Revolution on the Island, Part 3: Occupation, sacrifice and spies helped lead to American victory
When British forces occupied Long Island in 1776, daily life for residents changed almost immediately.
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The Revolutionary War continued for seven more years after independence was declared in 1776, and Long Island played a critical role in the struggle that ultimately secured American victory.
When British forces occupied Long Island in 1776, daily life for residents changed almost immediately. According to Beverly Tyler, a historian with the Three Village Historical Society, British authorities required men throughout the island to formally pledge allegiance to the king.
“They went to every single village green and they made every man give pledge allegiance to the king, written,” Tyler said.
Residents also faced the loss of food, livestock and other property as both British and Patriot forces sought resources to support their military efforts.
“The British constantly came into the local towns, seeking their quota to provide to the garrisons and the forage depots,” said Andrew Freleng, commander of the 3rd New York Regiment reenacting unit.
Patriot forces conducted their own raids from across Long Island Sound.
“Patriots would come from Connecticut to also seize crops and cattle,” said Town of Huntington Historian Robert Hughes. “And what they couldn't carry back they would burn to keep it out of British hands. So the locals are really suffering.
Many Long Islanders were forced to work for the British military during the occupation, while some Patriot families fled the island altogether. Among them was William Floyd, Suffolk County’s only signer of the Declaration of Independence. Floyd escaped to Connecticut to avoid arrest and possible execution. During the war, British forces occupied his estate in present-day Mastic Beach and converted it into a cavalry barracks.
As soldiers fought elsewhere, families who remained on Long Island often found themselves living alongside occupying troops.
“They had to cook meals for them and prepare everything for them,” Hughes said. “So you can imagine what it would have been like to be basically a single mother and having to deal with an occupying army.”
While British forces controlled the island, Patriot resistance increasingly moved into the shadows. In 1778, Setauket native Maj. Benjamin Tallmadge organized the Culper Spy Ring, an intelligence network that operated across Long Island and New York City. One of its key members was Robert Townsend, who grew up in Oyster Bay.
“Robert Townsend was a core member of the spy ring,” said Justinne Lake-Jedzinak, director of education at Raynham Hall Museum. “The majority of his spy activity took place in the city where he had a store.”
The network gathered intelligence on British military operations using coded letters, invisible ink, aliases and carefully coordinated crossings of Long Island Sound. Their objective was to keep Gen. George Washington informed about British activities.
“These are ordinary people who were ardent patriots who really did extraordinary things,” said Margo Arceri, founder of Tri-Spy Tours. “They risked everything for the country they believed in.”
The Culper Spy Ring proved especially valuable in 1781, when its reports confirmed that British troops in New York would not reinforce their army in Virginia.
“This is exactly what the spy ring was designed for, right?” Lake-Jedzinak said. “To determine the movements of the British Army and where they were going.”
Tyler said the network’s greatest achievement was earning Washington’s confidence through reliable intelligence.
“He trusted the Culper Ring," Tyler said.
That intelligence provided Washington with a strategic advantage and helped clear the way for the American victory at Yorktown, which effectively brought the Revolutionary War to an end.
Though much of Long Island spent the war under British occupation, the island’s residents, sacrifices and spy network played a significant role in the fight for American independence.
PREVIOUS PARTS OF REVOLUTION ON THE ISLAND
Revolution on the Island: Long Island divided as America moved toward independence
