Winter Soldiers

08/24/2026

08/22/2026

On this day in 1776, the Redcoats came ashore on Long Island—tens of thousands of British and Hessian troops under General William Howe fanning out between Gravesend and New Utrecht. Their aim was audacious and strategic: seize New York City, command the Hudson River, and split the rebellious colonies. What followed, the Battle of Long Island, was the young republic’s first real test after declaring independence—Washington’s outnumbered army fought hard, then pulled off a daring nighttime evacuation across the East River in thick fog, saving the Revolution from disaster.

A detail that often gets missed: Howe’s landing was a masterclass in logistics. Over several days, British sailors shuttled men, horses, and artillery from Staten Island in coordinated waves, using flatboats and whaleboats to stage one of the largest amphibious operations in North America before D-Day. The immediate British victory on the field didn’t end the war—but Washington’s intact army kept the cause alive, turning New York’s loss into the Revolution’s survival.

08/20/2026

08/08/2026

GET OUT AND VOTE FOR EDDIE SPEIR!

Eddie Speir for Congress FL #16