The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1876-05-01
ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO,
The Fourteenth OF April, i770-wnshInH.
toR's Arrival Ia New York City.

Tic Fourteenth OF April, i77O--WnshIuH.
toa's Arrival la New York City.
One hundred years ago Gen. Wash.
ington arrived III New York, coming by
way OF Providence, Norwich and New
Londor, and transferring his headquar-
ters from Boston to New York city,
Gen. Charles Lee had been in New York
since the fourth Of February, and had
done much toward fortifying tho city,
erecting batteries up tho Hudson and
East rivers as far rs Houston street, and
throwing up entertainments ut Gowanus
and on Governors island. Sir Henry
Clinton had looked in on tho city and
sailed away again with his squadron, and
it was not until July Q that Gen. Howe
landed his troops on Staten Island.
The aggregate American force in the
city and vicinity was 10000 men, OF
whom only 5000 were fit for duty.
These troops were without pay, and
many had neither uniforms nor arms.
When Washington first came to the
city he made his headquarters at the De
Peyster mansion, 1S0 Pearl street, oppo-
site CEDAR part Of which was stand.
ing until quite recently. There he re-
NAMED until May %, when he went to
Philadelphia on summons to confer
with Congress. Returning, he went to
the Kennedy House at No. Broadway,
where he remained until the city was
evacuated in September. There were no
holidays then at headquarters. Gen.
Washington writes Of himself
"I give in TO no kind OF amusements
myself, and consequently those about me
can have lone, but are confined from
morning until evening, hearing and
answering applications and letters"
Though Mrs. Washington and the
wives OF the other generals were here,
there was little social intercourse. Tho
wealthy people of the city were nearly
all loyalists, and would rather have wei
coined Howe than Washington. "Wo
all live here" writes q Indy OF New
York, "like nuns shut up in nunnery.
No society in the town, for there arc
none to visit; neither can we go in or
out after certain hour without the
countersign." Another correspondent
writes: "When you arc informed that
Now York is deserted by its old in.
habitants and filed with soldiers from
Now England, Philadelphia, Jersey,
otc., you will naturally conclude the en-.
virons OF it are not very safe from SO
undisciplined a multitude as our provin.
cials arc re presented to be; but l do be.
lieve there are very few instances OF so
great a number Of men together, with
so little mischief done by them. They
have all tue simplicity Of plowmen in
their manners, and seem quite strangers
to the vices Of older soldiers"
AS Gen. Greene ono day passed
through tho Commons (now tho City
Hall park he saw youthful soldier
training provincial company OF artil-
lcry. The boyish captain was only
twonty years old, but he was full Of fire
and vigor, and showed no little knowl-
edge of military science. Greene stop.
ped, admired, and invited him to his
quarters, subsequently giving him m
introduction TO tho commander-in.c chief.
The boy soldier was Alexander II. Ham
ilton. Every New Yorker knows his
subsequent story.
New York ut this time was tory city.
Its leading men generally thought it was
safer to adhere TO the king. Its business
interests were averse to change. Tho
committee Of safety had opposed the
entrance Of the Continental troops, and
had advised that they be kept within the
limits OF Connecticut. Lee had assured
them that he would respect their wishes,
but at the sumo time added:
"Ifthe British ships of war aro quiet,
I shall be quiet; but I declare solemnly
that if they make q pretext Of my pres.
euce to fire on the town, the first house
set in flames by their guns shall be
the funeral pile OF some Of their best
friends"
In a letter to Washington the fiery
Virginia soldier said that he found the
provincial Congress OF New York "wo.
fully hysterical. The committee OF one
hundred, organized tho year before,
embraced not only all the leading patri
OTIS Of the city, but some who Afterward
became decided tories. Isaac Low was
chairman OF the committee, and its lead.
ing members were John Jay, John Al.
sop, Philip Livingston, James Duane,
Isaac Roosevelt, Samuel Verplanck,
John Morton, Leonard Lispenard, Mich.
olas Hoffman, John Broome, Nicholas
Bogart, Alexander McDougal, John
Lasher, James Beekman, John NORM
Scott, Comfort Sands, John Lamb, Peter
Goelet and James Desbrosses.