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| Commander K. "Invading" Grand Central Station |
Today all eyes are cast on New York -- the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the USA. As of this writing New York State has experienced over 53,000 diagnosed cases of COVID -19 and over 800 deaths. These numbers are certain to rise and New York is the hardest hit state by far in the country now. The Coronavirus has been a silent invisible invader of New York (and the world) that has preyed on the most vulnerable among us (see also my earlier blog on the Coronavirus...https://americanconservativeinlondon.blogspot.com/2020/03/beignets-whiskey-and-coronavirus.html).
Andrew Cuomo, the governor of New York, has emerged as an eloquent, intelligent and humane spokesman as this crisis grips his state and strangles the once vibrant NY economy. He has demonstrated the plucky fighting spirit that beats in the hearts of all New Yorkers.
In the New York chapter of America Invaded we outlined Invasions of New York from the first arrival of he Europeans right up to the present (www.americainvaded.com) that have shaped the Empire state...
"The size, wealth, and power of the area known today as New York
State have made it a magnet for many invaders and attackers
over the course of its history. Its geography makes it particularly
vulnerable to invasions. Manhattan, being an island, was the target of
many seaborne invasions or attacks, from the Dutch in the seventeenth
century to Nazi U-boats in World War II. The unique topography of
the Hudson River and Lake Champlain forms a water highway that
provides a north-south axis of invasion that has been exploited by
many powers.
The wealth that drew the earliest human “invaders,” as well as the first Europeans, was New York’s bounteous natural environment. The waters around Manhattan were teeming with oysters, which shaped the very landscape of the area. Middens, hills made of discarded oyster shells, were created by the bivalve-loving indigenous peoples of New York. Beavers built their dams in the Mohawk Valley. The governor of New Amsterdam, Adriaen van der Donck, recorded in 1649 the capture of six-foot lobsters! The city of Buffalo seems likely to have gotten its name from the American bison that once ranged through western New York.
The indigenous inhabitants of New York would frequently become caught up in the colonial rivalries between Dutch, French, English, and, finally, American settlers. The many wars they waged amongst themselves prior to the arrival of Europeans are mainly lost to history.
Andrew Cuomo, the governor of New York, has emerged as an eloquent, intelligent and humane spokesman as this crisis grips his state and strangles the once vibrant NY economy. He has demonstrated the plucky fighting spirit that beats in the hearts of all New Yorkers.
In the New York chapter of America Invaded we outlined Invasions of New York from the first arrival of he Europeans right up to the present (www.americainvaded.com) that have shaped the Empire state...
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| New York The Empire State |
The wealth that drew the earliest human “invaders,” as well as the first Europeans, was New York’s bounteous natural environment. The waters around Manhattan were teeming with oysters, which shaped the very landscape of the area. Middens, hills made of discarded oyster shells, were created by the bivalve-loving indigenous peoples of New York. Beavers built their dams in the Mohawk Valley. The governor of New Amsterdam, Adriaen van der Donck, recorded in 1649 the capture of six-foot lobsters! The city of Buffalo seems likely to have gotten its name from the American bison that once ranged through western New York.
The indigenous inhabitants of New York would frequently become caught up in the colonial rivalries between Dutch, French, English, and, finally, American settlers. The many wars they waged amongst themselves prior to the arrival of Europeans are mainly lost to history.
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| Henry Hudson Circa 1565 - 1611? |
In 1609, Henry Hudson, a Londoner employed by the Dutch East India
Company, arrived in what is today New York, seeking a route to the Orient.
He did not, of course, find any such thing. Hudson and the crew of the Half
Moon had mostly peaceful interactions with the Native Americans, but one
member of his crew, John Colman, was murdered when an Indian shot an
arrow through Colman’s neck on September 6, 1609.
Dutch colonizers would follow in Hudson’s wake, establishing New Netherlands in 1624. They came in pursuit of the quick profits that could be made from the sale of beaver pelts. Fort Orange was built to protect the early Dutch settlers from the indigenous population. It later became known as Beverwijk and finally, with the arrival of the English, as Albany.
Kiliaen van Rensselaer, my own ancestor (CRK), was a Dutch merchant
who purchased vast tracts of land in New York, although he never set foot
in the New World. This New York patroon is buried at the Oude Kerk in
Amsterdam’s red-light district.
