Battle of Fort Lee
- When
- 1776
- Where
- Fort Constitution, later Fort Lee, on the Hudson Palisades; Fort Lee bluff above Burdett's Landing, overlooking Fort Washington; Hudson River crossing to Lower Closter Landing (Huyler's Landing); Fort Lee, on the crest of the Hudson Palisades; Road from Fort Lee, now Main Street, through New Jersey
- Episodes
- 5
In November 1776, British and Hessian forces invaded New Jersey, forcing the Continental Army to abandon Fort Lee on the Hudson Palisades and begin a general retreat across the Jerseys after the loss of Fort Washington left the fort defenseless.
Episodes
- Construction and Renaming of Fort Constitution
Washington ordered a fort on the Hudson's west side; construction began in July 1776, and it was renamed Fort Lee in September.
- Fall of Fort Washington
The defeat and capture of Continental troops at Fort Washington on November 16, 1776 left Fort Lee defenseless.
- British and Hessian Crossing of the Hudson
On the night of November 19, 1776, 5,000 British troops were ferried across the Hudson on barges, beginning the invasion of New Jersey.
- Capture and Evacuation of Fort Lee
Washington and Greene ordered Fort Lee's evacuation on the morning of November 20, 1776, as British and Hessian forces invaded New Jersey.
- Retreat Across the Jerseys
The Continental Army's general retreat began along a road now Main Street; during it Thomas Paine published "The American Crisis".
Background and detail
Background. Fort Lee, originally named Fort Constitution, stood on the crest of the Hudson Palisades in Hackensack Township, New Jersey, opposite Fort Washington at the northern end of Manhattan Island. Construction began in July 1776 under orders from George Washington, who directed General Mercer to summon troops and erect a fort on the west side of the Hudson. It served as a key defensive position protecting the Hudson River from British forces, and was renamed for General Charles Lee at the end of September 1776.
Course of the Battle. Fort Lee was rendered defenseless after Continental Army troops holding Fort Washington were defeated and captured on November 16, 1776, a battle Washington witnessed from the Fort Lee bluff above Burdett's Landing. The invasion of New Jersey began the night of November 19, when 5,000 British troops were ferried across the Hudson on barges. Lord Cornwallis landed a force of between 2,500 and 5,000 at the Lower Closter Landing, later known as Huyler's Landing, on November 20, 1776.
Aftermath and Retreat. George Washington and Nathanael Greene quickly ordered the evacuation of the fort on the morning of November 20, 1776. The retreat began along a road that is now Main Street, and during it Thomas Paine authored and published his pamphlet "The American Crisis" in Philadelphia, opening with the phrase "These are the times that try men's souls". The battle marked the successful invasion of New Jersey and the subsequent general retreat of the Continental Army.
People involved
- George Washington · Commander of the Continental Army; ordered the fort's construction and its evacuation
- Nathanael Greene · Continental Army general; ordered the evacuation of Fort Lee
- Lord Cornwallis · British commander who landed forces at Huyler's Landing on November 20, 1776
- Charles Lee · Continental Army general for whom Fort Lee was named
- General Mercer · Continental Army general ordered to erect the fort
- Thomas Paine · Author of "The American Crisis", published during the retreat
Sources
- Fort Lee Historic Park Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-22
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.