SECOND BATTLE of the TAPPAN ZEE OFF YONKERS , NEW YORK -16 August 1776
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Hudson River, New York SECOND BATTLE OF THE TAPPAN ZEE OFF YONKERS , NEW YORK -16 August 1776- Following the First Battle of the Tappan Zee the American forces collected at Sputen Duyvil Creek on the eastern shore of the Hudson River. Sputen Duyvil Creek separated Manhattan Island from the mainland. Here Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Tupper set about repairing his galleys and the Americans continued sinking obstructions in the Hudson. They wanted to both block the British from penetrating upriver and hem in the two frigates that were in the Tappan Zee. On 9 August the galleys withdrew down towards the city, while preparations began for another attack. 1 Throughout August the Americans had been fortifying the passages of the Hudson with batteries and forts. Part of the plan was to obstruct the Hudson River channel with sunken hulka and chevaux-de-frise. As early as 4 August, HM Brig Halifax , anchored off Staten Island, observed the Americans towing old vessels up the Hudson River, which the British observers “supposed” were to be sunk in the channel. 2 The British had seen these hulks the day before and thought they were fire stages. In the morning they were towed up the North River and were now thought to be chevaux-de-frise. These were to prevent the ships above from coming down, or those below from going up. “It is of a peculiar Construction; and all the Industry of malevolence, which is the most active Sort of Industry, has been used to complete it. Our People don' t seem to regard it, and fancy they can easily run it down, or remove it out of their way.”3 On 8 August, Captain henry Duncan in his journal stated that “During the time we have been here, we have observed the rebels very busy in, erecting batteries, fitting out row galleys, and making large and high building of wood to sink in the river to destroy the navigation above the town: the row galley and floating batteries have been sent several times against the Phoenix and Rose, but we hear they 1 NDAR, “Diary of Ensign Caleb Clap,” 6:130 2 NDAR, “Master’s Log of H.M. Brig Halifax ,” 6:50 3 NDAR, “Journal of Ambrose Serle,” 6:50 Comment on this or any page at our ©awiatsea.com-posted March 2021 --1-- have always been beat off with loss.”4 Washington, reporting to John Hancock on 5 August, said that two hulks and three chevaux-de-frise had been taken up the river to the place intended and would be sunk. 5 Five days later Washington directed Brigadier General Thomas Mifflin to pick out a convenient spot to fortify with a battery to protect Kingsbridge lest the British penetrate up the creek in boats. He also urged Mifflin “to sink as soon as possible the Vessels &c. for Obstructing the Channel, and should you want more, that you will certify Genl Putnam of the same ” Again on 11 August Washington urged Colonel Rufus Putnam "to hasten the Sinking of Vessels and other obstructions in the River at Fort Washington as fast as it is possible. " 6 On 10 August a man deserted from the Rose . He revealed that the ship had lost no men during the dash upstream and only two or three wounded. In the galley attack they lost a man and two wounded. That “they are now much Concernd, for fear of our Row-galley.” Five Tories had come aboard one ship and eight the other. Three Tories had left the ship on a Thursday and returned a week later: “those Tories went into the City, and Round our works any where that they was Amind ...” 7 The shores of the Tappan Zee were now being guarded as well. On 6 August, from Tarrytown, Colonel Thomas Thomas wrote to Washington. He had found a place “for placing some Cannon to play upon the shipping whilst Attacked by our Gallies; the Cannon may be placed upon an Eminence within near half a Mile of the shipping, and if your Excellency should think the above plan Expedient, an Engineer might be Necessary to form a breast work for three or four peices of Cannon which I beg your Excellency in that case will Order up with the Necessary Apparatus and Intrenching Tools — I Conceive shall be able to collect a sufficient Number of men with those allready under my Command here to throw up a breast work in a very short time in an Evening after planned by an Engineer.” If so, Thomas suggested delaying an attack by the galleys until the work was completed. 