Battles of the American Revolution Battle of Fort Montgomery and Battle of Fort Clinton Date: October 3, 1777 Between: British, German (Hessian), and Loyalist troops against American Continental Army Location: Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton in Bear Mountain
"To aid Lieutenant General John Burgoyne's British army stalled at Saratoga, Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton sailed from New York with 3,000 British, German, and Loyalist soldiers and a flotilla of warships. On the morning of October 6, 1777, Clinton landed 2,100 of his men on the west side of the Hudson River near Stony Point. This force followed a narrow trail through the mountains, where they ran into a party of 30 men sent from Fort Clinton to detect the British advance. After beating the Americans back, Sir Henry Clinton sent 900 men around Bear Mountain to attack Fort Montgomery. The rest would wait to attack Fort Clinton until the first group had reached Fort Montgomery."
The invasion of the Hudson Highlands had begun.
On October 6, 1777, the Battle of Fort Montgomery lasted all afternoon before the British finally overran the badly outnumbered garrison of Forts Clinton and Montgomery. So valiant was the defense, that fully half the American force was killed, wounded or taken prisoner. The small American fleet and the iron chain were destroyed, and the river lay open to Sir Henry Clinton's forces.
"On the afternoon of October 6, 1777, the British began an assault on both forts, which were defended by no more than 700 men. At Fort Montgomery, the Americans kept the British at bay as the two sides exchanged musket fire. When the Americans refused to surrender, the British stormed both forts. Taking advantage of the growing dark and the smoky haze from the battle, many of the Americans escaped, but as many as 275 were taken as prisoners to New York City where they remained for much of the war."
When the battles of the "twin" forts was over, the British destroyed Fort Montgomery, left British troops at Fort Clinton, and burned Kingston, the capital of New York. Then, receiving orders to join Sir William Howe's army near Philadelphia, Clinton's men destroyed Fort Clinton and sailed back down the Hudson. Although captured and destroyed, the forts had presented enough of an obstacle to keep the British forces in New York from aiding Burgoyne's army. The following year, in 1778, the American began rebuilding their defenses, this time at West Point.
"Sir Henry Clinton's fleet sailed north and burned the state's capitol at Kingston. Then, news that General Burgoyne's army had been completely defeated brought Clinton's expedition to an abrupt end. Despite the success of his part of the campaign, Clinton was forced to return to New York City. Behind him, he left Forts Montgomery and Clinton in ruins."
Information Source The history of Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton, during the American Revolutionary War, a War of Independence between the Americans and England, is sourced from interpretive signs at the Fort Montgomery Visitor Center and on the Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton historic trails.
American Revolution - Chaining the Hudson
Click to enlarge the sign Chaining the Hudson in the American Revolution.
The sign reads: Chaining the Hudson "Early in the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress realized that if the British controlled the Hudson River, they could divide the rebellious colonies. To prevent this, in March 1776, the Americans began construction of Fort Montgomery above the Popolopen Creek on the west side of the Hudson River. Their work soon expanded to include a second fort, Fort Clinton, on the south side of the creek, and a massive iron chain that stretched across the Hudson River.
"Lieutenant Thomas Machin, one of the Continental Army's most able engineers, directed the work on the forts and the chain. During two separate attempts, the chain quickly broke under the strain of the ebb tide. Convinced that the chain could still work, Machin had the damage repaired and successfully stretched the chain across the river in march 1777.
"British ships never tested the chain. Rather, the British captured the forts on October 6, 1777, and cut the chain the following day. Today, Fort Montgomery State Historic Site is open to the public and interprets the story of the forts and the battle."
Click to enlarge sign: The First Chain along the Hudson River.
The sign reads: First Chain New York The First Chain Planned to keep British Ships from going up River. Anchored on shore Below, was forced by the Enemy Oct. 7, 1777
Chain at West Point After the British destroyed the Fort Montgomery chain, the Americans created an even bigger chain at West Point, which was never challenged by the enemy. The diagram on the interpretive sign is courtesy of the West Point Museum Collection, United States Military Academy.
Fort Montgomery as a Historic Ruin Rather than rebuild Fort Montgomery, New York State Parks has chosen to preserve and interpret it as a ruin. The site includes an interpretive trail that guides visitors past the fort's ruins to breathtaking vies of the Hudson River.
Fort Montgomery State Historic Site is located in Fort Montgomery, New York 10922 in the historic Hudson River Valley.
Information Source The history of Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton during the American Revolutionary War; a War of Independence between the Americans and England, is sourced from interpretive signs at the Fort Montgomery Visitor Center and on the Fort Montgomery historic trails.
Click to enlarge sign about Fort Montgomery in the American Revolution.
The interpretive sign reads: Welcome to Fort Montgomery "You are standing near the western end of Fort Montgomery: a Revolutionary War fort built to defend the Hudson Highlands and protect American control of the Hudson River. On October 6, 1777, the British captured Fort Montgomery and destroyed it in the days that followed.
"Trails from this parking area lead to two of the fort's redoubts. The trail that passes beneath the highway will take you to the Fort Montgomery visitor center and Fort Montgomery's remains where interpretive signs will help you understand the history of the fort and the battle."
Today, Fort Montgomery is an archeological site and a historic ruin.
Fort Montgomery was the scene of a fierce battle for control of the Hudson River during the American Revolutionary War; the Hudson was considered strategic by both the Americans and the British during the American War for Independence.
Building Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton "Early in the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress realized that the Hudson River was critical to the American cause. If the British controlled the river, they could divide the rebellious colonies. Therefore, the Americans began work on Fort Montgomery in March 1776. . .
" . . . When the Americans discovered that the land on the opposite side of the Popolopen Creek was higher and would threaten Fort Montgomery if held by the enemy, they began constructing a second fort there, called Fort Clinton. They connected the two forts by a pontoon bridge. . .
"Fort Montgomery was a bustling community of hundreds of people. Soldiers, laborers, merchants, families, servants, and slaves lived at or visited the fort. Ships and boats arriving and departing added to the atmosphere of a small city.
"Supplies were often hard to obtain, morale was often low, and discipline was a chronic problem. Nevertheless, Forts Montgomery and Clinton were largely complete by October 1777, when the British attacked them."
Fort Clinton "Originally, the commissioners in charge of the work were confident that no overland attack on the fort was possible, but misgivings led them to begin extending the fortifications inland. They began fortifying several pieces of high ground that became Fort Montgomery's three redoubts. The realization that a higher piece of ground just across the Popolopen Creek threatened Fort Montgomery led to the construction of Fort Clinton."
Click to enlarge sign about the Battle of Fort Montgomery in the American Revolution.
The interpretive sign reads: Battle of Fort Montgomery "To aid Lieutenant General John Burgoyne's British army stalled at Saratoga, Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton sailed from New York with 3,000 British, German, and Loyalist soldiers and a flotilla of warships. On the morning of October 6, 1777, Clinton landed 2,100 of his men on the west side of the Hudson River near Stony Point. This force followed a narrow trail through the mountains, where they ran into a party of 30 men sent from Fort Clinton to detect the British advance. After beating the Americans back, Sir Henry Clinton sent 900 men around Bear Mountain to attack Fort Montgomery. The rest would wait to attack Fort Clinton until the first group had reached Fort Montgomery.
"In the afternoon, the British began an assault on both forts, which were defended by no more than 700 men. At Fort Montgomery, the Americans kept the British at bay as the two sides exchanged musket fire. When the Americans refused to surrender, the British stormed both forts. Taking advantage of the growing dark and the smoky haze from the battle, many of the Americans escaped, but as many as 275 were taken as prisoners to New York City where they remained for much of the war.
"Following the battle, the British destroyed Fort Montgomery, garrisoned Fort Clinton, and burned New York's capital at Kingston. Then, receiving orders to join Sir William Howe's army near Philadelphia, Clinton's men destroyed Fort Clinton and sailed back down the Hudson. Although captured and destroyed, the forts had presented enough of an obstacle to keep the British forces in New York from aiding Burgoyne's army. The following year, in 1778, the American began rebuilding their defenses, this time at West Point."
Click to enlarge photo of the Wounded Patriot at the Battle of Fort Montgomery.
Men in the photo represent two American patriots: Private, Ulster County Militia, and Private, 5th New York Regiment. The militiaman, in civilian clothing, is armed with a British musket. He assists his wounded comrade carrying a French musket from the 1750s.
The American Revolution - 1777: History of Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton The following historical accounts record the Battles of Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton from different historical perspectives:
The War of the Revolution, by Christopher Ward, Volume II (Macmillan, 1952)
"An opaque fog lay close to the surface of the Hudson River on the morning of October 5, 1777. The awakening bugles of General Israel Putnam’s Continentals at Peekskill on the eastern shore of the river seemed muted by the white and misty blanket. The slow-rising sun burned irregular holes in it, however, and through these the General’s sentinels, who had been posted south of his encampment during most of the summer, saw something that banished their accustomed boredom. There were barges and galleys downriver—many of them—and above the low lying haze rose the towering masts of British frigates. From downriver, too, came the muffled sounds of alarm guns. The long-dreaded invasion of enemy troops from occupied New York had begun.
The elderly Yankee Israel Putnam was busy at once. An oarsman, rowing desperately, bore messages across the wide stream to Fort Montgomery, an unfinished cluster of earthworks then under the command of the thirty-eight-year-old governor of the new state of New York, Brigadier General George Clinton. At this bastion, nearly a hundred and fifty feet above the spot where the Popolopen Creek joins the Hudson, the Governor received Putnam’s letter. Immediately he sent a summary of its contents to his older brother, General James Clinton, then in command of Fort Clinton, a smaller stronghold on the steep south bank of the narrow creek.
In the meantime, the British under Sir Henry Clinton (a distant cousin of the American generals of the same surname) were disembarking at Verplanck’s Point on the east bank of the Hudson, not far below Putnam’s headquarters. The grating of their boats in the shallows of the river, the sharp voices of their officers ordering immediate formations, came strangely through the thick fog to the ears of Putnam’s scouts, informing them only that the invaders were in considerable numbers . . .
. . . Perhaps the Battle of Fort Montgomery would have been utterly neglected had not two young American soldiers chosen to visit the site on a sunny spring day of the following year. Historians do not usually end their chapters on such footnotes as these men provided, but their reports have so documented the narrative that they deserve place here. One of them, a young chaplain named Timothy Dwight (later president of Yale College), wrote in his journal that while he was climbing from a river barge to the place where the battle had been fought, the stench of dead bodies caused him great distress.
We found, at a small distance from Fort Montgomery, a pond of a moderate size, in which we saw the bodies of several men, who had been killed in the assault upon the fort. They were thrown into this pond, the preceding autumn, by the British … Some of them were covered at this time; but at a depth so small as to leave them distinctly visible. Others had an arm, a leg, or a part of the body, above the surface. The clothes which they wore when they were killed, were still on them, and proved that they were militia; being the ordinary dress of farmers. Their faces were bloated and monstrous; and their postures were uncouth, distorted and to the highest degree afflictive . . ."
Battles Of The Revolutionary War: 1775-1781 by W.J. Wood (Dec 23, 2003)
"On October 6th, 300 Continental soldiers of the 5th New York regiment, 100 artillerymen of Lamb's Artillery, and some 300 Levies and militiamen defended the unfinished Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton against a combined force of roughly 2,100 Loyalists, Hessians, and British regulars led by Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton attacked Forts Montgomery and Clinton from the landward side (which was only partially completed) with support from cannon fire from British ships on the Hudson 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.
The Americans had emplaced an iron chain and a boom across the Hudson River, protected by four warships, to impede the British flotilla.
Lt. Col. Mungo Campbell and several British regulars approach the fort with a flag of truce indicating that they wish to avoid `further effusion of blood.' Clinton sends Lt. Col. William S. Livingston to meet the enemy. The British officer requests that the patriots surrender. They are promised that no harm would come to them. Livingston, in turn, invites Campbell to surrender and promises him and his men good treatment. Fuming at this audacity, the British resume the fight. British ships working against an ebb tide attack the forts and American vessels. A steady volley ensues with each side receiving a share of the bombardment. British officers Campbell and Vaughan close in on all sides of the twin forts. Leading his men into battle, Campbell is killed in a violent attack on the North Redoubt of Fort Montgomery. Vaughan's horse is shot from under him as he rides into battle at Fort Clinton.
After a fierce battle lasting until dark, the British pushed the courageous Americans from the forts at the points of their bayonets. The defenders are overpowered by sheer numbers and the British gain possession of Forts Montgomery and Clinton. American casualties numbered about 350 killed, wounded and captured, while the British paid a price of at least 190 killed and wounded. Those who were not killed or did not escape are shipped to the infamous Sugar House Prisons in New York City and then onto British "hell ships" (prison ships) in the harbor. A "return," or report of prisoners, is sent to communities in the Highlands to inform families of their loved ones' capture. It is up to the families to send provisions lest the prisoners starve. Countless patriots perish on the prison ships.
U.S. Army battle map, The Battle of Fort Montgomery, 5-6 October 1777 U.S. Army battle map, The Battle of Fort Montgomery, The British Attack, Dusk, 6 October 1777 Forts Montgomery and Clinton, located just south of West Point, were built for the defense of the Hudson Highlands in 1776. It was here that British and loyalist troops overwhelmed Clinton's outnumbered patriots in October.
Although the Americans lost the battle for the Highlands, a relative handful of Americans aided in delaying British reinforcements from joining Burgoyne in the upper Hudson Valley and allowed Gates to gain much needed militia reinforcements in time to ultimately win Burgoyne's surrender at Saratoga."
A guide to the Battles of the American Revolution by Theodore P. Savas and J. David Dameron (Savas Beatie LLC, NY 2006)
American Perspective: "Waiting within the American fortifications on Bemis Heights was the bloodied Continental Army led by Maj. Gen. Horatio Gates. Not an audacious commander, Gates was content to await General Burgoyne's next move. While Gates market time on Bemis Heights, Patriot forces assigned to defensive positions guarding the entrance to the Hudson Highlands worked to complete two forts on the Hudson River 100 miles south of Albany, New York. Their commander was Brig. Gen. George Clinton (not to be confused with the British commander with the same last name). The forts over which the American Clinton (who was also governor of New York) labored were named Montgomery, in honor of fallen Patriot Gen. Richard Montgomery, and Clinton, after himself as commander of the forces in that region. Built on opposite banks of Popolopen Creek, which emptied into the Hudson River on its western shore at a strategic bend, eight miles south of West Point, the bastions were key to the strategic defense of the Hudson Highlands.
Fort Montgomery guarded the northern bank of the creek and Fort Clinton the southern bank. To the east of both forts flowed the majestic Hudson River. All told, the American fielded 600 men and 20 pieces of heavy artillery. The Patriots strung a heavy iron chain across the river and seeded the water with log obstacles to disrupt any maritime assault upon the American forts. Patrolling the Hudson were two Americans warships, Montgomery and Congress, supported by a handful of smaller vessels . . .
. . . Fort Clinton was constructed on the south side of Popolopen Creek on a rocky ridge overlooking the Hudson River below, oriented to cover a 400-yard wide plain before the drop to the waterway. Fort Montgomery also overlooked the Hudson River, but was situated on the northern shore of Popolopen Creek, which ran west from the Hudson . . .
After a perfunctory request that the defenders capitulate (which was rejected), the twin assaults began. There was no element of surprise or effort at finesse. The British attached nearly simultaneously with the sun setting behind Lt. Col. Archibald Campbell's columns. Sir James Wallace's British river fleet also arrived and opened fire on the American vessels and forts, providing the British land forces with supporting fire.
Fort Montgomery fell first . . . Fort Clinton's defenders offered a better account of themselves, but the outcome was the same. Sir Henry Clinton ordered his command to launch a direct attach (there was little room to maneuver). His regulars and Hessian allies swept forward through a line of obstructions, taking terrible casualties during the approach and in the close-quarter fighting that followed. The weight of British metal carried the day, however, and within a short time the garrison was dead, wounded, captured, or fleeing . . .
By 7:30 or 8:00 p.m. the fighting was over. Only 300 Americans, including Generals James and Governor George Clinton, escaped, most from Fort Montgomery . . . Casualties: British: 190 killed and wounded; American: 350 killed, wounded, and captured."
Fort Montgomery as a Historic Ruin New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation has decided not to recreate Forts Montgomery and/or Clinton. "Because of the limits of available information, any recreation would be inaccurate and would hide the violent end of these massive fortifications. Instead, the remains are preserved, just as the have survived the ages, as hallowed ground."
Fort Montgomery stands as an archeological site and a historic ruin.
Fort Montgomery, Today Today, Fort Montgomery is an archeological site and a historic ruin. This Historic Site is a genuine vestige of our nation's struggle for independence. Visitors will see the actual foundations of the fort's buildings and remains of the fort's earthworks. Visit Fort Montgomery and tour the remains of the 14 acre fortification, perched on a cliff overlooking the Hudson River.
The site includes a Visitor Center and interpretive trail that guides visitors past the fort's ruins to breathtaking views of the Hudson River. The Visitor Center features artifacts discovered in Fort Montgomery, mannequin displays, a 3 dimensional map model, and a 14 minute orientation film.
Attractions Include Audio-Visual Programs Demonstrations Group Tours Hiking Interpretive Signs Scenic Views Self Guided Tours Visitor Center
Fort Montgomery West Redoubt in the American Revolution.
Click sign at the Fort Montgomery West Redoubt.
The sign reads: Fort Montgomery's West Redoubt "Fort Montgomery's West Redoubt was one of three strong points built to defend the fort from an overland attack.
"New York State's Governor, Brigadier General George Clinton, commanded Fort Montgomery during the battle on October 6, 1777. Clinton ordered his men into the fort's three redoubts, where they were attacked by 900 British and Loyalist soldiers. After mounting a brave resistance, the Americans were driven from the redoubts and were forced to abandon the fort."
One of the drawings in the sign shows that: "Aware that the British were approaching, Governor Clinton ordered some of his men to take a 3-pounder cannon down the road that lead to the fort and delay them. The Americans were able to temporarily stop the advancing British and Loyalist soldiers, but were eventually forced to abandon the gun and return to the fort."
Click trail marker for the Historic 1777 & 1779 American Revolution Trail.
The sign reads: The Historic 1777 & 1779 Trails "You are walking part of the 1777 historic trail that retraces as nearly as possible the routes taken by the British army during the Revolutionary War.
"The 1777 trail represents the route taken by British General Sir Henry Clinton's forces on October 6, 1777. After landing 2100 men at Stony Point, he marched north to capture Forts Clinton and Montgomery. At Doodletown, the trail splits. The east branch of the trail follows the march of forces under Sir Henry Clinton and Major General John Vaughn that captured Fort Clinton. The west branch follows the route of Lieutenant Colonel Mungo Campbell's force, which captured Fort Montgomery.
"The 1779 trail traces the route taken by Brigadier General Anthony Wayne's Corps of Light Infantry in its assault on the British fortifications at Stony Point just after midnight on July 16, 1779. After a brief but fierce fight, Wayne's men captured Stony Point, achieving one of the Continental Army's most spectacular victories."
Walk the grounds of the Historic 1777 & 1779 Trails at Fort Montgomery Historic Site. You can pick up the 1777 & 1779 trails close to the Bear Mountain Bridge and/or near the Fort Montgomery Visitor Center.
Knox's Headquarters State Historic Site is located at Vails Gate, NY 12584 in Orange County in the Hudson River Valley. On several occasions during the Revolutionary War, Major General Henry Knox, Commander of the America artillery, established his military headquarters at John Ellison's 1754 Georgian-style house in Vails Gate. From October 1782 until the spring of 1783, as 7,000 soldiers and 500 "camp followers" were establishing winter quarters at the New Windsor Cantonment, and General Washington was lodged at Jonathan Hasbrouck's house in Newburgh, New York, Major General Horatio Gates occupied the elegant home from which he commanded the cantonment. Here the army awaited the end of the Revolutionary War that became effective when Washington issued the cease fire orders on April 19, 1783.
For most of the 18th and into the 19th century, the Ellison family had important commercial dealings in milling and trade. From their mill, flour was shipped down the Hudson River to New York City and the West Indies. At present, remains of the mill, with traces of the underground racecourse, and the Jane Colden Native Plant Sanctuary may be visited. Explore how the Ellisons and other families of the mid-Hudson Valley lived 200 years ago.
Point of Interest Knox's Headquarters State Historic Site is fun for the children and family of all ages.
Attractions Costumed Interpreters Demonstrations Educational Services Gardens Group Tours Guided Tours Hiking Interpretive Sign Picnic Area Re-enactments Scenic Views
New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site is located at Vails Gate, NY 12584 in Orange County in the Hudson River Valley. In October 1782, General George Washington moved his army to New Windsor, above West Point and just beyond the Hudson Highlands, to establish winter quarters. He was accompanied by 7,000 troops including 500 women and children or "camp followers." By late December 1782, they had erected nearly 600 log huts into a "cantonment," a military enclave. High-ranking officers were quartered in private homes.
