THE WEEK THAT WON THE WAR: THE TRUE STORY OF THE FIRING ON THE VULTURE

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The Week That Won the War: The True Story of the Firing on The Vulture

On September 22,1780 a cannonade was fired from Croton Point (then Tellers Point) on the British ship The Vulture. This action stranded British spymaster Major John André, leading to his capture and thwarting Benedict Arnold’s plan to hand West Point over to the British. The story of The Vulture’s arrival in Haverstraw Bay on September 17 until she retreated downstream on September 22, involved privileged “white flag” communications, missed meetings, and a false flag offense by Americans—violating the customs of war. The dramatic week ended with success due to the persistence of an American colonel, who set in motion one of the most dramatic events in the Revolutionary War.

This presentation by Char Weigel, VP of Special Projects for Revolutionary Westchester 250, and Marc Cheshire, Croton Village Historian, is based on new primary source research.

Thursday, December 11 at 7:00 p.m. at the Croton Free Library.