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New Windsor Cantonment and National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, New Windsor, NY
The Cantonment was a thriving community of 8,000 of General George Washington's soldiers, their wives and children, and hundreds of skilled artisans and medical personnel, who together spent the final winter of the Revolutionary War encamped in the Hudson Valley. The term "cantonment" referred a more permanent post than a tent camp, and at New Windsor it consisted of nearly 600 log huts built by the soldiers and private homes in the area that played host to Major Generals. After seven years of fighting, General Washington's army arrived here in October 1782, resolved to continue training through the winter for a possible attack on British-controlled New York City. That winter, Washington defused a suspected insurrection amongst his officers with perhaps the most impassioned speech of his career, requesting their loyalty and support for the young republic. Instead of receiving orders to return to the battlefield, the orders announced here on April 19, 1783 proclaimed the cease-fire that ended the Revolutionary War.
Today, staff members dressed in the period's soldiers uniforms and civilian clothing provide an up-close and personal view of life in an 18th-Century military camp. Throughout the day, guests enjoy live demonstrations of musket drills, carpentry and blacksmithing, sometimes accompanied by demonstrations of open-hearth cooking and period medicine. A visitor center and exhibit galleries explain the historical significance of the camp and feature original military equipment and documents. One gallery showcases a variety of cannon and tells the story of an earlier encampment at New Windsor, the 1780-81 winter cantonment of the Continental Artillery troops, whose training nearby prepared them for the siege of Yorktown, Virginia, the last major battle of the war. Special events throughout the year feature period style entertainment and programs designed especially for children.
The New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site has been named as a significant stop on the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area Revolutionary War trail.
Historic Site & Living History programs open April - October: Wed.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. 1-5 p.m., Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Visitor Center exhibits open year round Mon.–Sat. 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun. 1-5 p.m. Closed Holidays except for Memorial Day, Independence Day, Veterans Day, and Presidents Day.
Telephone: (845) 561-1765
CLICK HERE FOR DIRECTIONS
Educational Programs
Knox’s Headquarters & New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Sites
PO Box 207, Vails Gate, NY 12584
Phone: 845-561-1765
Fax: 845-561-6577
Educational Programs
“Through the Ranks”
Step back in time to the 1782-83 encampment of General George Washington’s Continental Army as your guides in period-style dress bring you “through the ranks” of the Continental Army and through the lifestyles of Americans, from the gentry and officers, through the slaves and soldiers.
Your day begins at the country estate of John and Catharine Ellison as you tour an elegant home built in 1754, furnished as the headquarters that served three of Washington’s top generals during the Revolutionary War. See military offices, the Ellison family’s living areas and the cramped quarters where six enslaved Africans served the household. Visit the ruins of a 1741 grist mill in the scenic Silver Stream gorge where Hudson Valley wheat was turned into flour destined for markets in the West Indies and Europe. The lifestyle of the gentry who lived here and officers who served here is contrasted with that of the families who lived in the army camp nearby.
The tour continues two miles away at the Cantonment, the military enclave that once boasted nearly 600 log buildings housing 7,500 soldiers and 500 of their wives and children. The activities of this thriving community are represented through living history demonstrations including blacksmithing, medical treatment and musket drill. Here General Washington headed off a military challenge to the new nation and ordered the cease-fire that brought the Revolutionary War to a close.
This three hour program is adaptable for primary and secondary school students. Admission is currently $3 per person and subject to change. Please note, this popular tour is generally booked six months or more in advance. Please call Michael McGurty at 845-561-1765 to inquire about this and other educational programs.
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The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor
The New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site is also home for the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, a 7,500 square foot facility that shares the stories of America's combat wounded veterans and those who never came back, all recipients of the Purple Heart. Since 1932, over 1.7 million military personnel from all walks of life have earned the medal in service to the nation. Their stories will be preserved and shared through exhibits, live and videotaped interviews with the veterans themselves, and the Roll of Honor, an interactive computer program preserving the stories of each individual. Visitors also have the opportunity to leave messages of thanks for veterans to read. A video recording studio allows Purple Heart veterans or surviving family members to add their stories to the historic record, while the Hall of Honor's theater presents a short film that traces the history of the Purple Heart medal and its precursor, the Badge of Military Merit.
The galleries present a timeline of America's wars and military conflicts in which Americans have been wounded and killed, while displays of objects, documents and photographs trace themes such as medical evacuation and treatment of the wounded on and off the battlefield.
Highlights of the collections include George Washington's Badge of Military Merit, weapons faced by America's military in various wars, as well as letters, photographs and other items that reflect the experience of being at war and being wounded.
Programs for the general public and for school groups explain the significance and history of the Purple Heart medal, help convey aspects of the wartime experience, and help visitors draw interesting historical information from objects, documents, and oral history recordings.
The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor overlooks the site of the camp (cantonment) of the Continental Army for 1782 - 1783, the final winter of the Revolutionary War. In 1782, George Washington created the Badge of Military Merit, and the following year, officers met at the Cantonment to determine candidates for the award, the inspiration for today's Purple Heart. In 1932, some of the nation's very first Purple Hearts were presented to veterans of World War I on these same grounds.
In the years to come, the Hall of Honor will become the nation's sole repository dedicated to the preservation of these stories of sacrifice.
If you are a Purple Heart recipient or know someone who is, you can make sure the story will be preserved by contacting the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor at 845-561-1765. Staff members are collecting the name and story of each recipient, proof of receipt (a DD-214 discharge certificate or equivalent) as well as any photographs and personal mementos that will help tell each recipient's story. Your efforts will ensure that the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor will serve veterans, their families and scholars with stories preserved through the generations.
National Purple Heart Hall of Honor
New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site
374 Temple Hill Road (Route 300)
P.O. Box 207
Vails Gate, NY 12584-0207
www.thepurpleheart.com
Phone: 845-561-1765.
Fax: 845-569-0382
CLICK HERE FOR DIRECTIONS
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Here are some related links:
www.artistsintheparks.org/
www.hudsonrivervalley.net
www.njpalisades.org
www.visitbearmountain.com
www.www.hudsonriver.com
www.orangetourism.org
www.iloveny.com
www.nysparks.com
www.thepurpleheart.com
www.hudsonrivervalley.com
www.rocklandlakenaturecenter.org
www.exploreny400.com/home.php
www.heritageny.gov/RevWar/revwar.cfm
www.nynjtc.org/index.php
www.highlandfallsny.com
www.hikefordiscovery.org/wch
www.ptny.org/wch
www.rocklandlakeandhookmt.org
www.reserveamerica.com
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