Battle of Long Island order of battle

[1] After the British made an unopposed landing on Long Island in mid-August, Washington reinforced forward positions in the hills of central Brooklyn.

[2] The British forces were led by Lieutenant General William Howe, and included veterans of the Siege of Boston, new regiments from Ireland, and hired German troops from Hesse-Kassel.

[3] With a siege of the position looming, General Washington successfully withdrew his remaining army to Manhattan in the early hours of August 29.

[8] All of the German troops with the British at the start of the New York campaign were from Hesse-Kassel,[9] and were under the command of Lt. Gen. Leopold Philip von Heister.

[13] It was common practice at this time for regiments of the British Army to include companies of light infantry and grenadiers, composed of troops with specialized abilities and training.

It resupplied General James Grant's troops with gunpowder and ammunition late in the battle, and also landed 2,000 Royal Marines to share in the victory.

[16] The primary source for this data is a return of troops prepared by General Howe on August 22, 1776, five days before the battle, and presented by historian David Hackett Fischer.

[32] A significant number of the Continentals had participated in the Siege of Boston, after which they had moved to join troops already in New York preparing its defenses.

[34] That attempt ended in June 1776 after a disastrous retreat to Fort Ticonderoga prompted by the arrival of a large British force at Quebec City, and some of those troops were then rushed south to assist in New York.

[35] The American defense of Long Island became complicated when Major General Nathanael Greene fell ill on August 15.

[35] After sending reinforcements onto Long Island on August 25, Washington replaced Sullivan with the ranking major general, Israel Putnam.