The day is Sunday, August 19, 1781. Despite the rain, General George Washington orders his troops encamped in and near Dobbs’s Ferry to assemble along the ferry road (today’s Ashford Avenue) close to the junction of the Albany Post Road (today’s Broadway). With this “parade for the march,” the soldiers assume that, at long last, they are moving south to attack British General Clinton in New York City…
Fast forward to 2022. On Sunday, September 18, the Dobbs Ferry Historical Society will commemorate the 241st anniversary of Continental Army’s departure from our area with a 1½-mile march tracing the beginning of the route. The soldiers headed north – not south to Manhattan – to cross the Hudson at Kings Ferry. Thus began the army’s 400-mile march to victory against the British in Yorktown, Virginia, thanks to this bold decision of General Washington and French General Rochambeau.
This year’s march, led by fife and drum and the 2nd NY Regiment, will start at Gould Park, stop at the Little White Church Cemetery to honor the veterans buried there, and end at Mead House for activities and refreshments. The regiment will be encamped there and ready to drill new recruits and interpret the life of a soldier. Dr. Daniel Wood, surgeon, will describe battlefield emergency medicine and display his instruments. A colonial lady will demonstrate dress and makeup of the period. And there’s more – a mix of history, reenactments and activities for all ages!