Battle of Fort Washington

The Battle of Fort Washington was a battle fought in the American Revolutionary War between the United States and Great Britain. The battle, fought on November 16, 1776, was a decisive British victory and the entire garrison of Fort Washington was forced to surrender. After defeating the Continental Army under the command of their Commander-in-Chief, George Washington, at the Battle of White Plains the British army, under the command of William Howe, looked to capture the last American stronghold, Fort Washington, on Manhattan. George Washington had thought of abandoning the Fort and removing its garrison of 3,000 men to New Jersey but had been convinced by General Nathaniel Greene to defend it. On November 16, Howe launched his attack on the fort. The assault came from three different directions, the north, east and south. The attack was delayed due to tides in the Harlem River that prevented some of the troops from landing. When the attack did begin, the southern and western American defenses fell quickly. In the North there was stiff resistance to the Hessian attack but they too were eventually overwhelmed.