Croton River, known by the
Indians as Kitchawonk, joins the Hudson in a
bay crossed by the New York Central Railroad
Croton draw-bridge. East of this point is a
water shed having an area of 350 square
miles, which supplies New York with water.
The Croton Reservoir is easily reached by a
pleasant carriage drive from Sing Sing, and
it is a singular fact that the pitcher and
ice-cooler of New York, or in other words,
Croton Dam and Rockland Lake, should be
almost opposite. About fifty years ago the
Croton first made its appearance in New
York, brought in by an aqueduct of solid
masonry which follows the course of the
Hudson near the Old Post Road, or at an
average distance of about a mile from the
east bank. Here and there its course can be
traced by "white stone ventilating towers"
from Sing Sing to High Bridge, which conveys
the aqueduct across the Harlem River. Its
capacity is 100,000,000 gallons per day,
which however began to be inadequate for the
city and a new aqueduct was therefore begun
in 1884 and completed in 1890, capable of
carrying three times that amount, at a cost
of $25,000,000. The water-shed is well
supplied with streams and lakes. Lake
Mahopac, one of its fountains, is one of the
most beautiful sheets of water near the
metropolis, and easily accessible by a
pleasant drive from Peekskill, or by the
Harlem Railroad from New York. The old
Indian name was Ma-cook-pake, signifying a
large inland lake, or perhaps an island near
the shore. The same derivation is also seen
in Copake Lake, Columbia County. On an
island of Mahopac the last great
"convention" of the southern tribes of the
Hudson was held. The lake is about 800 feet
above tide, and it is pleasant to know that
the bright waters of Mahopac and the clear
streams of Putnam and Westchester are
conveyed to New York even as the poetic
waters of Loch Katrine to the city of
Glasgow. The Catskill water supply, the
ground of which was broken in 1907, is
referred to in our description of Cold
Spring and the Catskills.
Just above Croton Bay and the New York
Central Railroad draw-bridge will be seen
the old Van Cortlandt Manor, where Frederick
Phillipse and Katrina Van Cortlandt were
married, as seen by the inscription on the
old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow.
Teller's Point (sometimes known as Croton or
Underhill's Point), separates Tappan Zee
from Haverstraw Bay. It was called by the
Indians "Senasqua." Tradition says that
ancient warriors still haunt the surrounding
glens and woods, and the sachems of Teller's
Point are household words in the
neighborhood. It is also said that there was
once a great Indian battle here, and perhaps
the ghosts of the old warriors are attracted
by the Underhill grapery and the 10,000
gallons of wine bottled every season.
It was here the British warship "The
Vulture," came with Andre and put him ashore
at the foot of Mount Tor below Haverstraw.
The river now opens into a beautiful bay,
four miles in width,—a bed large enough to
tuck up fifteen River Rhines side by side.
This reach sometimes seems in the bright
sunlight like a molten bay of silver, and
the tourist finds relief in adjusting his
smoked glasses to temper the dazzling light.
Haverstraw, 37 miles from New York.
Haverstraw Bay is sometimes said to be five
miles wide. Its widest point, however, from
Croton Landing to Haverstraw, is, according
to United States Geological Survey, a little
over four miles. The principal industry of
Haverstraw is brick-making, and its brick
yards reaching north to Grassy Point, are of
material profit, if not picturesque. The
place was called Haverstraw by the Dutch,
perhaps as a place of rye straw, to
distinguish it from Tarrytown, a place of
wheat. The Indian name has been lost; but,
if its original derivation is uncertain, it
at least calls up the rhyme of old-time
river captains, which Captain Anderson of
the "Mary Powell" told the writer he used to
hear frequently when a boy:
Quaint as these names now sound, they all
are found on old maps of the Hudson.
High Torn is the name of the northern point
of the Ramapo on the west bank, south of
Haverstraw. According to the Coast Survey,
it is 820 feet above tide-water, and the
view from the summit is grand and extensive.
The origin of the name is not clear, but it
has lately occurred to the writer, from a
re-reading of Scott's "Peveril of the Peak,"
that it might have been named from the Torn,
a mountain in Derbyshire, either from its
appearance, or by some patriotic settler
from the central water-shed of England.
Others say it is the Devonshire word Tor
changed to Torn, evidently derived from the
same source.
