Stony Point

British Forces Seize Stony Point

On May 30, 1779, British forces under Sir Henry Clinton seized Stony Point and Fort Lafayette at Verplanck's Point, eliminating King's Ferry — the primary Continental crossing of the lower Hudson. The loss disrupted Continental logistics and communications along the Hudson, forcing Washington to reassess his Highlands position and ultimately prompting the decision to retake the point.

Washington Assigns Wayne to Command Light Infantry Corps

Washington formally assigned Brigadier General Anthony Wayne to command the newly organized Continental Light Infantry Corps — approximately 1,350 picked men drawn from multiple regiments for rapid offensive operations. The assignment came with an implicit understanding that Wayne would be used against Stony Point. Intelligence collection on the fort's defenses through Lee's cavalry and McLane's scouts was already underway.

Washington Personally Reconnoiters Stony Point

Washington personally rode to observe Stony Point and evaluate the British works before committing to an assault plan — an unusual step for a commander-in-chief reflecting the operation's importance. He concluded the fort was assailable and directed Wayne to develop a detailed plan. McLane had already infiltrated the point in disguise and confirmed the abatis layout and sentry schedules.

Wayne's Midnight Assault on Stony Point

Beginning around 12:30 AM on July 16, 1779, Wayne's 1,350-man light infantry corps stormed the British fortification in a two-column bayonet assault. Forlorn hope volunteers preceded each column, cutting through the abatis under fire. The assault succeeded in approximately forty-five minutes. The British garrison of roughly 625 suffered 63 killed, 70 wounded, and 472 captured. American casualties: 15 killed, 83 wounded. Wayne was grazed by a bullet near the fort's fall and asked to be carried inside in case his wound was mortal. It was not.

King's Ferry Crossing Restored to American Use

The Stony Point assault immediately restored American access to King's Ferry, the primary Hudson River crossing. Although Washington chose not to hold Stony Point, the British pressure on the crossing eased. Continental forces used King's Ferry for the remainder of active northern operations, including the French and American southward march toward Yorktown in September 1781.

Washington Orders Stony Point Demolished and Abandoned

Within two days of the assault, Washington ordered the fortifications demolished and the position abandoned — a decision revealing strategic maturity over symbolic possession. Holding Stony Point would require a garrison unavailable elsewhere and expose troops to British counterattack from New York. The guns and stores were carried off, the earthworks leveled. The British reoccupied the point shortly but found little to salvage.

Congress Awards Gold and Silver Medals for Stony Point

The Continental Congress awarded Wayne a gold medal (only the fourth of the war), silver medals to Fleury and Stewart, and authorized the first cash bonuses for enlisted valor in American history. The awards were both genuine recognition of military achievement and a deliberate political statement about Continental Army capability circulated domestically and abroad.

Lee Raids Paulus Hook

Five weeks after Stony Point, Lieutenant Colonel Henry Lee led a surprise raid on the British garrison at Paulus Hook (present-day Jersey City), capturing 158 prisoners. Lee followed Wayne's tactical template: night march, silence, bayonets-forward assault. Congress awarded Lee a gold medal, pairing the two operations as a year-end demonstration of Continental light infantry capability.

Benedict Arnold's Defection and the West Point Plot

On September 25, 1780, Arnold — given command of West Point — defected to the British after his plot to surrender the fort was exposed by Major John André's capture near Tarrytown. Arnold escaped to the British warship Vulture; André was tried and hanged at Tappan on October 2. The defection placed in shadow the entire Hudson Highlands campaign, including Stony Point, that had protected the approach to West Point.

Rochambeau's Army Marches Past Stony Point Toward Yorktown

In late August 1781, the combined French and American forces under Rochambeau and Washington marched south through New Jersey toward Virginia and the Yorktown siege, crossing the Hudson via King's Ferry near Stony Point. The corridor that Wayne's 1779 assault had helped keep open was the route by which the allied armies that ended the war in the south made their crucial southward movement.