The archaeology of military politics: The case of Castle Clinton

The West Battery later renamed Castle Clinton, was constructed off the tip of Manhattan, New York,, between 1808 and 1811. Following Paul J.F. Schumacher (1955) and John L. Cotter (1962), William D. Hershey conducted excavations inside the castle for the National Park Service (NPS) reconstruction efforts in 1963 (Hershey 1963). His excavations revealed several discrepancies between the fortifications that were planned and those that were built. These modifications to the original design were never satisfactorily explained. In the early 1960s, the archives of Col. Jonathan Williams, the architect of the west Battery, were discovered, transcribed, and compiled by NPS historian Thomas Pitkin (1963). This paper attempts to reconcile the design changes in the construction of Castle Clinton with the archives of this architect and builder Col. Williams. This reconciliation provides additional information concerning the construction of fortifications in New York Harbor, the flexibility accorded the early engineers, and the politics of the early 19th century military.