| Existing comment:
At least 1,600 soldiers were garrisoned at McGowan's Pass and nearby fortifications during the fall of 1814. The soldiers had little to do during their few months of service. Bored and under-utilized, many soldiers misbehaved or even absconded. The war was over by the new year and the defenses at McGowan's Pass were abandoned without a battle ever having been fought in northern Manhattan. |