West Shore Railroad.—The tourist will see at
this point, on the left bank of the river,
the tunnel whereby the "West Shore" finds
egress from the mountains. The traveler over
this railway, on emerging from the quiet
valley west of the Palisades, comes upon a
sudden vision of beauty unrivaled in any
land. The broad river seems like a great
inland lake; and the height of the tunnel
above the silver bay gives to the panoramic
landscape a wondrous charm. About a mile
from the river, southwest of Grassy Point,
on the farther side of the winding
Minnissickuongo Creek, which finally after
long meandering makes up its mind to glide
into Stony Point Bay, will be seen Treason
Hill marked by the Joshua Hett Smith stone
house where Arnold and Andre met. The story
of this meeting will be referred to at
greater length in connection with its most
dramatic incident at the old Beverley House
in the Highlands. The Hudson here is about
two miles in width and narrows rapidly as we
pass Grassy Point on the west bank with its
meadows and brick yards to
Stony Point
Stony Point, where it is scarcely more than half a mile to Verplank's Point on the eastern bank. This was, therefore, an important pass during the Revolution. The crossing near at hand was known as King's Ferry, at and before the days of '76, and was quite an avenue of travel between the Southern, Middle and Eastern States. The fort crowning a commanding headland, was captured by the British, June 1, 1779, but it was surprised and recaptured by Anthony Wayne, July 15 of the same year. A centennial was observed at the place July 15, 1879, when the battle was "refought" and the West Point Cadets showed how they would have done it if they had been on hand a century ago. Thackeray, in his "Virginians," gives perhaps the most graphic account of this midnight battle. The present light-house occupies the site of the old fort, and was built in part of stone taken from its walls. Upon its capture by the British, Washington, whose headquarters were at New Windsor, meditated a bold stroke and summoned Anthony Wayne, more generally known as "Mad Anthony," from his reckless daring, to undertake its recapture with a force of one thousand picked men. The lines were formed in two columns about 8 p.m. at "Springsteel's farm." Each soldier and officer put a piece of white paper in his hat to distinguish him from the foe. No guns were to be loaded under penalty of death. General Wayne, at the head of the column, forded the marsh covered at the time with two feet of water. The other column led by Butler and Murfree crossed an apology for a bridge. During the advance both columns were discovered by the British sentinels and the rocky defense literally blazed with musketry. In stern silence, however, without faltering, the American columns moved forward, entered the abatis, until the advance guard under Anthony Wayne was within the enemy's works. A bullet at this moment struck Wayne in the forehead grazing his skull. Quickly recovering from the shock, he rose to his knees, shouted: "Forward, my brave fellows"; then turning to two of his followers, he asked them to help him into the fort that he might die, if it were to be so, "in possession of the spot." Both columns were now at hand and inspired by the brave general, came pouring in, crying "The fort's our own." The British troops completely overwhelmed, were fain to surrender and called for mercy. Wayne's characteristic message to Washington antedates modern telegraphic brevity:—"Stony Point, 2 o'clock a.m. The American flag waves here.—Mad Anthony." There were twenty killed and sixty wounded on each side. Some five hundred of the enemy were captured and about sixty escaped. "Money rewards and medals were given to Wayne and the leaders in the assault. The ordinance and stores captured were appraised at over $180,000 and there was universal rejoicing" throughout the land. "Stony Point State Park" was dedicated by appropriate ceremony July 16, 1902. At the close of Governor Odell's address the flag was raised by William Wayne, a lineal descendant of the hero, and the cruiser "Olympia" of Manila fame boomed forth her tribute. Verplank's Point, on the east bank (now full of brick-making establishments), was the site of Fort Lafayette. It was here that Baron Steuben drilled the soldiers of the American army. Back from Green Cove above Verplanck's Point is "Knickerbocker Lake."
Tompkin's Cove
Tompkin's Cove.—North of Stony Point we see great quarries of limestone, the principal industry of the village of Tompkin's Cove. Gravel is also shipped from this place for Central Park roads and driveways in New York City. The tourist, looking north from the forward deck of the steamer, sees no opening in the mountains, and it is amusing to hear the various conjectures of the passengers; as usual, the "unexpected" happens. The steamer turns to the left and sweeps at once into the grand scenery of the Highlands. The straight forward course, which seems the more natural, would land the steamer against the Hudson River Railroad, crossing the Peekskill River. It is said that an old skipper, Jans Peek, ran up this stream, years before the railroad was built, and did not know that he had left the Hudson, or rather that the Hudson was "left" until he ran aground in the shoal water of the bay. The next morning he discovered that it was a goodly land, and the place bears his name unto this day.
Peekskill, 40 miles from New York, is a
pleasant city on the quiet bay which deeply
indents the eastern bank. The property in
this vicinity was known as Rycks Patent in
1665. In Revolutionary times Fort
Independence stood on the point above, where
its ruins are still seen. The Franciscan
Convent Academy of "Our Lady of Angels,"
guards the point below. In 1797 Peekskill
was the headquarters of old Israel Putnam,
who rivaled "Mad Anthony" in brevity as well
as courage. It will be remembered that
Palmer was here captured as a spy. A British
officer wrote a letter asking his reprieve,
to which Putnam replied, "Nathan Palmer was
taken as a spy, tried as a spy and will be
hanged as a spy. P. S.—He is hanged." This
was the birthplace of Paulding, one of
Andre's captors, and he died here in 1818.
He is buried in the old rural cemetery about
two miles and a half from the village, and a
monument has been erected to his memory.