Washington was pleased that the army was better housed, fed, and clothed than ever before in the long war, but life for the officers and troops at the Cantonment remained hard. It was at the New Windsor Cantonment that the cease fire orders were issued by Washington ending the eight-year War of Independence on April 19, 1783. The final success, however, was the gradual, orderly disbandment of the army at the Cantonment, and the peaceful march of its still largely unpaid officers and men back to their homes or new pursuits.
New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site is fun for children and family. See the staff in reproduction period dress and uniforms demonstrate musket drills, blacksmithing, military medicine and camplife activities. View the exhibits at the Visitor Center and the reconstructed Temple Building, which served as a chapel for the soldiers.
Sterling Forest® State Park, a 17,953-acre park of nearly pristine natural refuge, is located at 116 Old Forge Road, Tuxedo NY 10987, Orange County in the Hudson Valley. Sterling Forest Park located in one of the nation's most densely populated areas is a remarkable piece of woodland, a watershed for millions, and a tremendous outdoor recreation area. This unbroken deep-forest habitat is important for the survival of many resident and migratory species, including black bear, a variety of hawks and songbirds and many rare invertebrates and plants.
Things To Do Biking Boat Launches Fishing Hiking Hunting Ice Fishing Museum / Visitor Center Recreation Programs Snowshoeing Scenic Views
Sterling Forest® State Park, a 17,953-acre park of nearly pristine natural refuge, is located at 116 Old Forge Road, Tuxedo NY 10987, Orange County in the Hudson Valley. Sterling Forest Park located in one of the nation's most densely populated areas is a remarkable piece of woodland, a watershed for millions, and a tremendous outdoor recreation area. This unbroken deep-forest habitat is important for the survival of many resident and migratory species, including black bear, a variety of hawks and songbirds and many rare invertebrates and plants.
Things To Do Biking Boat Launches Fishing Hiking Hunting Ice Fishing Museum / Visitor Center Recreation Programs Snowshoeing Scenic Views
Sterling Forest® State Park, a 17,953-acre park of nearly pristine natural refuge, is located at 116 Old Forge Road, Tuxedo NY 10987, Orange County in the Hudson Valley. Sterling Forest Park located in one of the nation's most densely populated areas is a remarkable piece of woodland, a watershed for millions, and a tremendous outdoor recreation area. This unbroken deep-forest habitat is important for the survival of many resident and migratory species, including black bear, a variety of hawks and songbirds and many rare invertebrates and plants.
Things To Do Biking Boat Launches Fishing Hiking Hunting Ice Fishing Museum / Visitor Center Recreation Programs Snowshoeing Scenic Views
Set on a hilltop overlooking the majestic Hudson River, The Thayer Hotel at West Point is a national historic landmark located in the heart of the Hudson Valley. The majestic, Gothic-style, granite building sits at the south entrance to the U.S. Military Academy, offering dramatic views of the Hudson River and the Hudson Highlands.
With beautiful vistas, 151 luxury guest rooms, 10 meetings rooms, and fine dining, The Thayer Hotel at West Point is an ideal destination for a vacation, business meeting, or elegant wedding. In keeping with the historic architecture, the dining room retains the old world charm with leaded glass windows, chandeliers and portraits of military leaders of the past. During the summer months, the Hudson Terrace offers alfresco dining and views of the Hudson River and historic Constitution Island.
Press Blue Button for more about The Thayer Hotel.
Fort Montgomery State Historic Site is located in Fort Montgomery, New York 10922 in the historic Hudson River Valley.
Information Source The history of Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton during the American Revolutionary War; a War of Independence between the Americans and England, is sourced from interpretive signs at the Fort Montgomery Visitor Center and on the Fort Montgomery historic trails.
Click to enlarge sign about Fort Montgomery in the American Revolution.
The interpretive sign reads: Welcome to Fort Montgomery "You are standing near the western end of Fort Montgomery: a Revolutionary War fort built to defend the Hudson Highlands and protect American control of the Hudson River. On October 6, 1777, the British captured Fort Montgomery and destroyed it in the days that followed.
"Trails from this parking area lead to two of the fort's redoubts. The trail that passes beneath the highway will take you to the Fort Montgomery visitor center and Fort Montgomery's remains where interpretive signs will help you understand the history of the fort and the battle."
Today, Fort Montgomery is an archeological site and a historic ruin.
Fort Montgomery was the scene of a fierce battle for control of the Hudson River during the American Revolutionary War; the Hudson was considered strategic by both the Americans and the British during the American War for Independence.
Building Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton "Early in the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress realized that the Hudson River was critical to the American cause. If the British controlled the river, they could divide the rebellious colonies. Therefore, the Americans began work on Fort Montgomery in March 1776. . .
" . . . When the Americans discovered that the land on the opposite side of the Popolopen Creek was higher and would threaten Fort Montgomery if held by the enemy, they began constructing a second fort there, called Fort Clinton. They connected the two forts by a pontoon bridge. . .
"Fort Montgomery was a bustling community of hundreds of people. Soldiers, laborers, merchants, families, servants, and slaves lived at or visited the fort. Ships and boats arriving and departing added to the atmosphere of a small city.
"Supplies were often hard to obtain, morale was often low, and discipline was a chronic problem. Nevertheless, Forts Montgomery and Clinton were largely complete by October 1777, when the British attacked them."
Fort Clinton "Originally, the commissioners in charge of the work were confident that no overland attack on the fort was possible, but misgivings led them to begin extending the fortifications inland. They began fortifying several pieces of high ground that became Fort Montgomery's three redoubts. The realization that a higher piece of ground just across the Popolopen Creek threatened Fort Montgomery led to the construction of Fort Clinton."
Click to enlarge sign about the Battle of Fort Montgomery in the American Revolution.
The interpretive sign reads: Battle of Fort Montgomery "To aid Lieutenant General John Burgoyne's British army stalled at Saratoga, Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton sailed from New York with 3,000 British, German, and Loyalist soldiers and a flotilla of warships. On the morning of October 6, 1777, Clinton landed 2,100 of his men on the west side of the Hudson River near Stony Point. This force followed a narrow trail through the mountains, where they ran into a party of 30 men sent from Fort Clinton to detect the British advance. After beating the Americans back, Sir Henry Clinton sent 900 men around Bear Mountain to attack Fort Montgomery. The rest would wait to attack Fort Clinton until the first group had reached Fort Montgomery.
"In the afternoon, the British began an assault on both forts, which were defended by no more than 700 men. At Fort Montgomery, the Americans kept the British at bay as the two sides exchanged musket fire. When the Americans refused to surrender, the British stormed both forts. Taking advantage of the growing dark and the smoky haze from the battle, many of the Americans escaped, but as many as 275 were taken as prisoners to New York City where they remained for much of the war.
"Following the battle, the British destroyed Fort Montgomery, garrisoned Fort Clinton, and burned New York's capital at Kingston. Then, receiving orders to join Sir William Howe's army near Philadelphia, Clinton's men destroyed Fort Clinton and sailed back down the Hudson. Although captured and destroyed, the forts had presented enough of an obstacle to keep the British forces in New York from aiding Burgoyne's army. The following year, in 1778, the American began rebuilding their defenses, this time at West Point."
Click to enlarge photo of the Wounded Patriot at the Battle of Fort Montgomery.
Men in the photo represent two American patriots: Private, Ulster County Militia, and Private, 5th New York Regiment. The militiaman, in civilian clothing, is armed with a British musket. He assists his wounded comrade carrying a French musket from the 1750s.
The American Revolution - 1777: History of Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton The following historical accounts record the Battles of Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton from different historical perspectives:
The War of the Revolution, by Christopher Ward, Volume II (Macmillan, 1952)
"An opaque fog lay close to the surface of the Hudson River on the morning of October 5, 1777. The awakening bugles of General Israel Putnam’s Continentals at Peekskill on the eastern shore of the river seemed muted by the white and misty blanket. The slow-rising sun burned irregular holes in it, however, and through these the General’s sentinels, who had been posted south of his encampment during most of the summer, saw something that banished their accustomed boredom. There were barges and galleys downriver—many of them—and above the low lying haze rose the towering masts of British frigates. From downriver, too, came the muffled sounds of alarm guns. The long-dreaded invasion of enemy troops from occupied New York had begun.
The elderly Yankee Israel Putnam was busy at once. An oarsman, rowing desperately, bore messages across the wide stream to Fort Montgomery, an unfinished cluster of earthworks then under the command of the thirty-eight-year-old governor of the new state of New York, Brigadier General George Clinton. At this bastion, nearly a hundred and fifty feet above the spot where the Popolopen Creek joins the Hudson, the Governor received Putnam’s letter. Immediately he sent a summary of its contents to his older brother, General James Clinton, then in command of Fort Clinton, a smaller stronghold on the steep south bank of the narrow creek.
In the meantime, the British under Sir Henry Clinton (a distant cousin of the American generals of the same surname) were disembarking at Verplanck’s Point on the east bank of the Hudson, not far below Putnam’s headquarters. The grating of their boats in the shallows of the river, the sharp voices of their officers ordering immediate formations, came strangely through the thick fog to the ears of Putnam’s scouts, informing them only that the invaders were in considerable numbers . . .
. . . Perhaps the Battle of Fort Montgomery would have been utterly neglected had not two young American soldiers chosen to visit the site on a sunny spring day of the following year. Historians do not usually end their chapters on such footnotes as these men provided, but their reports have so documented the narrative that they deserve place here. One of them, a young chaplain named Timothy Dwight (later president of Yale College), wrote in his journal that while he was climbing from a river barge to the place where the battle had been fought, the stench of dead bodies caused him great distress.
We found, at a small distance from Fort Montgomery, a pond of a moderate size, in which we saw the bodies of several men, who had been killed in the assault upon the fort. They were thrown into this pond, the preceding autumn, by the British … Some of them were covered at this time; but at a depth so small as to leave them distinctly visible. Others had an arm, a leg, or a part of the body, above the surface. The clothes which they wore when they were killed, were still on them, and proved that they were militia; being the ordinary dress of farmers. Their faces were bloated and monstrous; and their postures were uncouth, distorted and to the highest degree afflictive . . ."
Battles Of The Revolutionary War: 1775-1781 by W.J. Wood (Dec 23, 2003)
"On October 6th, 300 Continental soldiers of the 5th New York regiment, 100 artillerymen of Lamb's Artillery, and some 300 Levies and militiamen defended the unfinished Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton against a combined force of roughly 2,100 Loyalists, Hessians, and British regulars led by Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton attacked Forts Montgomery and Clinton from the landward side (which was only partially completed) with support from cannon fire from British ships on the Hudson 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.
The Americans had emplaced an iron chain and a boom across the Hudson River, protected by four warships, to impede the British flotilla.
Lt. Col. Mungo Campbell and several British regulars approach the fort with a flag of truce indicating that they wish to avoid `further effusion of blood.' Clinton sends Lt. Col. William S. Livingston to meet the enemy. The British officer requests that the patriots surrender. They are promised that no harm would come to them. Livingston, in turn, invites Campbell to surrender and promises him and his men good treatment. Fuming at this audacity, the British resume the fight. British ships working against an ebb tide attack the forts and American vessels. A steady volley ensues with each side receiving a share of the bombardment. British officers Campbell and Vaughan close in on all sides of the twin forts. Leading his men into battle, Campbell is killed in a violent attack on the North Redoubt of Fort Montgomery. Vaughan's horse is shot from under him as he rides into battle at Fort Clinton.
After a fierce battle lasting until dark, the British pushed the courageous Americans from the forts at the points of their bayonets. The defenders are overpowered by sheer numbers and the British gain possession of Forts Montgomery and Clinton. American casualties numbered about 350 killed, wounded and captured, while the British paid a price of at least 190 killed and wounded. Those who were not killed or did not escape are shipped to the infamous Sugar House Prisons in New York City and then onto British "hell ships" (prison ships) in the harbor. A "return," or report of prisoners, is sent to communities in the Highlands to inform families of their loved ones' capture. It is up to the families to send provisions lest the prisoners starve. Countless patriots perish on the prison ships.
U.S. Army battle map, The Battle of Fort Montgomery, 5-6 October 1777 U.S. Army battle map, The Battle of Fort Montgomery, The British Attack, Dusk, 6 October 1777 Forts Montgomery and Clinton, located just south of West Point, were built for the defense of the Hudson Highlands in 1776. It was here that British and loyalist troops overwhelmed Clinton's outnumbered patriots in October.
Although the Americans lost the battle for the Highlands, a relative handful of Americans aided in delaying British reinforcements from joining Burgoyne in the upper Hudson Valley and allowed Gates to gain much needed militia reinforcements in time to ultimately win Burgoyne's surrender at Saratoga."
A guide to the Battles of the American Revolution by Theodore P. Savas and J. David Dameron (Savas Beatie LLC, NY 2006)
American Perspective: "Waiting within the American fortifications on Bemis Heights was the bloodied Continental Army led by Maj. Gen. Horatio Gates. Not an audacious commander, Gates was content to await General Burgoyne's next move. While Gates market time on Bemis Heights, Patriot forces assigned to defensive positions guarding the entrance to the Hudson Highlands worked to complete two forts on the Hudson River 100 miles south of Albany, New York. Their commander was Brig. Gen. George Clinton (not to be confused with the British commander with the same last name). The forts over which the American Clinton (who was also governor of New York) labored were named Montgomery, in honor of fallen Patriot Gen. Richard Montgomery, and Clinton, after himself as commander of the forces in that region. Built on opposite banks of Popolopen Creek, which emptied into the Hudson River on its western shore at a strategic bend, eight miles south of West Point, the bastions were key to the strategic defense of the Hudson Highlands.
Fort Montgomery guarded the northern bank of the creek and Fort Clinton the southern bank. To the east of both forts flowed the majestic Hudson River. All told, the American fielded 600 men and 20 pieces of heavy artillery. The Patriots strung a heavy iron chain across the river and seeded the water with log obstacles to disrupt any maritime assault upon the American forts. Patrolling the Hudson were two Americans warships, Montgomery and Congress, supported by a handful of smaller vessels . . .
. . . Fort Clinton was constructed on the south side of Popolopen Creek on a rocky ridge overlooking the Hudson River below, oriented to cover a 400-yard wide plain before the drop to the waterway. Fort Montgomery also overlooked the Hudson River, but was situated on the northern shore of Popolopen Creek, which ran west from the Hudson . . .
After a perfunctory request that the defenders capitulate (which was rejected), the twin assaults began. There was no element of surprise or effort at finesse. The British attached nearly simultaneously with the sun setting behind Lt. Col. Archibald Campbell's columns. Sir James Wallace's British river fleet also arrived and opened fire on the American vessels and forts, providing the British land forces with supporting fire.
Fort Montgomery fell first . . . Fort Clinton's defenders offered a better account of themselves, but the outcome was the same. Sir Henry Clinton ordered his command to launch a direct attach (there was little room to maneuver). His regulars and Hessian allies swept forward through a line of obstructions, taking terrible casualties during the approach and in the close-quarter fighting that followed. The weight of British metal carried the day, however, and within a short time the garrison was dead, wounded, captured, or fleeing . . .
By 7:30 or 8:00 p.m. the fighting was over. Only 300 Americans, including Generals James and Governor George Clinton, escaped, most from Fort Montgomery . . . Casualties: British: 190 killed and wounded; American: 350 killed, wounded, and captured."
Fort Montgomery as a Historic Ruin New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation has decided not to recreate Forts Montgomery and/or Clinton. "Because of the limits of available information, any recreation would be inaccurate and would hide the violent end of these massive fortifications. Instead, the remains are preserved, just as the have survived the ages, as hallowed ground."
Fort Montgomery stands as an archeological site and a historic ruin.
Fort Montgomery, Today Today, Fort Montgomery is an archeological site and a historic ruin. This Historic Site is a genuine vestige of our nation's struggle for independence. Visitors will see the actual foundations of the fort's buildings and remains of the fort's earthworks. Visit Fort Montgomery and tour the remains of the 14 acre fortification, perched on a cliff overlooking the Hudson River.
The site includes a Visitor Center and interpretive trail that guides visitors past the fort's ruins to breathtaking views of the Hudson River. The Visitor Center features artifacts discovered in Fort Montgomery, mannequin displays, a 3 dimensional map model, and a 14 minute orientation film.
Attractions Include Audio-Visual Programs Demonstrations Group Tours Hiking Interpretive Signs Scenic Views Self Guided Tours Visitor Center
Fort Montgomery West Redoubt in the American Revolution.
Click sign at the Fort Montgomery West Redoubt.
The sign reads: Fort Montgomery's West Redoubt "Fort Montgomery's West Redoubt was one of three strong points built to defend the fort from an overland attack.
"New York State's Governor, Brigadier General George Clinton, commanded Fort Montgomery during the battle on October 6, 1777. Clinton ordered his men into the fort's three redoubts, where they were attacked by 900 British and Loyalist soldiers. After mounting a brave resistance, the Americans were driven from the redoubts and were forced to abandon the fort."
One of the drawings in the sign shows that: "Aware that the British were approaching, Governor Clinton ordered some of his men to take a 3-pounder cannon down the road that lead to the fort and delay them. The Americans were able to temporarily stop the advancing British and Loyalist soldiers, but were eventually forced to abandon the gun and return to the fort."
Click trail marker for the Historic 1777 & 1779 American Revolution Trail.
The sign reads: The Historic 1777 & 1779 Trails "You are walking part of the 1777 historic trail that retraces as nearly as possible the routes taken by the British army during the Revolutionary War.
"The 1777 trail represents the route taken by British General Sir Henry Clinton's forces on October 6, 1777. After landing 2100 men at Stony Point, he marched north to capture Forts Clinton and Montgomery. At Doodletown, the trail splits. The east branch of the trail follows the march of forces under Sir Henry Clinton and Major General John Vaughn that captured Fort Clinton. The west branch follows the route of Lieutenant Colonel Mungo Campbell's force, which captured Fort Montgomery.
"The 1779 trail traces the route taken by Brigadier General Anthony Wayne's Corps of Light Infantry in its assault on the British fortifications at Stony Point just after midnight on July 16, 1779. After a brief but fierce fight, Wayne's men captured Stony Point, achieving one of the Continental Army's most spectacular victories."
Walk the grounds of the Historic 1777 & 1779 Trails at Fort Montgomery Historic Site. You can pick up the 1777 & 1779 trails close to the Bear Mountain Bridge and/or near the Fort Montgomery Visitor Center.
Applefest attracts artists from all over the Northeast and beyond, and has become an event everyone looks forward to the entire year. Among the attractions are 275 artisans displaying their handmade jewelry, stained glass, pottery, woodcarving and more. Wonderful food from the traditional American favorites to the more exotic - Greek, creole, kabobs and sausages, along with apples, cider, cookies and cakes - are yours for the tasting. Musical entertainment, games and rides for the children, beautiful crafts and delicious food make for a great day.
Applewood Winery is located at 82 Four Corners Road, Warwick NY 10990 in Orange County. Enjoy wine tasting at a real farm winery in New York's Hudson Valley. Discover New York wines at Applewood Winery. Our wines are made from our own vineyards, orchards and from across the state. We make Chardonnay's, Cabernet Franc, barrel fermented reds, in addition to that we have delicious fruit wines including Hard Apple Cider. Every wine is produced in a "limited edition" with almost every bottle spoken for as soon as its made. So you'll only find our wine at the tasting room and here in our online store.
Enjoy music every weekend in August. Music starts at 2:00 and ends at 5:00. The Cafe will be open serving fruit & cheese platters and sandwiches. Press Blue Button for more about Applewood Winery.
Knox's Headquarters State Historic Site is located at Vails Gate, NY 12584 in Orange County in the Hudson River Valley. On several occasions during the Revolutionary War, Major General Henry Knox, Commander of the America artillery, established his military headquarters at John Ellison's 1754 Georgian-style house in Vails Gate. From October 1782 until the spring of 1783, as 7,000 soldiers and 500 "camp followers" were establishing winter quarters at the New Windsor Cantonment, and General Washington was lodged at Jonathan Hasbrouck's house in Newburgh, New York, Major General Horatio Gates occupied the elegant home from which he commanded the cantonment. Here the army awaited the end of the Revolutionary War that became effective when Washington issued the cease fire orders on April 19, 1783.
For most of the 18th and into the 19th century, the Ellison family had important commercial dealings in milling and trade. From their mill, flour was shipped down the Hudson River to New York City and the West Indies. At present, remains of the mill, with traces of the underground racecourse, and the Jane Colden Native Plant Sanctuary may be visited. Explore how the Ellisons and other families of the mid-Hudson Valley lived 200 years ago.
Point of Interest Knox's Headquarters State Historic Site is fun for the children and family of all ages.
