October 26, 1776

After British forces took control of New York City, they also took control of Hugh Gaine’s printing house. On October 7, the New-York Gazette and Weekly Mercury was printed at the sign of the Bible and Crown, but not by Gaine, and the contents decidedly favored the British occupiers. A copy of this newspaper traveled from New York City to Long Island and then to Connecticut, where several articles were printed in the Connecticut Gazette and later copied by the Pennsylvania Evening Post. 

The articles reported on “HIS Majesty’s forces” and their “possession of the city of New York,” which had been “obtained with very little difficulty and loss on the part of the troops.” The Battle of Long Island was described as a “rout” in which the “rebels” ran away. The New-York Gazette praised the British forces, who were “in remarkable good health and spirits,” and treated “even ungrateful rebels with pity and humanity.” The British troops had not even lost one hundred men, “while the rebels, by the best accounts, cannot have lost fewer than between four and five thousand in killed, wounded, and taken prisoners,” not to mention “deserters, who leave them daily.” 

The New-York Gazette also blamed the “savage burning” of New York City on the night of September 20 on “New-England incendiaries” and called it “a lasting monument of their inveterate malice against the trade and prosperity” of the colony of New York, “as well as of their rooted disaffection to British law and government. The reporting cast the rebels as flailing cowards and the British as the inevitable victors.

The Pennsylvania Evening Post
Printed by Benjamin Towne

From the CONNECTICUT GAZETTE.

The following articles are taken from the New York Mercury, printed in New York, at the house lately kept by Mr. Gaine, which we received via Long island.

NEW-YORK, October 7.

HIS Majesty’s forces are now in possession of the city of New-York island. They are also in possession of Powle’s hook, and command the East river and Connecticut sound. All this has been obtained with very little difficulty and loss on the part of the troops; the rebels, after the battle, or rather rout of the twenty seventh of August, having never attempted to face the soldiers, but fled every way with the utmost precipitation. They quitted works, which they had been laboring upon during the whole summer without scarce the conflict of a day. The King’s forces are in remarkable good health and spirits, and seem resolved to convince the world, that they not only bear the name but the nature of Britons; and, while that they fight with their usual ardor in the cause of the King and constitution, they know how to treat even ungrateful rebels with pity and humanity. They consider, that many of them are seduced and misled by designing men, who, under pretence of patriotism, are sacrificing the interests and happiness of this whole continent to their own sordid interest and ambition. 

The King’s troops have not sustained the loss of one hundred men; while the rebels, by the best accounts, cannot have lost fewer than between four and five thousand in killed, wounded, and taken prisoners; to mention nothing of deserters, who leave them daily.

So vast a fleet was never seen together in this port, or perhaps in all America before. The ships are stationed up the East river or Sound, as far as Turtle bay; and, near the town, the multitude of masts carries the appearance of a wood. Some are moored up the North river; others in the bay, between Red and Yellow hook; some, again, off Staten island; and several off Powle’s hook, and towards the Kills. The men of war are moored chiefly up New York sound, and make, with the other ships, a very magnificent and formidable appearance. Five men of war have been detached from the squadron into the North river, above Greenwich, probably to assist the operations of the army against the rebels, who still remain on the northern extremity of this island, and on the heights about Kingsbridge.

It is said the Flora frigate of thirty two guns, commanded by Capt. Brisbane, is preparing to sail, with several transports under convoy.

We are informed by a gentleman just escaped from New-England, that the rebels have lately carried many hundred head of cattle from the east end of Long-island, to New London in Connecticut, and that their privateers are very busy in negotiating this kind of business, and have moreover committed some of their usual tyrannical and oppressive acts, upon several loyal subjects in those parts.

The savage burning of this city by the New-England incendiaries, will be a lasting monument of their inveterate malice against the trade and prosperity of this colony, as well as of their rooted disaffection to British law and government. They had long threatened the performance of this villainous deed; and this is the best return that the people of property in this city, who have espoused their cause, are to expect for their heedless credulity.

On Thursday last arrived here from England, a number of transports under convoy, having on board the seventeenth regiment of light horse, under the command of Lieut. Col. Harcourt.