Battle of Staten Island

{| style="float: right; clear: right; background-color: transparent; margin-left: 1.4em"
Infobox Military Conflict
|conflict=Battle of Staten Island
|partof=the American Revolutionary War
|

|caption=
|date=August 22, 1777
|place=Staten Island, New York
|result=Indecisive
|combatant1=United States
|combatant2=Kingdom of Great Britain
|commander1=John Sullivan
|commander2=John Campbell
|strength1=About 1,000
|strength2=3,000
|casualties1=10 killed
15 wounded
140 captured
|casualties2=Killed and wounded: unknown
259 captured|

The Battle of Staten Island occurred during the American Revolutionary War on August 22, 1777. The encounter was a raid by troops from American General John Sullivan's division. British General Howe had recently sailed away from New York City with most of his troops, and the Americans were trying to determine his intention, movements which would become the Philadelphia campaign.

Two regiments had been raised from Canada in support of the revolutionaries cause. They were the First and 2nd Canadian Regiments. This second regiment engaged in this battle, which occurred between the skirmish of Hanover and the Battle of Brandywine.

Several of the regiment's companies participated in the Battle of Staten Island on August 22, 1777, as explained in a letter from Samuel Chase to Thomas Johnson:

Hazen's Regiment's casualty loss was 8 officers and 40 men. Also captured was Captain James Herron. [Moses Hazen and the Canadian Refugees in the American Revolution. Alan S. Everest. Syracuse, N.Y., 1976.] Lt. Col. Antill would not be exchanged until November 2, 1780. [ [http://www.grimshaworigin.org/WebPages/WilmRev1.htm Private William Grimshaw which contains a timeline of Hazen's Regiment can be found in Everest's book, "Moses Hazen and the Canadian Refugees in the American Revolution"] ]

Old Blazing Star was the site of a Landing at the present-day town of Carteret, New Jersey. The Blazing Star Ferry crossed the Arthur Kill to the present-day town of Rossville, Staten Island here. The Old Blazing Star Inn was on the New Jersey side. This was the crossing point for General Sullivan's men.

Of note, a second ferry crossing was about one mile to the north, also in present-day Carteret, New Jersey. Its ferry went to present-day Travis, New York. The New Blazing Star Inn was located on Staten Island at what is now the foot of Victory Boulevard [ [http://www.nypl.org/branch/staten/index2.cfm?Trg=1&d1=962&template=StatenIslandOldNames The New York Public Library] ] [ [http://www.forgotten-ny.com/CEMETERIES/blazingstar/deadpool.html Forgotten NY Cemeteries] ] [ [http://historical.maptech.com/quad.cfm?quadname=Staten%20Island&state=NJ&series=15 Maptech: Historical Topographic Maps ] ] [http://www.geocities.com/naforts/nycity.html] .

Footnotes