06/02/2026
Trapped. Outnumbered. Escaped. 🛶✨️🇺🇸
Our :NYC series continues! Today, we trace the steps of one of the most miraculous military escapes in history.
In late August 1776, British forces landed on Long Island and began . After fierce clashes at Battle Pass and the heroic stand of the Maryland 400, General George Washington’s army was forced back to Brooklyn Heights. Pinned against the East River with little ammunition and a massive British fleet blocking any daylight escape, the Continental Army faced total destruction.
With no other options, Washington ordered a daring, highly secretive nighttime evacuation. While Brigadier General Thomas Mifflin’s Pennsylvania brigade stayed behind to tend campfires and trick the British, the rest of the army slipped away in the dark. Despite an initial struggle against harsh winds and swift currents, the weather miraculously calmed.
By August 29, Washington personally oversaw the successful ferrying of his entire force across the river without losing a single life (all ~9,000 troops crossed unharmed)—saving the Continental Army to fight another day.
A special thank you to CPT Jessica Munoz, company commander, U.S. Army Brooklyn North Recruiting Company, for walking with us through Fort Greene and Dumbo today!
Tag along and learn as we visit:
●Fort Greene Park and the site of historic Fort Putnam
●The Prison Ship Martyrs' Monument to honor the 11,500+ Patriots who died in captivity during the Revolutionary War
●Fulton Ferry Terminal in Dumbo, known then as "Brookland Ferry"— the exact spot where Washington's army made their miraculous escape.
Stay locked in as we continue to cover during our celebration of Freedom250:NYC! The Battle of Brooklyn may now be over...but the battle for Manhattan, and America as we know it - has only JUST begun!
FortGreene Dumbo GeorgeWashington RevolutionaryWar PrisonShipMartyrs Freedom250NYC TheBattleofBrooklyn