During the American Revolution, the small town of Kingston, Ulster County, New York, appears twice as a key location in numerous historical accounts; once as the meeting point for New York politicians, and once as the focal point of British retaliation.
The first meeting resulted in Kingston’s role as the birthplace of the State of New York. One month later, in retaliation for aiding the patriots, the British burned Kingston to the ground.
The British viewed New York City and the Hudson River Valley as key strategic locations. After evacuating the patriot stronghold of Boston in March of 1776, the British concentrated on the city of New York as a base of operations.
In July of 1776, shortly after the signing of Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence, a large British fleet of nearly 500 ships and 35,000 men – the largest single armed force in America until the Civil War – appeared off New York.
Under the command of General William Howe, the vastly larger British forces began pushing back the smaller and less-organized Revolutionary Army under the command of George Washington almost immediately. By August, Washington had withdrawn from Long Island, pulling back to Manhattan.
In September of that same year, Washington and his generals, convinced of the weakness of their position in New York City, debated whether they should burn the city upon retreat, or simply leave it to the British.
Under instructions from the Continental Congress to not torch the city, Washington withdrew into New Jersey, where he successfully harassed the British and their mercenary soldiers. Washington’s withdrawal from Manhattan, however, had other, non-military consequences.
In October 1777, during the American Revolutionary War, Kingston was targeted for retaliation by the British following the establishment of the town as New York’s first capital. Infuriated, soldiers from British-captured New York, sailed up the Hudson River and took retaliation against numerous colonial settlements, including the biggest target along the Hudson – Kingston.
Landing at Kingston Point, the British marched along the Rondout Creek and up to the Stockade area (Uptown Kingston), burning houses along the way. A small naval skirmish also took place along the Rondout Creek.
In advance of the arrival of the British, some colonists, including Deputy County Clerk Christopher Tappen, were able to save key documents and ledgers of the county and new state capital.
Although most of the city’s men, along with their weapons, were away fighting the British elsewhere, some locals fought to defend the community. Most of the city, however, was abandoned ahead of the British approach, knowing their limited chances against the invading army.
After only a few hours of work, the British burned down over 300 buildings and left Kingston in ruins. However,Kingston residents returned, and in a sign of their determination and resilience, they quickly rebuilt the city.
You can view short video about the Burning of Kingston here.
Each year a Burning of Kingston Commemoration weekend is held in October in Kingston, NY. Re-enactments, presentations, tours, exhibits, and more are hosted at various locations around Kingston.
For a detailed list of activities visit The Burning of Kingston Schedule.
Read more about the Burning of Kingston.
Photo of Burning of Kingston Reenactment courtesy kingstonvisitorsguide.com.
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