TROUBLE AND REVOLUTION.
Passing to the events just preceding the War of the Revolution, when the bold and significant non-importation agreement was adopted by the Continental Congress, and a pledge of association in its support was opened in every town and precinct, supervised by committees, Wolvert Acker was chairman of the committee for the precinct of Newburgh. When the signing was finished he made return of 195 signatures and names of thirty-nine who had refused to sign. The names of the signers follow:
Non-Importation Pledge Signers of 1776.
| Richard Albertson | Caleb Chase |
| Stephen Albertson | Daniel Denton |
| William Albertson | Daniel Denton, Jr. |
| Joseph Albertson | Nehemiah Denton |
| Daniel Aldridge | Samuel Denton |
| Isaac Brown, M.D. | Nathaniel Denton |
| Isaac Brown, Jr. | Peter Donelly |
| Joseph Brown | Benj. Darby |
| Abel Belknap | John Donaghey |
| Isaac Belknap | Isaac Demott |
| Isaac Belknap, Jr. | Hugh Ferguson |
| Wm. Bowdish | Wm. Ferguson |
| John Becket | Elnathan Foster |
| Solomon Buckingham | Morris Flewwelling |
| Richard Buckingham | James Flewwelling |
| Benjamin Birdsall | Jonathan Hasbrouck |
| Daniel Birdsall | Cornelius Hasbrouck |
| James Burns | Moses Higby, M.D. |
| Benj. Coffin | James Harris |
| Caleb Coffin | John Nathan Hutchins |
| Wm. Collard | George Harding |
| Nathaniel Coleman | Thomas Ireland |
| Henry Cropsey | George Jackson |
| Wm. Carskadden | Wm. Lawrence |
| Benjamin Lawrence | Thomas Smith |
| Aaron Linn | Thaddeus Smith |
| Solomon Lane | Samuel Sands |
| George Leonard | Hugh Stevenson |
| Silas Leonard | Stephen Stephenson |
| Robert Morrison, M.D. | William Thurston |
| John Morrel | Burger Weigand |
| Thomas Palmer | Martin Weigand |
| Thomas Patterson | Monson Ward |
| Harmanus Rikeman | Richard Ward |
| Thomas Rhodes | William Ward |
| Albertson Smith | Timothy Wood |
| Benjamin Smith | Jeremiah Wool |
| Henry Smith | Charles Willett |
| Leonard Smith | John Wandel |
| Leonard Smith, Jr. |
The lists of those who signed and those refusing to sign embraced all males over 16 years old.
The "old town" was at this time a forlorn looking place, and the side hill was mostly covered by orchards. A tavern built in this year of 1776 by Adolph De Grove, on the southwest corner of Water and Third streets became Lafayette's headquarters.
When the war became a certainty the control of Hudson River navigation became important, and to this end Forts Montgomery, Clinton and Constitution were built. Two out of every five of the male population became militiamen, were almost constantly in service, and levies en masse were frequent. In 1779 Washington established his headquarters at New Windsor in the William Ellison house, and here they remained until the movement which resulted in the siege of Yorktown in 1781. After its surrender his army returned to the Highlands, and Washington then made the Hasbrouck house in Newburgh his headquarters, retaining them as such until August, 1783.
Before the beginning of hostilities in the Revolution two companies were organized in Newburgh for a regiment formed in the southern district of Ulster County, of which Jonathan Hasbrouck, of Newburgh, was colonel, and Arthur Smith and Samuel Clark captains of the companies. In the next December a regiment of minute men was organized, of which Thomas Palmer, of Newburgh, was the colonel. In the summer of 1776 a convention directed the general committee to organize three companies (201 men) of rangers to guard against and fight Indians. Of one of these Isaac Belknap, of Newburgh, was captain. At this time the aged and those who ordinarily would be regarded as exempts were pressed into the service. In 1778 the people were asked to form companies to repel invasions and suppress insurrections, and a company of this kind was formed, with Samuel Edmonds as captain. Figures show that the militia of Newburgh was not sleeping during the Revolution, for in 1776 they were called out on alarms twenty-seven days, and between that time and April, 1788, 305 days. Newburgh was made a general rendezvous for troops, and frequently the soldiers were billeted on the inhabitants. Although the precinct escaped direct devastation, many of the men were killed or taken prisoners in defense of the Highland forts.
When the British sailed up the river in 1777, and burnt Kingston, after capturing the Highland forts, the Newburgh women hid their valuables in the woods, nearly all the men having gone to the defense of the forts.
While Washington's headquarters were at New Windsor his main army was in and near the Hudson River forts, and in 1782, after the surrender of Yorktown, was again encamped along the Hudson, numbering about 8,000 men. Washington at Newburgh, meanwhile, during the progress of peace negotiations, kept careful watch of Sir Henry Clinton's movements. Many interesting stories have been told about Washington during his long stay at New Windsor and Newburgh. At Newburgh he battled with discontent, and even mutiny, in the army, and here he proclaimed the cessation of hostilities. This was on April 19, 1783, eight years after the beginning of the war, when general rejoicing followed. The first battalion marched southward June 5th, and the last June 23d. On July 12th Washington went up the Hudson to Albany, where he was joined by Governor Clinton and a small party. On August 17th he issued the last general orders from army headquarters, announcing his intention to depart and meet Congress at Princeton, and left West Point the next day. July 4, 1850, the ancient house that had been his headquarters in Newburgh was dedicated as a monument of the events of the war. General Winfield Scott was present to raise the flag, and Judge Monell made an address. The building is owned by the State and controlled by trustees appointed by the Governor.