, New York FORCING THE HUDSON NEW YORK HARBOR TO TAPPAN ZEE -9 October 1776-

Following the capture of Long Island and the withdrawal of the American army to Manhattan, the British command was preparing for the invasion of Manhattan. General Howe was seeking to trap the Continental Army on the island and destroy it. For that purpose he wanted the to seize control of the Hudson River, thus denying it’s use to the Americans. They would be unable to withdraw across the river, or draw supplies from New Jersey.

Captain Andrew Snape Hamond of the Roebuck , relates the circumstances regarding the originn of this expedition:

“As the Rebel Army was chiefly supplyed by the North River, and placed great dependance upon it, they had taken a great deal of pains to throw a Boom a cross, by sinking Vessels &: frames of Timber, to prevent our ships from passing up. They had placed these obstructions in the narrowest part, where the River is about 12 hundred Yards wide, between two High Lands, having Fort Washington on the Right, and Fort Constitution on the left, each containing several batterys of heavy cannon, placed at some distance along the shore, and six row Galleys with each a large Gun in their prow guarded the boom in front; so that, we understood, they looked upon it to be perfectly secure: and it is possible, from seeing the great preparation they had made, we might also have thought so, if a deserter had not informed the Admiral that there was a passage open between two of the sunken Vessels (which his Brother the Ferry Man had given him marks for) and offered himself as a Pilot.”1

In a draft attached to this narrative Hamond amplifies about the pilot:

“an American came into our Camp 8. stated that he was Brother to the Ferry Man who plyed from Fort Washington on the York side to Fort Lee on the Jersey shore, who had informed him that there was an opening in the Dam by tvhich ships might pass, and had showed him where it was, and being asked if he would

1 NDAR, “Narrative of Captain Andrew Snape Hamond,” 6:1182-1183 and 1183n2-3

©awiatsea.com-posted March 2021 --1-- undertake to Pilot a ship through the opening, to which he assented for a Reward”2

With this information General Howe “very strongly & officially pressed the Admiral to take advantage of this Information when 3 ships were ordered on that service…” 3 Admiral Howe turned to a man experienced in fighting on the Hudson to lead this expedition. Captain Hyde Parker, Jr. had already led a force up the Hudson, spent a month in the Tappan Zee, and returned back to the main British fleet.

The necessary conditions, “strong wind & flood Tide.” were met on 9 October 1776. 4

The expedition got under way at 0730 on 9 October 1776, when HM Phoenix , Parker’s command, raised anchor in New York Harbor. With him were HM Tartar and Roebuck , HM Tryal , and two tenders. 5 Roebuck ’s log records that her crew barricaded the ship at 0400. That would be adding sandbags and netting to cover the crew against small arms fire. At 0700 Roebuck and Tartar made sail. 6 Each ship followed in line, one behind the other. 7 At 0750 the ships went into the Hudson. The Americans began a heavy fire on the British shipping 8 from five batteries on the New York shore and two on the New Jersey shore about 0800. 9 Later they came under fire from Fort Lee and Fort Washington. Roebuck had passed the forts by 0900, when they quit firing. 10

Hamond related the passage of the chevaux-de-frise with the “pilot”” as follows

“having previously considered what would be best to be done in the Event of the Guide proving Treacherous a favorable opportunity offered abt Noon on when Capt Parker being senior officer Led the way & steered by the direction of the Guide towards the Middle of the Dam having Pistols laying on the Binnacle telling the guide what would be his Fate if the ships should stop in their passage. He for some time persisted in his knowledge, but on the near approach confessed his perfect

2 NDAR, “Narrative of Captain Andrew Snape Hamond,” 6:1182-1183 and 1183n2-3

3 NDAR, “Narrative of Captain Andrew Snape Hamond,” 6:1182-1183 and 1183n2-3

4 NDAR, “Narrative of Captain Andrew Snape Hamond,” 6:1182-1183 and 1183n2-3

5 NDAR, “Journal of H.M.S. Phoenix , Captain Hyde Parker, Jr.,” 6:1178-1180

6 NDAR, “Master’s Log of H.M.S. Roebuck ,” 6:1180-1181; “Journal of H.M.S. Tartar , Captain Cornthwaite Ommanney,” 6:1181

7 NDAR, “Narrative of Captain Andrew Snape Hamond,” 6:1182-1183 and 1183n2-3

8 NDAR, “Journal of H.M.S. Phoenix , Captain Hyde Parker, Jr.,” 6:1178-1180

9 NDAR, “Journal of H.M.S. Tartar , Captain Cornthwaite Ommanney,” 6:1181

10 NDAR, “Master’s Log of H.M.S. Roebuck ,” 6:1180-1181

©awiatsea.com-posted March 2021 --2-- ignorance - Fortunately this had been so strongly suspected, that Capt Parker immedty hauld up to the side where it was known the deepest water lay - and the ships all passed within 40 yards of the Muzzles of the Enemys Guns in the Batterys of Fort Washington - amidst the fire of 100 Cannon from both sides of the River - in little more time than about 20 minutes -” 11

