1776: British Invasion of New Jersey

1776: British Invasion of New Jersey. . , At Lower Closter Dock – on the riverfront just south of here – a British invasion force of 5,000 troops commanded by Lord Cornwallis landed before dawn on November 20, 1776. Guided by three Bergen County residents, they climbed the rough road to the top of the Palisades and marched south to capture the American stronghold at Fort Lee, hoping to bring an early end to the American Revolution. However, being warned by a lookout, the outnumbered soldiers at Fort Lee were able to retreat across the Hackensack River at New Bridge and keep the struggling rebellion alive., By September 1776 – two short months after the July 4 Declaration of Independence of the thirteen American colonies – British troops had won a battle against George Washington’s army on Long Island and then captured and occupied New York City. On November 16, the British captured Fort Washington, the Americans’ last outpost on Manhattan Island. Across the river was Fort Lee. On November 20, an invasion force of 5,000 British and Hessian troops under the command of Lord Cornwallis crossed the Hudson River in 200 flatboats. They landed in the early morning hours at Lower Closter Dock, now known as Huyler’s Landing. Unfamiliar with the geography and roads of New Jersey, the British troops were guided by three Bergen County residents loyal to the Crown: John Aldington, Isaac Perkins, and Joseph Hawkins. They made the arduous ascent up the rough road to the top of the Palisades., As the sun rose, Lieutenant John Clifford of Heard’s Brigade, New Jersey State Troops, saw the British army crossing the river. Clifford commandeered a horse and rode to alert the American garrison at Fort Lee. Fearing they would be trapped on the narrow neck of land between the Hudson and Hackensack Rivers, Fort Lee’s commander, General Nathanael Greene, ordered an immediate retreat. General George Washington joined them and marched at the head of the troops as they crossed the New Bridge over the Hackensack on their route to the relative safety of Pennsylvania., Accompanying the Americans from Fort Lee, Thomas Paine wrote about the “times that try men’s souls” in The American Crisis to garner public support for the American cause. , Placed by the Bergen County Historical Society in cooperation with the Palisades Interstate Park Commission . 2019 , , < Sidebar: > , Retracing their footsteps . . . , 1) Lower Closter Dock (now Huyler’s Landing) . Trailside marker at the site of 1776 British landing. Trail access only. For more information: njpalisades.org., 2) Fort Lee Historical Park , 33-acre park covering a portion of the historic fortifications of Fort Lee with reconstructed gun batteries, a blockhouse, soldiers’ and officers’ huts, a visitor center, and views of the George Washington Bridge, the Hudson River, and the Manhattan skyline. Grounds open seven days; Visitor Center open Wednesday to Sunday. For more information: njpalisades.org., 3) Liberty Pole Marker at West Palisade Avenue and Lafayette Avenue in Englewood. A strategic crossroad and location of a Liberty Pole, symbol of American protest against the British. Site of a major skirmish in September 1778., 4) Historic New Bridge Landing State Park , 13-acre park spanning the Hackensack River and portions of four towns. Location of the 1744 “New Bridge” over the Hackensack, replaced in 1889 by a swing bridge, now open to pedestrian traffic. Site of eleven engagements in the American Revolution, including the American retreat from Fort Lee across the bridge in 1776. Park includes the 1752 Steuben House (a state historic site), the Campbell-Christie House, the Demarest House, the Westervelt Thomas Barn, and an out-kitchen. Grounds open dawn to dusk; building open for special events. For more information: bergencountyhistory.org.