Student Worksheet Packet

The Midnight Assault: Planning, Discipline, and Military Risk

Stony Point, NY

Grades 6-8·2 class periods

Students examine Wayne's Stony Point assault as a case study in military planning and risk management. Using period accounts, maps, and the constraints of a bayonet-only charge, students analyze how Wayne identified and mitigated risks, how the forlorn hope concept worked, and what made this operation different from conventional 18th-century tactics.

This Packet Includes

Learning Objectives & Essential Questions
5 Primary Source Analysis Worksheets
3 Reading & Activity Handouts
Assessment Quiz (5 questions)

Name: Date: Period:

Learning Objectives

By the end of this unit, you will be able to:

Explain why Wayne chose a bayonet-only assault and analyze the tactical logic of the silence order
Identify the function of forlorn hope units and how they changed the main assault's risk profile
Construct a basic risk-mitigation analysis using Stony Point as a model
Evaluate the relationship between training, discipline, and mission success using primary accounts

Essential Questions

Keep these questions in mind as you work through this packet:

How do military commanders identify and reduce risk? What did Wayne do that conventional commanders did not?
What does military "discipline" mean, and how does training create it? What evidence do we have from Stony Point?

Name: Date: Period:

Primary Source 1 of 5

Document Information

DocumentStony Point Battlefield State Historic Site

SourceNew York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

TypeINSTITUTIONAL

Stony Point Battlefield State Historic Site

Analysis Questions

Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.

Who created this source and why?
When was this source created?
What perspective does this source represent?
What is the institution's mission?
How does that mission shape the presentation?

Reflection

How does this source connect to what happened in Stony Point, NY? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Name: Date: Period:

Primary Source 2 of 5

Document Information

DocumentAnthony Wayne's After-Action Report to George Washington

SourcePapers of George Washington, Library of Congress

TypePRIMARY

Analysis Questions

Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.

Who created this source and why?
When was this source created?
What perspective does this source represent?
What was happening when this was written?
How might the author's position affect their account?

Reflection

How does this source connect to what happened in Stony Point, NY? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Name: Date: Period:

Primary Source 3 of 5

Document Information

DocumentWashington's Orders for the Stony Point Assault

SourcePapers of George Washington, University of Virginia Press

TypePRIMARY

Analysis Questions

Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.

Who created this source and why?
When was this source created?
What perspective does this source represent?
What was happening when this was written?
How might the author's position affect their account?

Reflection

How does this source connect to what happened in Stony Point, NY? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Name: Date: Period:

Primary Source 4 of 5

Document Information

DocumentAnthony Wayne: Soldier of the Early Republic

SourceIndiana University Press (Paul David Nelson)

TypeSECONDARY

Analysis Questions

Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.

Who created this source and why?
When was this source created?
What perspective does this source represent?
What primary sources does this draw from?
What interpretation does the author offer?

Reflection

How does this source connect to what happened in Stony Point, NY? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Name: Date: Period:

Primary Source 5 of 5

Document Information

DocumentSir Henry Clinton Papers: Stony Point Intelligence

SourceWilliam L. Clements Library, University of Michigan

TypePRIMARY

Analysis Questions

Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.

Who created this source and why?
When was this source created?
What perspective does this source represent?
What was happening when this was written?
How might the author's position affect their account?

Reflection

How does this source connect to what happened in Stony Point, NY? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Name: Date: Period:

Stony Point Event Timeline

timeline

Students place key events in chronological order and add details

# Stony Point Revolutionary Timeline

Instructions: Place the following events in order and add one detail about each.

[ ] Wayne's Midnight Assault on Stony Point
[ ] Benedict Arnold's Defection and the West Point Plot
[ ] Rochambeau's Army Marches Past Stony Point Toward Yorktown
[ ] Congress Awards Gold and Silver Medals for Stony Point
[ ] King's Ferry Crossing Restored to American Use

---

| Event | Date | Significance |

|-------|------|-------------|

| | | |

Name: Date: Period:

Primary Source Analysis

graphic organizer

Structured analysis of Revolutionary-era documents

# Primary Source Analysis Worksheet

## Source Information

Title: _________________
Author: _________________
Date: _________________
Type: _________________

## Observation

What do you notice? (List 3 things)

## Reflection

What do you wonder? (List 2 questions)

## Analysis

What does this source tell us about Stony Point during the Revolution?

_______________________________________________

## Perspective

Whose voice is represented? Whose might be missing?

_______________________________________________

Name: Date: Period:

Key Figures Profile

worksheet

Research template for Revolutionary figures

# Revolutionary Figure Profile

## Basic Information

Name: _________________
Birth/Death Years: _________________
Occupation(s): _________________

## Role in the Revolution

### Anthony Wayne

Pennsylvania Continental general known as "Mad Anthony." Commanded the light infantry corps that stormed Stony Point July 15–16, 1779 in a bayonet-only night assault. Awarded a Congressional gold medal. Later served at Yorktown and commanded the Legion of the United States on the northwestern frontier.

My questions about this person:

### George Washington

Commander-in-Chief who personally scouted and approved the Stony Point assault plan, then with strategic clarity ordered the fort demolished and abandoned after the victory rather than expend unavailable forces defending an exposed position.

My questions about this person:

## Reflection

Which figure interests you most and why?

_______________________________________________

Name: Date: Period:

Stony Point in the American Revolution

Answer the following questions based on our study of Revolutionary history.

1. What makes Stony Point significant in Revolutionary history?
AIt was the site of important Revolutionary eventsBIt had no connection to the RevolutionCIt was founded after the RevolutionDIt was a British stronghold throughout the war
2. Primary sources are documents or objects created during the time period being studied.
True False
3. Name one event that occurred in Stony Point during the Revolutionary period and explain its significance.
Answer:
4. Why is it important to consider multiple perspectives when studying history?
ADifferent people experienced events differentlyBIt makes history more confusingCOnly one perspective is ever correctDPerspectives don't matter in history
5. Describe one connection between this town and another Revolutionary-era town we discussed.
Answer: