New York City

1732–1799 · Continental Army Commander-in-Chief · General

Commander-in-chief who fought desperately to hold New York in 1776, lost the city after the Battle of Long Island, and returned in triumph on Evacuation Day 1783. His defense of New York was a military failure that nearly destroyed the army, but his escape preserved the Continental cause.

1729–1814 · British Commander-in-Chief · Occupation Commander

British commander who captured New York in 1776 through a series of brilliant flanking maneuvers that drove Washington from Long Island, Manhattan, and ultimately out of New York entirely. His failure to destroy Washington's retreating army has been debated by historians for centuries.

1755–1776 · Continental Army Captain · Spy · Martyr

Connecticut schoolteacher and Continental officer who volunteered to spy behind British lines in New York. Captured on September 21, 1776, he was hanged the following day without trial. His reported last words — "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country" — made him an enduring symbol of patriot sacrifice.

1751–1800 · Camp Follower · Artillery Soldier · War Heroine

Pennsylvania woman who took over her husband's cannon at the Battle of Fort Washington on November 16, 1776, after he was killed. She was severely wounded and became the first woman to receive a military pension from Congress.

1740–1825 · Tailor · Spy · Son of Liberty

Irish-born New York tailor who spied for the American cause throughout the British occupation. His shop served British officers, and the information he gathered was relayed to Washington's intelligence network. He is credited with twice warning of plots to capture Washington.

1738–1791 · British Provost Marshal · Prison Administrator

Notorious British provost marshal in charge of American prisoners in New York. His deliberate cruelty — withholding food, denying medical care, and reportedly selling rations meant for prisoners — contributed to the deaths of thousands in the prisons and prison ships.

1724–1802 · Printer · Loyalist Publisher · Secret Spy

Publisher of the Royal Gazette in occupied New York who was publicly reviled as a Loyalist propagandist. Evidence discovered after the war suggests he was simultaneously feeding intelligence to the Americans, making him one of the most effective double agents of the Revolution.

Enslaved Person · Prison Ship Survivor

One of many enslaved and free Black individuals caught in the chaos of occupied New York. Though the records of individual experiences on the prison ships are sparse, names like Cato appear in fragmentary crew lists and prisoner accounts, representing the thousands of ordinary people swept up in the city's wartime suffering.