New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-17

Gently by important discoveries
throughout this region AS Il result of years
a DIGGING and deduction, new light has been
.hrovn upon the stirring history of the High
,.nds. which is most fascinating chapter in
American military annals. 1t is now possible
for the first time to reconstruct in detail the
once powerful citadel of West Point, and pic
t,re the daily life in its many forts, redoubts
and encampments.
High up on the SUBMITS of the mountains
commanding the Hudson River still stand the
-an,sins Of these forts III remarkable preser
vation. The position of the once populous
camps has been forgotten and buried beneath
century and a half of vegetation. Old
rocords have been consulted, and after long
search one after another of these historic
villages have been discovered, and their life
constructed in surprising detail. This
ssarch under the direction of the Field Ex-
nloration Committee of the New York His
torical Society has been going on for three
wears, and is still in progress
MANY of us have forgotten from our school
DAYS how vital was the part played by West
Point in determining the result of the Amer
ran Revolution. The height of the noun
+a;ns overlooking the Hudson at this point, and
tbe tortuous course of the river itself, made
the place a natural stronghold, which Wash
ington and his aides were quick to recognize.
Had the British been able to control West
Point they could have divided the Continen-
tel forces, probably have won the war They
were already in control of Canada and at
lake Champlain. as we'll as New York City.
This situation accounts for the speed with
which West Point was occupied and its great
citadel built
Any one who climbs the mountains which
overlook the point will be amazed at the
amount of work performed by the Continen-
tai forces. 1t will be recalled, however, that
the citadel was five years in building, and that
at times upward of 10000 troops were en-
camped here. To understand why these walls
have stood so long in exposed positions one
must remember that they were built by
French engineers and expressed the best
military engineering skill of the day. They
were built decade before the French Revolu-
ton and a generation before Napoleon
Long experience has taught the investi-
gators how to locate hidden relics with almost
uncanny skill. The richest deposits of relics
are usually found in what was once the rub
Dish heaps convenient to the forts or encamp-
ments 1t would obviously require unlimited
time to search all the ground in the vicinity,
50 the searchers first make careful study of
fort. or what is left of it, locating its entrance
and the position of it's fireplace and kitchen,
in order to determine where the garbage and
refuse were probably dumped. At times
the dump is indicated by its height above the
surrounding ground or by the richness of the
foliage which still grows above it. In some
cases the dumps have been found several
hundred feet down the mountain side, below
the forts
The earth to depth of many feet is then
due and carefully sifted, much as miners rock
for free gold. From long experience, the dig
gers are Quick to identify the age of any relic
thus disclosed. What appears to be piece
of mud-colored metal or stone to the layman
is quickly recognized by these experts and its
significance noted. The work is carried on
methodcally, and the finds are carefully noted
and indexed. Photographs are always taken
when the mound is opened and at various
stages of the excavations AS a result, the
digging goes forward with scientific accuracy,
and the results which will later be the basis
Of official reports can be depended upon.
The most significant CT these relics are the
buttons. They have been found by hundreds
The buttons, being made of metal, are usual
ly we'll preserved and clearly show the in
sigma and number of the soldiers regiment
They are accepted as positive proof that the
regiment indicated by the buttons once &C.
cupied these positions. Upward of 1,oO0
such buttons have been found in the High
lands and by carefully classifying them 1t
has been found that there were ten regiments
of Massachusetts, soldiers, five regiments OF
Connecticut troops and one from Rhode
Island.
The buttons reveal much unwritten history.
Buttons have been found, for instance, MADE
in l776, to be worn by American artillery
men, bearing picture of cannon with nag
beside it bearing the British Union where
the forty-eight stars of our union now ap-
pear. 1t can only be concluded that wnen
these buttons were made separation from the
British had not been contemplated. In this
connection it is interesting to recall that Con-
stitution Island, in the Hudson River, op-
iosite West Point, was named for Fort Con-
Stitution' the first defense work constructed
at the gate of the Highlands This fort IN
turn when constructed in IT'S to resist the