Fort Wyllis
Fort Wyllis (1778-1780s) - A Patriot Revolutionary War Fort established in 1778 at West Point, Orange County, New York. Named Fort Wyllys after Colonel Samuel Wyllys, 3rd Connecticut Regiment. Abandoned in 1780s. Also known as Redoubt Wyllys.
History of Fort Wyllys
Construction began in April 1778 of a redoubt and associated gun battery. The redoubt was shaped as a pentagon with a perimeter of 258 feet and a single embrasure looking south. The redoubt covered the south approach and the associated battery. Interior included a bombproof and a magazine. The redoubt mounted three cannons, one facing south and two facing east.
Described by Major General Benedict Arnold on 25 Sept 1780: “Built of stone, 5 feet high, the work above plank filled with earth, the stone work 15 feet, the earth 9 feet thick, no bomb proofs, the batteries without the fort.”
The associated battery is located south of the redoubt and mounted two 18 pounders and three 3 pounders. The earthen parapets were 102' long with four embrasures cut into them. There may have been a palisade and parapet connecting the redoubt to the battery. A large epaulment on the west side provided cover from flanking fire.
Abandoned sometime in 1780s.
Current Status
One of the best preserved redoubts at West Points.
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Location: West Point, Orange County, New York. Maps & Images Lat: 41.38496 Long: -73.96023 |
See Also:
Sources:
- Roberts, Robert B., Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States, Macmillan, New York, 1988, 10th printing, ISBN 0-02-926880-X, page 591.
- Cubbison, Douglas R., Historic Structures Report: The Redoubts of West Point, U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New York, January 2004, pdf, 33 pages + appendix, illustrated, page 21, 32.
- West Point Fortifications Staff Ride Note Cards, 3rd ed, USMA History Department, January 1994 changed 1998 and 2008, Pdf, 82 pages, page 38-39.
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