Washington's Headquarters State Historic Site, also called Hasbrouck House, is located in Newburgh, New York, United States, overlooking the Hudson River. George Washington and his staff were headquartered in the house while commanding the Continental Army during the final year and a half of the American Revolutionary War; at 16 months and 19 days it was his longest tenure at any of his headquarters during the war.
Purchased by New York State in 1850, it is the first property acquired and preserved by any U.S. state for historic reasons. It is the oldest house still extant in the city of Newburgh, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966.
Early history (1750–1782) The land upon which Washington's Headquarters would later sit was first owned by Michael Wygand. Labelled as "Lot Number 2" of the original land patent (known as the "German Patent") that would evolve into Newburgh, the first fieldstone farmhouse on the site may have been built in 1725 by Burger Mynderse, who purchased the lot from Wygand. Mynderse in turn sold the lot, comprising some 200 acres, to Elsie Hasbrouck of New Paltz, New York in 1750. Her son, Jonathan, likely constructed a new three-room fieldstone house that same year and moved into it. In 1751 Jonathan married Tryntje Dubois, and in 1753 Elsie transferred the deed to the lands to her son. An addition was completed on the southern side of the house in 1760, before the house was doubled in size with a final addition completed in 1770 on the western side. The Hasbroucks originally maintained a large stock farm on their property before venturing into other business; in the 1760s they constructed a gristmill on the far western end of their property along Quassaic Creek. A few years later they constructed a dock on the Hudson River to trade directly with New York City.
The home is built in the Dutch Vernacular style, with notable "Dutch Jambless" fireplaces featured prominently throughout. While it is known that the Hasbrouck family used the oldest 1750 Jambless fireplace as their kitchen, there is evidence that a brick fireplace with a connected Dutch oven existed in the 1770 addition and was used by the Hasbroucks as their kitchen after the addition. As that fireplace was removed after the state's acquisition of the site, it is hard to know with any degree of certainty.
Washington's Headquarters (1782–1783) On April 1, 1782, General George Washington took up residence at the Newburgh farmhouse of the Hasbrouck family, making Newburgh the Continental Army's headquarters; he remained officially headquartered there until August 19, 1783, when he departed for Rockingham, the house of John Berrien in Rocky Hill, New Jersey. Although the Hasbrouck house remained his official headquarters for this period, he did not in fact reside in the house for the entire time; he made numerous trips to Philadelphia, Albany, Verplanck's Point, Tappan, West Point, Dobbs Ferry, and Kingston to tend to various Army and governmental matters. Additionally, between July 18 and August 5, 1783, Washington toured much of the Northern theater of the war, including the Saratoga Battlefields, Fort Ticonderoga, Fort Stanwix, and other battle sites that he did not personally witness. Despite these departures he remained officially headquartered at the Hasbrouck House for 16.5 months, making it his longest stay at any of his wartime headquarters.
Prior to Washington's arrival, the Army made a number of changes and improvements to the house to better serve the General's needs. A temporary kitchen was constructed detached from the house, roughly where the gravel path separating the House and the Museum sits today. There may have been an icehouse constructed near the new kitchen as well. Existing buildings such as stables and barns were also enlarged and improved for Army use. Other changes were made inside the house during Washington's residence, including the addition of an "English" style fireplace in General Washington's bedroom, as well as a new door that led directly to the exterior kitchen. Most Army buildings were removed by the Quartermaster-General's Office at the end of the war, with the exception of a "House in the garden", which was given to Mrs. Hasbrouck. It no longer exists.
Throughout his time at Newburgh, Washington was assisted in his daily duties by nine different aides-de-camp, eight of whom worked and lived within Headquarters alongside him. All nine were in service for roughly one month, from May–June 1782; by the time of Washington's departure on August 19, 1783, only six remained. They were: Lieutenant Colonel Tench Tilghman, August 8, 1776 - December 23, 1783. Lieutenant Colonel David Humphreys, June 23, 1780 - December 23, 1783. Lieutenant Colonel Richard Varick, May 25, 1781 - December 23, 1783. Lieutenant Colonel David Cobb, June 15, 1781 - January 1783, then again June 1783 - December 23, 1783. Colonel William Stephens Smith, July 6, 1781 - June 1782 Ensign George Augustine Washington, Washington's nephew, as a volunteer aide-de-camp, December 1781 - May 1782. Benjamin Walker, uncertain rank, January 25, 1782 - December 23, 1783. Major Hodijah Baylies, May 14, 1782 - December 23, 1783. Pierre Penet, a French merchant confirmed by Congress as a brevet aide-de-camp, October 14, 1776 - January 1783. Penet was appointed to this position by Washington at his headquarters in Harlem Heights, but soon returned to France where he carried out arms sales to the American commissioners, still nominally as an aide-de-camp to Washington.
