The Battle of Fort Washington was a campaign of the American Revolution (1777-83), which was fought on November 16, 1776.During the American Revolution, the battle took place at Washington Heights, New York. Fort Washington was a fort that was controlled by American forces and was positioned at the northernmost tip and highest height of what is now the borough of Manhattan in New York City, overshadowing the Hudson River.Fort Washington was controlled by American forces and was positioned at the northernmost tip and highest height of what is now the borough of Manhattan in New York City, overlooking the Hudson River. The twin forts; Fort Washington together with Fort Lee, located immediately over the river in New Jersey atop the Palisades, were built to protect the lower Hudson against British warships during the summer and autumn of 1776 campaign around New York.Also read our articles, 1st battle of Revolutionary War and when did the revolutionary war start.Facts About Battle Of Fort WashingtonFort Washington and Fort Lee were twin forts and were intended to defend the lower Hudson River from British warships.The British, led by General William Howe, headed south after the Battle of White Plains and decided to take the forts. The army commanded by William Howe wanted to take Fort Washington, Manhattan’s final American stronghold. General Nathanael Greene commanded Fort Lee on the Palisades, on the New Jersey coast. General Nathanael Greene persuaded Washington to stay at the Fort and move his military camp of 1400 soldiers to New Jersey, he was persuaded to fight for it by General Nathaniel Greene.Colonel Robert Magaw led a force of roughly 2900 Continental troops and militia to defend the fort. The American Army, led by General George Washington (for whom the fort was named), was forced to evacuate northward during the combat on and around Manhattan, leaving both Forts Washington and Lee isolated.General Baron Wilhelm von Knyphausen commanded the British Forces, which numbered around 8000 soldiers.American casualties were estimated at 53 killed, 96 wounded, and 2,818 taken prisoner. The number of British casualties was estimated to be around 78 killed and 374 injured.Howe planned to attack the fort from three directions while feinting from a fourth. Lord Hugh Percy was to attack from the south with a mixed force of Hessian and British forces, while General Wilhelm von Kynphausen’s Hessians were to strike from the north.General Nathanael Greene was confident in Fort Washington’s ability to withstand the British and advised General Washington accordingly. He was completely wrong. The British received details about the American defenses and fort plans from an American deserter called William Demont. Three British ships went up the Hudson River, skirting the fortifications and avoiding the buried wrecks. The fort and its ancillary outposts came under cannon fire from British forces in the adjacent hills.Historical Facts About Battle Of Fort WashingtonFort Washington’s eventual position was considered critical to American control of the Hudson River valley against the assaults of the British army.Washington was left with about 2000 men, which he deployed to Fort Lee. Based on his activities, General Howe determined that storming Fort Washington was the next logical step for the British forces and that doing so would severely weaken or eliminate American strength in the area. He began making plans for a multi-pronged, coordinated onslaught to overwhelm the fort’s defenses.The fort’s construction necessitated a tremendous amount of work to deliver enough soil to the site. The fort was completed with five clay walls, each with a buttress. The walls had holes for gun emplacements on all sides, and the fortress was surrounded by around four acres of open land. Aside from the main fort, the fort was ringed by various defenses. Multiple gun batteries were stationed around critical strategic points, and trenches and foxholes were built into the surrounding hills.On November 16, Howe launched the attack with soldiers arriving from three distinct directions. From the south and east, British forces launched an offensive attack. The American officers attempted to placate the Hessian commander. From the north, Hessian forces launched an attack. While the northern attack was hampered by river tides, the southern and eastern assaults went off without a hitch, thanks to artillery support from the south and a British frigate. The Hessian attack was met with fierce opposition from Patriot forces on the north side, but they were soon overwhelmed as well.Washington divided his American army by committing a large number of his forces to defend the New England states and another portion to guarding the Hudson Highlands and preventing future British advances.After the American forces attempted to hold off the British troops as they crossed the river, the southern fortifications of Fort Washington, which were never fully built, collapsed to a British charge. The eastern fortifications were also rapidly overwhelmed by the British onslaught. While the southern and eastern walls were breached, the northern defenders held out for a longer time before succumbing to the onslaught of British troops. The American army withdrew from the trenches and outside defenses to the fort itself as each section of defense failed.When Captain Hohenstein, the British emissary, requested the fort’s surrender, a courier from Washington arrived. While watching the combat from Fort Lee, Washington despatched a courier to Magaw, begging that the fort be held until nightfall so that the surviving men might be evacuated safely. Despite Magaw’s request for four hours to speak with his commanders and make a decision on the surrender request, Hohenstein wanted a response in half an hour. Instead of attempting to hold the fort against the opposing soldiers until nightfall, Magaw chose to surrender it. He tried unsuccessfully to obtain concessions and better terms for his men as a condition of surrender.Facts About Battle Of Fort Washington’s ImportanceThe Battle of Fort Washington plays a significant role in the British victory.The Continental Army suffered around 3000 losses, as well as the loss of cannons and thousands of military supplies, making the war significant. The Americans are forced to flee to the Delaware River for safety. The British may have reversed the course of the war and led to a British victory if they had followed through on their pledge to show no mercy to the Americans.After American troops attacked Canada and burned down government buildings during the War of 1812, the British were urged to attack the former colonies. Because of its symbolic importance, simple access from the sea, and the helplessness of inexperienced American troops to protect it, Washington was chosen as the target. The American flag was removed from the fort around 4:00 p.m. and replaced with the British flag.Facts About The Aftermath Of Battle Of Fort WashingtonThe consequences of the battle of Fort Washington are as follows:Howe lost with 84 men killed and 374 wounded in the battle for Fort Washington. 59 Americans were killed, 96 were injured, and 2838 were taken prisoner. Only about 800 of the men taken prisoner survived their captivity and were exchanged the next year.While the Battle of Fort Washington was a clear and definitive British victory, Washington and his army’s activities following the fort’s capitulation set the stage for future confrontations. Despite the fact that the British captured the fort, troops, and supplies, Washington’s retreat into Pennsylvania prepared the ground for the upcoming battles of Trenton and Princeton, both of which expedited the morale loss inflicted by the setback at Fort Washington. Magaw, Greene, and Washington were inevitably blamed for squandering the men and supplies in the two forts. Greene realized that the lines surrounding Fort Washington were too large for 2900 men to defend, especially in such a chaotic state. Since Washington had some reservations about the fort’s impregnability at the outset, he vacillated before settling on Greene’s decision. This, according to Washington’s trusty friend Reed, was a ‘fatal uncertainty of mind’. After their successful New York campaign, many British soldiers felt light-headed and assumed that the war’s conclusion was nigh. However, Washington’s blunder was not fatal. He wasn’t so disappointed that he dismissed the idea of forming a new army.American troops were forced to surrender Fort Lee three days after Fort Washington fell. After crossing the Delaware River, the remnants of Washington’s army paused their retreat across New Jersey. On December 26, after regrouping, he attacked across the river and defeated Rall at Trenton. The Battle of Princeton was won by American troops on January 3, 1777, as a result of this success.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 111 Battle of Fort Washington facts that everybody should know, then why not take a look at who won the Battle of Bunker Hill, or who won the Battle of Somme.
The Battle of Fort Washington was a campaign of the American Revolution (1777-83), which was fought on November 16, 1776.