At 0930 the Phoenix passed through the chevaux-de-frise. As she got through Parker hoisted signals to the fleet below indicating he had passed the barriers. His signals were answered by the Repulse . The American forts and batteries had damaged Phoenix considerably: “Our Mizen Mast & Mizen Topmast entirely disabled, Main Stay, and Several of the Lower & Topmast Shrouds Cut; The Sails & Running Rigg very much damaged; The Spare Main topmt some other Sparrs & the Boats very much Shatter’d. We also received 4 Shot through our Hull…” A midshipman, two sailors and a ship’s boy were killed and twelve more wounded. 12

Roebuck had also been damaged in passing the forts: “the small Cutter was Shatter’d to pieces found it Necessary to Cut a drift…” Lieutenant Leek, Midshipman Hitchcock, and three sailors were killed and seven sailors wounded in passing the forts. 13 Tartar reported she had passed the forts by 0930 and they had “Hulling on several times, wounded our Masts and cutting a great deal of the Riging and Sails a Shott went thro the Mizen Mast and afterwards killd a Midshipmn the Splinters of the Masts wounded the Captn Lieut of Marines & Pilot…” 14

Tartar ’s log noted that the Americans fired small arms from the woods at the British for several miles as they continued upriver. 15

As the British passed through the barriers and steered upriver, the American galleys and light craft began fleeing up the river in an effort to escape the British. 16 According to Tartar ’s log this bagan about 1000. At 1100 Tartar drove ashore several merchant vessels and the Independence .17 At 1100 Roebuck ’s tender Pembroke brought off a sloop the Americans had abandoned. 18 By 1200 Phoenix noted in her log that she was in chase of “Four of the Rebel Gallies.” Parker ordered the Tartar ahead to cut them off and noted that Dobb’s Ferry was a half

11 NDAR, “Narrative of Captain Andrew Snape Hamond,” 6:1182-1183 and 1183n2-3

12 NDAR, “Journal of H.M.S. Phoenix , Captain Hyde Parker, Jr.,” 6:1178-1180

13 NDAR, “Master’s Log of H.M.S. Roebuck ,” 6:1180-1181

14 NDAR, “Journal of H.M.S. Tartar , Captain Cornthwaite Ommanney,” 6:1181

15 NDAR, “Journal of H.M.S. Tartar , Captain Cornthwaite Ommanney,” 6:1181

16 NDAR, “Journal of H.M.S. Phoenix , Captain Hyde Parker, Jr.,” 6:1178-1180

17 NDAR, “Journal of H.M.S. Tartar , Captain Cornthwaite Ommanney,” 6:1181

18 NDAR, “Master’s Log of H.M.S. Roebuck ,” 6:1180-1181

©awiatsea.com-posted March 2021 --3-- “Forcing a passage up the Hudson River, 9 October 1776.” a copy attributed to Thomas Mitchell, of a painting by Dominic Serres in 1781.

--4-- mile to the ESE. 19 At 1200 the Tartar drove the galley Crane ashore. 20

Tartar gave over pursuit of the remaining galleys after noon, having “found that the rest of the Galleys had got out of Gun Shott, by the Assistance of their Oars.”21

At 1300 two galleys, a schooner and two sloops were driven ashore. Phoenix anchored at 1330, offshore from one of the galleys. Parker fired several broadsides into the shore to “Scour” the bushes and trees, then sent off two longboats with hawsers to the galley. At the same time the Roebuck came to and anchored off the other vessels and the Tartar anchored off the second galley. At 1530 the galley was winched off. 22 Tartar sent her lieutenant and some men and got the galley Crane afloat. 23 At 1600 the Phoenix got underway again with two galleys, two sloops and a schooner, and the other British ships. 24

Roebuck anchored at 1200 off Merlin’s Landing, about 300 yards offshore. 25

Lieutenants Jeremiah Putnam and Nathaniel Cleaves were aboard the Continental Army Galley Independence on 9 October. Their commanding officer, Captain John Baker, had been relieved of command the day before, leaving Putnam in charge. At 0700 the men on the Imdependence saw the ships moving below. Putnam called all hands to quarters. When he saw the other Continental Army galley, the Lady Washington (Captain Robert Cook) get underway Putnam followed. The galleys passed the chevaux-de-frise. Putnam then inquired what Cook planned to do. “He answerd that he Did not know But stood Up the River and said there Was Not Warter Enough to Goo in to the Creek.” The “Creek” was Sputen Duyvil Creek. 26

