Defensive strongpoints delayed the cautious British advance

Evidence

From the American perspective, Harlem Heights served its purpose in a war-of-posts defensive strategy. It delayed the British advance for weeks as the season for fair-weather warfare in the northern states drew toward a close. The highest spot on York Island with a steep, wooded approach from south and open fields beyond, Harlem Heights presented a fortified post that the British would need to outflank and cut off from the rear at King’s Bridge, which the Americans had also fortified. Doing so took time for a cautious general such as William Howe, who would not risk the losses likely from a Bunker Hill–style assault. — Edward J. Larson, Declaring Independence, 258

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: A war-of-posts defense fails when the invader occupies territory instead of pursuing defenders — Edward J. Larson, Declaring Independence, 261

Broader Connections

• A war-of-posts defense fails when the invader occupies territory instead of pursuing defenders #complicates (0.75) — Edward J. Larson, Declaring Independence, 261