Heights of Guan
Encyclopedia
The Heights of Guan was the New York colonial era name given to a series of hills which extend in a ridge along the northern
portion of Long Island
. The ridge extends in an east northeast direction starting from the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn, with hills of varying heights of 100 to 150 feet, with the southern slope of the ridge having a relatively steep drop and the rear, a more gradual slope. The ridge marks the terminal moraine
of the Wisconsin Glacier that formed Long Island
, south of the ridge is the outwash plain
bordered by the Atlantic Ocean
.
During the American Revolution
the hills played a stategic role during the Battle of Brooklyn. The ridge formed a natural defensive line against an attacking force from the south due to the steepness of the southern slope and the heavily wooded terrain covered in dense brush. There were only four passes through the Heights of Guan.
portion of Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
. The ridge extends in an east northeast direction starting from the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn, with hills of varying heights of 100 to 150 feet, with the southern slope of the ridge having a relatively steep drop and the rear, a more gradual slope. The ridge marks the terminal moraine
Terminal moraine
A terminal moraine, also called end moraine, is a moraine that forms at the end of the glacier called the snout.Terminal moraines mark the maximum advance of the glacier. An end moraine is at the present boundary of the glacier....
of the Wisconsin Glacier that formed Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, south of the ridge is the outwash plain
Sandur
A sandur is a glacial outwash plain formed of sediments deposited by meltwater at the terminus of a glacier.- Formation :Sandar are found in glaciated areas, such as Svalbard, Kerguelen Islands, and Iceland...
bordered by the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
.
During the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
the hills played a stategic role during the Battle of Brooklyn. The ridge formed a natural defensive line against an attacking force from the south due to the steepness of the southern slope and the heavily wooded terrain covered in dense brush. There were only four passes through the Heights of Guan.
- Gowanus Pass: Where 7,000 troops under General James Grant attacked 2,000 troops under Lord Stirling after the initial skirmish of the battle at the Red Lion InnRed Lion Inn (Brooklyn)The Red Lion Inn was a tavern in Colonial New York located on Long Island in what is today the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The inn named in honor of King Henry V for the tavern he rested in after the Battle of Agincourt, was at the junction of three country roads: the Narrows Road which led...
. - Flatbush Pass (Battle Pass), where the Flatbush Road cut through the pass. The Americans had chopped down a large oak tree called the Dongan Oak to block the road and the pass at a location which is in today's Prospect ParkProspect ParkProspect Park may refer to:* Prospect Park , a park in Brooklyn, New York, United States* Prospect Park , a park in Troy, New York, United States...
. - Bedford Pass: The troops defending this pass retreated toward the Battle Pass after being outflanked. Today the location of the pass is a small street known as Clove Road.
- Jamaica Pass: The lightly guarded pass on the Jamaica road that the British used to outflank the Americans after capturing the four American horseman on guard. Howe forced William Howard, owner of Howard's Tavern located on the Jamaica Road to the south of the Heights of Guan, and his fourteen year old son, to show him the way to an old Rockaway Indian trail, called the Rockaway Path, which skirted the pass itself. It is in today's Evergreen Cemetery.