Independence Day, as a big national holiday, is something all Americans share. But it also has local implications, at least for what were the thirteen original colonies. The settlements on Eastern Long Island, among the oldest in the state, were very much involved in the Revolution.
The people of East Hampton and Southampton displayed their own independent streak right from the start. While Kings (Breuckelen) and Queens counties, at the western end of Long Island, were more Tory in their leanings, the East Enders were early and strong in declaring their support for the Revolutionary cause. In April of 1775, every man in East Hampton signed a petition supporting the Continental Congress and vowing “never to be enslaved.” But it was not easy.
In late August of 1776, less than two months after the Declaration of Independence was ratified in Philadelphia on July 4th, the Battle of Long Island, the first and largest battle of the Revolutionary War took place in Brooklyn. It was also the first of many defeats for the patriots, and Washington’s army was forced to evacuate.
At the same time, British troops were deployed to capture all of Long Island. Two hundred Continental soldiers tried to stop the British in the area around Shinnecock Creek, roughly where the canal is now located, but were easily defeated. In September of 1776, local residents were forced to swear an oath of allegiance to the Crown, but contemporary documents indicate it was done with great reluctance. An interesting expression, “afraid of the British,” survived locally from Revolutionary times well into the twentieth century. It metaphorically means to dread someone’s coming.
Sag Harbor plays a larger role in the military history of the period than other towns on the East End. It was the port for the villages along the ocean, and the strategic purpose of the defense at Hampton Bays must have been to keep Sag Harbor out of British hands. It may be hard for most of us to imagine Sag Harbor the scene of an actual battle, but it was there that the one important regional military operation of the Revolutionary War took place. On May 22, 1777, in a raid launched from New Haven, across Long Island Sound, and aided by local patriots, Americans seized the British garrison in Sag Harbor, taking one hundred prisoners and, according to some histories, killing six. Twelve British warships and large amounts of ammunition and supplies were destroyed. It was a much needed victory for the Americans. It must have boosted morale even if it did not influence the course of the war.
The Continental Congress of 1776 urged local residents to flee to Connecticut, at least in part to deprive the British of provisions. Many did so, leaving from the wharf at Sag Harbor, some so hastily that it is said that bread mixed in East Hampton was baked in Connecticut. From warships anchored in Gardiner’s Bay, the British raided the local towns for cattle and supplies. They later quartered troops here, and life under martial law was extremely difficult for the local population. In what may be a unique footnote in military history, Southampton Village raised a company of grandfathers, some in their seventies, who joined the Revolution.
For most of us, the Fourth of July means that the golden days of summer are here. It’s the end of the local strawberry season and nearly the start of the corn season. Labor Day will be here before we know it. It’s the season for us to enjoy life. But Independence Day has significance beyond the parties and fireworks and eating and drinking. This holiday weekend is the time to remember what our communities encountered during the Revolution, the time to pay tribute to those Southampton grandfathers and all the other local patriots who made it possible for us to live free and live here.