THE MARCH FROM PHILIPSBURG TO POMPTON, AUGUST 18-26, 1781   

10.1 The March of the Continental Army to Stony Point

10.2 The March of the French Army to Stony Point

10.3 The March from Stony Point

10.1       The March of the Continental Army to Stony Point

     Between August 14 and 18, when the French artillery departed from Philipsburg for North Castle/Mount Kisco, the staffs of both armies worked feverishly to prepare for the march. It had been decided that the whole of the French army would march south; of the Continental Army Washington would take the Light Infantry under Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander Scammel. Two light companies each of New York and Connecticut, the New Jersey Line, two regiments of the New York Line, Moses Hazen's Canadian regiment, the First Rhode Island, and Lamb's Artillery would also go, some 2,000 men in all. [1] The rest of the Continental Army would remain in Westchester County under the command of General Edward Heath. On the 17^th he proposed a route for the French army to follow. Leaving Philipsburg on Saturday, August 18, and reaching Trenton on Thursday the 29^th, Washington explained "I have named no halting day because we have not a moment to loose." [2] On the 19^th, "the Jersey Line and Hazen's Regt." received orders to move "to the heights between Chatham and Springfield" and was immediately ferried from Dobbs Ferry (SITE 21) across the Hudson to Sneeden's Landing. [3]

     Unencumbered by heavy artillery or baggage, the Continental Army was to form the left flank of the column. Leaving their camp in the morning of the 19^th, it marched west on Secor Road, south on Sawmill River Road and west again on Ashford (the old the Dobbs Ferry Road) but then, to the surprise of some of its officers and men, veered north to Tarrytown on US Route 9. Going past Sleep Hollow Church (SITE 7) and Ossining in the evening of the 19^th, they were following the same route that had taken them to Philipsburg seven weeks earlier. Next they crossed the Croton at New Bridge near the Van Cortlandt Manor House (SITE 6) and followed the Old Albany Post Road (SR 9A) to Westchester Avenue at Fort Lafayette (SITE 23) and Verplanck's Point/King's Ferry. (SITE 24) Arriving around 10:00 a.m. on August 20, they began to cross immediately. [4] By sunrise on August 21, the Americans were across in Stony Point (SITE 25), and while the advance guard under Scammel marched on to a camp near Kakiat, [5] the remainder of the army helped "some of the french Artillery" [6] to cross during August 21. [7]

10.2          The March of the French Army to Stony Point

     The French artillery, which had left only at 11:00 a.m. on the 18^th as the center column, was scheduled to reach King's Ferry on the 21^st. Progress was painfully slow and due to the rain, bad roads, and overloaded carts, it made only four miles that day. Berthier, who led the column, had to rent oxen which met up with the artillery at their bivouac only at 4:00 a.m. on the 19^th. Departing "from their camp at Isaac Tompkins' they (or at least their artillery) retreated by the Allaire road where in several places they made cause ways of rails over low places for the passage of the cannon." [8] The causeways were but a foretaste of what was to come. Following the old Pines Bridge Road, more or less today's SR 100A to SR 100 to SR 141, Bedford Road, through Elmsford, Hawthorne, Thornwood, Pleasantville to Chappaqua, they veered left/north via South Greeley Street to Quaker Street (SR 120) and Seven Bridges Road, which led them to Pines Bridge, where the artillery finished crossed the Croton at 2 a.m. on the 20^th and camped "200 paces beyond on the opposite bank." [9] (SITE 26) The modern bridge is a bit to the west of where the eighteenth-century bridge, now covered by the reservoir, would have been. But the French had to ford the river anyway: "We crossed the Croton, quite a pretty river with a fine wooden bridge which was, however, in ruins."

     Once across the Croton, the artillery spent August 20 in bivouac just north of the crossing "working to repair the broken gun carriages." [10] On the 21^st the column left for Peekskill marching north on Hanover Street to modern-day Yorktown past the Underhill House (at Hanover Street and California Road) where Major André had had his last breakfast in freedom almost a year earlier, to where Hanover Street becomes Commerce (SR 35), past Hunt's Tavern, until a bit further north SR 35 turns west and becomes SR 202, Crompond Road, toward Van Cortlandtville and Peekskill. Since Berthier found the march too long to complete that day, he ordered most of the artillery to bivouac 2 miles east of Peekskill on the 21^st near Locust Avenue. It was only on the 22^nd that the crossing of the artillery and heavy baggage could begin.