Though the Dutch preferred to trade peacefully with the Indians, conflicts did arise. In 1638, Willem Kieft was appointed director by the Dutch West India Company. During his tenure, he reduced the customary annual tribute paid to the indigenous people. The inexperienced Kieft also used the theft of some pigs to start what became known as Kieft’s War, which ran from 1643–45. Over a thousand Algonquian people were killed, as well as many Dutch.
The island of Manhattan was famously established by the Dutch not as a conquest, but as a business deal with the native people. Peter Minuit of the Dutch West India Company bought the island of Manhattan for the sum of 60 guilders from the chief of the Carnarsee, though the island was mainly inhabited by Weckquaesgeeks. The Dutch later built a wall along a street to protect Manhattan from the English in Connecticut. Today it is known as Wall Street.
The English invasion of New York began in August 1664, when four British warships led by Richard Nicolls, a subordinate of the Duke of York in the English Civil War, arrived off Manhattan. Peter Stuyvesant, the one-legged director of the Dutch colony, was compelled to surrender. New Amsterdam became New York.
Samuel de Champlain, the French explorer and founder of New France, was the first European to visit the area near the future site of Ticonderoga in the summer of 1609. In late July, Champlain and his Indian allies skirmished with the Iroquois and red an arquebus loaded with four lead balls. Two Iroquois chieftains fell.
Dutch colonizers would follow in Hudson’s wake, establishing New Netherlands in 1624. They came in pursuit of the quick profits that could be made from the sale of beaver pelts. Fort Orange was built to protect the early Dutch settlers from the indigenous population. It later became known as Beverwijk and finally, with the arrival of the English, as Albany.
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| Killiaen Van Rensselaer 1586 -1643 Oude Kerk, Amsterdam |
Though the Dutch preferred to trade peacefully with the Indians, conflicts did arise. In 1638, Willem Kieft was appointed director by the Dutch West India Company. During his tenure, he reduced the customary annual tribute paid to the indigenous people. The inexperienced Kieft also used the theft of some pigs to start what became known as Kieft’s War, which ran from 1643–45. Over a thousand Algonquian people were killed, as well as many Dutch.
The island of Manhattan was famously established by the Dutch not as a conquest, but as a business deal with the native people. Peter Minuit of the Dutch West India Company bought the island of Manhattan for the sum of 60 guilders from the chief of the Carnarsee, though the island was mainly inhabited by Weckquaesgeeks. The Dutch later built a wall along a street to protect Manhattan from the English in Connecticut. Today it is known as Wall Street.
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| Samuel de Champlain 1574 -1635 |
The English invasion of New York began in August 1664, when four British warships led by Richard Nicolls, a subordinate of the Duke of York in the English Civil War, arrived off Manhattan. Peter Stuyvesant, the one-legged director of the Dutch colony, was compelled to surrender. New Amsterdam became New York.
Samuel de Champlain, the French explorer and founder of New France, was the first European to visit the area near the future site of Ticonderoga in the summer of 1609. In late July, Champlain and his Indian allies skirmished with the Iroquois and red an arquebus loaded with four lead balls. Two Iroquois chieftains fell.
French voyagers and traders settled in New France, north of the British
colony of New York. The French built fortifications to prevent encroachment
from the more populous British colonies to their south. In 1726, for example,
they built Fort Niagara, the heart of which is known today as the French
Castle (https://www.oldfortniagara.org/). They also launched occasional raids on British territory.
In the winter of 1690, during the Nine Years’ War, a raiding party led by
Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville struck south from New France into New York. The French and their Indian allies came via canoe across Lake Champlain and
down the Hudson. Finding Fort Orange (now Albany) too well defended, they
pushed on until they reached Schenectady. The town’s only guards were two
snowmen! A predawn attack on February 9 killed sixty Schenectady residents.
And there was trouble on the home front as well. In England, Catholic King James II was forced from his throne. The next year, in 1689, German-born Jacob Leisler took the opportunity to seize power from Lieutenant Governor Francis Nicholson in New York. Two years later, English soldiers under Major Richard Ingoldesby were ordered to install a new regime to replace Leisler’s. Fighting ensued, but Leisler eventually surrendered and was hanged for treason.
There would be plenty of further fighting in the border area as Britain and France continued to compete for colonial dominance in North America. At the start of the Seven Years’ War (known in North America as the French and Indian War) the French, aided by superior generalship, enjoyed some success. Britain would not become dominant in the conflict until late in the war. New York, sharing a long border with New France, saw heavy fighting.
