Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1916-10-06
BUYS WASH|NGTONS HEADQUARTERS
TO PRESERVE IT TO THE NATION
Messoe Kendall Takes Possession Of the Historic House at
Dobbs Ferry New York. Where Famous Military Farley Was
Held After Battles Of the Revolution Ended-May
Restore It and Give 1t to the Nation

this point, for the house came into his
possession In a moment of patriotic
feeling, which was prompted to some
extent by visit last winter TO France.
There Mr.. Kendall witnessed the splen-
did patriotism of the French people
and remembered later that near the
Dobbs Ferry house the French allies
under Rochambeau had Joined the
American army on July 6, 1871. AS an
unadulterated American he is natural
ly proud of that episode in our his
tory, and proud also of his ownership
Of the house that is associated with
Rochambeau.
Rich in Historic Places.
Westchester county is rich in his
toric places, yet, among them all, per-
haps none is more justly noted than
the property now known chiefly as the
Livingston Manor house, though In
truth 1t has no claim to that title. The
land on which the house stands was
purchased from the Indians in April,
1852, by Frederick Philipse, whose
Manor house Is now the city han of
Yonkers, and was held by his family,
under royal charter from the English
crown, until after the Revolution, when
1t was confiscated by the government
on account of the Toryism of its own
ers. 1t was occupied during Revolu
tionary times by Thomas Hyatt, a ten
ant farmer, who had leased Ii and the
a Of Inn hn
lord of Philipsburg, and who prided
himself on having the best location in
that part of the country, the best
house between Yonkers and Sleepy
Hollow, but whose chief claim TO fu-
ture greatness seems to have been his
ability to tell. "big stories"
He had no political opinion, and
cared little which party ruled, as long
as crops were good. But the even tenor
of his life was destined to Interrupt
ton, both by Americans and by Brit
ish. In 1776, after the battle of
White Plains, came the redcoats, prior
to their march on Fort Washington.
Lord Howe here made his maps of
Westchester roads, and here General
Lee rested on his march to Norris
town. And in the following winter, O
division of Washingtons army en-.
camped here, to command the passage
Of the river. The poor farmer was in.
deed, besieged.
On August l, $780, the main body of
the American army crossed the river
and encamped at Dobbs Ferry, and
the old house became the headquar.
ters of the army's chief and of his
generals, Lafayette, Steuben, Knox
Greene and Hamilton. Washington's
maneuver attained its object, that OF
drawing the enemy back to Rhode
Island, and the main body of the
American army recrossed TO the New
Jersey shore.
Gunboats Open Fire.
On August Z, 1871, about two O'Clock
in the morning, the American army
was startled by the firing of cannon
at Dobbs Ferry. 1t appeared that two
of the enemy's gunboats had come ur
as high as the ferry, probably to try
to seize some vessels or boats. Find.
Ing that they were discovered, they
fired four cannon, but to no effect
Four cannon were discharged at the
boats from the battery, on which they
went down the river.
Washington's diary informs us that
on July 4, 1881, he marched and took
a position little to the left of Dobbs
Ferry, and marked a camp for the
French army upon our left" On July
6 the French army formed "the juno.
ton with the American army on the
ground marked out. The American
army was encamped in two lines, with
the right resting on the Hudson river
near Dobbs Ferry. The French army,
stationed on the hills at the left, was
river. There was valley of con.
siderable extent between the two
armies"
Washington's object in taking q po
sitlon on the Hudson river near Dobbs
Ferry was to be prepared to make an
attack on New York, and also. to in.
duce the enemy to withdraw a large
portion Of his forces from the south
In this he was successful, and thus II
was that he was enabled to defeat and
compel the surrender of CORVALLIS
and end the war. An entry in Wash
ington's orderly book dated July 6,
1871, and written at Dobbs Ferry, says
that he embraces the earliest oppor-
tunity of expressing his thanks to
Count de Rochambeau for the unre-
hitting zeal with which he has prose
cuted his march In order to form the
-wished-fOr junction between the
French and American armies-an
event which must afford the highest
degree of pleasure to every friend of
the country, and from which the hap
plest consequences can be expected"
Told by One of Heirs.
These and other tales Of the old
house were recounted few nights ago
by Miss Anna Gertrude Roberts, one
Of the heirs Of the Hasbrouck estate,
from which Mr.. Kendall's purchase
has been made Peter Van Brugh Iiy-