Fort Montgomery December 2007

This past weekend myself and three other members of the 5th NY supported Troop 007's (Newburgh NY) camp out at the Fort (special thanks to Mr. Grant Miller-Site Manager, and the Palisades Park Commission). The scouts camped just below the museum which actually is outside of the Forts boundary. The Troop hiked out to Doodletown, which is south of Bear Mountain Park. Doodletown was one of the oldest settlements in the area and as recently as the 1960's was a vibrant community. The community is no longer there but the roads, foundations and family cemeteries remain. After the Scouts had their dinner, I my son Kris, Sean and Pete conducted a night walk into the fort using candlelight (lanterns), the scouts were given presentations on the Grand battery- where once stood 6 guns weighing 6,000lbs each. Each gun fired a 32 pd cannon ball which required 8 pounds of black powder for each shot. In addition to the tours, members of the 5th fired their muskets into the night. All in all it was a great experience for ourselves and the scouts.

Sunday morning I was able to break away (9:00am) and take a walk by myself- something I rarely do. I've been into the fort numerous times, during reenactments etc, but never really alone. I needed to walk the fort-not for a sense of what it must have been like (nobody can), but try and understand (which I do) the sacrifices these patriots made 230 years ago. They gave so much for an idea-an idea I'm afraid we take for granted and if not corrected, may one day lose.

I created this blog as an addition to our Living History organization- the recreated 5th NY Regiment, a Revolutionary War Continental Line unit. The regiment originally began in June 1776 when the Continental Congress promoted Major Lewis Dubois of Nicholson’s Regiment to colonel with instructions to raise a Regiment of eight companies in New York. A dispute between the New York Provincial and the Continental Congress over who had authority to promote New York officers delayed the official authorization of the regiment until November 21, 1776. The men were mainly raised in Orange and Ulster counties “for the war”. The regiment garrisoned Fort Montgomery in the Hudson Highlands early in 1777. The British killed or captured 98 out of 312 present on October 6, 1777 when they stormed Forts Montgomery and Clinton. The survivors joined Brigadier General George Clinton in pursuit of the British up the Hudson but were too late to prevent the British from burning Kingston on October 16. After Burgoyne’s surrender the 5th wintered in Fishkill and healed its wounds. The regiment camped at White Plains in the summer of 1778 and took part in the Sullivan-Clinton Campaign of 1779 against Tories and Indians in western New York. The 5th was again assigned to garrison duty when they arrived at West Point in 1780. The New York Line was consolidated in January 1781 and the 5th New York was merged into the 2nd New York. Members of the original 5th New York were present at Yorktown. They avenged the loss of the Highland Forts when they comprised part of the second wave at the storming of Redoubt #10. (Documentation provided by Mr. Rich McGuiness-5th NY Unit Historian)