into New Jersey, going into camp in the
neighborhood of Fort Lee, where Greene's small force was united with his
own command.[1] Orders were also despatched to Ticonderoga, to forward
at once all troops to the main army that could be spared. Fort Lee had
thus become the last rallying-point for the troops under Washington's
immediate command, and in that sense, also, a menace to the full and
free control of the lower Hudson, which the guns of the fort in part
commanded at its narrowest point. Howe determined to brush away this
last obstruction without delay.

[Sidenote: Fort Lee taken.]

Regarding Fort Lee as no longer serving any important purpose, perhaps
foreseeing that it would soon be attacked, Washington was getting ready
to evacuate it, when on the night of November 19[2] Lord Cornwallis made
a sudden dash across to the New Jersey side, passing Fort Lee
unperceived, landed a little above the fort at a place that had
strangely been left unguarded, climbed the heights unmolested, and was
only prevented from making prisoners of the whole garrison by its
hurried retreat across the Hackensack. Everything in the fort, even to
the kettles in which the men were cooking their breakfasts, was lost.

As regards any further attempt to stay the tide of defeat, all was now
over. The enemy had obtained a secure foothold on the Jersey shore from
which to march across the State, when and how he pleased. Unpalatable as
the admission may be, the fact remains that the Americans had been
everywhere out-generaled and out-fought. Nearly everything in the way of
war material had been lost in the hurried evacuation of New York.[3]
Confidence had been lost. Prestige had been lost. Clearly it was high
time to turn over a new leaf. With this lame affair the first division
of the disastrous campaign of 1776 properly closes, and the second
properly begins. It had been watched with alternate hope, doubt, and
despondency. Excuses are never wanting to bolster up failing
reputations. The generals said they had no soldiers, the soldiers
declared they had no generals; the people hung their heads and were
silent.

[Illustration: AMERICAN POSITION BEHIND THE HACKENSACK.]

Footnotes:

[1] The Eastern troops remained on the east bank of the Hudson, under
Lee's command, while those belonging to the Middle and Southern colonies
crossed the Hudson with Washington. This disposition may have been
brought about by the belief that the soldiers of each