The Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart was erected opposite the old Cozzens Hotel, at the Falls, in 1875, at a cost of $19,000. Rev. T. J. Early became the first settled pastor.
"MOLLY PITCHER."
The oft-told story of this stout, freckle-faced young Irish patriot of the Revolution is so closely identified with the ancient history of this locality, where she lived and died, that its omission here, even in this modern history, would be noted with regret.
At the capture of Fort Clinton by the British in October, 1777, "Molly" was "in at the finish." When the enemy scaled the parapet, her husband, an artilleryman, dropped his portfire and fled. But Molly caught it up and discharged the last gun fired. Nine months later, at the Monmouth battle, while she was devotedly bringing water to her husband, who was serving a gun, he fell dead at her feet from a British shot. Although the officer in command ordered the piece withdrawn, Molly dropped her water-bucket, seized the rammer, and vowed she would fill her husband's place at the gun and thus avenge his death. Next morning, covered with dirt and blood, she was presented to Washington by General Greene, and was appointed a sergeant and placed upon the half-pay list for life. She became a universal favorite with the army and usually appeared in artillery dress, with a cocked hat. She was afterward provided for at the Point by the Government authorities and died in that vicinity about the age of thirty-three.
WEST POINT MILITARY ACADEMY.
Colonel Henry Knox, who was appointed chief of artillery by Washington in November, 1775, was the first to propose the establishment of a military academy, of the Woolwich type, in this country. In a letter to his wife, dated September 5, 1776, he said: "We must have a standing army. The militia get sick, or think themselves so, and run home." Later in the same month, in a letter to Adams, he wrote: "Military academies must be instituted at any expense. We are fighting against a people well acquainted with the theory and practice of war, and brave by discipline and habit."
Here was the germ of the Military Academy of this nation. In the following October a committee was appointed to "prepare and bring in a plan of a military academy at the army." The Post of West Point received its first garrison January 20, 1778, and work on Fort Clinton was begun at once. There seems no room for doubt that in the very midst of the Revolutionary War, at least as early as 1780, and possibly two years before, an engineer school was in operation at West Point. There were also a laboratory and library, which was the parent of the present Academy Library, the oldest Government library in the United States. It is clear that military instruction of some sort had then begun. Early in 1783, when the success of the American Revolution was apparent, the necessity for this permanent school of military education was still recognized. General Washington and his officers were agreed upon the importance of some such school, and West Point was generally regarded as the "key to the United States." In 1783 the necessity of retaining West Point for this purpose was urged upon Congress. General Knox, Secretary of War in 1790, again advocated the scheme in his report, which was approved by Washington. But it was not until March 16, 1802, that the organic act for the establishment of the United States Military Academy was finally passed. This authorized the President to organize and establish a corps of engineers at West Point which should constitute a Military Academy.
Thus in 1802 ten Cadets of engineers were stationed at West Point with their officers, which constituted the Military Academy there until 1812. This force was increased from time to time, and the sum of $25,000 was finally appropriated for the erection of suitable buildings, and the provision of the library, apparatus and necessary instruments for the use of the school.
Previous to this, however, while Washington, Randolph, Knox and Hamilton strongly favored the West Point Academy plan, Jefferson doubted the constitutionality of the scheme. But Washington was inclined to take the risk, and at his recommendation the West Point School was practically started in 1794, it being then held in the old provost prison building, which was burned in April, 1796. The school seems to have begun in earnest, however, in February of that year. The fire, which had destroyed all the books and apparatus, was thought to have been of incendiary origin, induced perhaps by opposition to the school. In the following May a parapet for the practice of field pieces, and some of the early wooden fortifications were constructed.
In September, 1799, the superintendency of this academy, which however had not yet been legally established, was offered by President Adams to Count Rumford, the founder of the Royal Military Academy of Munich. But nothing came of this ill-advised proposition. For nearly 25 years Washington had labored to establish a National Military Academy, which he considered of primary importance.