| Show I West Point Key I y on n When Held Field by ton on West Point was held by Wa ton as a key Ie C position If H it had be hen n n captured by the British New Er Erland Er- Er Erland land would have b been en cut off ofT ron I the Colonies to the southwest sue suc i as Pennsylvania New Jersey and nd part of ot New York It served aloO nio as a repository of war supplies supplies- gunpowder cannon ammunition and other stores according to a writer in the Washington Star The inventories and similar doc doc- documents documents taken from Major 1 Andre when he was returning from the tryst of treason with Benedict Ar Ar- Arnold Arnold Arnold nold are revealing along both Loth lines The Point had been fortified from plans of French engineers and the Polish Thaddeus Thaddcus was principally responsible for actual construction of the works There were groups of batteries and forts bristling with artillery Only the t h e most cunning treachery would have made it possible to seize the strong strong- hold Arnold had arranged for all that even to the extent of having one of the links of the great chain removed on the pretext of getting it repaired The newly formed federal gov gov- government government government in 1790 bought 2100 acres in the neighborhood of the post for fora a reservation More has been ac ac- acquired acquired ac- ac acquired since Because of the pres pres- presence presence presence ence of many foreign military en en- engineers engineers engineers at the Point a n school for young oung officers in engineering was established during the Revolution Washington had favored such an in institution in- in institution institution even before the recommendation recommendation recommendation made by General G e n e r Worthington West Point did not develop until 1817 when it was taken in charge by Col Sylvanus Thayer popularly known as The Father of West WestPoint Point The formal founding of the academy dates to 1802 |
