Fort Washington (NY)-- Part 3: Only 800 of 2,838 Americans Captured Survived

The British were immensely helped in their attack with information given them by one of Col. Magaw's officers, William Demont, who had deserted November 2 and had given detailed information on the fort.

American losses were 53 killed and  and 96 wounded in addition to the rest of the garrison being captured.  The British and Hessian troops had 132 killed and 374 wounded.  2,834 Americans were captured and marched through the streets of New York where they were jeered by a pro-British crowd.

Most of them were interned in British ships in the harbor where they were deliberately starved or died of disease in the really cold winter.  At the exchange, only 800 had survived.

These were the conditions that James McHenry (who Fort McHenry was named after) protested as he was also captured at Fort Washington.

--Brock-Perry