Brooklynites gathered across the borough this weekend to commemorate the anniversary of the Battle of Brooklyn, and honor the revolutionary patriots at rest in Kings County.
In Fort Greene Park, the Society of Old Brooklynites convened at the Prison Ship Martyr’s Monument on Aug. 28 to pay tribute to the American soldiers buried there.
The monument is the final resting place of more than 11,500 men and women who were captured by the British during the Revolutionary War and stowed on prison ships in New York Harbor.
Thousands of prisoners died aboard the ships, with many interred in shallow graves along the Brooklyn coast, where thousands of bodies were discovered in the early 19th century, leading to a temporary monument being erected near the Brooklyn Navy Yard in 1808.
The remains of the deceased patriots were eventually moved to their current site in 1873, 30 years after the federal legislature approved an act to secure land for the bodys in the park that would replace the neighborhood’s namesake fort.
Across town in Green-W0od Cemetery, locals gathered for a commemoration of the 245th anniversary of the Batttle of Brooklyn, co-sponsored by the historic Old Stone House.
The event featured historical reenactors in period costumes, demonstrations, storytelling, and sea-shanty sing alongs, all on land where the Battle of Brooklyn was fought 245 years ago.
The Battle of Brooklyn was the largest battle of the revolution in terms of the sheer amount of soliders on either side. While the Continental Army was a victory for the British, George Washington was succesful in moving most of his troops to safety and living to fight another day.
“Green-Wood is proud to again remember the crucial role Brooklyn played in the birth of our nation. We come together to honor the American heroes who fought so valiantly 245 years ago,” said Richard Moylan, President of Green-Wood.
