Battle of White Plains

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Battle of White Plains Part of the American Revolutionary War Battle of White Plains Historic Site Date October 28, 1776 Location White Plains, New York Result British victory Belligerents United States Great Britain Hessians Commanders George Washington William Howe Strength 1,600 [1] 4,500 [1] Casualties and losses 28 Killed 126 Wounded 16 Captured [2] 42 Killed 182 Wounded 3 Captured [2]

New York and New Jersey 1776–1777 Long Island – Kip's Bay – Harlem Heights – Pell's Point – White Plains – Fort Washington – Iron Works Hill – Trenton – Assunpink Creek – Princeton – Forage War – Millstone – Bound Brook – Short Hills

Battle of White Plains Historic Site: George Washington's headquarters.

The Battle of White Plains was a battle in the New York and New Jersey campaign of the American Revolutionary War fought on October 28, 1776 in the area surrounding White Plains, New York.

Prelude

At the end of September 1776, Washington's army held only a small position on the northern tip of Manhattan Island. Howe was determined to outflank the American positions with a landing at Throgs Neck. ^[1]

In order to prevent himself from being surrounded, Washington withdrew his main army to White Plains when the British landing began.^[3] A garrison of 1,200 men was left to defend Fort Washington.^[3] Howe's army followed Washington via New Rochelle and up the Bronx River.

Washington halted his army and chose a position near White Plains that he fortified with two lines of entrenchments.^[4] The trenches were situated on raised terrain, protected on the right by the swampy ground near the Bronx River. The American defenses were 3 miles (4.8 km) long. Beyond that, on the right, was Chatterton's Hill, which commanded the plain over which the British would have to advance. The hill was occupied by John Haslet's 1st Delaware Regiment, with two cannon, and supported by another brigade, in total about 1,600 men.

Order of battle

British Formations:

• (British)
  • Second Brigade
    • 5th. Regiment of Foot
    • 28th. Regiment of Foot
    • 35th. Regiment of Foot
    • 49th. Regiment of Foot
    • 16th. Light Dragoons
• (Hessians)
  • Lossberg's Brigade
    • Regiment von Lossberg
    • Regiment von Donop
    • 5th. Grenadier Battalion
  • Rall's Brigade
    • Regiment von Rall
    • 12th. Jager Regiment
    • 7th. Grenadier Battalion

American Formations:

• (Continental Army)
  • Spencer’s Brigade (New England)
    • Learned's Regiment (Massachusetts)
    • Read's Regiment (Massachusetts)
    • Walker's Regiment (Massachusetts)
    • 2nd. Connecticut Regiment
    • 6th. Connecticut Regiment
    • 8th. Connecticut Regiment
  • Haslet's Brigade
    • Haslet’s Delaware Regiment
    • McDougall’s 1st New York
    • Ritzema’s 3rd New York
    • Smallwood’s Maryland Regiment
    • Webb’s Connecticut Regiment
• (State Militia)
  • Brook’s New York Militia
  • Graham’s Massachusetts Militia

Battle

While Washington was inspecting the terrain, seeing where it was best to station his troops, he ran into several light horsemen who told him that the British were advancing.^[5] Washington rode back to camp to prepare his men. He quickly stationed a couple hundred Continentals and a couple of artillery pieces onto Chatterton Hill to support the militia.^[5] The skirmishers, who had the job of slowing the British advance, retired soon after Washington reinforced Chatterton Hill.^[5]

Although the British outnumbered the Americans, Howe did not think it was wise to launch an attack on the main American position until they had taken Chatterton Hill.^[4] Howe sent two columns to attack it. One was a brigade of Germans led by Johan Rall, and the other was the German Lossberg Regiment.^[5] In total, the force numbered about 4,000 men.

The Germans under Rall's command attacked the militia on the crest of the hill, which fled in retreat.^[5] The Lossberg Regiment were stopped by heavy fire from the Americans.^[5] Two British regiments came in support of the Germans, and charged up the hill, but the Americans counter-attacked, driving them back down.^[5] The British once again assaulted, this time wielding their bayonets, and the Continentals, deserted by the Militia, retreated.^[6]

Aftermath

While the battle was a victory for the British, Howe refused to interfere with the American withdrawal, letting slip yet another opportunity to capture Washington and much of the Continental army and in the process suffering heavier casualties than the Americans.

Legacy

Each year on or near the anniversary date, the White Plains Historical Society hosts a commemoration of the event at the Jacob Purdy House in White Plains, New York. Two ships in the United States Navy, CVE-66 and AFS-4, were named for the Battle of White Plains.^[7]

Notes

References

• Greene, Francis Vinton (1911). The Revolutionary War and the Military Policy of the United States, Charles Scribner's Sons, http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=6248065. 
• Lengel, Edward (2005). General George Washington. New York: Random House Paperbacks. 

External links

• The Battle of White Plains
• White Plains Historical Society

New York in the American Revolutionary War Pre-war Sons of Liberty 1770 Battle of Golden Hill 1775 Capture of Fort Ticonderoga – Invasion of Canada 1776 New York and New Jersey campaign – Battle of Long Island – New York Prison Ships Begin – Landing at Kip's Bay – Battle of Harlem Heights – Great Fire of New York – Execution of Nathan Hale – Battle of Valcour Island – Battle of Pell's Point – Battle of White Plains – Battle of Fort Washington 1777 Meigs Raid – Saratoga campaign – Battle of Ticonderoga – Battle of Hubbardton – Battle of Fort Ann – Battle of Oriskany – Battle of Saratoga – Battle of Freeman's Farm – Battle of Bemis Heights 1778 Setauket Spy Ring Launched – Battle of Cobleskill – West Point established – Cherry Valley massacre 1779 Battle of Stony Point – Sullivan Expedition – Battle of Newtown 1780 First Purple Heart – André Capture Reveals Traitor Benedict Arnold 1781 HMS Culloden Runs Aground at Montauk – Washington Calls Off Invasion of New York to Support Yorktown 1782 Washington's Headquarters at Newburgh – Newburgh letter – British Evacuate New York – Washington's Farewell to His Officers