The Hudson Valley played a critical role in the American Revolution.
July 1776. Revolution was in the air. In New York City, George Washington's troops were read the newly-issued Declaration of Independence as British forces and Hessian mercenaries prepared to drive them out.
In the ensuing months, all military eyes were on the Lower Hudson Valley. Control of the Hudson River meant control of the war. At various times over the next several years, Westchester, Rockland and Putnam saw a number of battles and skirmishes as the Redcoat and Continental armies jockeyed for position and strategic advantages and plundered the region for supplies. By 1780, one observer would describe Westchester as "a country in ruins."
Here are a few of the local places where history was made during what future New Rochelle resident Thomas Paine described as "the times that try men's souls."
Sleepy Hollow Historian Henry John Steiner talks about the capture of Major John Andre, a British spy, in Tarrytown during the Revolutionary War. Seth Harrison/The Journal News
On Sept. 24, 1780, British Maj. John Andre was captured at the Tarrytown-Sleepy Hollow border by three young Americans – John Paulding, Isaac Van Wart and David Williams. Andre, wearing civilian clothes, was returning to New York from a clandestine meeting with Colonial Gen. Benedict Arnold at West Point, who had agreed to betray American cause and surrender the strategic Hudson River defensive position to the Redcoats. Andre was searched and papers found in his boots included diagrams of the West Point defenses and correspondence that implicated Arnold as a traitor. Andre was arrested as a spy and later hanged. Sleepy Hollow Historian Henry John Steiner said the war could have ended very differently if West Point had been lost to the British. The Captor's Monument in Patriot's Park commemorates Andre's capture.
Stony Point battlefield
A canon is fired at the Stony Point Battlefield as they get ready to celebrate Independence Day. Peter Carr/The Journal News
Colonial General "Mad Anthony" Wayne earned his nickname on the night of July 16, 1779 at Stony Point, leading a select regiment in a bold surprise attack on a British fortification protected by cannon, mortars and howitzers. Wayne's men, who had been marching from Fort Montgomery in Orange County since July, formed into attack columns at a farm about a mile and a half a way and launched the attack at midnight. The speed and surprise of the assault resulted in heavy British casualties and the fortifications were captured before dawn. The victory gave the Americans a huge morale boost and Stony Point was a key Hudson River crossing that was used later in the war by Colonial troops heading to Virginia for what would turn out to be the final victory at Yorktown. The battlefield is now a state historic site, with a museum and special programs throughout the year, said Tim Chase, a historical interpreter.
The Dewint House
George Washington used the DeWint house, located at the at the Masonic historic site in Tappan, as his headquarters during the American Revolution. ( Video by Tania Savayan / The Journal News ) Tania Savayan/The Journal News
Considered the oldest structure in Rockland County, the DeWint House in Tappan served as George Washington's headquarters three times during the Revolution and once after, at the invitation of Maj. Frederickus Blauvelt, son-in-law of the homeowners, Johannes and Antje DeWint. Washington first stayed there from July 8 through July 24, 1780, while inspecting Hudson River fortifications. He stayed there again from Sept. 28, through Oct. 7, 1789, during the trial and subsequent hanging of Maj. John Andre, the British spy. After the British surrender, Washington was at the house from May 4 through 8 to negotiate the final withdrawal of Redcoat troops from New York City. His final stay was from Nov. 11 through Nov. 14 of that year, when he sought shelter from a snowstorm while traveling between West Point and New York City. The house and grounds are owned by the Masons, who keep it open to the public free of charge. The property is maintained by Superintendent Harold Jones, who provides tours and hosts programs there.
The Sybil Ludington Monument
Vincent Daquino talks about the ride of Sybil Ludington while sitting near ithe Sybil Ludington statue on Route 52 in Carmel June 28, 2014. Frank Becerra Jr/The Journal News
On April 26, 1777, Sybil Ludington became the region's Paul Revere, riding 40 miles through Putnam and Dutchess counties to alert local militiamen that the British were attacking and burning nearby Danbury, Conn. Vincent Daquino, who has authored books on the ride, said Sybil was 16 at the time, the oldest of militia Col. Henry Ludington's 12 children. By the time she returned home, having avoided capture by Redcoats and highway men, the area's 400 militia were ready to move. "By daybreak, thanks to her daring, nearly the whole regiment was mustered…" her father wrote in his memoir, "and an hour or two later was on the march for vengeance on the raiders." A bronze monument of Sybil on her horse, by noted sculptor Anna Vaughn Hyatt Huntington, is located on Lake Gleneida in Carmel.
White Plains Armory
White Plains Historical Society President Rob Hoch is photographed in front of the White Plains Armory on June 30, 2014. (Carucha L. Meuse / The Journal News ) Carucha L. Meuse/The Journal News
On July 9, 1776, a copy of the newly-issued Declaration of Independence was delivered to the New York Provincial Congress, which was meeting at the courthouse in White Plains, where the White Plains Armory now stands. That afternoon, the congress voted to approve and adopt the document and declared that New York was no longer a colony of Great Britain, but an independent state. Robert Hoch, president of the White Plains Historical Society, said that on July 11, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was first read in public, to a crowd gathered in front of the courthouse. A monument marks the spot near South Broadway and Mitchell Place where the courthouse once stood.