The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1837-08-05
STONY POINT.

- yin IOlN /.
The scenery on the Hudson river bears
natures grandest imprint. The hand that
formed an universe of worlds has thrown
together along the banks of this noble
stream, a wild assemblage of rocks and
mountains. The Palisades, as they are
called, commence on the western side of
the Hudson, just above the Weehaw or
Weehawken, and extend about twelve miles
up the river. They are bold, abrupt de-
monsrations of omnipotence, moulded by
him, whose power is not bounded by time
or circumstances. The cannon of thou
sand arms might roar out their Intellectual
vengeance against this natural battery, which
frowns over the broad bright stream at an
elevation of from sixty to one hundred and
fifty feet, and the parapet would laugh in
scorn at the power of battle.
After the Palisades terminate, a country
ofhills and wales succeed; the former, round
ed up like loaves of sugar, and the latter in
dented like dimplcs on the cheek of beau
ty. Occasionally, however, nature has
projected in>o the stream one of her bold
fronts, miniature foundation of the "hills
of fear" which cast their sOmbre shadows
across the pass of the highlands. One OF
these projections is Stony Point. 1t stands
out in bold relief from the rural scenery
lust below, and challenges the attention OF
the passenger who has been relieved from
the sublimity of the basaltic rocks of the
Palisades TO prepare for a wilder develope.
ment, Of natures craniology. But the i'm.
pressions which crowd into the spectators
mindin this region, are not derived from q
river, mountain, or valley-tradtion and
history lend melancholy glory to this rev.
olutionary ground-On the right or eastern
bank stretches away the celebrated "neu
trail ground" throughout the entire exten
of West Chester county, where regulars
COW boys, Virginia horse, and continentals
wings and tories, appeared and disappear
ed like the actors of wild and bloody ira
gedy On the left, Stony Point is allied tt
associations Of military achievements ant
unfading renown-while farther up, Ar
nold's treason, Andres capture and untime
ly although merited fate, twine round tn,
memorable rocks of Stony Point
Stony Point is about forty miles abov'
r New York; and ten or fourteen below Yves
, Point. Il is rounded gravelly hill, o
, small extent, jutting into the stream ant
, connected with the main land by low mo
rass which is partially over-Aowed by tid
water. Itwas fortified in the revoludOnar,
! war, and occupied by a small force, ant
might have been, considered as a remot
= outpost to the strong fortress of West Point
e 1t was captured by the British in the yea
= 1879, and strongly repaired and garrisone
= by more than 600 soldiers, commanded BY
r the brave Lieut. Col. Johnson.
r A few days before the 10th Of July il
S the same year, a tall, commanding person
! age, mounted on a strong charger, was see
f on the eminence above Stony Point II
s had glass in his hand, and appeared t
/ study the character of the defencee with a
| intensity Of interest. Johnson, who wa
S returning the gaze of the horseman wit
4, his spyglass, turned to enc of his staff an
= remarked that the apparition on the hi
0 porended no good. Rumors were afloa
q in the entertainments that the same tall fig
q ure had been seen across the river on tn
highest opposite eminence the day before
c like horseman painted against the sky
+ A COW boy said that this figure was tn
y appartion of Washington, and that it wa
}, never seen except just before a battle or
e thunderstorm. But while these idle IT
d mors were floating around the atmospher
n of the camp, the real Washington, from oil