This map, dated 1695, shows a wall with batteries built to the south and west of Fort George, located at the tip of Manhattan. It was likely constructed of wood and stone. Additional works were added throughout the early to mid-18th century.
The final and strongest outwork is thought to have been constructed in 1766 or 1767. Called the "Grand Battery", it was built of stone and accommodated one hundred cannon. It was from this battery that Alexander Hamilton and Captain John Lamb removed eleven artillery pieces at the beginning of the American Revolution in 1775.
The Grand Battery was the target of naval gunfire from the British warships HMS Phoenix and HMS Rose as they sailed up the Hudson River on July 12, 1776. Following the seizure of New York in September, 1776, Fort George and the Battery again became the headquarters of the British Army in New York. In 1790, following the American Revolution, the City of New York demolished Fort George and leveled the Grand Battery to use the materials to fill in the pier line along the shore.
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