Question

Paine gives his insight as a soldier when he explains why American troops abandoned Fort Lee. What does he say is the explanation for this retreat?

Answer 1

Thomas Paine explains that Washington's retreat from Fort Lee was due to a strategic plan involving the use of new troops from Pennsylvania to deceive the British.

Step-by-step explanation:

Explanation for American troops abandoning Fort Lee:

Thomas Paine gives his insight as a soldier into why American troops retreated from Fort Lee. According to Paine, the retreat occurred because General Washington devised a plan involving new troops from Pennsylvania to pretend to be the entire army. This allowed Washington and his entire army of 9,000 soldiers to successfully leave Fort Lee in silence, under the cover of darkness and rain. The British only realized that Washington was gone when the fog lifted the next morning, leaving their positions empty.