According to Blaskowitz's Chart of Narraganset Bay, made in 1777, the following American forts and batteries existed, viz: The armament of the American Batteries at Fox, Sassafras, Field, Kettle, Bullock and Warwick Points are not included in the above. Upon the British occupation the works on Conanicut, Goat, and Rhode islands fell into their possession. At the same time that the Americans were erecting defensive works, the British engineers were not idle. They soon began to throw up redoubts on the east side of Rhode Island near Fogland Ferry; on the left bank of Lawton's Valley; and on Butt's Hill near the north end of the island. In 1777 (see Plate II.), they intrenched Newport with a strong continuous line, which ran northerly along the crest of the height rising above the right bank of the inlet to Easton's Pond, then turned westerly towards Wonumetonomy (corrupted to Tomony) Hill, and continued north of this height to Coddington's Cove. Five advanced works protected the northern branch; some batteries, of later construction, covered the western branch; Wonumetonomy Hill was occupied by a strong redoubt; and a heavy battery was erected at Coddington's Cove.* To further strengthen this line, a thick abattis was placed outside of the fortifications, and the inlet to Easton's Pond was deepened by damming it at intervals. At Barker's Hill, near the Sakonnet or eastern passage, was a large redoubt, and near it a smaller one to guard the approach to the right of the British intrenchments, while minor earthworks occupied advantageous positions about the lines. An attack from Tiverton upon the British works, by General Spencer with nine thousand American troops, was projected in October, 1777, but various untoward circumstances prevented its accomplishment. The ruins of redoubts and batteries are still visible on Bliss' Hill, Van Rennsslaer's Place, Governor Collins' former residence, Bailey's Farm, and Coddington's Cove, besides a more advanced work near the shore north of Coddington's Cove, which probably was thrown up in 1778. Important events were transpiring elsewhere at this time. The battle of Germantown had been fought October 4, and on the 17, Burgoyne's army had surrendered at Saratoga. The spirit shown in the former notwithstanding the loss of Philadelphia, and the success of the latter, convinced the French court that the Americans were strong and in earnest. Hence the Treaty of Alliance, between France and the United States, was signed February 6, 1778; but it was not till July 29, following, that Count d'Estaing, with a fleet of twelve ships of the line and four frigates, appeared off Rhode Island and blockaded the entrances to Narraganset Bay. The next morning two of his ships. ran up the west passage under the fire of a British semi-circular battery, near Bonnet Point on the Main (see Plate I, Fig. 4), and a rectangular flanked redoubt on the southern part of Conanicut Island, near Beaver Head (see Plate I, Fig. 5).* The daring of these French ships, supported by a large fleet in the offing, caused the British to abandon the Bonnet and the batteries on both shores of Conanicut Island; and burn, blow up, or sink the whole of their armed vessels (mounting 212 guns) in Narraganset waters. All was now alarm in the British camp; yet, from some unaccountable delay and want of concert between the French fleet and the American army, ten precious days elapsed without striking an effective blow upon the demoralized enemy. It was not till August 8 that d'Estaing entered Newport harbor in force, when the British withdrew their outposts from the head of the island and concentrated their entire army within their Newport lines; and, not till the next day, were the four thousand French troops landed on Conanicut, and the advance, by Sullivan with his motley assemblage of ten thousand men, made from Tiverton and Fort Barton (on its heights) to occupy the abandoned British posts. The opportune moment for a telling attack upon the enemy unfortunately had now passed, for Lord Howe, with a British fleet of thirty-six sail, hove in sight, whereupon the French troops re-embarked, and the next morning d'Estaing put to sea to engage the English admiral. As we are not writing the history of the war, we must omit an account of the naval actions which followed; the injury done by the tempest to both fleets; and the causes of d'Estaing's failure to further co-operate with his American ally. The French fleet sustained considerable damage, in entering and leaving Newport harbor, from the heavy cannonade kept up by the British batteries at and near Castle Hill, on Brenton's The remains of both the Bonnet and Conanicut batteries are still visible. According to Blaskowitz's Chart of Narraganset Bay, made in 1777, the following American forts and batteries existed, viz: The armament of the American Batteries at Fox, Sassafras, Field, Kettle, Bullock and Warwick Points are not included in the above. Upon the British occupation the works on Conanicut, Goat, and Rhode islands fell into their possession. At the same time that the Americans were erecting defensive works, the British engineers were not idle. They soon began to throw up redoubts on the east side of Rhode Island near Fogland Ferry; on the left bank of Lawton's Valley; and on Butt's Hill near the north end of the island. In 1777 (see Plate II.), they intrenched Newport with a strong continuous line, which ran northerly along the crest of the height rising above the right bank of the inlet to Easton's Pond, then turned westerly towards Wonumetonomy (corrupted to Tomony) Hill, and continued north of this height to Coddington's Cove. Five advanced works protected the northern branch; some batteries, of later construction, covered the western branch; Wonumetonomy Hill was occupied by a strong redoubt; and a heavy battery was erected at Coddington's Cove.