The Enterprise in Contemplation

Published on the eve of the 225th anniversary of the battle of Stony Point, The Enterprise in Contemplation recounts one of the most dramatic and least known episodes of the Revolutionary War-the midnight assault of formidable British fortifications by the American Corps of Light Infantry, led by General Anthony Wayne, and armed only with unloaded muskets and fixed bayonets. The book is the first full description of Wayne's attack on the Hudson River stronghold in more than a hundred years, and helps explain, through the use of primary source material, how a garrison of more than 500 experienced troops, protected by fifteen cannon, the Royal Navy, and another fort less than a mile away, was captured in less than thirty minutes. As it relates the story of one of the most daring military exploits in the eight-year struggle that marked the longest conflict ever fought on American soil, The Enterprise in Contemplation explains the American strategy, examines the flawed British defensive plan as well as the actions and locations of the beleaguered defenders, and is rich in detail and documentation. It is a well-told tale of two armies clashing by night, and alive with what has been called the human face of battle-ordinary people reacting to extraordinary circumstances with bravery, valor, and determination.