Within the Haunting Bedrock: Part 7. First Occupation, Then Destruction by Fire | September 15-21, 1776

After the Declaration of Independence, General William Howe led over 30,000 troops and warships and took over Stanton Island in July. With his brother, Admiral Richard Howe, they took over Long Island in August. This forced George Washington to order the Continental Army to retreat about ten miles north of the city. On September 15, Howe occupied Manhattan, chosen for its good harbor and its central position between the northern and southern colonies. Supplying the troops was easier by sea, plus many residents held Loyalist sympathies. But on September 20 through 21, the Great Fire of 1776 burned through Lower Manhattan, only a few days after occupation.

The fire began near what is now Whitehall Street in Battery Park, probably at the Whitehall Slip. In 1776, Manhattan’s population was about 25,000, concentrated on its southern tip. Strong winds pushed the flames through the densely packed wooden buildings. The blaze destroyed much of the Lower West Side and hundreds of structures, including Trinity Church. St. Paul’s Chapel survived, but the fire destroyed 10% to 25% of the city.

The British and the Patriots blamed each other for the fire, but there is no definitive proof showing who started it. Although not the worst New York disaster, it occurred at a pivotal moment in the American Revolution when Britain had just occupied lower Manhattan and imposed martial law. Thousands of soldiers, sailors, and government officials crowded into the confined space. Loyalists streamed into the city seeking British protection, making housing scarce and expensive. Soldiers occupied buildings and commandeered resources. Military authorities heavily regulated trade. Much of the city suffered from overcrowding, disease, food and sanitation shortages, and periodic fires.

On October 20, the first of sixteen British prison hulks anchored in Wallabout Bay, off the shores of Brooklyn. When it anchored, the Whitby held imprisoned Continental Army soldiers, American sailors, and privateers operating for the Patriot cause. The view of prison hulks across the East River became a permanent fixture during the war.