| Fort Montgomery is the name of multiple
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| | However, in addition to the
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| fortifications in United States history.
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| | fortifications, a major engineering
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| The first fortification which bore that
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| | project was conceived to effectively
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| name was built during the American
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| | blockade any naval traffic on the river.
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| Revolution and was one of the first major
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| | A boom and chain were built across the
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| investments by the Americans in strategic
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| | river to provide a physical barrier in
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| construction projects.
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| | addition to the combined firepower of the
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| Fort Montgomery was located at the
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| | fortifications.
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| confluence of Popolopen Creek and the
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| | In July 1776, a committee appointed by
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| Hudson River near Bear Mountain in what
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| | the New York convention, which included
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| is now Orange County, New York. The
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| | John Jay, Robert Livingston, George
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| fortifications consisted of a river
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| | Clinton and Robert Yates was appointed to
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| battery of six 32-pound cannons, a boom
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| | "devise and carry into execution"
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| and cable across the Hudson River, and
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| | measures for "obstructing the channel of
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| landward redoubts connected by ramparts,
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| | Hudson's river, or annoying the
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| all situated on a cliff promontory rising
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| | navigation of the said River." It
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| 100 feet above the River. The fort was
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| | bemoaned the situation of its arms, and
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| commanded by General George Clinton, who
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| | made measures to procure more cannon.
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| was the newly appointed governor of the
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| | Battle of Fort Montgomery On October 6,
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| state. Fort Montgomery and its companion
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| | 1777, a combined force of roughly 2,100
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| fortification Fort Clinton (on the
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| | Loyalists, Hessians, and British regulars
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| southern bank of the Popolopen) held a
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| | led by Lieutenant General Sir Henry
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| combined garrison of roughly 700 American
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| | Clinton attacked Forts Montgomery and
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| soldiers.
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| | Clinton from the landward side (which was
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| The strategic importance of the ability
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| | only partially completed) with support
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| to control navigation along the Hudson
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| | from cannon fire from British ships on
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| River was obvious to both the Americans
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| | the Hudson River. By the end of the day,
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| and the British from the outbreak of open
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| | both forts had fallen to the British, who
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| hostilities. The Hudson was the major
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| | burned the forts and tore down the
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| means for transportation of supplies and
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| | stonework buildings.
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| troops throughout a large portion of the
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| | Although the battle was a complete loss
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| northeast. The eventual location of the
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| | for the Americans, it played a small but
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| fort was noted for its strategic
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| | critical role in the loss by the British
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| advantage as a well-placed location for
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| | of their northern campaign. The delays
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| controlling navigation along the river as
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| | involved in mounting the campaign against
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| early as the seventeenth century. Only a
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| | Forts Montgomery and Clinton affected the
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| month after the first open armed conflict
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| | outcome for the American forces in
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| in Lexington, the Continental Congress
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| | Saratoga. This battle had held up the
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| indicated its intent to build
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| | expected reinforcements for which General
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| fortifications in the Hudson highlands
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| | Burgoyne was waiting. The irony is that,
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| for the purpose of protecting and
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| | on the day after the victory in the
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| maintaining control of the Hudson River.
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| | Hudson highlands, Burgoyne lost a more
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| On May 25, 1775, the Continental Congress
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| | well known battle to the north—the
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| passed a resolution to construct
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| | Battle of Bemis Heights—and was forced
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| fortifications along the Hudson River in
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| | to surrender ten days later with his
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| order to retain control of the waterway
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| | reinforcements still far to the south.
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| that "…a post be also taken in the
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| | Nineteenth century Fort Montgomery The
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| Highlands on each side of Hudson’s
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| | later Fort Montgomery was a massive stone
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| River and batteries erected in such a
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| | fortification built between 1844 and 1871
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| manner as will most effectually prevent
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| | on the northwest arm of Lake Champlain at
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| any vessels passing that may be sent to
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| | Island Point in the town of Rouses Point,
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| harass the inhabitants on the borders of
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| | New York. The first fort at this location
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| said river…"[1].
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| | was built in 1816 to protect against an
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| James Clinton and Christopher Tappan,
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| | attack from British Canada such as that
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| both lifetime residents of the area, were
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| | which led to the Battle of Plattsburgh in
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| sent to scout appropriate locations for
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| | 1814. This first fort was inadvertently
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| the required fortifications. The initial
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| | built on the Canadian side of the border,
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| site chosen was further to the north at
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| | resulting in its sometimes being better
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| West Point, and construction of the
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| | known as "Fort Blunder." Construction on
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| fortifications to be named Fort
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| | the fort was abandoned after three years,
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| Constitution began. However, difficulties
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| | and much of its material was cannibalized
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| in construction and management of the
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| | by the locals. No evidence has come to
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| original plan of fortifications and the
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| | light that this first fort was ever
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| escalating costs involved led to its
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| | named. It is often mistakenly referred to
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| abandonment. The location on Popolopen
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| | as Fort Montgomery.
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| Creek across from Anthony's Nose was
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| | This second fort was constructed after
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| proposed, and the materials and resources
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| | the Webster-Ashburton Treaty of 1842
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| from Fort Constitution were redirected to
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| | returned Island Point to the United
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| the construction at the new location.
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| | States. Fort Montgomery was one of a very
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| Construction began on the new Fort
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| | few "Third System" forts built along the
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| Montgomery in March 1776.
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| | Northern Frontier, most being constructed
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| The strategic importance of the opposite
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| | along the Atlantic Coast.
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| bank of Popolopen Creek was quickly
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| | Most of the fort was demolished in 1937
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| realized, as it was an elevated cliff
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| | for fill to construct a bridge between
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| terrace that had full view of the
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| | Rouses Point, New York and Alburg,
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| location of Fort Montgomery, so a smaller
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| | Vermont. In 1983, the property was sold
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| fortification named Fort Clinton was
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| | to Victor Podds of the Powertek
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| built there as well. The placement of
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| | corporation, who planned to build
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| these two forts and their associated
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| | Powertek's corporation on it. Podds'
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| cannon batteries effectively controlled
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| | heirs, Victor and Stephen Podds, have
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| this stretch of the Hudson River.
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| | since put the fort up for sale on eBay.
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