Fort Clinton was anAmerican Revolutionary War fort erected by theContinental Army on the west bank of theHudson River in 1776.
Fort Clinton was also the site of the original West Point academy.
It was one of a pair of fortifications which straddled the confluence ofPopolopen Creek, standing on the south side ofPopolopen Gorge, withFort Montgomery to the north.[1] The forts defended a huge wrought ironchain that spanned the Hudson from Fort Montgomery toAnthony's Nose on the river's east side. The sites of both forts are in present-dayHighlands,Orange County, New York.
Fort Clinton's garrison of 300 soldiers was smaller than Fort Montgomery's, but it was built on higher ground, and its defenses were more complete. It was commanded by GeneralJames Clinton, for whom it was named[2] (and not his brother, GeneralGeorge Clinton, orSir Henry Clinton, the BritishCommander-in-Chief in North America and opposing general in the struggle over control of the strategically critical river).
On October 6, 1777, Forts Clinton and Montgomery were attacked bythe British 63rd Regiment led bySir Henry Clinton (a distant relative of James Clinton, according to information at the Fort Montgomery state historic site museum). TheBattle of Forts Clinton and Montgomery was intense but brief, with both forts being overrun within an hour and the wounded General James Clinton retreating with his men throughPopolopen Gorge.[3] The forts were razed by the British, and the iron chain they sought to defend was dismantled. The Rebels installed anotherHudson River Chain farther upriver.
Although the ruins of Fort Montgomery survive and the site is aNational Historic Landmark, the Fort Clinton site was destroyed in the 1920s during the construction ofU.S. Route 9W and theBear Mountain Bridge.[4] Today, the Fort Clinton site lies withinBear Mountain State Park and is used for the Trailside Museum and Zoo.
41°19′15″N73°59′17″W / 41.32083°N 73.98806°W /41.32083; -73.98806