Two-hundred-fifty years ago, Peekskill, Cortlandt, and the entire Hudson Valley were the center of the American Revolution. Patriots young and old came together, joining the Continental Army to fight the war against the British. One of those patriots was 17-year-old Joseph Plumb Martin.
On Saturday, January 18, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., at the The Little Red Schoolhouse at 297 Locust Avenue, Van Cortlandtville Historical Society will host Fort Montgomery State Historic Site educator Peter Cutul, who will portray the life of Joseph Plumb Martin – an average private in the Continental Army. Drawing from the young soldier’s memoir, Cutul will focus on the time Martin spent in Peekskill and the lower Hudson Valley.
Throughout the Revolution, Martin served in various roles in several areas of the Hudson Valley, including Peekskill and Cortlandt. In May of 1777, Martin was inoculated for smallpox in Peekskill. After being promoted to sergeant, he was transferred to the corps of “Sappers and Miners,” which was organized in Peekskill in August of 1780. The Sappers and Miners built fortifications, repaired roads, dug trenches and performed other tasks. It was also during Martin’s time in the Peekskill/Cortlandt area that he encountered Benedict Arnold just days before the traitorous Arnold’s meeting with co-conspirator Major John Andre.
After the war ended, Martin recounted his experiences by putting pen to paper and writing Memoir of a Revolutionary Soldier. It is one of the most detailed first-hand accounts of the Revolutionary War, as seen through the eyes of a typical soldier. Historians and scholars value it as a gold standard source for that momentous era.
If you want to read Memoir of a Revolutionary Soldier, copies of the book and its various titles can be found in The Field Library. But if you want to see Joseph Plumb Martin come to life, visit The Little Red Schoolhouse on Saturday, January 18 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., to enjoy Peter Cutul’s “living history” presentation. It is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. A donation of $5 is suggested for non-members, but no one will be turned away. For more information, visit www.vancort.net or call 914-736-7868. Follow the Van Cortlandtville Historical Society on Facebook.
Peter Cutul has been the Assistant Supervisor of Fort Montgomery State Historic Site for more than 17 years, where he has led countless site tours, living history demonstrations and educational programs.
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