New-York tribune., 1901-11-10
FORTS ON MANHATTAN.
r1t. REMAINS OF TWO HISTORIC EARTH
WORKS AT WASHINGTON HEIGHTS.

N~
battle at Fort Washington, on No'eilioe' w.
hiu AGAIN bring prominently into pubic we"
tbe remains of the two historic earthworks Oh
Washington Heights There are sun Greatly
marked outlines of parts Of both + OIL " i'Ai.e
ton and Fort Tryon, and, While the ueuics'i
of the tablet to be erected at the east line OF the
former is to be the principal ceremony Vi 'ne
tav the societies in charge OF the celeihoi'
a,iu visit and mark with temporary wooden
signs the other historic points IN the ViciilltS'
Including Fort Tryon and points outside the
-, - both forts where Revolutionary
ro.,as of e-raat interest were enacted. Ihe TWO
.o,ts are on the bluff overlooking the HUDSON
Rbout three miles above Fort Lee. ana 'neS aie
about half a mile apart.
Fort Washington was nearly All Oh iaiiu nv"
owred by James Gordon Bennett ou' 'iie wv
well preserved bastions and the seni-ciFcua
y-ee+ curtain of the fort just over his hhe'
directly overlooking the ruined louhuatioh' "
the old Four-in-Hand Club. The tablet is to be
erected on the Bennett estate, overlooking for'
Washington. a little below the line Oh ohe-hu
The remaining WORKS
ara directly back of this point at the eose oi
the bluff about three hundred yaros distant
They consist OF we'll defined walls OF ear III 'Ipou'
II feet high showing the outlines OF the hor'h-
Western and southwestern basuons' Win d ia'N'
fdge of crescent shape connecting the t"o'
which are scarcely more than loo feet apart
and q ridge nearly feet above the level OF the
interior along the south side 80 feet east Oh
the corner Of the southwest bastion There are
IN the side of the bluff below the old WORKS sew
eraI irreguarly formed mounds ana ridges
shich NAV or may not have been outlying rifle
nits or redoubts The representatives OF 'he
Society Of the Sons of the ReVoupon ho"eNei'
say they probably terraces efecteu d.
later period by of the owners OF the pfehli-
ses Historians all assert that there were many
batteries and redoubts outside the main fort as
Tar south as the present line of one-hundred-
,nd-sixtieth-st and in a sketch OF English
origin printed in the second volume OF "lSoh
Memorial History of New-York" the approXi-
mate positions of some of the batteries ana
trenches are shown. This sketch was made by
Thomas Kitchin. ST. "hydrographer to His
Majesty" just after the battle to be comInen-
Grated ar the approaching celebration.
The trees. except two cedars on the slope OF
the southwest bastion and a large wild cherry
about fifty feet TO the eastward are all OF com
paratively recent growth. The cedars may be
as old the works. and there is a remote
possibility that the gnarled old cherry ante
dates them. but there is evidence Of this, save
the inference to be derived from their size and
a knowledge of the slow growth OF tn" two NaTl-
cites Of timber. The rocks at the foot Of the
curtain between the bastions still so clearly
marked have been partly blasted away. probably
TO secure the stone TO construct the foundations
Of the clubhouse.
The remains Of Fort Tryon. which played an
Important part in the same battle and fell into
the hands of the British the same day and
q little before the surrender Of Fort Washington.
are still to be the slope Of the bluff
about a furlong southwest OF The Abbey, and
about opposite One hundred and -ninet third
st The old earthworks At the southwest corner
" the fort still rise several feet above the natu
val trend OF the slope. but overgrown with
Srs the outline less distinct than the bastons OF
8rt Washington The owner Of the land has
,laced on the highest part OF the parapet a
board on which is lettcred Remainder Of the
Rreastworks.' The spring from which the gar
rison secured water is just outside the parapet.
now. This spring is marked by q board, in
Bcribed: "On this spot used to be spring that
supplied the garrison with water" At the top
VI the high bluff, one Of the posts of the old
summer house. is another board which the
engagement of the Americans with Knyphau-
sens troops is referred to- Some of these signs
said by the committees in charge of the Gel
ebration to be inaccurately. placed and one Of
Che ceremonies viii be the placing of temporary
inscriptions correcting the errors. Albert u
mann, who has made especial study of his
torical places in the city, has assisted in the
of to rly.l