Near at hand is the "Wayside Inn," where
Andre once "tarried," also the Hillside
Cemetery, where on June 19, 1898, the 123d
anniversary of the battle of Bunker Hill, a
monument was unveiled to General Pomeroy by
the Society of the Sons of Revolution, New
York. The church which Washington attended
is in good preservation.
Near Peekskill is the old Van Cortlandt
house, the residence of Washington for a
short time during the Revolution. East of
the village was the summer home of the great
pulpit orator, Henry Ward Beecher. Peekskill
was known by the Indians as Sackhoes in the
territory of the Kitchawongo, which extended
from Croton River to Anthony's Nose.
Turning Caldwell's Landing or Jones' Point,
formerly known as Kidd's Point, almost at
right angles, the steamer enters the
southern gate of the Highlands. At the water
edge will be seen some upright planks or
caissons marking the spot where Kidd's ship
was supposed to have been scuttled. As his
history seems to be intimately associated
with the Hudson, we will give it in brief:
The Story of Captain Kidd
The Story of Captain Kidd.—"My name was Captain Kidd as I sailed," are famous lines of an old ballad which was once familiar to our grandfathers. The hapless hero of the same was born about the middle of the seventeenth century, and it is thought, near Greenock, Scotland. He resided at one time in New York, near the corner of William and Cedar Streets, and was there married. In April, 1696, he sailed from England in command of the "Adventure Galley," with full armament and eighty men. He captured a French ship, and, on arrival at New York, put up articles for volunteers; remained in New York three or four months, increasing his crew to one hundred and fifty-five men, and sailed thence to Madras, thence to Bonavista and St. Jago, Madagascar, then to Calicut, then to Madagascar again, then sailed and took the "Quedah Merchant." Kidd kept forty shares of the spoils, and divided the rest with his crew. He then burned the "Adventure Galley," went on board the "Quedah Merchant," and steered for the West Indies. Here he left the "Merchant," with part of his crew, under one Bolton, as commander. Then manned a sloop, and taking part of his spoils, went to Boston via Long Island Sound, and is said to have set goods on shore at different places. In the meantime, in August, 1698, the East Indian Company informed the Lords Justice that Kidd had committed several acts of piracy, particularly in seizing a Moor's ship called the "Quedah Merchant." When Kidd landed at Boston he was therefore arrested by the Earl of Bellamont, and sent to England for trial, 1699, where he was found guilty and executed. Now it is supposed that the crew of the "Quedah Merchant," which Kidd left at Hispaniola, sailed for their homes, as the crew was mostly gathered from the Highlands and above. It is said that they passed New York in the night, en route to the manor of Livingston; but encountering a gale in the Highlands, and thinking they were pursued, ran her near the shore, now known as Kidd's Point, and here scuttled her, the crew fleeing to the woods with such treasure as they could carry. Whether this circumstance was true or not, it was at least a current story in the neighborhood, and an enterprising individual, about fifty years ago, caused an old cannon to be "discovered" in the river, and perpetrated the first "Cardiff Giant Hoax." A New York Stock Company was organized to prosecute the work. It was said that the ship could be seen in clear days, with her masts still standing, many fathoms below the surface. One thing is certain—the company did not see it or the treasurer either, in whose hands were deposited about $30,000.
Southern Gate Of Highlands
On the west shore rise the rock-beaten crags of
The
Dunderberg, the dread of the Dutch mariners.
This hill, according to Irving, was peopled
with a multitude of imps, too great for man
to number, who wore sugar-loaf hats and
short doublets, and had a picturesque way of
"tumbling head over heels in the rack and
mist." They were especially malignant toward
all captains who failed to do them
reverence, and brought down frightful
squalls on such craft as failed to drop the
peaks of their mainsails to the goblin who
presided over this shadowy republic. It was
the dread of the early navigators—in fact,
the Olympus of Dutch mythology. Verditege
Hook, the Dunderberg, and the Overslaugh,
were names of terror to even the bravest
skipper. The old burghers of New York never
thought of making their week's voyage to
Albany without arranging their wills, and it
created as much commotion in New Amsterdam
as a modern expedition to the north pole.
Dunderberg, in most of the Hudson Guides and
Maps, is put down as 1,098 feet, but its
actual altitude by the latest United States
Geological Survey is 865 feet.
The State National Guard Encampment crowns a
bluff, formerly known as Roa Hook, on the
east bank, north of Peekskill Bay, a happy
location in the midst of history and beauty.
Every regiment in the State rallies here in
turn during the summer months for
instruction in the military art, living in
tents and enjoying life in true army style.
Visitors are cordially greeted at proper
hours, and the camp is easily reached by
ferry from Peekskill. A ferry also runs from
Peekskill to Dunderberg, affording a
hillside outing and a delightful view. It is
expected that a spiral railroad, fourteen
miles in length, undertaken by a recently
organized corporation, but abandoned for the
present, will make the spot a great Hudson
River resort. The plan also embraces a
palatial hotel on the summit and pleasure
grounds upon the point at its base. Passing
Manito Mountain on our right the steamer
approaches Anthony's Nose, a prominent
feature of the Hudson.
