User talk:Redhookhistory

I wish to add important infomation to the article relating to the "Battle Of Long Island" (Brooklyn). I am an amature historian residing in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn. When I retired more than 15 years ago, I set out to find a bronze plaque that that was erected on a wall of a now razed Todd Shipyard building on Beard Street, also in Red Hook. Erected in 1952, this plaque told the story about the brave men at Fort Defiance in Red Hook. About how at great risk to themselves they prevented one of Admiral Howes warships from entering the Buttermilk Channel on the way to the east river. This ship did encounter strong northerly winds, as many writers testify to. But it was the men manning the meager artilary at Fort Defiance constructed in April 1776 and their four cannons atop Cypress Tree Island at that time, that caused the ship to return to the British fleet anchored in the Narrows and postpone their attempt to enter the east river. The facts are, the gale force winds alone did not prevent this vessle from succeeded at it's mission, it was a combination of both the wind which caused the sailors to exert a trying effort to keep the ship from being dashed upon the sharp rocks off the Red Hook Point. this Coupled with the brave men at defiance who realized the ships predicament and at great risk to themselve began firing at this war ship Roebuck to the crews frustation, and in the chaos required them to abort the attempt. It is written, they were so close to each other they could be heard shouting at one another. At the time, Washington's army was effectively surrounded on three sides. On the South by British troops who landed on the shores of Brooklyn at Denny's wharf near Ft Hamilton. On the East where Hessian mercenaries lined the hill of Prospect and Gowanus. On the North by the armies of General Howe the brother of Admiral Howe. The one place that was necessary to accomplish complete circling of the American troops was on the west the water side. Had this Roebuck succeeded in it's plans to occupy the east river, the army of General George Washington would have been completly surrounded by the British, and faced certain defeat. It truly meant the end of the Revolution. And as Boro Historian James Kelly remarked when dedicating the long missing plaque in 1952, "We would all be drinking tea this day." I have researched this because I always wondered why historians and novelists never mention this in their books or in their tv documentaries. I have come to the conclusion that historians were so facinated with the incident at the "Old Stone House" they completely overlooked a very important historical event that should be a written part of the Battle Of Brooklyn, and this hisoric event should be part of Red Hooks Heritage. You see, the Old Stone House Maryland 500 tragedy occurred on the same day as the Fort Defiance incident, August 27, 1776. Men were killed or wounded, the Fort suffered serious damages,more important, Washington could never evacuate his 10,000 man tired, wounded, and beaten army without this happening. but these men have been denied for nearly 235 years proper recognition...... John J. Burkard. Red Hook History Brooklyn, New York.....