* To further strengthen this line, a thick abattis was placed outside of the fortifications, and the inlet to Easton's Pond was deepened by damming it at intervals. At Barker's Hill, near the Sakonnet or eastern passage, was a large redoubt, and near it a smaller one to guard the approach to the right of the British intrenchments, while minor earthworks occupied advantageous positions about the lines. An attack from Tiverton upon the British works, by General Spencer with nine thousand American troops, was projected in October, 1777, but various untoward circumstances prevented its accomplishment. The ruins of redoubts and batteries are still visible on Bliss' Hill, Van Rennsslaer's Place, Governor Collins' former residence, Bailey's Farm, and Coddington's Cove, besides a more advanced work near the shore north of Coddington's Cove, which probably was thrown up in 1778. Important events were transpiring elsewhere at this time. The battle of Germantown had been fought October 4, and on the 17, Burgoyne's army had surrendered at Saratoga. The spirit shown in the former notwithstanding the loss of Philadelphia, and the success of the latter, convinced the French court that the Americans were strong and in earnest. Hence the Treaty of Alliance, between France and the United States, was signed February 6, 1778; but it was not till July 29, following, that Count d'Estaing, with a fleet of twelve ships of the line and four frigates, appeared off Rhode Island and blockaded the entrances to Narraganset Bay. The next morning two of his ships ran up the west passage under the fire of a British semi-circular battery, near Bonnet Point on the Main (see Plate I, Fig. 4), and a rectangular flanked redoubt on the southern part of Conanicut Island, near Beaver Head (see Plate I, Fig. 5).* The daring of these French ships, supported by a large fleet in the offing, caused the British to abandon the Bonnet and the batteries on both shores of Conanicut Island; and burn, blow up, or sink the whole of their armed vessels (mounting 212 guns) in Narraganset waters. All was now alarm in the British camp; yet, from some unaccountable delay and want of concert between the French fleet and the American army, ten precious days elapsed without striking an effective blow upon the demoralized enemy. It was not till August 8 that d'Estaing entered Newport harbor in force, when the British withdrew their outposts from the head of the island and concentrated their entire army within their Newport lines; and, not till the next day, were the four thousand French troops landed on Conanicut, and the advance, by Sullivan with his motley assemblage of ten thousand men, made from Tiverton and Fort Barton (on its heights) to occupy the abandoned British posts. The opportune moment for a telling attack upon the enemy unfortunately had now passed, for Lord Howe, with a British fleet of thirty-six sail, hove in sight, whereupon the French troops re-embarked, and the next morning d'Estaing put to sea to engage the English admiral. As we are not writing the history of the war, we must omit an account of the naval actions which followed; the injury done by the tempest to both fleets; and the causes of d'Estaing's failure to further co-operate with his American ally. The French fleet sustained considerable damage, in entering and leaving Newport harbor, from the heavy cannonade kept up by the British batteries at and near Castle Hill, on Brenton's The remains of both the Bonnet and Conanicut batteries are still visible. Point, Goat Island, and North Point. All of the Conanicut batteries had been abandoned, their guns spiked, and their magazines destroyed, in anticipation of the occupation of that island by the French. The American light troops, August 10, 1778, advanced to within a mile and a half of the British intrenchments; but, in consequence of the great storm, it was not till the 15th that the main body of Sullivan's army pushed forward and encamped within two miles of the enemy's works. That night a battery, for seventeen pieces of heavy artillery, (see Plate II), was commenced on Honeyman's Hill to support our right flank and to command the British defenses on Bliss' Hill. For five days, from the 16th to the 20th, our siege-works were pushed forward with vigor and extended to the left, where batteries were established to threaten the enemy's right. An incessant cannonade was kept up from four batteries to which, on the 23d, we added a fifth. Such was the effect upon the enemy that the British, on the 19th, began an inner line of intrenchmentss on a convex curve extending from a strong redoubt near the north end of the "Cliffs'" (Fearing's Place)* to the North Battery on the Bay. Besides the two strong works at the extremities of this line, there were three intermediate batteries and two detached redoubtsone within and one without this line the former to sweep any approach by Easton's Beach and the latter to command the opening between the two lines of intrenchments. Count d'Estaing returned to Newport on the 20th, which greatly encouraged the besiegers; but, on the next day, he sailed for Boston to repair damages to his fleet. Apprehending the approach of the British fleet with reinforcements to the garrison of Newport, Sullivan abandoned his design of storming the English intrenchments, though all but one of the enemy's outworks facing eastward, had been vacated. On the evening of the 28th, Sullivan raised the siege and retreated to Butts' Hill, forming his line of battle supported by batteries and intrenchments, across the head of the island (see Plate II). The so-called "Batt.e of Rhode Island," which took place on the next day, will be passed over, as it forms no part of our sketch, except to say that the works on Butts and Turkey Hills played a prominent part in that contest. The British remained undisturbed on Rhode Island till October 11, 1779, when a fleet of fifty-two transports arrived from New York to carry away their troops and military stores, besides Slight remains of this redoubt are still visible. |