Anthony's Nose
Strangely enough the altitude of the mountains at the southern portal of the Highlands has been greatly overrated. The formerly accepted height of Anthony's Nose has been reduced by the Geological Survey from 1,228 feet to 900. It has, however, an illustrious christening, and according to various historians several godfathers. One says it was named after St. Anthony the Great, the first institutor of monastic life, born A. D. 251, at Coma, in Heraclea, a town in Upper Egypt. Irving's humorous account is, however, quite as probable that it was derived from the nose of Antony Van Corlear, the illustrious trumpeter of Peter Stuyvesant. "Now thus it happened that bright and early in the morning the good Antony, having washed his burly visage, was leaning over the quarter-railing of the galley, contemplating it in the glassy waves below. Just at this moment the illustrious sun, breaking in all his splendor from behind a high bluff of the Highlands, did dart one of his most potent beams full upon the refulgent nose of the sounder of brass, the reflection of which shot straightway down hissing hot into the water, and killed a mighty sturgeon that was sporting beside the vessel. When this astonishing miracle was made known to the Governor, and he tasted of the unknown fish, he marveled exceedingly; and, as a monument thereof, he gave the name of Anthony's Nose to a stout promontory in the neighborhood, and it has continued to be called Anthony's Nose ever since." It was called by the Indians "Kittatenny," a Delaware term, signifying "endless hills." The stream flowing into the river south of Anthony's Nose is known as the Brocken Kill, broken into beautiful cascades from mountain source to mouth.
Iona Island
Iona Island, formerly a pleasure resort and picnic ground. An old-time joke of the Hudson was frequently perpetrated on strangers while passing the island. Some one would innocently observe, "I own a island on the Hudson." When any one obligingly asked, "Where?" the reply would be with pointed finger, "Why there." But the United States Government owns it now against all comers, and its quiet lanes and picnic abandon have been exchanged for busy machine shops and military discipline. It is near the west bank, opposite Anthony's Nose. A short distance from the island, on the main land, was the village or cross-roads of Doodletown. This reach of the river was formerly known as The Horse Race, from the rapid flow of the tide when at its height. The hills on the west bank now recede from the river, forming a picturesque amphitheatre, bounded on the west by Bear Mountain. An old road directly in the rear of Iona Island, better known to Anthony Wayne than to the modern tourist, passes through Doodletown, over Dunderberg, just west of Tompkin's Cove, to Haverstraw. Here amid these pleasant foothills Morse laid the scene of a historical romance, which he however happily abandoned for a wider invention. The world can get along without the novel, but it would be a trifle slow without the telegraph. On the west bank, directly opposite the railroad tunnel which puts a merry "ring" into the tip of Anthony's Nose, is what is now known as Highland Lake, called by the Indians "Sinnipink," and by the immediate descendants of our Revolutionary fathers "Hessian Lake" or "Bloody Pond," from the fact that an American company were mercilessly slaughtered here by the Hessians, and, after the surrender of Fort Montgomery, their bodies were thrown into the lake.
Fort Clinton and Fort Montgomery
The
capture of Fort Clinton and Fort Montgomery
was two years before Mad Anthony's
successful assault on Stony Point. Early in
the history of the Revolution, the British
Government thought that it would be possible
to cut off the eastern from the middle and
southern Colonies by capturing and
garrisoning commanding points along the
Hudson and Lake Champlain. It was therefore
decided in London, in the spring of 1777, to
have Sir Henry Clinton approach from the
south and Burgoyne from the north.
Reinforcements, however, arrived late from
England and it was September before Clinton
transported his troops, about 4,000 in
number, in warships and flat-boats up the
river. Governor George Clinton was in charge
of Fort Montgomery, and his brother James of
Fort Clinton, while General Putnam, with
about 2,000 men, had his headquarters at
Peekskill. In addition to these forts, a
chain was stretched across the Hudson from
Anthony's Nose to a point near the present
railroad bridge, to obstruct the British
fleet. General Putnam, however, became
convinced that Sir Henry Clinton proposed to
attack Fort Independence. Most of the troops
were accordingly withdrawn from Forts
Montgomery and Clinton, when Sir Henry
Clinton, taking advantage of a morning fog,
crossed with 2,000 men at King's Ferry.
