Editing West Point, New York (section)

==== After construction ====
West Point was staffed by a small garrison of Continental Army Soldiers from early in 1776 through the end of the war. A great [[Hudson River Chain|iron chain]] was laid across the Hudson at this point in 1778 in order to prevent British Navy vessels from sailing further up the Hudson River, which was never tested by the British.<ref>Diamant, ''Chaining the Hudson'', p. 122</ref> The site comprised multiple [[redoubt]]s, as well as [[Fort Putnam]], situated on a high hill overlooking the river. Named after its builder, Revolutionary War General and engineer [[Rufus Putnam]], the fort is still preserved in its original design.<ref>Hubbard, Robert Ernest. ''Major General Israel Putnam'', pp. 157–158, McFarland & Company, Inc., Jefferson, North Carolina, 2017. {{ISBN|978-1476664538}}.</ref><ref>Livingston, William Farrand. ''Israel Putnam: Pioneer, Ranger, and Major-General, 1718–1790,'' pp. 373–375, G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York and London, 1901.</ref>

[[Parliament of Great Britain|Parliament]] sent instructions to General [[Henry Clinton (British Army officer, born 1730)|Sir Henry Clinton]] to force George Washington out of West Point. Clinton decided to capture the strategically important posts Stony Point and Verplanck's Point,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Battle of Stony Point |url=https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/battle-of-stony-point/ |access-date=July 7, 2023 |website=George Washington's Mount Vernon |language=en |archive-date=July 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230707162539/https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/battle-of-stony-point/ |url-status=live}}</ref> which were twelve miles south of West Point. Clinton captured the forts on June 1, 1779. To block the British advance, Washington moved his troops further up the Hudson.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Philbrick |first=Nathaniel |title=Valiant Ambition: George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and the Fate of the American Revolution |publisher=[[Penguin Random House]] |year=2016 |isbn=9780143110194 |edition=6th |pages=247–249}}</ref>

Early on in May 1779, General [[Benedict Arnold]] had met with a Philadelphia merchant named Joseph Stansbury. Afterwards, Stansbury had gone to Sir Henry Clinton, to whom he offered Arnold's "services". Clinton had been pursuing a campaign to take control of the Hudson River, so he had been interested in the plans and information of the defenses of West Point and other defenses on the Hudson River. Arnold wrote a series of letters to Clinton, one of which was written on July 12, making explicit the offer to surrender West Point to the [[British Army during the American Revolutionary War|British]], later for a finalized offer of [[Pound sterling|£]]20,000. On August 3, 1780, Arnold obtained command of West Point, which also gave him command of the American-controlled portion of the Hudson. Arnold then intentionally started weakening the fort's defenses, and through a letter sent to Clinton, proposing a meeting with British Major [[John André]] to discuss information on West Point. A meeting was set for September 11, however, Arnold and André did not meet until September 21. Carrying the plans for West Point, André was captured on September 23 by three militiamen, and the information to West Point was found.<ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last=Randall |first=Willard Sterne |title=Benedict Arnold: patriot and traitor |date=1990 |publisher=Morrow |isbn=978-1-55710-034-4 |location=New York, N.Y}}</ref> After Arnold's betrayal, the fort, which was also known as Fort Arnold at the time, was renamed to Fort Clinton after General James Clinton.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Benedict Arnold |url=https://www.ushistory.org/ValleyForge/served/arnold.html |access-date=July 5, 2023 |website=www.ushistory.org |archive-date=February 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230227034253/https://www.ushistory.org/ValleyForge/served/arnold.html |url-status=live}}</ref>