Attractions Costumed Interpreters Demonstrations Educational Services Gardens Group Tours Guided Tours Hiking Interpretive Sign Picnic Area Re-enactments Scenic Views
New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site is located at Vails Gate, NY 12584 in Orange County in the Hudson River Valley. In October 1782, General George Washington moved his army to New Windsor, above West Point and just beyond the Hudson Highlands, to establish winter quarters. He was accompanied by 7,000 troops including 500 women and children or "camp followers." By late December 1782, they had erected nearly 600 log huts into a "cantonment," a military enclave. High-ranking officers were quartered in private homes.
Washington was pleased that the army was better housed, fed, and clothed than ever before in the long war, but life for the officers and troops at the Cantonment remained hard. It was at the New Windsor Cantonment that the cease fire orders were issued by Washington ending the eight-year War of Independence on April 19, 1783. The final success, however, was the gradual, orderly disbandment of the army at the Cantonment, and the peaceful march of its still largely unpaid officers and men back to their homes or new pursuits.
New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site is fun for children and family. See the staff in reproduction period dress and uniforms demonstrate musket drills, blacksmithing, military medicine and camplife activities. View the exhibits at the Visitor Center and the reconstructed Temple Building, which served as a chapel for the soldiers.
Sterling Forest® State Park, a 17,953-acre park of nearly pristine natural refuge, is located at 116 Old Forge Road, Tuxedo NY 10987, Orange County in the Hudson Valley. Sterling Forest Park located in one of the nation's most densely populated areas is a remarkable piece of woodland, a watershed for millions, and a tremendous outdoor recreation area. This unbroken deep-forest habitat is important for the survival of many resident and migratory species, including black bear, a variety of hawks and songbirds and many rare invertebrates and plants.
Things To Do Biking Boat Launches Fishing Hiking Hunting Ice Fishing Museum / Visitor Center Recreation Programs Snowshoeing Scenic Views
U PICK APPLE AND PEAR ORCHARDS at the Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery is located at 114 Little York Road, Warwick NY 10990, in the foothills of the Hudson Valley. Every autumn, our guests are invited to enjoy our lavish orchards and Pick-Your-Own apples and Pears. Pear picking begins in August. Apples begin to ripen shortly thereafter in early September. With thirty varieties we have an apple for every palate. Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery's commitment to fine food and wine are why we are referred to as a "Bit of Tuscany in the Hudson Valley". Please, bring your family to meet our family and enjoy our farm, winery and orchards.
Our pick your own Apple and Pear orchards are ready for picking beginning early September and ripening continues through early November. We grow Bosc and Bartlett pears and over twenty varieties of apples. Remember pears ripen off the tree while apples ripen on the tree.
Our purpose is to grow apple varieties that taste great. Nothing gives us more pleasure than watching a child discover that all apples don’t taste or look alike and that they are “really good”. Press Blue Button for complete list of apples and pears, picking dates and more information about Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery.
As a department of the United States Military Academy, the Museum supports cadet academic, military and cultural instruction. Its collections include nearly all aspects of military history and encompass the history of West Point and the United States Military Academy, the evolution of warfare, and the development of the American Armed Forces. While only a portion of the collection is on display, all artifacts are available for cadet academic instruction, special exhibition and research.
Based upon captured British materials brought to West Point after the British defeat at Saratoga in 1777, the Museum collections actually predate the founding of the United States Military Academy. When the Academy opened in 1802, many Revolutionary War trophies remained to be used for cadet instruction. By the 1820s, a teaching collection of artifacts existed at the Military Academy and after the Mexican War (1846 - 1848).
West Point was designated by Executive Order as the permanent depository of war trophies. In 1854 the first public museum was opened and in 1989 the West Point Museum in Olmsted Hall opened at Pershing Center. Today it represents the culmination of more than two centuries of preserving our military heritage. Press Blue Button for West Point Gallery, History of US Army Gallery, American Wars Gallery, and more about West Point.
SUNY Orange is located at 115 South Street, Middletown, NY 10940 in the beautiful Hudson River Valley. SUNY Orange has touched the lives of countless numbers of the county’s 350,000 residents through its credit programs, non-credit programming and cultural events. As the needs of the community grow, the college will continue to play a significant role in the county’s endeavor to face the challenges and to profit from the opportunities that await it.
SUNY Orange was founded in 1950 as the first county-sponsored community college in the State University of New York system. Orange Community College has earned its reputation as a pioneer and innovator in meeting the needs of its students and the area it primarily serves. SUNY Orange was the first two-year college in the nation to offer the associate degree nursing program and studies in electron microscopy; and in 1982, the college was the first community college to plan and co-sponsor with local chambers of commerce a business institute.
Accredited by Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, academic credits can be earned through full- or part-time study in the day, evening, or both. The college offers three degrees: Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, and Associate in Applied Science. The college also offers extensive technical programs in career fields (with transfer options) and one-year certificates.
Public and private four-year colleges actively seek our graduates for transfer into baccalaureate programs as third-year students. In cooperation with other educational agencies, the college also presents programs for academically gifted high school seniors, for business and professional people, and by special arrangement with nearby universities for graduate students.
More than 420,000 people have enrolled in a wide range of credit and non-credit classes at the Middletown campus, the Newburgh Extension Center and satellite locations across Orange County.
Consistent with its mission to meet the higher education needs of students, the college is noted for its commitment to ensuring student success. With the support of our caring faculty and staff, each of our students has the ability to achieve their academic and career goals. Advising, counseling, and career guidance and exploration are available to all students as well as several co-curricular and leadership opportunities that serve to complement the academic experience.
In addition to offering formal instruction to students in both the day and evening, the college engages in a variety of other activities. It sponsors a series of cultural events, lectures and artistic performances for students, staff and faculty, and to which the public is invited. Press Blue Button to explore SUNY - Orange Community College.
The 18-hole "West Point" course at the West Point Golf Course facility is located at Route 218 and 9W, West Point, NY 10996. West Point Golf Course features 6,007 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 70. The course rating is 68.6 and it has a slope rating of 126. The West Point Golf Course is a "spikeless" facility. This course is located on a military installation but it is open to the public. The original design was built on hilly terrain, and featured tree-lined fairways and some well-placed fairway bunkers.
Golf Facility at West Point is available to
Active duty military personnel and their authorized family members, and cadets of USMA. Retired Military personnel and their authorized family members. Department of Defense civilian employees stationed at West Point and their authorized family members. Retired Department of Defense employees stationed at West Point and their authorized family members. Military personnel who are in the reserves. Others determined by the Garrison Commander, their authorized family members. General Public civilians.
Press Blue Button for information about the Golf facility at West Point.
Sterling Forest® State Park, a 17,953-acre park of nearly pristine natural refuge, is located at 116 Old Forge Road, Tuxedo NY 10987, Orange County in the Hudson Valley. Sterling Forest Park located in one of the nation's most densely populated areas is a remarkable piece of woodland, a watershed for millions, and a tremendous outdoor recreation area. This unbroken deep-forest habitat is important for the survival of many resident and migratory species, including black bear, a variety of hawks and songbirds and many rare invertebrates and plants.
Things To Do Biking Boat Launches Fishing Hiking Hunting Ice Fishing Museum / Visitor Center Recreation Programs Snowshoeing Scenic Views
Goosepond Mountain State Park is located in Bear Mountain, NY 10911, Orange County in the Hudson Valley. Goosepond is managed as 1,558-acres of open space. Almost completely wooded, the park is open to hikers and horseback riders. This park is undeveloped. There are no toilets and there is limited parking.
Highland Lakes State Park is a 3,000-acre park of undeveloped woods and lakes in Orange County. Visitors use the park for fishing, hiking, horseback riding and flying model planes. The park is undeveloped. There are no toilets and there is limited parking.
U PICK APPLE AND PEAR ORCHARDS at the Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery is located at 114 Little York Road, Warwick NY 10990, in the foothills of the Hudson Valley. Every autumn, our guests are invited to enjoy our lavish orchards and Pick-Your-Own apples and Pears. Pear picking begins in August. Apples begin to ripen shortly thereafter in early September. With thirty varieties we have an apple for every palate. Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery's commitment to fine food and wine are why we are referred to as a "Bit of Tuscany in the Hudson Valley". Please, bring your family to meet our family and enjoy our farm, winery and orchards.
Our pick your own Apple and Pear orchards are ready for picking beginning early September and ripening continues through early November. We grow Bosc and Bartlett pears and over twenty varieties of apples. Remember pears ripen off the tree while apples ripen on the tree.
Our purpose is to grow apple varieties that taste great. Nothing gives us more pleasure than watching a child discover that all apples don’t taste or look alike and that they are “really good”. Press Blue Button for complete list of apples and pears, picking dates and more information about Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery.
Highland Lakes State Park is a 3,000-acre park of undeveloped woods and lakes in Orange County. Visitors use the park for fishing, hiking, horseback riding and flying model planes. The park is undeveloped. There are no toilets and there is limited parking.
Sterling Forest® State Park, a 17,953-acre park of nearly pristine natural refuge, is located at 116 Old Forge Road, Tuxedo NY 10987, Orange County in the Hudson Valley. Sterling Forest Park located in one of the nation's most densely populated areas is a remarkable piece of woodland, a watershed for millions, and a tremendous outdoor recreation area. This unbroken deep-forest habitat is important for the survival of many resident and migratory species, including black bear, a variety of hawks and songbirds and many rare invertebrates and plants.
Things To Do Biking Boat Launches Fishing Hiking Hunting Ice Fishing Museum / Visitor Center Recreation Programs Snowshoeing Scenic Views
New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site is located at Vails Gate, NY 12584 in Orange County in the Hudson River Valley. In October 1782, General George Washington moved his army to New Windsor, above West Point and just beyond the Hudson Highlands, to establish winter quarters. He was accompanied by 7,000 troops including 500 women and children or "camp followers." By late December 1782, they had erected nearly 600 log huts into a "cantonment," a military enclave. High-ranking officers were quartered in private homes.
Washington was pleased that the army was better housed, fed, and clothed than ever before in the long war, but life for the officers and troops at the Cantonment remained hard. It was at the New Windsor Cantonment that the cease fire orders were issued by Washington ending the eight-year War of Independence on April 19, 1783. The final success, however, was the gradual, orderly disbandment of the army at the Cantonment, and the peaceful march of its still largely unpaid officers and men back to their homes or new pursuits.
New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site is fun for children and family. See the staff in reproduction period dress and uniforms demonstrate musket drills, blacksmithing, military medicine and camplife activities. View the exhibits at the Visitor Center and the reconstructed Temple Building, which served as a chapel for the soldiers.
Storm King Art Center is located at Old Pleasant Hill Road, Mountainville NY 10953, Orange County in the Hudson Valley. Storm King is widely recognized as one of the world’s greatest sculpture parks. "Storm King Art Center is a museum celebrates the relationship between sculpture and nature. Five hundred acres of landscaped lawns, fields and woodlands provide the site for postwar sculptures by internationally renowned artists. At Storm King, the exhibition space is defined by sky and land. Unencumbered by walls, the subtly created flow of space is punctuated by modern sculpture. The grounds are surrounded by the undulating profiles of the Hudson Highlands, a dramatic panorama integral to the viewing experience. The sculptures are affected by changes in light and weather, so no two visits are the same.
History of Storm King Art Center "Ralph E. Ogden and H. Peter Stern, then joint owners of Star Expansion Company founded Storm King Art Center in 1960. Originally Ogden envisioned a museum of the Hudson Valley painters, however after visiting a marble quarry in Austria in 1961 he became partially interested in sculpture. Early purchases were set outside the building as part of a formal garden scheme. Six years later, Ogden saw sculptures by David Smith (1906-1965) set in open fields outside his home in Bolton Landing. The Art Center purchased thirteen works from the artist’s estate and inspired in part by Smith’s sculpture fields soon began to place works outdoors in a new way that directly responded to the landscape of Mountainville. Since that time, each sculpture has been sited as part of a visual fabric that includes its immediate surroundings and the distant landscape scene – expanding the context for viewing far beyond traditional garden confines. In 1972 the Art Center began acquiring a permanent collection of large-scale sculptures. Works are acquired selectively, always with attention to the potential interaction of sculpture with the Storm King landscape. Ogden died in 1974; H. Peter Stern continues to serve as both Chairman and President of the Art Center.
Museum Building: "Completed as a residence in 1935 for the late Vermont Hatch, the French Normandy-style building was designed by architect Maxwell Kimball. The building's granite stones were salvaged from Danskammer, the 1834 Edward Armstrong mansion located north of Newburgh that stood overlooking the Hudson River for almost 100 years. The five Ionic columns now situated on the Art Center's property formed the front of Danskammer. The interior of the museum building contains many period details such as walnut paneling, and walnut and oak parquet floors. Inside are nine exhibition galleries, a museum shop, and offices.
Landscape "At Storm King, visitors are encouraged to enjoy nature as well as art, to meander on trails and discover sculptures, or to traverse the fields to walk among monumental works. The grounds are under a carefully supervised program of maintenance and change. Recently the Art Center has developed the North Trail and a wooded grove with sculptures, and has restored several walking paths."
Visitors may walk through the grounds or take a self-guided tour aboard a handicap-accessible tram that travels through the main portion of the grounds. An audio-guide is available for rental at the museum shop. Press Blue Button to learn about the collections, current exhibitions, membership, photos, and more about Storm King Art Center.
The word is: Fabulous collection of modern and majestic sculptures in an exceptional outdoor setting that complement each and every piece of art. Storm King is magical in all seasons, especially in the Fall. Bring the children, a picnic, and dine under a tree; four miles of hiking trails are also available.
Adams Fairacre Farms has three locations in the Hudson Valley; Poughkeepsie NY in Dutchess County, Kingston NY in Ulster County, and Newburgh, NY in Orange County.
Adams Fairacre Farms began in the early 1900s as a simple roadside farmstand in Poughkeepsie, New York . . . Adams now has a full-service Meat Department, Seafood Department, Deli, Prepared Foods Department, Cheese Department, Bakery, Sweet Shop, Gourmet Grocery, Gift Shop, Garden Center and Nursery.
Today, the family still picks the produce we sell, but not quite in the same way. Now we hand-select the very best fruits and vegetables available, buying from local growers whenever possible. It’s with a farmer’s eye that we choose the produce you see on display, like vine-ripened tomatoes, crisp greens, fresh chestnuts, tender asparagus, just-picked berries and much, much more. Be sure to read our helpful produce signs—most provide nutritional information, recipes or cooking tips.
Goosepond Mountain State Park is located in Bear Mountain, NY 10911, Orange County in the Hudson Valley. Goosepond is managed as 1,558-acres of open space. Almost completely wooded, the park is open to hikers and horseback riders. This park is undeveloped. There are no toilets and there is limited parking.
Highland Lakes State Park is a 3,000-acre park of undeveloped woods and lakes in Orange County. Visitors use the park for fishing, hiking, horseback riding and flying model planes. The park is undeveloped. There are no toilets and there is limited parking.
Knox's Headquarters State Historic Site is located at Vails Gate, NY 12584 in Orange County in the Hudson River Valley. On several occasions during the Revolutionary War, Major General Henry Knox, Commander of the America artillery, established his military headquarters at John Ellison's 1754 Georgian-style house in Vails Gate. From October 1782 until the spring of 1783, as 7,000 soldiers and 500 "camp followers" were establishing winter quarters at the New Windsor Cantonment, and General Washington was lodged at Jonathan Hasbrouck's house in Newburgh, New York, Major General Horatio Gates occupied the elegant home from which he commanded the cantonment. Here the army awaited the end of the Revolutionary War that became effective when Washington issued the cease fire orders on April 19, 1783.
For most of the 18th and into the 19th century, the Ellison family had important commercial dealings in milling and trade. From their mill, flour was shipped down the Hudson River to New York City and the West Indies. At present, remains of the mill, with traces of the underground racecourse, and the Jane Colden Native Plant Sanctuary may be visited. Explore how the Ellisons and other families of the mid-Hudson Valley lived 200 years ago.
Point of Interest Knox's Headquarters State Historic Site is fun for the children and family of all ages.
Attractions Costumed Interpreters Demonstrations Educational Services Gardens Group Tours Guided Tours Hiking Interpretive Sign Picnic Area Re-enactments Scenic Views
New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site is located at Vails Gate, NY 12584 in Orange County in the Hudson River Valley. In October 1782, General George Washington moved his army to New Windsor, above West Point and just beyond the Hudson Highlands, to establish winter quarters. He was accompanied by 7,000 troops including 500 women and children or "camp followers." By late December 1782, they had erected nearly 600 log huts into a "cantonment," a military enclave. High-ranking officers were quartered in private homes.
Washington was pleased that the army was better housed, fed, and clothed than ever before in the long war, but life for the officers and troops at the Cantonment remained hard. It was at the New Windsor Cantonment that the cease fire orders were issued by Washington ending the eight-year War of Independence on April 19, 1783. The final success, however, was the gradual, orderly disbandment of the army at the Cantonment, and the peaceful march of its still largely unpaid officers and men back to their homes or new pursuits.
New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site is fun for children and family. See the staff in reproduction period dress and uniforms demonstrate musket drills, blacksmithing, military medicine and camplife activities. View the exhibits at the Visitor Center and the reconstructed Temple Building, which served as a chapel for the soldiers.
Sterling Forest® State Park, a 17,953-acre park of nearly pristine natural refuge, is located at 116 Old Forge Road, Tuxedo NY 10987, Orange County in the Hudson Valley. Sterling Forest Park located in one of the nation's most densely populated areas is a remarkable piece of woodland, a watershed for millions, and a tremendous outdoor recreation area. This unbroken deep-forest habitat is important for the survival of many resident and migratory species, including black bear, a variety of hawks and songbirds and many rare invertebrates and plants.
Things To Do Biking Boat Launches Fishing Hiking Hunting Ice Fishing Museum / Visitor Center Recreation Programs Snowshoeing Scenic Views
Storm King State Park offers unsurpassed views of the Catskills and the Hudson Valley. The park is undeveloped. There are no toilets and limited parking.
The Storm King State Park is located near The Storm King Art Center which is an outdoor museum that celebrates the relationship between sculpture and nature. Storm King comprises 500 pristine acres of carefully maintained fields, hills, and woodlands, on which more than 100 works by major international artists are thoughtfully sited. At Storm King, the exhibition space is defined by sky and land. Visit Storm King Art Center for more information.
Things To Do Hiking Paths / Walking Hunting Scenic Views
Fort Montgomery State Historic Site is located in Fort Montgomery, New York 10922 in the historic Hudson River Valley.
Information Source The history of Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton during the American Revolutionary War; a War of Independence between the Americans and England, is sourced from interpretive signs at the Fort Montgomery Visitor Center and on the Fort Montgomery historic trails.
Click to enlarge sign about Fort Montgomery in the American Revolution.
The interpretive sign reads: Welcome to Fort Montgomery "You are standing near the western end of Fort Montgomery: a Revolutionary War fort built to defend the Hudson Highlands and protect American control of the Hudson River. On October 6, 1777, the British captured Fort Montgomery and destroyed it in the days that followed.
"Trails from this parking area lead to two of the fort's redoubts. The trail that passes beneath the highway will take you to the Fort Montgomery visitor center and Fort Montgomery's remains where interpretive signs will help you understand the history of the fort and the battle."
Today, Fort Montgomery is an archeological site and a historic ruin.
Fort Montgomery was the scene of a fierce battle for control of the Hudson River during the American Revolutionary War; the Hudson was considered strategic by both the Americans and the British during the American War for Independence.
Building Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton "Early in the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress realized that the Hudson River was critical to the American cause. If the British controlled the river, they could divide the rebellious colonies. Therefore, the Americans began work on Fort Montgomery in March 1776. . .
" . . . When the Americans discovered that the land on the opposite side of the Popolopen Creek was higher and would threaten Fort Montgomery if held by the enemy, they began constructing a second fort there, called Fort Clinton. They connected the two forts by a pontoon bridge. . .
"Fort Montgomery was a bustling community of hundreds of people. Soldiers, laborers, merchants, families, servants, and slaves lived at or visited the fort. Ships and boats arriving and departing added to the atmosphere of a small city.
"Supplies were often hard to obtain, morale was often low, and discipline was a chronic problem. Nevertheless, Forts Montgomery and Clinton were largely complete by October 1777, when the British attacked them."
Fort Clinton "Originally, the commissioners in charge of the work were confident that no overland attack on the fort was possible, but misgivings led them to begin extending the fortifications inland. They began fortifying several pieces of high ground that became Fort Montgomery's three redoubts. The realization that a higher piece of ground just across the Popolopen Creek threatened Fort Montgomery led to the construction of Fort Clinton."
Click to enlarge sign about the Battle of Fort Montgomery in the American Revolution.