Early in the war, British and Native American forces triumphed over the French at the Battle of Lake George, though that victory did not lead to much. In 1755, the French built Fort Carillon, which later became known as Ticonderoga. This limestone fort gave them a base from which to raid to the south. Ticonderoga is an Iroquois word meaning junction at two waters.
In 1757, General Montcalm led a force of 1,600 French and Canadian soldiers, along with their Indian allies, and invaded New York, marching south to Lake George. In August, they besieged and sacked Fort William Henry. About fifty prisoners were massacred by the Indians.
On January 21, 1757, the Battle on Snowshoes was fought near Fort
Carillon, when an American company of Rangers led by Robert Rogers was ambushed by the French and their Indian allies. Rogers learned from defeat,
later writing Rogers Rules of Ranging, which serve even today as a guideline
for American Special Forces.
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| French Castle Fort Niagara |
And there was trouble on the home front as well. In England, Catholic King James II was forced from his throne. The next year, in 1689, German-born Jacob Leisler took the opportunity to seize power from Lieutenant Governor Francis Nicholson in New York. Two years later, English soldiers under Major Richard Ingoldesby were ordered to install a new regime to replace Leisler’s. Fighting ensued, but Leisler eventually surrendered and was hanged for treason.
There would be plenty of further fighting in the border area as Britain and France continued to compete for colonial dominance in North America. At the start of the Seven Years’ War (known in North America as the French and Indian War) the French, aided by superior generalship, enjoyed some success. Britain would not become dominant in the conflict until late in the war. New York, sharing a long border with New France, saw heavy fighting.
Early in the war, British and Native American forces triumphed over the French at the Battle of Lake George, though that victory did not lead to much. In 1755, the French built Fort Carillon, which later became known as Ticonderoga. This limestone fort gave them a base from which to raid to the south. Ticonderoga is an Iroquois word meaning junction at two waters.
In 1757, General Montcalm led a force of 1,600 French and Canadian soldiers, along with their Indian allies, and invaded New York, marching south to Lake George. In August, they besieged and sacked Fort William Henry. About fifty prisoners were massacred by the Indians.
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| Robert Rogers 1731 - 1795 |
New France had a total population of only 80,000 settlers versus around
one and half million in Britain’s American colonies. This numerical superiority
eventually overwhelmed the defenders of French Canada.
Montcalm was killed in 1759 at the siege of Quebec. at same year, the English constructed a new fort at Crown Point. Robert Rogers sortied from Crown Point to launch a punishing raid on the Abenaki village of St. Francis in 1759. at same year, British forces also finally captured Fort Ticonderoga and Fort Niagara.
In 1763, the Treaty of Paris ended the Seven Years’ War, with a British annexation of New France that made New York’s northern border secure.
The expense of the Seven Years’ War had to be paid for, and the British Crown soon started raising taxes on its American colonists, which contributed to the start of the American Revolution.
On May 10, 1775, Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold captured Fort Ticonderoga in upstate New York. When the British commander asked by whose authority they acted, Arnold thundered, “In the name of the Great Jehovah, and the Continental Congress.” Fifty-eight mortar and cannon seized at Ticonderoga would later be dragged by forces led by Henry Knox (a portly Boston bookseller) to Dorchester Heights in Boston, where they would be used to drive the British from that city.
However, the subsequent attempt by the Continental Army to invade north into Quebec was a disastrous failure, and the Fort Ticonderoga area again saw fighting as American forces attempted to resist the advancing British. An American fleet under Benedict Arnold was largely destroyed by British ships in the Battle of Valcour Island.
In June of 1776, a British armada entered lower New York Harbor and began disembarking troops. General William Howe commanded 32,000 men, outnumbering Washington’s 19,000 soldiers. A series of engagements were fought, contesting New York. In August, the British landed on Long Island, eventually forcing Washington to evacuate the island. On September 16, the Americans won a sharp engagement at the Battle of Harlem Heights, but soon after Washington was compelled to abandon Manhattan to the British and their Tory supporters. New York, along with New Jersey, was a hotbed of Loyalist support for most of the American Revolution. The King’s American Legion, for example, was made up largely of New Yorkers. At the Battle of White Plains on October 28, American militia were driven from the field, and Continental regulars withdrew from Chatterton’s Hill. At the close of 1776, it appeared that New York City had been permanently lost to the British.
