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The Time God Intervened to Rescue Washington's Troops from a British Onslaught

General George Washington’s campaign to defend New York against an overwhelming British force involved a series of battles that would become the largest in America’s War for Independence. The Long Island engagement on August 27, 1776 was a catastrophe for the Americans. Thousands of American troops were defeated then trapped in Brooklyn. The movement of Independence declared just weeks prior was nearly crushed in its infancy. Yet God providentially intervened. Unlike modern retellings of our nation’s story that omit that perspective, the historical record bears witness to the “Battlefield Faith” of the American patriots.

After his retreat from Boston to Nova Scotia on March 17, 1776, General William Howe made plans to return to America with his brother, Admiral Richard Howe, along with a massive British Armada crammed with troops and artillery with their sights set on New York. During the summer, their warships kept coming over the horizon, anchoring in the outer New York harbor off Sandy Hook and Staten Island until by the end of August there were 400 of them. Their masts looked like a floating forest. On board were more than 32,000 soldiers and marines, including British regulars, Scottish Highlanders, and thousands of Hessian mercenaries.

General George Washington anticipated their move, hastily constructing fortifications around New York. However, the combined British force was far greater than the estimated 20,000 that Washington had at his command, only about half of whom were fit for battle. By contrast, the Howe brothers commanded the largest Expeditionary force ever assembled by the British Empire to that point in history.

Independence and Dependence

On July 2, the same day that the Continental Congress officially voted in favor of Richard Henry Lee’s motion to sever ties with Great Britain and “That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States,” British troops began to disembark on Staten Island, welcomed by a cheering crowd of loyalists. Intelligence of the growing threat and looming battle prompted General Washington to issue these General Orders:

“The fate of unborn Millions will now depend, under God, on the Courage and Conduct of this Army. … Let us therefore rely upon the goodness of the Cause, and the aid of the supreme Being, in whose hands Victory is, to animate and encourage us to great and noble Actions…”

“The fate of unborn Millions will now depend, under God, on the Courage and Conduct of this Army. … Let us therefore rely upon the goodness of the Cause, and the aid of the supreme Being, in whose hands Victory is, to animate and encourage us to great and noble Actions…”

Washington challenged his men to fight courageously while acknowledging that victory ultimately rested “in the hands” of Almighty God.

On July 9, Washington ordered his troops to gather at 6:00 p.m. and hear the Declaration of Independence read aloud. When the reading was concluded, a chaplain stepped forward and recited Psalm 80:3, “Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.” The Scripture choice was appropriate. Psalm 80 is a national prayer for God’s restoration during a time of........

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