With the breeze being light the galleys stayed ahead of the ships, but when the wind picked up the ships began gaining on the fleeing Americans. At 1100 the British ships began firing their bow chasers at the Independence . At 1200 they

“Over reacht Us wich Causd Us to Bare in Shore and at 1/2 P M We run her On shore Just Above Dobsey Ferry Where We had not time Enough to Git Our people

19 NDAR, “Journal of H.M.S. Phoenix , Captain Hyde Parker, Jr.,” 6:1178-1180

20 NDAR, “Journal of H.M.S. Tartar , Captain Cornthwaite Ommanney,” 6:1181

21 NDAR, “Journal of H.M.S. Tartar , Captain Cornthwaite Ommanney,” 6:1181

22 NDAR, “Journal of H.M.S. Phoenix , Captain Hyde Parker, Jr.,” 6:1178-1180

23 NDAR, “Journal of H.M.S. Tartar , Captain Cornthwaite Ommanney,” 6:1181

24 NDAR, “Journal of H.M.S. Phoenix , Captain Hyde Parker, Jr.,” 6:1178-1180

25 NDAR, “Master’s Log of H.M.S. Roebuck ,” 6:1180-1181

26 Lieutenants Jeremiah Putnam and Nathaniel Cleaves to George Washington,” 6:1184

©awiatsea.com-posted March 2021 --5-- and things On shore in the Boates: and the shiping Began the fire Wich Obligd Us to Swim On shore. But no Lives Lost But, part of theire Guns and Cheif of theire Baggage, and I Observed the Enemy to haw1 Up theire Boats And man them, Wich, they Emeadetly Dropt On stern and fired a Bradside of Grape Shot as we Ley in the Bushes and Emeadetly sent theire Boat On Bord With a Warp and hove her a long side”27

Major General William Heath reported that “the American galleys, small craft, and two large ships standing on before them. The two ships were run on shore near Phillips’s mills, and two of the galleys near Dobbs’ Ferry. The enemy took possession of the two galleys, and got them off.” A British landing party went ashore and plundered a store, stove in the casks and set the store on fire. The fire was soon extinguished. 28

Heath reported the most interesting of the American losses:

“The enemy took a schooner loaded with rum, sugar, wine, 8cc. and sunk a sloop, which had on board the machine, invented by, and under the direction of, a Mr. Bushnell, intended to blow up the British ships. This machine was worked under water. It conveyed a magazine of powder, which was to be fixed under the keel of a ship, then freed from the machine, and left with clock-work going, which was to produce fire when the machine had got out of the way. Mr. Bushnell had great confidence of its success, and had made several experiments which seemed to give him countenance; but its fate was truly a contrast to its design.”

This was, of course, the world’s first combat submarine, the American Turtle .29

The Continental Army Galley Independence was captured, as well as the Connecticut Navy galley Crane . The Connecticut Navy galley Shark and the Continental Army galley Lady Washington escaped up the river to Peekskill. Presumably the Connecticut galley Whiting , and the two Rhode Island galleys, Spitfire and Washington , were destroyed.

Phoenix anchored a mile offshore in the Tappan Zee at 1700. Tarry Town was to the northeast. An hour later Parker performed a burial service and “Committed the Bodies of the Deceased to the Deep.”30

27 Lieutenants Jeremiah Putnam and Nathaniel Cleaves to George Washington,” 6:1184

28 NDAR, “Memoir of Major General William Heath,” 6:1184-1185

29 NDAR, “Memoir of Major General William Heath,” 6:1184-1185

30 NDAR, “Journal of H.M.S. Phoenix , Captain Hyde Parker, Jr.,” 6:1178-1180

©awiatsea.com-posted March 2021 --6-- The British losses all told were nine killed and eighteen wounded. 31

Summary Table

Vessel Tons Guns Broadside Men Killed % Wounded % Total %

Lady Washington []50 1 32 []50 — — — — — —

Independence []50 1 []32 []50 — — — — — —

Washington []50 3 9 []50 — — — — — —

Spitfire []50 3 9 []50 — — — — — —

Crane 57 4 27 50 —— — ———

Shark 57 4 27 50 —— — ———

Whiting 57 4 27 50 —— — ———

Boats, sloop — — — — — — — — — —

American Total: []321 19 131 300 — — — — — —

Phoenix 850 44 280 280 4 1% 13 5% 17 6%

Roebuck 885 44 280 280 4 1% 4 1% 8 3%

Tartar 587 28 114 180 1 — 1 — 2 1%

Tryal ——————————

Shuldham ——————————

Pembroke ——————————

British Total: 2322 116 674 740 9 1% 18 2% 27 4%

Time: seven hours

31 NDAR, “Return of the Killed and Wounded onboard His Majesty’s Ships passing the Batteries the 9th October 1776,” 6:1182

©awiatsea.com-posted March 2021 --7--