The interpretive sign reads: Battle of Fort Montgomery "To aid Lieutenant General John Burgoyne's British army stalled at Saratoga, Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton sailed from New York with 3,000 British, German, and Loyalist soldiers and a flotilla of warships. On the morning of October 6, 1777, Clinton landed 2,100 of his men on the west side of the Hudson River near Stony Point. This force followed a narrow trail through the mountains, where they ran into a party of 30 men sent from Fort Clinton to detect the British advance. After beating the Americans back, Sir Henry Clinton sent 900 men around Bear Mountain to attack Fort Montgomery. The rest would wait to attack Fort Clinton until the first group had reached Fort Montgomery.
"In the afternoon, the British began an assault on both forts, which were defended by no more than 700 men. At Fort Montgomery, the Americans kept the British at bay as the two sides exchanged musket fire. When the Americans refused to surrender, the British stormed both forts. Taking advantage of the growing dark and the smoky haze from the battle, many of the Americans escaped, but as many as 275 were taken as prisoners to New York City where they remained for much of the war.
"Following the battle, the British destroyed Fort Montgomery, garrisoned Fort Clinton, and burned New York's capital at Kingston. Then, receiving orders to join Sir William Howe's army near Philadelphia, Clinton's men destroyed Fort Clinton and sailed back down the Hudson. Although captured and destroyed, the forts had presented enough of an obstacle to keep the British forces in New York from aiding Burgoyne's army. The following year, in 1778, the American began rebuilding their defenses, this time at West Point."
Click to enlarge photo of the Wounded Patriot at the Battle of Fort Montgomery.
Men in the photo represent two American patriots: Private, Ulster County Militia, and Private, 5th New York Regiment. The militiaman, in civilian clothing, is armed with a British musket. He assists his wounded comrade carrying a French musket from the 1750s.
The American Revolution - 1777: History of Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton The following historical accounts record the Battles of Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton from different historical perspectives:
The War of the Revolution, by Christopher Ward, Volume II (Macmillan, 1952)
"An opaque fog lay close to the surface of the Hudson River on the morning of October 5, 1777. The awakening bugles of General Israel Putnam’s Continentals at Peekskill on the eastern shore of the river seemed muted by the white and misty blanket. The slow-rising sun burned irregular holes in it, however, and through these the General’s sentinels, who had been posted south of his encampment during most of the summer, saw something that banished their accustomed boredom. There were barges and galleys downriver—many of them—and above the low lying haze rose the towering masts of British frigates. From downriver, too, came the muffled sounds of alarm guns. The long-dreaded invasion of enemy troops from occupied New York had begun.
The elderly Yankee Israel Putnam was busy at once. An oarsman, rowing desperately, bore messages across the wide stream to Fort Montgomery, an unfinished cluster of earthworks then under the command of the thirty-eight-year-old governor of the new state of New York, Brigadier General George Clinton. At this bastion, nearly a hundred and fifty feet above the spot where the Popolopen Creek joins the Hudson, the Governor received Putnam’s letter. Immediately he sent a summary of its contents to his older brother, General James Clinton, then in command of Fort Clinton, a smaller stronghold on the steep south bank of the narrow creek.
In the meantime, the British under Sir Henry Clinton (a distant cousin of the American generals of the same surname) were disembarking at Verplanck’s Point on the east bank of the Hudson, not far below Putnam’s headquarters. The grating of their boats in the shallows of the river, the sharp voices of their officers ordering immediate formations, came strangely through the thick fog to the ears of Putnam’s scouts, informing them only that the invaders were in considerable numbers . . .
. . . Perhaps the Battle of Fort Montgomery would have been utterly neglected had not two young American soldiers chosen to visit the site on a sunny spring day of the following year. Historians do not usually end their chapters on such footnotes as these men provided, but their reports have so documented the narrative that they deserve place here. One of them, a young chaplain named Timothy Dwight (later president of Yale College), wrote in his journal that while he was climbing from a river barge to the place where the battle had been fought, the stench of dead bodies caused him great distress.
We found, at a small distance from Fort Montgomery, a pond of a moderate size, in which we saw the bodies of several men, who had been killed in the assault upon the fort. They were thrown into this pond, the preceding autumn, by the British … Some of them were covered at this time; but at a depth so small as to leave them distinctly visible. Others had an arm, a leg, or a part of the body, above the surface. The clothes which they wore when they were killed, were still on them, and proved that they were militia; being the ordinary dress of farmers. Their faces were bloated and monstrous; and their postures were uncouth, distorted and to the highest degree afflictive . . ."
Battles Of The Revolutionary War: 1775-1781 by W.J. Wood (Dec 23, 2003)
"On October 6th, 300 Continental soldiers of the 5th New York regiment, 100 artillerymen of Lamb's Artillery, and some 300 Levies and militiamen defended the unfinished Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton against a combined force of roughly 2,100 Loyalists, Hessians, and British regulars led by Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton attacked Forts Montgomery and Clinton from the landward side (which was only partially completed) with support from cannon fire from British ships on the Hudson 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.
The Americans had emplaced an iron chain and a boom across the Hudson River, protected by four warships, to impede the British flotilla.
Lt. Col. Mungo Campbell and several British regulars approach the fort with a flag of truce indicating that they wish to avoid `further effusion of blood.' Clinton sends Lt. Col. William S. Livingston to meet the enemy. The British officer requests that the patriots surrender. They are promised that no harm would come to them. Livingston, in turn, invites Campbell to surrender and promises him and his men good treatment. Fuming at this audacity, the British resume the fight. British ships working against an ebb tide attack the forts and American vessels. A steady volley ensues with each side receiving a share of the bombardment. British officers Campbell and Vaughan close in on all sides of the twin forts. Leading his men into battle, Campbell is killed in a violent attack on the North Redoubt of Fort Montgomery. Vaughan's horse is shot from under him as he rides into battle at Fort Clinton.
After a fierce battle lasting until dark, the British pushed the courageous Americans from the forts at the points of their bayonets. The defenders are overpowered by sheer numbers and the British gain possession of Forts Montgomery and Clinton. American casualties numbered about 350 killed, wounded and captured, while the British paid a price of at least 190 killed and wounded. Those who were not killed or did not escape are shipped to the infamous Sugar House Prisons in New York City and then onto British "hell ships" (prison ships) in the harbor. A "return," or report of prisoners, is sent to communities in the Highlands to inform families of their loved ones' capture. It is up to the families to send provisions lest the prisoners starve. Countless patriots perish on the prison ships.
U.S. Army battle map, The Battle of Fort Montgomery, 5-6 October 1777 U.S. Army battle map, The Battle of Fort Montgomery, The British Attack, Dusk, 6 October 1777 Forts Montgomery and Clinton, located just south of West Point, were built for the defense of the Hudson Highlands in 1776. It was here that British and loyalist troops overwhelmed Clinton's outnumbered patriots in October.
Although the Americans lost the battle for the Highlands, a relative handful of Americans aided in delaying British reinforcements from joining Burgoyne in the upper Hudson Valley and allowed Gates to gain much needed militia reinforcements in time to ultimately win Burgoyne's surrender at Saratoga."
A guide to the Battles of the American Revolution by Theodore P. Savas and J. David Dameron (Savas Beatie LLC, NY 2006)
American Perspective: "Waiting within the American fortifications on Bemis Heights was the bloodied Continental Army led by Maj. Gen. Horatio Gates. Not an audacious commander, Gates was content to await General Burgoyne's next move. While Gates market time on Bemis Heights, Patriot forces assigned to defensive positions guarding the entrance to the Hudson Highlands worked to complete two forts on the Hudson River 100 miles south of Albany, New York. Their commander was Brig. Gen. George Clinton (not to be confused with the British commander with the same last name). The forts over which the American Clinton (who was also governor of New York) labored were named Montgomery, in honor of fallen Patriot Gen. Richard Montgomery, and Clinton, after himself as commander of the forces in that region. Built on opposite banks of Popolopen Creek, which emptied into the Hudson River on its western shore at a strategic bend, eight miles south of West Point, the bastions were key to the strategic defense of the Hudson Highlands.
Fort Montgomery guarded the northern bank of the creek and Fort Clinton the southern bank. To the east of both forts flowed the majestic Hudson River. All told, the American fielded 600 men and 20 pieces of heavy artillery. The Patriots strung a heavy iron chain across the river and seeded the water with log obstacles to disrupt any maritime assault upon the American forts. Patrolling the Hudson were two Americans warships, Montgomery and Congress, supported by a handful of smaller vessels . . .
. . . Fort Clinton was constructed on the south side of Popolopen Creek on a rocky ridge overlooking the Hudson River below, oriented to cover a 400-yard wide plain before the drop to the waterway. Fort Montgomery also overlooked the Hudson River, but was situated on the northern shore of Popolopen Creek, which ran west from the Hudson . . .
After a perfunctory request that the defenders capitulate (which was rejected), the twin assaults began. There was no element of surprise or effort at finesse. The British attached nearly simultaneously with the sun setting behind Lt. Col. Archibald Campbell's columns. Sir James Wallace's British river fleet also arrived and opened fire on the American vessels and forts, providing the British land forces with supporting fire.
Fort Montgomery fell first . . . Fort Clinton's defenders offered a better account of themselves, but the outcome was the same. Sir Henry Clinton ordered his command to launch a direct attach (there was little room to maneuver). His regulars and Hessian allies swept forward through a line of obstructions, taking terrible casualties during the approach and in the close-quarter fighting that followed. The weight of British metal carried the day, however, and within a short time the garrison was dead, wounded, captured, or fleeing . . .
By 7:30 or 8:00 p.m. the fighting was over. Only 300 Americans, including Generals James and Governor George Clinton, escaped, most from Fort Montgomery . . . Casualties: British: 190 killed and wounded; American: 350 killed, wounded, and captured."
Fort Montgomery as a Historic Ruin New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation has decided not to recreate Forts Montgomery and/or Clinton. "Because of the limits of available information, any recreation would be inaccurate and would hide the violent end of these massive fortifications. Instead, the remains are preserved, just as the have survived the ages, as hallowed ground."
Fort Montgomery stands as an archeological site and a historic ruin.
Fort Montgomery, Today Today, Fort Montgomery is an archeological site and a historic ruin. This Historic Site is a genuine vestige of our nation's struggle for independence. Visitors will see the actual foundations of the fort's buildings and remains of the fort's earthworks. Visit Fort Montgomery and tour the remains of the 14 acre fortification, perched on a cliff overlooking the Hudson River.
The site includes a Visitor Center and interpretive trail that guides visitors past the fort's ruins to breathtaking views of the Hudson River. The Visitor Center features artifacts discovered in Fort Montgomery, mannequin displays, a 3 dimensional map model, and a 14 minute orientation film.
Attractions Include Audio-Visual Programs Demonstrations Group Tours Hiking Interpretive Signs Scenic Views Self Guided Tours Visitor Center
Fort Montgomery West Redoubt in the American Revolution.
Click sign at the Fort Montgomery West Redoubt.
The sign reads: Fort Montgomery's West Redoubt "Fort Montgomery's West Redoubt was one of three strong points built to defend the fort from an overland attack.
"New York State's Governor, Brigadier General George Clinton, commanded Fort Montgomery during the battle on October 6, 1777. Clinton ordered his men into the fort's three redoubts, where they were attacked by 900 British and Loyalist soldiers. After mounting a brave resistance, the Americans were driven from the redoubts and were forced to abandon the fort."
One of the drawings in the sign shows that: "Aware that the British were approaching, Governor Clinton ordered some of his men to take a 3-pounder cannon down the road that lead to the fort and delay them. The Americans were able to temporarily stop the advancing British and Loyalist soldiers, but were eventually forced to abandon the gun and return to the fort."
Click trail marker for the Historic 1777 & 1779 American Revolution Trail.
The sign reads: The Historic 1777 & 1779 Trails "You are walking part of the 1777 historic trail that retraces as nearly as possible the routes taken by the British army during the Revolutionary War.
"The 1777 trail represents the route taken by British General Sir Henry Clinton's forces on October 6, 1777. After landing 2100 men at Stony Point, he marched north to capture Forts Clinton and Montgomery. At Doodletown, the trail splits. The east branch of the trail follows the march of forces under Sir Henry Clinton and Major General John Vaughn that captured Fort Clinton. The west branch follows the route of Lieutenant Colonel Mungo Campbell's force, which captured Fort Montgomery.
"The 1779 trail traces the route taken by Brigadier General Anthony Wayne's Corps of Light Infantry in its assault on the British fortifications at Stony Point just after midnight on July 16, 1779. After a brief but fierce fight, Wayne's men captured Stony Point, achieving one of the Continental Army's most spectacular victories."
Walk the grounds of the Historic 1777 & 1779 Trails at Fort Montgomery Historic Site. You can pick up the 1777 & 1779 trails close to the Bear Mountain Bridge and/or near the Fort Montgomery Visitor Center.
Knox's Headquarters State Historic Site is located at Vails Gate, NY 12584 in Orange County in the Hudson River Valley. On several occasions during the Revolutionary War, Major General Henry Knox, Commander of the America artillery, established his military headquarters at John Ellison's 1754 Georgian-style house in Vails Gate. From October 1782 until the spring of 1783, as 7,000 soldiers and 500 "camp followers" were establishing winter quarters at the New Windsor Cantonment, and General Washington was lodged at Jonathan Hasbrouck's house in Newburgh, New York, Major General Horatio Gates occupied the elegant home from which he commanded the cantonment. Here the army awaited the end of the Revolutionary War that became effective when Washington issued the cease fire orders on April 19, 1783.
For most of the 18th and into the 19th century, the Ellison family had important commercial dealings in milling and trade. From their mill, flour was shipped down the Hudson River to New York City and the West Indies. At present, remains of the mill, with traces of the underground racecourse, and the Jane Colden Native Plant Sanctuary may be visited. Explore how the Ellisons and other families of the mid-Hudson Valley lived 200 years ago.
Point of Interest Knox's Headquarters State Historic Site is fun for the children and family of all ages.
Attractions Costumed Interpreters Demonstrations Educational Services Gardens Group Tours Guided Tours Hiking Interpretive Sign Picnic Area Re-enactments Scenic Views
New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site is located at Vails Gate, NY 12584 in Orange County in the Hudson River Valley. In October 1782, General George Washington moved his army to New Windsor, above West Point and just beyond the Hudson Highlands, to establish winter quarters. He was accompanied by 7,000 troops including 500 women and children or "camp followers." By late December 1782, they had erected nearly 600 log huts into a "cantonment," a military enclave. High-ranking officers were quartered in private homes.
Washington was pleased that the army was better housed, fed, and clothed than ever before in the long war, but life for the officers and troops at the Cantonment remained hard. It was at the New Windsor Cantonment that the cease fire orders were issued by Washington ending the eight-year War of Independence on April 19, 1783. The final success, however, was the gradual, orderly disbandment of the army at the Cantonment, and the peaceful march of its still largely unpaid officers and men back to their homes or new pursuits.
New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site is fun for children and family. See the staff in reproduction period dress and uniforms demonstrate musket drills, blacksmithing, military medicine and camplife activities. View the exhibits at the Visitor Center and the reconstructed Temple Building, which served as a chapel for the soldiers.
Sterling Forest® State Park, a 17,953-acre park of nearly pristine natural refuge, is located at 116 Old Forge Road, Tuxedo NY 10987, Orange County in the Hudson Valley. Sterling Forest Park located in one of the nation's most densely populated areas is a remarkable piece of woodland, a watershed for millions, and a tremendous outdoor recreation area. This unbroken deep-forest habitat is important for the survival of many resident and migratory species, including black bear, a variety of hawks and songbirds and many rare invertebrates and plants.
Things To Do Biking Boat Launches Fishing Hiking Hunting Ice Fishing Museum / Visitor Center Recreation Programs Snowshoeing Scenic Views
As a department of the United States Military Academy, the Museum supports cadet academic, military and cultural instruction. Its collections include nearly all aspects of military history and encompass the history of West Point and the United States Military Academy, the evolution of warfare, and the development of the American Armed Forces. While only a portion of the collection is on display, all artifacts are available for cadet academic instruction, special exhibition and research.
Based upon captured British materials brought to West Point after the British defeat at Saratoga in 1777, the Museum collections actually predate the founding of the United States Military Academy. When the Academy opened in 1802, many Revolutionary War trophies remained to be used for cadet instruction. By the 1820s, a teaching collection of artifacts existed at the Military Academy and after the Mexican War (1846 - 1848).
West Point was designated by Executive Order as the permanent depository of war trophies. In 1854 the first public museum was opened and in 1989 the West Point Museum in Olmsted Hall opened at Pershing Center. Today it represents the culmination of more than two centuries of preserving our military heritage. Press Blue Button for West Point Gallery, History of US Army Gallery, American Wars Gallery, and more about West Point.
Click to enlarge the sign Chaining the Hudson in the American Revolution.
The sign reads: Chaining the Hudson "Early in the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress realized that if the British controlled the Hudson River, they could divide the rebellious colonies. To prevent this, in March 1776, the Americans began construction of Fort Montgomery above the Popolopen Creek on the west side of the Hudson River. Their work soon expanded to include a second fort, Fort Clinton, on the south side of the creek, and a massive iron chain that stretched across the Hudson River.
"Lieutenant Thomas Machin, one of the Continental Army's most able engineers, directed the work on the forts and the chain. During two separate attempts, the chain quickly broke under the strain of the ebb tide. Convinced that the chain could still work, Machin had the damage repaired and successfully stretched the chain across the river in march 1777.
"British ships never tested the chain. Rather, the British captured the forts on October 6, 1777, and cut the chain the following day. Today, Fort Montgomery State Historic Site is open to the public and interprets the story of the forts and the battle."
Click to enlarge sign: The First Chain along the Hudson River.
The sign reads: First Chain New York The First Chain Planned to keep British Ships from going up River. Anchored on shore Below, was forced by the Enemy Oct. 7, 1777
Chain at West Point After the British destroyed the Fort Montgomery chain, the Americans created an even bigger chain at West Point, which was never challenged by the enemy. The diagram on the interpretive sign is courtesy of the West Point Museum Collection, United States Military Academy.
Fort Montgomery as a Historic Ruin Rather than rebuild Fort Montgomery, New York State Parks has chosen to preserve and interpret it as a ruin. The site includes an interpretive trail that guides visitors past the fort's ruins to breathtaking vies of the Hudson River.
Fort Montgomery State Historic Site is located in Fort Montgomery, New York 10922 in the historic Hudson River Valley.
Information Source The history of Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton during the American Revolutionary War; a War of Independence between the Americans and England, is sourced from interpretive signs at the Fort Montgomery Visitor Center and on the Fort Montgomery historic trails.
Click to enlarge sign about Fort Montgomery in the American Revolution.
The interpretive sign reads: Welcome to Fort Montgomery "You are standing near the western end of Fort Montgomery: a Revolutionary War fort built to defend the Hudson Highlands and protect American control of the Hudson River. On October 6, 1777, the British captured Fort Montgomery and destroyed it in the days that followed.
"Trails from this parking area lead to two of the fort's redoubts. The trail that passes beneath the highway will take you to the Fort Montgomery visitor center and Fort Montgomery's remains where interpretive signs will help you understand the history of the fort and the battle."
Today, Fort Montgomery is an archeological site and a historic ruin.
Fort Montgomery was the scene of a fierce battle for control of the Hudson River during the American Revolutionary War; the Hudson was considered strategic by both the Americans and the British during the American War for Independence.
Building Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton "Early in the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress realized that the Hudson River was critical to the American cause. If the British controlled the river, they could divide the rebellious colonies. Therefore, the Americans began work on Fort Montgomery in March 1776. . .
" . . . When the Americans discovered that the land on the opposite side of the Popolopen Creek was higher and would threaten Fort Montgomery if held by the enemy, they began constructing a second fort there, called Fort Clinton. They connected the two forts by a pontoon bridge. . .
"Fort Montgomery was a bustling community of hundreds of people. Soldiers, laborers, merchants, families, servants, and slaves lived at or visited the fort. Ships and boats arriving and departing added to the atmosphere of a small city.
"Supplies were often hard to obtain, morale was often low, and discipline was a chronic problem. Nevertheless, Forts Montgomery and Clinton were largely complete by October 1777, when the British attacked them."
Fort Clinton "Originally, the commissioners in charge of the work were confident that no overland attack on the fort was possible, but misgivings led them to begin extending the fortifications inland. They began fortifying several pieces of high ground that became Fort Montgomery's three redoubts. The realization that a higher piece of ground just across the Popolopen Creek threatened Fort Montgomery led to the construction of Fort Clinton."
Click to enlarge sign about the Battle of Fort Montgomery in the American Revolution.
The interpretive sign reads: Battle of Fort Montgomery "To aid Lieutenant General John Burgoyne's British army stalled at Saratoga, Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton sailed from New York with 3,000 British, German, and Loyalist soldiers and a flotilla of warships. On the morning of October 6, 1777, Clinton landed 2,100 of his men on the west side of the Hudson River near Stony Point. This force followed a narrow trail through the mountains, where they ran into a party of 30 men sent from Fort Clinton to detect the British advance. After beating the Americans back, Sir Henry Clinton sent 900 men around Bear Mountain to attack Fort Montgomery. The rest would wait to attack Fort Clinton until the first group had reached Fort Montgomery.
