The Lower Manhattan Historical Association with the gracious …same-nyc.org/191026_LMHA.pdf · 2019. 10. 24. · (2019-10-26) Saratoga & Yorktown Celebration - PROGRAM (2019-10-22-A)

(2019-10-26) Saratoga & Yorktown Celebration - PROGRAM (2019-10-22-A) [FINAL] 1

The Lower Manhattan Historical Association with the gracious support and participation of member sponsoring organizations, the Sons of the Revolution in the State of New York, the 1st New York Continental Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, the Alexander Hamilton Awareness Society, the National Democratic Club and the Veteran Corps of Artillery - State of New York.

Present:

The Seventh Annual New York City Commemoration of the American Victories

at the Battles of Saratoga and Yorktown

Saturday, October 26th, 2019 2:00 pm

St. Paul's Chapel of Trinity Church Wall Street 209 Broadway, New York, NY 10007

Honoring:

General Horatio Gates, Colonel Marinus Willett

&

Alexander Hamilton

Pierre Charles L’Enfant, Jean-Jacques Caffieri

&

Stephen Rochefontaine


PROGRAM

Presentation of the Colors Veteran Corps of Artillery - State of New York; New York City Chapter, NSDAR;

Sons of the Revolution; Fédération des Anciens Combattants Français

Master of Ceremonies Introductory Remarks Ambrose M. Richardson III

Sons of the Revolution of the State of New York

Welcoming John McCann

Docent and Art Historian at Trinity Church

New York City Council Citation [TBD]

[Organization]

The Star-Spangled Banner & La Marseillaise Performed by Students of the Lycée Français de New York; accompanied by

fife and drum of Veteran Corps of Artillery - State of New York

American Heroes of the Revolutionary War Introductory Remarks Ambrose M. Richardson III, Sons of the Revolution of the State of New York

General Horatio Gates Tribute Wesley M. Oler

President, 1st New York Continental Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution

Alexander Hamilton Tribute Alexander Hamilton Awareness Society & the Sons of the Revolution of the State of New York,

Consulate General of France in New York, French Military Mission to the United Nations in New York

Marinus Willett Tribute James S. Kaplan

President of the Lower Manhattan Historical Association and of the National Democratic Club

Military & Academic Participant Introductory Remarks

Frederic P. Vigneron French Government Liaison & Webmaster, Lower Manhattan Historical Association

& Colonel, French Air Force Citizen Reserves


PROGRAM (Continued)

TRIBUTES

The American Revolution & French-American Friendship Jerome Henry

Deputy Consul General of France in New York Consulate General of France in New York

Étienne Nicolas Marie Béchet, Sieur de Rochefontaine Ayman Abou-Alfa

Lycée Français de New York

Pierre Charles L’Enfant Chloé Clerc


Jean-Jacques Caffieri & General Richard Montgomery Mathilde Castaigne


The Military Alliance of the French Republic and the United States of America Brigadier General Roland Margueritte

Military Adviser, Head of the Military Mission Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations in New York

Witnessed by:

Alain H. Dupuis President of the Fédération des Anciens Combattants Français

French Volunteer Officers in the Service of the U.S. Military & its New Academy at West Point J. Ledlie Klosky Ph.D., P.E

Professor of Civil Engineering and Dean's Executive Agent for Design and Construction United States Military Academy West Point

Chief of Engineers Stephen Rochefontaine Lou and Suzanne DiGeronimo

Society of American Military Engineers

Procession to the Rochefontaine Monument (South Path)

Wreath Laying at the Rochefontaine Monument Society of American Military Engineers; United States Military Academy West Point;

Deputy Consul General Jerome Henry; Brigadier General Roland Margueritte

Procession return to Saint Paul's Chapel West Portico (North Path)

Master of Ceremonies Closing Remarks Ambrose M. Richardson III, Sons of the Revolution of the State of New York


General Horatio Gates July 26, 1727 – April 10, 1806

After 25 years of service in the British army, Gates came to America at the age of 44, purchased

a farm Virginia, and volunteered to serve in the Continental Army after fighting broke out at Lexington and Concord. George Washington soon appointed him as the first Adjutant General of the United States Army, and his skills as an administrative and supply officer proved invaluable to the fledgling army. In August 1777, he was appointed to take over command of the faltering Northern Department of the American army facing a 10,000 man British and German force led by Gentleman Johnny Burgoyne. Two months later on October 17, 1777, Burgoyne surrendered his entire army to Gates at Saratoga in one of the most stunning American victories of the Revolutionary War. He died and was buried in Trinity Churchyard in 1806 and was largely forgotten until the New York State Daughters of the American Revolution convinced Trinity Church to permit them to place a plaque in Trinity Churchyard in his honor.

