Military History Anniversaries 16 Thru 30 November
Military History Anniversaries 16 thru 30 November Events in History over the next 15 day period that had U.S. military involvement or impacted in some way on U.S military operations or American interests Nov 16 1776 – American Revolution: Hessians capture Fort Washington » During the Revolutionary War, Lieutenant General Wilhelm von Knyphausen and a force of 3,000 Hessian mercenaries lay siege to Fort Washington on Long Island. Throughout the morning, Knyphausen met stiff resistance from the Patriot riflemen inside, but by the afternoon the Americans were overwhelmed, and the garrison commander, Colonel Robert Magaw, surrendered. Valuable ammunition and supplies were lost to the Hessians and 2,818 Americans were taken prisoner. The prisoners faced a particularly grim fate. Many later died from deprivation and disease aboard British prison ships anchored in New York Harbor. Among the 53 dead and 96 wounded Patriots were John and Margaret Corbin of Virginia. When John died in action, his wife Margaret took over his cannon, cleaning, loading and firing the gun until she too was severely wounded. The first woman known to have fought for the Continental Army, Margaret survived, but lost the use of her left arm. Two weeks earlier, William Demont had deserted from the Fifth Pennsylvania Battalion and given British intelligence agents information about the Patriot defense of New York, including information about the location and defense of Fort Washington. Demont was the first traitor to the Patriot cause, and his treason contributed significantly to Knyphausen’s victory. Nov 16 1776 – American Revolution: The United Provinces recognize the independence of the United States.
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