The New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site, also known as New Windsor Cantonment, is located along
NY 300, north one mile of
Vails Gate, in the
Town of New Windsor,
Orange County
Orange County most commonly refers to:
*Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Orange County may also refer to:
U.S. counties
*Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando
*Orange County, Indiana
*Orange County, New ...
,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
. The site features a
reconstruction
Reconstruction may refer to:
Politics, history, and sociology
*Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company
*'' Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Unio ...
of the
Continental Army
The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...
's final
military encampment.
1780s
Between June 1782 and October 1783 7,000 troops were boarded here in 600 log huts, over . Although the
Siege of Yorktown
The Siege of Yorktown, also known as the Battle of Yorktown, the surrender at Yorktown, or the German battle (from the presence of Germans in all three armies), beginning on September 28, 1781, and ending on October 19, 1781, at Yorktown, Virgi ...
had ended most hostilities the year before, the British still occupied
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
and other ports, and
George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...
believed that there was still strong sentiment in
Britain
Britain most often refers to:
* The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands
* Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...
for restarting the war and taking the colonies back. Thus it was necessary to keep the army here, within striking distance of New York and next to the vital
Hudson River
The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...
, until all the British forces were withdrawn. On April 19, 1783, Washington issued a
cease fire
A ceasefire (also known as a truce or armistice), also spelled cease fire (the antonym of 'open fire'), is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be between state act ...
order, officially ending the war for the Army.
[ ''Note:'' This includes
an]
''Accompanying photographs''
/ref>
Newburgh Conspiracy
They were still uncertain times, however, as the Newburgh Conspiracy
The Newburgh Conspiracy was a failed apparent threat by leaders of the Continental Army in March 1783, at the end of the American Revolutionary War. The Army's commander, George Washington, successfully calmed the soldiers and helped secure back ...
, where Washington persuaded his officers not to march on the Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a series of legislative bodies, with some executive function, for thirteen of Britain's colonies in North America, and the newly declared United States just before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War. ...
and demand back pay at gunpoint, would demonstrate. The Temple, where he made his famous speech revealing his vision problems for the first time, is among the reconstructed buildings.
Awards presented
The Purple Heart
The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, w ...
was first awarded here, and the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor
National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located along NY 300 in the Town of New Windsor, New York, United States, less than two miles south of the Town of Newburgh line and not far from the City of Newburgh. It is a Purple Heart national regis ...
was opened November 10, 2006 in recognition of that history.
Post-war
After the war, the vacated huts were sold. Some of the stone walls on the site may be made from stones that came from the fireplaces of the original buildings. In 1963 the town acquired of the original site, which it runs on the opposite side of Route 300 as the Last Encampment, and along with the National Temple Hill Association has kept it up as a monument. The Temple itself and its vicinity are owned by the but operated by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission
The Palisades Interstate Park Commission (PIPC) was formed in 1900 by Governors Theodore Roosevelt of New York and Foster Voorhees of New Jersey in response to the quarrying operations along the Palisades Cliffs of New Jersey. The Palisades, a Na ...
.
Site info
The site is open Wednesdays through Sunday from mid-April through October. Admission is free. Activities and events with reenactors in period costume
A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romances, adventure films, and sw ...
are scheduled frequently.
See also
*Knox's Headquarters State Historic Site
Knox's Headquarters State Historic Site, in the town of New Windsor in Orange County, New York, consists of the Georgian house of the Ellison family, built in 1754 by immigrant William Bull E. M. Ruttenber, "Historic Homes in Orange County," ''Hi ...
*Washington's Headquarters State Historic Site
Washington's Headquarters State Historic Site, also called Hasbrouck House, is located in Newburgh, New York overlooking the Hudson River. George Washington lived there while he was in command of the Continental Army during the final year of the ...
References
External links
Official website
at state Division of Military and Naval Affairs' site
{{Protected areas of New York
New York (state) historic sites
New York (state) in the American Revolution
Palisades Interstate Park system
American Revolutionary War sites
National Register of Historic Places in Orange County, New York
Tourist attractions in Orange County, New York
New Windsor, New York
Museums in Orange County, New York
American Revolutionary War museums in New York (state)
American Revolution on the National Register of Historic Places
Buildings and structures in New Windsor, New York