Footnotes to Long Island History
Mastic Scene of 1780 Battle
by
Thomas R. Bayles
Benjamin Tallmadge, pictured with a sword, at Fort St. George in Mastic.
Vance Lock Mural- Setauket School
In
November 1780 one of the most daring expeditions of the Revolution in
Brookhaven town was planned to and carried out by Major Benjamin Tallmadge.
This was the capture of the British Fort, St. George, located on the south side
of the island at Smiths Point, Mastic. At this point a triangular enclosure of
several acres had been constructed at two angles of which were strongly
barricaded houses and at the third fort, 96 feet square well protected by
sharpened pickets projecting from the earthen mound at an angle of 45 degrees.
The
fortification had just been completed and two guns were mounted. It was
intended as a safe depository for merchandise and munitions of war. the
garrison numbered about 50 men. About 4 o'clock in the afternoon of November
21, Major Tallmadge with two companies of dismounted dragoons, numbering in all
80 men , left Fairfield, Connecticut in eight open boats and crossed the sound
landing at Mount Sinai about 9 o'clock in the evening. After securing their boats in the bushes and
stationing a guard over them, the troops were set in motion to cross the
Island. They had proceeded but a few miles when a severe rainstorm came on, which
compelled them to return and take shelter under the boats. Here they remained
all night and the next day.
About 7
o'clock in the evening of the 22nd, The rain stopped and the me again started
on their march arriving within 2 miles of the fort by 3 o'clock the following
morning. Here the troops were divided into three detachments, each of which
proceeded by a different route for the purpose of making an attack upon the fort at different points.
Major Tallmadge himself led the main column, whose approach was not discovered
by the enemy until they were 20yards of the stockade. A breach was quickly made
and the troops rushed through to the main for which they carried with the
bayonet without the firing of a singles shout. At the same instant the leaders
of the other two detachments mounted the ramparts and from the three sides of
the triangle a chorus of "Washington and Glory" was shouted by elated
victors.
Just
then a volley of musketry was discharged upon them from one of the barricaded
houses in which a considerable number of the garrison were hidden. The
attention of Tallmadge's men was immediately directed to that point and for a
few minutes a sharp contest ensured during which the latter forced an entrance
to the house and hurled a number of the enemy from the second story windows
head long to the ground.
During
the encounter seven of the enemy were killed or wounded. The fort was destroyed,
54 prisoners were taken. and a quantity of merchandise brought away. A vessel
lying near the fort was also burned.
Having
accomplished the object of their visit the Americans returned to Mount Sinai
with their prisoners. Major Tallmadge took 12 men and went by the way of Coram
where they set fire to a magazine of hay estimated at been collected there by
the British. Arriving at their landing place they all returned to Fairfield the
same night, Reaching their about midnight. None of Tallmadge men were killed
and only a few injured. A letter of commendation was addressed to him by
General Washington for the successful capture of fort St. George and the
burning of the hay at Coram.