Attacks of Fort Washington by his Majesty’s Forces under the command of General Sir William Howe, November 16th, 1776. This view shows the three-pronged attack, with the British (in red) and Hessian (in blue) forces against the Americans (in yellow). It also affords an excellent look at the challenging topography of upper Manhattan. From D.T. Valentine’s Manual of the Corporation of the City of New York, 1861.
In late October 1776, the British successfully forced the Americans into a retreat at the Battle of White Plains. Notably, they failed to follow up the attack, allowing George Washington to move his troops to a formidable position in North Castle. Rather than pursue the Americans, General William Howe turned his sights on Fort Washington, which was the last American stronghold on Manhattan, and the one that prevented the British from fully controlling New York.
Operations after the Evacuation of New York, 1776. This shows the engagements that occurred in Westchester County in October, including the failed landing at Throgg’s Neck, the Battle of Pell’s Point, and the Battle of White Plains. From Pictorial Field Book of the Revolution, Vol II by Benson John Lossing.
Fort Washington was positioned atop the highest point in Manhattan. Designed by Rufus Putnam, it was constructed over the summer to help protect New York City. However, unlike other fortifications in New York, the five-sided earthen structure was hastily built and only surrounded by abatis, rather than a strong defensive palisade. While it had a small store and offices, it did not have barracks for soldiers, and significantly lacked a well, requiring men to descend the heights to the river below and back to get water. Although the fort had a commanding location and was protected by a line of defenses and redoubts, including Fort Cox Hill (on Inwood Hill), the Laurel Hill redoubt (later renamed Fort George), and the Forest Hill redoubt (on Long Hill, which would later become Fort Tryon), it would prove to be inadequate.
The relationship of Fort Washington to the street grid in upper Manhattan, drawn in 1898 by Edward Hagaman Hall. The Boulevard Lafayette connected to The Boulevard (which later became Broadway) at 156th Street, and later became Riverside Drive. From A Memorial from the Empire State Society of the Sons of the American Revolution to the honorable mayor and municipal assembly of the city of New York, praying for the erection of a suitable monument to mark the site of Fort Washington.
The fort was located across from Fort Constitution, later named Fort Lee in honor of General Charles Lee. Below the fort was a point of land jutting into the Hudson River called Jeffrey’s Hook, which had a lunette battery covered by a small redoubt up the hill. From here, a line of chevaux-de-frise were sunk to prevent British ships from continuing up the river, although these proved insufficient in doing so. The guns at Fort Washington, which may have numbered as many as 32 artillery pieces, could fire upon the frigates that were sent up the river, and greatly damaged one of the British ships in late October.
Jeffrey’s Hook and the remnants of the lunette battery. Today the enlarged point is the site of both the pier of the George Washington Bridge and the Jeffrey’s Hook Light, better known as the Little Red Lighthouse. From The Bombardment of New York by Reginald Pelham Bolton.
Colonel Robert Magaw was in charge of the fort and thought that the American force could successfully defend the heights. However, by early November, Washington and Lee thought that the fort should be abandoned, with its defenders falling back to New Jersey to join the bulk of the army. However, General Nathanael Greene also thought that the heights could be defended, and sent reinforcements to Magaw. The number of soldiers at the fort increased to around 3,000, many of whom were sent to the three defensive lines to the south of the fort (they roughly ran along 147th Street, 153rd Street, and 159th Street).
New York Island from the Morris House to McGowan’s Pass. This provides a great view of the three lines of defense and batteries used by the Americans to try and stave off the British attack that was coming from the south and southeast. From The Capture of Mount Washington by Edward F. De Lancey.
On November 2nd, William Demont, who had previously served as Colonel Magaw’s adjutant, deserted Fort Washington and defected to the British, providing them with plans of the fort and its outer defenses. In the wake of the Battle of White Plains, Hessian General Wilhelm von Knyphausen had moved to displace the remaining Americans from Fort Independence and occupy the heights on the Bronx side of the Harlem River. With this and the intelligence from Demont, Howe formulated a plan to dislodge the Americans from York Island (Manhattan).
Fort Washington and its related defenses, after an 1898 map by Edward Hagaman Hall. Numbers 1-8 are fortifications built in the Bronx to help defend upper Manhattan, the largest of which, number 4, was known as Fort Independence. Number 10 is Fort Cox Hill, 12 is the Laurel Hill redoubt that became Fort George, 13 is the Forest Hill redoubt that became Fort Tryon, and 14 is Fort Washington, which became Fort Knyphausen. Number 21 is the “point of rocks,” overlooking the Hollow Way. From Excursion Planned for the City History Club of New York, No. 4 by Frank Bergen Kelley.
On November 15th, Howe demanded that the Americans surrender, but Magaw was undeterred, replying that “I am determined to defend this post to the very last extremity.” The next morning the British and Hessians began their three-pronged attack. They were covered by artillery from the heights on the east side of the Harlem River and from The HMS Pearl firing from the Hudson. Knyphausen led a force of 4,000 Hessians through King’s Bridge and the low, marshy ground that is now Inwood.
