Irish-American Revolutionaries, 1776 Style
Opinion Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the author/producer’s interpretation of facts and data.
By Brian McGowan
Back to the New World for an interesting peek into our own revolution and the role that many Irish, born or descended, played in it. Given that we’re in the month of August, of special note is a battle often relegated to the dustbin of history – the Battle of Brooklyn, fought in our backyard on Aug. 27, 1776.
In two years, we will be celebrating the 250th anniversary of our nation’s birth. A key event should be a remembrance of this oft-forgotten encounter between the British Empire and George Washington’s nascent Continental Army in the first major battle following the Declaration of Independence.
Why oft-forgotten? While it was the largest battle fought in this seven-year struggle, it was also the most disastrous defeat America suffered in the entire war. Fact is, with some exceptions, we Americans are not overly fond of dwelling on our defeats.
One Irish-American, Gen. John Sullivan, played an important role in that battle. Born in 1740 in what would become the state of Maine but was then part of the Massachusetts colony, he was one of three sons of John Eoghan O’Sullivan, from the Beara Peninsula in County Cork, Ireland. The Sullivans were one of the few remaining families of the ancient Gaelic aristocracy. Compared with the bulk of the Irish peasantry, they were relatively well off.
But Ireland in the 1700s was a challenging place, and the elder John, a schoolmaster, immigrated to America. He settled in New England. To help fit into a society where Roman Catholicism was still banned by law, he converted to Protestantism, though the family remained proud of their Irish roots.
His son, John, became a lawyer and moved to the neighboring colony of New Hampshire, where he soon found himself involved in rebel intrigue. Elected to the Second Continental Congress, he quickly took to the field following the commencement of hostilities in April 1775. Dispatched north to command the ill-starred invasion of Canada (1775-1776), he did his best to salvage what he could of the American forces mired there.
Transferred to help in the defense of New York City, and with little knowledge of the terrain or his troops, he found himself placed by Washington on the Long Island heights, in command of the American center and left. His force of several thousand faced some 30,000 British and Hessian troops determined to crush the Americans and end their treasonous rebellion.
Sullivan’s performance in the battle has been a subject of debate ever since. Descriptions of his actions range from incompetent to brilliant. Suffice it to say that he and the other American commanders were caught in a classic flanking movement where the British, under Gen. William Howe and under cover of darkness, maneuvered a huge force behind the American lines. They took the Americans completely by surprise.
In the subsequent melee, many in Washington’s army were killed or taken prisoner. Sullivan bravely defended his position until he was surrounded and captured. He was subsequently released by the British in a prisoner exchange. He fought at the battles of Trenton and Princeton, victories that restored faith in American arms. There would be no defeat as disastrous as that suffered in Brooklyn.
In 1777 he led troops in the Battle of Brandywine, and in 1778 commanded American troops in Rhode Island. In 1779 he led a punitive expedition against the Iroquois in upstate New York, many of whom had sided with the British. Sullivan effectively broke their power.
Never a favorite of the Continental Congress, Sullivan’s achievements were largely ignored. He resigned his commission and returned to New Hampshire, where he would go on to hold numerous posts of importance, including governor of the state, before dying on Jan. 23, 1795, at the age of 54. He is buried in Durham, N.H.
The epic struggle of the Battle of Brooklyn is often ignored, while Washington’s subsequent nighttime retreat across the East River is the stuff of legend. A work of historical fiction, “Island Prize,” covers this epochal period of our nation’s history. I am proud to be its author.
In its pages, the events of 1776 come alive through a fascinating cast of characters. Both real and fictional, they sit on all sides of the struggle, whether loyalist or rebel or caught in between, a reflection – almost – of our current day.
“Island Prize” is available on Amazon.com in quality paperback and e-book versions. Since the anniversary of the battle is approaching, no better time exists to learn the story than now. The 250th anniversary is coming up in 2026. Be ready for it!
Longtime Pleasantville resident Brian McGowan was born and raised in the Bronx, and is a second-, third- and fifth-generation Irish-American/Canadian, as his immigrant ancestors followed several paths to the New World. Reach him at brian.m.mcgowan1952@gmail.com. He is the author of three books, “Thunder at Noon,” about the Battle of Waterloo; “Love, Son John,” about World War II; and “Island Prize,” about the Revolutionary War in 1776 New York. All are available at Amazon.com.
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