The British Have Come - Stony Point Battelfield - 4 August, 2003

Re-enactors give samples of life, war in the 18th century

AnnMarie Marano
Special to The Journal news

STONY POINT— The Redcoats invaded once again, but they arrived yesterday with slightly different intentions than more than two centuries ago.

The 64th Regiment of Foot set up camp by the Stony Point Battlefield State Historic Site to give visitors a more “hands-on” historical experience.

The 64th Regiment is a Revolutionary War re-enactment group that participates in about 10 to 12 engagements a year, on average, said Ricky Lee of New York City, who has been a member for 16 years.

Yesterday, the regiment provided numerous demonstrations. Lee led a presentation on musketry and military music, in which guests learned about military life and combat.

Lee and other members explained military dress, life in the 18th century and the importance of music during battle. They also fired muskets for the audience.

The 64th Regiment came to America in 1768 from Staffordshire, England and fought in major campaigns of the Revolutionary War. “We were everywhere, basically,” said Lee.

The Regiment came to Stony Point in 1779 to build camps. The 17th Foot, a lower regiment, stayed to garrison the area.

For Jeffrey Tew of Middleburgh, N.Y., a member of the regiment for 10 years, his love of history is a family affair. He is proud to say his ancestor Captain Francis Tew was a member of that 17th Foot, and his nieces are both battlefield museum employees.

“Rockland has a great, great treasure in history here,” said Tew as he spoke about the Stony Point Battlefield. He said these “hands-on” experiences provide a great way to learn history.

A British military camp was created to provide a clear piucture of how soldiers lived. The camp housed 14 to 15 men in three tents. Guests experienced the true definition of “close quarters.”

Volunteers set up other tents and campfires on the lawn by the museum. Volunteer Jeanelle Byers, a junior at North Rockland High School, was using her table of artifacts to train a new volunteer.

The regimental surgeon, with his table of drugs and tools, explained 18th century medicine to visitors.

Families and history enthusiasts wandered through the sites into the afternoon. Re-enactors were willing and ready to share their expertise.

Guests were also served potatoes and apple fritters, cooked over the campfire.

Dolores Vento brought her two grandchildren, 11-year-old Taylor and 7-year-old Nicholas O’Connor. When her husband, museum volunteer Nick Vento, suggested they come for the day, she said she knew the visit would help them when they learn about the period in school.

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