"In the afternoon, the British began an assault on both forts, which were defended by no more than 700 men. At Fort Montgomery, the Americans kept the British at bay as the two sides exchanged musket fire. When the Americans refused to surrender, the British stormed both forts. Taking advantage of the growing dark and the smoky haze from the battle, many of the Americans escaped, but as many as 275 were taken as prisoners to New York City where they remained for much of the war.
"Following the battle, the British destroyed Fort Montgomery, garrisoned Fort Clinton, and burned New York's capital at Kingston. Then, receiving orders to join Sir William Howe's army near Philadelphia, Clinton's men destroyed Fort Clinton and sailed back down the Hudson. Although captured and destroyed, the forts had presented enough of an obstacle to keep the British forces in New York from aiding Burgoyne's army. The following year, in 1778, the American began rebuilding their defenses, this time at West Point."
Click to enlarge photo of the Wounded Patriot at the Battle of Fort Montgomery.
Men in the photo represent two American patriots: Private, Ulster County Militia, and Private, 5th New York Regiment. The militiaman, in civilian clothing, is armed with a British musket. He assists his wounded comrade carrying a French musket from the 1750s.
The American Revolution - 1777: History of Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton The following historical accounts record the Battles of Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton from different historical perspectives:
The War of the Revolution, by Christopher Ward, Volume II (Macmillan, 1952)
"An opaque fog lay close to the surface of the Hudson River on the morning of October 5, 1777. The awakening bugles of General Israel Putnam’s Continentals at Peekskill on the eastern shore of the river seemed muted by the white and misty blanket. The slow-rising sun burned irregular holes in it, however, and through these the General’s sentinels, who had been posted south of his encampment during most of the summer, saw something that banished their accustomed boredom. There were barges and galleys downriver—many of them—and above the low lying haze rose the towering masts of British frigates. From downriver, too, came the muffled sounds of alarm guns. The long-dreaded invasion of enemy troops from occupied New York had begun.
The elderly Yankee Israel Putnam was busy at once. An oarsman, rowing desperately, bore messages across the wide stream to Fort Montgomery, an unfinished cluster of earthworks then under the command of the thirty-eight-year-old governor of the new state of New York, Brigadier General George Clinton. At this bastion, nearly a hundred and fifty feet above the spot where the Popolopen Creek joins the Hudson, the Governor received Putnam’s letter. Immediately he sent a summary of its contents to his older brother, General James Clinton, then in command of Fort Clinton, a smaller stronghold on the steep south bank of the narrow creek.
In the meantime, the British under Sir Henry Clinton (a distant cousin of the American generals of the same surname) were disembarking at Verplanck’s Point on the east bank of the Hudson, not far below Putnam’s headquarters. The grating of their boats in the shallows of the river, the sharp voices of their officers ordering immediate formations, came strangely through the thick fog to the ears of Putnam’s scouts, informing them only that the invaders were in considerable numbers . . .
. . . Perhaps the Battle of Fort Montgomery would have been utterly neglected had not two young American soldiers chosen to visit the site on a sunny spring day of the following year. Historians do not usually end their chapters on such footnotes as these men provided, but their reports have so documented the narrative that they deserve place here. One of them, a young chaplain named Timothy Dwight (later president of Yale College), wrote in his journal that while he was climbing from a river barge to the place where the battle had been fought, the stench of dead bodies caused him great distress.
We found, at a small distance from Fort Montgomery, a pond of a moderate size, in which we saw the bodies of several men, who had been killed in the assault upon the fort. They were thrown into this pond, the preceding autumn, by the British … Some of them were covered at this time; but at a depth so small as to leave them distinctly visible. Others had an arm, a leg, or a part of the body, above the surface. The clothes which they wore when they were killed, were still on them, and proved that they were militia; being the ordinary dress of farmers. Their faces were bloated and monstrous; and their postures were uncouth, distorted and to the highest degree afflictive . . ."
Battles Of The Revolutionary War: 1775-1781 by W.J. Wood (Dec 23, 2003)
"On October 6th, 300 Continental soldiers of the 5th New York regiment, 100 artillerymen of Lamb's Artillery, and some 300 Levies and militiamen defended the unfinished Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton against a combined force of roughly 2,100 Loyalists, Hessians, and British regulars led by Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton attacked Forts Montgomery and Clinton from the landward side (which was only partially completed) with support from cannon fire from British ships on the Hudson 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.
The Americans had emplaced an iron chain and a boom across the Hudson River, protected by four warships, to impede the British flotilla.
Lt. Col. Mungo Campbell and several British regulars approach the fort with a flag of truce indicating that they wish to avoid `further effusion of blood.' Clinton sends Lt. Col. William S. Livingston to meet the enemy. The British officer requests that the patriots surrender. They are promised that no harm would come to them. Livingston, in turn, invites Campbell to surrender and promises him and his men good treatment. Fuming at this audacity, the British resume the fight. British ships working against an ebb tide attack the forts and American vessels. A steady volley ensues with each side receiving a share of the bombardment. British officers Campbell and Vaughan close in on all sides of the twin forts. Leading his men into battle, Campbell is killed in a violent attack on the North Redoubt of Fort Montgomery. Vaughan's horse is shot from under him as he rides into battle at Fort Clinton.
After a fierce battle lasting until dark, the British pushed the courageous Americans from the forts at the points of their bayonets. The defenders are overpowered by sheer numbers and the British gain possession of Forts Montgomery and Clinton. American casualties numbered about 350 killed, wounded and captured, while the British paid a price of at least 190 killed and wounded. Those who were not killed or did not escape are shipped to the infamous Sugar House Prisons in New York City and then onto British "hell ships" (prison ships) in the harbor. A "return," or report of prisoners, is sent to communities in the Highlands to inform families of their loved ones' capture. It is up to the families to send provisions lest the prisoners starve. Countless patriots perish on the prison ships.
U.S. Army battle map, The Battle of Fort Montgomery, 5-6 October 1777 U.S. Army battle map, The Battle of Fort Montgomery, The British Attack, Dusk, 6 October 1777 Forts Montgomery and Clinton, located just south of West Point, were built for the defense of the Hudson Highlands in 1776. It was here that British and loyalist troops overwhelmed Clinton's outnumbered patriots in October.
Although the Americans lost the battle for the Highlands, a relative handful of Americans aided in delaying British reinforcements from joining Burgoyne in the upper Hudson Valley and allowed Gates to gain much needed militia reinforcements in time to ultimately win Burgoyne's surrender at Saratoga."
A guide to the Battles of the American Revolution by Theodore P. Savas and J. David Dameron (Savas Beatie LLC, NY 2006)
American Perspective: "Waiting within the American fortifications on Bemis Heights was the bloodied Continental Army led by Maj. Gen. Horatio Gates. Not an audacious commander, Gates was content to await General Burgoyne's next move. While Gates market time on Bemis Heights, Patriot forces assigned to defensive positions guarding the entrance to the Hudson Highlands worked to complete two forts on the Hudson River 100 miles south of Albany, New York. Their commander was Brig. Gen. George Clinton (not to be confused with the British commander with the same last name). The forts over which the American Clinton (who was also governor of New York) labored were named Montgomery, in honor of fallen Patriot Gen. Richard Montgomery, and Clinton, after himself as commander of the forces in that region. Built on opposite banks of Popolopen Creek, which emptied into the Hudson River on its western shore at a strategic bend, eight miles south of West Point, the bastions were key to the strategic defense of the Hudson Highlands.
Fort Montgomery guarded the northern bank of the creek and Fort Clinton the southern bank. To the east of both forts flowed the majestic Hudson River. All told, the American fielded 600 men and 20 pieces of heavy artillery. The Patriots strung a heavy iron chain across the river and seeded the water with log obstacles to disrupt any maritime assault upon the American forts. Patrolling the Hudson were two Americans warships, Montgomery and Congress, supported by a handful of smaller vessels . . .
. . . Fort Clinton was constructed on the south side of Popolopen Creek on a rocky ridge overlooking the Hudson River below, oriented to cover a 400-yard wide plain before the drop to the waterway. Fort Montgomery also overlooked the Hudson River, but was situated on the northern shore of Popolopen Creek, which ran west from the Hudson . . .
After a perfunctory request that the defenders capitulate (which was rejected), the twin assaults began. There was no element of surprise or effort at finesse. The British attached nearly simultaneously with the sun setting behind Lt. Col. Archibald Campbell's columns. Sir James Wallace's British river fleet also arrived and opened fire on the American vessels and forts, providing the British land forces with supporting fire.
Fort Montgomery fell first . . . Fort Clinton's defenders offered a better account of themselves, but the outcome was the same. Sir Henry Clinton ordered his command to launch a direct attach (there was little room to maneuver). His regulars and Hessian allies swept forward through a line of obstructions, taking terrible casualties during the approach and in the close-quarter fighting that followed. The weight of British metal carried the day, however, and within a short time the garrison was dead, wounded, captured, or fleeing . . .
By 7:30 or 8:00 p.m. the fighting was over. Only 300 Americans, including Generals James and Governor George Clinton, escaped, most from Fort Montgomery . . . Casualties: British: 190 killed and wounded; American: 350 killed, wounded, and captured."
Fort Montgomery as a Historic Ruin New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation has decided not to recreate Forts Montgomery and/or Clinton. "Because of the limits of available information, any recreation would be inaccurate and would hide the violent end of these massive fortifications. Instead, the remains are preserved, just as the have survived the ages, as hallowed ground."
Fort Montgomery stands as an archeological site and a historic ruin.
Fort Montgomery, Today Today, Fort Montgomery is an archeological site and a historic ruin. This Historic Site is a genuine vestige of our nation's struggle for independence. Visitors will see the actual foundations of the fort's buildings and remains of the fort's earthworks. Visit Fort Montgomery and tour the remains of the 14 acre fortification, perched on a cliff overlooking the Hudson River.
The site includes a Visitor Center and interpretive trail that guides visitors past the fort's ruins to breathtaking views of the Hudson River. The Visitor Center features artifacts discovered in Fort Montgomery, mannequin displays, a 3 dimensional map model, and a 14 minute orientation film.
Attractions Include Audio-Visual Programs Demonstrations Group Tours Hiking Interpretive Signs Scenic Views Self Guided Tours Visitor Center
Fort Montgomery West Redoubt in the American Revolution.
Click sign at the Fort Montgomery West Redoubt.
The sign reads: Fort Montgomery's West Redoubt "Fort Montgomery's West Redoubt was one of three strong points built to defend the fort from an overland attack.
"New York State's Governor, Brigadier General George Clinton, commanded Fort Montgomery during the battle on October 6, 1777. Clinton ordered his men into the fort's three redoubts, where they were attacked by 900 British and Loyalist soldiers. After mounting a brave resistance, the Americans were driven from the redoubts and were forced to abandon the fort."
One of the drawings in the sign shows that: "Aware that the British were approaching, Governor Clinton ordered some of his men to take a 3-pounder cannon down the road that lead to the fort and delay them. The Americans were able to temporarily stop the advancing British and Loyalist soldiers, but were eventually forced to abandon the gun and return to the fort."
Click trail marker for the Historic 1777 & 1779 American Revolution Trail.
The sign reads: The Historic 1777 & 1779 Trails "You are walking part of the 1777 historic trail that retraces as nearly as possible the routes taken by the British army during the Revolutionary War.
"The 1777 trail represents the route taken by British General Sir Henry Clinton's forces on October 6, 1777. After landing 2100 men at Stony Point, he marched north to capture Forts Clinton and Montgomery. At Doodletown, the trail splits. The east branch of the trail follows the march of forces under Sir Henry Clinton and Major General John Vaughn that captured Fort Clinton. The west branch follows the route of Lieutenant Colonel Mungo Campbell's force, which captured Fort Montgomery.
"The 1779 trail traces the route taken by Brigadier General Anthony Wayne's Corps of Light Infantry in its assault on the British fortifications at Stony Point just after midnight on July 16, 1779. After a brief but fierce fight, Wayne's men captured Stony Point, achieving one of the Continental Army's most spectacular victories."
Walk the grounds of the Historic 1777 & 1779 Trails at Fort Montgomery Historic Site. You can pick up the 1777 & 1779 trails close to the Bear Mountain Bridge and/or near the Fort Montgomery Visitor Center.
Battles of the American Revolution Battle of Fort Montgomery and Battle of Fort Clinton Date: October 3, 1777 Between: British, German (Hessian), and Loyalist troops against American Continental Army Location: Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton in Bear Mountain
"To aid Lieutenant General John Burgoyne's British army stalled at Saratoga, Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton sailed from New York with 3,000 British, German, and Loyalist soldiers and a flotilla of warships. On the morning of October 6, 1777, Clinton landed 2,100 of his men on the west side of the Hudson River near Stony Point. This force followed a narrow trail through the mountains, where they ran into a party of 30 men sent from Fort Clinton to detect the British advance. After beating the Americans back, Sir Henry Clinton sent 900 men around Bear Mountain to attack Fort Montgomery. The rest would wait to attack Fort Clinton until the first group had reached Fort Montgomery."
The invasion of the Hudson Highlands had begun.
On October 6, 1777, the Battle of Fort Montgomery lasted all afternoon before the British finally overran the badly outnumbered garrison of Forts Clinton and Montgomery. So valiant was the defense, that fully half the American force was killed, wounded or taken prisoner. The small American fleet and the iron chain were destroyed, and the river lay open to Sir Henry Clinton's forces.
"On the afternoon of October 6, 1777, the British began an assault on both forts, which were defended by no more than 700 men. At Fort Montgomery, the Americans kept the British at bay as the two sides exchanged musket fire. When the Americans refused to surrender, the British stormed both forts. Taking advantage of the growing dark and the smoky haze from the battle, many of the Americans escaped, but as many as 275 were taken as prisoners to New York City where they remained for much of the war."
When the battles of the "twin" forts was over, the British destroyed Fort Montgomery, left British troops at Fort Clinton, and burned Kingston, the capital of New York. Then, receiving orders to join Sir William Howe's army near Philadelphia, Clinton's men destroyed Fort Clinton and sailed back down the Hudson. Although captured and destroyed, the forts had presented enough of an obstacle to keep the British forces in New York from aiding Burgoyne's army. The following year, in 1778, the American began rebuilding their defenses, this time at West Point.
"Sir Henry Clinton's fleet sailed north and burned the state's capitol at Kingston. Then, news that General Burgoyne's army had been completely defeated brought Clinton's expedition to an abrupt end. Despite the success of his part of the campaign, Clinton was forced to return to New York City. Behind him, he left Forts Montgomery and Clinton in ruins."
Information Source The history of Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton, during the American Revolutionary War, a War of Independence between the Americans and England, is sourced from interpretive signs at the Fort Montgomery Visitor Center and on the Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton historic trails.
American Revolution - Chaining the Hudson
Click to enlarge the sign Chaining the Hudson in the American Revolution.
The sign reads: Chaining the Hudson "Early in the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress realized that if the British controlled the Hudson River, they could divide the rebellious colonies. To prevent this, in March 1776, the Americans began construction of Fort Montgomery above the Popolopen Creek on the west side of the Hudson River. Their work soon expanded to include a second fort, Fort Clinton, on the south side of the creek, and a massive iron chain that stretched across the Hudson River.
"Lieutenant Thomas Machin, one of the Continental Army's most able engineers, directed the work on the forts and the chain. During two separate attempts, the chain quickly broke under the strain of the ebb tide. Convinced that the chain could still work, Machin had the damage repaired and successfully stretched the chain across the river in march 1777.
"British ships never tested the chain. Rather, the British captured the forts on October 6, 1777, and cut the chain the following day. Today, Fort Montgomery State Historic Site is open to the public and interprets the story of the forts and the battle."
Click to enlarge sign: The First Chain along the Hudson River.
The sign reads: First Chain New York The First Chain Planned to keep British Ships from going up River. Anchored on shore Below, was forced by the Enemy Oct. 7, 1777
Chain at West Point After the British destroyed the Fort Montgomery chain, the Americans created an even bigger chain at West Point, which was never challenged by the enemy. The diagram on the interpretive sign is courtesy of the West Point Museum Collection, United States Military Academy.
Fort Montgomery as a Historic Ruin Rather than rebuild Fort Montgomery, New York State Parks has chosen to preserve and interpret it as a ruin. The site includes an interpretive trail that guides visitors past the fort's ruins to breathtaking vies of the Hudson River.
Fort Montgomery State Historic Site is located in Fort Montgomery, New York 10922 in the historic Hudson River Valley.
Information Source The history of Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton during the American Revolutionary War; a War of Independence between the Americans and England, is sourced from interpretive signs at the Fort Montgomery Visitor Center and on the Fort Montgomery historic trails.
Click to enlarge sign about Fort Montgomery in the American Revolution.
The interpretive sign reads: Welcome to Fort Montgomery "You are standing near the western end of Fort Montgomery: a Revolutionary War fort built to defend the Hudson Highlands and protect American control of the Hudson River. On October 6, 1777, the British captured Fort Montgomery and destroyed it in the days that followed.
"Trails from this parking area lead to two of the fort's redoubts. The trail that passes beneath the highway will take you to the Fort Montgomery visitor center and Fort Montgomery's remains where interpretive signs will help you understand the history of the fort and the battle."
Today, Fort Montgomery is an archeological site and a historic ruin.
Fort Montgomery was the scene of a fierce battle for control of the Hudson River during the American Revolutionary War; the Hudson was considered strategic by both the Americans and the British during the American War for Independence.
Building Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton "Early in the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress realized that the Hudson River was critical to the American cause. If the British controlled the river, they could divide the rebellious colonies. Therefore, the Americans began work on Fort Montgomery in March 1776. . .
" . . . When the Americans discovered that the land on the opposite side of the Popolopen Creek was higher and would threaten Fort Montgomery if held by the enemy, they began constructing a second fort there, called Fort Clinton. They connected the two forts by a pontoon bridge. . .
"Fort Montgomery was a bustling community of hundreds of people. Soldiers, laborers, merchants, families, servants, and slaves lived at or visited the fort. Ships and boats arriving and departing added to the atmosphere of a small city.
"Supplies were often hard to obtain, morale was often low, and discipline was a chronic problem. Nevertheless, Forts Montgomery and Clinton were largely complete by October 1777, when the British attacked them."
Fort Clinton "Originally, the commissioners in charge of the work were confident that no overland attack on the fort was possible, but misgivings led them to begin extending the fortifications inland. They began fortifying several pieces of high ground that became Fort Montgomery's three redoubts. The realization that a higher piece of ground just across the Popolopen Creek threatened Fort Montgomery led to the construction of Fort Clinton."
Click to enlarge sign about the Battle of Fort Montgomery in the American Revolution.
The interpretive sign reads: Battle of Fort Montgomery "To aid Lieutenant General John Burgoyne's British army stalled at Saratoga, Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton sailed from New York with 3,000 British, German, and Loyalist soldiers and a flotilla of warships. On the morning of October 6, 1777, Clinton landed 2,100 of his men on the west side of the Hudson River near Stony Point. This force followed a narrow trail through the mountains, where they ran into a party of 30 men sent from Fort Clinton to detect the British advance. After beating the Americans back, Sir Henry Clinton sent 900 men around Bear Mountain to attack Fort Montgomery. The rest would wait to attack Fort Clinton until the first group had reached Fort Montgomery.
"In the afternoon, the British began an assault on both forts, which were defended by no more than 700 men. At Fort Montgomery, the Americans kept the British at bay as the two sides exchanged musket fire. When the Americans refused to surrender, the British stormed both forts. Taking advantage of the growing dark and the smoky haze from the battle, many of the Americans escaped, but as many as 275 were taken as prisoners to New York City where they remained for much of the war.
"Following the battle, the British destroyed Fort Montgomery, garrisoned Fort Clinton, and burned New York's capital at Kingston. Then, receiving orders to join Sir William Howe's army near Philadelphia, Clinton's men destroyed Fort Clinton and sailed back down the Hudson. Although captured and destroyed, the forts had presented enough of an obstacle to keep the British forces in New York from aiding Burgoyne's army. The following year, in 1778, the American began rebuilding their defenses, this time at West Point."
Click to enlarge photo of the Wounded Patriot at the Battle of Fort Montgomery.
Men in the photo represent two American patriots: Private, Ulster County Militia, and Private, 5th New York Regiment. The militiaman, in civilian clothing, is armed with a British musket. He assists his wounded comrade carrying a French musket from the 1750s.
