Redoubt Four was a supporting defensive position of
Fort Putnam during the
Revolutionary War defensive network at
West Point
The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...
. It was constructed under the command of
Tadeusz Kosciuszko in 1778-1779. During the war, it was a key defensive overwatch position for Fort Putnam 300 feet below, which was in turn the key overwatch position for
Fort Clinton
Fort Clinton was an American Revolutionary War fort erected by the Continental Army on the west bank of the Hudson River in 1776.
Fort Clinton was the original West Point academy
Protecting the chain
It was one of a pair of fortifications which ...
.
According to
Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold (#Brandt, Brandt (1994), p. 4June 14, 1801) was an American-born British military officer who served during the American Revolutionary War. He fought with distinction for the American Continental Army and rose to the rank of ...
, the fort required approximately 100 soldiers to man it. The redoubt was partially restored in 1975-1976 as part of the bicentennial celebration. It can be accessed by foot year round from Patrick Trail (road) approximately .5 miles from the West Point Post Exchange complex.
Construction
"The possession of the Hill appears to me essential to the preservation of the whole post and our main effort ought to be directed to keeping the enemy off of it...",
George Washington
George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...
wrote in July 1779, vindicating Tadeusz Kościuszko's decision to place a redoubt on Rocky Hill.
[Storozynski, A., 2009, The Peasant Prince, New York: St. Martin's Press, ]
File:Fort Clinton redoubt 4.jpg, Redoubt Four commands the heights over West Point
File:Fort Clinton redoubt 4b.jpg, Redoubt Four marker
Image:Ft._Putnam,_West_Point,_NY,_as_viewed_from_Redoubt_Four.JPG, Fort Putnam viewed from Redoubt Four. The Cadet Chapel and Taylor Hall towers and Hudson River beyond the fort are actually hundreds of yards beyond
Image:Redoubt_4,_West_Point,_NY.JPG, The partially restored eastern wall
Image:West_Point_Fortifications.jpg, Map of West Point Fortifications
See also
*
Constitution Island
Constitution Island is in the northeastern United States, located in New York on the east side of the Hudson River, north of New York City. It is directly opposite the U.S. Military Academy Reservation at West Point and is connected ...
*
Kosciuszko's Garden
References
{{Redoubts
Redoubts
United States Military Academy
1778 establishments in New York (state)