Battle of Stony Point
Hudson Valley
July 16, 1779
American victory
In May 1779, British forces fortified Stony Point, a strategic outcropping along the Hudson River just south of West Point, hoping to draw out General George Washington and the Continental Army from New Jersey for a full battle. Instead, Washington devised a stealthy nighttime assault. Continental Army Brigadier General Anthony Wayne led the Corps of Light Infantry in a swift bayonet attack, capturing 500 British soldiers in just 25 minutes.
“A Plan of the Surprise of Stoney Point, by a Detachment of the American Army commanded by Brig. Genl. Wayne, on the 15th July 1779…" by John Hills, 1784. Courtesy of the George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon.
Victory at the Battle of Stony Point provided a morale boost for Continental soldiers and was one of the last Revolutionary War battles in the Hudson Valley.
Storming of Stony Point, by Alonzo Chappel, 1858. Courtesy of Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection, The New York Public Library.
The skillfully planned assault on Stony Point was one of the first times an elite, well-trained corps was utilized in American military history. Today, visitors can learn and explore more at the Stony Point Battlefield State Historic Site.