FISHERYNATION.COM

Ec Newellman

July 4, 2016

I come here to FISHERY NATION and wonder why no one has said “HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY”…. a day when we are all lucky to be living in this land and to celebrate, because our Founding Fathers along with American patriots took up arms and fought for their freedom against an oppressive government.

Last night I wrote a little story about the Battle of Brooklyn and Battle of Long Island during the Revolutionary War on another website and I just wanted to share my feelings about it here. The short story was on and about a battle that the American colonist did not win…especially when measured by what is usually won or lost in battles, land taken as seen upon a map…and for the most part, a good portion of NYC now laid in enemy control once again after the Battle of Brooklyn and Long Island for the British Empire.

But we did win something, and that was due to an army regiment made up of mariners and fishermen from Marblehead Massachusetts who performed what a few historians have labeled as “America’s Dunkirk”….literally a sea based evacuation of trapped troops which would have been shortly slaughtered if they remained in the area around Brooklyn Heights that coming morning in late August.

The British Army and Navy were no shrinking violets when it came to decisive victories during battle and imposing their will upon the losing inhabitants, emphasized by utter violence that would be rendered upon losing troops. A number of America Colonial troops in one recent skirmish in the area already had received the final wrath of the Red Coats when they lost, as all were bayoneted to death.

One can only imagine the high stakes at that time, taking arms up and possibly sacrificing life, limbs and family against the most powerful military of the time, one which eventually soundly defeated the French during the Seven Years War less than two decades earlier. But the winning of territory had left England with such enormous debts, that it led to King George III to light the fuse of what could be one of the first “world wars” by starting the onerous taxing of the colonist.

“World War” may not be as far fetched as one would think when one considers that it was fought across a ocean, between two major continents, drawing in a number of nations using the full force of both their army and navy, and essentially draining the economic resources in their treasuries of both the winning and losing countries.

Rebellion and insurrection “brewed”…. both figuratively and literally over the coming years and a incredible collection of enlightened, educated and patriotic white men, finally laid it all on the line to fight what they believed in…free thinking…freedom to worship God, and as much, freedom against the tyranny of government to take property and abuse the people under their rule.

Liberty and the ideas on the rights of men had been fantasized beliefs and thoughts, written and discussed during the period of the Enlightenment by a number of men scattered throughout a handful of European nations. The seeds of freedom had been planted during and after the years of the Magna Carta, and now the right to become “free men” would no longer be debated, but bought by blood, pain and what would become many years of misery against the most powerful government on the globe during the 1770’s..

The nights during the Battle of Brooklyn and Long Island, were surprisingly not as pleasant as they should of been in the latter weeks of August. In fact it was noted that there had been strong winds, rain and then fog on the night of the evacuation of the colonial troops from Fulton Ferry Landing.

Did prayers cause the Divine intervention of God to help in the formation of the United States? One could only wonder on, and of the miracles that would occur over the following days in latter August of 1776.

The cover of weather…..

The inaction and delay of General Howe in not using Blitzkrieg tactics against disarrayed and much smaller in number and supplied troops…

The inner-will and grit of men in obeying their leadership and fighting for their very lives…..

Men who have fought in war will exclaim that when the bullets are flying and artillery shells begin raining down upon you that there is a silver thin line between fear and courage to advance, holding the line, or in this case, retreat…..wisely.retreat to regroup and fight another day.

Here small bands of troops noted for the colonies which they had come from, fought against very huge odds as they knew they were not only outnumbered, but worse, out flanked and about to be surrounded.

In the case of those soldiers who had come from along the shoreline off Cape Cod Massachusetts, they were expert oarsmen who would and could row through harsh sea conditions…and row so perfectly in small wooden boats on one night, that neither a loss of any valuable supplies, or most importantly, men in crossing against the hard running currents of the East River.

As some historians have noted about the Battle of Brooklyn and Long Island, it was a night of miracles even though it is well documented that the British had won the battle. But as we have all heard the oft common saying throughout life, it is not necessarily about the winning of battles, but the long game of ultimately winning a war.

Who would of ever thought that men whose life and families well-being were saved due in part from men whose life of labor was from being upon the ocean or catching fish from the sea?

More so and to re-emphaize, who could ever imagine that this would result in one of most decisive battles during the earliest stages of the Revolutionary War where a loss of territory would not only lead to years later of the winning of a war and the formation of the greatest nation on Earth?

I never really knew much about the story of the Battle of Brooklyn and Long Island, a place where I live and where the early battles of Independence were fought. Few know…….sadly fewer care as they go about their day, even on July 4th.

Spread the word about what Independence means to friends and family so that they realize how much we do have from living in these United States. We owe it to those who could never imagined what would be going in this nation, their nation, now 239 years later.

Know your history…respect, treasure, pass it along…. and most of all, protect it.

May God Bless the U.S.A. and those troops both past and present who have stood up for freedom and allowed us to live in these United States.