hours sides nearly ammunition british virtually surrounded americans sound indian war north prompted americans retreat retired fort wounded including taken shot hip turned indians single british officer 9th regiment deputy leading group indians reluctant fight americans money ran ahead war cries brought end battle aftermath fort americans held brief council woman british freed heard british troops command general phillips rapidly advancing long men nearly ammunition withdrew burning fort sides claimed victory battle british successfully stood ground americans nearly forced surrender american claim victory tempered fact force defeated clearly vanguard larger british force british officer recovered regimental banners engagement following american retreat fort anne widely claimed flags captured new design american flag thirteen red white stripes stars representing earliest known use stars stripes motif story likely time needed news flag design approved congress travel followed construction flag delivery remote location render story flags known recovered bear resemblance whatsoever united_states flag
Battle of Fort Anne