The American Revolution - 1777: History of Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton The following historical accounts record the Battles of Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton from different historical perspectives:
The War of the Revolution, by Christopher Ward, Volume II (Macmillan, 1952)
"An opaque fog lay close to the surface of the Hudson River on the morning of October 5, 1777. The awakening bugles of General Israel Putnam’s Continentals at Peekskill on the eastern shore of the river seemed muted by the white and misty blanket. The slow-rising sun burned irregular holes in it, however, and through these the General’s sentinels, who had been posted south of his encampment during most of the summer, saw something that banished their accustomed boredom. There were barges and galleys downriver—many of them—and above the low lying haze rose the towering masts of British frigates. From downriver, too, came the muffled sounds of alarm guns. The long-dreaded invasion of enemy troops from occupied New York had begun.
The elderly Yankee Israel Putnam was busy at once. An oarsman, rowing desperately, bore messages across the wide stream to Fort Montgomery, an unfinished cluster of earthworks then under the command of the thirty-eight-year-old governor of the new state of New York, Brigadier General George Clinton. At this bastion, nearly a hundred and fifty feet above the spot where the Popolopen Creek joins the Hudson, the Governor received Putnam’s letter. Immediately he sent a summary of its contents to his older brother, General James Clinton, then in command of Fort Clinton, a smaller stronghold on the steep south bank of the narrow creek.
In the meantime, the British under Sir Henry Clinton (a distant cousin of the American generals of the same surname) were disembarking at Verplanck’s Point on the east bank of the Hudson, not far below Putnam’s headquarters. The grating of their boats in the shallows of the river, the sharp voices of their officers ordering immediate formations, came strangely through the thick fog to the ears of Putnam’s scouts, informing them only that the invaders were in considerable numbers . . .
. . . Perhaps the Battle of Fort Montgomery would have been utterly neglected had not two young American soldiers chosen to visit the site on a sunny spring day of the following year. Historians do not usually end their chapters on such footnotes as these men provided, but their reports have so documented the narrative that they deserve place here. One of them, a young chaplain named Timothy Dwight (later president of Yale College), wrote in his journal that while he was climbing from a river barge to the place where the battle had been fought, the stench of dead bodies caused him great distress.
We found, at a small distance from Fort Montgomery, a pond of a moderate size, in which we saw the bodies of several men, who had been killed in the assault upon the fort. They were thrown into this pond, the preceding autumn, by the British … Some of them were covered at this time; but at a depth so small as to leave them distinctly visible. Others had an arm, a leg, or a part of the body, above the surface. The clothes which they wore when they were killed, were still on them, and proved that they were militia; being the ordinary dress of farmers. Their faces were bloated and monstrous; and their postures were uncouth, distorted and to the highest degree afflictive . . ."
Battles Of The Revolutionary War: 1775-1781 by W.J. Wood (Dec 23, 2003)
"On October 6th, 300 Continental soldiers of the 5th New York regiment, 100 artillerymen of Lamb's Artillery, and some 300 Levies and militiamen defended the unfinished Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton against a combined force of roughly 2,100 Loyalists, Hessians, and British regulars led by Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton attacked Forts Montgomery and Clinton from the landward side (which was only partially completed) with support from cannon fire from British ships on the Hudson 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.
The Americans had emplaced an iron chain and a boom across the Hudson River, protected by four warships, to impede the British flotilla.
Lt. Col. Mungo Campbell and several British regulars approach the fort with a flag of truce indicating that they wish to avoid `further effusion of blood.' Clinton sends Lt. Col. William S. Livingston to meet the enemy. The British officer requests that the patriots surrender. They are promised that no harm would come to them. Livingston, in turn, invites Campbell to surrender and promises him and his men good treatment. Fuming at this audacity, the British resume the fight. British ships working against an ebb tide attack the forts and American vessels. A steady volley ensues with each side receiving a share of the bombardment. British officers Campbell and Vaughan close in on all sides of the twin forts. Leading his men into battle, Campbell is killed in a violent attack on the North Redoubt of Fort Montgomery. Vaughan's horse is shot from under him as he rides into battle at Fort Clinton.
After a fierce battle lasting until dark, the British pushed the courageous Americans from the forts at the points of their bayonets. The defenders are overpowered by sheer numbers and the British gain possession of Forts Montgomery and Clinton. American casualties numbered about 350 killed, wounded and captured, while the British paid a price of at least 190 killed and wounded. Those who were not killed or did not escape are shipped to the infamous Sugar House Prisons in New York City and then onto British "hell ships" (prison ships) in the harbor. A "return," or report of prisoners, is sent to communities in the Highlands to inform families of their loved ones' capture. It is up to the families to send provisions lest the prisoners starve. Countless patriots perish on the prison ships.
U.S. Army battle map, The Battle of Fort Montgomery, 5-6 October 1777 U.S. Army battle map, The Battle of Fort Montgomery, The British Attack, Dusk, 6 October 1777 Forts Montgomery and Clinton, located just south of West Point, were built for the defense of the Hudson Highlands in 1776. It was here that British and loyalist troops overwhelmed Clinton's outnumbered patriots in October.
Although the Americans lost the battle for the Highlands, a relative handful of Americans aided in delaying British reinforcements from joining Burgoyne in the upper Hudson Valley and allowed Gates to gain much needed militia reinforcements in time to ultimately win Burgoyne's surrender at Saratoga."
A guide to the Battles of the American Revolution by Theodore P. Savas and J. David Dameron (Savas Beatie LLC, NY 2006)
American Perspective: "Waiting within the American fortifications on Bemis Heights was the bloodied Continental Army led by Maj. Gen. Horatio Gates. Not an audacious commander, Gates was content to await General Burgoyne's next move. While Gates market time on Bemis Heights, Patriot forces assigned to defensive positions guarding the entrance to the Hudson Highlands worked to complete two forts on the Hudson River 100 miles south of Albany, New York. Their commander was Brig. Gen. George Clinton (not to be confused with the British commander with the same last name). The forts over which the American Clinton (who was also governor of New York) labored were named Montgomery, in honor of fallen Patriot Gen. Richard Montgomery, and Clinton, after himself as commander of the forces in that region. Built on opposite banks of Popolopen Creek, which emptied into the Hudson River on its western shore at a strategic bend, eight miles south of West Point, the bastions were key to the strategic defense of the Hudson Highlands.
Fort Montgomery guarded the northern bank of the creek and Fort Clinton the southern bank. To the east of both forts flowed the majestic Hudson River. All told, the American fielded 600 men and 20 pieces of heavy artillery. The Patriots strung a heavy iron chain across the river and seeded the water with log obstacles to disrupt any maritime assault upon the American forts. Patrolling the Hudson were two Americans warships, Montgomery and Congress, supported by a handful of smaller vessels . . .
. . . Fort Clinton was constructed on the south side of Popolopen Creek on a rocky ridge overlooking the Hudson River below, oriented to cover a 400-yard wide plain before the drop to the waterway. Fort Montgomery also overlooked the Hudson River, but was situated on the northern shore of Popolopen Creek, which ran west from the Hudson . . .
After a perfunctory request that the defenders capitulate (which was rejected), the twin assaults began. There was no element of surprise or effort at finesse. The British attached nearly simultaneously with the sun setting behind Lt. Col. Archibald Campbell's columns. Sir James Wallace's British river fleet also arrived and opened fire on the American vessels and forts, providing the British land forces with supporting fire.
Fort Montgomery fell first . . . Fort Clinton's defenders offered a better account of themselves, but the outcome was the same. Sir Henry Clinton ordered his command to launch a direct attach (there was little room to maneuver). His regulars and Hessian allies swept forward through a line of obstructions, taking terrible casualties during the approach and in the close-quarter fighting that followed. The weight of British metal carried the day, however, and within a short time the garrison was dead, wounded, captured, or fleeing . . .
By 7:30 or 8:00 p.m. the fighting was over. Only 300 Americans, including Generals James and Governor George Clinton, escaped, most from Fort Montgomery . . . Casualties: British: 190 killed and wounded; American: 350 killed, wounded, and captured."
Fort Montgomery as a Historic Ruin New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation has decided not to recreate Forts Montgomery and/or Clinton. "Because of the limits of available information, any recreation would be inaccurate and would hide the violent end of these massive fortifications. Instead, the remains are preserved, just as the have survived the ages, as hallowed ground."
Fort Montgomery stands as an archeological site and a historic ruin.
Fort Montgomery, Today Today, Fort Montgomery is an archeological site and a historic ruin. This Historic Site is a genuine vestige of our nation's struggle for independence. Visitors will see the actual foundations of the fort's buildings and remains of the fort's earthworks. Visit Fort Montgomery and tour the remains of the 14 acre fortification, perched on a cliff overlooking the Hudson River.
The site includes a Visitor Center and interpretive trail that guides visitors past the fort's ruins to breathtaking views of the Hudson River. The Visitor Center features artifacts discovered in Fort Montgomery, mannequin displays, a 3 dimensional map model, and a 14 minute orientation film.
Attractions Include Audio-Visual Programs Demonstrations Group Tours Hiking Interpretive Signs Scenic Views Self Guided Tours Visitor Center
Fort Montgomery West Redoubt in the American Revolution.
Click sign at the Fort Montgomery West Redoubt.
The sign reads: Fort Montgomery's West Redoubt "Fort Montgomery's West Redoubt was one of three strong points built to defend the fort from an overland attack.
"New York State's Governor, Brigadier General George Clinton, commanded Fort Montgomery during the battle on October 6, 1777. Clinton ordered his men into the fort's three redoubts, where they were attacked by 900 British and Loyalist soldiers. After mounting a brave resistance, the Americans were driven from the redoubts and were forced to abandon the fort."
One of the drawings in the sign shows that: "Aware that the British were approaching, Governor Clinton ordered some of his men to take a 3-pounder cannon down the road that lead to the fort and delay them. The Americans were able to temporarily stop the advancing British and Loyalist soldiers, but were eventually forced to abandon the gun and return to the fort."
Click trail marker for the Historic 1777 & 1779 American Revolution Trail.
The sign reads: The Historic 1777 & 1779 Trails "You are walking part of the 1777 historic trail that retraces as nearly as possible the routes taken by the British army during the Revolutionary War.
"The 1777 trail represents the route taken by British General Sir Henry Clinton's forces on October 6, 1777. After landing 2100 men at Stony Point, he marched north to capture Forts Clinton and Montgomery. At Doodletown, the trail splits. The east branch of the trail follows the march of forces under Sir Henry Clinton and Major General John Vaughn that captured Fort Clinton. The west branch follows the route of Lieutenant Colonel Mungo Campbell's force, which captured Fort Montgomery.
"The 1779 trail traces the route taken by Brigadier General Anthony Wayne's Corps of Light Infantry in its assault on the British fortifications at Stony Point just after midnight on July 16, 1779. After a brief but fierce fight, Wayne's men captured Stony Point, achieving one of the Continental Army's most spectacular victories."
Walk the grounds of the Historic 1777 & 1779 Trails at Fort Montgomery Historic Site. You can pick up the 1777 & 1779 trails close to the Bear Mountain Bridge and/or near the Fort Montgomery Visitor Center.
Fort Montgomery State Historic Site is located in Fort Montgomery, New York 10922 in the historic Hudson River Valley.
Information Source The history of Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton during the American Revolutionary War; a War of Independence between the Americans and England, is sourced from interpretive signs at the Fort Montgomery Visitor Center and on the Fort Montgomery historic trails.
Click to enlarge sign about Fort Montgomery in the American Revolution.
The interpretive sign reads: Welcome to Fort Montgomery "You are standing near the western end of Fort Montgomery: a Revolutionary War fort built to defend the Hudson Highlands and protect American control of the Hudson River. On October 6, 1777, the British captured Fort Montgomery and destroyed it in the days that followed.
"Trails from this parking area lead to two of the fort's redoubts. The trail that passes beneath the highway will take you to the Fort Montgomery visitor center and Fort Montgomery's remains where interpretive signs will help you understand the history of the fort and the battle."
Today, Fort Montgomery is an archeological site and a historic ruin.
Fort Montgomery was the scene of a fierce battle for control of the Hudson River during the American Revolutionary War; the Hudson was considered strategic by both the Americans and the British during the American War for Independence.
Building Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton "Early in the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress realized that the Hudson River was critical to the American cause. If the British controlled the river, they could divide the rebellious colonies. Therefore, the Americans began work on Fort Montgomery in March 1776. . .
" . . . When the Americans discovered that the land on the opposite side of the Popolopen Creek was higher and would threaten Fort Montgomery if held by the enemy, they began constructing a second fort there, called Fort Clinton. They connected the two forts by a pontoon bridge. . .
"Fort Montgomery was a bustling community of hundreds of people. Soldiers, laborers, merchants, families, servants, and slaves lived at or visited the fort. Ships and boats arriving and departing added to the atmosphere of a small city.
"Supplies were often hard to obtain, morale was often low, and discipline was a chronic problem. Nevertheless, Forts Montgomery and Clinton were largely complete by October 1777, when the British attacked them."
Fort Clinton "Originally, the commissioners in charge of the work were confident that no overland attack on the fort was possible, but misgivings led them to begin extending the fortifications inland. They began fortifying several pieces of high ground that became Fort Montgomery's three redoubts. The realization that a higher piece of ground just across the Popolopen Creek threatened Fort Montgomery led to the construction of Fort Clinton."
Click to enlarge sign about the Battle of Fort Montgomery in the American Revolution.
The interpretive sign reads: Battle of Fort Montgomery "To aid Lieutenant General John Burgoyne's British army stalled at Saratoga, Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton sailed from New York with 3,000 British, German, and Loyalist soldiers and a flotilla of warships. On the morning of October 6, 1777, Clinton landed 2,100 of his men on the west side of the Hudson River near Stony Point. This force followed a narrow trail through the mountains, where they ran into a party of 30 men sent from Fort Clinton to detect the British advance. After beating the Americans back, Sir Henry Clinton sent 900 men around Bear Mountain to attack Fort Montgomery. The rest would wait to attack Fort Clinton until the first group had reached Fort Montgomery.
"In the afternoon, the British began an assault on both forts, which were defended by no more than 700 men. At Fort Montgomery, the Americans kept the British at bay as the two sides exchanged musket fire. When the Americans refused to surrender, the British stormed both forts. Taking advantage of the growing dark and the smoky haze from the battle, many of the Americans escaped, but as many as 275 were taken as prisoners to New York City where they remained for much of the war.
"Following the battle, the British destroyed Fort Montgomery, garrisoned Fort Clinton, and burned New York's capital at Kingston. Then, receiving orders to join Sir William Howe's army near Philadelphia, Clinton's men destroyed Fort Clinton and sailed back down the Hudson. Although captured and destroyed, the forts had presented enough of an obstacle to keep the British forces in New York from aiding Burgoyne's army. The following year, in 1778, the American began rebuilding their defenses, this time at West Point."
Click to enlarge photo of the Wounded Patriot at the Battle of Fort Montgomery.
Men in the photo represent two American patriots: Private, Ulster County Militia, and Private, 5th New York Regiment. The militiaman, in civilian clothing, is armed with a British musket. He assists his wounded comrade carrying a French musket from the 1750s.
The American Revolution - 1777: History of Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton The following historical accounts record the Battles of Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton from different historical perspectives:
The War of the Revolution, by Christopher Ward, Volume II (Macmillan, 1952)
"An opaque fog lay close to the surface of the Hudson River on the morning of October 5, 1777. The awakening bugles of General Israel Putnam’s Continentals at Peekskill on the eastern shore of the river seemed muted by the white and misty blanket. The slow-rising sun burned irregular holes in it, however, and through these the General’s sentinels, who had been posted south of his encampment during most of the summer, saw something that banished their accustomed boredom. There were barges and galleys downriver—many of them—and above the low lying haze rose the towering masts of British frigates. From downriver, too, came the muffled sounds of alarm guns. The long-dreaded invasion of enemy troops from occupied New York had begun.
The elderly Yankee Israel Putnam was busy at once. An oarsman, rowing desperately, bore messages across the wide stream to Fort Montgomery, an unfinished cluster of earthworks then under the command of the thirty-eight-year-old governor of the new state of New York, Brigadier General George Clinton. At this bastion, nearly a hundred and fifty feet above the spot where the Popolopen Creek joins the Hudson, the Governor received Putnam’s letter. Immediately he sent a summary of its contents to his older brother, General James Clinton, then in command of Fort Clinton, a smaller stronghold on the steep south bank of the narrow creek.
In the meantime, the British under Sir Henry Clinton (a distant cousin of the American generals of the same surname) were disembarking at Verplanck’s Point on the east bank of the Hudson, not far below Putnam’s headquarters. The grating of their boats in the shallows of the river, the sharp voices of their officers ordering immediate formations, came strangely through the thick fog to the ears of Putnam’s scouts, informing them only that the invaders were in considerable numbers . . .
. . . Perhaps the Battle of Fort Montgomery would have been utterly neglected had not two young American soldiers chosen to visit the site on a sunny spring day of the following year. Historians do not usually end their chapters on such footnotes as these men provided, but their reports have so documented the narrative that they deserve place here. One of them, a young chaplain named Timothy Dwight (later president of Yale College), wrote in his journal that while he was climbing from a river barge to the place where the battle had been fought, the stench of dead bodies caused him great distress.
We found, at a small distance from Fort Montgomery, a pond of a moderate size, in which we saw the bodies of several men, who had been killed in the assault upon the fort. They were thrown into this pond, the preceding autumn, by the British … Some of them were covered at this time; but at a depth so small as to leave them distinctly visible. Others had an arm, a leg, or a part of the body, above the surface. The clothes which they wore when they were killed, were still on them, and proved that they were militia; being the ordinary dress of farmers. Their faces were bloated and monstrous; and their postures were uncouth, distorted and to the highest degree afflictive . . ."
Battles Of The Revolutionary War: 1775-1781 by W.J. Wood (Dec 23, 2003)
"On October 6th, 300 Continental soldiers of the 5th New York regiment, 100 artillerymen of Lamb's Artillery, and some 300 Levies and militiamen defended the unfinished Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton against a combined force of roughly 2,100 Loyalists, Hessians, and British regulars led by Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton attacked Forts Montgomery and Clinton from the landward side (which was only partially completed) with support from cannon fire from British ships on the Hudson 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.
The Americans had emplaced an iron chain and a boom across the Hudson River, protected by four warships, to impede the British flotilla.
Lt. Col. Mungo Campbell and several British regulars approach the fort with a flag of truce indicating that they wish to avoid `further effusion of blood.' Clinton sends Lt. Col. William S. Livingston to meet the enemy. The British officer requests that the patriots surrender. They are promised that no harm would come to them. Livingston, in turn, invites Campbell to surrender and promises him and his men good treatment. Fuming at this audacity, the British resume the fight. British ships working against an ebb tide attack the forts and American vessels. A steady volley ensues with each side receiving a share of the bombardment. British officers Campbell and Vaughan close in on all sides of the twin forts. Leading his men into battle, Campbell is killed in a violent attack on the North Redoubt of Fort Montgomery. Vaughan's horse is shot from under him as he rides into battle at Fort Clinton.
After a fierce battle lasting until dark, the British pushed the courageous Americans from the forts at the points of their bayonets. The defenders are overpowered by sheer numbers and the British gain possession of Forts Montgomery and Clinton. American casualties numbered about 350 killed, wounded and captured, while the British paid a price of at least 190 killed and wounded. Those who were not killed or did not escape are shipped to the infamous Sugar House Prisons in New York City and then onto British "hell ships" (prison ships) in the harbor. A "return," or report of prisoners, is sent to communities in the Highlands to inform families of their loved ones' capture. It is up to the families to send provisions lest the prisoners starve. Countless patriots perish on the prison ships.
U.S. Army battle map, The Battle of Fort Montgomery, 5-6 October 1777 U.S. Army battle map, The Battle of Fort Montgomery, The British Attack, Dusk, 6 October 1777 Forts Montgomery and Clinton, located just south of West Point, were built for the defense of the Hudson Highlands in 1776. It was here that British and loyalist troops overwhelmed Clinton's outnumbered patriots in October.
Although the Americans lost the battle for the Highlands, a relative handful of Americans aided in delaying British reinforcements from joining Burgoyne in the upper Hudson Valley and allowed Gates to gain much needed militia reinforcements in time to ultimately win Burgoyne's surrender at Saratoga."
A guide to the Battles of the American Revolution by Theodore P. Savas and J. David Dameron (Savas Beatie LLC, NY 2006)
American Perspective: "Waiting within the American fortifications on Bemis Heights was the bloodied Continental Army led by Maj. Gen. Horatio Gates. Not an audacious commander, Gates was content to await General Burgoyne's next move. While Gates market time on Bemis Heights, Patriot forces assigned to defensive positions guarding the entrance to the Hudson Highlands worked to complete two forts on the Hudson River 100 miles south of Albany, New York. Their commander was Brig. Gen. George Clinton (not to be confused with the British commander with the same last name). The forts over which the American Clinton (who was also governor of New York) labored were named Montgomery, in honor of fallen Patriot Gen. Richard Montgomery, and Clinton, after himself as commander of the forces in that region. Built on opposite banks of Popolopen Creek, which emptied into the Hudson River on its western shore at a strategic bend, eight miles south of West Point, the bastions were key to the strategic defense of the Hudson Highlands.
