=Old Fort Putnam= was erected in 1778 by the 5th Massachusetts
Regiment under the direction of Col. Rufus Putnam. It was originally
constructed of logs and trees with stone walls on two sides to defend
Fort Clinton on the plain below. It was garrisoned by 450 men, and had
14 guns mounted. In 1787 it was dismantled, and the guns sold as
old iron. Its brick arch casements overgrown with moss, vines, and
shrubbery are crumbling away, but are well worth a visit. It is 495
feet above the Hudson. A winding picturesque carriage road leads up
from the plain, and the pedestrian can reach the summit in 20 minutes.
On clear days the Catskill Mountains are visible.
=Fort Clinton=, in the northeast angle of the plain, was built in
1778 under the direction of the Polish soldier, Kosciusko. Sea Coast
Battery is located on the north waterfront, Siege Battery on the slope
of the hill below the Battle Monument. Targets for the guns on both
batteries are on the hillside about a mile distant. Battery Knox,
which overlooks the river, was rebuilt in 1874 on the site of an old
revolutionary redoubt.
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