The Battle of Pell's Point Reenactment at Orchard Beach

Step back in time and experience the intense action and drama of the Battle of Pell's Point (or Battle of Pelham) on its 250th anniversary! Join us at Orchard Beach in Pelham Bay Park to commemorate the most important battle in The Bronx during the American Revolution on its 250th anniversary. This won’t happen again for another 50 years! This is a FREE event so feel free to show up with or without a ticket. The event starts with a bang at 10:00 AM, when the tall ship Lynx fires its cannon in the waters off of Orchard Beach. Then the whaleboat Albatross will bring British sailors to a dramatic landing on the sand. Reenactors will represent the invading Crown forces as they confront the Patriot resistance from Colonel John Glover and his famous Marblehead Mariners, and other regiments all in historic uniforms. Spectators will experience the landing and a fully narrated reenactment of the Battle of Pell’s Point/Pelham, hear fife & drums, watch military drills and maneuvers and hear from George Washington, British General Howe, Colonel Glover, and a Marblehead Mariner. Get there early to see the maneuvers! Plenty of Free parking available in the Orchard Beach parking lot. Lead organizers: • Revolutionary Westchester 250 • Bronx County Historical Society • Kingsbridge Historical Society • SUNY Maritime College • St. Paul’s Church National Historic Site • From The Bronx • The Town of Pelham More about the battle of Pell’s Point: On October 18, 1776, approximately 750 Patriot soldiers under Colonel John Glover – including the14th Continental Regiment, also known as the Marblehead Mariners, and three other Massachusetts regiments — executed a brilliant tactical engagement that delayed and resisted a much larger British force under General William Howe. Howe’s troops had landed on the Pell’s Point peninsula hoping to disrupt American supply lines and possibly block the northward escape of General George Washington’s Continental Army from northern Manhattan, where it was facing the balance of the British forces. This little acknowledged but pivotal battle delayed the British and helped Washington’s forces to successfully evacuate Manhattan in 1776 and survive to continue the fight for independence. The following events will acknowledge the anniversary of the most consequential Revolutionary War battle within the boundaries of the modern Bronx. This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development in partnership with the City Council. The Kingsbridge Historical Society’s programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.