Warwick Hosts Big Wigs & Rowdy Soldiers

During the Revolutionary era, Warwick really was on the main road; travellers, troops, officials, and mail that needed to skirt safely by British-held New York City trotted, trundled, plodded, and marched through with regularity. This included George Washington (who stopped...everywhere, apparently), and other troops and officials. Much has been made of Gen. Washington's visit(s) here, and one explanation of his frequently finding Warwick a convenient place to stop is that a member of his Life Guard, Uzal Knapp, had a brother here.

Next week the Historical Society will hold its annual Washington Day Picnic. In honor of that event, we offer these tales of soldiers & travellers, gleaned from the Notebook of W.B. Sayer, recently donated as part of the Florence Tate Collection:

May 20, 1779 Third New Hampshire Regiment under Col Henry Dearborn stopped here for breakfast (This regiment saved the day in the battle with the Indians near Elmira NY under Gen Sullivan.)

Oct. 20 1779 After the Battle at Elmira NY Capt. Phillip Du Bois Beiver? Bevier? & Lieut. Frees of the 3rd Regiment Continental Line under Col. Van Courtland stayed all night here.
Rev. James Manning a Baptist Minister from Providence, RI took dinner here Sept. 12, 1779 with Francis Baird.

In 1777 Col. Daniel Morgan’s men after the Battle of Saratoga NY stopped here (note: documentation not yet confirmed)

The journal of Captain Daniel Livermore says Thursday May 20, 1779:
“This morning the weather still continued rainy necessity obliged us to continue the march, the traveling is extremely bad, and 9 o’clock made a halt at a small village called Warwick, NY, six miles. Here we took breakfast at Baird’s Tavern, from whence we proceeded on the march to Hardiston, NJ 7 miles .”These troops were on the march to join Gen. Sullivan’s expedition against the Indians.

Diary of Ensign Daniel Gorkin2nd New Hampshire Regiment of Gen. Sullivan’s Expedition 1779.May 20, 1779—To Warwick NY from Chester NY 14 miles.May 21-Rainy day did not march. This place Warwick NY is 4 miles from the New Jersey line.May 22- Did not march.May 23—To Sussex Court House NJ, here are 4 or 5 very good houses.The houses from the North River (at Newburgh NY to this place) are small having large crops of wheat and rye. The men do but little work. The women great shots, marched 22 miles. (The 2d New Hampshire Regiment spent 3 nights and 2 days at Warwick NY—WBS?)

Capt. Daniel Livermore says on Saturday Oct. 3, 1779: The troops leave Sussex NJ at 9 o’clock and march toward Warwick NY about 14 miles and camp. Sunday Oct. 3, 1779 today the troops proceed on the march and encamp near Warwick Church (now 1927 corner of Galloway & Forester Aves. On land that 1927 belongs to Clarence Forshee). Monday Nov. 1, 1779 this day for want of wagons the march is deferred until 12 o’clock. Proceed over the mountains to Pompton. Roads very bad…


Diary of Ensign Daniel Gorkin
2nd New Hampshire Regiment of Gen. Sullivan’s Expedition 1779.
May 20, 1779—To Warwick NY from Chester NY 14 miles.
May 21-Rainy day did not march. This place Warwick NY is 4 miles from the New Jersey line.
May 22- Did not march.
May 23—To Sussex Court House NJ, here are 4 or 5 very good houses.
The houses from the North River (at Newburgh NY to this place) are small having large crops of wheat and rye. The men do but little work. The women great shots, marched 22 miles.
(The 2d New Hampshire Regiment spent 3 nights and 2 days at Warwick NY)

Journal of Major Grant
Journal of Sergant Major George Grand of the 3rd New Jersey Regiment Sullivan’s Expedition of 1779. He writes as follows of the return of the expedition:
Oct. 30, 1779. To Sussex Court House NJ.
Oct 31 To Wallins Tavern
Nov. 1 To Warwick NY.
Nov. 2 Parted with the Western Army
Nov. 3 Marched to Sterling Works.
From this journal it seems the whole Western army was at Warwick NY on Nov. 1, 1779. Oct 17,1779 it was at Easton PA and Gen. George Washington visited it. Oct. 27, 1779 it crossed the Delaware River at Easton, PA.

