How a pre-Halloween storm that helped the Continental Army escape the British

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THE TAKEAWAY

A Halloween storm helped the Continental Army escape British forces after losing the Battle of White Plains in New York.
Heavy rain and winds raged for about 20 hours beginning the night before Halloween, allowing George Washington and his men to retreat.
Without the severe weather, the American Revolution would have ended just a year into the campaign with a final British assault on Washington.

As Halloween approaches, the holiday's rich history makes for a memorable weekend nationwide. Still, many may not realize that during the Revolutionary War, a pre-Halloween storm helped the Continental Army escape British forces in pursuit, keeping the revolution alive.

On July 28, 1776, a pre-Halloween storm that lasted through the holiday helped the Continental Army successfully retreat from New York into New Jersey after the Redcoats seized control of the state.

The storm and retreat unfolded over several days as British forces pursued American troops, while a key battle delayed the advance and allowed the Americans to withdraw.

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The Battle of White Plains began on Oct. 28, 1776, when George Washington ordered soldiers to set up defenses in White Plains, New York, in Westchester County, just outside New York City.

The battle took place after British forces took control of New York City on Sept. 15. Over the next month, the Continental Army steadily moved out of the region as Washington decided to abandon its positions on Manhattan Island and move north into White Plains.

The 28th North Gloucestershire Regiment of Food, aka the Slashers, crossing the Bronx River at the Battle of White Plains during the American Revolutionary War, USA, 28th October 1776. Incorrectly captioned on the print 'The Slashers at the battle of the White Plains 1775'. (Hulton Archive / Getty Images)

By this point, British naval and ground forces had landed at Pell’s Point in Pelham on Oct. 18, putting significant pressure on the American strategic retreat.

At the time, American troops realized the army wouldn’t make it far, so a small force led by Colonel John Glover decided the best bet for a successful retreat was to delay the British advance as long as possible while the rest of the army moved to White Plains, where he and his remaining men would rejoin them for the next engagement.

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Débarquement des troupes Angloises à Nouvelle Yorck. View of British troops disembarking at New York following the patriot evacuation of the city, September 15, 1776. Artist Unknown, 1778. ( Pierce Archive LLC/Buyenlarge / Getty Images)

During this time, Washington ordered soldiers to set up defenses in White Plains, digging entrenchments in anticipation of a harsh assault by British and Hessian troops.

On Oct. 28, 1776, British forces, along with 8,000 Hessian troops, descended on White Plains, and the battle began.

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Hessians were German Auxiliary soldiers hired by the British to fight against the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.

Both armies were badly bruised during the conflict, with the Americans being outgunned and outmanned, which allowed the enemy to advance.

The Death of General Mercer at the Battle of Princeton, January 3, 1777 displays several events at the Battle of Princeton. At the center, American General Hugh Mercer, with his horse beneath him, is mortally wounded. At the left, American Daniel Neil is bayoneted against a cannon. At the right, British Captain William Leslie is shown mortally wounded. In the background, American General George Washington and Doctor Benjamin Rush enter the scene. Artist John Trumbull. (Pierce Archive LLC/Buyenlarge / Getty Images)

They held off a bombardment of artillery, gunfire and bayonet charges from the Redcoats until British mounted infantry swooped in, causing panic and Americans to scatter, allowing the line to falter and become overrun by enemy forces.

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After multiple waves of attacks, British forces eventually broke through the main conflict area at Chatterson Hill and threatened occupied American White Plains from the South and West, allowing opposing general William Howe to sit and assess the situation.

The Americans suffered around 320 casualties while the British had around 230, according to American History Central.

The American retreat from Long Island at the end of the Battle of Long Island, August 27, 1776 during the American Revolutionary War. After a 19th century engraving. (Ken Welsh/Design Pics/Universal Images Group / Getty Images)

The battle ended by 5 p.m., but the conflict was far from over, as troops from both sides remained in the area until Nov. 4.

However, Howe did not take advantage of this, which could have ended the revolution with a successful attack against Washington.

On Oct. 30, Howe planned to attack Washington and his army, which he had held up in White Plains where he wanted them, and intended to advance on Halloween.

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This proved lucky for the Continental Army, as a storm moved in overnight, bringing heavy rain and winds that raged for about 20 hours and prevented Howe from advancing into White Plains.

The severe weather gave Washington and his army a rare opportunity to retreat to North Castle and eventually to New Jersey after losing control of New York.

BOSTON, MA - JUNE 17: A painting depicting The British Army overpowering the Colonialist position during the Battle of Bunker Hill at the beginning of the Revolutionary War on June 17, 1775 outside Boston, Massachusetts. ( Ed Vebell / Getty Images)

Although the Americans lost the Battle of White Plains, it remains an important part of U.S. history because it allowed the Continental Army to escape and keep the revolution alive.

If not for severe weather that brought downpours and strong winds, everything could have ended on Halloween with the British at the doorsteps of our nation's first leader.

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This later set the stage for a monumental counterattack across the Delaware River on Christmas Night that same year, when the successful Battle of Trenton took place.