Did You Know About The Battle of Stony Point??
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Did You Know about Stony Point in the Revolutionary War?
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As the 1779 campaigning season began, British General Clinton, seeking to lure Washington out of the mountains and into a general engagement, dispatched around 8,000 men up the Hudson. As part of this movement, the British seized Stony Point on the eastern bank of the river as well as Verplanck's Point on the opposite shore.
Taking possession of the two points the British began fortifying them against attack and garrisoned between 600 and 700 men at Stony Point. The loss of these two positions deprived the Americans of using King's Ferry, a key river crossing over the Hudson.
Dubbing their position a "little Gibraltar," the British constructed two lines of defenses facing west, each manned with around 300 men and protected by artillery. Stony Point was further protected by the armed sloop HMS Vulture which was operating in that part of the Hudson.
Watching the British actions from atop nearby Buckberg Mountain, Washington, initially reluctant to assault the position, changed his mind based on intelligence ascertaining the strength of the garrison.
To ensure surprise, two attacking columns made the assault with their muskets unloaded, relying solely on the bayonet. Each column deployed an advance force of 20 men to clear obstacles.
On the evening of July 15 the columns began their advance shortly before midnight and benefited from heavy clouds which limited the moonlight. The southern flank had to through about two to four feet of water making enough the British pickets were alerted.
Pushing forward, the Americans began their assault. Responding to a planned diversion, the British rushed to the landward defenses with six companies from the 17th Regiment of Foot. Battling through the defenses, the flanking American columns succeeded in overwhelming the British and cutting others. In the fighting, General Wayne was temporarily put out of action when a spent round struck his head.
With American forces swarming in their rear, the British were ultimately compelled to surrender after less than thirty minutes of fighting. Recovering, General
R. Frederick RiddleWayne sent a dispatch to Washington informing him, "The fort & garrison with Col. Johnston are ours. Our officers & men behaved like men who are determined to be free."
A stunning victory for Wayne, the fighting at Stony Point saw him lose 15 killed and 83 wounded, while British losses totaled 19 killed, 74 wounded, 472 captured, and 58 missing. In addition, a host of stores and fifteen guns were captured. Though a planned follow-on attack against Verplanck's Point never materialized, the Battle of Stony Point proved a vital boost to American morale and was one of the final battles of the conflict to be fought in the North.
Visiting Stony Point on July 17, Washington was extremely pleased with the result and offered lavish praise upon Wayne. Assessing the terrain, Washington ordered Stony Point abandoned the next day as he lacked the men to fully protect it. For his actions at Stony Point, Wayne was awarded a gold medal by Congress.
Did You Know about Stony Point in the Revolutionary War?
-------
As the 1779 campaigning season began, British General Clinton, seeking to lure Washington out of the mountains and into a general engagement, dispatched around 8,000 men up the Hudson. As part of this movement, the British seized Stony Point on the eastern bank of the river as well as Verplanck's Point on the opposite shore.
Taking possession of the two points the British began fortifying them against attack and garrisoned between 600 and 700 men at Stony Point. The loss of these two positions deprived the Americans of using King's Ferry, a key river crossing over the Hudson.
Dubbing their position a "little Gibraltar," the British constructed two lines of defenses facing west, each manned with around 300 men and protected by artillery. Stony Point was further protected by the armed sloop HMS Vulture which was operating in that part of the Hudson.
Watching the British actions from atop nearby Buckberg Mountain, Washington, initially reluctant to assault the position, changed his mind based on intelligence ascertaining the strength of the garrison.
To ensure surprise, two attacking columns made the assault with their muskets unloaded, relying solely on the bayonet. Each column deployed an advance force of 20 men to clear obstacles.
On the evening of July 15 the columns began their advance shortly before midnight and benefited from heavy clouds which limited the moonlight. The southern flank had to through about two to four feet of water making enough the British pickets were alerted.
Pushing forward, the Americans began their assault. Responding to a planned diversion, the British rushed to the landward defenses with six companies from the 17th Regiment of Foot. Battling through the defenses, the flanking American columns succeeded in overwhelming the British and cutting others. In the fighting, General Wayne was temporarily put out of action when a spent round struck his head.
With American forces swarming in their rear, the British were ultimately compelled to surrender after less than thirty minutes of fighting. Recovering, General
R. Frederick RiddleWayne sent a dispatch to Washington informing him, "The fort & garrison with Col. Johnston are ours. Our officers & men behaved like men who are determined to be free."A stunning victory for Wayne, the fighting at Stony Point saw him lose 15 killed and 83 wounded, while British losses totaled 19 killed, 74 wounded, 472 captured, and 58 missing. In addition, a host of stores and fifteen guns were captured. Though a planned follow-on attack against Verplanck's Point never materialized, the Battle of Stony Point proved a vital boost to American morale and was one of the final battles of the conflict to be fought in the North.
Visiting Stony Point on July 17, Washington was extremely pleased with the result and offered lavish praise upon Wayne. Assessing the terrain, Washington ordered Stony Point abandoned the next day as he lacked the men to fully protect it. For his actions at Stony Point, Wayne was awarded a gold medal by Congress.
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