Guided by a sympathizer of the British
cause, who knew the district, he crossed the
Dunderberg Mountain by the road just
indicated. One division of 900 moving on
Fort Montgomery, and another of 1,100 on
Fort Clinton. Governor Clinton in the
meantime ordered 400 soldiers to Fort
Montgomery, and his reconnoitering party,
met by the Hessians, fell back upon the
fort, fighting as it retreated. Governor
Clinton sent to General Putnam for
reinforcements, but it is said that the
messenger deserted, so that Putnam literally
sat waiting in camp, unconscious of the
enemy's movements. A simultaneous attack was
made at 5 o'clock in the afternoon on both
forts. Lossing says: "The garrisons were
composed mostly of untrained militia. They
behaved nobly, and kept up the defense
vigorously, against a greatly superior force
of disciplined and veteran soldiers, until
twilight, when they were overpowered, and
sought safety in a scattered retreat to the
neighboring mountains. Many escaped, but a
considerable number were slain or made
prisoners. The Governor fled across the
river in a boat, and at midnight was with
General Putnam at Continental Village,
concerting measures for stopping the
invasion. James, forcing his way to the
rear, across the highway bridge, received a
bayonet wound in the thigh, but safely
reached his home at New Windsor. A sloop of
ten guns, the frigate
"Montgomery"—twenty-four guns—and two
row-galleys, stationed near the boom and
chain for their protection, slipped their
cables and attempted to escape, but there
was no wind to fill their sails, and they
were burned by the Americans to prevent
their falling into the hands of the enemy.
The frigate "Congress," twenty-eight guns,
which had already gone up the river, shared
the same fate on the flats near Fort
Constitution, which was abandoned. By the
light of the burning vessels the fugitive
garrisons made their way over the rugged
mountains, and a large portion of them
joined General Clinton at New Windsor the
next day. They had left many of their brave
companions behind, who, to the number of
250, had been slain or taken prisoners. The
British, too, had parted with many men and
brave officers. Among the latter was
Lieutenant-Colonel Campbell. Early in the
morning of the 7th of October, the river
obstructions between Fort Montgomery and
Anthony's Nose, which cost the Americans
$250,000, were destroyed, and a light flying
squadron, commanded by Sir James Wallace,
and bearing a large number of land troops
under General Vaughan, sailed up the river
on a marauding expedition, with instructions
from Sir Henry to scatter desolation in
their paths. It was hoped that such an
expedition would draw troops from the
Northern army for the protection of the
country below, and thereby assist Burgoyne."
Sir Henry Clinton, who had been advised by
General Burgoyne that he must be relieved by
October 12th, sent a messenger announcing
his victory. Another of the many special
providences of the American Revolution now
occurs. The messenger blundered into the
American camp, where some soldiers sat in
British uniform, and found out too late that
he was among enemies instead of friends. As
Irving relates the incident in his "Life of
Washington":
"On the 9th (October) two persons coming
from Fort Montgomery were arrested by the
guard, and brought for examination. One was
much agitated, and was observed to put
something hastily into his mouth and swallow
it. An emetic was administered, and brought
up a silver bullet. Before he could be
prevented he swallowed it again. On his
refusing a second emetic, the Governor
threatened to have him hanged and his body
opened. This threat was effectual and the
bullet was again 'brought to light.' It was
oval in form, and hollow, with a screw in
the centre, and contained a note from Sir
Henry Clinton to Burgoyne, written on a slip
of thin paper, and dated October 8th, from
Fort Montgomery: 'Nous y voici (here we
are), and nothing between us and Gates. I
sincerely hope this little success of ours
will facilitate your operations.' Burgoyne
never received it, and on October 13th,
after the battles of Bennington and
Saratoga, surrendered to General Gates. Sir
Henry Clinton abandoned the forts on hearing
of his defeat, and returned to New York 'a
sadder and wiser man.'"
Beverley House
Beverley House.—Passing Cohn's Hook, pronounced Connosook, where Hendrick Hudson anchored on his way up the river September 14, 1609, we see before us on the right bank a point coming down to the shore marked by a boat house. This is Beverley Dock, and directly up the river bank about an eighth of a mile stood the old Beverley House, where Benedict Arnold had his headquarters when in command of West Point. The old house, a good specimen of colonial times, was unfortunately burned in 1892, and with it went the most picturesque landmark of the most dramatic incident of the Revolution. It will be remembered that Arnold returned to the Beverley House after his midnight interview with Andre at Haverstraw, and immediately upon the capture of Andre the following day, that Colonel Jamison sent a letter to Arnold, advising him of the fact. It was the morning of September 4th. General Washington was on his way to West Point, coming across the country from Connecticut. On arriving, however, at the river, just above the present station of Garrison, he became interested in examining some defenses, and sent Alexander Hamilton forward to the Beverley House, saying that he would come later, requesting the family to proceed with their breakfast and not to await his arrival. Alexander Hamilton and General Lafayette sat gaily chatting with Mrs. Arnold and her husband when the letter from Jamison was received. Arnold glanced at the contents, rose and excused himself from the table, beckoning to his wife to follow him, bade her good-bye, told her he was a ruined man and a traitor, kissed his little boy in the cradle, rode to Beverley Dock, and ordered his men to pull off and go down the river. The "Vulture," an English man-of-war, was near Teller's Point, and received a traitor, whose miserable treachery branded him with eternal infamy on both continents. It is said that he lived long enough to be hissed in the House of Commons, as he once took his seat in the gallery, and he died friendless and despised. It is also said, when Talleyrand arrived in Havre on foot from Paris, in the darkest hour of the French Revolution, pursued by the bloodhounds of the reign of terror, and was about to secure a passage to the United States, he asked the landlord of the hotel whether any Americans were staying at his house, as he was going across the water, and would like a letter to a person of influence in the New World. "There is a gentleman up-stairs from Britain or America," was the response. He pointed the way, and Talleyrand ascended the stairs. In a dimly lighted room sat a man of whom the great minister of France was to ask a favor. He advanced, and poured forth in elegant French and broken English, "I am a wanderer, and an exile. I am forced to fly to the New World without a friend or home. You are an American. Give me, then, I beseech you, a letter of yours, so that I may be able to earn my bread." The strange gentleman rose. With a look that Talleyrand never forgot, he retreated toward the door of the next chamber. He spoke as he retreated, and his voice was full of suffering: "I am the only man of the New World who can raise his hand to God and say, 'I have not a friend, not one, in America!'" "Who are you?" he cried—"your name?" "My name is Benedict Arnold!"
