Introduction George Washington was many things, from the first Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army to the first President of the United States of America. He was a Founding Fathers of our nation and considered the Father of American Intelligence. Throughout his military career, he had many successes and an equal number of defeats. One such defeat almost cost him the Revolutionary War while still in its infancy, the Battle of Long Island. This paper will analyze the battle and the misuse of intelligence assets using the four-step method: define the subject, review the setting, describe the action, and assess the significance by offering an alternate outcome.
Defining the Subject The Battle of Long Island, fought on August 27, 1776, was the first battle as a unified Continental Army and largest engagement of the Revolutionary war. Also called the Battle of Brooklyn, given its location on Long Island, the battle was the first in the British campaign to capture the key port of New York from the Continental Army. New York was the gateway to the Hudson River, which the British sought to control dividing the colonies in two and cutting supply lines.
Set the Stage
Background
Bunker Hill. On June 17, 1775, as part of the Siege on Boston, the British found themselves squaring off with the
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The weather the night of August 29 was favorable to the Americans, a dense fog rolled over the East River and Brooklyn. Under this cover, General Washington ordered his soldiers to keep their fires burning, while evacuating the island by boats across the East River. This mass evacuation lasted throughout the night. When the British realized the deception come morning, they made it to the river just as the last boat carrying General Washington himself set off. Nearly 9,000 American soldiers successfully evacuated from Long Island to the safety of