About W3R-New York

New York was one of nine states along with Washington DC which played a critical role in the Revolutionary War, especially between 1781-1782.

In order to understand New York State’s significance, we need to mention the formation of the Franco American Alliance, negotiated by Diplomat Ben Franklin, and signed in February 1778.

This treaty recognized the independence of the United States from Britain and created a military pact between the US and France. The pact committed the support of the French Army, Navy, and Treasury, and in return the United States committed to not sign a peace treaty with Britain without the consent of France.

France successfully supported the American War of Independence helping us expel the British from our soil through the intervention and skill of military leaders Generals Rochambeau and Lafayette, and Admiral De Grasse.

France selected General Rochambeau for his military skill and experience as well as his calm, considerate personality. France committed about 5000 French Army troops to Newport, Rhode Island (which was the best port available in close proximity to New York City, the center of British political and military power in North America) to join forces with General Washington and the Continental Army.

The situation they faced was this: The British occupied New York City, the center of British power. Generals Rochambeau and Washington hoped that taking New York City would end the war in America’s favor.

At the Conference of Wethersfield, Connecticut in May 1781, the Generals crafted a plan for an all-out attack on the British in New York City. They knew the attack on the City would only be successful if a French fleet under Admiral de Grasse arrived to block the harbor.

Instead, a letter from Admiral De Grasse arrived on August 14, 1781 telling the two Generals that he was sailing south to the Chesapeake Bay, on the eastern shores of Maryland and Virginia. De Grasse argued that the draft of his 74-gun ships was too deep for them to safely cross the sandbars around the New York harbor, which was a necessary step to establish a siege ring on water.

The decision to suspend the siege of New York City and instead deploy to Yorktown, Virginia, was made in what is today the town of Greenburgh, NY where French forces had established Camp 14 since their departure from Newport
at the Odell House, which is now being converted into a museum to recognize this historic event.

From there the two generals coordinated the departure of their forces from seven different locations as far north as Albany and Newburgh. This successful coordination of troop movements is a major achievement.

In late August 1781, General Rochambeau and the 5,000 French Army troops, 2,000 oxen, 1,500 wagoners, servants, munitions and other supplies, crossed the Hudson River without incident from Verplanck’s Point (King’s Ferry) to Stony Point
and travelled over four hundred miles to Yorktown, Virginia.

After a siege that lasted about 20 days, from September 28 to October 19, 1781, British Lord Cornwallis surrendered in Yorktown, Virginia and the Continental Army returned north to New York and New Jersey followed by the French in the summer of 1782.

The joint encampment of the allied armies at Peekskill, for about six days, known as Camp 37, since the French departure from Williamsburg, Virginia, (September 17 to 23, 1782) is the moment when the allied armies celebrated the victory at Yorktown with parades, reviews, and Washington awarding French medals to French officers. It is in Peekskill that the two armies say farewell forever.

From there the Continental Army marched to Newburgh while French forces marched to Yorktown Heights (known as Crompond) to Camp 38, where they remained for five weeks, from September 24 to October 22, 1782.

During these 5 weeks, the French soldiers helped repair some of the ravages of the war. They restored the mill and part of the home of local militia Captain Samuel Delavan, improved the local infrastructure by building an aqueduct to increase the water supply, which is still here today and a prominent part of Yorktown’s local geography, constructed barracks in the fields, and built two large field ovens to allow the French army to bake bread.

But they also angered the local community by cutting large amounts of wood to burn to cook their meals and to keep themselves warm in the colder weather.
This included tearing down fences, which made great firewood, as they were already split and dry.

There was one unpleasant incident when the French were departing for Boston on October 20th, 1782. An American sheriff wanted to arrest Rochambeau at the request of a local property owner who claimed that he had not been compensated for the wood the French army had burned. Gracious as always, Rochambeau ordered his quartermaster to settle the dispute by paying for the damages. With this incident resolved, the French began their march to Massachusetts to board ships to take them to the French islands in the West Indies.

The respect for individual and property rights displayed by Rochambeau in this widely publicized affair reportedly helped save his life at least once during the French Revolution.

When Yorktown, NY was incorporated in 1788, it is widely accepted that residents changed the name of their community from Crompond to Yorktown to commemorate the role they had played in achieving the victory in Yorktown, Virginia.