Retreat Across New Jersey

Sponsored by Crossroads of the American Revolution

• Location: New Jersey
• Travel Type: Driving
• Tour Duration: 1 hour
• Language:

About This Tour
This driving tour takes you along a 15-mile route that marked some of the darkest days of the Revolutionary War — the Continental Army’s loss of Fort Lee and the first days of a nearly three-week retreat from the British.
 
On this tour, you will revisit events that Thomas Paine famously described as “the times that try men’s souls.” But this is not just the tale of military maneuvers; it is also the story of a local population whose loyalties were deeply divided.
 
Some of the historic figures you’ll encounter along this journey include:
●     General George Washington
●     Henry Knox, Washington’s artillery commander
●     Lord Cornwallis, who led the British to Fort Lee
●     General Nathanael Greene, who commanded Fort Lee until he was forced to ordered the American evacuation of it
●     Other memorable American rebels and Crown forces
●     Local residents who helped the opposing armies on both sides
 
Our story starts at the Palisades, along the Hudson River, and features historic sites such as:
●     The former location of Fort Washington, where the British captured nearly 3,000 American soldiers
●     Fort Lee, named after General Charles Lee after his successful defense of Charleston
●     The Liberty Pole, where General Washington decided to retreat with his outmanned forces
●     New Bridge, where Continental forces crossed the Hackensack River during their retreat
 
Other tour highlights include:
●     The fascinating role that people of color played in this stage of the war, both in an integrated regiment of Black, indigenous and white sailor-soldiers, and on the British side, which many African American men joined based on the promise of freedom after the war.
●     The debunked legend of a local mystery man who warned the Continental Army at Fort Lee of the approaching British.
 
Tour Sponsor
This tour is brought to you by the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area and was made possible by the generous support of the New Jersey Historic Trust and the National Park Service.
 
Find More Tours Near You
If you are interested in more audio tours like this one, check out the Washington Slept Here and Ten Crucial Days tours. (You can listen to all TravelStorys tours both on-site and remotely!) To find many more tours in New Jersey, or wherever your travels may take you, visit TravelStorys.com. Every place has a story.