Fort Montgomery guarded the northern bank of the creek and Fort Clinton the southern bank. To the east of both forts flowed the majestic Hudson River. All told, the American fielded 600 men and 20 pieces of heavy artillery. The Patriots strung a heavy iron chain across the river and seeded the water with log obstacles to disrupt any maritime assault upon the American forts. Patrolling the Hudson were two Americans warships, Montgomery and Congress, supported by a handful of smaller vessels . . .
. . . Fort Clinton was constructed on the south side of Popolopen Creek on a rocky ridge overlooking the Hudson River below, oriented to cover a 400-yard wide plain before the drop to the waterway. Fort Montgomery also overlooked the Hudson River, but was situated on the northern shore of Popolopen Creek, which ran west from the Hudson . . .
After a perfunctory request that the defenders capitulate (which was rejected), the twin assaults began. There was no element of surprise or effort at finesse. The British attached nearly simultaneously with the sun setting behind Lt. Col. Archibald Campbell's columns. Sir James Wallace's British river fleet also arrived and opened fire on the American vessels and forts, providing the British land forces with supporting fire.
Fort Montgomery fell first . . . Fort Clinton's defenders offered a better account of themselves, but the outcome was the same. Sir Henry Clinton ordered his command to launch a direct attach (there was little room to maneuver). His regulars and Hessian allies swept forward through a line of obstructions, taking terrible casualties during the approach and in the close-quarter fighting that followed. The weight of British metal carried the day, however, and within a short time the garrison was dead, wounded, captured, or fleeing . . .
By 7:30 or 8:00 p.m. the fighting was over. Only 300 Americans, including Generals James and Governor George Clinton, escaped, most from Fort Montgomery . . . Casualties: British: 190 killed and wounded; American: 350 killed, wounded, and captured."
Fort Montgomery as a Historic Ruin New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation has decided not to recreate Forts Montgomery and/or Clinton. "Because of the limits of available information, any recreation would be inaccurate and would hide the violent end of these massive fortifications. Instead, the remains are preserved, just as the have survived the ages, as hallowed ground."
Fort Montgomery stands as an archeological site and a historic ruin.
Fort Montgomery, Today Today, Fort Montgomery is an archeological site and a historic ruin. This Historic Site is a genuine vestige of our nation's struggle for independence. Visitors will see the actual foundations of the fort's buildings and remains of the fort's earthworks. Visit Fort Montgomery and tour the remains of the 14 acre fortification, perched on a cliff overlooking the Hudson River.
The site includes a Visitor Center and interpretive trail that guides visitors past the fort's ruins to breathtaking views of the Hudson River. The Visitor Center features artifacts discovered in Fort Montgomery, mannequin displays, a 3 dimensional map model, and a 14 minute orientation film.
Attractions Include Audio-Visual Programs Demonstrations Group Tours Hiking Interpretive Signs Scenic Views Self Guided Tours Visitor Center
Fort Montgomery West Redoubt in the American Revolution.
Click sign at the Fort Montgomery West Redoubt.
The sign reads: Fort Montgomery's West Redoubt "Fort Montgomery's West Redoubt was one of three strong points built to defend the fort from an overland attack.
"New York State's Governor, Brigadier General George Clinton, commanded Fort Montgomery during the battle on October 6, 1777. Clinton ordered his men into the fort's three redoubts, where they were attacked by 900 British and Loyalist soldiers. After mounting a brave resistance, the Americans were driven from the redoubts and were forced to abandon the fort."
One of the drawings in the sign shows that: "Aware that the British were approaching, Governor Clinton ordered some of his men to take a 3-pounder cannon down the road that lead to the fort and delay them. The Americans were able to temporarily stop the advancing British and Loyalist soldiers, but were eventually forced to abandon the gun and return to the fort."
Click trail marker for the Historic 1777 & 1779 American Revolution Trail.
The sign reads: The Historic 1777 & 1779 Trails "You are walking part of the 1777 historic trail that retraces as nearly as possible the routes taken by the British army during the Revolutionary War.
"The 1777 trail represents the route taken by British General Sir Henry Clinton's forces on October 6, 1777. After landing 2100 men at Stony Point, he marched north to capture Forts Clinton and Montgomery. At Doodletown, the trail splits. The east branch of the trail follows the march of forces under Sir Henry Clinton and Major General John Vaughn that captured Fort Clinton. The west branch follows the route of Lieutenant Colonel Mungo Campbell's force, which captured Fort Montgomery.
"The 1779 trail traces the route taken by Brigadier General Anthony Wayne's Corps of Light Infantry in its assault on the British fortifications at Stony Point just after midnight on July 16, 1779. After a brief but fierce fight, Wayne's men captured Stony Point, achieving one of the Continental Army's most spectacular victories."
Walk the grounds of the Historic 1777 & 1779 Trails at Fort Montgomery Historic Site. You can pick up the 1777 & 1779 trails close to the Bear Mountain Bridge and/or near the Fort Montgomery Visitor Center.
Knox's Headquarters State Historic Site is located at Vails Gate, NY 12584 in Orange County in the Hudson River Valley. On several occasions during the Revolutionary War, Major General Henry Knox, Commander of the America artillery, established his military headquarters at John Ellison's 1754 Georgian-style house in Vails Gate. From October 1782 until the spring of 1783, as 7,000 soldiers and 500 "camp followers" were establishing winter quarters at the New Windsor Cantonment, and General Washington was lodged at Jonathan Hasbrouck's house in Newburgh, New York, Major General Horatio Gates occupied the elegant home from which he commanded the cantonment. Here the army awaited the end of the Revolutionary War that became effective when Washington issued the cease fire orders on April 19, 1783.
For most of the 18th and into the 19th century, the Ellison family had important commercial dealings in milling and trade. From their mill, flour was shipped down the Hudson River to New York City and the West Indies. At present, remains of the mill, with traces of the underground racecourse, and the Jane Colden Native Plant Sanctuary may be visited. Explore how the Ellisons and other families of the mid-Hudson Valley lived 200 years ago.
Point of Interest Knox's Headquarters State Historic Site is fun for the children and family of all ages.
Attractions Costumed Interpreters Demonstrations Educational Services Gardens Group Tours Guided Tours Hiking Interpretive Sign Picnic Area Re-enactments Scenic Views
New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site is located at Vails Gate, NY 12584 in Orange County in the Hudson River Valley. In October 1782, General George Washington moved his army to New Windsor, above West Point and just beyond the Hudson Highlands, to establish winter quarters. He was accompanied by 7,000 troops including 500 women and children or "camp followers." By late December 1782, they had erected nearly 600 log huts into a "cantonment," a military enclave. High-ranking officers were quartered in private homes.
Washington was pleased that the army was better housed, fed, and clothed than ever before in the long war, but life for the officers and troops at the Cantonment remained hard. It was at the New Windsor Cantonment that the cease fire orders were issued by Washington ending the eight-year War of Independence on April 19, 1783. The final success, however, was the gradual, orderly disbandment of the army at the Cantonment, and the peaceful march of its still largely unpaid officers and men back to their homes or new pursuits.
New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site is fun for children and family. See the staff in reproduction period dress and uniforms demonstrate musket drills, blacksmithing, military medicine and camplife activities. View the exhibits at the Visitor Center and the reconstructed Temple Building, which served as a chapel for the soldiers.
Sterling Forest® State Park, a 17,953-acre park of nearly pristine natural refuge, is located at 116 Old Forge Road, Tuxedo NY 10987, Orange County in the Hudson Valley. Sterling Forest Park located in one of the nation's most densely populated areas is a remarkable piece of woodland, a watershed for millions, and a tremendous outdoor recreation area. This unbroken deep-forest habitat is important for the survival of many resident and migratory species, including black bear, a variety of hawks and songbirds and many rare invertebrates and plants.
Things To Do Biking Boat Launches Fishing Hiking Hunting Ice Fishing Museum / Visitor Center Recreation Programs Snowshoeing Scenic Views
As a department of the United States Military Academy, the Museum supports cadet academic, military and cultural instruction. Its collections include nearly all aspects of military history and encompass the history of West Point and the United States Military Academy, the evolution of warfare, and the development of the American Armed Forces. While only a portion of the collection is on display, all artifacts are available for cadet academic instruction, special exhibition and research.
Based upon captured British materials brought to West Point after the British defeat at Saratoga in 1777, the Museum collections actually predate the founding of the United States Military Academy. When the Academy opened in 1802, many Revolutionary War trophies remained to be used for cadet instruction. By the 1820s, a teaching collection of artifacts existed at the Military Academy and after the Mexican War (1846 - 1848).
West Point was designated by Executive Order as the permanent depository of war trophies. In 1854 the first public museum was opened and in 1989 the West Point Museum in Olmsted Hall opened at Pershing Center. Today it represents the culmination of more than two centuries of preserving our military heritage. Press Blue Button for West Point Gallery, History of US Army Gallery, American Wars Gallery, and more about West Point.
Adams Fairacre Farms has three locations in the Hudson Valley; Poughkeepsie NY in Dutchess County, Kingston NY in Ulster County, and Newburgh, NY in Orange County.
Adams Fairacre Farms began in the early 1900s as a simple roadside farmstand in Poughkeepsie, New York . . . Adams now has a full-service Meat Department, Seafood Department, Deli, Prepared Foods Department, Cheese Department, Bakery, Sweet Shop, Gourmet Grocery, Gift Shop, Garden Center and Nursery.
Today, the family still picks the produce we sell, but not quite in the same way. Now we hand-select the very best fruits and vegetables available, buying from local growers whenever possible. It’s with a farmer’s eye that we choose the produce you see on display, like vine-ripened tomatoes, crisp greens, fresh chestnuts, tender asparagus, just-picked berries and much, much more. Be sure to read our helpful produce signs—most provide nutritional information, recipes or cooking tips.
Woodbury Common Premium Outlets is located at 498 Red Apple Court in Central Valley, NY 10917 in Orange County. Visit the world-famous Woodbury Common Premium Outlets and shop at 220 designer and brand-name outlet stores less than one hour’s comfortable bus drive from Manhattan. Woodbury Common Premium Outlets offers every day savings of 25% to 65% in a colonial American village setting. Woodbury Commons offers impressive savings at Adidas, Ann Taylor, Balenciaga, Banana Republic, Burberry, Coach, Chloe, Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi, Gap Outlet, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, J.Crew, Jimmy Choo, Lacoste, Neiman Marcus Last Call, Polo Ralph Lauren, Prada, Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th, and much more. Press Blue Button for a list of outlets.
Captionfish is a captioned movies search engine that finds Open Captioned and Rear Window® captioned movies showing in theaters across the United States.
To find closed caption movies in Orange County press Blue Button and enter your location into "Your Instant CC Film Finder".
Destinta Theatres - New Windsor 12
845-569-0300
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Downing Film Center
845-561-3686
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El Rancho Drive In
518-883-5735
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Elite Cinema 6
845-469-5333
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Emerald Cinemas
518-842-1861
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Monroe Cinema
845-782-2335
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Showtime Cinemas - Newburgh
845-566-8800
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Warwick Drive-In
845-986-4440
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Storm King Art Center is located at Old Pleasant Hill Road, Mountainville NY 10953, Orange County in the Hudson Valley. Storm King is widely recognized as one of the world’s greatest sculpture parks. "Storm King Art Center is a museum celebrates the relationship between sculpture and nature. Five hundred acres of landscaped lawns, fields and woodlands provide the site for postwar sculptures by internationally renowned artists. At Storm King, the exhibition space is defined by sky and land. Unencumbered by walls, the subtly created flow of space is punctuated by modern sculpture. The grounds are surrounded by the undulating profiles of the Hudson Highlands, a dramatic panorama integral to the viewing experience. The sculptures are affected by changes in light and weather, so no two visits are the same.
History of Storm King Art Center "Ralph E. Ogden and H. Peter Stern, then joint owners of Star Expansion Company founded Storm King Art Center in 1960. Originally Ogden envisioned a museum of the Hudson Valley painters, however after visiting a marble quarry in Austria in 1961 he became partially interested in sculpture. Early purchases were set outside the building as part of a formal garden scheme. Six years later, Ogden saw sculptures by David Smith (1906-1965) set in open fields outside his home in Bolton Landing. The Art Center purchased thirteen works from the artist’s estate and inspired in part by Smith’s sculpture fields soon began to place works outdoors in a new way that directly responded to the landscape of Mountainville. Since that time, each sculpture has been sited as part of a visual fabric that includes its immediate surroundings and the distant landscape scene – expanding the context for viewing far beyond traditional garden confines. In 1972 the Art Center began acquiring a permanent collection of large-scale sculptures. Works are acquired selectively, always with attention to the potential interaction of sculpture with the Storm King landscape. Ogden died in 1974; H. Peter Stern continues to serve as both Chairman and President of the Art Center.
Museum Building: "Completed as a residence in 1935 for the late Vermont Hatch, the French Normandy-style building was designed by architect Maxwell Kimball. The building's granite stones were salvaged from Danskammer, the 1834 Edward Armstrong mansion located north of Newburgh that stood overlooking the Hudson River for almost 100 years. The five Ionic columns now situated on the Art Center's property formed the front of Danskammer. The interior of the museum building contains many period details such as walnut paneling, and walnut and oak parquet floors. Inside are nine exhibition galleries, a museum shop, and offices.
Landscape "At Storm King, visitors are encouraged to enjoy nature as well as art, to meander on trails and discover sculptures, or to traverse the fields to walk among monumental works. The grounds are under a carefully supervised program of maintenance and change. Recently the Art Center has developed the North Trail and a wooded grove with sculptures, and has restored several walking paths."
Visitors may walk through the grounds or take a self-guided tour aboard a handicap-accessible tram that travels through the main portion of the grounds. An audio-guide is available for rental at the museum shop. Press Blue Button to learn about the collections, current exhibitions, membership, photos, and more about Storm King Art Center.
The word is: Fabulous collection of modern and majestic sculptures in an exceptional outdoor setting that complement each and every piece of art. Storm King is magical in all seasons, especially in the Fall. Bring the children, a picnic, and dine under a tree; four miles of hiking trails are also available.
As a department of the United States Military Academy, the Museum supports cadet academic, military and cultural instruction. Its collections include nearly all aspects of military history and encompass the history of West Point and the United States Military Academy, the evolution of warfare, and the development of the American Armed Forces. While only a portion of the collection is on display, all artifacts are available for cadet academic instruction, special exhibition and research.
Based upon captured British materials brought to West Point after the British defeat at Saratoga in 1777, the Museum collections actually predate the founding of the United States Military Academy. When the Academy opened in 1802, many Revolutionary War trophies remained to be used for cadet instruction. By the 1820s, a teaching collection of artifacts existed at the Military Academy and after the Mexican War (1846 - 1848).
West Point was designated by Executive Order as the permanent depository of war trophies. In 1854 the first public museum was opened and in 1989 the West Point Museum in Olmsted Hall opened at Pershing Center. Today it represents the culmination of more than two centuries of preserving our military heritage. Press Blue Button for West Point Gallery, History of US Army Gallery, American Wars Gallery, and more about West Point.
Goosepond Mountain State Park is located in Bear Mountain, NY 10911, Orange County in the Hudson Valley. Goosepond is managed as 1,558-acres of open space. Almost completely wooded, the park is open to hikers and horseback riders. This park is undeveloped. There are no toilets and there is limited parking.
Highland Lakes State Park is a 3,000-acre park of undeveloped woods and lakes in Orange County. Visitors use the park for fishing, hiking, horseback riding and flying model planes. The park is undeveloped. There are no toilets and there is limited parking.
Sterling Forest® State Park, a 17,953-acre park of nearly pristine natural refuge, is located at 116 Old Forge Road, Tuxedo NY 10987, Orange County in the Hudson Valley. Sterling Forest Park located in one of the nation's most densely populated areas is a remarkable piece of woodland, a watershed for millions, and a tremendous outdoor recreation area. This unbroken deep-forest habitat is important for the survival of many resident and migratory species, including black bear, a variety of hawks and songbirds and many rare invertebrates and plants.
Things To Do Biking Boat Launches Fishing Hiking Hunting Ice Fishing Museum / Visitor Center Recreation Programs Snowshoeing Scenic Views
Storm King State Park offers unsurpassed views of the Catskills and the Hudson Valley. The park is undeveloped. There are no toilets and limited parking.
The Storm King State Park is located near The Storm King Art Center which is an outdoor museum that celebrates the relationship between sculpture and nature. Storm King comprises 500 pristine acres of carefully maintained fields, hills, and woodlands, on which more than 100 works by major international artists are thoughtfully sited. At Storm King, the exhibition space is defined by sky and land. Visit Storm King Art Center for more information.
Things To Do Hiking Paths / Walking Hunting Scenic Views
Applefest attracts artists from all over the Northeast and beyond, and has become an event everyone looks forward to the entire year. Among the attractions are 275 artisans displaying their handmade jewelry, stained glass, pottery, woodcarving and more. Wonderful food from the traditional American favorites to the more exotic - Greek, creole, kabobs and sausages, along with apples, cider, cookies and cakes - are yours for the tasting. Musical entertainment, games and rides for the children, beautiful crafts and delicious food make for a great day.
Applewood Winery is located at 82 Four Corners Road, Warwick NY 10990 in Orange County. Enjoy wine tasting at a real farm winery in New York's Hudson Valley. Discover New York wines at Applewood Winery. Our wines are made from our own vineyards, orchards and from across the state. We make Chardonnay's, Cabernet Franc, barrel fermented reds, in addition to that we have delicious fruit wines including Hard Apple Cider. Every wine is produced in a "limited edition" with almost every bottle spoken for as soon as its made. So you'll only find our wine at the tasting room and here in our online store.
Enjoy music every weekend in August. Music starts at 2:00 and ends at 5:00. The Cafe will be open serving fruit & cheese platters and sandwiches. Press Blue Button for more about Applewood Winery.
U PICK APPLE AND PEAR ORCHARDS at the Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery is located at 114 Little York Road, Warwick NY 10990, in the foothills of the Hudson Valley. Every autumn, our guests are invited to enjoy our lavish orchards and Pick-Your-Own apples and Pears. Pear picking begins in August. Apples begin to ripen shortly thereafter in early September. With thirty varieties we have an apple for every palate. Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery's commitment to fine food and wine are why we are referred to as a "Bit of Tuscany in the Hudson Valley". Please, bring your family to meet our family and enjoy our farm, winery and orchards.
Our pick your own Apple and Pear orchards are ready for picking beginning early September and ripening continues through early November. We grow Bosc and Bartlett pears and over twenty varieties of apples. Remember pears ripen off the tree while apples ripen on the tree.
Our purpose is to grow apple varieties that taste great. Nothing gives us more pleasure than watching a child discover that all apples don’t taste or look alike and that they are “really good”. Press Blue Button for complete list of apples and pears, picking dates and more information about Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery.
Warwick Valley Winery is located at 114 Little York Road, Warwick NY 10990, Orange County in the foothills of the Hudson Valley. Situated between Mt. Eve and Mt. Adam, our tasting room provides the ideal setting for tasting wine, listening to music, and enjoying food. We invite you to come to the tasting room and celebrate Wine and Music and Food. Our wines and ciders are also available for purchase throughout New York and New Jersey.
Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery is open all year round. We sponsor a music series, "Uncorked and Unplugged n the Orchard" featuring live music every weekend - rain or shine. Our bakery is open every weekend year round. We offer fresh breads, pastries and specialty items, all prepared by our Culinary Institute of America trained chefs.
Pick-Your-Own apples and Pears Every autumn, our guests are invited to enjoy our orchards. Pear picking begins in August. Apples begin to ripen shortly thereafter in early September. With thirty varieties, we have an apple for every palate. Please, bring your family to meet our family and enjoy our farm, winery and orchards.
We sponsor a music series, "Uncorked and Unplugged in the orchard" featuring live music every weekend - rain or shine. Doc's Cider House is our new venue to enjoy music, wine and food throughout the year. Enjoy our Bakery where we offer fresh breads, pastries and specialty items, all prepared by our Culinary Institute of America trained chefs. Every autumn, our guests are invited to enjoy our lavish orchards and Pick-Your-Own apples and Pears. Pear picking begins in August. Warwick Valley Winery and Orchards' commitment to fine food and wine are why we are referred to as a "Bit of Tuscany in the Hudson Valley". Press Blue Button for more information about Warwick Valley Winery.
Knox's Headquarters State Historic Site is located at Vails Gate, NY 12584 in Orange County in the Hudson River Valley. On several occasions during the Revolutionary War, Major General Henry Knox, Commander of the America artillery, established his military headquarters at John Ellison's 1754 Georgian-style house in Vails Gate. From October 1782 until the spring of 1783, as 7,000 soldiers and 500 "camp followers" were establishing winter quarters at the New Windsor Cantonment, and General Washington was lodged at Jonathan Hasbrouck's house in Newburgh, New York, Major General Horatio Gates occupied the elegant home from which he commanded the cantonment. Here the army awaited the end of the Revolutionary War that became effective when Washington issued the cease fire orders on April 19, 1783.
