The Light on the Hudson

by Dana Ferry

published by Ithaca Press

Hudson River: A Source During Times of War

In 1524, Giovanni de Verannzo observed the Hudson River. Verranzo called it “Grand River”. Little did he know just how apt a name the “Grand River” was. Dutch sailors in the 1600s wrote in their journals of wild forests and venomous snakes. Menacing currents and nicknames for hazardous areas of the river, such as “World’s End”, caused fear and hardship for seamen. Maps demonstrated a fifteen mile area where hills loomed one thousand feet high above the shore. Despite these conflicting opinions of the Hudson River, it played a critical role amid times of war.

Throughout the French and Indian War, Albany was a favorable place for the British and Colonial troops to ship supplies that the soldiers required. Albany was a respite for the Continental Army at the time of the Revolutionary War. The army would meet at Albany between encounters with the Redcoats. Newburgh, New York located on the Hudson, was where George Washington made his headquarters at the home of the Jonathan Hasbrouck in 1782.

In 1778, to keep the British from commandeering the Hudson River, the Colonists formed The Great Chain. Two-foot-long iron links weighing 140-180 pounds, were attached together and secured to the shores of both sides of the Hudson by slabs of rock and wood. At Saratoga the Redcoats were restrained from sailing south on the Hudson.

Following these wars, George Washington realized the need for a military academy. George Washington pleaded with the government to organize one. The Hudson River was the ideal spot for the establishment of the West Point Military Academy in 1802 under Thomas Jefferson’s presidency. The War of 1812 provided the Hudson with further opportunity to aid in the war effort. The West Point Foundry in the town of Cold Spring was located on the Hudson. The West Point Foundry was responsible for the manufacture of railroad engines and cannonballs during the war.

Ironically, Dutch sailors feared the Hudson River and created names to describe the dangers of the river. The untamed woods and crude river intimated them. The Hudson River was a tremendous source to America during times of war. Verannzo will never realize the truth in his keen observation of the Hudson as “Grand River.”

To learn more about the Hudson River, visit www.DanaFerry.com.