Montcalm was killed in 1759 at the siege of Quebec. at same year, the English constructed a new fort at Crown Point. Robert Rogers sortied from Crown Point to launch a punishing raid on the Abenaki village of St. Francis in 1759. at same year, British forces also finally captured Fort Ticonderoga and Fort Niagara.
In 1763, the Treaty of Paris ended the Seven Years’ War, with a British annexation of New France that made New York’s northern border secure.
The expense of the Seven Years’ War had to be paid for, and the British Crown soon started raising taxes on its American colonists, which contributed to the start of the American Revolution.
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| Fort Ticonderoga New York |
On May 10, 1775, Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold captured Fort Ticonderoga in upstate New York. When the British commander asked by whose authority they acted, Arnold thundered, “In the name of the Great Jehovah, and the Continental Congress.” Fifty-eight mortar and cannon seized at Ticonderoga would later be dragged by forces led by Henry Knox (a portly Boston bookseller) to Dorchester Heights in Boston, where they would be used to drive the British from that city.
However, the subsequent attempt by the Continental Army to invade north into Quebec was a disastrous failure, and the Fort Ticonderoga area again saw fighting as American forces attempted to resist the advancing British. An American fleet under Benedict Arnold was largely destroyed by British ships in the Battle of Valcour Island.
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| George Washington Death Mask Morgan Library, NYC |
In June of 1776, a British armada entered lower New York Harbor and began disembarking troops. General William Howe commanded 32,000 men, outnumbering Washington’s 19,000 soldiers. A series of engagements were fought, contesting New York. In August, the British landed on Long Island, eventually forcing Washington to evacuate the island. On September 16, the Americans won a sharp engagement at the Battle of Harlem Heights, but soon after Washington was compelled to abandon Manhattan to the British and their Tory supporters. New York, along with New Jersey, was a hotbed of Loyalist support for most of the American Revolution. The King’s American Legion, for example, was made up largely of New Yorkers. At the Battle of White Plains on October 28, American militia were driven from the field, and Continental regulars withdrew from Chatterton’s Hill. At the close of 1776, it appeared that New York City had been permanently lost to the British.
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| "Gentleman" Johnny Burgoyne 1722 - 1792 |
The next year, 1777, became known as the year of the hangman due
to the similar appearance of the number 7 and a gibbet. is year featured
an invasion of New York that was, quite possibly, the most consequential
in the area’s history. “Gentleman Johnny” Burgoyne, an amateur play-
wright, led an invading army of over 7,000 troops from Canada that was
made up of British, German, Canadian, and Loyalist forces. George III
personally ordered the use of Indian forces to supplement his Redcoats,
hoping they would terrorize the Americans into submission. British gold
subsidized the Native Americans, who were paid an $8 bounty for either
live rebel prisoners or their scalps. Burgoyne’s aim was to drive south
toward British-occupied Manhattan, cutting New England off from the
rest of the rebellious colonies.
Burgoyne’s complicated plan relied on coordinated British action, with around 1,600 troops led by General St. Leger striking from the St. Lawrence into western New York. Lord Howe, with 16,000 men, would march north from Manhattan to rendezvous with Burgoyne at Albany.
All went well for Burgoyne at first. His forces scouted the crest of Mount Defiance, which looked down upon Fort Ticonderoga. His artilleryman, General Phillips, declared, “Where a goat can go, a man can go; and where a man can go, he can drag a gun.” British cannons were dragged to the top of Mount Defiance, and General St. Clair, who commanded around 2,500 outnumbered and outgunned American defenders at Ticonderoga, was compelled to withdraw without a fight. General Phillip Schuyler, St. Clair’s superior and the commander of the Northern Department, was subsequently sacked by the Continental Congress and replaced by Horatio Gates. At this point, it seemed America’s Founding Fathers truly might be hanged on a gibbet, as Burgoyne and George III intended.
Even before Gates assumed command of the Northern Department, however, the tide began to turn. A reconnaissance into Vermont, led by Lieutenant Colonel Friedrich Baum and his Brunswickers, ended disastrously for the British at the battle of Bennington on August 15. Troops from New Hampshire, led by General John Stark, earned a crucial victory in a battle that was fought in New York but is commemorated today by a large monument in Vermont.