8 On 13 August, in the evening, nine galleys went up the river. The observers thought they 4 NDAR, “Journal of Captain Henry Duncan, R.N.,” 6:123 5 NDAR, “George Washington to John Hancock,” 6:61-62 6 NDAR, “Lieutenant Colonel Robert Hanson Harrison to Brigadier General Thomas Mifflin,” 6:140 and 140n2 7 NDAR, “Diary of Ensign Caleb Clap,” 6:182-183 8 NDAR, “Colonel Thomas Thomas to George Washington,” 6:84 Comment on this or any page at our ©awiatsea.com-posted March 2021 --2-- were going to Fort Washington. On the morning of 14 August two fire ships went up the river. 9 While the Americans were continuing their preparations, the British command began to be concerned about the two ships upriver. As early as 6 August the Solebay , a 28-gun frigate, had been ordered too go up river to support the ships above, but falling wind prevented the attempt. 10 On 13 August the two ships moved at 1230 and anchored off Phillip’s Farm at 1400. When the Rose came to and dropped her anchor she fouled the Phoenix ’s anchor, which forced the big ship to adjust her position. Phoenix was four miles above the upper fort. 11 Rose moved at 1130 and steered down river. She anchored at 1430, eight miles above the fort. Rose saw several vessels sunk in the channel, with four more brigs waiting to be sunk. 12 Meanwhile, the preparation of the firecraft had been ongoing. One was the new sloop Polly of about 95 tons, and the second a schooner of some 60 tons, the name of whlch is not known. They had been prepared under the supervision of Lieutenant Ephraim Anderson of the Second New Jersey Battalion, under the advice of Captain John Hazelwood of the Pennsylvania Navy. [ McManemin, Captains of the State Navies , 405 ] Both had been prepared in late July and early August. The holds had been filled with empty barrels to prevent the craft from sinking too quickly under cannon fire. “Two gutters, each about six inches wide and ten deep , had been constructed along the entire length of the port and starboard bulwarks and into the aft cabins through openings cut in the bulkheads. In the bottom of each trough lay a train of fine gunpowder to a depth of about half an inch. This was then covered in straw soaked in brimstone, and on top of this small fagots of black birch twigs dipped in rosin.” “Some ten or twelve barrels filled with pitch pine fagots and melted rosin stood on the decks, and between them bundles of birch twigs dipped in rosin were stowed to the gunwales. Strips of turpentine soaked canvas dangled from the riggings and spars. Grappling irons were fastened to the ends of the square sail and spritsail yards, to the flying jibboom, and to the gaft and main booms, with long chains leading down to the decks where they were firmly bolted in place. Everything was prepared so that it would be the work of but an instant to set both vessels 9 NDAR, “Diary of Ensign Caleb Clap,” 6:182-183 10 NDAR, “Journal of Ambrose Serle,” 6:84-85 11 NDAR, “Journal of H.M.S. Phoemix , Captain Hyde Parker,” 6:166-167 12 NDAR, “Journal of H.M.S. Rose , Captain James Wallace ,” 6:167 Comment on this or any page at our ©awiatsea.com-posted March 2021 --3-- aflame.”13 The first attempt to attack the British ships was planned for the night of 14 August. The two firecraft went up the river on the morning of that day. 14 They were headed to Sputen Duyvil Creek to meet the galleys. The wind was light and variable and the firecraft made slow progtess. Meanwhile Major General William Heath had gone to the eastern shore, with Brigadier General George Clinton to observe the attack. By midnight the generals departed as there was no attack. 15 While the attack never materialized the British had been busy. Parker put a petty officer and six men in a whaleboat and dispatched it downriver. The boat managed to pass the obstructions and batteries without a shot being fired. Although it is not known what message it carried, it could have been notification that Parker intended to return to the fleet. 16 The firecraft arrived at Sputen Duyvil Creek on 15 August. Washington had orrdered the galleys to tow the firecraft up the river as far as possible. The crews of the firecraft were all volunteers from the seaport men of New England. The command of the schooner went to Ensign John Thomas of the 11 th Cobtinental Infantry and sloop Polly went to Ensign Thomas Updike Fosdick of New London, Connecticut, from Captain Nathan Hale’s company of the 19 th Continental Infantry. Both vessels had crews of nine men. 17 Meanwhile the galleys had been reinforced by the arrival of the Continental Army Galley Independence (Lieutenant Jeremiah Putnam), which had gone upriver on 8 August.