Marinus Willett July 31, 1740 – August 22, 1830

The only of the three patriots honored to be born in New York City, Willett first came to prominence as a Revolutionary War leader when on June 5, 1775 as a member of the Sons of Liberty he jumped in front of a heavily armed British convoy coming down Broad Street to bring heavy arms to the British in Boston in advance of the Battle of Bunker Hill. He later was leader in the New York militia whose heroic action at the Battle of Fort Stanwix prevented a three-thousand-man British force from providing support for Burgoyne. In 1790, George Washington entrusted him (though he was an Anti-Federalist) with the highly delicate and dangerous job of negotiating a peace treaty with the Creek Indians, which was concluded in New York. He later was a founder of the modern New York City Democratic Party and was the City’s Mayor in 1807. In 1814, at the age of 74, his stirring speech from the steps of City Hall urging young men to join the New York State militia when New York City was threatened with an attack from the British is credited with saving the City.

Alexander Hamilton January 11, 1757 – July 12, 1804

Hamilton began his public career as a teenager with a spell binding speech at a patriot rally on July 4, 1774. His efficiency and bravery as an artillery captain of a New York regiment brought him to the attention of George Washington after the Battle of Harlem Heights, and he became one of Washington’s key aides. At Yorktown, Washington placed him in charge of the American force that attacked Redoubt No. 10, the last British defense point, which was successful and led to the British surrender. After the War and the enactment of the U.S. Constitution, Washington named him the first Secretary of the Treasury, and his farsighted economic policies revived the American economy. He was one of the organizers of the Bank of New York, New York’s first bank, and after his service as Treasury Secretary became an active lawyer and the leader of New York’s federalist party, which was the predominant political party in New York City until 1800, when it was defeated by the pro Jeffersonian Republican party led by Aaron Burr and Marinus Willett, and its celebrity candidates like Horatio Gates. In 1804, Hamilton was killed in a duel with Aaron Burr, then Vice President of the United States.


Stephen Rochefontaine

February 23, 1755 - January 30, 1814

Born Étienne Nicolas Marie Béchet, Sieur de Rochefontaine, 1755 Ay, Marne France; died here in New York City, 1814, Stephen Rochefontaine was veteran of the Yorktown and many other Revolutionary War campaigns, serving with distinction as an officer with both the French and U.S. militaries, as well as the first post-Revolutionary Chief of Engineers of United States Army Corps of Engineers (26 February 1795 - 7 May 1798) by the appointment of his friend and Commander and Chief President George Washington. Rochefontaine founded the first American military academy on the site of what is now the West Point U.S. Military Academy before retiring to his adopted home in New York.

LT Colonel Rochefontaine's plan for the Fort on Butte's Hill to Governor Fenner

Pierre Charles L’Enfant August 2, 1754 - June 14, 1825

Pierre Charles L’Enfant, the French architect was best known for creating the master plan for the city of Washington, DC. as well as other important works including sections of the interior decoration of Saint Paul’s Chapel.

L’Enfant’s Plan for the City of Washington

Jean-Jacques Caffieri April 29, 1725 - June 22, 1792

Jean-Jacques Caffieri, a notable French sculptor who designed the General Richard Montgomery Monument (made of marble from the French Pyrenees) on the east side of St. Paul’s, facing Broadway.

General Richard Montgomery Monument


Constituent & Allied Organizations

Sons of the Revolution in the State of New York

The Sons of the Revolution in the State of New York was founded in 1876 by descendants of Revolutionary War veterans to celebrate the American Revolution and to educate the public about the struggle to achieve American liberty. Its charter states that one of its purposes is to commemorate the American victories at the Battles of Saratoga and Yorktown, and other Revolutionary War battles. Members of the organization must have an ancestor who fought in the Revolutionary War or otherwise placed themselves at risk for the American cause.

The Alexander Hamilton Awareness Society

The Alexander Hamilton Awareness Society was formed by Rand Scholet in 2011 to increase the awareness and appreciation for one of our nation’s most influential Founding Fathers—Alexander Hamilton. In its relatively short period of existence, it has become one of the leading promoters of education about Alexander Hamilton, with extensive programs in Trinity Churchyard and elsewhere on the date of Alexander Hamilton’s birth in January and his death on July 11. Damien Cregeau, President of the Society’s Connecticut Chapter, will lay the wreath on Hamilton’s grave and generally will speak about him at the ceremony.