Burgoyne’s complicated plan relied on coordinated British action, with around 1,600 troops led by General St. Leger striking from the St. Lawrence into western New York. Lord Howe, with 16,000 men, would march north from Manhattan to rendezvous with Burgoyne at Albany.
All went well for Burgoyne at first. His forces scouted the crest of Mount Defiance, which looked down upon Fort Ticonderoga. His artilleryman, General Phillips, declared, “Where a goat can go, a man can go; and where a man can go, he can drag a gun.” British cannons were dragged to the top of Mount Defiance, and General St. Clair, who commanded around 2,500 outnumbered and outgunned American defenders at Ticonderoga, was compelled to withdraw without a fight. General Phillip Schuyler, St. Clair’s superior and the commander of the Northern Department, was subsequently sacked by the Continental Congress and replaced by Horatio Gates. At this point, it seemed America’s Founding Fathers truly might be hanged on a gibbet, as Burgoyne and George III intended.
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| Bennington Monument Bennington, Vermont |
Even before Gates assumed command of the Northern Department, however, the tide began to turn. A reconnaissance into Vermont, led by Lieutenant Colonel Friedrich Baum and his Brunswickers, ended disastrously for the British at the battle of Bennington on August 15. Troops from New Hampshire, led by General John Stark, earned a crucial victory in a battle that was fought in New York but is commemorated today by a large monument in Vermont.
One of the bloodiest battles of the American Revolution was fought
in New York on August 6, 1777, when Loyalists and Indians led by Chief
Joseph Brant ambushed Colonel Nicholas Herkimer’s Tryon County militia
at Oriskany. Around 200 Americans and 150 Indians were killed. Oneida
Indians fought that day on the Patriot side.
But the most decisive actions of 1777 would be fought in September in the woods near Saratoga. On September 19, Burgoyne’s advance toward Albany was halted by American rebels, led by Benedict Arnold and Horatio Gates, at Freeman’s Farm on the Hudson River. Burgoyne’s forces were repulsed again at Bemis Heights on October 7. Benedict Arnold, under the influence of rum, demonstrated conspicuous courage, and was wounded in the leg that day. Lord Howe, preoccupied with the capture of Philadelphia, had not left Sir Henry Clinton in New York City with enough troops to advance north to Albany. On October 17, 1777, Burgoyne, with many of his troops close to starvation due to their stretched supply lines from Canada, surrendered his army of 5,895. Burgoyne himself was brie y held prisoner at General Schuyler’s (another NY ancestor by marriage! [CRK]) mansion in Albany. This decisive American victory was the turning point of the American Revolution, as it gave instant credibility to the rebel movement. Louis XVI’s France abandoned its neutrality and joined the war as an American ally directly as a result of the surrender at Saratoga.
Native American forces allied to Britain hit back in the north of New York. In the fall of 1778, Chief Joseph Brant delivered a measure of revenge for Saratoga by leading a massacre at Cherry Valley. This town near Albany had a population of just over three hundred in 1775. On November 11, 1778, fourteen soldiers and thirty civilians were killed by the Iroquois, Among the dead were my ancestors Robert Wells, his wife, and several children, including his teenage daughter Jane (Commander K.).
As a result, many settlers ed the area, and the Continental Army sent in troops on reprisal operations. In particular, General Sullivan’s expedition in 1779 destroyed numerous Native American villages in Pennsylvania and New York.
In the Mohawk Valley and much of New York, the Revolution really came to resemble a civil war with raids and retaliations. The last major battle in the Mohawk Valley that involved regular British soldiers took place in Johnstown in 1781.
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| Cannon Saratoga National Historic Park |
But the most decisive actions of 1777 would be fought in September in the woods near Saratoga. On September 19, Burgoyne’s advance toward Albany was halted by American rebels, led by Benedict Arnold and Horatio Gates, at Freeman’s Farm on the Hudson River. Burgoyne’s forces were repulsed again at Bemis Heights on October 7. Benedict Arnold, under the influence of rum, demonstrated conspicuous courage, and was wounded in the leg that day. Lord Howe, preoccupied with the capture of Philadelphia, had not left Sir Henry Clinton in New York City with enough troops to advance north to Albany. On October 17, 1777, Burgoyne, with many of his troops close to starvation due to their stretched supply lines from Canada, surrendered his army of 5,895. Burgoyne himself was brie y held prisoner at General Schuyler’s (another NY ancestor by marriage! [CRK]) mansion in Albany. This decisive American victory was the turning point of the American Revolution, as it gave instant credibility to the rebel movement. Louis XVI’s France abandoned its neutrality and joined the war as an American ally directly as a result of the surrender at Saratoga.
