Rubuta ci gaba don wannan sakin layi - 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 wa Washington komawa 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 bisani 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 koma baya, Washington da Majalisa
ya yi watsi da ra'ayin kuma ya 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.