Washington's Headquarters State Historic Site at Newburgh
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.
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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.
In this modest even then antique stone
Dutch farmhouse overlooking the Hudson River, General
George Washington established his final Field Command
Headquarters after his glorious campaign defeating Cornwallis.
He quickly returned to the Hudson Valley after Yorktown
because the primary British stronghold in America, Manhattan,
still contained tens of thousands of British troops
and a harbor full of British Frigates and Battleships.
The central command of the British
Forces was housed and maintained in Manhattan, making
the necessity of keeping them trapped in Manhattan vital
in forcing the final resolution to the war. The defeat
of Cornwallis may have been the final turning point
of the war making the defeat of the British inevitable,
but it was General Washington and his campaign of containment
and pressure exerted from Orange County and his headquarters
in Newburgh that finally brought the war to its conclusion.
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None of Washington's military headquarters
during the War for Independence is of greater historical
significance than the Hasbrouck House at Newburgh. Arriving
at Newburgh on April 1, 1782, the Commander in Chief
remained at the Hasbrouck House, save for occasional
brief absences, until August 19, 1783. This was a longer
period than Washington spent at any other headquarters.
More importantly, Washington drafted three memorable
documents at his Newburgh headquarters. In these he
reaffirmed the fundamental principle of subordination
of the Military Establishment to civilian control and
helped lay the foundation for the Nation's orderly transition
from war to peace. The first document was Washington's
vehement rejection of the suggestion that the new Nation
become a monarchy, with Washington at its head. The
second was his address in the "Temple" at
the nearby New Windsor army encampment (see p. 215)
on March 15, 1783. Here he effectively quelled an incipient
movement provoked by the so-called Newburgh Addresses,
looking toward the coercion of Congress by the Army
to secure settlement of officers' claims against the
Government prior to demobilization. Washington's third
notable act at Newburgh was drafting an oft-quoted circular
letter to the Governors of the States, in which he outlined
his views on the future development of the Nation. These
views were elaborated around four cardinal points: "An
indissoluble Union of the States under one Federal Head,"
"A sacred regard to public justice," "The
adoption of a proper peace establishment," and
a "pacific and friendly disposition among the peoples
of the United States which will induce them to forget
their local prejudices and policies, to make mutual
concessions which are requisite to the general prosperity,
and in some instances, to sacrifice their individual
advantages to the interest of the community."
Washington brought his armies along
with him back to Orange County and there they and he
encamped for 18 long months while the Treaty of Paris
was crafted and finally signed. From here, Washington
left for New Windsor to address his troops and bid them
farewell, and it was from here that he left for Manhattain
where he resigned his commission and retired back into
private life as a plain citizen.
Located at Washington's Headquarters
is a museum filled with artifacts and information about
Washington, his stay in Orange County and the course
of the Revolution through the Hudson Valley. Events
are held regularily to commemorate Washington and his
wife Martha. Birthdays are celebrated and historical
moments are commemorated in fun filled family friendly
entertainments.
Washington's Headquarters is now located
in a fairly tough section of Newburgh, so a certain
amount of care is required when you plan your visit.
Park close and make sure to lock your car not leaving
anything of value obviously visible. The neighborhood
is safe enough, but its general run down appearance
might cause you some alarm. Common sense precautions
are sufficient.
Newburgh was first settled by Europeans
in the winter of 1708-1709 by a party of 53 refugees
from the war-torn Rhine region of Germany. In 1750,
Jonathan Hasbrouck, a gristmill operator, built his
house at the fringe of the Newburgh settlement. This
house is the one used by Washington as his headquarters
between April 1782 and August 1783 and is the only mid-18th
century building remaining in the East End Historic
District.
This Headquarters was used by Washington
between the last battle at Yorktown and the signing
of the Paris Peace Treaty. He stayed here 16 1/2 months,
making it the headquarters — out of 125 total
— at which he stayed the longest. He shared the
quarters with staff, servants, slaves from his home,
and his wife Martha.
On April 19, 1783, General Washington's
order for a "cessation of hostilities" was
announced from his headquarters in Newburgh. Washington's
purpose here was to maintain a strong army after the
British surrender while planning to disband it at the
signing of the peace treaty. During this period Washington
wrote letters to each of the 13 state legislatures setting
forth his ideas for the federal government. These Circular
Letters, which were reprinted at that time throughout
the states and in London, eventually influenced the
development of the U.S. Constitution.
The Newburgh Address is also associated
with a renowned episode in Washington's career in which
he defused the mutinous feelings of some troops who
were discouraged by Congress's turnaround regarding
pension promises. At a meeting to discuss the issue,
Washington stood up to respond to the anonymous letter
of complaint and said as he began his remarks, "Gentlemen,
you will permit me to put on my spectacles, for I have
not only grown gray but blind in the service of my country."
It is an often-cited example of Washington's ability
to lead by his own example.
It is here that Washington initiated
the Badge of Military Merit, to recognize unusual acts
of gallantry by soldiers below the rank of officer (previously,
only officers had been eligible for honors). The badge
itself eventually died out but was revived in 1932 as
the Purple Heart, which bears Washington's profile and
crest.
The Headquarters site, purchased by
the State of New York in 1850, is the first publicly
operated historic site in the United States (Mount Vernon
is the second). A few of the items still in the Hasbrouck
House are things that George Washington really used
— a desk, a chair, and the Purple Heart. Most
of the articles are replicas. When he moved out of the
house, he took most of the things with him.
The Museum Building, built in 1910,
houses Washington's expense book and a collection of
his original papers including a letter to Member of
Congress William Duer informing him that Washington
was still having trouble getting supplies for his troops
and expressing the wish that appropriations would be
forthcoming. Also there are the papers of Quartermaster
General Timothy Pickering, which reveal administrative
details of the military.
The Tower of Victory was erected in
the 1980s to commemorate Washington's order to cease
hostilities and the peace that resulted. The project
to build the tower was chaired by Secretary of War Robert
T. Lincoln.
Hours:
Mid-Apr. thru Oct., Wed.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. 1-5
p.m. Also open Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor
Day, and Columbus Day. 7/1 - 9/6, open Mondays, 10 -
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