Schlacht um Fort Clinton und Fort Montgomery

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Vorlage:Importartikel/Wartung-2010-01

Schlacht um Fort Clinton und Fort Montgomery
Teil von: Amerikanischer Unabhängigkeitskrieg
Karte der Truppenbewegungen
Datum	6. Oktober 1777
Ort	südlich von West Point
Ausgang	Sieg der Briten
Konfliktparteien Großbritannien Vereinigte Staaten Befehlshaber Henry Clinton John Vaughan James Wallace George Clinton James Clinton Israel Putnam Truppenstärke 2100 600 Verluste 40 Tote 150 Verwundete 75 Tote und Verwundete 237 Gefangene

Amerikanischer Unabhängigkeitskrieg
(Saratoga-Feldzug)

Ticonderoga – Hubbardton – Fort Ann – Oriskany – Bennington – Saratoga (Freemans Farm – Bemis Heights) – Fort Clinton und Fort Montgomery

Die Schlacht um Fort Clinton und Fort Montgomery war eine Schlacht im Amerikanischen Unabhängigkeitskrieg. Die Schlacht fand am 6. Oktober 1777 an der Mündung des Popolopen Creeks in den Hudson River bei Bear Mountain im Orange County statt.

Die britischen Streitkräfte unter dem Kommando von Sir Henry Clinton eroberten Fort Clinton und Fort Montgomery und zerstörten die über den Hudson River gespannten Sperrbalken und Ketten. In den beiden Forts waren ungefähr 600 Soldaten der Kontinentalarmee stationiert. Das Kommando hatten die beiden Brüder George und James Clinton. General Israel Putnam war mit seinen Soldaten in der Nähe von Peekskill. Die Schlacht um Fort Montgomery und Fort Clinton wird wegen der Beteilung einiger Personen dieses Namens auf beiden Seiten manchmal auch battle of the Clintons (Schlacht der Clintons) genannt.

Mittels einer Reihe von Finten gelang es Henry Clinton, Israel Putnam dazu zu bewegen, mit seinen Truppen nach Osten zu ziehen, woraufhin Clinton mit seinen Truppen dann von Westen aus die beiden Forts angriff. Clinton teilte seine Truppe in zwei Teile und lies beide Forts nahezu gleichzeitig angreifen. Nach einem kurzen Kampf konnte Clinton beide Forts einnehmen. Mehr als die Hälfte der Verteiger waren getötet, verwundet oder gefangen genommen worden.

Für die britischen Truppe stellte die Einnahme und Zerstörung der beiden Forts jedoch einen Pyrrhussieg dar, da die Schlacht eine Zeitverzögerung auf dem Weg nach Bemis Heights bedeutete und die Amerikaner die dortige Schlacht für sich entscheiden konnten. In der Folge musste der ebenfalls auf Verstärkung wartende John Burgoyne in der Schlacht von Saratoga kapitulieren.

Hintergrund

Das Tal des Hudson River war ein strategisch bedeutsames Gelände während des Amerikanischen Unabhängigkeitskrieges. Der Nachschub an Nahrung, Material und neuen Truppen musste das Tal durchqueren. Im Juni 1777 hatte bereits John Burgoyne versucht, die Kontrolle über das Tal zu übernehmen, als er von Quebec aus nach Süden zog. Dieser Versuch war aber nach der Schlacht von Ticonderoga völlig festgefahren, logistische Probleme machten Burgoynes Armee schwer zu schaffen. Erst Mitte September erreichte Burgoyne mit seinen Truppen Saratoga. Burgoyne erwartete, dass seine Kampagne bezüglich des Hudson Rivers von William Howes Truppen unterstützt werde, den er in Albany, 40 km südlich von Saratoga, treffen wollte.

Gouverneur George Clinton

Detail einer französischen Karte von 1777. Abgebildet ist das Tal des Hudson River. Fort Montgomery ist fälschlicherweise am Ostufer des Flusses eingezeichnet.

Offenbar als ein Ergebnis der schlechten Kommunikation mit Lord George Germain, dem Kolonialminister im Kabinett von Lord North, entschied General Howe stattdessen, am Feldzug nach Philadelphia teilzunehmen und schiffte sich im Juli mit dem Großteil seiner Armee in Richtung Süden ein. General Henry Clinton überließ er das Kommando in New York. Howe hinterlies General Clinton die Anweisung, New York City zu halten und nur offensiv zu werden, wenn es die Haltung New Yorks erforderte. Am 3. August erreichte Burgoyne ein Brief von Howe, in dem Howe über seinen Marsch nach Philadelphia und die Anweisungen Clintons informierte. Am 12. September schrieb Clinton einen Brief an Burgoyne, der diesen am 21. September erreichte. Clinton schrieb, er würde in ungefähr zehn Tagen einen Vorstoß nach Fort Montgomery unternehmen.