     The French infantry, which had departed Philipsburg on August 19 as a right-hand column, had retraced the route it had brought them to Philipsburg in the first days of July. [11] Following SR 22 to 128 to Mt. Kisco, it had veered left/north on Main Street to Crow Hill Road and on to Pines Bridge, where it was to cross the Croton. But it too was held back by the bad condition of the roads and bivouacked "in the mud all night in the pouring rain." [12] "There were so many impediments, such as the bad weather that we had had for several days, the poor communications, the abominable roads, the large number of wagons, etc., that the army reached North Castle," their 15^th camp, or rather bivouac, "only during the night" of August 19/20. [13] Despite the bad weather and the darkness, Private Flohr recorded that they had "quite a few visits from the inhabitants, among whom were here and there a few Germans already." [14] The 20^th was an unplanned rest day south of the Croton in North Castle as the infantry waited for its wagons. [15] Only on the 21^st could the infantry ford the Croton at Pines Bridge and, following the route taken by the artillery and baggage of the center column, reach its 16^th camp, some 8 miles away near Hunt's Tavern where it spent the night of August 21/22. (SITE 27) The tavern stood on the north side of Crompond Road near the intersection with Hallock's Mill Road, east of the Crompond and Mohansic Lakes; their camp was along the north side of Baldwin Road between SR 202 and Hallocks Mill Road. [16]

     "The grenadiers and chasseurs" who left only on August 20 on the route taken by the center column, "were forced to bivouac six miles from Philippsburg, because so many broken-down vehicles obstructed the way." [17] The next day, August 21, it too crossed the Croton and marched on to Hunt's Tavern where it joined up with the rest of the infantry for the night of August 21/22. From Hunt's Tavern, the men took the Crompond Road, more or less SR 202, westward to Peekskill on the 22^nd. From there it was south on South Street to SR 9A and Westchester Street until the banks of the Hudson were reached near Fort Lafayette. Here the infantry went into its 6^th camp in the State of New York and the 17^th camp since departure from Newport (SITE 28) while the artillery finished crossing the Hudson. [18] Along the way they passed the home of Daniel Birdsall, one of the founders of Peekskill (1764). Located on Main Street, the house doubled as an inn for such luminaries as Washington, who occasionally used it as his headquarters. On 29 June 1781, Commissary Blanchard, sent ahead by Rochambeau to prepare for the arrival of his troops and to establish a hospital there, had had dinner with Washington in the Birdsall House (SITES 29 and 30). [19]

     The first elements of the artillery had reached the crossing at Verplanck's Point in the late afternoon of August 21 and began to cross immediately. [20] Those components that had bivouacked 2 miles east of Peekskill in the vicinity of Locust Avenue on the 21^st, crossed the Hudson upon arrival on the 22^nd without stopping; so did Lauzun's Legion. To get the artillery across, Washington had ordered that provisional ferries be constructed by fastening planks to the decks of two boats lying parallel in the water. That way, a fully loaded wagon, or two pieces of artillery, or 60 to 80 men could cross the river at a time. Lauberdière noted with surprise that horses and oxen swam across the river. Despite strong winds and a choppy sea, the wagon train followed on the 23^rd, and on the 24^th the First Brigade finally set across the Hudson as well.

     Once across the river it marched south on Route 9W to its camp near the home of Jeshua Hett Smith, (SITE 31) where Benedict Arnold and Major John André had had their last meeting before Arnold's treason. Here Washington established his headquarters from August 21 to 25. [21] As the First Brigade, including Rochambeau, left its 18^th camp in Haverstraw (SITE 32) north of Cedar Pond Brook in Stony Point Village about three miles from the Ferry on the 25^th, the Second Brigade crossed the Hudson and occupied this campsite from August 25 to August 26. It was only at mid-night August 25/26, four days behind schedule, that the last wagons and the rear-guard of the army crossed over to Stony Point and without resting joined the Second Brigade in its march to Suffern. [22]

