Fort Edward (Washington County, New York)
Washington County · New York · French and Indian War
History & Significance
Fort Edward is located at the "Great Carrying Place", a portage around the falls on the Hudson, which had been used by Native Americans for thousands of years before European colonization. Colonial fortifications preceded the main fort: Fort Nicholson, a stockade built in 1709 during Queen Anne's War, was garrisoned by as many as 450 men, and Fort Lydius was constructed as a trading post by John Henry Lydius in 1731.
Although there was never a battle fought on Rogers Island, it was the largest hospital complex, supplies depot and training base of the war. From 1756 to 1759 Rogers Island was the base camp for Major Robert Rogers and his company of Rangers, and on October 25, 1757, Rogers wrote to General John Campbell detailing his "Ranging Rules" which instructed his men on forest warfare based on tactics he developed from fighting methods used by Native Americans.
Philip Schuyler, Israel Putnam and Paul Revere were all stationed at Fort Edward during the French and Indian War before becoming officers in the Revolutionary War. In 1766, after the French & Indian War was over, Fort Edward was ordered evacuated and its stores were moved to the British fort at Crown Point, leaving Fort Edward to decay. Although the fort itself was in ruins during the Revolutionary War, Fort Edward remained strategically located on the Great Military Warpath and troops garrisoned in the remaining barracks on the island until 1777 when General John Burgoyne's army passed through en route to Saratoga.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- French and Indian War fortification at a historic Native American portage route
- Renamed by Sir William Johnson in 1756 for Prince Edward
- Strategic location at the Great Carrying Place around Hudson River falls
- Colonial-era earthworks and interpretive markers remain on site
Sources
- https://museum.dmna.ny.gov/forts/edward
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Edward,_New_York
- https://www.newyorkalmanack.com/2025/01/fort-edward-rogers-island-hudson/
- https://rogersisland.org/learn/
- https://www.battlefields.org/visit/battlefields/fort-edward
- https://fortedward.net/about/history/