Author: clermontstatehistoricsite
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Calamities of War: Part 4
Clermont Attacked: The Primary Sources Unfortunately, this is the last known letter Gouverneur Morris sends to Robert R. Livingston until December of 1777. We do not have Morris’ eyewitness account of Kingston’s destruction or writings on Vaughn’s troops. Another primary source to consult is the journal of William Smith. Smith was a devout Loyalist, but…
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Losing an Old Friend: Trees at Clermont
The spring and summer of 2011 has been a tough one at Clermont for trees. We\’ve lost several large, historic ones to storms. We have felt a sense of loss with each one and wondered about this affects our historic landscape. Sadly, our biggest loss came last week when two very large limbs were blown…
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Just a Facade: Changes to the Face of Clermont
At Clermont, we welcome our guests at the back door. This isn\’t just because we like to be friendly. This is because our back door is the first one you come to, and we don\’t want you to have to go wandering all about the place just to get a tour. With that big porch…
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Calamities of War: Part 3
The Clermont Livingstons as RevolutionariesThe Clermont branch of the Livingston family began an active participation in the Revolutionary War almost from the beginning. Robert the Judge was a member of the Stamp Act Congress, and is said to have been the man who penned the letter of protest to King George. Robert the Judge also…
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Is This Soda?
This week I started a project to scan some of the many slides we\’ve taken over the years. Along the way, I have encountered quite a few pictures I\’ve never seen before, but none that piqued my curiosity so much as this one… The Livingstons, particularly the last two generations, loved pets and always had…
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The Last Chance: The Sorrowful Tale of Nancy Shippen, part 8
For Nancy, the whole of the summer of 1784 went by that way: bored in the country, worrying about her mother\’s health and her distant daughter. In in July she wrote, \”This day was still duller for it rain\’d all day…\” and in August, \”This retirement begins to be very tiresome.\” But this boredom only…
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Calamities of War: Part 2
General Vaughn is sent north on the journey that will result in Clermont\’s burning in 1777… The Course of the Summer Campaign Season of 1777While Burgoyne’s Army of 7,500 men marched from Montreal towards Albany and General Howe moved to take Philadelphia with 15,000 men, General Clinton had been left to defend New York City…
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Who\'s on First?
Well Clermont\’s Old-Fashioned Independence Day is past, and I can breath a sigh of relief. As the most-attended event at Clermont, it is always one I am both happy and sad to be put to bed for another year. This year\’s event brought some new questions to my mind, and as part of my quest…
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Calamities of War: Part 1
Before one can understand why and how British soldiers burned Clermont in October of 1777, an understanding of the progress of the Revolutionary War to that point is needed. The War To 1777The American War of Independence started on April 19, 1775 in the small Massachusetts’ towns of Lexington and Concord. From the initial small…
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Bob\'s Folly Part 2: Making it Work
Why then was Robert Fulton successful where so many others had failed? The answer might well be that Fulton had the great fortune of meeting and partnering with Robert R. Livingston. A descendant of Hudson Valley landed gentry and a product of the Enlightenment, Livingston dedicated over half his life to civil service. He served…
Clermont State Historic Site 