On this day 250 years ago in New York there was no combat between the American and British Armies. Brig. Gen. George Clinton of New York observed that
Deserters (especially from the Queen’s light dragoons) come daily over to us, and now and then our rangers send in a straggling prisoner.
However, that day the Hessians under Lt. Gen. Knyphausen marched from New Rochelle to Kingsbridge. The Hessians occupied Fort Independence which had been abandoned by the Continental Army and cut off the path of retreat north into Westchester County for the Americans in Fort Washington on Manhattan. And that night Ensign William Demont, the adjutant to Col. Robert Magaw in command of Fort Washington, defected to the British carrying complete plan of the fort’s defenses and additional intelligence recorded in this ominous account in the journal of a British officer:
A man named Diamond, who says he was Ensign and Adjutant, and acted as Major of brigade in the Rebel Army, deserted yesterday from their advanced post. He says the Rebels remaining on this Island amount to about 2000 men, who, if they are obliged to abandon their advanced works, are to retire into Fort Washington, and defend it to the lastt extremity, having therein two Months provisions, many Cannon, and plenty of Ammunition. He says there are great dissentions in the Rebel Army, everybody finding fault with the mode of proceeding, and the inferior officers, even Ensigns, insisting that, in such a cause, every man has a right to assist in Council, and to give his opinion. They are much distressed for Clothing. The people from the Southern Colonies declare they will not go into NewEngland, and the others that they will not march to the Southward. If this account is true in any degree, they must soon go to pieces.
Sources: https://founders.archives.gov/?q=%221%20November%201776%22&s=1111311111&r=2 at n.4; Schecter at 243; Fischer, Washington’s Crossing at 113; https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/demont-william; Mackenzie Diary at 95-96 accessed at https://archive.org/details/diaryoffrederick21ptunse/page/94/mode/2up
Demont’s treason contributed to the capture of Fort Washington two weeks later, and he deserves blame for the lives of almost 2000 American soldiers who died of mistreatment in British captivity afterwards. Throughout American history there has been almost a singular focus on the treason of Gen. Benedict Arnold, obscuring the fact that other American officers defected to the British during the War, and that Arnold’s intelligence did not lead to the defeat of Americans in combat. That was largely due to the decision of Gen. Washington to ignore the defection of lower ranking officers and men to avoid damaging American morale but to make an example of Arnold’s treason.
Today in 2026, on the eve of an election that could spell the end of America’s experiment as a democratic republic, I cannot help but think that Demont’s example should show us that the greatest threat to America does not come from invaders from foreign lands, but from those who have sworn to defend the United States and betray our trust.