Arnold's Flight
Andre's fate on the other hand was widely
lamented. He was universally beloved by his
comrades and possessed a rich fund of humor
which often bubbled over in verse. It is a
strange coincidence that his best poetic
attempt on one of Anthony Wayne's exploits
near Fort Lee, entitled "The Cow Chase,"
closed with a graphically prophetic verse:
"And now I've closed my epic strain,
I tremble as I show it,
Lest this same Warrior-Drover Wayne
Should ever catch the poet."
By a singular coincidence he did: General
Wayne was in command of the Tarrytown and
Tappan country where Andre was captured and
executed. It is also said that these lines
were published by one of the Tory papers in
New York the very day of Andre's capture.
One of the old-time characters on the
Hudson, known as Uncle Richard, has recently
thrown new light on the capture of Andre by
claiming, with a touch of genuine humor,
that it was entirely due to the "effects" of
cider which had been freely "dispensed" that
day by a certain Mr. Horton, a farmer in the
neighborhood.
It is impossible even in these later years,
not to speak of twenty-five or fifty years
ago, to travel along the shores of
Haverstraw Bay or among the passes of the
Highlands, without hearing some old-time
stories about Arnold and Andre, and it would
be strange indeed if a little romance had
not here and there become blended with the
real facts. Uncle Richard's account is
undoubtedly the best since the days of
Knickerbocker. "Benedict Arnold, you know,
had command of West Point, and he knew that
the place was essential to the success of
the Continental cause. He plotted, as
everybody knows, to turn it over to the
enemy, and in the correspondence which he
carried on with General Clinton, young
Andre, Clinton's aid, did all the writing.
Things were coming to a focus, when a
meeting took place between Arnold and
Clinton's representative, Andre, at the
house of Joshua Hett Smith, near Haverstraw.
Andre came on the British ship "Vulture,"
which he left at Croton Point, in Haverstraw
Bay. Well," so runs Uncle Richard's story,
"it took a long time to get matters settled;
they 'confabbed' till after daybreak. Then
Arnold started back to the post which he had
plotted to surrender. But daylight was no
time for Andre to return to the "Vulture,"
so he hung round waiting for night.
"During that day, some men who were working
for James Horton, a farmer on the ridge
overlooking the river, who gave his men good
rations of cider, drank a little too much of
the hard stuff. They felt good, and thought
it would be a fine joke to load and fire off
an old disabled cannon which lay a mile or
so away on the bank. They hauled it to the
point now called Cockroft Point, propped it
up, and then the spirit of fun—and hard
cider—prompted them to train the old piece
on the British ship "Vulture," lying at
anchor in the Bay. The "Vulture's" people
must have overestimated the source of the
fire, for the ship dropped down the river,
and Andre had to abandon the idea of
returning by that means. He crossed the
river at King's Ferry, and while on his way
overland was captured at Tarrytown.
"Of course, the three brave men who refused
to be bribed deserve all the glory they ever
had; if it were not for them, who knows but
the revolutionary war would have had a
different ending. But they never would have
had a chance to capture Andre if it had not
been for James Horton's men warming up on
hard cider. Hard cider broke the plans of
Arnold, it hung Andre, and it saved West
Point." A boy misguided Grouchy en route to
Waterloo. On what small hinges turn the
destinies of nations!
All the way from Anthony's Nose to Beverley
Dock, where we have been lingering over the
story of Andre, we have been literally
turning a kaleidoscope of blended history
and beauty, with scarcely time to note the
delightful homes on the west bank, just
above Fort Montgomery. Among them J.
