Redoubt Four was a supporting defensive position of
Fort Putnam
Fort Putnam was a military garrison during the Revolutionary War at West Point, New York, United States. Built by a regiment of Colonel Rufus Putnam's 5th Massachusetts Regiment, it was completed in 1778 with the purpose of supporting Fort C ...
during the
Revolutionary War defensive network at
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 ...
. It was constructed under the command of
Tadeusz Kosciuszko
''Tadeusz'' is a Polish first name, derived from Thaddaeus.
Tadeusz may refer to:
* Tadeusz Bór-Komorowski (1895–1966), Polish military leader
* Tadeusz Borowski (1922–1951), Polish writer and The Holocaust survivor
* Tadeusz Boy-Żeleńs ...
in 1778-1779. During the war, it was a key defensive overwatch position for Fort Putnam 300 feet below, which was in turn the key overwatch position for
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 ...
.
According to
Benedict Arnold, the fort required approximately 100 soldiers to man it. The redoubt was partially restored in 1975-1976 as part of the bicentennial celebration. It can be accessed by foot year round from Patrick Trail (road) approximately .5 miles from the West Point Post Exchange complex.
Construction
"The possession of the Hill appears to me essential to the preservation of the whole post and our main effort ought to be directed to keeping the enemy off of it...",
George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...
wrote in July 1779, vindicating Tadeusz Kościuszko's decision to place a redoubt on Rocky Hill.
[Storozynski, A., 2009, The Peasant Prince, New York: St. Martin's Press, ]
File:Fort Clinton redoubt 4.jpg, Redoubt Four commands the heights over West Point
File:Fort Clinton redoubt 4b.jpg, Redoubt Four marker
Image:Ft._Putnam,_West_Point,_NY,_as_viewed_from_Redoubt_Four.JPG, Fort Putnam
Fort Putnam was a military garrison during the Revolutionary War at West Point, New York, United States. Built by a regiment of Colonel Rufus Putnam's 5th Massachusetts Regiment, it was completed in 1778 with the purpose of supporting Fort C ...
viewed from Redoubt Four. The Cadet Chapel and Taylor Hall towers and Hudson River beyond the fort are actually hundreds of yards beyond
Image:Redoubt_4,_West_Point,_NY.JPG, The partially restored eastern wall
Image:West_Point_Fortifications.jpg, Map of West Point Fortifications
See also
*
Constitution Island
Constitution Island is in the northeastern United States, located in New York on the east side of the Hudson River, north of New York City. It is directly opposite the U.S. Military Academy Reservation at West Point and is connected t ...
*
Kosciuszko's Garden
Kosciuszko's Garden is a small retreat garden built by Tadeusz Kosciuszko on the side of a cliff overlooking the Hudson River at West Point, New York. First constructed in 1778, it still offers visitors and cadets a place of quiet tranquility dur ...
References
{{Redoubts
Redoubts
United States Military Academy
1778 establishments in New York (state)