Knox's Headquarters State Historic Site
Frequently
overlooked in the great sweep of history as being
the central battleground of the American Revolution,
the Hudson Valley determined the success or failure
of the Colonial States in their quest for independence
from Great Britain. Strategically, the Hudson River
was the only navigable river into the interior of the
continent and its location empowered whoever controlled
it to either allow or prevent commerce between the northern
Colonies and those in the south. Should the British
have been able to gain control of the Hudson, the outcome
of the war would surely have been different.
And the British spent great time,
effort and resources attempting to gain control of the
mighty Hudson River just so they could control the commercial
trade routes between north and south. Their first act
in the war was to take Manhattan and drive General Washington
and his continental troups north chasing them up to
White Plains and forcing them across the river. In a
massive effort, they then descended south from Canada
under the command of Gen. Burguoyne, down through Lake
Champlain, down the Hudson battling the colonists at
every turn. Finally at Saratoga, Burguoyne lost his
momentum and was defeated and captured, bringing the
battle over the northern Hudson to a close.
 |
Throughout the war, various fortifications
and sites in Orange County were pivotal in the efforts
of Washington and his troops to stay the British and
prevent them from coming up into the Hudson Valley.
Chief among these locations was West Point, site of
the major fortifications along the Hudson and commanded
by Benedict Arnold. Washington himself spent more time
in the Hudson Valley and Orange County than any other
location in the colonies during the war years. And as
the war drew to a close, it was Orange County that Washington
chose as his last staging ground for his troops and
his entorage to insure the British didn't attempt a
run up the Hudson before the final treaties could be
signed.
Orange County is rich in Revolutionary
sites ranging from the mundane of camp life for enlisted
men right up Washington's final residence prior to his
resigning from the Continental Army. As individual places,
they do not overwhelm the visitor with their grandeur
or the role they played in the struggle for independence.
Collectively, they should overwhelm the visitor in significance
to their daily lives and how different America would
be today were it not for the foresight, diligence and
sacrifice made to hold and defend these places in Orange
County.
 |
 |
Officers of the Continental Army were
housed in local residences around the New Windsor and
Vails Gate area during the final encampment of the Continentals
there. As "gentlemen" they expected better
accommodations and finer food than were dolled out to
the enlisted men. In the area many of these old houses
still exist, but remain in private hands and are still
private residences. The house that General Knox and
several other officers stayed in has become a New York
State Park and Historic Site.
Visiting the house is a trip back
into the 18th century as the interiors have been restored
to an accurate representation of their condition at
the time. Guides take you through the house, explaining
the houses prior history, who General Knox was as well
as the other officers who stayed at the house, what
they did and how it all fits together with the massive
army encampment at New Windsor and Vails Gate. From
Washington's Headquarters, the road, now Route 94, ran
down the river and swung inland past the residences
of the officers. The road then went further west where
the armies themselves could be found encamped on either
side.
This house is an example of the officers
lives at this time. The guides are very informative
and knowledgable on the times and what they meant. They
engage the kids in the tour trying to bring their interests
to bear on what they are seeing. The furnishings and
restorations are accurate and depict the house as it
would have been inhabited by General Washington's officers.
Hours:
Memorial Day thru Labor Day Wed.-Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.;
Sun. 1-5 p.m. Other times by appointment only.
Admission:
$3.00 adults, $2.00 NYS senior citizens, $1.00 children
5-12. Groups tours must be scheduled in advance.
|
