Battle of Fort Slongo

Continental cavalry under Major Benjamin Tallmadge raided Fort Slongo on Long Island's north shore in October 1781, just two weeks after Yorktown's surrender. Tallmadge crossed Long Island Sound with about 100 men in whale boats, marched inland to the small British fortification, and captured the garrison in a brief night assault.

The operation was one of many small raids along Long Island's shores throughout the war, part of the intelligence-gathering and supply-denial operations that Tallmadge conducted as head of Washington's secret service. Tallmadge was Washington's chief spymaster as well as a combat officer, managing the Culper Spy Ring that provided valuable intelligence from occupied New York City throughout the war.

The Fort Slongo raid demonstrated that partisan operations continued even after the decisive victory at Yorktown, as both sides waited for peace negotiations to produce a formal settlement. Tallmadge went on to a distinguished post-war career, eventually serving in Congress.