1st New York Continental Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution.

The Sons of the American Revolution is a national organization with more than 26,000 members dedicated to promoting interest in and knowledge about the American Revolution. Headquartered in Kentucky its purposes are similar to those of the Sons of the Revolution of the State of New York, although the membership qualifications are somewhat different. Wesley Oler IV, the President of the 1st Continental Chapter of the organization, has been active in assisting with the Saratoga/Yorktown ceremony both last year and this year, and in assisting with this year’s July 4 celebration. He is also a member of the Board of Managers of the Sons of the Revolution of the State of New York.

The Lower Manhattan Historical Association

Established on August 13, 2014, the general purpose of the Lower Manhattan Historical Association is to promote the commemoration of historical events in Lower Manhattan (including the 4th of July); either on its own or in conjunction with other like-minded historical associations.


Constituent & Allied Organizations

(Continued)

National Democratic Club

The National Democratic Club, first formed in 1834 as the Empire Club by United States Marshal and Tammany politician Isiaih Rynders, was considered instrumental in the election of James K. Polk as 11th President of the United States in 1844 and thereafter was influential in local and national politics for more than 100 years. After the sale of its headquarters at 237 Madison Avenue, the control of the Club was taken over by Jim Mcmanus (the legendary democratic district leader of Hell's Kitchen on the West side of Manhattan) who later passed on the leadership to James S. Kaplan, Esq.

Founded in 1891, the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) is a women's service organization dedicated to promoting historic preservation, education, patriotism and honoring the patriots of the Revolutionary War. The New York City Chapter of the DAR is one of the oldest DAR chapters in the National Society. With over 200 multigenerational members, the Chapter also boasts a robust Junior membership. The New York City Chapter welcomes all women interested in our National Society's objectives of historic preservation, promotion of education and patriotic endeavors.


Color Guard

On November 25, 1790 a group of officers and men of Washington's disbanded army assembled at the City Arms Tavern, in lower Manhattan and “voluntarily associated, constituted and formed themselves into a separate and distinct Corps of Artillery of the State of New York, with the number of artillery companies as might from time to time be found desirable, the formation of such companies to be prescribed in the Act of 14 April 1786”. This formation of 1790 has never been changed in the Corps. The Corps is comprehended under the National Defense Act as being one of nine historic military commands liable for duty under orders of the President in time of war. As the oldest independent command in the State of New York, the Corps is afforded the position of Honor Guard for military parades in New York and leads the Armed Forces Day parade up Fifth Avenue each year. On July 4, Independence Day, the VCA fires a fifty gun Salute to the Nation with 75mm Pack Howitzers and participates in special events such as the Millennium Celebration on July 3rd and July 4, 2000 when the Corps was designated as the firing battery by the United States Army to salute the International Naval and tall Ship Parades into New York harbor. True to the core beliefs of the founders of the VCA, many members of the Corps have or are serving in the Military of the United States and members have independently served in every war of the United States. Most recently our current Commandant, COL Stephen J. Ryan, has been deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, Djibouti and Nairobi. The VCA has served the state and the nation for 229 years with honor and distinction. It’s continued presence at ceremonies throughout the years is a testament to the dedication, the professionalism and the patriotism of its membership greatly appreciated by all.


Honored Representatives of the

French Republic

Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs

Jerome Henry Deputy Consul General of France in New York

Consulate General of France in New York

Ministry of the Armed Forces

Brigadier General Roland Margueritte Military Adviser, Head of the Military Mission

Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations in New York


Honored Participating Organizations

Society of American Military Engineers

The Society of American Military Engineers leads collaborative efforts to identify and resolve national security infrastructure-related challenges. Founded in 1920, SAME unites public and private sector individuals and organizations from across the architecture, engineering, construction, environmental and facility management, cyber security, project planning, contracting and acquisition, and related disciplines in support of national security.

Lycée Français De New York

The Lycée Français de New York (LFNY), literally The French High School of New York, is a private, independent bilingual French school for students from pre-kindergarten to twelfth grade based in Manhattan, New York City which follows the French curriculum of study and allows students to study for the French general Baccalauréat, the international option of the French Baccalaureate, or a special Franco-American Baccalaureate (BFA), as well as the American High School Diploma. It fosters over 1300 students from over 45 different nationalities from pre-kindergarten through high school. Committed to bilingual French and American education of the highest standard, the Lycée's mission is to prepare students of many origins to be thinkers, innovators and leaders, at home in the world.

