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

On September 22,1780 a cannonade was fired from Croton Point (then Teller’s 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.

RW250 Vice Presidents Char Weigel and Marc Cheshire wrote companion articles about the events on Teller’s Point, published in the Fall 2025 issue of The Westchester Historian, the quarterly publication of the Westchester County Historical Society.

Click the links below to read the articles.

• The Story of the Firing on The Vulture by Char Weigel

• The Incident on Teller’s Point by Marc Cheshire

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