After Yorktown: The Continental Army in the Hudson Valley, George Washington and the Newburgh Conspiracy Bus Tour

Don’t miss this chance to see the beautiful Hudson River Valley and the historic sites in the area on America’s History LLC’s  “After Yorktown” Bus Tour Saturday, September 30th from 8am to 6pm! The tour will be guided by Lt. Col. Michael McGurty (ret.)

This tour is being endorsed by our friends at The Fort Plain Museum & Historical Park.

After the American-French victory at Yorktown on October 19, 1781, George Washington moved the Continental Army back to upstate New York because British forces under Sir Henry Clinton still occupied New York City. Washington’s army encamped near Newburgh, New York where the general established his headquarters.

From his Hudson Highlands stronghold, General Washington kept a wary eye on the British in New York City, 60 miles away. The Continental Army, owed months of back pay, and its officers frustrated over their promised pensions, chafed under Congress’s authority. Discontent over these issues fostered a simmering political insurrection within the army, known today as the Newburgh Conspiracy. The army—by this time a formidable force of seasoned veterans—was potentially threatening the very liberties it had fought to defend.

The Museum’s one-day tour will visit sites associated with the Continental Army’s camp and the Newburgh Conspiracy, culminating in a special presentation in the recreated Temple of Virtue where General Washington successfully managed this crisis.

• Tour includes:
• transportation by coach bus
• all admissions
• lunch, refreshment breaks
• map package
• all gratuities

Bus leaves Amsterdam at the NY State Thruway Park n Ride at 8 am sharp. Second pick up for Albany at Crossgates Mall near Homewood Suites/Hilton.

Details for Albany pick up will be provided to those registering for this tour.

Bus Stops Include:

Stop 1 – Edmonton House – Built in 1755, this stone home served as headquarters for Major General Horatio Gates, an intriguer and schemer during the Revolutionary War thru the winter of 1783. After the war it was returned to the Edmonston family and is now restored to that period.

Stop 2 – Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site – The nation’s first publicly owned historic site. In the critical months that General Washington spent at the Hasbrouck family residence in Newburgh, he made some of his most important contributions to shaping the American republic. It was here that Washington rejected the idea of an American monarchy; successfully ended the Newburgh Conspiracy; and created the Badge of Military Merit, forerunner of the Purple Heart.

Stop 3 – Knox’s Headquarters State Historic Site – On several occasions during the Revolutionary War, Major General Henry Knox, commander of the America artillery, established his military headquarters at John Ellison’s 1754 Georgian-style house in Vails Gate. From October 1782 until the spring of 1783, 7,000 soldiers and 500 “camp followers” established winter quarters at the New Windsor Cantonment. Major General Horatio Gates commanded the cantonment from the Ellison home.

Stop 4 – New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site –New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site is where the Continental Army spent the last winter and spring of the Revolutionary War, moving here after the victory at Yorktown. By late December 1782, the army had erected nearly 600 log huts into a “cantonment.” It was at the cantonment’s Temple of Virtue that Washington squashed the “Newburgh Conspiracy,” demonstrating extraordinary leadership in a time despair. It was at the New Windsor Cantonment that Washington issued the cease fire orders, ending the eight-year War of Independence on April 19, 1783.

New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site is also home to the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor. To honor the service of his troops, General Washington chose a select few to receive a small purple cloth Badge of Military Merit, inspiring creation of the present-day Purple Heart medal. In 1932, the new Purple Heart medal was presented to nearly 138 veterans of World War I on these same historic grounds. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is dedicated to preserving the stories of Purple Heart recipients from all branches of service and across generations.

Our Tour Leader: Michael S. McGurty is the historic site manager of New Windsor Cantonment & Knox’s Headquarters State Historic Sites in New York. A retired infantry New York Army National Guard Lieutenant Colonel, he was one of the first military responders to the World Trade Center attack on September 11, 2001 and served two tours in Afghanistan as an advisor to the Afghan National Army.

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Tour registration is $150, check or credit card!

Please Click Here to Register Online (Please scroll down to the bottom of the page and click “Buy Now”)