Harlem Bespoke: Below is an article published on HB back in 2016 about one of the most incredible military battles that happened uptown on September 16, 1776 during the nation's fight for independence. The above plaque can be found on the walls of one of the Columbia University buildings on Broadway at 118th Street.
The Battle of Harlem Heights in 1776 was a major turning point during the American Revolutionary War since the Continental Army lead by General George Washington lost the Battle of Long Island in the previous month and also had to pull back after a defeat at Kips Bay in lower Manhattan. Roughly 1,800 men on the American side would engage in battle with over 5,000 soldiers from the British Army from 106th Street up to Manhattanville by 125th Street and would end up victorious by day's end.
Redcoats had taken over the southern half of Manhattan and only the north remained in control by the Americans. A small unit had been forced back to higher grounds earlier in the day by the British Army which in turn mocked the retreat with a bugle call which signaled that "the fox was trapped in the hole." In past battles, Washington had been known to retreat but the avid hunter recognized the insulting tone from the British side and fully engaged more men into the conflict. Finally chasing away the King's army was a huge morale booster for the Americans and would be a pivotal point in the battle for independence. Read more about the historic Harlem Heights affair in our past post:
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