April 6, 1776

The island where the Statue of Liberty sits today was long known as Bedloe’s Island. It was a strategic location in New York Harbor, especially as the Continental Army began to plan for a potential British attack after General William Howe’s forces evacuated Boston.

This report suggested that British ships “were intrenching and fortifying” Bedloe’s Island “for the Tory refugees.” In response, Continental Army soldiers landed on the island on April 2 and “set fire to all the buildings.” Although HMS Asia fired on the troops in an effort to get them to leave, there was “not one man either killed or wounded.” 

The Pennsylvania Ledger: Or the Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, & New-Jersey Weekly Advertiser
Printed by James Humphreys, Jr.

NEW-YORK, April 3.
[...]
Last night a number of our troops went and set fire to all the buildings on Bedlow’s Island, where the men of war were intrenching and fortifying it for an asylum for the Tory refugees, burnt and brought off all their intrenching tools with a large number of white shirts and great coats, &c. likewise an abundance of poultry of all sorts; the Asia fired on our people, but not one man either killed or wounded.