General Howe arrives in the outer harbor of New York; his ships begin sailing up the undefended Narrows between Staten Island and Long Island on July 2, and start landing troops on the undefended shores of Staten Island that day.

General Washington learns from prisoners taken that Howe has landed ten thousand men, but is awaiting the arrival of another fifteen thousand.

Washington, with a smaller army of about nineteen thousand effective troops, lacks significant intelligence on the British force and plans, and is uncertain exactly where in the New York area the Howes intend to strike.

He consequently splits the Continental Army between fortified positions on Long Island, Manhattan and other mainland locations, and establishes a "Flying Camp" in northern New Jersey.

This is intended as a reserve force that can support operations anywhere along the Jersey shore of the Hudson.