The Battle of Long Island (also known as the Battle of Brooklyn) occurred on August 27, 1776 in what is now the borough of Brooklyn, New York City. The battle was the largest of the American Revolutionary War. It resulted in a victory for the British army and the retreat of the Continental Army through Manhattan and New Jersey into Pennsylvania. The Continental retreat was made possible by a company of 400 Maryland soldiers, who made a stand against the British near Lookout Hill (now located in Brooklyn's Prospect Park) to allow time for the Army's retreat across Gowanus Creek. Roughly 250 of the Maryland soldiers were killed and were buried in trenches along present-day 3rd Avenue between 7th and 8th Streets. A memorial monument to the soldiers now stands in Prospect Park.
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Source:
- New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. "Prospect Park: Maryland Monument." Accessed April 20, 2011. http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/prospectpark/highlights/19641
From the guide to the Battle of Long Island, Maryland soldiers memorial collection, 1869-1957, (Brooklyn Historical Society)