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| Philip Schuyler |
Native American forces allied to Britain hit back in the north of New York. In the fall of 1778, Chief Joseph Brant delivered a measure of revenge for Saratoga by leading a massacre at Cherry Valley. This town near Albany had a population of just over three hundred in 1775. On November 11, 1778, fourteen soldiers and thirty civilians were killed by the Iroquois, Among the dead were my ancestors Robert Wells, his wife, and several children, including his teenage daughter Jane (Commander K.).
As a result, many settlers ed the area, and the Continental Army sent in troops on reprisal operations. In particular, General Sullivan’s expedition in 1779 destroyed numerous Native American villages in Pennsylvania and New York.
In the Mohawk Valley and much of New York, the Revolution really came to resemble a civil war with raids and retaliations. The last major battle in the Mohawk Valley that involved regular British soldiers took place in Johnstown in 1781.
In 1780, Benedict Arnold, who had been passed over for promotion by
the Continental Congress, conspired to deliver the American fort at West
Point to the British. The plot failed, and the unfortunate British Major John
André was hanged by the Continental Army for espionage.
On November 25, 1783 (Evacuation Day), British troops finally abandoned New York City. On December 4, Washington bade a tearful farewell to his officers at the Fraunces Tavern on Pearl Street in lower Manhattan (https://frauncestavern.com/).
But another war was coming. In the War of 1812, British and American forces would clash in a number of places along the border between New York and Canada. Numerous raids were also launched across Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence and Niagara Rivers.
During the war, another one of my ancestors (Commander K.), General Stephen Van Rensselaer, led an unsuccessful invasion from New York into Canada. Many of the New York militia he commanded saw themselves as a strictly defensive force.
American soldiers in Fort Niagara and British soldiers in Fort George, who had previously enjoyed friendly relations, traded cannon re across the Niagara River in the summer of 1812. On the evening of December 18, 1813, Colonel John Murray and 550 British soldiers crept toward Fort Niagara. A group of American guards were caught while playing cards and forced to divulge the fort’s password. The sleeping garrison was captured at bayonet point. It was to be the last foreign assault on an American military installation on the mainland until the Japanese attack on Fort Stevens in 1942. On December 30, in retaliation for the American burning of Newark, British troops and Native American allies attacked and burned Buffalo and Black Rock.
In September 1814, one of the decisive naval battles of the war took place at Plattsburgh. The naval elements of a British invasion force were defeated on Lake Champlain by US naval forces under Captain Thomas Macdonough. Realizing that without naval assistance, further progress on land would be hard, British land forces withdrew. The American victory considerably strengthened the hand of the United States in the negotiations to end the war.
During the American Civil War, many New Yorkers would serve in the Union Army. On May 24, 1861, Elmer Ellsworth of Sarasota Springs became the first Union officer to be killed, shot by a Virginia hotelier wielding a
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| Fraunces Tavern NY, NY |
On November 25, 1783 (Evacuation Day), British troops finally abandoned New York City. On December 4, Washington bade a tearful farewell to his officers at the Fraunces Tavern on Pearl Street in lower Manhattan (https://frauncestavern.com/).
But another war was coming. In the War of 1812, British and American forces would clash in a number of places along the border between New York and Canada. Numerous raids were also launched across Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence and Niagara Rivers.
During the war, another one of my ancestors (Commander K.), General Stephen Van Rensselaer, led an unsuccessful invasion from New York into Canada. Many of the New York militia he commanded saw themselves as a strictly defensive force.
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| Musket Demonstration Fort Niagara, NY |
American soldiers in Fort Niagara and British soldiers in Fort George, who had previously enjoyed friendly relations, traded cannon re across the Niagara River in the summer of 1812. On the evening of December 18, 1813, Colonel John Murray and 550 British soldiers crept toward Fort Niagara. A group of American guards were caught while playing cards and forced to divulge the fort’s password. The sleeping garrison was captured at bayonet point. It was to be the last foreign assault on an American military installation on the mainland until the Japanese attack on Fort Stevens in 1942. On December 30, in retaliation for the American burning of Newark, British troops and Native American allies attacked and burned Buffalo and Black Rock.
