Battle of Long Island

On August 27, 1776, weeks after independence was declared, the British landed a massive force on Long Island and outflanked Washington's army in the largest battle of the entire war. It was a sweeping British victory that nearly ended the Continental Army in its first major test.

What saved the Revolution was the retreat. Under cover of night and fog, Washington ferried some 9,000 men across the East River to Manhattan without losing a soldier — a withdrawal that let a beaten army live to fight another day.