Die amerikanische Verteidigung

Die höher gelegene Region des Hudson River Valley (nahe West Point) wurde von der Kontinentalarmee unter Israel Putnam und einigen Milizionären verteidigt. Putnam war mit seinen Truppen in Peekskill stationiert. Wenige Meilen flussaufwärts, dort wo der Popolopen Creek in den Hudson River fließt, hatten die amerikanischen Truppen eine Sperrkette über den Fluß gespannt, um zu verhindern, dass britische Schiffe weiter flussaufwärts segelten. Das westliche Ende der Sperrkette wurde von den Truppen in Fort Montgomery bewacht. Das noch nicht ganz fertig gestellte Fort Montgomery befand sich unter dem Kommando von George Clinton. Das ebenfalls am Westufer des Flusses gelegene Fort Clinton befand sich südlich der Schlucht und wurde von James Clinton befehligt. Gemeinsam verfügten beide Forts über circa 600 Soldaten.

The primary camp at Peekskill, which any British naval movements would need to pass, had roughly 600 men. Of the men at the three sites, about 1,000 were regular troops, while the remainder were short-term New York militia. Putnam's forces had originally been larger, but General Washington had ordered some of Putnam's troops to assist either his (Washington's) defense against Howe or Gates' defense against Burgoyne, and a number of local militia companies had been dismissed when Howe's movements became known. Putnam received word of the arrival of transports in New York on September 29, and wrote Governor Clinton for assistance, who immediately came south from Kingston to take charge of the forts.

British movements

In mid-September (around the time he wrote the letter to Burgoyne), Sir Henry Clinton had around 7,000 men, including around 3,000 poorly-trained Loyalists, to defend New York City. His letter to Burgoyne had been predicated on the expectation that the expected reinforcements would arrive in time for him to make a move up the Hudson within ten days. On September 29, he received a letter from Burgoyne (written after Freeman's Farm) in response to his that was a direct plea for action. Vorlage:Quote box

By the end of September, 1,700 additional troops were landed from the fleet arriving at New York. On October 3, Sir Henry started up the Hudson River with 3,000 men in three frigates and a number of smaller vessels. The next day, he landed some troops near Tarrytown as a feint to draw Putnam's troops from Peekskill. These troops marched about and then reboarded the ships, which continued north. He then made a similar feinting maneuver at Verplanck's Point, just three miles (4.8 km) south of Peekskill on October 5, where he dislodged a poorly-manned American outpost. These feinting maneuvers completely fooled Putnam, who drew his troops back into the eastern highlands and sent messages across the Hudson for reinforcements.

Shortly before this last movement, Sir Henry received a dispatch from Burgoyne. In it, Burgoyne explicitly appeals to Clinton for instruction on whether he should attempt to advance or retreat, based on the likelihood of Clinton's arrival at Albany for support. He indicated that if he did not receive a response by October 12, he would be forced to retreat. (Clinton's response, not written until October 7, was a markedly formal response, indicating that he was providing the requested diversion, and had no expectation of reaching Albany, adding that "Sir Henry Clinton cannot presume to give any Orders to General Burgoyne", as Burgoyne outranked him. Fortunately for Clinton none of the three copies of this letter reached Burgoyne; all of the messengers carrying them were captured.)

Battle

General Sir Henry Clinton, portrait from 1762–1765

On the foggy morning of October 6, Sir Henry Clinton landed 2,100 men at Stony Point on the west side of the Hudson and, with the assistance of a Loyalist guide, marched them up onto a local rise called the "Timp". After descending the other side to a place called Doodletown, they encountered a scouting party that Governor Clinton had sent out for reconnaissance, which retreated toward Fort Clinton after a brief exchange of fire. Sir Henry then divided his force into two attack groups to take the forts. A force of about 900 men under Lieutenant Colonel Campbell, composed of the 52nd and 57th regiments, a detachment of Hessian chasseurs, and about 400 Loyalists led by Beverley Robinson, began the Vorlage:Convert trek around the gorge toward Fort Montgomery, while Sir Henry waited with the remaining 1,200 men at Doodletown before starting on the trail to Fort Clinton in order to give Campbell time to make the longer journey before beginning simultaneous attacks on the two forts.

Governor Clinton, when alerted to the first skirmish, had immediately sent to Putnam for reinforcements. Shortly after sending that message he learned from scouts that Sir Henry's forces were divided. While waiting for reinforcements (that never came because of Sir Henry's successful feints) his brother James sent 100 men from Fort Clinton toward Doodletown, while he sent another company from Fort Montgomery to oppose Campbell's force.

Fort Montgomery

The detachment from Fort Montgomery numbered about 100 men, and included a small artillery piece commanded by Captain John Lamb. Setting up a defensive position about one mile (1.6 km) from the fort, they engaged Campbell's tired forces with spirit. While they were eventually forced to retreat, they were able to spike the field piece before abandoning it to the British. After another stand closer to the fort, supported by 12-pound piece, they again retreated (again not before spiking the cannon). Due to this dogged defense, Campbell was not in position until about one hour before sunset (having left Doodletown at around 10 am). Offered the chance to surrender, Governor Clinton refused, and the battle was joined.

General James Clinton, engraving by H.B. Hall

Campbell arrayed the Loyalists on the left, the German chasseurs in the center, and the British regiments on the right. Despite vigorous defense and the death of Colonel Campbell, the British forces broke into the fort, where they engaged in a near massacre to avenge the loss of Campbell and other officers. James Clinton narrowly escaped being killed by bayonet when his orderly book deflected the weapon's point. He and a portion of the fort's garrison escaped into the woods north of the fort.

