battle harlem heights fought new_york new_jersey campaign american revolutionary war action took place heights east future harlem neighborhoods northwestern new_york_city september continental_army commander chief general george_washington major general totaling men held series high ground positions upper manhattan immediately opposite vanguard british_army totaling men command major general early morning skirmish patrol rangers british light infantry developed running fight british pursued americans woods washington position british light troops having advanced far lines support exposed counter attack washington seeing ordered flanking failed cut british force combined pressure troops arriving position succeeded driving meeting reinforcements coming south artillery support british light infantry turned stand open fields americans reinforced came strength followed lengthy exchange fire hours ammunition running short british force began pull lines washington cut short pursuit unwilling risk general engagement british main force withdrew lines battle helped restore confidence continental_army suffering defeats washington battlefield success war month major fighting armies washington forced withdraw army north town southeastern new_york british moved north threatened trap washington south manhattan washington suffered defeats defeats evacuation fort lee named deputy general hudson_river guarding western shore new_jersey washington army retreated new_jersey pennsylvania new_york new_jersey campaign ended subsequent american christmas victories princeton continental_army new nation background august british troops command general flanked defeated american army battle long island howe moved forces pinned americans american rear night august general george_washington commander chief continental_army evacuated entire army men equipment water manhattan september howe landed army amphibious operation eastern shore manhattan bombardment american positions shore british troops landed bay american troops began flee sight enemy washington arrival scene taking immediate bold command demanding soldiers fight refused obey orders continued flee scattering americans landed troops immediately cut american retreat south island washington troops city way north manhattan reached fortifications heights nightfall battle early september washington received reports proved british advancing washington expecting attack ordered party men command lieutenant colonel british lines troops spotted british light infantry british sent companies attack enemy half hour skirmish continued fighting woods farms realized numerically superior british forces trying turn flank ordered retreat conducted confusion loss men lost initial skirmish british followed rapid pursuit advanced british light troops signalled calls colonel reminiscent fox hunt intended insult probably time second battalions british light infantry 42nd ordered reinforcements reed met rode washington tell going encouraged reinforce rangers instead retreating washington calls early courage resolve rally tight spot later devised plan british light troops washington troops order draw british area open ground known hollow way send detachment troops trap british party composed volunteers ran hollow way began engage british british hollow way volunteers reinforced men troops stationed far away damage flanking party consisted rangers reinforced companies total men approached officer accidentally men firing broke british flank rear british troops realizing surrounded retreated field fence americans soon pursued attack killed despite american troops pushed driving british troops fence hill reached hill british forces received reinforcements including artillery hours british troops held ground hill americans forced retreat field washington originally reluctant pursue british troops seeing men slowly pushing british sent reinforcements permitted troops engage direct attack time reinforcements arrived nearly americans engaged field direct battle members washington staff including sent time british troops reinforced bringing strength men hour half battle continued field surrounding hills having fired away ammunition british withdrew americans kept close pursuit heard british reserves coming washington fearing british trap ordered withdrawal hearing washington orders withdraw troops gave loud left field good order aftermath british casualties officially reported howe killed wounded member howe staff wrote diary loss killed wounded gives higher figures killed wounded americans killed wounded including dead major american victory raised morale ranks engaged marked victory war army directly george_washington command little fighting month campaign washington moved army white plains october hearing british attempting trap manhattan defeated battle white plains later washington army retreated new_jersey pursued british pennsylvania loss blow fledgling american intelligence operations created led unit continental_army direction washington
Battle of Harlem Heights