The Battle of Harlem Hights

Here ya go kids

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How could I have become a Queens Ranger? Just a few years back I would never have imagined myself in this position. In 1776 the war for the independence of the colonies was brought to New York. I made the decision of siding with the crown, an action I would later regret.

At the time this tale takes place, New York was in the hands of the British with the threat of the Colonial army attacking growing with each passing day. The cities defenses were shored up at a fevered pace. Many of the local men joined an organization called The Queens Rangers to help defend their city. The Queens Rangers are a loyalist militia group under command of Robert Rogers, a colonial frontiersman who fought in the Seven Years War and now the Revolution. I quickly enlisted like so many others, but nothing could have prepared us for the horrors of war.

I was dispatched to Harlem Heights, and served as light infantry. On September 16, 1776 we ran into Knowlton's Rangers, an elite reconnaissance and espionage detachment of the Continental Army. The light infantry pursued the rangers but in doing so strayed too far from British lines and were cut off from support.

Washington ordered his troops to flank around and cut off our retreat, but the colonial troops didn't succeed in doing so and instead put pressure on our flank. We retreated and linked with British reinforcements, with these reinforcements we turned and made a stand against Washington's troops. After two long hours of fighting, low on ammunition we fell back and joined up with the main army.

After this battle those who survived, of which there were few, could hardly manage day to day life for a time. It was as if we re-lived the battle every day with no power to stop it or change the outcome. With time the survivors, myself included would regain senses and once again join the war effort.

To be continued

Yay first published story.