In September 1814, one of the decisive naval battles of the war took place at Plattsburgh. The naval elements of a British invasion force were defeated on Lake Champlain by US naval forces under Captain Thomas Macdonough. Realizing that without naval assistance, further progress on land would be hard, British land forces withdrew. The American victory considerably strengthened the hand of the United States in the negotiations to end the war.
During the American Civil War, many New Yorkers would serve in the Union Army. On May 24, 1861, Elmer Ellsworth of Sarasota Springs became the first Union officer to be killed, shot by a Virginia hotelier wielding a
shotgun. Moments before, Ellsworth, a Zouave officer, had hauled down the
Confederate flag in an Alexandria hotel.
New York has seen a wide array of assorted riots over the centuries, and the Civil War years provided one particularly tragic example. Late in the war, many recent immigrants to New York came to resent conscription into the Union Army. In the summer of 1863, five days of rioting broke out in Manhattan that resulted in over a hundred deaths and the lynching of eleven black men. The historian Samuel Morrison declared that these draft riots were “equivalent to a Confederate victory.”
In March of 1899, after the American victory in the Spanish-American War, Kaiser Wilhelm II had plans drawn up for a German invasion of New York City. One hundred thousand troops would land at Sandy Hook in nearby New Jersey and proceed toward Manhattan.
P. G. Wodehouse’s 1916 short story “The Military Invasion of America” spoofs invasion fiction that was popular at the time, describing a fictional attack on New York by a German armada, with the Japanese attacking the West Coast. “New York had been bombarded—but fortunately, as it was summer, nobody of any importance was in town.”
Allan Stewart Konigsberg was born in the Bronx in 1935. His Jewish grandparents had immigrated from Russia and Austria, and he grew up in Brooklyn speaking German and Yiddish. An imaginative boy, he spent time on the beach looking out for Nazi submarines during World War II. He never actually saw a German U-boat, but he did incorporate his fantasies into the 1987 lm Radio Days. Konigsberg is, of course, better known to us as Woody Allen.
But Nazi submarines o the coast of New York were no mere fantasy. After the Pearl Harbor attack, the German Navy launched a U-boat campaign against shipping on the Eastern seaboard with Operation Drumbeat. Americans were slow to implement convoy tactics for merchant shipping, and many ships were sunk. U-boat captains such as Captain Reinhard Hardegen used the brightly illuminated skyline of New York City to target ships, to devastating effect. It took many months for blackout laws to go into effect for coastal cities, and for convoy protocol to be adopted.
On June 13, 1942, four German saboteurs were landed from a U-boat near Manhattan. (Four more were later dropped off in Florida.) Two turned themselves in, and the rest were arrested. They had been trained to attack targets such as Penn Station. New York power was quite literally targeted by the saboteurs, who also planned to attack the hydroelectric plant at Niagara Falls. All of the would-be saboteurs were tried by military tribunals, and six were executed. (See earlier blog on INVADING FLORIDA...https://americanconservativeinlondon.blogspot.com/2020/02/invading-florida.html).
According to Albert Speer, Nazi Germany’s Minister of Armaments and
War Production, Hitler was obsessed by a vision of New York City in flames.
In 1942, the Luftwaffe began plans for a strategic bomber that would have
been capable of reaching the Empire State. The Luftwaffe intended to make
use of its innovative jet technology. Five prototypes for the Amerika bomber
were built, but the plan was never operational.
New York has seen a wide array of assorted riots over the centuries, and the Civil War years provided one particularly tragic example. Late in the war, many recent immigrants to New York came to resent conscription into the Union Army. In the summer of 1863, five days of rioting broke out in Manhattan that resulted in over a hundred deaths and the lynching of eleven black men. The historian Samuel Morrison declared that these draft riots were “equivalent to a Confederate victory.”
In March of 1899, after the American victory in the Spanish-American War, Kaiser Wilhelm II had plans drawn up for a German invasion of New York City. One hundred thousand troops would land at Sandy Hook in nearby New Jersey and proceed toward Manhattan.
P. G. Wodehouse’s 1916 short story “The Military Invasion of America” spoofs invasion fiction that was popular at the time, describing a fictional attack on New York by a German armada, with the Japanese attacking the West Coast. “New York had been bombarded—but fortunately, as it was summer, nobody of any importance was in town.”
