Battle of Fort Washington

The Battle of Fort Washington took place on November 16, 1776. Fort Washington was located at the northern point of New York City, overlooking the Hudson River. The fort was key to defending the lower Hudson River. Prior to this battle, General William Howe and his British troops had defeated the Americans at the Battle of White Plains. After the retreat, George Washington divided his Army. Seven thousand troops were sent east of the Hudson to prevent a British invasion of New England. General Washington with 2,000 men went to Fort Lee in New Jersey, across the Hudson River from Fort Washington. George Washington considered abandoning the Fort, but General Nathanael Greene convinced him to leave troops there to help defend against a British attack on New Jersey.

General Howe attacked the fort from three sides with about 8,000 British and Hessian troops, artillery, and naval support. Washington watched the battle from the other side of the river. He sent a message to the fort saying to hold out until dark, at which time the fort would be evacuated. Unfortunately, by the time the note reached the Fort Washington, the fort had almost been completely surrounded. General Howe had sent a message to the fort giving them half an hour to surrender. They could not hold out until nightfall. Fort Washington was forced to surrender. A total of 59 Americans were killed in the battle, and 2,837 were taken prisoner by the British.

After the battle, George Washington and his army retreated across New Jersey and into Pennsylvania. From this position, Washington would later counter attack at the Battle of Trenton and Battle of Princeton. Check out these videos to learn more about the Battle of Fort Washington.

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