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Fort Montgomery was a fortification built on the west bank of the
Hudson River The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between New ...
in Highlands, New York by the Continental Army during the
American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...
. Erected in 1776, Fort Montgomery was one of the first major investments by the Americans in strategic construction projects. Declared a
National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
, it is part of the
Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area The Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area a congressionally designated area which includes the Hudson Valley in the U.S. state of New York from Saratoga Springs south almost to New York City. It is one of 55 National Heritage Areas in the U ...
, owned and operated by the state of
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * ...
as the Fort Montgomery State Historic Site.


Background

The strategic importance of the ability to control navigation along the Hudson River was obvious to both the Americans and the
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...
from the outbreak of open hostilities. The Hudson was the major means for transportation of supplies and troops throughout a large portion of the northeast. The fort was constructed at a site noted as early as the seventeenth century for its strategic advantage in controlling navigation along the river. A month after the first open armed conflict in Lexington, the Continental Congress resolved on May 25, 1775 to build fortifications in the Hudson highlands for the purpose of preventing the British from gaining control of the river and dividing the colonies. It noted that "…a post be also taken in the Highlands on each side of Hudson’s River and batteries erected in such a manner as will most effectually prevent any vessels passing that may be sent to harass the inhabitants on the borders of said river…"


Fort Constitution

James Clinton Major General James Clinton (August 9, 1736 – September 22, 1812) was an American Revolutionary War officer who, with John Sullivan, led in 1779 the Sullivan Expedition in what is now western New York to attack British-allied Seneca and ...
and Christopher Tappan, both lifetime residents of the area, were sent to scout appropriate locations. The initial site chosen was further to the north, on Martlaer's Island, across from
West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...
. Plans for the fort called for four bastions. Construction of the fortifications began in the summer of 1775. By November it had 70 cannons. However, difficulties in construction and management of the original plan of fortifications, together with escalating costs, led to abandonment of that project. The site on the north side of Popolopen Creek across from Anthony's Nose was proposed, and in January 1776, the materials and resources from Fort Constitution were redirected to the construction at the new site. Construction began on the new Fort Montgomery in March 1776.


Fort Montgomery

Fort Montgomery was located at the
confluence In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main stem); o ...
of Popolopen Creek with the
Hudson River The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between New ...
near Bear Mountain in
Orange County, New York Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 401,310. The county seat is Goshen. This county was first created in 1683 and reorganized with its present boundaries in 1798. Orang ...
. The fortifications included a river battery of six 32-pound cannons, a cable chain supported by a boom across the Hudson River (see
Hudson River Chain The Hudson River Chains were a series of chain booms constructed across the Hudson River at West Point by Continental Army forces from 1776 to 1778 during the American Revolutionary War. These served as defenses preventing British naval vessels ...
), and landward
redoubt A redoubt (historically redout) is a fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on earthworks, although some are constructed of stone or brick. It is meant to protect sold ...
s connected by ramparts, all situated on a cliff promontory rising 100 feet (30 m) above the river. The fort was commanded by General George Clinton, also the newly appointed Patriot governor of the State. Fort Montgomery and its companion fortification, the smaller
Fort Clinton Fort Clinton was an American Revolutionary War fort erected by the Continental Army on the west bank of the Hudson River in 1776. Protecting the chain It was one of a pair of fortifications which straddled the confluence of Popolopen Creek, st ...
, on the southern bank of the Popolopen, held a combined garrison of roughly 700 Colonial soldiers. These men were from the 5th NY Regiment, Lamb's Artillery, Orange County Militia, and Ulster County Militia. The strategic importance of the opposite bank of Popolopen Creek was quickly realized, as it was an elevated cliff terrace with a full view of the Fort Montgomery site and could not be left undefended. These two forts and their associated cannon batteries effectively controlled this stretch of the Hudson River. The Army also conceived a major engineering project to effectively blockade any naval traffic headed north on the river. In 1776 a chain and boom were built across the river to provide a physical barrier to ships, in addition to the combined firepower of the fortifications, which could be massed against ships. In July 1776, the New York convention appointed a committee, including
John Jay John Jay (December 12, 1745 – May 17, 1829) was an American statesman, patriot, diplomat, abolitionist, signatory of the Treaty of Paris, and a Founding Father of the United States. He served as the second governor of New York and the first ...
, Robert Livingston, George Clinton and Robert Yates, to "devise and carry into execution" measures for "obstructing the channel of Hudson's river, or annoying the navigation of the said River." Worried about lack of arms, the committee worked to buy more cannons.


Battle of Fort Montgomery

On October 6, 1777, a combined force of roughly 2,100
Loyalists Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cr ...
, Hessians, and British regulars led by Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton attacked forts Montgomery and Clinton from the landward side (where the defenses were only partially completed). They had support from cannon fire from British ships on the Hudson River that had passed through the
chevaux de frise The ''cheval de frise'' (plural: ''chevaux de frise'' , "Frisian horses") is a defensive obstacle, which existed in a number of forms and were employed in various applications. These included underwater constructions used to prevent the passa ...
on the lower river. The land columns attacking from west of the fort consisted of the New York Volunteers, the Loyal American Regiment, Emmerich's Chasseurs, the 57th and the 52nd Regiments of Foot. By the end of the day, both forts had fallen to the British, who burned the forts and tore down the stonework buildings. The battle was strategically barren for the British, however. Their campaign against the forts caused delays in reinforcing
General A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED On ...
John Burgoyne General John Burgoyne (24 February 1722 – 4 August 1792) was a British general, dramatist and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1761 to 1792. He first saw action during the Seven Years' War when he participated in several batt ...
at Saratoga. Americans gained the upper hand at the Battle of Bemis Heights and forced the surrender of Burgoyne ten days later at the Battle of Saratoga, when the reinforcements were still far to the south.


Historic Site

The site was declared a
National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
in 1972. A system of trails and interpretive signs guides visitors through the ruins of the fort. Designed by the architect Salvatore Cuciti, the Visitor Center opened in October 2006. The timber frame building is oriented to provide visitors with a "gun sight" view down the Hudson. Operated as a state museum, it contains artifacts from the site, mannequins representing military units and a detailed model of the fort.


See also

*
Bear Mountain State Park Bear Mountain State Park is a state park located on the west bank of the Hudson River in Rockland and Orange counties, New York. The park offers biking, hiking, boating, picnicking, swimming, cross-country skiing, cross-country running, sleddi ...
*
List of National Historic Landmarks in New York This is a list of National Historic Landmarks and comparable other historic sites designated by the U.S. government in the U.S. state of New York. The United States National Historic Landmark (NHL) program operates under the auspices of the Nati ...
* List of New York State Historic Sites


References


Notes


Further reading

*Fisher, C. (2004). ''The Most Advantageous Situation in the Highlands: An Archaeological Study of Fort Montgomery State Historic Site'', Cultural Resources Survey Program Series No. 2, New York State Museum. *Roberts, R. (1980). ''New York's Forts in the Revolution'', Fairleigh Dickinson University Press.


External links


Fort Montgomery State Historic Site
NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
Twin Forts of the Popolopen
Hudson River Valley website
"Fort Montgomery"
Palisades Park Conservancy {{Authority control Government buildings completed in 1776 Infrastructure completed in 1776 Montgomery (Hudson River) New York (state) historic sites National Register of Historic Places in Orange County, New York U.S. Route 9W Hudson River Montgomery (Hudson River) National Historic Landmarks in New York (state) Museums in Orange County, New York Ruins in the United States American Revolutionary War museums in New York (state) Highlands, New York Parks in Orange County, New York Montgomery (Hudson River) American Revolution on the National Register of Historic Places