Gen. Washington passed thro Warwick NY in 1779—The Sussex Independent of Nov. 15, 1912, gives an account of the placing of a boulder on the field near Hamburgh, NJ upon which Gen. George Washington’s troops camped for a night curing their march from Newburg NY to Morristown NJ in the year 1779. John Kays was with Gen. Washington and he stated that they came by way of Warwick NY and Vernon NJ, crossed the Mts. At Sparta, thence to Morristown NJ where they joined G.en Lafayette.

In the fall of 1780 Lady Martha Washington stayed all night here on her way from Newburgh, NY to Mount Vernon (note: documentation not yet confirmed)


July 17, 1782 Gen. George Washington and his two aides Col. Jonathan Trumbull, Jr. and Major Benjamin Walker stopped here and bought 2 shillings worth of grog.

Dec. 6, 1782 Marquis de Chastellux stayed here all night with his aides and said of Warwick:
From his “Travels in North America in the years 1780-82”. The Marquis De Chastellux was one of the 40 members of the French Academy and Major General in the French army service under Count Rochambeau.
Vol. 2, p. 302 (Dec. 6, 1782?) Traveling from West Point NY to Philadelphia Penn. Via Easton he says:
“I still kept skirting this ridge of mountains which separate this country from the Clove—
Warwick NY where I slept a pretty large place for so wild a country, is 12 miles from Chester NY and 28 miles from Newburgh NY. I lodged here in a very good stone inn, kepty by Mr. Smith, the same whose house I had slept 2 years before at Cheat, which was much interior to this (Baird’s Tavern—Sue G.). The American Army having for 2 years past had their winter quarters near West Point NY, Mr. Smith imagined with reason that this road would be more frequented than that of Paramus and he had taken the inn of Mr. Francis Baird at whose house we stopped next day for breakfast. The house had been given up to him with some furniture and he had upwards of 150 acres of land belonging to it, for the whole of which he paid Seventy pounds currency making 100 pistoles. I had every reason to be content with my old acquaintances and the new establishment.
The next morning Dec. 7, 1782 we set out before breakfast and the snow began to fall as soon as we got on horse back which did not cease till we got to Baird’s Tavern. This house was not near so good as the other, but the workmen were busy augmenting it. On enquiring of Mr. Francis Baird, who is a Scotchman (note by Tate: De Chastellux said “Irishman”; WBS said Scotsman was correct.—“Cheat” = Kakiat. Kaceat?), the reason of his quoting his good house at Warwick NY to keep this inn, he informed me that it was a settlement he was forming for his son-in-law and that as son as he had put it in order he should return to his house in Warwick NY. This Mr. Francis Baird had long lived as a merchant at New York City and even sold books, which I learnt from observing some good ones at his house, amongst others “Human Prudence”, which I purchased of him. It ceased snowing at noon and the weather moderated.”

Stories Told Over the Years

After passing through Warwick just east of what is now 1927 Forester apartments (Wawayanda House, nearly opposite intersection of Forester Ave. with Colonial Ave.—Sue G.) near where Ms. Thomas Nesbit now 1927 lives, Gen. George Washington passed an old negro who raised his hat and bowed very low, Gen. Washington returned the salute and when asked by his aides why he did so said he "would not be outdone in courtesy by an old negro slave."

During the Revolutionary War while New York City was in possession of the British communication between the Hudson & Delaware Rivers was kept thro Warwick.While Gen. George Washington with his army was lying a new Windsor in 1780, as was his custom at the close of a campaign he send his aid-de-Camp to Mount Vernon VA to escort Lady Washington to the camp. She usually traveled in a plain chariot, accompanied by postillions in White and Scarlet liveries. On her return to Mt. Vernon she passed thro Warwick Ny stopping over night in the fall of 1780 at the tavern. David Christie, then a boy living some 2 miles north of Warwick NY and who afterwards represented us in the Legislature, in after years told the story how he came to the village to get a plow share mended and learning that Lady Washington was about to proceed on her journey, stationed himself in the bushes on the bank of Longhouse Creek near where the First National Bank building stands and saw the grand equipage as it passed bearing the good Martha Washington toward Mt. Vernon.