148 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



Nov. 26, 1830. 



©®saaiwsra(Sii.aa®srao 



AN EXCURSION ON THE HUDSON. 



LETTER 1. 

 Mr Fessenden — 



Dear Sir — I commenced my excursion 29th 

 Septembei-, hy way of New Bedford to Newport, 

 wliere I devoted two days to the kind civilities of 

 the family of my wortliy friend Dr K. Tliis pro- 

 cured me a gratifying visit to the stupendous for- 

 tifications now erecting at Brin ton's |)oint, under 

 the able superintendence of Col. Totten. These 

 works, of a mile in extent, and most formidable 

 in height and strength, have been five years in 

 progress, at an annual expense of §100,000. It 

 is calculated that in another five years the whole 

 will be completed, at the cost of one million of 

 dollars, and will present an impregnable barrier 

 against the strongest force. At Newport, I em- 

 barked in the Chancellor Livingston, one of those 

 massive arks which in the days of our fathers 

 would have been viewed as a terrific phenomenon 

 from the infernal regions. We now estimate it 

 as a vehicle of great utility and convenience, a 

 pleasant resort for tlie fashionable world, for re- 

 creation and anuisement ; steaming onward with 

 2 or 300 people at the rate of 16 miles an hour; 

 one can scarcely enjoy a reposing nap ere he 

 awakes at the end of the voyage. The well 

 known skill and experience of the comujanders 

 on this line, preclude all apprehension of the 

 awful disasters which have so frequently occurred 

 in other places. Who, since the days of Colum- 

 bus, more than Robert Fulton, has conferred 

 wealth and benefit on the world of mankind ? 

 Where is the genius to be found, bold enough to 

 predict the incalculable results yet to be derived 

 from that all powerful, space-annihilating, labor- 

 saving agent, expansive steam .' At New York, 

 I embarked on board the North America, a still 

 more formidable and splendid vessel, accompan- 

 ied by my respected friend Dr Hosack, bound to 

 his noble residence at Hyde Park. Soon after 

 leaving the wharf we passed on the left Hoboken ; 

 a short distance above are the romantic and 

 beautiful hills called Weehawken, thiee miles 

 from New York. Here occurred the tragical fate 

 of the illustrious Hamilton, and this spol has ob- 

 tained a reckless notoriety as the resort of duel- 

 ists to adjust their misconceived points cf honor. 

 At Weehawken, on the western margin of the 

 Hudson, commences a very singular and Stupend- 

 ous range of trap rock, called the Palisado^s. This 

 range extends about 22 miles, some parts of 

 which rise to 20 and others to 550 feet ii! height, 

 presenting an almost perpendicular surface. 

 Seven miles from the city, on a beautful and 

 commanding site on the east side, standsconspic- 

 uous, that noble edifice, the New York , Lunatic, 

 or Bloomingdale Asylum, erected a ftw years 

 since. It is a splendid fabric of hewn 'reestone, 

 and was the tavorite object of that phihnthropist 

 the late Thomas Eddy, Esq. The ndgs of high 

 land which extends across York Islan(i is called 

 Harlacm heights , well remembered foria line of 

 fortifications in the early part of the revalutionary 

 war. Fort Lee, on the west side, is 300 feet above 

 the level of the water, and was evacuated in 1776, 

 :ifter the fall of Fort fVaihinglon, erecttd on the 

 summit of a high hill on the east side, 12 miles 

 frjm the city. The fate of this fort fldling into 

 tiie hands of the Hessians in 1776, together with 

 2,600 men was among the first and most appalling 



disasters of the war. We passed, October 2d, in ' 

 distant view of Tarrytown, on the east side, the, 

 place where was captured the lamented Andre, j 

 and Tappan on the west, where I witnessed the 

 execution of that unfortunate officer on the 2d 

 October, 1780, precisely fifty years since ; — an in- 

 teresting retrospection I Sins; Sing, or Mount 

 Ple.Hsant, is on the east side, 34 iTiiles from the 

 city. This is a noted place, where the bones of 

 thousands of our unfortunate prisoners have been 

 mouldering since the American war. The new 

 state prison now located on the bank of the river 

 makes a conspicuous aud noble appearance. ' It 

 is built of hewn white stone, quarried on the 

 premises. The whole work was performed by 

 the convicts. Its dimensions are 44 by 480 feet ; 

 it has a double row of cells built back to hack, 

 four tiers high, and 200 in each tier ; making in 

 all 800 cells. The average number of convicts 

 here is 550. The discipline is that of the Auburn 

 prison supposed to be the best now in use. The 

 next object of interesting reminiscence is Slony 

 Point, on the west side 40 miles from New York. 

 This is a liold rough promontory on the summit 

 of which a light house is now erected. It was 

 a formidable fortification, wrested from the British 

 by assauhby the gallant general Wayne, July 16th, 

 1779. 



Verplank's Point, opposite, was also the site of 

 a fort, and a splendid mansion is now situated 

 upon it, occupied by Mr Philip Verplank. Here 

 commence the celebrated Highlands. The majes- 

 tic river resembles a vast canal traversing a wild 

 forest, its banks on each side for many miles ex- 

 hibit a sublime spectacle of mountain based on 

 mountains, precipitous crags, and huge rocks in wild 

 confusion. 



