As the British closed in, Washington devised a plan to rescue his soldiers by sneaking them out of Brooklyn during the night. He sent an urgent message saying, “We need boats in Brooklyn now!”
Thousands of soldiers, including Joseph, escaped under cover of darkness. In the morning, when the British attacked the American forts, they were astonished to find them empty.
The Americans lost the Battle of Brooklyn, but their army survived and continued fighting. The war lasted for eight years. Entire towns were burned down, and thousands of soldiers died—but in 1783, the war finally ended. America had won.
Joseph continued fighting throughout the war. Afterward, he moved to Maine, married, and raised children. He never forgot the terrors of war, but he took pride in the knowledge that he’d helped America win its independence.