For most of the 18th and into the 19th century, the Ellison family had important commercial dealings in milling and trade. From their mill, flour was shipped down the Hudson River to New York City and the West Indies. At present, remains of the mill, with traces of the underground racecourse, and the Jane Colden Native Plant Sanctuary may be visited. Explore how the Ellisons and other families of the mid-Hudson Valley lived 200 years ago.
Point of Interest Knox's Headquarters State Historic Site is fun for the children and family of all ages.
Attractions Costumed Interpreters Demonstrations Educational Services Gardens Group Tours Guided Tours Hiking Interpretive Sign Picnic Area Re-enactments Scenic Views
New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site is located at Vails Gate, NY 12584 in Orange County in the Hudson River Valley. In October 1782, General George Washington moved his army to New Windsor, above West Point and just beyond the Hudson Highlands, to establish winter quarters. He was accompanied by 7,000 troops including 500 women and children or "camp followers." By late December 1782, they had erected nearly 600 log huts into a "cantonment," a military enclave. High-ranking officers were quartered in private homes.
Washington was pleased that the army was better housed, fed, and clothed than ever before in the long war, but life for the officers and troops at the Cantonment remained hard. It was at the New Windsor Cantonment that the cease fire orders were issued by Washington ending the eight-year War of Independence on April 19, 1783. The final success, however, was the gradual, orderly disbandment of the army at the Cantonment, and the peaceful march of its still largely unpaid officers and men back to their homes or new pursuits.
New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site is fun for children and family. See the staff in reproduction period dress and uniforms demonstrate musket drills, blacksmithing, military medicine and camplife activities. View the exhibits at the Visitor Center and the reconstructed Temple Building, which served as a chapel for the soldiers.
Storm King Art Center is located at Old Pleasant Hill Road, Mountainville NY 10953, Orange County in the Hudson Valley. Storm King is widely recognized as one of the world’s greatest sculpture parks. "Storm King Art Center is a museum celebrates the relationship between sculpture and nature. Five hundred acres of landscaped lawns, fields and woodlands provide the site for postwar sculptures by internationally renowned artists. At Storm King, the exhibition space is defined by sky and land. Unencumbered by walls, the subtly created flow of space is punctuated by modern sculpture. The grounds are surrounded by the undulating profiles of the Hudson Highlands, a dramatic panorama integral to the viewing experience. The sculptures are affected by changes in light and weather, so no two visits are the same.
History of Storm King Art Center "Ralph E. Ogden and H. Peter Stern, then joint owners of Star Expansion Company founded Storm King Art Center in 1960. Originally Ogden envisioned a museum of the Hudson Valley painters, however after visiting a marble quarry in Austria in 1961 he became partially interested in sculpture. Early purchases were set outside the building as part of a formal garden scheme. Six years later, Ogden saw sculptures by David Smith (1906-1965) set in open fields outside his home in Bolton Landing. The Art Center purchased thirteen works from the artist’s estate and inspired in part by Smith’s sculpture fields soon began to place works outdoors in a new way that directly responded to the landscape of Mountainville. Since that time, each sculpture has been sited as part of a visual fabric that includes its immediate surroundings and the distant landscape scene – expanding the context for viewing far beyond traditional garden confines. In 1972 the Art Center began acquiring a permanent collection of large-scale sculptures. Works are acquired selectively, always with attention to the potential interaction of sculpture with the Storm King landscape. Ogden died in 1974; H. Peter Stern continues to serve as both Chairman and President of the Art Center.
Museum Building: "Completed as a residence in 1935 for the late Vermont Hatch, the French Normandy-style building was designed by architect Maxwell Kimball. The building's granite stones were salvaged from Danskammer, the 1834 Edward Armstrong mansion located north of Newburgh that stood overlooking the Hudson River for almost 100 years. The five Ionic columns now situated on the Art Center's property formed the front of Danskammer. The interior of the museum building contains many period details such as walnut paneling, and walnut and oak parquet floors. Inside are nine exhibition galleries, a museum shop, and offices.
Landscape "At Storm King, visitors are encouraged to enjoy nature as well as art, to meander on trails and discover sculptures, or to traverse the fields to walk among monumental works. The grounds are under a carefully supervised program of maintenance and change. Recently the Art Center has developed the North Trail and a wooded grove with sculptures, and has restored several walking paths."
Visitors may walk through the grounds or take a self-guided tour aboard a handicap-accessible tram that travels through the main portion of the grounds. An audio-guide is available for rental at the museum shop. Press Blue Button to learn about the collections, current exhibitions, membership, photos, and more about Storm King Art Center.
The word is: Fabulous collection of modern and majestic sculptures in an exceptional outdoor setting that complement each and every piece of art. Storm King is magical in all seasons, especially in the Fall. Bring the children, a picnic, and dine under a tree; four miles of hiking trails are also available.
Glenmere, a luxurious boutique hotel, restaurant and spa, is located at 634 Pine Hill Road, Chester NY 10918, Orange County in the Hudson Valley. "Located in the rolling farm lands of the lower Hudson Valley, sits the majestic 150 acre estate and Gilded Age mansion called Glenmere. Glenmere is a premier, 19 suite boutique hotel and restaurant. Room Rates: $550 - $3,500.
"Glenmere was built in 1911 as a country retreat for industrialist and real estate scion Robert Goelet . . . today, Glenmere has been restored to preserve its historical significance as an architectural and horticultural masterpiece, and has been transformed into a luxurious boutique hotel, restaurant and spa."
Press Blue Button for more about dining, accommodations, and spa at Glenmere.
Set on a hilltop overlooking the majestic Hudson River, The Thayer Hotel at West Point is a national historic landmark located in the heart of the Hudson Valley. The majestic, Gothic-style, granite building sits at the south entrance to the U.S. Military Academy, offering dramatic views of the Hudson River and the Hudson Highlands.
With beautiful vistas, 151 luxury guest rooms, 10 meetings rooms, and fine dining, The Thayer Hotel at West Point is an ideal destination for a vacation, business meeting, or elegant wedding. In keeping with the historic architecture, the dining room retains the old world charm with leaded glass windows, chandeliers and portraits of military leaders of the past. During the summer months, the Hudson Terrace offers alfresco dining and views of the Hudson River and historic Constitution Island.
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Glenmere, a luxurious boutique hotel, restaurant and spa, is located at 634 Pine Hill Road, Chester NY 10918, Orange County in the Hudson Valley. "Located in the rolling farm lands of the lower Hudson Valley, sits the majestic 150 acre estate and Gilded Age mansion called Glenmere. Glenmere is a premier, 19 suite boutique hotel and restaurant. Room Rates: $550 - $3,500.
"Glenmere was built in 1911 as a country retreat for industrialist and real estate scion Robert Goelet . . . today, Glenmere has been restored to preserve its historical significance as an architectural and horticultural masterpiece, and has been transformed into a luxurious boutique hotel, restaurant and spa."
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Pioneer
845-986-6500
Pioneer Restaurant, serving New American, is located at 49 Oakland Avenue, Warwick NY 10990, Orange County in the Hudson Valley.
Set on a hilltop overlooking the majestic Hudson River, The Thayer Hotel at West Point is a national historic landmark located in the heart of the Hudson Valley. The majestic, Gothic-style, granite building sits at the south entrance to the U.S. Military Academy, offering dramatic views of the Hudson River and the Hudson Highlands.
With beautiful vistas, 151 luxury guest rooms, 10 meetings rooms, and fine dining, The Thayer Hotel at West Point is an ideal destination for a vacation, business meeting, or elegant wedding. In keeping with the historic architecture, the dining room retains the old world charm with leaded glass windows, chandeliers and portraits of military leaders of the past. During the summer months, the Hudson Terrace offers alfresco dining and views of the Hudson River and historic Constitution Island.
Press Blue Button for more about The Thayer Hotel.
Beebs - An American Bistro, serving Traditional American, is located at 30 Plank Road, Newburgh New York 12550, Orange County in the Hudson Valley.
The word is: Dine in an historic Newburgh building. This old toll house takes you back to a different place in time; serving good food at reasonable prices.
Panera Bread and Bakery Cafe is located at 1278 Route 300, Newburgh NY 12550, Orange County in the Hudson Valley. Panera Bread serving bread "fresh from the oven" also serves sandwiches, soups, hand-tossed salad and more. To plan your meal, Press Blue Button for nutritional calculator.
The word is: It's a chain, but the food tastes good, and is a healthy alternative to fast food burgers and fries; Internet access available.
Adams Fairacre Farms has three locations in the Hudson Valley; Poughkeepsie NY in Dutchess County, Kingston NY in Ulster County, and Newburgh, NY in Orange County.
Adams Fairacre Farms began in the early 1900s as a simple roadside farmstand in Poughkeepsie, New York . . . Adams now has a full-service Meat Department, Seafood Department, Deli, Prepared Foods Department, Cheese Department, Bakery, Sweet Shop, Gourmet Grocery, Gift Shop, Garden Center and Nursery.
Today, the family still picks the produce we sell, but not quite in the same way. Now we hand-select the very best fruits and vegetables available, buying from local growers whenever possible. It’s with a farmer’s eye that we choose the produce you see on display, like vine-ripened tomatoes, crisp greens, fresh chestnuts, tender asparagus, just-picked berries and much, much more. Be sure to read our helpful produce signs—most provide nutritional information, recipes or cooking tips.
Cafe Pitti, serving casual Italian food, is located at 40 Front Street, Newburgh NY 12550, Orange County in the Hudson Valley.
The word is: Enjoy this small cafe on the Newburgh waterfront while dining on delicious thin crust pizza; also serving Panini Brioche (toasted Italian sandwich), Tramezzini (toasts), Focaccia (double crushed pizza sandwich) and salads; finish you meal with a gelati or sorbet.
SUNY Orange is located at 115 South Street, Middletown, NY 10940 in the beautiful Hudson River Valley. SUNY Orange has touched the lives of countless numbers of the county’s 350,000 residents through its credit programs, non-credit programming and cultural events. As the needs of the community grow, the college will continue to play a significant role in the county’s endeavor to face the challenges and to profit from the opportunities that await it.
SUNY Orange was founded in 1950 as the first county-sponsored community college in the State University of New York system. Orange Community College has earned its reputation as a pioneer and innovator in meeting the needs of its students and the area it primarily serves. SUNY Orange was the first two-year college in the nation to offer the associate degree nursing program and studies in electron microscopy; and in 1982, the college was the first community college to plan and co-sponsor with local chambers of commerce a business institute.
Accredited by Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, academic credits can be earned through full- or part-time study in the day, evening, or both. The college offers three degrees: Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, and Associate in Applied Science. The college also offers extensive technical programs in career fields (with transfer options) and one-year certificates.
Public and private four-year colleges actively seek our graduates for transfer into baccalaureate programs as third-year students. In cooperation with other educational agencies, the college also presents programs for academically gifted high school seniors, for business and professional people, and by special arrangement with nearby universities for graduate students.
More than 420,000 people have enrolled in a wide range of credit and non-credit classes at the Middletown campus, the Newburgh Extension Center and satellite locations across Orange County.
Consistent with its mission to meet the higher education needs of students, the college is noted for its commitment to ensuring student success. With the support of our caring faculty and staff, each of our students has the ability to achieve their academic and career goals. Advising, counseling, and career guidance and exploration are available to all students as well as several co-curricular and leadership opportunities that serve to complement the academic experience.
In addition to offering formal instruction to students in both the day and evening, the college engages in a variety of other activities. It sponsors a series of cultural events, lectures and artistic performances for students, staff and faculty, and to which the public is invited. Press Blue Button to explore SUNY - Orange Community College.
Sterling Forest® State Park, a 17,953-acre park of nearly pristine natural refuge, is located at 116 Old Forge Road, Tuxedo NY 10987, Orange County in the Hudson Valley. Sterling Forest Park located in one of the nation's most densely populated areas is a remarkable piece of woodland, a watershed for millions, and a tremendous outdoor recreation area. This unbroken deep-forest habitat is important for the survival of many resident and migratory species, including black bear, a variety of hawks and songbirds and many rare invertebrates and plants.
Things To Do Biking Boat Launches Fishing Hiking Hunting Ice Fishing Museum / Visitor Center Recreation Programs Snowshoeing Scenic Views
Sterling Forest® State Park, a 17,953-acre park of nearly pristine natural refuge, is located at 116 Old Forge Road, Tuxedo NY 10987, Orange County in the Hudson Valley. Sterling Forest Park located in one of the nation's most densely populated areas is a remarkable piece of woodland, a watershed for millions, and a tremendous outdoor recreation area. This unbroken deep-forest habitat is important for the survival of many resident and migratory species, including black bear, a variety of hawks and songbirds and many rare invertebrates and plants.
Things To Do Biking Boat Launches Fishing Hiking Hunting Ice Fishing Museum / Visitor Center Recreation Programs Snowshoeing Scenic Views
For Orange County, press Blue Button for New York State Thruway Authority Traffic Incident Information including: traffic cameras, regional advisory messages, conditions regarding accidents and traffic, closures, roadwork, exits/toll barriers, and travel plazas/rest areas.
You can even sign-up for TRANSalert, email . . as part of the Transportation Regional Advisory Network System, the New York State Thruway Authority offers an email service to its customers to inform them of major unscheduled incidents that may affect their travel on the Thruway.
Also available are travel Plazas by name and location with a link to additional restaurant and service information.
For Orange County, press Blue Button for weather on the New York State Thruway. Find current conditions, forecasts, watches and warnings for areas including: New York City (Manhattan), White Plains, Harriman, Middletown, Newburgh, Brewster, Orange County, Ulster, Albany, and more.
On the Traveler Information page, press the National Weather Service button for weather maps including: warnings & forecasts, graphical forecasts, national maps, radar, and air quality.
Applewood Winery is located at 82 Four Corners Road, Warwick NY 10990 in Orange County. Enjoy wine tasting at a real farm winery in New York's Hudson Valley. Discover New York wines at Applewood Winery. Our wines are made from our own vineyards, orchards and from across the state. We make Chardonnay's, Cabernet Franc, barrel fermented reds, in addition to that we have delicious fruit wines including Hard Apple Cider. Every wine is produced in a "limited edition" with almost every bottle spoken for as soon as its made. So you'll only find our wine at the tasting room and here in our online store.
Enjoy music every weekend in August. Music starts at 2:00 and ends at 5:00. The Cafe will be open serving fruit & cheese platters and sandwiches. Press Blue Button for more about Applewood Winery.
Baldwin Vineyards is located at 176 Hardenburgh Road, Pine Bush, New York 12566. Located 85 miles northwest of NYC in the Hudson River Valley Region, Baldwin Vineyards is situated on a 35 acre vineyard with a pasture like setting, complete with a stone home built by the Hardenburghs in 1786.
Proprietors, Patricia and Jack Baldwin, planted the first Vineyard in 1982 and a second vineyard in 1983. By 1985, both were working full time to create a micro winery which offers a wide array of different styles of wine for the discerning palate. Dry, creamy Chardonnays, a Brut Methode Champenois and Merlot for dry wine lovers. Dessert wine lovers will revel in the Late Harvest Riesling, a Raspberry Wine and an internationally acclaimed Strawberry Wine. A total of 24 different wines await wine lovers. Press Blue Button for more information about Baldwin Vineyards.
Brimstone Hill Vineyard & Winery is located at 61 Brimstone Hill Road, Pine Bush, New York 12566 in the beautiful historic Hudson Valley Region. Brimstone Hill Vineyard & Winery grows and produces elegant country Hudson River region wines. Visitors have a choice of eight graceful wines to taste. Brimstone Hill Vineyard & Winery's award winning wines have been pleasing the palatable senses of this region for over 25 years!
Our cozy tasting room is open year round! We welcome small and large groups to enjoy all four glorious seasons the valley has to offer. An appreciation for wine starts in the vineyard. At Brimstone Hill Vineyard & Winery, grape vines are all around us. Begin your visit walking through rows of tall slender vines, where each season teaches us to understand some aspect about the wine grape. Inside patrons are able to taste a variety of wines ranging from dry chilled whites, to toasty reds and sumptuous semi-sweet whites.
Press Blue Button for more about the Brimstone Hill Vineyard and Winery.
Brotherhood, America's Oldest Winery, is located at 100 Brotherhood Plaza Drive, Washingtonville, NY 10992 in the Hudson River Valley Region.
Winemaking is an ancient and honored art, and nowhere is this more evident than at Brotherhood, America's Oldest winery. The winery was established by a European emigre, John Jaques, who produced the first commercial vintage in 1839. Brotherhood has been in continuous operation since that time, making the winery the oldest in the United States. Brotherhood Winery is listed in the New York State Register of Historic Places and is listed as a National Historic Landmark.
The winery, nestled in the foothills of the Catskills, offers visitors the opportunity to "step back into history". Our original buildings house vast underground cellars comparable to those of famous European wineries. Visitors stroll the beautifully landscaped premises, tour the romantic underground cellars, and taste a variety of award-winning wines. Press Blue Button for more about Brotherhood, America's Oldest Winery.
Comments: Call for the dates of "Special Events" such as: Grapestomping.
The Demarest Hill Winery and Distillery is located at 81 Pine Island Turnpike, Warwick, New York 10990 in the Hudson River Valley. As a young man, Francesco tended the family vineyards in Molise, Italy, learning the intricate skill of wine making from his father. He toiled long and hard in these humble surroundings, and he set out to build his dream. . . Francesco finally settled in America. Here he used his hard-earned money to purchase a large tract of land in Warwick, New York, where his vision began to take shape.
Francesco carefully selected and assembled the equipment that would allow him to demonstrate his wine making expertise. At first he only made a few barrels of wine, but as the years went by, his production began to increase. He continued to perfect his winery's quality, and in 1994, the first varietal, as well as blended wines were created: Chardonnay, Zinfandel, and Chenin Blanc.
Francesco has expanded his vineyard on a sun-drenched hillside, due to the ever-increasing demand for Demarest Hill wines. When asked why he makes wine, Francesco responds: "It's the people. When they take a sip of my wine and smile, that's my reward." Press Blue Button for more about The Demarest Hill Winery and Distillery.
Pazdar Winery is located in Scotchtown, NY 10941. We started the Pazdar Winery in 1995 to produce Innovative Unique Boutique and Hand Crafted Premium Wines with Attitude. The first wines were released June 1996. To ensure quality, the wines are hand-crafted using the finest grapes, fresh pressed fruit juice, and finest winemaking techniques from Europe and the United States. They are carefully aged. It is only when they have reached the desired flavor, that they are bottled and sold.
At this time we choose not to have a tasting room. Instead we enjoy going into various communities and getting to know our customers on personal basis. On weekends during the spring, summer, and fall months, one of us is usually at a farm market or a local liquor store where the wines can be tasted and bought. If you would like a listing of where we will be, please e-mail us and we will add you to our mailing list. Press Blue Button for Pazdar Winery.
Warwick Valley Winery is located at 114 Little York Road, Warwick NY 10990, Orange County in the foothills of the Hudson Valley. Situated between Mt. Eve and Mt. Adam, our tasting room provides the ideal setting for tasting wine, listening to music, and enjoying food. We invite you to come to the tasting room and celebrate Wine and Music and Food. Our wines and ciders are also available for purchase throughout New York and New Jersey.
Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery is open all year round. We sponsor a music series, "Uncorked and Unplugged n the Orchard" featuring live music every weekend - rain or shine. Our bakery is open every weekend year round. We offer fresh breads, pastries and specialty items, all prepared by our Culinary Institute of America trained chefs.
Pick-Your-Own apples and Pears Every autumn, our guests are invited to enjoy our orchards. Pear picking begins in August. Apples begin to ripen shortly thereafter in early September. With thirty varieties, we have an apple for every palate. Please, bring your family to meet our family and enjoy our farm, winery and orchards.
We sponsor a music series, "Uncorked and Unplugged in the orchard" featuring live music every weekend - rain or shine. Doc's Cider House is our new venue to enjoy music, wine and food throughout the year. Enjoy our Bakery where we offer fresh breads, pastries and specialty items, all prepared by our Culinary Institute of America trained chefs. Every autumn, our guests are invited to enjoy our lavish orchards and Pick-Your-Own apples and Pears. Pear picking begins in August. Warwick Valley Winery and Orchards' commitment to fine food and wine are why we are referred to as a "Bit of Tuscany in the Hudson Valley". Press Blue Button for more information about Warwick Valley Winery.
For Orange County, press Blue Button for NYS Thruway Authority Winter Traveler Advisory. The Winter Traveler Advisory shows last reported conditions for your selected area.
American Revolution - Fort Montgomery "State Historic Site"
