Capture and Evacuation of Fort Lee

On the morning of November 20, 1776, George Washington and Nathanael Greene quickly ordered the evacuation of Fort Lee. The action came as British and Hessian forces under Lord Cornwallis landed nearby, following the crossing of the Hudson begun the night of November 19. The Battle of Fort Lee marked the successful invasion of New Jersey and the subsequent general retreat of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. During the week leading up to the evacuation, an informant rowed back and forth across the river gathering information for General Washington on the anticipated movements of the British forces.