page_title: Battle of Fort Washington
section_title: Movements
hierarchical_section_title: Battle of Fort Washington / Background / Movements
caption_attribution_description: English: This map depicts the northern end of Manhattan, and the military fortifications in the area in 1776, during the American Revolutionary War. It has markings describing the military movements of the Battle of Fort Washington, fought November 16, 1776. The map's caption reads: A Topographical Map of the Northn. Part of New York Island, Exhibiting the Plan of Fort Washington, now Fort Knyphausen, With the Rebels Lines to the Southward, which were forced by the Troops under the Command of the Rt. Honble. Earl Percy, on the 16th Novr. 1776, and Survey'd immediately after by Order of his Lordship, By Claude Joseph Sauthier. To which is added the Attack made to the Northd. by the Hessians Survey'd by Order of Lieutt. Genl. Knyphausen. Published by Permission of The Rt. Honble. the Commissioners of Trade &amp; Plantations. By Wm. Faden, 1777.
context_page_description: The Battle of Fort Washington was a pre-organized, pitched battle fought in New York on November 16, 1776 during the American Revolutionary War between the United States and Great Britain. It was a British victory that gained the surrender of the remnant of the garrison of Fort Washington near the north end of Manhattan Island. It was one of the worst Patriot defeats of the war.
  After defeating the Continental Army under Commander-in-Chief General George Washington at the Battle of White Plains, the British Army forces under the command of Lieutenant General William Howe planned to capture Fort Washington, the last American stronghold on Manhattan. General Washington issued a discretionary order to General Nathanael Greene to abandon the fort and remove its garrison – then numbering 1,200 men but which later to grow to 3,000 – to New Jersey. Colonel Robert Magaw, commanding the fort, declined to abandon it as he believed it could be defended from the British. Howe's forces attacked the fort before Washington reached it to assess the situation.
  Howe launched his attack on November 16. He led an assault from three sides: the north, east and south.
context_section_description: British General William Howe, after first gaining control of western Long Island in the Battle of Long Island at the end of August 1776, launched an invasion of Manhattan on September 15.  His northward progress was checked the next day in the Battle of Harlem Heights, after which he sought to flank the strong U.S. position on the north of the island.  After an abortive landing attempt on October 11, Howe began landing troops in southern Westchester County, New York on October 18, intending to cut off the Continental Army's avenue of retreat.  Washington, aware of the danger, withdrew most of his troops north to White Plains.  He left a garrison of 1,200 men at Fort Washington under the command of Colonel Robert Magaw; this force was inadequate to fully defend the extensive works. In order to monitor the U.S. garrison in the fort, Howe left Hugh Percy and a small force below Harlem Heights.
  On the morning of October 27, sentries informed Magaw that Percy's troops were launching an attack supported by two frigates sailing up the Hudson. Magaw ordered an attack on the frigates, and both British ships were badly damaged by the guns from Fort Lee and Fort Washington. The frigates could not elevate their own guns to the height of the U.S. positions. The British towed away the frigates, but an artillery duel continued for some time between British and U.S. gunners.
  On November 8, about two dozen U.S. soldiers drove off a slightly larger Hessian company from a forward redoubt. The Hessians held higher ground with better cover and had the advantage of artillery support throughout this minor skirmish, but were still unable to maintain their position. A single Colonial man was wounded in the encounter while at least two Hessians had been killed and an unknown number of others wounded. After burning and looting the temporary structures on the site, the victors occupied it until dark when they returned to their main lines. By the next day the Hessians had reoccupied the spot but were quickly driven off again by a larger U.S. force. This time the Hessians left ten dead with, again, a single U.S. wounded.
  Because of these minor successes, Magaw became overconfident; he boasted of being able to hold the fort through a siege to the end of December. On November 2, Magaw's adjutant, William Demont, deserted and supplied British command with detailed plans of the fortifications. Percy sent the information on to Howe, who had defeated Washington a few days earlier at the Battle of White Plains.  During the weeks between Washington's northward retreat and the British assault on the fort, reinforcements continued to trickle in to the fort, increasing the size of the garrison to nearly 3,000 men.
caption: Battle map
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