A German map showing Knyphausen’s attack to the north of Fort Washington. For the remainder of the war, there were two camps, one for the British, and another for the Hessians, established in Inwood next to Fort Cox Hill. From The Capture of Mount Washington by Edward F. De Lancey.
Attacking from the north, they quickly captured Fort Cox Hill and its battery, and began the arduous task of scaling Long Hill. It was during this engagement that gunner John Corbin was shot and killed. His wife Margaret Corbin, a camp follower, took over his position, continuing to reload and clean the cannon throughout much of the attack. The fire from this redoubt was hot and attracted counterfire from the Hessians, and Margaret too was felled, although she was not mortally wounded. She was taken prisoner and later received a half pension for her valiant efforts.
The topography just to the northeast of Fort Washington, showing the land the Hessians gained. On the right is Laurel Hill (Fort George Hill), and on the left is Long Hill (sometimes also called Mount Washington). When Bennett Avenue was being constructed, bullets and an unexploded shell were found. From Washington Heights Manhattan, Its Eventful Past by Reginald Pelham Bolton.
The remains of Fort Tryon. The redoubt had been expanded by the British, and became a popular place for people to visit. From Old New York: From Its Earliest History to About the Year 1868 by Bayard L. Smith.
An aerial view of Fort Tryon Park, with the Cloisters under construction to the left, 1936. Towards the top middle is the location of the Forest Hill redoubt, where Margaret Corbin fought alongside other soldiers defending Fort Washington. From Fort Tryon Park: A New and Distinctive Unit of the New York City Park System by Raymond H. Torrey.
The memorial to Margaret Corbin below Fort Tryon. C.K.G. Billings’ Tryon Hall mansion can be seen on the upper left. The magnificent driveway that leads up to it, which could once be accessed directly from the Boulevard Lafayette, still stands, as does the monument, although today it can only be reached by foot. From Washington Heights Manhattan, Its Eventful Past by Reginald Pelham Bolton.
As the Hessians proceeded to fight their way up the heights, a force of 2,000 British under General Edward Mathew and supported by Lord Cornwallis were being ferried across the Harlem River. They were tasked to climb Laurel Hill and take the redoubt, which was defended by 200 men. On the southern side of the fort, two forces converged. The first, under Colonel Thomas Stirling, was a feint to the southeast designed to lure the Americans out of their lines, which was successful. The second force, numbering 3,000 under Hugh Percy, including Howe himself, came up from the Hollow Way (125th Street) and approached the Point of Rocks. As they captured the defensive lines, they also captured the Morris Mansion, which Washington had used as headquarters during the Battle of Harlem Heights.
The Point of Rocks, which was the southernmost defensive line protecting Fort Washington. It was from here that Washington had directed troop movements during the Battle of Harlem Heights two months earlier. From New Harlem Past and Present: The Story of an Amazing Civic Wrong, Now at Last to be Righted by Carl Horton Pierce, 1903.
With the outer defenses overrun, the Americans retreated back to Fort Washington, which was becoming overcrowded. With the British pressing in, and the Hessians finally able to take Long Hill and the redoubts, Magaw saw no other choice but to surrender. The British captured the entire garrison and its supplies in what was one of the worst losses of the war for the Americans. Most of the 2,837 soldiers captured were sent to the prison ships rotting away in Wallabout Bay. Of those captured at Fort Washington, only 800 survived the war.
The view from Fort Washington, 1860 (top) and a fanciful plan of Fort Washington, with some artistic liberties taken to show what it might have looked like if it was properly built (bottom). From Pictorial Field Book of the Revolution, Vol II by Benson John Lossing.
Following the battle, Fort Washington was dubbed Fort Knyphausen, and the redoubt to the north was named Fort Tryon after Governor William Tryon. The redoubt to the east was dubbed Fort George, and would later be expanded. Manhattan was controlled by the British for the duration of hostilities, although there was skirmishing in the Bronx, including a battle just to the northeast in what is now Van Cortlandt Park. Three days after the fall of Fort Washington, the Americans abandoned Fort Lee, and the army began making its way south through New Jersey.
A proposed memorial arch to honor the soldiers who fought to defend Fort Washington, designed by Charles I. Berg, 1898. It would be 45 feet high and 42 feet wide. From A Memorial from the Empire State Society of the Sons of the American Revolution to the honorable mayor and municipal assembly of the city of New York, praying for the erection of a suitable monument to mark the site of Fort Washington.
Dedication of the Fort Washington Monument, November 16, 1901. The Empire State Society of the Sons of the American Revolution and the American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society came up with a monument and asked James Gordon Bennett Jr., who owned the land, to sponsor the monument, which he did. The monument, designed by Charles R. Lamb, has been altered but still stands today in what is now Bennett Park. From Fort Washington: An account of the identification of the site of Fort Washington, New York City, and the erection and dedication of a monument thereon Nov. 16, 1901, published by the The Empire State Society of the Sons of the American Revolution.