William Walker Crosses Kings Ferry
On the second day of 1780, Capt. Silas Burbank of the 12th Massachusetts Regiment sat down to record a deposition from William Walker, a…
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Constant Avery, Continental Soldier
Constant Avery of Eaton, in New York’s Madison County, travelled sixteen miles to the county seat in Wampsville in the first week of October…
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William Babcock and His Inaccurate Pension Application
The Healey Library at the University of Massachusetts Boston defines primary sources as “immediate, first-hand documents of a topic, from people who had a…
The Revolutionary War Service of James Noble
When old Revolutionary War soldiers applied for their military pensions in the first and second quarter of the nineteenth century, they generally reported the…
Memorial Day: Recovering the Service of William Tiller, American Soldier
Every now and then, one comes across a pension application of an old soldier that includes extraordinary detail. Occasionally the application includes a journal…
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Stony Point: The Second Occupation, July–October 1779
Gen. George Washington, commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, arrived at the American defenses at West Point “very much fatigued.” He had ridden one his…
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“Mad Anthony”: The Reality Behind the Nickname
It is often a tradition among soldiers and sailors to give monikers to their commanders. American military history resounds with names like Gen.Thomas “Stonewall”…
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Courts-Martial of the Corps of Light Infantry, 1779
Orderly books are great sources of information for military historians. Their contents are a treasure, and include everything from general and regimental orders, returns,…
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Henry Champion: An Officer Resigns
Some people are drawn to flame, perhaps just a momentary fascination, but it can get one scolded, especially by the Commander-in-Chief. “I had just…
2
The Extraordinary Life of Isaac Grant of Judea, Connecticut
The old man stepped out into the sun, shut his door, and turned north, leaving his home in Gainesville, New York, for the county…
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Stony Point Battlefield and Lighthouse State Historic Site
Early in the morning of July 16, 1779, Gen. Anthony Wayne and his Corps of Light Infantry successfully stormed the British works at Stony…
An American Perspective on the Guard Boats of the Hudson
Sgt. Benjamin Gilbert of the 5th Massachusetts Regiment awoke near Verplanck Point on May 31, 1779 with cause to celebrate: it was his birthday,…
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The Mythology of Stony Point
The American War for Independence, like any great historical episode, has its share of legends and mythology. The period from 1775 to 1783, perhaps…
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Struck by Lightning
Since the dawn of humanity, thunder and lightning have both terrified and awed. Protection was sought from deities like Zeus and Thor; and in…
Top 10 Events at King’s Ferry
A great deal of the American Revolution took place in New York’s Lower Hudson Valley. The region was home to a number of forts,…
4
An American Perspective on the Peekskill Raid
Jamaican-born Scotsman Colonel Ann Hawkes Hay of the 2nd Regiment of Orange County Militia looked over his property in Haverstraw, New York towards the…
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Sir Henry Clinton Attempts to Save the Convention Army
In late October of 1777, America celebrated its first capture of a British Army; General Horatio Gates had defeated General Sir John Burgoyne near…
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The Unsuccessful American Attempt on Verplanck Point, July 16-19, 1779
In the early morning hours of July 16, 1779, Brigadier General Anthony Wayne and the Continental Corps of Light Infantry successfully stormed and carried…