While Washington was headquartered in Newburgh the main bulk of the Continental Army was encamped nearby at the New Windsor Cantonment near what is today known as Vails Gate, a few miles to the southwest. There were roughly 7,500 troops of the Army as well as 500 women and children as camp followers.
Newburgh Letter
In March 1782, Washington received the infamous Newburgh letter from Lewis Nicola. Nicola, serving as the head of the Invalid Corps, alerted Washington to the discontent amongst his enlisted men, and their discussions about possibly refusing to disband in the event of a general peace. Nicola then elaborated on his political sentiments; criticized the Congress of the Confederation, declaring the body to be inherently weak as he believed all republican governments would be; he particularly highlighted the government's inability to secure funds and supplies for his troops, as well as the larger army in general, as proof of this. Nicola then proposed a "scheme" in which veterans of the war would move to new lands in the West, and there a new government could be formed for the United States. This government, Nicola declared, should be a monarchy, as he believed such a government would be strong and beneficial for the country: "Some people have so connected the ideas of tyranny & monarchy as to find it very difficult to separate them, it may therefore be requisite to give the head of such a constitution as I propose, some title apparently more moderate, but if all other things were once adjusted I believe strong arguments might be produced for admitting the title of king...". While Nicola never explicitly suggested that Washington should become the king of the United States, it was heavily implied; Nicola took special care to point out that "the same abilities which have lead us, through difficulties apparently unsurmountable by human power, to victory & glory... would be most likely to conduct & direct us in the smoother paths of peace."
In his response, Washington strongly rejected Nicola's suggestion, as he was acutely aware of people's fears of an "American Cromwell," and had no desire to be a monarch. In his reply, Washington said that "No incident in the course of the war in me triggers painful feelings as your message, that such ideas are circulating in the army, as you expressed it." Washington ordered Nicola to " banish these thoughts from your Mind, & never communicate, as from yourself, or any one else, a sentiment of the like nature." Nicola was distraught at Washington's rebuff, and would write three letters of apology to Washington over the next six days. There is no evidence that Washington ever responded to these letters of apology.
In honor of that rejection, Kings Highway, the north–south street on which the Newburgh headquarters is located was later renamed Liberty Street.
Asgill Affair
During the period of Washington's travel to and arrival at Headquarters Newburgh, a scandal erupted involving Patriot and Loyalist militias in New Jersey that reached far beyond into the royal courts of Europe. In March, 1782, Patriot militiamen executed Loyalist Philip White; while the exact circumstances of his death are unclear owing to contradictory accounts, the execution inflamed local Loyalist forces. In retaliation, a Loyalist militia in Monmouth, New Jersey, executed Patriot militia Captain Jack Huddy, despite Huddy's absence from the White execution and general innocence. Patriot forces subsequently sent a petition to Washington demanding justice, insinuating that they would carry out whatever justice they felt necessary should Washington fail to. On May 3, 1782, Washington ordered General Moses Hazen, commander of a prisoner-of-war camp in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to select from the prisoners an officer not protected by any agreement with Great Britain, and of equal rank to Captain Huddy, to be executed by hanging. When no such prisoner was found, Washington ordered that a protected officer may be hanged. This order, if carried out, would put the United States in direct violation of the terms of Cornwallis' surrender at the Siege of Yorktown, which protected prisoners of war from retaliation. After drawing lots, Captain Charles Asgill was selected for execution. After many months of international political maneuvering, mediation and intervention, including the intervention of the French King Louis XVI through his foreign minister Charles Gravier, comte de Vergennes, Asgill's execution was commuted, and the international scandal, which might've caused irreparable harm to the cause of American independence as well as to Washington's character, was avoided.
Badge of Military Merit
On August 7, 1782, Washington issued a general order which established the Badge of Military Merit, which could be awarded to enlisted men and non-commissioned officers for long and faithful service and for acts of heroism. Still, despite its vague wording, it was only awarded to three men, all non-commissioned officers. On May 3, 1783, it was awarded to Sergeant William Brown of the 5th Connecticut Regiment of the Connecticut Line and Sergeant Elijah Churchill of the 2nd Regiment Light Dragoons. Then on June 10, 1783, it was awarded to Sergeant Daniel Bissell of the 2nd Connecticut Regiment of the Connecticut Line. General Washington awarded the Badge to its recipients personally on the front lawn of Newburgh Headquarters.Godfrey, 1904, p. 81 It is widely considered to be the first military decoration for the United States, and is the second oldest in the world (after the Order of St. George).