From September 20 to November 28, 1778 George Washington, his generals and army of 13,000 were located in or around Fredericksburg, with the John Kane house serving as headquarters. From here emanated George Washington's strategy of "observing and containing" the British in New York City.
Fredericksburg was then a sparsely settled farming area containing the present communities of Pawling, Patterson, Holmes, Carmel and Kent. It was chosen for its strategic location on an established east-west route that allowed Washington's troops to move quickly and form a containing blockade stretching from Northern New Jersey to Danbury, CT. George Washington said the Hudson Valley is the "key to victory" and must be protected at all costs.
In addition to Patriots-Rebels and Tories-Loyalists the local population consisted of "Cowboys" and "Skinners" who plundered the possessions of both sides, and pacifist Quakers who opposed the war. John Kane remained a Tory and by the Act of Attainder his farm was confiscated in 1779. While two-thirds of all Tories were allowed to buy back their property, Kane was not and lost it all.
Marker placed by the Patriots Weekend Committee of the Historical Society of Quaker Hill and Pawling on September 21, 2003. This was the site of the Patriots Weekend 2003, one of a series of annual events developed by the Hudson River Valley Institute commemorating the key role the Hudson River Valley played 225 years ago in the War for American Independence.
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