[742] "It matters little what terms are granted, if it be not intended to fulfil them." Mahon, vi. 278. Cf. Lecky, iv. 96.—Ed.
[743] 4 Force's Amer. Archives, vol. iii., iv., v., and vi.; Sparks's Washington (iv. 416); his Correspondence of the Rev. (i. 377); Heath's Memoirs, 47; Boynton's West Point; Duer's Stirling; Lossing's Schuyler, and Field-Book (ii. 135); and particularly Edward Manning Ruttenber's Obstructions to the navigation of Hudson's River; embracing the minutes of the secret committee, appointed by the Provincial convention of New York, July 16, 1776, and other original documents relating to the subject. Together with papers relating to the beacons (Albany, 1860), being no. 5 of Munsell's Historical Series.
[744] Among the Sparks maps at Cornell University are two sheets showing the Hudson River with soundings, in part at high tide and in part at half tide. They are each thirty inches long, and appear to be by the same draftsman. One of them is indorsed: "Drawn by the request and under the inspection of the Commissioners of Fortifications in the Highlands, Province of New York, by John Grenell." One shows Haverstraw Bay and Tappan Bay to a point above Dobbs Ferry, and indicates the site of Tarrytown. The other extends from Stony Point to "Polyphemes Island", below Newburgh. Constitution Island is called "Martler's Rock;" and beside Bunn's house, there is indicated at that point the block house, a "curtain fronting the river, mounting fourteen cannon", the wharf, barracks, storehouse, and commissioner's room, and landing place. West Point is opposite, unoccupied, and Moore's house is above. Fort Montgomery and a higher battery is delineated at "Poop Lopes Kill", and from it along the river towards West Point is the inscription: "By good information there is a waggon road from Poop Lopes Kill to West Point."
Another sheet contains "a plan of a fort proposed on the east of Fort Constitution, laid down by scale of twenty feet to an inch per Isaac Nicoll", and indorsed "Received May 10, 1776." Another has a distant view of fortifications, topping a range of hills, and is marked "Fort Montgomery." It is not clear what is meant by it.
There is in the same collection "A rough map of Fort Montgomery, showing the situation on Puplopes [sic] Point; ground plot of the buildings, etc., etc., Pr. T. P. No. 2", which is indorsed also "Plan of the works at Fort Montgomery, May 31, 1776, no. 2." Mr. Sparks has written upon the original draft, "For an explanation see Ld. Stirling's letter to Washington, dated June 1, 1776."
There are likewise two plans in colors among the Sparks maps at Cornell University, marked "No. 1" and "No. 3", which seem to have been made in 1776. The first shows the Hudson River from Stony Point to Constitution Island. West Point, which is opposite, is not named. It bears no indorsement and no names, but in one corner is a profile view of the bank in the neighborhood apparently of Peekskill. The works on Constitution Island are indicated, and Sparks has noted on it, "See Ld. Stirling's letter to Washington, June 1, 1776." The other plan shows the neighborhood of Fort Constitution (opposite West Point) on a larger scale, a sketch of which, reduced, is given herewith and marked "Constitution Island, 1776." Cf. the map from the American Archives in Boynton's West Point, p. 26.
[745] For this period see 4 Force, vol. v.; Heath's Memoirs; Sparks's Gouverneur Morris (i. ch. 5); lives of Putnam; Almon's Remembrancer; histories of New York, city and province. There is much of detail with references in Dawson's Westchester County, during the American Revolution (Morrisania, 1886), p. 159, etc., particularly as respects the political influence of the provincial congress and the treatment of suspected persons. This book, for the period covered by it, is one of the thoroughest pieces of work respecting the history of the Revolution; but it is unfortunately marred by a captious and carping spirit, so characteristic of Dawson's historical work. This monograph is a separate issue of a portion of a History of Westchester County, by several hands.
[746] Johnston's Campaign of 1776, p. 91. This lighthouse was built in 1762. There is a view of it in the N. Y. Mag., Aug., 1790.
[747] Persifer Frazer to his wife, May 23-June 29, 1776, in Sparks MSS. (no. xxi.). General Glover's letters in Upham's Glover. Others in 5 Force, ii. Colonel Joseph Hodgkin's in Ipswich Antiquarian Papers, vols. ii. and iii. Letter of Samuel Kennedy in June, in Penna. Mag. of Hist. (1884, p. 111). Cf. Diary of the Moravian Ewald Gustav Schaukirk, 1775-1783, in Ibid., x. 418. In July, the statue of George III. in Bowling Green was pulled down. P. O. Hutchinson's Gov. Hutchinson, ii. 167. George Gibbs's account of the statue in N. Y. Hist. Soc. Proc., 1844, p. 168.
[748] Jones's N. Y. during the Rev., i. ch. 6. Some of the British frigates ascending the Hudson in July, an attempt was made to destroy them. Worcester Mag., i. 353; Hist. Mag., May, 1866, Suppl., p. 84. Dawson (Westchester County, 192, 207, 213, 214, 215, 216) goes into detail, faithfully citing all the authorities.