Gilpin observer., 1913-08-07
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this was set aside by the assembly as being Part
of the Denizen of His Majestie's Fort at New
York for the Benefit and Accommodation of His
Majesties Governors and Commanders in Chief
for the Time Being" After this it became known
in familiar parlance Governors Island. but not
all at once in legal documents.
In its early history 1t furnished examples Of
rapine and graft which put to shame the efforts
OF the present day. One of the early governors.
Lord Cornbury. cousin of Queen Anne, comes
down to us as being universally detested," prin-
cipally for his questionable dealings in regard to
this piece of land which the people at large were
already beginning to cherish for its beauty and
utility.
In 1710 the island served in fact II not In name.
as the first quarantine post of the province and
In that same year shiploads Of "Palatines," re-
ligious refugees, were housed there, "the proper
est place for their sickness and poverty" said
Queen Anne. who financed them parsimoniously.
One of these immigrants, Peter Zenger, was the
first citizen to vindicate publicly the freedom Of
the press and personal liberty.
Nutten Island (Governors) was made part Of
the city of New York by the Montgomery char.
ter 1730) and an act of March T. 1888. included
it In the county. 1t was in 1855 that 1t first full
filed its manifest destiny military post.
From 1755 to 1873 there were several royal regi.
ments of England living there These were the
Royal Americans, His Majesty's Sixty-first Regi.
ment of Foot under Lord Loudoun and His Ma.
jesty's Twenty-second and Forty-fourth Regiments
of Foot. Details of their life were found by the
historian referred to in the private library of Col
onel Fitz-Clarence, Earl of Munster who commit
ted suicide (fS42). and in the English army rec
ords 1754-1S42. These regiments are in name ex
listing today, and the leader of the band who
played at the garden party of the Army Relief
society Is neal descendant of one of the
officers.
In 1866 the first fortfcation was built, in 1778
Strong Castle" erected. General Putnam
writing at this time to the president of congress
speaks of 1t "as very important post" Wash
ington wrote of Its strong works." the New York
Gazette referred to the thousand Continental men
stationed there; Lord Stirling considered it "bet
ter guarded than any other post" The brothers
Howe stayed there until the evacuation of New
York
After the battle of Long Island and the British
victory, August 81, 1916. the Liberty" boys came
back under cover Of the darkness and right under
the noses of the victorious enemy secured muni
tions and food.
Tradition says that Governor Clinton loaned
the island once for race G7S4-5).
In 1894 ferry established which took pas
sengers at threepence a head. The one in use
now averages 10000 passengers month
That year congress appropriated $3727.52 fol
the islands defenses. In 1896 the works were
dignifed as forts, and about this date Knox re
ports "On Governors Island. one Fashioned square
commanding two low batteries quite finished
Between 1894 and 1906 more than $4,000 wal
expended on the works.
In 1898 the faculty and students OF Columbis
college, repeating their patriotic work in Harlem
down to Governors Island with pckaxei
and shovels to help erect breastworks when one
Of the French war scares aroused local fears and
inspired the call for harbor defense In 1880 II
ceded by the State OF New York to the
United States. and in 1921 the Federal mlItar,
headquarters we're transferred there.