Aiming to please at Knox’s Headquarters
NEW WINDSOR — The long barrel artillery piece or gun was a dominating presence on most of the battlefields of the American Revolution. Firing solid iron balls out to distances of 1,000 yards and deadly shotgun blasts of caseshot, small iron balls, in a tin canister, up to 300 yards, the gun devastated enemy formations. The larger versions battered down walls and smashed holes in great warships.
As part of New York’s "Path Through History" weekends, on June 14 at Knox's Headquarters, learn about the use of 18th century artillery and how the Americans, at New Windsor, prepared some of the guns, howitzers and mortars that were used at the siege at Yorktown, Virginia. See the gun fired every half-hour from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and, if you are ambitious, help drag it into position.
The beautiful stone 1754 John Ellison House was the headquarters for Generals Nathanael Greene, Henry Knox and Horatio Gates during the American Revolution. Knox, in his 1780-81 period of residence, brought along 300 soldiers of the 2nd and 3rd Continental Artillery Regiments, who camped a mile away. The soldiers built huts out of the surrounding forest and waited for warmer weather. In the spring, the camp was a whirlwind of activity as the men prepared their artillery and trained. Knox coordinated the movement of various pieces from all over the northeast to the encampment site. Planning to join an attack against British-held New York City, they instead headed to Virginia, to decide the destiny of the new nation.
Admission is free. Knox's Headquarters is located at 289 Forge hill Road, at the intersection of Forge Hill Road and Blooming Grove Turnpike in Vails Gate.
For more information, call 845-561-1765 ext. 22.
More historical sites
A short drive from Knox’s Headquarters, are the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor and the New Windsor Cantonment, in New Windsor, and Washington’s Headquarters, in Newburgh. These sites feature the story of the Purple Heart, the history of the New Windsor Cantonment: Behind Every Great Man: The Continental Army in Winter, 1782-83, the exhibit The Last Argument of Kings, Revolutionary War Artillery and the award-winning display of historical artifacts at Washington’s Headquarters. A picnic grove is available and there is plenty of free parking.
For more information about New York State parks and historic sites, visit their website at www.nysparks.com and follow the links for historic sites.