Pierpont Morgan's and the Pells', John
Bigelow's and "Benny Havens'," or on the
east bank of Hamilton Fish, just above
Beverley Dock, Samuel Sloan and the late
William H. Osborn, just north of Sugar Loaf
Mountain; the mountain being so named as it
resembles, to one coming up the river, the
old-fashioned conical-shaped sugar-loaf,
which was formerly suspended by a string
over the centre of the hospitable Dutch
tables, and swung around to be occasionally
nibbled at, which in good old Knickerbocker
days, was thought to be the best and only
orthodox way of sweetening tea.
Buttermilk Falls
Buttermilk Falls, so christened by
Washington Irving, is a pretty little
cascade on the west bank. Like sparkling
wit, it is often dry, and the tourist is
exceptionally fortunate who sees it in
full-dress costume after a heavy shower,
when it rushes over the rocks in floods of
snow-white foam. Highland Falls is the name
of a small village a short distance west of
the river, on the bluff, but not seen from
the deck of the steamer.
The large building above the rocky channel
is Lady Cliff, the Academy of Our Lady of
Angels, under the Franciscan Sisters at
Peekskill, opened September, 1900. It was
originally built for a hotel, and widely
known as Cranston's Hotel and Landing. As
the steamer is now approaching the west bank
we see above us the Cullum Memorial Hall,
completed in 1899, a bequest of the late
George W. Cullum of the class of 1833. The
still newer structure to the south is the
officers' messroom, crowning the crest above
the landing.
West Point Military Academy
West Point, taken all in all, is the most
beautiful tourist spot on the Hudson.
Excursionists by the Day Boats from New
York, returning by afternoon steamer, have
three hours to visit the various places of
history and beauty. To make an easy
mathematical formula or picturesque "rule of
three" statement, what Quebec is to the St.
Lawrence, West Point is to the Hudson. If
the citadel of Quebec is more imposing, the
view of the Hudson at this place is grander
than that of the St. Lawrence, and the ruins
of Fort Putnam are almost as venerable as
the Heights of Abraham. The sensation of the
visitor is, moreover, somewhat the same in
both places as to the environment of law and
authority. To get the daily character and
quality of West Point one should spend at
least twenty-four hours within its borders,
and a good hotel, the only one on the
Government grounds, will be found central
and convenient to everything of interest.
The parade and drills at sunset hour can
best be seen in this way.
The United States Military Academy.—Soon
after the close of the War of the
Revolution, Washington suggested West Point
as the site of a military academy, and, in
1793, in his annual message, recommended it
to Congress, which in 1794 organized a corps
of artillerists to be here stationed with
thirty-two cadets, enlarging the number in
1798 to fifty-six. In 1808 it was increased
to one hundred and fifty-six, and in 1812 to
two hundred and sixty.
Up to 1812 only 71 cadets had been
graduated. The roll of graduates now numbers
about 5,000.
Each Congressman has the appointment of one
cadet, supplemented by ten appointed by the
President of the United States. These cadets
are members of the regular army, subject to
its regulations for eight years, viz: during
four years of study and four years after
graduating. The candidates are examined in
June, each year, and must be physically
sound as well as mentally qualified. The
course is very thorough, especially in
higher mathematics. The cadets go into camp
in July and August, and this is the
pleasantest time to visit the point.
The plans furnished by the architects of the
new building will entirely change the
appearance of the river front. The proposed
massive structure crowning the cliff will
"out-castle" the most massive fortifications
of the walled cities of Europe. $7,500,000
has been appropriated to the work by
Congress and the next generation will behold
a new West Point.
Plateau Buildings and Memorials
In the
rebuilding of the Post the Cadet Chapel, the
Riding Hall, the Administration Building and
some of the Officers' Quarters will be
removed. Most of the old important
buildings, however, will not be disturbed,
and the Chapel will be placed as it were
"intact" on another site. The plan leaves
untouched the Cadet Barracks, the Cadet
Mess, the Memorial Hall, the Library and the
Officers' Mess. The tower of the new Post
Headquarters will rise high and massive
several stories above the other structures
and present in enduring symbol the republic
standing four square and firm throughout the
ages.
In the "West Point Souvenir," prepared by W.
H. Tripp, which every visitor will prize,
are many suggestions and descriptions of
value. From many visits and many sources we
condense the following brevities:
The Cadet Barracks was built in 1845-51 of
native granite. In 1882 the western wing was
extended adding two divisions.
The Academy Building is immediately opposite
the Headquarters, of Massachusetts granite,
erected in 1891-95, and cost about $500,000.
It contains recitation and lecture rooms of
all departments of instruction.
The Ordnance Museum contains an interesting
and extensive exhibit of ancient and modern
firearms, also many valuable trophies from
the Revolutionary, Mexican, Civil and
Spanish wars.
The Cadet Chapel, immediately north of the
Administration Building, was erected in
1834. The chapel contains many valuable
trophies of the Revolutionary and Mexican
wars, including three Hessian and two
British flags that were once the property of
Washington. The walls have many memorial
tablets and a famous "blank" of Arnold. Here
also are several cannon surrendered at
Saratoga, October 17, 1777.
