AH Challenge: American Victory on Long Island

I've got a couple thoughts on how the actual battle of Long Island could've turned out differently, but I'd like to hear your first. I'd also like your views on what effect a British defeat would have on the rest of the war.
 
Okay so 16 views and no replys so I'll just go ahead then.

Intelligence: Washington during the siege of Boston had accurate and steady flow of intelligence on the situation of the British in Boston (numbers of effectives, supply situation). At New York the situation was completely reversed, Washington had no reliable intelligence regarding the disposition or health of the British on Staten Island or Long Island.

Consequently Washington seriously underestimated the strength of the British forces on Long Island(he thought 15,000-20,000 in reality it was over 20,000) and overestimated the threat the British reserve on Staten Island posed to New York(he believed 10,000-15,000 remained in actuality it was only about 2,000). The main reason for this disparity is again Washington did not have accurate intelligence on the number of effectives(over 10,000 were sick due to various camp illnesses).
 

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I wonder how the Regulars can lose, even if they miss the unguarded Jamaica Pass they're going to come storming straight through the Continentals positions.

It is easy to see the utter destruction of Washingtons command, if Howe had pressed the attack as he would on an enemy army. However, neither side sawthe other as the enemy yet....
 
Well the main reason the Jamaica Pass was unguarded was lack of men. The main American army was still on Manhattan largely because Washington feared another British thrust(either up the Hudson or at New York itself). Had Washington possessed accurate intelligence(like he had at Boston)he could've positioned more men on the Guan Heights.

In OTL there were some 9,000 American troops on Long Island. Roughly 6,000 garrisoning Brooklyn Heights with 2,000-3,000 on the Guan Heights, compared to 22,000 British troops landed at Gravesend.

Of course in retrospected its probably a good thing Washington's army was thrown out of New York when they were lest they have been eventually trapped by a British movement up the Hudson.
 
It is easy to see the utter destruction of Washingtons command, if Howe had pressed the attack as he would on an enemy army. However, neither side saw the other as the enemy yet....
After all they were Brothers in the same Masonic Lodge .........
 
I think that Washington getting the army away from the british was victory enough for the Americans.
 
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