Fort Clinton

The main approach to Fort Clinton was via a narrow strip of land about Vorlage:Convert wide between a small lake and the river, which, in addition to being covered by the fort's cannons, Governor Clinton had protected by placing abatis to impeded the British advance. Sir Henry sent the 63rd Foot around the lake to attack the fort from the northwest, while he first sent the light companies of the 7th and 26th regiments and a company of Anspach grenadiers against the main works, followed by the 26th Foot and the 17th Light Dragoons (officially General Burgoyne's regiment), and then the remaining British and German companies. As at Fort Montgomery, the defenders were eventually overwhelmed. Those that surrendered, however, were not subjected to some of the savagery that took place to the north. A number of the garrison, including General Clinton, escaped by scrambling down the embankment to the river, where gunboats took them to safety across the river.

Aftermath

More than 225 Americans were captured, and about 75 killed or wounded, most of them from the garrison of Fort Clinton. The British lost some 40 killed and 150 wounded in the assaults. The Americans were also forced to destroy a number of boats in the area, as unfavorable winds prevented them from escaping upriver. The next day Sir Henry sent a small detachment to Fort Constitution, a small outpost opposite West Point, and demanded its surrender. The lightly-manned garrison at first refused, but it retreated on October 8 in the face of a larger attack force.

Governor Clinton and General Putnam strategized on their next move. Clinton opted to move north with troops on the western shore, as a defense against attacks further upriver, while Putnam would take steps to defend against attacks to the east.

Further British action

Captain James Wallace had begun clearing the river of American-laid obstacles following the battle. By October 13 he was able to report that the river was clear as far north as Esopus. Sir Henry had by then returned to New York due to illness, leaving General John Vaughan in charge at the forts. Due to delays sending transports with reinforcements north, a flotilla carrying Vaughan and 1,700 men did not depart until October 15, with orders from Clinton to "proceed up Hudson's river, to feel for General Burgoyne, to assist his operations". They anchored that evening near Esopus. (It has been speculated that this movement had an effect on the surrender negotiations then ongoing at Saratoga. Due to the slow pace of even horse-based communications, it seems unlikely that General Gates was aware of this movement until after the surrender terms were agreed on October 17.) Vaughan's troops burned Esopus the next day, and then sailed further north, where they raided the Livingston estate, seat of the noted Patriot family. The fleet was chased by Putnam on the eastern shore. Putnam's forces, which had grown considerably due to the arrival of militia companies from Connecticut, posed a significant enough threat to Vaughan that he then withdrew back to the boats.

Ruins of Fort Montgomery, 2007

On October 17, Sir Henry received a request for 3,000 men from General Howe (probably sent after Washington's failed attack on Germantown) to support the occupation of Philadelphia. As the New York garrison was the already thinned by the operation on the Hudson, Clinton recalled Vaughan and the garrison holding the two forts. The forts were destroyed and the troops evacuated on October 26.

Legacy

The site of Fort Clinton was largely demolished to make way for U.S. Route 9W and the Bear Mountain Bridge, which was completed in 1924. What remains is preserved within the bounds of Bear Mountain State Park, which also includes the ghost town of Doodletown. Fort Montgomery is a National Historic Landmark, a designation it received in 1972, when it was also placed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is now located in the Fort Montgomery State Historic Site.

Einzelnachweise

• Henry Beebee Carrington: Battles of the American revolution, 1775-1781: historical and military criticism, with topographical illustration. A.S. Barnes, 1876, OCLC 191278171. 
• Richard M Ketchum: Saratoga: Turning Point of America's Revolutionary War. Henry Holt, New York 1997, ISBN 978-0-8050-6123-9. 
• Brendan Morrissey: Saratoga 1777: Turning Point of a Revolution. Osprey Publishing, Oxford 2000, ISBN 978-1-85532-862-4. 
• Hoffman Nickerson: The Turning Point of the Revolution. Kennikat, Port Washington, NY, OCLC 549809. 
• Cecil R Roseberry: From Niagara to Montauk: the scenic pleasures of New York State. SUNY Press, 1981, ISBN 978-0-87395-496-9. 
• Theodore P Savas, Dameron, J. David: A Guide to the Battles of the American Revolution. Savas Beattie, New York 2006, ISBN 978-1-932714-12-8. 
• Richard Severo: Revolutionary Fort Held Hostage to Decay and Apathy, The New York Times, May 24, 1998 
• Fort Montgomery. In: National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service, 12. September 2007, abgerufen am 16. Mai 2009. 
• National Register Information System. In: National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service, 23. Januar 2007; abgerufen im 1. Januar 1. 
• Fort Montgomery State Historic Site. New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, abgerufen am 16. Mai 2009. 
• Bear Mountain Bridge. New York State Bridge Authority, abgerufen am 16. Mai 2009. 
• Bear Mountain Attractions brochure. (PDF) Palisades Parks Conservancy, abgerufen am 16. Mai 2009.