29 April 1776 A.D. Nathaniel Greene takes command of Long Island
29 April 1776 A.D. Nathaniel Greene takes command of Long Island Editors. “Nathaniel Greene takes command of Long Island.” History.com. 2009. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/nathanael-greene-takes-command-of-long-island . Accessed 28 Apr 2015. On this day in 1776, shortly after the American victory at Boston, Massachusetts, General George Washington orders Brigadier General Nathanael Greene to take command of Long Island and set up defensive positions against a possible British attack on New York City. Greene’s troops were arranged to defend themselves against a frontal attack in Brooklyn Heights across from Manhattan. On August 26, 1776, the British took the vast majority of Long Island with ease, as the island’s population was heavily Loyalist. On August 27, the troops at Brooklyn Heights disintegrated under an unexpected attack from their left flank. In a British effort to earn goodwill for a negotiated peace, they allowed American survivors to flee to Manh...