St Anthony's Nose — This is a mountain on the 

 east side, rising 1228 feet above the river, directly 

 opposite old Fort Montgomery, from which may 

 be seen the Catskill hiouniains, part of Connecti- 

 cut, with a view down the Hudson extending to 

 New Jersey and Harlaem heights, Long Island, &c. 

 This mountain is called St Anthony's nose, erro- 

 neously supposed to be that which exhibits a pro- 

 file of a human face, the name of which is deriv- 

 ed accordm^' to Washington Irving-, from the 

 nose of Anthony Van Corlaer in early times. 



M'est Point. — Of al! situations on the Hudson, 

 this is incomparably the most important, more 

 celebrated in the history of our revolution than 

 any other military post, and fraught with objects 

 of peculiar interest at the present day. The ven- 

 erable Fort Putnam occupying a majestic and 

 conmianding situation ; the pride and boast of 

 our military chiefs, from which we were prepared 

 to hurl engines of destruction on the assailing foe, 

 and which was shorn of its strength by the vile 

 traitor's hai\d, is now reduced to a mouldering pile 

 of ruins. There is now at this noted place a 

 hospital which is a fine stone edifice with a piazza 

 in front and an extensive wing at each end. On 

 a connnanding eminence is a spacious hotel in a 

 style of much elegance, the keeper of which, Mr 

 Bisphatn, is famed for good cheer and obliging 

 department. The United States Military Academy 

 and all the buildings appertaining to that excel- 

 lent establishment, exhibit a magnificent view. 

 These consist of six brick buildings for the officers 

 and professors, and the number of cadets is about 

 209 under the superintendence of the accomplish- 

 ed Lieut. Col. Thayer. This noble institution for 

 the instruction of our youth in the important 



sciences of engineering and tactics, reflects much 

 honor on our governtnent, and on our national 

 character. In a conspicuous place on the point, 

 is erected a handsome monument of fine hewn 

 marble ; the inscription on it is « Kosciusko.' 

 ' Erected by the corps of cadets, 1828.' Among 

 the interesting recollections pertaining to West 

 Point is Kosciusko's garden, situated in a deep 

 rocky valley near the river, where in 1778, I waa- 

 amused in viewing his curious water fountain,, 

 spouting jets and cascades. 'Clusters of lilacgi 

 are still growing which are said to have beetii 

 planted by the Polish Patriot.' Col. ThaddeUBi 

 Kosciusko was a gentleman of distinction in Po- 

 land, and a favorite of the king. But liaving 

 eloped with a beautiful lady of high rank, they 

 were overtaken in their flight by her father, who 

 made a violent attempt to rescue his daughter. 

 Kosciusko was reduced to the alternative of des- 

 troying the parent or of abandoning the object of 

 bis affections. His noble spirit disdaining the 

 atrocious deed, he sheathed his sword ; and soon 

 after, having obtained permission of his sovereign 

 to quit Poland, he resorted to America, where he 

 resolved to exercise his gallantry in a new splirr 

 of action. He served in the engineer departrm 

 with the rank of colonel in our army. After ■ 

 before the close of the war, Kosciusko returued ■ 

 to his native country, where he acted the part ( 

 of a zealous patriot in heading the Poles against 

 the Russians. He was severely wounded in battle 

 and died in Switzerland in 1817. A little hclov. 

 West Point, on the opposite side, is .seen the sinai 

 point from which the traitor Arnold took his fli^rli 

 and reached the British sloop of war Vulture ii i: 

 September, 1780. Ntw Windsor — is on the wes L 

 side, where is seen a low house formerly the doni || 

 wWa of Mr Ellison in whose family Oenera 

 Washington for some time resided. Mrs EUiso 

 who performed inany don'ostic oflices for th ; 

 conniiander in chief, is still living, and ig the wif . 

 of Mr Bullis. A^ewbwg, is on the west side. A quai . 

 tei-of a mile south of this village stands the oli 

 sione hou.-e in which Washington held his hea 

 quarters at the time when the celebrated anouv 

 uious ' Nevvburg letters' created so much e.xcite 

 incut in the army, and so much distress to tli 

 commander in chief. Poiighkcepsie — on the eas 

 siile is a handsome and pleasant village contain 

 ing two elegant hotels famed for their excelleii 

 acconmiodations. 



HyJe Park, is on the east side, six miles ahov' 

 Poiighkcepsie, and divides the distance prci' 

 equally from New York to Albany. This pit; 

 ant village received its name from Dr John Biyu 

 country residence, now in the possession of D 

 David Hosack, and this is the extent of my jirf 

 sent excursion. Landing at the dock on the pr 

 mises, we were met by the Doctor's carriage a: 

 conveyed up a circuitous road about half a 

 to the mansion. The a|)proach is truly eiic 

 ing, the house a palace, the laiulscape arurafl 

 adise, 'he respectable occupants distinguish 

 the kindest hospitality. Hyde Park estate 

 the colmtry residence of Dr John Bard,* 

 was the scene of his latter days. After him t' 

 son Dr Samuel Bard* erected a sjdendid hoi 

 and made considerable improvenients, v/hile 1 

 son ill law. Rev. Mr McNicker, erected a bemi' 

 ful dwelling in the finest style of an English co 

 tage. 



* For a biographical sketch of the characters of the 

 excellent men see, American Medical Biography. 



M\ 



