Battle of Edgar's Lane

The Battle of Edgar's Lane was a skirmish in the American Revolutionary War on September 30, 1778 between a force of 80 Hessians and 120 Continental dragoons under Major Henry Lee. The skirmish was fought in the village of Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. The skirmish would be a morale-boosting victory for the Continental Army and Major Henry Lee.

Previously the British army secured a victory during a sneak attack at the Baylor Massacre. This happened in Riverdale, New Jersey where a large British surprise attack occurred during one and three o'clock in the morning. The British snuck into a town filled with 116 men of the 3rd regiment of continental light dragoons.^[1] There were 15 continental casualties, and 54 wounded or captured. The British led by Maj. Gen. Sir Charles Grey, Major Turner Straubenzee and Major John Maitland only had one casualty.^[2]

Peter Post, who owned Post's Tavern, heard word of a Hessian marauding party which would be coming through the next day. He sent word to the Continental troops, who organized a force of 120 dragoons to ambush the Hessians. When the Hessians rode through as expected the next day, Post directed them towards Edgar's Lane, where the dragoons were hidden in the surrounding trees. When the Hessians rode through, the Continental dragoons fired a volley, killing some Hessians. The surviving Hessians ran towards the ravine on the Hudson River, the dragoons giving chase.^[3] Many Hessians fell down the ravine. Some Hessians were shot in the water, others drowned, and the rest were taken prisoner. In all, the Continental dragoons killed 23 Hessians, winning the skirmish, along with losing no men.

Two markers have stood on the site for several decades. One, a New York State plaque commemorating the battle, stands on the corner of Edgar's Lane and Broadway, Hastings-on-Hudson.^[4] The other, a boulder-mounted commemorative bronze plaque dedicated by the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1938 sits at the east edge of Wagner Park, on the site of where the battle took place. Most recently, a commemorative installation titled "Revolutionary Walk" was dedicated to the public on September 30, 2021, the 243rd anniversary of the battle. The installation sits within Sheldon Wagner Park in Hastings-on-Hudson and features a landscaped plaza with seating. Six illustrated panels in the Walk explore the historical context surrounding the battle, details of the engagement itself, and a summary of the aftermath. Revolutionary Walk was created by the members of Revolutionary Hastings, "a committee of the Hastings Historical Society, dedicated to developing new awareness of the Battle of Edgar’s Lane and its context in the American Revolutionary War."^[5]

Part of the action of Austin Wright's novel Tony and Susan takes place on Edgar's Lane, and the battle is mentioned.