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manner of drawing plans; I saw, however, in the library, Leh¬ 
mann’s work translated into English. A very fine marble bust 
of the Emperor Napoleon stands in the drawing-hall. 
A large level space, consisting of several acres, lies in front of the 
buildings, forming a peninsula and commanding the navigation of 
the Hudson, above which it is elevated one hundred and eighty- 
eight feet. Towards the river it is surrounded with steep rocks, 
so that it would be difficult to ascend, unless by the usual way. 
At its junction with the main land, it is commanded by a moun¬ 
tain, whose summit is five hundred and ninety-six feet above the 
level of the river. This position called to my mind the plain be¬ 
low Lilienstein, in Saxony, opposite to Koenigstein. On the sum¬ 
mit of this mountain lie the ruins of Fort Putnam, so that the 
plain on which the buildings of the academy stand, is entirely in¬ 
sulated, and may be very well defended as well in the direction 
of the river as of the main land. During the revolution this fort 
was erected, like Fort Clinton, and was impregnable. To seize 
it, the English had recourse to bribery, and General Arnold, who 
commanded West Point, was on the point of delivering this po¬ 
sition to them. This disgraceful treachery was fortunately pre¬ 
vented by the seizure of Major Andr6. The tragical end of the 
major, and the flight of Arnold on board the English corvette 
Vulture, which lay at Verplank’s Point ready to receive him, are 
well known. 
The above-mentioned Fort Clinton stood on the eastern point 
of the level, and was considered as a redoubt. It consisted 
of a crown-work of three bastions, and the redoubt which the 
two wings of the crown-work adjoined. The redoubt stands 
on the extreme point of the rock, and the remains of the battery 
can still be seen in it, which completely commanded the river, 
both above and below West Point. The fort is now in a state of 
dilapidation, and the foundations of the buildings alone, are to 
be seen. During the revolution, chains were extended here across 
the river. On the left side, in an oblique direction towards West 
Point, is another rock, not so high, and similar to a peninsula, 
washed by the Hudson on three sides and separated from the main 
land by a morass. Two redoubts stood on this rock, in order to 
have complete control over the river. 
Besides the above-mentioned buildings, several houses and gar¬ 
dens are situated on the plain of West Point, occupied by the 
officers and professors. Large wooden barracks also stand here, 
inhabited by a company of artillerists, and some soldiers con¬ 
demned to confinement in irons, who are employed to blast the 
rocks. These culprits have a long chain attached to one foot, and 
the other end of the chain is fastened to a twenty-four pound 
ball, which they must either drag or carry. Three iron six 
