CHAPTER V
SOME OF WASHINGTON'S HEADQUARTERS
An automobile was hired for the day, and as early as was practical, theparty started for Bronx Park. Here they took a quick survey of thehorticultural gardens and stopped a short time at the zoo, then on tothe historic points of Fordham and the Bronx. Then they visited thestately mansion of the old Morris family on the Harlem River, whereWashington had made his headquarters during the time he was in New Yorkwith his army.
From this place, the party went to White Plains, and saw the placesstill remaining to mark the points of historic interest. Thence toDobb's Ferry, where the fine old house used by Washington for hisheadquarters had been purchased by a rich American, and restored to itsoriginal state.
The visitors crossed the river at this place and went to Fort Lee, butnothing of interest could be found here.
"It is much like the man himself! General Lee ruined his character andhonor when he permitted the British to capture him in dressing gown andslippers!" scorned Mrs. Parke, who had always felt the utmost contemptfor this disobedient American.
"I wish we had time to cross from here and visit Morristown--it is notso far in distance, but have we time to-day?" ventured Mrs. Davis.
"I have an idea!" exclaimed Mr. Parke. "What do you say if we wire thegarage in New York that we will not return till to-morrow? We can thengo to Newburgh and West Point, and later on to Morristown, and remainthere for the night at some first-class hotel. It will be a relief toget away from the din of the New York streets, and rest in the quietpeace of a suburban town."
"We would not reach Morristown till long after dinner," said Mrs.Parke, thinking of the tiresome ride for the children.
"Well, ask the chauffeurs about it--they ought to know the distance andtime it would take to go from Newburgh to Morristown," said Mrs. Davis.
Both chauffeurs declared that it was too late to think of visiting WestPoint and Newburgh that day, and to cross-country to Morristown was avery poor road to travel. So it was decided to return to the city andstart the next morning for West Point on the small steamer runningbetween that point and New York. In this way, the children could see thegrand old Hudson and its sights. If it were possible, and the day fair,they would drive to Morristown and the places in its vicinity madefamous by Revolutionary tactics.
Mrs. Graham had arranged with her aunt that John and she would remain athome all of the following day to meet friends and distant relatives ofthe family. Thus John was disappointed in this trip up the Hudson, forhe would have much preferred to be with his friends, than sit in adarkened old city mansion, listening to folks talk about their family.
Early on the following day, therefore, the Parkes and Davises sailed upthe Hudson, passing the Sailors' Monument and Grant's Tomb on the way.The Palisades attracted admiration, for the foliage of late fallglorified the steep cliffs of the river.
Past Yonkers, called "Younkers" in the old Dutch days, they sailedagain, passing Dobb's Ferry, where they had visited the day before, andso on to Stony Point.
"Who can tell the story of Stony Point?" asked Mr. Parke.
The children looked at each other, but they seemed anxious not toventure information which might be incorrect, so Mrs. Parke decided tohelp them over the difficulty.
"Fortifications had been started at West Point, as it looked moredefensible than positions lately occupied by Fort Clinton and FortMontgomery. But the works at West Point were far from completion, andWashington knew that communication must be kept open between the middleand eastern states. Detachments of his army occupied positions on bothsides the river, commanding the ferry and protecting the incompleteworks above. On the west bank, stationed on an elevated section ofground called Stony Point, defences had been started but were far frombeing completed. On the east bank, a small fort called Lafayette's onVerplanck's Point, projecting out into the river, was nearer completionthan the works on the other side.
"Now, the intention of the British was to reduce both these works andcapture West Point, along with Washington's division, and perhaps, thatof the State of the Confederacy.
"The unfinished works at Stony Point, garrisoned by but forty men, wastoo weak to defend itself against Clinton's large division of theBritish army, landing on the eastern bank of the river, placed undercommand of Vaughan, so it was abandoned after setting fire to theblock-house. The garrison took stores and ammunition with them, andClinton took possession of it without opposition. During the night hehad cannon and mortars brought up and planted on the brow of the hill,opposite the fort on the other side of the river.
"At five o'clock in the morning, a heavy fire was opened upon FortLafayette by the command at Stony Point, and two vessels in the rivermanaged to pass the fort, thus cutting off all chance of escape bywater. General Vaughan made a circuit by land, thus completelysurrounding the little garrison of seventy men. Captain Armstrong, thecommander of the fort, and his men, held out all day and thencapitulated.
"Clinton ordered both forts completed at once, but Washington, havingheard of the British general's advance up the river, had strengthenedWest Point and taken up a strong position at Smith's Cove, so that theEnglish found it unwise to attack the American forces at that time.Besides Staten Island was threatened in his absence, so he leftgarrisons at the two posts captured, and retired to Phillipsburg, to beready to assist in New York and its dependencies, or at either of theother captured forts if necessary.