     While his troops were crossing the Hudson, Rochambeau did not want to miss the opportunity of seeing the fortress at West Point. (SITE 33) Accompanied by Washington and two of his aides, e.g., Lauberdiere and the comte de Vauban, he left Peekskill by boat around 8:00 a.m. on the 23^rd for a one-day visit. [23]

      During the march from Philipsburg to Peekskill the French received some painful reminders of how far north the Neutral Zone extended. On 1 November 1845, Samuel Chadeayne of Yorktown told McDonald that "The French army when they retired from White Plains (in 1781 probably) left some sick soldiers in North Castle Church and a surgeon of one of the French regiments went down daily to see them, returning at night to his quarters in York Town some where north of the Croton and near Pines Bridge. On his return from one of these visits he was waylaid by James Totten, James Tillot and two others at a place not more than a mile from Pines Bridge in a straight line to the south. They took him to a retired spot in a wood, robbed him of his money, gold watch and clothes, and then sat down under a tree and played a game of ”all fours” (sic) to determine who should kill him. The poor Frenchman could not talk English but appeared to comprehend what was going on, and resigned himself to his destiny. When the game was over he advanced of his own accord to a tree and clasping the tree in his arms motioned to them to come forward and tie him, which they did, and straightway the appointed man put him to death. One of them (Totten?) soon after appeared below at Morrisania, dressed in the Frenchman’s clothes, and openly boasted of the deed, but received a sharp reproach from Colonel DeLancey. “Totten,” he said, “you think you have accomplished an honorable and brave exploit in taking the life of a poor French doctor who made no resistance. You are a disgrace to the Refugees, and I want to see you no more. Take my advice and withdraw from this place, for rely upon it if (245) you don’t the rebels will spare no effort or expense to hang you.” He thereupon wisely took the proffered advice and withdrew. The Tottens, (James and G [sic]) went to Nova Scotia, but returned and died here." [24]

     Jabud June told an almost identical story: “I lived during the Revolutionary war in the west part of the town of Bedford. … The French doctor was ambuscaded and taken by James Totten of North Castle (cousin of Gilbert, the Captain), James Tillett and two others not far from Pines Bridge. After taking his horse, watch, money &a they kept him one or two hours in an obscure place in the woods where they had conducted him, amusing themselves at his expence (sic) like a cat that has secured her victim. The poor Frenchman could not talk not (sic) English, but begged hard for his life by signs. Next the three play a game of cards to decide who would shoot the doctor. The lot fell on James Tillet to pull the trigger. Tillet, so June, returned from Nova Scotia after the war.“and became a Methodist preacher but was always despised for the murder. He made a full confession of all the affair and expressed great contrition.” [25]

     The almost identical details in these reminiscences and the identification of the men involved makes it all but certain that the incident happened. But unlike the French hussar lieutenant shot by Vincent I have not been able to identify of the doctor killed by Tillett.

     We do know, however, that Blanchard had established a hospital on a farm at North Castle on 6 July. [26] On the 16^th he set up two more hospitals in churches in Peekskill, and was ordered to remove the North Castle hospital to Peekskill/Van Cortlandtville as well. [27] One of the churches used as a hospital was Old St. Peter's Church in Van Cortlandville, [28] where Jean Bonnair of the Saintonge and Jean-Joseph Paquay of the Soissonnais died and were buried in September 1781; another six, incl. an officer, were buried there in September and October 1782 when Blanchard re-opened the hospital during the return march on September 16. (Sites 34 and 35) It may well have been during the few days from July 6 to July 16 that the incident occurred, prompting Tarlé's order to relocate the hospital in North Castle, though the relocation does not seem to have taken place. Numerous soldiers, e.g., François Boudaille of the Auxonne artillery on July 17, and Gabriel Porzat and Gabriel Sorla, both of the Bourbonnais, both on 19 August, died in North Castle and were buried there, presumably in the cemetery of the North Castle St. George's Protestant Episcopal Church. [29] (Site 3)

     As the French army took up its encampment in Philipsburg, Blanchard had to provide for the sick there as well. Rochambeau's livre d'ordre for 10 July 1781 contains an entry indicating that "an ambulant hospital is established in Philipsburg in the home of Gilbert Ward behind the camp of Lauzun; sick soldiers can be sent there. Each regiment will send to this hospital the wagon which is following the regiment carrying the soldiers which have fallen sick along the route." [30] This hospital seems to have been in existence at least until mid-August until the departure of the combined armies for Virginia.

