Battle of Paulus Hook The Battle of Paulus Hook was fought on August 19 , 1779 between Continental Army and British forces in the American Revolutionary War . The Patriots were led by Major Light Horse Harry Lee , and launched a nighttime raid on the British - controlled fort in what is today downtown Jersey City . They surprised the British , taking 158 prisoners , and withdrew with the approach of daylight . Despite retaining the fort and its cannons , the British lost much of their control over New Jersey . Lee was rewarded by the Second Continental Congress with a gold medal , the only non - general to receive such an award during the war . The battle . At four o ' clock on the afternoon of August 8 , 1779 , Major Henry Lee , with four hundred infantry and a troop of dismounted dragoons started from New Bridge ( now River Edge , New Jersey ) , on a march of through the woods to make an attack upon the British fort at Paulus Hook . He detached patrols of horse to watch the communication with the North River and stationed parties of infantry at different roads leading to Paulus Hook . At Union Hill he filed into the woods where by the guide ' s timidity , or treachery , the march was prolonged to three hours before gaining the right road . The same night , Colonel Van Boskirk left Paulus Hook with a force of one hundred and thirty men to make a raid upon the neighborhood . Fortunately the two parties did not meet . Major Lee and his men reached Prior ' s Mill at 3 am , August 19 , 1779 ; at 3 : 30 they reached the ditch at what is now the intersection of Newark Avenue and Warren Street . The tide was rising but Lieutenant Rudolph found the canal fordable , and led by Lieutenants McCallister and Rudolph the troops pushed through and soon gained possession of the outer fort . Major Sutherland , who was in command of the fort , retired into a small redoubt with a few officers and forty Hessians . It was nearly daylight and Major Lee had no time to dislodge them . He had intended to burn the barracks , but on finding sick soldiers , women and children in them he refrained . He retreated , carrying with him one hundred and fifty - nine prisoners , officers and men he lost two men killed , and had , three men wounded . Captain Forsyth was ordered to Prior ' s Mill to collect such men as were most fit for action and take a position on Bergen Heights to cover the retreat . This position was in the woods near Bergen and Sip avenues ( today ' s Journal Square ) , said to be about the site now occupied by Dr . Hornblower ' s house , 631 Bergen Avenue . Dr . Hornblower ' s grandmother was then a little girl , Anna Merselis , and that morning in looking for a cow , she came upon Lee ' s soldiers , who detained her while they waited , to prevent her carrying any report of their presence to possible enemies . The troops remained there until messengers had been sent to ascertain if the boats that Major Lee had arranged to have in waiting for him at Dow ' s Ferry were there . He had intended to cross the Hackensack River and by the Belleville Turnpike reach the high ground east of the Passaic River , and thus return to New Bridge ; but the boats had been removed to Newark and Major Lee with ruined ammunition and tired men , encumbered with prisoners , was obliged to return by a route liable to be interrupted by troops from New York City . With undaunted courage and wise precautions the brave troops started on the return march of fourteen miles to New Bridge ; at " Weehock " ( today ' s Weehawken ) Captain Catlett came up with fifty men and good ammunition . At the Fort Lee road Colonel Ball met him with two hundred fresh men , and Major Lee and his men safely reached New Bridge about one o ' clock in the afternoon . The English were greatly annoyed and the Americans exceedingly jubilant over the affair . In a letter to Congress , George Washington said : The Major displayed a remarkable degree of prudence , address and bravery upon this occasion , which does the highest honor to himself and to all the officers and men under his command . The situation of the fort rendered the attempt critical and the success brilliant . Congressional resolution . On the 24th of September , Congress passed the following resolutions respecting the affair : Resolved , That the thanks of Congress be given to His Excellency General Washington for ordering with so much wisdom , the late ' attack on the enemy ' s fort and work at Powles Hook . < br > Resolved , That the thanks of Congress be given to Major General Lord Stirling for the judicious . measures taken by him to forward the enterprise and to secure the retreat of the party . < br > Resolved , That the thanks of Congress be given to Major Lee for the remarkable prudence , address and bravery displayed by him on the occasion ; and that they approve the humanity shown in circumstances prompting to severity as honorable to the arms of the United States , and correspondent to the noble principles on which they were assumed . < br > Resolved , That Congress entertain a high sense of the discipline , fortitude , and spirit manifested by the officers and soldiers under the command of Major Lee in the march , action and retreat , and while with singular satisfaction they acknowledge the merit of these gallant Men , they feel an additional pleasure of considering them a part of an army in which very many brave officers and soldiers have proved , by their cheerful performance of every duty under every difficulty , that they ardently wish to give the truly glorious examples they now receive . < br > Resolved , That Congress justly appreciates the military caution so happily combined with daring activity by Lieuts . McCollister and Rudolph in leading on theforlorn hope . < br > Resolved , That a medal of gold emblematical of this affair be struck , under the direction of the Board of Treasury , and presented to Major Lee . < br > Resolved , That the brevet and the pay and subsistence of Captain be given to Lieuts . McCallister and Rudolph respectively . Medal . Congress also gave Major Lee $ 15 , 000 to be distributed among the soldiers engaged in the attack . On one side of the medal awarded to Major Lee is a bust of the hero , with the words " Henrico Lee , Legionis Equit Praefecto Comitia Americana " . The American Congress to Henry Lee , Colonel of Cavalry . " On the reverse , " Non Obstantib fluminibus vallis astutia et virtute bellica parva manu hostes vicit victosq armis humanitate devinxit . In mem . pugn . ad Paulus Hook , die XIX August , 1779 . " " Notwithstanding rivers and entrenchments , he with a small band conquered the foe by warlike skill and prowess and firmly bound by his humanity those who had been conquered by his arms . In memory of the conflict at Paulus Hook , nineteenth of August , 1779 . "