page_title: Pierre Van Cortlandt
section_title: Fort Independence
hierarchical_section_title: Pierre Van Cortlandt / American Revolution / Fort Independence
caption_attribution_description: English: Fort Independence on the Hudson
context_page_description: Pierre Van Cortlandt was an American politician who served as the first Lieutenant Governor of New York.
  He was first elected to the New York Assembly in March 1768 and served in that body as the representative from Van Cortlandt Manor until 1775. Subsequently, he was a member of the Second Provincial Congress, 1775-1776, and Chairman of its Committee of Safety, 1776. He sat for Westchester County at all four of the Provincial Congresses and was chosen to preside over the last three; was Vice President of the Fourth Provincial Congress, 1776; of the Constitutional Convention of the State of New York, 1776-1777; of the First Council of Safety, 1777, of which he was the President; a Senator from the Southern District, 1777; President of the New York State Constitutional Convention, 1777; and Lieutenant Governor of the State, 1777-1795. On July 9, 1776, he was among thirty-eight delegates to ratify the Declaration of Independence at White Plains.
  As a Colonel, and later General, be commanded the Third Westchester Militia Regiment and later was advanced to be a General. Gen. George Washington ever referred to Pierre Van Cortlandt as his most trusted friend and ally. With NY Gov.
context_section_description: In August 1776, at the foot of Anthony's Nose, Fort Independence was built on his father's land, on the north bank of the Annsville Creek as it empties into the Hudson River. It combined with Forts Montgomery and Clinton to defend the Hudson River Valley. Forts Montgomery and Clinton were started in June.  Fort Hill Park, the site of Camp Peekskill, contained five barracks and two redoubts.
  On the opposite side of Annsville Creek [north of Peekskill] at the point known as Roa or Roay and formerly Roya Hook, stood the old Revolutionary Fort Independence.  In 1846 and for about three years subsequently some of the larger boats used to stop at this point.  A large hotel had been built there about the same time by Pierre Van Cortlandt, known as the Fort Independence Hotel, and access to the village was furnished in 1845 by a wooden bridge across the mouth of the creek, fourteen hundred and ninety-six feet long. The bridge has long since rotted and been carried away."
  Cortlandt Bridge, across the mouth of Peekskill Creek, is 1,496 feet long.  Upon the point at the mouth of the creek are the remains of Fort Independence.  During the Revolution two British vessels were sunk opposite this point, and about 40 years since several cannon were raised from them by diving bells."
  The passage at the Hudson Highlands was guarded on the west by Fort Clinton above, and Fort Montgomery below, the estuary opposite Annsville at Anthony's Nose having stretched from Fort Montgomery a boom of huge trees fastened together, and below that a massive iron chain; and in the river were sunk timber-frames with iron shod projecting points.
  Both Forts Clinton and Montgomery were over 100 feet above the water, and beyond effective bombardment from it. Though commanded by New York's Governor, General George Clinton and his brother James Clinton, were poorly manned—less than 600 men in both, nearly all militia. Though he had no choice, Washington had drafted 2,500 men from Israel Putnam's force, at Peekskill and the neighboring Fort Independence.
caption: Fort Independence on the Hudson, depicted on Sir Henry Clinton's battle map of 6 Oct. 1777
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