10.3          The March from Stony Point

     Around 4:00 a.m in the morning of Saturday, August 25, the Continental Army marched to "three miles beyond Suffrans" [31] over the Mahwah Bridge following what was known then as the "Upper Road" via Kakiat (the "English Church" at New Hempstead). Here the sappers, miners, baggage carts, artillery park -- the right-hand column of the Continental Army under the protection of the Rhode Island Regiment and Lauzun's Legion -- began its march to Andrew Hopper's House and encamped for the night. On the 26^th this column marched to "5 Miles beyond Pompton on the road to the two Bridges at the fork of Posaic," and on "27. Back of the Mountain to Chatham." [32] In his diary, Washington wrote similarly that this column "proceeded to Chatham by the way of Pomton and the two bridges" across the Passaic River." [33] In modern terms this means that this column under the command of Colonel John Lamb, continued south on Central Highway to the intersection with West Ramapo Road (SR 202) and followed it east to SR 45. Next it followed SR 45 south to Kakiat Corners into New Hempstead where it turned right/east onto New Hempstead Road (Old SR 202) which becomes Union Road at Brick Church Road. Following Brick Church Road it turned south onto SR 306 to Viola Road, where it went east until it reached SR 202 to Suffern. Here it followed the Ramapo Valley Road across the New Jersey State line.

     General Lincoln's command "compos'd of the light Troops, and York Regiments (if Courtlands should get up to you in time) and four light pieces with the Baggage of these sevl. Corps" accompanied the train of the Continental Army through Suffern and about one mile into New Jersey. Here it turned south on SR 17 (or Franklin Turnpike SR 507?)  and marched to "within 3 miles of Paramus (i.e., Hohokus)." On the 26^th, so Washington's letter, it proceeded to "two Miles below Acquakenach Bridge, (and on the) 27^th. to Springfield." Once Lincoln arrived in Springfield, i.e., August 27, the New Jersey Line and Moses Hazen's Canadian regiment, encamped on the heights between Chatham and Springfield since the night of the 19^th, were break camp and join forces with Lincoln. [34]

     The First Brigade of the French army followed one day behind the Continental Army, i.e., left its camp at Haverstraw on Sunday, August 25 for Suffern, its 19^th camp. [35] While some of the officers stayed at John Suffern's Tavern, (Site 36), the men of the First Brigade and the wagon train camped west of the Mahwah River on the west side of Washington Avenue to about half-way to the bridge on August 25. (Site 37) Flohr called "Suffrantz a little town in a very pleasant area where everyone would have liked to stay. In that area males are very welcome since one did not meet many of them, when one entered into a house there the first thing they did was ask whether one did not want to stay with them they would hide you until the French were gone, one also encountered everywhere Hessian soldiers who had deserted and also very many Hannoverians."

     The next day, August 26, the Second Brigade occupied the same ground while the First Brigade crossed the "romepags, a small rivulet … which forms the boundary between the States of New York and the Jerseys," about a mile beyond the campsite on the way to Pompton. [36] Here the French army entered its 20^th camp. As the Franco-American armies made their way from New York into New Jersey, a good mile to the north-west of Suffern, American troops, stationed there since 1776, continued to guard the approaches into the Ramapo at Sidman's Bridge. (SITE 38)

     As the French forces marched through Philadelphia, the Freeman's Journal of 5 September 1781 reported that "the appearance of these troops far exceeds any thing of the kind seen on this continent, and presages the happiest success to the cause of America." That success came six weeks later before Yorktown where the Continental Army in close cooperation with their French allies on land and on sea forced Lord Cornwallis to surrender on October 21, 1781, the 3^rd anniversary of Saratoga, the victory that had convinced France that the American rebellion was viable. The surrender of Cornwallis and his British and Germans troops meant the victory of that rebellion. Washington and his army did not tarry at Yorktown but the French spent the winter and spring of 1781/ 82 in and around Williamsburg. Ten months after their arrival, on July 1, 1782, Rochambeau's forces broke camp and began their march back to New England.