Fédération des Anciens Combattants Français

The Fédération des Anciens Combattants Français (the Federation of French War Veterans) was founded in the State of New York in 1919. Felix Froger, its first President, was a naturalized U.S. Citizen who, having enlisted in 1914 as a private in the French Army’s 13th Field Artillery Regiment, transferred to the U.S. Army in 1917. The Federation strives to maintain the spirit of Franco-American comradeship-in-arms by participating in patriotic and historical ceremonies often accompanies by the Federation’s band, Les Cadets Lafayette and its Color Guard. The Federation keeps alive the memory of the fallen in the cause of freedom and, to this end, it participates with the American Society of Le Souvenir Français and, together with other like-minded historical organizations, in the building, maintaining and renovating of numerous war memorials.


Honored Participating Organizations

(Continued)

United States Military Academy West Point

The U.S. Military Academy at West Point's mission is "to educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets so that each graduate is a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, Country and prepared for a career of professional excellence and service to the Nation as an officer in the United States Army."

West Point's role in our nation's history dates back to the Revolutionary War, when both sides realized the strategic importance of the commanding plateau on the west bank of the Hudson River. General George Washington considered West Point to be the most important strategic position in America. Washington personally selected Thaddeus Kosciuszko, one of the heroes of Saratoga, to design the fortifications for West Point in 1778, and Washington transferred his headquarters to West Point in 1779. Continental soldiers built forts, batteries and redoubts and extended a 150-ton iron chain across the Hudson to control river traffic. Fortress West Point was never captured by the British, despite Benedict Arnold's treason. West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in America.


Hosting Parish

The Fifth Annual New York City Commemoration of the American Victories at the Battles of Saratoga and Yorktown is made possible by the gracious hospitality of Trinity Church Wall Street.

Trinity Church Wall Street is a growing and inclusive Episcopal parish that seeks to serve and heal the world by building neighborhoods that live Gospel truths, generations of faithful leaders, and sustainable communities. We are guided by our core values: faith, integrity, inclusiveness, compassion, social justice, and stewardship. Members come from New York City and surrounding areas to form a racially, ethnically, and economically diverse congregation. Trinity Church and St. Paul’s Chapel are the cornerstones of the parish’s community life, worship, and mission.1

General Horatio Gates, Col. Marinus Willett and Alexander Hamilton, along with other veterans of the American Revolutionary War are all buried in the Trinity Church Wall graveyard. The remains of yet more American Revolutionary War veterans are buried in the St. Paul's Chapel graveyard, a short walk up Broadway and also a part of the Trinity parish. Notably, the St. Paul's Chapel graveyard includes the grave and monument to Captain Stephen Rochefontaine, the French-born Étienne Nicolas Marie Béchet, Sieur de Rochefontaine, who served with distinction in the Continental Army – including the Battle of Yorktown and who, after the war in 1795, was appointed the first Commandant of the United States Army Corps of Artillerists and Engineers by then President George Washington.

1 Source: Trinity Church Wall Street website (https://www.trinitywallstreet.org/)


Surrender of General Burgoyne at the Battle of Saratoga by John Trumbull

Commissioned by Congress in 1817 for the United States Capitol rotunda; placed in 1826

Surrender of Lord Cornwallis at the Battle of Yorktown by John Trumbull

Commissioned by Congress in 1817 for the United States Capitol rotunda; placed in 1820


Contacts, Links & Directions

Contacts

James S. Kaplan, Esq. President Lower Manhattan Historical Association http://www.lmha-nyc.org/

[email protected]

Peter C. Hein, Esq. President Sons of the Revolution in the State of New York http://www.sonsoftherevolution.org/ Secretary Lower Manhattan Historical Association http://www.lmha-nyc.org/

[email protected]

Frederic P. Vigneron French Government Liaison & Webmaster Lower Manhattan Historical Association http://www.lmha-nyc.org/ Colonel French Air Force Citizen Reserves http://www.defense.gouv.fr/air

[email protected]

Links

Lower Manhattan Historical Association

American Victories at the Battles of Saratoga and Yorktown Page

http://lmha-nyc.org/saratoga-and-yorktown

Directions

Trinity Church Wall Street

Campus Directory https://www.trinitywallstreet.org/campus-directory

Documents

The Lower Manhattan Historical Association with the gracious …same-nyc.org/191026_LMHA.pdf · 2019. 10. 24. · (2019-10-26) Saratoga & Yorktown Celebration - PROGRAM (2019-10-22-A)