Fort Clinton was built in 1778 by troops of the Continental Army. It was originally named Fort Arnold after Benedict Arnold, the hero of early Revolutionary War campaigns. The fort retained its original name until Colonel Arnold deserted to the British in 1780. Carefully sited at the bend in the Hudson River where sailing ships moving upstream would have to come to a virtual stop to navigate the turns, Fort Clinton was the center of the West Point fortifications. The fort was constructed to protect the batteries along the edge of the water, to deny the British the use of Constitution Island, and to cover with fire the Great Chain that stretched across the river.
Fort Clinton was constructed of earth and logs. During the Revolution it contained a powder magazine, barricades, and bombproofs for its garrison of about 700 men. Its armament consisted of 12 cannon and 11 mortars of various calibers. Because Fort Clinton was dominated by higher ground to the south and west, several forts and redoubts were built there to defend it against overland attack. Fort Putnam, the major protective work in the system, can be seen on the treeline to your rear.
After the Revolution, Fort Clinton served as an active fort and an arsenal for the storage of arms and equipment. After the Military Academy was founded in 1802, Fort Clinton ceased to be used as a fortification.
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