An American Family History

On August 6, 1776, a Conrad Bloss was a member of Captain Nicholas Kern's company. They were in the Third company of the First Battalion of the Northampton county Associators which was part of the Flying Camp of Ten Thousand men. It isn't clear which Conrad Bloss was a member of this unit. Possibilities include:

They were commanded by Colonel Hart in the Battle of Long Island. The Battle of Long Island is also known as the Battle of Brooklyn or the Battle of Brooklyn Heights. It was fought on August 27, 1776 and was the first major and battle of the American Revolution.

After defeating the British in the Siege of Boston on March 17, 1776, George Washington brought the army to defend New York City. In July, the British landed a few miles across the harbor on Staten Island and their fleet controlled New York harbor. On August 22, the British landed on the western end of Long Island.

They British waited five days and then attacked American defenses on two fronts. In the initial battle, 4,000 Americans were wounded, captured, or died. The worst casualties were in the areas where the Northampton,Pennsylvania men fought. Records of American losses are incomplete. Of more than 70 units serving, more than 52 musters were not completed or have been lost. There were mass burials on the spot.

Frederick Nagel said in his pension application

the regiment to which he belonged got in great confusion, and at about four o'clock in the afternoon his Colonel [Kichline], who was commanding on foot, collected about two hundred of them together and had their arms put in order, for we were in a hollow, and the enemy on a hill. He said he would break through their lines and escape to New York.

When we got about halfway up the hill, the fire of the British came so hard, and so many fell, that the Colonel ordered a retreat. In a few minutes he was taken prisoner, and we all fled in confusion into some briars and high grass, along a pond. About sunset the British and Hessians came upon us and took us prisoners.

The American who were captured faced harsh conditions as they were considered traitors and not prisoners of war. Following the Battle of Long Island the British had thousands of prisoners. They turned a series of aging vessels into maritime prison ships. The British had a standing offer that any prisoner would be released immediately if he joined the British forces, and a number of Americans did so.

A Conrad Bloss was enlisted on September 3, 1776 by Captain Alexander McDonald in the British army.

He appears on the muster roll in January of 1778 at Halifax along with about 16 confirmed members of the Northampton County Flying Camp also captured at Long Island, from Kern's and Hagenbuch's companies.

Conrad Bloss was offered a land grant in Nova Scotia in 1784 and used the grant and settled there after the war.

from History of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Volume 2 by Lehigh County Historical Society, "Bloss Family," by Clinton J. Bloss.

On Aug. 6, 1776, Conrad Bloss was a member of Capt. Nicholas Kern's company, in camp at Perth Amboy, N. J., which composed part of the Flying Camp of Ten Thousand men commanded by Col. Hart in the Battle of Long Island. This was the Third company in the First Battalion of the Northampton county Associators. It is history that most of the men of the First Battalion were either killed or wounded in the engagement with the Britsh on Long Island, Aug. 27, 1776. Doubtless Conrad Bloss lost his life in this battle as we find no trace of him after this date.