Battle of Fort Lee

Four days after the fall of Fort Washington, Cornwallis led 6,000 British troops across the Hudson River at Closter, using boats in darkness to land above Fort Lee. The landing was a complete surprise. General Nathanael Greene learned of the approach with barely enough time to evacuate. The Americans fled so hastily that they left behind twelve cannon, two thousand muskets, enormous quantities of ammunition, tents, blankets, and food. The British captured these invaluable stores without firing a shot.

Washington's army — now reduced to perhaps 5,400 effectives — began the 'Retreat Across New Jersey.' Pursued by Cornwallis, the ragged Continental Army staggered southward through New Jersey, crossing the Delaware River at Trenton on December 7-8. Thomas Paine, who witnessed the retreat, wrote the immortal words: 'These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.'

The situation appeared catastrophic. New York was lost, New Jersey was overrun, most enlistments expired at year's end, and Washington's army seemed to be dissolving. His response — the bold Christmas night crossing and attack on Trenton — transformed the entire war. The retreat across New Jersey is studied as an example of how a commander can maintain an army's cohesion even while suffering repeated defeats, preserving the force for the moment when bold action becomes possible.