It is said so completely to have overcome him that he wept "with the tenderness of a child."

By the hands of a daring messenger Washington managed to get a note to Magaw, telling him that if he could hold out till night, he would then endeavour to bring off the garrison. The messenger was one Captain Gooch, of Boston, whose intrepidity reminds one of some mighty deed from the sagas. General Heath is authority for the following account of his adventure :

He ran down to the river, jumped into a small boat, pushed over the river, landed under the bank, ran up to the fort and delivered the message, came out, ran and jumped over the broken ground, dodging the Hessians, some of whom struck at him with their pieces and others attempted to thrust him with their bayonets; escaping through them, he got to his boat and returned to Fort Lee.

But Magaw found it impossible to hold out. Already the summons to surrender had been made, and found him surrounded by troops that had been driven in from all sides by the overwhelming force of the enem\\ The fortress was so filled with men that movement was difficult and further defence impossible. Fort Washington was therefore surrendered. Thus ended the American occupancy of Manhattan

Forts Washington and Lee 191

Island. Washington's own reflections upon the closing scene, given in a letter to his brother Augustine, will throw much light upon the difficulties that beset him, and his frame of mind regarding an action against which his better judgment rebelled. This is a most unfortunate affair and has given me great mortification; as we have lost, not onlv two thousand men, that were there, but a good deal of artillerv, and some of the best arms we had.