"A garrison of 1000 men was left at Stony Point, and one of 5000 men atFort Lafayette, but Clinton determined to draw the American army, so hesent Tryon with 2600 men into Connecticut. After pillaging New Haven anddestroying property at Fairfield, Norwalk and Greenfield, laying thetowns in ashes, and treating the people with the greatest brutality, heessayed to treat New London in the same manner, but the people wereroused to such a degree, by the reports from their neighboring towns,that they opposed Tryon successfully. Hence he returned to New York toboast of his exploits.
"News of the invasion of Connecticut was late in reaching Washington, ashe was visiting outposts in the vicinity of Stony Point. He understoodthe design of Clinton, however, so did not weaken his forces in theHighlands to assist the troops in Connecticut; on the contrary, heplanned a counter-attack on Stony Point, which, if successful, wouldalarm Clinton and induce him to recall the detachment from Connecticut,to defend the outpost on the river.
"Secrecy was one of the essential things to the success of this plan.One brigade was ordered to march so as to reach the scene of the actionabout the time the troops engaged in the attack, and so renderassistance should disaster befall them.
"As you can see from the boat here, Stony Point is a hill projecting farout into the river, with three sides washed by the Hudson, and the otherside attached to the mainland by a deep marsh.
"Over this marsh there was but one crossing-place, but where it joinswith the river there is a sandy beach. On the summit of the hill stoodthe fort. Besides the garrison there were some vessels stationed in theriver to command the foot of the fort.
"At half-past eleven at night, two columns of Continentals marched withunloaded muskets, and bayonets fixed, preceded by a forlorn hope oftwenty men. They crossed the marsh undiscovered, and at twenty minutesto twelve, commenced the assault.
"Surmounting every obstacle, they mounted and entered the works withoutdischarging a single musket. They obtained possession of the fort,without the display of cruelty so prevalent in the British ranks,although sixty-three of the garrison were killed. The prisoners amountedto upward of five hundred, and the value of the military stores takenwas considerable.
"An attempt was made on the opposite fort but failed. This failure, withthe fifteen hundred men it would take to garrison Stony Point againstthe enemy's shipping, caused Washington to demolish and abandon thefort. But Clinton re-occupied and repaired it again immediately.
"Then Washington established his headquarters at West Point in July, andfrom that time to December, he gave his attention to the
completion ofthe works at that post."
"Look on the right, children! There you will see the Verplanck's Pointyour aunt has just been describing to you as holding Fort Lafayette,"called Mr. Davis, pointing out the spot to the eager children.
From that point on till the boat reached Newburgh, the eldersentertained the children with various descriptions of places passed.
After visiting the headquarters at Newburgh, and going on to visit WestPoint, where the children were deeply interested in watching the cadetspractice, they returned to the landing where they intended taking theboat back to New York. But they were too late. It had gone half an hourbefore they reached the dock.
"That means we must go back by train," said Mr. Parke.
"We'll get to New York much earlier than expected. We might accomplishsome other visit," suggested Mrs. Davis.
"Oh, no. The return will mean that we will have time for rest beforestarting the trip to Morristown to-morrow," said Mrs. Parke.
So that evening was really the first quiet or restful one enjoyed sincethe travellers reached New York. And in the morning, all were eager tocontinue their historical visits.
Through the flats of Hackensack and across the Passaic, the party rode,the elders pointing out various places that might interest the children.At Newark nothing of moment was found to convey any picture ofWashington's campaign to the youthful admirers, so they continued on toMorristown.
Here they visited the old Fort Nonsense on the ridge, back of the town,and then inspected the headquarters, where a fine collection offurniture and other relics was kept on exhibition by the WashingtonAssociation of New Jersey.
Later they drove through Baskingridge and cross-country to Pluckimin andthus on to Brunswick. Trenton was passed through on the homeward route,and then on to Jersey City, and across the ferry to New York. In goingthrough Trenton the old hall and other historic buildings were pointedout to the children.
That night George had a suggestion to offer.
"We've done nothing but see, and _see_, and _see_ places since we'velanded here from home, and I say that we now do something different."
"But this trip was planned to show you children all we could toenlighten you on history," replied Mrs. Parke.
"I feel so light that it would take little to waft me up to the sky,"said Martha, hoping so to create sympathy.
"Now that we have completed the round of places to be visited in theinterests of Revolutionary history, suppose we continue on our way toPhiladelphia. There is a mine of historical places to be visited in andabout that city; besides we will be home and we won't have to botherlike we do in a hotel," said Mrs. Davis.
"I second that motion!" cried Jack.
"But our week of vacation is not yet over in New York," argued Mr.Parke.
"Well, why not leave you two men behind to finish up your week, while wego on with the children to prepare the people of the Quaker City for theunexpected coming of the Little Washingtons?" laughed Mrs. Parke.
"Do say yes, father!" begged Martha.
"I see! My own daughter wants to get away from my company!" exclaimedMr. Parke tragically.
"We wouldn't if you were finished with your business affairs, but weknow right well what will happen if we tear you away now! It will mean adelay all 'round," said Mrs. Parke, from former experiences.
"Well, then Sam and I will say 'good riddance' and send you off on themorrow's train from the Pennsylvania Station," agreed Mr. Parke.
The Little Washingtons' Travels Page 5
