On
July 15,
1779 General
Anthony Wayne and his men attacked a British
fortification located on the peninsula at
Stony Point. The peninsula, situated on the west bank of the
Hudson River about 10 miles south of West Point and 35 miles north of
New York City was the western terminus of the King's ferry. Wayne, marching south from the West Point area, split his forces into three sections. The main attacks came from the north and south with a diversionary center skirmish. General Wayne commanded the soldiers to attack with weapons unloaded and fixed bayonets in order to prevent an untimely shot from destroying the element of surprise. His men wore pieces of white paper pinned to their hats so they could tell each other apart in the darkness. The lightly armed Americans forced the surprised British garrison to surrender after a few hours. A few days later, the Continentals, not having enough men to defend the new position were forced to abandon the fort. For this exploit, General Wayne earned the moniker, "Mad" Anthony Wayne.