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| Allan Stewart Konigsberg |
Allan Stewart Konigsberg was born in the Bronx in 1935. His Jewish grandparents had immigrated from Russia and Austria, and he grew up in Brooklyn speaking German and Yiddish. An imaginative boy, he spent time on the beach looking out for Nazi submarines during World War II. He never actually saw a German U-boat, but he did incorporate his fantasies into the 1987 lm Radio Days. Konigsberg is, of course, better known to us as Woody Allen.
But Nazi submarines o the coast of New York were no mere fantasy. After the Pearl Harbor attack, the German Navy launched a U-boat campaign against shipping on the Eastern seaboard with Operation Drumbeat. Americans were slow to implement convoy tactics for merchant shipping, and many ships were sunk. U-boat captains such as Captain Reinhard Hardegen used the brightly illuminated skyline of New York City to target ships, to devastating effect. It took many months for blackout laws to go into effect for coastal cities, and for convoy protocol to be adopted.
On June 13, 1942, four German saboteurs were landed from a U-boat near Manhattan. (Four more were later dropped off in Florida.) Two turned themselves in, and the rest were arrested. They had been trained to attack targets such as Penn Station. New York power was quite literally targeted by the saboteurs, who also planned to attack the hydroelectric plant at Niagara Falls. All of the would-be saboteurs were tried by military tribunals, and six were executed. (See earlier blog on INVADING FLORIDA...https://americanconservativeinlondon.blogspot.com/2020/02/invading-florida.html).
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| Twin Towers September 11, 2001 |
On September 11, 2001, hijackers belatedly realized Hitler’s nightmarish dream by transforming commercial passenger jets into weapons
and flying them into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. Two
thousand six hundred and six people were killed that day by the Al
Qaeda attack." (Source: www.americainvaded.com)
If you have enjoyed this chapter of America Invaded please purchase you own signed copy of the book here...www.americainvaded.com
Dedicated with love to Nina Van Rensselaer
1928 - 2020, RIP
A Fighting New Yorker
Dedicated with love to Nina Van Rensselaer
1928 - 2020, RIP
A Fighting New Yorker
Tourist Notes:There are so many places to explore NY's rich historic heritage. Most of these destinations are, of course, currently closed. But, God willing, life will return to normal soon...
1) FORT TICONDEROGA (https://www.fortticonderoga.org/). A private foundation runs this spectacular Fort.
2) FORT NIAGARA (https://www.oldfortniagara.org/). Niagara is more than just a waterfall! Touch the War of 1812 here.
3) SCHUYLER MANSION (https://www.friendsofschuylermansion.org/home) in Albany. A beautiful home in New York's capital. Where Alexander Hamilton was married and Burgoyne was a POW.
4) FRAUNCES TAVERN (https://frauncestavern.com/) in Lower Manhattan. This tavern, built in 1711, was where George Washington said farewell to his officers from the American Revolution. It is an excellent establishment to restore the tissues and to slurp down a few bivalves!
5) INTREPID SEA AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM (https://www.intrepidmuseum.org). You will find a WW2 air craft carrier right on the waterfront in New York City. The deck is loaded with planes and friendly volunteers waiting for your questions.
6) NATIONAL SEPTEMBER 11TH MEMORIAL AND MUSEUM (www.911memorial.org). Never forget what happened to our nation and the world on that bright September day when the world changed forever. Easy walking distance to Fraunces Tavern.
7) SARATOGA NATIONAL HISTORIC PARK (https://www.nps.gov/sara/index.htm). Explore the battlefield on which Britain lost her best chance to defeat the upstart rebel colonies.
8) MORGAN LIBRARY (https://www.themorgan.org/). This amazing library is a national treasure and the ginger bread in the cafe is delicious!
9) CHERRY VALLEY MUSEUM (http://cherryvalleymuseum.com/). Explore the brutal history about the founding of our nation here in upstate New York.
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| Cherry Valley Museum Cherry Valley, NY |
You can find signed copies of our books at
these web sites...
Or regular copies on Amazon...
Or on Kindle...
Listen to my interview with Bob Cudmore...http://bobcudmore.com/thehistorians/tracks/ChristopherKelly(August2017)(29)(mp3).mp3
And my interview...www.thebook-club.com/blog/bookshelf-interview-with-christopher-kelly
And my most recent interview...http://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2018/08/17/america-invaded-christopher-kelly
