GOVERNOR'S ISLAND, N. Y., small fortified island in New York Bay, south of the Battery, and at the entrance to East River. It is separated from Brooklyn by Buttermilk Channel. In 1621, tinder the name of Nutten Island, it was a station of the West India Company. Later it was used as a residence by the colonial governors of New York, hence its present name. Wouter Van Twiller was the first governor (1637) to use the island for a country residence. In 1708 it was in use as a quarantine station, and in 1784 Gov. George Clinton leased the island to a company who used it for a summer resort and a racecourse. Lord Cornbury in 1702 and Governor Hardy in 1756 urged the erection of batteries on the island; but no definite action was taken until 1794, when there were rumors of a war with France, the State of New York appropriated $250,000 for the erection of a fort and earth works. The general government appropriated $31,117, and the money was expended for the construction of Fort Jay in the centre of the island. Other sums were used later in im proving the fort, but in 1801 the work ceased until 1806-07, when from °an enclosed work of earth and wood" the fort was improved and faced with permanent masonry at a cost of $30,000, and was named Fort Columbus, as at present. The designs for Fort Columbus, also Castle Williams, were made by Jonathan Wil liams, Lafayette's chief engineer of the army. The plans called for 104 guns for Fort Colum bus and 100 guns for Castle Williams. The latter fort exists to this day practically as it was when completed in 1811. Its area is
three-fifths of a circle which is 200 feet in diameter, and the walls are 40 feet high. In 1861-65 Castle Williams was used as a prison for Confederates; at one time there were as many as 1,000 prisoners. After the War of 1812 a fortification called South Battery was built at a place to command Buttermilk Chan nel. Governor's Island is the army headquar ters of the Department of the East, a most important military post, embracing the coast from Maine to Florida and including Porto Rico. It has less the look of war than many smaller forts, but it has a garrison usually of three companies, and it is used as a military prison, nearly all the prisoners being deserters. A little church, under the care of Trinity parish, Manhattan, residences for the officers and some storage places are the only buildings in addi tion to the forts. At the beginning of the 17th century the island was 1,500 feet long and 900 feet wide with an elevation above high-water of 20 feet. Its whole area then was 100 acres. The tide-waters have washed away a large por tion of the island. The War Department begun in 1903 the work of reclaiming from the sea the land washed away and the island is now re stored to about its former area. The need of modern forts and better defensive equipment on Governor's Island no longer exists since an excellent system of fortifications has been estab lished at the entrance to The Narrows and along the shores of Long Island Sound.