Battle of Staten Island

Battle of Staten Island
Part of the American Revolutionary War
Battle of Staten Island
Date August 22, 1777; a Friday Location Staten Island, New York 40°34′34.61″N 74°8′41.42″W / 40.5762806°N 74.1448389°W / 40.5762806; -74.1448389 Result British victory
Belligerents
United States 2nd Canadian Regiment	Great Britain  Loyalists Waldeck Ansbach
Commanders and leaders
John Sullivan	John Campbell Cortlandt Skinner
Strength
1,000 regulars[1]	900 regulars 400 provincial militia[2]
Casualties and losses
10 killed 20 wounded 150–259 captured[3]	5 killed 7 wounded 84 missing[4]

The Battle of Staten Island was a failed raid by Continental Army troops under Major General John Sullivan against British forces on Staten Island on August 22, 1777, during the American Revolutionary War. After British Lieutenant General William Howe sailed with most of his army from New York City in July, Sullivan recognized that the British position on Staten Island was vulnerable, and planned an attack. He carried it out in spite of commanding general George Washington's request that Sullivan reinforce the main army with his troops as soon as possible to support Washington's planned Colonial assault on British-held Philadelphia.

Among its flaws the raid suffered from a shortage of boats to effect its retreat, costing it two companies, and one of its detachments was misled by its guide to the front of the enemy position rather than its rear. As a result, Continental losses of dead, wounded, and captured were each double or more those of the British, depriving Washington of some 180-300 men needed for his campaign. Although Sullivan was accused of mismanaging the raid, a generous court martial held later in 1777 exonerated him of all charges.