Notwithstanding my injured side, I ascended the rocky mountain on which the ruins of Fort Putnam lie. My way led through a handsome forest of oak, beech, chesnut, and walnut trees. The fort occupied the summit of the mountain, was erected in an indented form, of strong granite, and is altogether inaccessible on the side next the enemy. It had but a single entrance, with very strong casemates, and two small powder-magazines. It was built during the revolution on private property; the owner of the ground claimed it, and government were obliged to restore it to him, after which he destroyed the fort. The government afterwards acquired the ground on which West Point stands, as well as the adjoining heights. It appeared to me, if not necessary, still to be useful to build Fort Putnam again, in order to complete the important position of West Point, which can serve in time of war as a fortified camp, or place of refuge for the people, &c. as impregnable as it was before. But to my astonishment, I learned that this would probably not take place, that on the contrary, with regard to the defence of the country, reliance was placed on the fortified entrance of New York, and that in general in the interior of the country no fortifications would probably be made. They appear to think that the impregnability of the country particularly consists in having no powerful neighbours; that England could not send over a strong army, and that even if this should happen, England would be obliged to scatter her strength too much, so that single corps could be subdued with ease. This view appears to me doubtful; I wish from my heart that these excellent people may never find by experience, that they have deceived themselves. But security, when too great, is always dangerous. A very fine view is enjoyed from Fort Putnam of the plain of West Point, and of the Hudson, which here calls to mind the high banks of the Rhine. The view to the north is particularly handsome, in which direction Newburgh, lying on the river, is seen in the back ground. We saw nothing of the Catskill mountains.
We went with Colonel Thayer and the cadets to church. The chaplain of the academy, Dr. M‘Ilvaine, an Episcopalian clergyman, performed divine service. The sermon was very good and sensible, and very well adapted to the young men. He proposed several objections which are made against the superiority of the Christian religion, and refuted them all, by deriving his arguments from the new testament and human reason. I was much pleased with the deportment of the cadets in the church, a deportment which is not always observed in young people in other countries at such times.
The topographical drawings which the cadets make, and according to which they are instructed in fortification, were shown to me by the excellent Captain Douglass, teacher of engineering. The so called modern system, or the Carnmontaigne system, improved by the French engineers, forms the basis of the instruction. Captain Douglass, who also instructs them in the formation of roads and bridges, makes use of Wiebeking. Many of the cadets who do not intend to remain in the military service as officers, being bound to remain but one year in service, after leaving the academy, serve each in his own state, as civil engineers, and perform very essential services. All officers of the army and navy are now supplied by cadets from the academy; for there are no cadets in the regiments, and in time of peace no subaltern officers are promoted.
I was very sorry that we were obliged on the third day after our arrival to leave this agreeable place, which had so extremely pleased me; but I was obliged to go to New York at last! Our West Point friends accompanied us to the steam-boat, and here we took an affectionate farewell. A Captain Randolph, of Virginia, with whom I had become acquainted at West Point, with his wife, went also to New York, so that I was agreeably entertained on board; the boat was so filled with people, we scarcely found room at the dinner-table. The shores continue to be handsome. We passed several handsome places and country-seats, which denoted that we were on the road to a large and flourishing city. At a turn of the river the shores approximate, and here stands a handsome country-seat with a garden, called Verplank’s Point; opposite is a fort, Stony Point, the possession of which was disputed during the revolution by several bloody fights. The situation of Singsing, where there is a house of correction, is very handsome. We saw the offenders engaged in blasting rocks. The stream now becomes broad, and forms two successive bays, the former Haverstraw Bay, and the other Tappan Sea. On the right shore of the latter is the town of Tappan, where, condemned by the court-marshal as a spy, Major André was hung and buried. The English government ordered him to be dug up some years ago, and his remains to be transported to England, if I am not mistaken, to be laid in Westminster Abbey, whilst the remains of General Fraser, who fell like a hero in open battle, at the head of the royal troops, still lies without the slightest memorial in the old redoubt of Stillwater! The tree which grew on André’s grave was also taken to England, and as I was assured, transplanted to the Royal Garden, behind Carlton Palace!!
Below Tappan Sea, the shores again approximate, and the right side becomes very steep, resembling the rocks near Pirna, on the Elbe, and are called the palisades. After sundown we came into the vicinity of New York, the largest city in the United States, which attracts nearly the whole commerce of the country, and now already numbers one hundred and seventy thousand inhabitants. We landed about eight o’clock in the evening, and on account of the incredible number of strangers could not obtain lodgings at five different taverns. At last we were very glad, after much fatigue from running about, to find a miserable bed-chamber in a common and ordinary tavern, the Theatre Hotel, handsomely situated near the park and theatre.
[CHAPTER X.]
Stay at New York.
On the ensuing morning, we removed for the present to a French boarding-house, No. 76, Broad street; and I took a first walk through the city, in order to acquire some general knowledge of it. The city is partly built in a regular style; the streets are badly paved, but the side-walks are good, and there are not so many hogs running at large as in Albany. I was particularly pleased with Broadway, the principal street. This is three miles long, very wide, has elegant stores, and very pleasant side-walks. The Park is likewise very handsome, as well as the City Hall, which is situated in its centre, and is called one of the handsomest buildings in the United States. However, I was not exceedingly pleased with it, finding neither there, nor in the churches of this city, a remarkably fine style of building. There is a great number of churches, and most of them have church-yards attached; but for some years past they have interred their dead in cemetries, which are situated out of town. At a church near the Park, I observed a monument in memory of General Montgomery, who died in attacking the city of Quebec; this monument is not very tasteful.[I.11]
Back of the City Hall is a large building, called American Museum. It contains a number of curiosities from the animal and mineral kingdoms, put up in very good order in two large halls. A considerable collection of American birds occupies nearly the entire walls of one hall; there are numbers of quadrupeds, though less perfect; an interesting collection of fishes very well preserved, and a fine series of turtles, from a gigantic species,[I.12] seven feet six inches long, down to the smallest; there was likewise a considerable series of crustaceous animals; a small collection of minerals, and these without arrangement. Besides, there were various Indian weapons, dresses, and other curiosities; ancient and modern arms of different nations, &c. a helmet of the first regiment of the Duke of Naussau, found on the field of Waterloo; several Italian antiquities, the most of them small lamps and other trifles. There is a large and exceedingly beautiful specimen of rock crystal, weighing two hundred and twelve pounds, found in a Mexican silver mine. An Indian mummy is likewise very interesting; this was found in the year 1814, near Glasgow, state of Kentucky, nine feet under ground, in a nitre cavern, two thousand yards distant from the entrance; it is in a sitting posture, and was enveloped with deer-skins and Indian cloth. In addition to various miscellaneous articles, there was a number of miserable wax figures and paintings.