Kammala jumla mai zuwa: Yayin da Hale ke ɓoye, Birnin New York (to, yankin da ke kudancin kudancin Manhattan, mafi yawa a kudancin abin da yake yanzu Chambers Street) ya fadi ga sojojin Birtaniya a ranar 15 ga Satumba, kuma an tilasta Washington ta koma arewacin tsibirin a Harlem Heights (abin da yake yanzu Morningside Heights). Ba da daɗewa ba bayan haka, a ranar 21 ga Satumba, kashi ɗaya cikin huɗu na ƙananan ɓangaren Manhattan ya ƙone a cikin Babban Wutar New York na 1776. Daga baya an yi tunanin cewa 'yan ta'addan Amurka ne suka fara wuta don hana birnin daga fadawa hannun Birtaniya, kuma ko da yake an ba da shawarar yin wuta a New York a lokacin da Washington ya janye, Washington da Birtaniya sun yi watsi da wannan shawara.
Majalisa ta yi watsi da ra'ayin kuma ta musanta alhakin. Amurkawa sun zargi sojojin Burtaniya da fara gobarar ba tare da umarni daga shugabanninsu ba don su iya kwashe garin. A sakamakon gobarar, sama da 'yan kishin Amurka 200 ne' yan Birtaniya suka tsare don yin tambayoyi.