usly attacked and turned, he was forced to fall back upon a second
position, in which he remained unmolested for several days, when
(November 1) he moved still farther back, to the heights of North
Castle, where he felt himself quite safe from attack.

Howe had now manoeuvred Washington out of all his defences except Fort
Washington, which by General Greene's advice was to be defended, though
now cut off from all support.

[Sidenote: Fort Washington taken.]

Things remained in this situation until November 16, when the fort was
assaulted on three sides, with the result that the whole garrison of
about 3,000 men were made prisoners of war.[5] At some points the
resistance was obstinate, notably at the north, and again at the east,
where one of the attacking divisions attempted to gain the rocky shore
back of the Morris House, under Harlem Heights. A British officer,[6]
there present, says of it that "before landing the fire of cannon and
musketry was so heavy that the sailors quitted their oars and lay down
in the bottom of the boats, and had not the soldiers taken the oars and
pulled on shore we must have remained in this situation."

[Sidenote: Effect on the army.]

[Sidenote: Washington and Lee.]

The loss of the garrison of Fort Washington, 2,000 of whom were regular
troops, was universally regarded as the most severe blow that the
American cause had yet sustained, and it had a most depressing effect
both in and out of the army, but more particularly in the army, as it
tended to develop the growing antagonism between the commander-in-chief
and General Lee, who had ineffectually advocated the evacuation of Fort
Washington when the army was withdrawn from the island. Lee's military
insight had now been most decisively vindicated. His antipathy to
serving as second in command became more and more pronounced, and was
more or less reflected by his admirers, of whom he now had more than
ever. Worse still, it was destined soon to have the most deplorable
results to the army, the cause, and even to Lee himself.

Footnotes:

[1] A British brigade was sent down to the city in the course of the
evening.

[2] A contraction of Throgmorton's Neck. As this was an island at high
tide, the Americans quickly barred the passage to the mainland by
breaking down the bridge.

[3] On account of the want of wagons this was very slowly done, as the
wagons had to be unloaded and sent back for what could not be brought
along wit