A Revolutionary War soldier who died in 1776 will be honored Monday at Hillsboro's Veterans Gateway. The United States was only six weeks old when Private William Moore and the rest of his battalion were attacked by British forces.
The Battle of Brooklyn Heights, also known as the Battle of Long Island, was the first major battle of the Revolutionary War, and was a loss for the Americans. Some 50,000 British and American soldiers fought over several miles of Brooklyn in what was the largest battle of the entire war.
On Aug. 27, 1776, British forces attacked, surrounding the Americans. While a contingent of British soldiers attacked their front, the main army surrounded the Americans to attack their flank as well.
A member of the Pennsylvania First Battalion's rifle regiment, Moore and his father joined the army in April 1776. His unit was responsible for guarding the hills to the far left of the American line.
According to Salsberry, Moore and about 230 other colonial soldiers attacked the well-armed British infantry, which outnumbered them nearly 4 to 1. Their early morning charge, Salsberry said, alerted Americans of the flank attack by the British, which gave troops the chance to safely get behind American lines.
Moore's unit suffered heavy casualties. About 209 of the men were either killed or listed as missing at the end of the battle.
"It was hopeless," Salsberry said. "They were outnumbered, and the British had bayonets. The Americans had only muskets, but they alerted the line that the British were there. Because of this, most of the Army was able to get behind fortified lines and Washington made his great escape from New York, and the rest is history."
When Salsberry learned of her ancestor, she approached Pack about small service to remember the fallen Revolutionary War soldier.
