Red Lion Inn (Brooklyn) facts for kids
The Red Lion Inn was an old tavern, like a restaurant and hotel, in colonial New York. It was located on Long Island, in what is now the Brooklyn borough of New York City. This inn became famous because it was where the first shots of the Battle of Brooklyn were fired during the American Revolutionary War.
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History of the Red Lion Inn
Location of the Inn
The Red Lion Inn was named to honor Henry V of England. It was located where three country roads met. These roads were the Narrows Road, Martense Lane, and the Gowanus Road. Today, this historic spot is found at Fourth Avenue and 35th Street in Brooklyn.
First Shots of the Battle
In the early morning of August 27, 1776, the first shots of the Battle of Brooklyn rang out near the Red Lion Inn. British troops, led by Major General James Grant, met American soldiers stationed there. Some stories say the British were looking for watermelons when they found the Americans!
After a quick exchange of musket fire, the American soldiers panicked and ran. They retreated up the Gowanus Road towards the Vechte house. Major Edward Burd, who was in charge, was captured along with other soldiers.
American Response and Battle
When the fighting started, Brigadier General Samuel Holden Parsons and Colonel Samuel John Atlee were nearby. They were woken by the gunfire. They quickly gathered some of the fleeing American troops and formed a skirmish line. This was a loose formation of soldiers ready to fight.
They also sent a message to Major General Israel Putnam in Brooklyn to warn him that the British were advancing. At three o'clock in the morning, General Putnam told Brigadier General Lord Stirling to meet the enemy.
Lord Stirling quickly gathered about 1,500 soldiers from the Maryland and Delaware regiments. They met the British troops less than a mile from the Red Lion Inn and prepared for battle.
Stirling's Stand
As dawn broke, Lord Stirling's forces grew to about 2,100 soldiers. They were joined by 400 more troops sent by General John Sullivan. The British forces under General Grant also received reinforcements, growing to over 7,000 soldiers.
Lord Stirling's smaller force bravely held their ground for about four hours. They faced heavy cannon and musket fire from the British. Eventually, General Grant's forces pushed forward, and Stirling's troops slowly fell back along the Gowanus Road towards Brooklyn.
Other British forces, led by General Charles Cornwallis and Hessian soldiers under General Leopold Philip de Heister, were already behind Stirling's troops. The American forces began to break apart as they tried to escape across the fields and marshes to safety.
The Maryland 400
Near the Old Stone House, a brave group of 400 soldiers from Colonel William Smallwood's 1st Maryland Regiment, led by Major Mordecai Gist, made a heroic stand. These soldiers, still under Lord Stirling's command, fought against 2,000 British and Hessian troops. Their sacrifice allowed thousands of other American soldiers to retreat safely across the marshes and Gowanus creek.
During this intense fighting, Colonel Atlee was captured by the British. General Parsons, however, managed to escape and reach the American lines.
