A long time ago in August of 1776, a battle was fought. This battle was called the Battle of Long Island. General George Washington and General William Howe were fighting over New York for the harbor. The battle was fought on August 27th, 1776. General George Washington talked to his men and told them his plan and so did General William Howe. The British did end up winning the battle. During the night, 4000 of the British soldiers slipped around Patriot lines. On August 29th, Washington fled with the rest of his troops across the East River. Washington knew that the British were not done fighting. A Patriot Nathan Hale volunteered to be a spy for General George Washington and his troops. First, he disguised himself as a Dutch school teacher. He got caught and sadly got hanged. His last words were, “I only regret that I have but one like to lose for my country.” The British won the battle once and for all.