Defending the Hudson
... In 1826, Stony Point became the sight of a lighthouse built to guide ships through the narrow passage of Haverstraw Bay at the southern end of the Hudson Highlands. The lighthouse survives as the oldest on the Hudson River, and was restored and relighted in 1995. ... Lightballs, or flares, had been prepared, and a signal rocket was on hand to call for reinforcements from the British garrison at Verplanck’s Point on the other side of the Hudson; however, in the confusion of battle, they were never used. ... The Battle’s Aftermath Although Stony Point and Verplanck’s Point became a focus of British strategy in 1779, they had shown interest in the Hudson Highlands before. On October 6, 1777, the British had landed here and attacked Forts Clinton and Montgomery, seven miles to the north, withdrawing two weeks later, after sailing up the Hudson River and burning the city of Kingston. ... In 1825, the Erie Canal was opened, allowing ships to sail from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean by way of the Hudson River, a tidal estuary as far north as Albany. The following year – 1826 – the United States Lighthouse Service built the Stony Point lighthouse to warn ships of the narrowing of Haverstraw Bay at the southern end of the Hudson Highlands. ... In 1995, the Stony Point Lighthouse – the oldest on the Hudson River – was restored and relighted. ... Commerce and the Hudson River The Hudson River has always been a major avenue of New York State’s economy. ... Commercial sailing ships were seen on the Hudson as late as the first decades of the 20th century, carrying goods to ports up and down the river. ... Thousands of people visit the Battlefield each year to see the site’s special events and interpretive programs, enjoy panoramic views of Haverstraw Bay and the Hudson River, and visit the Stony Point lighthouse. ... It had am excellent harbor that would give them control of the mouth of the Hudson River. ... To keep the British out of the Hudson River, they had to sink old ships in the water. ... On the same day, General Washington moved his army across the Hudson River into New Jersey. ... But he had saved the American Army and kept the British from taking the Hudson River. ... British General John Burgoyne would move troops south from Canada along the Champlain-Hudson Valley. General Howe would bring a force up the Hudson River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... If the plan succeeded, the British would control the Hudson River. ... Meanwhile, American troops, under the command of General Horatio Gates, were moving up the Hudson River from Albany. ... In New York, the British continued to hold New York City, while Americans tried to protect the Hudson Valley. ... On June 1, 1779, the British moved up the Hudson River and took Stony Point, a small fort south of West Point. Steep cliffs that dropped to the Hudson River surrounded the fort on three sides. ... They stretched a chain across the Hudson River to stop British ships.