Fort Washington was a fortified position near the north end of Manhattan Island (now part of New York City) and was located at the highest point on the island. Manhattan Island, in New York Harbor, is much the largest part of the Borough of Manhattan, one of the Five Boroughs which form the City of New York The City of New York
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Establishment
During George Washington's defense of New York, during the American Revolution, Fort Washington and Fort Lee (on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River) were created to both prevent the British from going up river and to provide a secure escape route. George Washington (February 22 1732 December 14 1799 served as the first President of the United States of America (1789&ndash1797 and led the New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots" New Jersey ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. The Hudson River, called Muh-he-kun-ne-tuk, the Great Mohegan by the Iroquois, or as the Lenape Native Americans called it in Unami [1] [2] General Washington realized he would have to defend New York but did not think he could hold it against the British.
Evacuation
When Washington was forced to abandon New York, he crossed from Fort Washington to Fort Lee where its namesake, General Charles Lee commanded. Charles Lee may refer to Charles Lee (general (1732&ndash1782 American Revolutionary War Charles Lee (basketball [3]
Battle of Fort Washington
Forth Washington was held by American forces under the command of Colonel Robert Magaw, who refused to surrender the fort to the British. Background Fort Washington was a fort located at the northernmost tip and highest elevation of what is now the borough of Manhattan in New York City Robert Magaw (1738-1790 was a lawyer from Carlisle Pennsylvania who served as a colonel in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located He informed the British that he would fight to the last extremity.
British General William Howe ordered Hessian mercenaries under Lieutenant General Wilhelm von Knyphausen, and other British soldiers, totaling around 8,000 men, to capture the fort from the Patriots. William Howe may refer to William Howe (actor (born 1994 actor William Howe (architect, patented Howe Truss for covered bridges Wilhelm Reichsfreiherr zu Innhausen und Knyphausen (1716 &ndash 1800 was a Hessian General during the American Revolutionary War. Background Fort Washington was a fort located at the northernmost tip and highest elevation of what is now the borough of Manhattan in New York City This article concerns Patriots in the American Revolution. For other uses see Patriot (disambiguation. They did so on November 16, 1776, taking 2,818 prisoners and a large store of supplies. Events 534 - A second and final revision of the Codex Justinianus is published Year 1776 ( MDCCLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a The British renamed it Fort Knyphausen. [4]
The English had been materially assisted by one of Magaw's officers, William Demont, who on November 2 had deserted and furnished Howe with detailed plans of the American works. The American losses were 53 killed and 96 wounded in addition to the rest of the garrison taken prisoner. The British and Hessian troops suffered 132 killed and 374 wounded.
At this battle was Margaret Corbin of Virginia, who is recognized as the first female soldier to fight in the American Army. Margaret Corbin ( November 12, 1751 – January 16, 1800) was a woman who fought in the American Revolutionary War. Married to John Corbin of the First Company of the Pennsylvania Artillery, Margaret cleaned, loaded and fired her husband’s cannon when he was killed during the assault on Fort Washington. Although severely injured, Margaret survived the battle but never fully recovered from her wounds, leaving her unable to use her left arm. She is at least one of the candidates as the woman, or women, who inspired the legend of Molly Pitcher. Molly Pitcher was a nickname given to a girl who loved a man who may have fought in the American Revolutionary War.
The modern day location of Fort Washington is marked by Bennett Park on Fort Washington Ave. Bennett Park ( James Gordon Bennett Park) is a public park in New York City. between West 183rd and West 185th Sts. in the Hudson Heights neighborhood of the Washington Heights section of New York City. Hudson Heights is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, located within the larger area known as Washington Heights. Washington Heights is a New York City neighborhood in the northern reaches of the borough of Manhattan. The City of New York The location of the fort's walls are marked in the park by stones, along with an inscription. Nearby is a tablet indicating that the schist outcropping nearby is the highest natural point on Manhattan island, one of the reasons for the fort's location.
The park is a few blocks north of the George Washington Bridge. The George Washington Bridge (known informally as the GW Bridge, the GWB, the GW, or the George) is a Suspension bridge spanning Along the banks of the Hudson River below is Fort Washington Park and the small point of land alternately called Jeffery's Hook or Fort Washington Point, which is the site of the Little Red Lighthouse. The Hudson River, called Muh-he-kun-ne-tuk, the Great Mohegan by the Iroquois, or as the Lenape Native Americans called it in Unami The Little Red Lighthouse (officially known as the Jeffrey's Hook Lighthouse) is a small Lighthouse located on the Hudson River in New York City
Further reading
- De Lancey, The Capture of Fort Washington, the Result of Treason, (New York, 1877)
- Dawson, Battles of the United States, (New York, 1858)
- Carrington, Battles of the American Revolution, (New York, 1876)
- McCullough, 1776, (New York, 2005)
- Jenkins, Stephen. "The Greatest Street in the World: The Story of Broadway, Old and New, from the Bowling Green to Albany," p 326. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1911.
References
- ^ McCullough, David. David Gaub McCullough (mə-kŭl'ə (born July 7, 1933 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) Born and raised in Pittsburgh McCullough later attended 1776. 1776 is a book written by Historian David McCullough, first published by Simon & Schuster on May 24, 2005. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2005. ISBN 0-7432-2671-2
- ^ Nelson, Paul David. "Lee, Charles". American National Biography
- ^ McCullough, David. The American National Biography is a 24 volume set containing approximately 17400 entries and 20 million words David Gaub McCullough (mə-kŭl'ə (born July 7, 1933 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) Born and raised in Pittsburgh McCullough later attended 1776. 1776 is a book written by Historian David McCullough, first published by Simon & Schuster on May 24, 2005. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2005. ISBN 0-7432-2671-2
- ^ Jenkins, Stephen. The Greatest Street in the World: The Story of Broadway, Old and New, from the Bowling Green to Albany. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1911. p326.