Bergen250 proudly presents Kevin Tremble: Defense of the Hudson: Preserving the Hudson River Battlefield – A Story of the Earliest Efforts to Defend the Hudson River Valley from British Control of the River

In July 1776, General Washington ordered his forces to construct Fort Washington in New York. Soon after he directed that Fort Constitution (named Fort Lee in October) be built on the high cliffs across the River in New Jersey.

The efforts resulted in siting the heaviest guns in the continental army arsenal,  placing scientifically developed  obstacles, assigning a number of gun boats and poorly trained, inexperienced soldiers  together as artillerymen to begin the fight. During July through November, there were at least six engagements with the Royal Navy on the Hudson from both sides. In addition there were two nearby attempts from the New York side to use fireships and a highly innovative, submersible technology to try to sink ships of the Royal Navy.

Much of these determined efforts were seriously flawed and led to the disastrous loss of Fort Washington, and what we know as the Long Retreat to Victory  in November and December 1776.