The Administration Building was completed in
1871.
The Library adjoins the Cadet Chapel on the
east, built of native granite in 1841,
costing about $15,000. In 1900 the building
was entirely reconstructed of fire-proof
material by appropriation of $80,000. The
exterior walls of the original building
entered into the remodeled structure. The
Library, founded in 1812, has about 50,000
volumes.
The Gymnasium adjoins the Barracks on the
west, erected of native granite, costing
$90,000.
Memorial Hall, plainly seen from the Hudson,
completed in 1899, is of Ionic architecture.
The building cost $268,000, a legacy
bequeathed by Gen. George W. Cullum, built
of Milford granite for army trophies of
busts, paintings and memorials. The bronze
statute of Gen. John Sedgwick in the
northwest angle of the plain was dedicated
in 1868. The fine cenotaph of Italian marble
was erected in 1885. It stands immediately
in front of Memorial Hall.
Kosciusko's Monument was erected in 1828. It
stands in the northeast angle of Fort
Clinton.
The Chain-Battery walk runs from Kosciusko's
Garden northward to Light House Point, near
which was the battery that defended the
chain across the river in the Revolution.
The scene is of great beauty and has been
known for many years by the name of
"Flirtation Walk."
Battle Monument, West Point
The Battle Monument, on Trophy Point, is the
most beautiful on the reservation—a column
of victory in memory of 2,230 officers and
soldiers of the regular army of the United
States who were killed or died of wounds
received in the war of the Rebellion. It is
a monolith of polished granite surmounted by
a figure of Fame. The shaft is 46 feet in
length, 5 feet in diameter, and said to be
the largest piece of polished stone in the
world. The cost of the work was $66,000. The
site was dedicated June 15, 1864. The
monument was dedicated in 1897. The address
was by Justice Brewer.
Trophy Point
Trophy Point, on the north side of the plain, overlooking the river and commanding a majestic view of the Hudson and the city of Newburgh, has been likened by European travelers to a view on Lake Geneva. Here are the "swivel clevies" and 16 links of the old chain that was stretched across the river at this point. The whole chain, 1,700 feet long, weighing 186 tons, was forged at the Sterling Iron Works, transported to New Windsor and there attached to log booms and floated down the river to this point.
Fort Putnam
Old Fort Putnam was erected in 1778 by the
5th Massachusetts Regiment under the
direction of Col. Rufus Putnam. It was
originally constructed of logs and trees
with stone walls on two sides to defend Fort
Clinton on the plain below. It was
garrisoned by 450 men, and had 14 guns
mounted. In 1787 it was dismantled, and the
guns sold as old iron. Its brick arch
casements overgrown with moss, vines, and
shrubbery are crumbling away, but are well
worth a visit. It is 495 feet above the
Hudson. A winding picturesque carriage road
leads up from the plain, and the pedestrian
can reach the summit in 20 minutes. On clear
days the Catskill Mountains are visible.
Fort Clinton, in the northeast angle of the
plain, was built in 1778 under the direction
of the Polish soldier, Kosciusko. Sea Coast
Battery is located on the north waterfront,
Siege Battery on the slope of the hill below
the Battle Monument. Targets for the guns on
both batteries are on the hillside about a
mile distant. Battery Knox, which overlooks
the river, was rebuilt in 1874 on the site
of an old revolutionary redoubt.
While Fort Putnam was being built Washington
was advised that Dubois's regiment was unfit
to be ordered on duty, there being "not one
blanket in the regiment. Very few have
either a shoe or a shirt, and most of them
have neither stockings, breeches, or
overalls. Several companies of inlisted
artificers are in the same situation, and
unable to work in the field."
What privations were here endured to
establish our priceless liberty! It makes
better Americans of us all to turn and
re-turn the pages of the real Hudson, the
most picturesque volume of the world's
history.
West Point during the Revolution was the
Gibraltar of the Hudson and her forts were
regarded almost impregnable. Fort Putnam
will be rebuilt as an enduring monument to
the bravery of American soldiers.
The best way to study West Point, however,
is not in voluminous histories or in the
condensed pages of a guide book, but to
visit it and see its real life, to wander
amid its old associations, and ask, when
necessary, intelligent questions, which are
everywhere courteously answered. The view
north seen in a summer evening, is one long
to be remembered. In such an hour the
writer's idea of the Hudson as an open book
with granite pages and crystal book-mark is
most completely realized as indicated in the
Highland section of his poem,
"The
Hudson":
On either side these mountain glens
Lie open like a massive book,
Whose words were graved with iron pens,
And lead into the eternal rock:
Which evermore shall here retain
The annals time cannot erase,
And while these granite leaves remain
This crystal ribbon marks the place.
Under Spring's delicate marshalling every
hill of the
Highlands took its own place, and the soft
swells of
ground stood back the one from the other in
more and
more tender coloring.
Susan Warner