Battle of Forts Clinton and Montgomery

The Battle of Forts Clinton and Montgomery was fought in the Hudson Highlands of the Hudson River valley on October 6, 1777, during the American Revolutionary War. British troops under General Sir Henry Clinton captured Fort Clinton and Fort Montgomery and dismantled the first iteration of the Hudson River Chains.

The purpose of the British attack was to create a diversion to draw American troops from the army of General Horatio Gates, which was opposing British General John Burgoyne's attempt to gain control of the Hudson. Both forts were garrisoned by about 600 Continental Army troops under the command of two brothers, General George Clinton and General James Clinton, while General Israel Putnam led additional troops at nearby Peekskill, New York. Using a series of feints, Clinton fooled Putnam into withdrawing most of his troops to the east, and then he landed 2,100 troops on the west side of the Hudson to assault the two forts.

After several hours of hiking through the hilly terrain, Clinton divided his troops to stage simultaneous assaults on the two forts. Although the approach to Fort Montgomery was contested by a company armed with a small field piece, they attacked the two forts at nearly the same time and captured them after a relatively short battle. More than half the American defenders were killed, wounded, or captured. The British followed up this success with raids as far north as Kingston before being recalled to New York City. The action came too late to be of any assistance to Burgoyne, who surrendered his army on October 17. The only notable consequences of the action were the casualties suffered and the British destruction of the two forts on their departure.