Fort Montgomery

Fort Montgomery was the scene of a fierce Revolutionary War battle for control of the Hudson River. On October 6, 1777, British, Loyalist, and Hessian forces attacked Fort Montgomery and nearby Fort Clinton. The defending American Patriots, outnumbered 3 to 1, fought desperately until driven out of their forts at the points of enemy bayonets. More than half of the American forces were killed, wounded, or captured. The Patriot defense included a heavy chain and floating log boom strung from Fort Montgomery to Anthony’s Nose (just above today’s Bear Mountain Bridge) to block the British warships from sailing upriver.

After destroying the fortifications and removing the river chain, the British withdrew to New York City. The loss prompted the Americans to build even stronger defenses at West Point the following year, where a new Great Chain once again blocked the Hudson.