How the weather saved America.
Most accounts of the Battle of Long Island focus on the tactical mistakes or the daring night crossing itself, but looking at the actual logs and diaries from August 27–30, 1776, the physical mechanics of the escape come down to three specific weather events:
- A two-day Nor'easter that physically trapped British square-rigged warships in the lower bay from sailing up the East River.
- An 11:00 PM wind shift to the southwest, which let John Glover’s Marblehead fishermen raise sails on their flatboats instead of rowing against heavy current all night.
- A heavy, localized dawn fog that sat right over the East River and ferry landing while the British encampment just a few hundred yards away was under clear skies.
u/History_Off_Script — 1 day ago