On 16 November, Howe attacked the fort. The assault came from three different directions: the north, east and south. The attack was put off for a short time because of the tides in the Harlem River that stopped some of the troops from landing. When the attack did begin, the southern and western American defenses fell quickly. In the North there was better defense against the attack, but they eventually weakened as well. With the fort surrounded by land and sea the Fort's commander, Robert Magaw, chose to surrender the fort rather than try to hold out. A total of 59 Americans were killed and 2,837 became prisoners of the British. After this defeat the main American army under George Washington was chased across New Jersey and into Pennsylvania, setting the stage for the battles of Trenton and Princeton.