The Battle Pass

I guess this could also be considered a "place" as well. But the place was the location of today's Prospect Park in Brooklyn, New York. To make things more complicated, it was known as the Flatbush Pass at the time. It was the linchpin in the American outer defense ring on Long Island, a battle that took place during this week in August 1776. The good news is you can still visit the Battle Pass, which is now a 526-acre oasis amidst Brooklyn's sprawl. This week marks the anniversary of the events leading up to the critical Battle of Long Island - America's first battle as a nation. I thought a blog post focusing on one aspect of this Revolutionary War battle would be fitting.

The Flatbush (Battle) Pass 1776

The Original Ground Zero 

The Flatbush Pass was a crucial piece of terrain in the outer defenses on Long Island. Most of his troops were frantically building a series of earthworks and small redoubts from Wallabout Bay to Gowanus Creek in an effort to protect the village of Brooklyn and the ferry point below the famous heights of that name. Recognizing British superiority in numbers and equipment, General George Washington relied on a Breed's Hill-style defense that would inflict losses on the British, similar to what the rebel army did outside Boston the previous year. 

However, the advantages of holding the British at the "great Moraine" were too tempting to ignore. The moraine, then known as the Heights of Guan, was the southern edge of the glacier from the last great ice age. When the glacier receded, it left a rugged strip of land across the normally flat terrain of Long Island, running from southwest to northeast. Although only about 100 feet above sea level, the Heights of Guan formed a formidable barrier, only passable through three passes. The central one was the Flatbush Pass.

The Great Moraine dominated the terrain of Long Island

While the British executed a night envelopment via the Jamaica Pass to the east, the British commander in chief, General William Howe, launched two holding attacks to pin the Americans

defending the other two passes. One of some 7,000 men under British General Grant struck near today's  Greenwood Cemetery in an attempt to force the Martense Road.

General von Heister 's force struck the
Flatbush Pass

But the center attack at Flatbush Pass almost made the British encirclement unnecessary. It was mainly composed of Hessians under the command of German General von Heister. The Hessians struck the pass. When they realized the situation was hopeless, most of the approximately 1,500 American defenders abandoned their posts and headed to the safety of the main defenses near Brooklyn. 

The brave American commander at the pass, General John Sullivan, tried to hold his position, but as panic spread, he and his men had to fight their way out. The large and determined enemy trapped him and what remained of his forces at Baker's Tavern (near today's Fulton and Flatbush Avenue). The veteran of Boston and Quebec, brave but headstrong, was cut off from his men and became one of two generals captured on Long Island that fateful day.

American General John Sullivan captured
near the Flatbush Pass

The Place Today

Defenders on Long Island fought desperately against all odds

The site of the Battle Pass is just north of the Prospect Park Zoo.

Battle Pass Marker

The Maryland Monument still stands at the south-central part of the park, nestled between Prospect Park Lake and Lookout Hill. The monument honors the brave fight by the First Maryland Continental Line, who courageously battled the British against all odds. I will save the story of the Maryland 400 for another post (actually, I have already posted about it).

The Maryland Monument

Site of the Dongan Oak - a huge tree felled to block the Flatbush Pass

There is a Quaker Cemetery near Lookout Hill that dates back to the 17th century. The Lefferts Homestead was located at Empire Boulevard and Flatbush Avenue. The original Dutch colonial farmhouse was accidentally burned by American defenders. The owner, Peter Lefferts, rebuilt the house during the latter part of the war using some of the original wood. In 1918, the family donated the residence to the city, and it was moved to Prospect Park from its original site at 563 Flatbush Avenue.

Restored Lefferts House

On a beautiful summer day, Prospect Park is filled with thousands of visitors walking, riding, visiting the zoo, or lounging by the lake. As Brooklyn experiences a kind of renaissance, the park and its lush greenery offer an ideal place to enjoy a touch of nature. But almost none of today's visitors know about the drama and tragedy that unfolded in the heart of their oasis.

Few visitors to Prospect Park today realize
they are on Hallowed Ground