New York Trail Sites

On September 25, 1780, Generals George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette traveled toward the Beverly Robinson House, across the Hudson River from West Point, New York. The Robinson House, formerly owned by a British Loyalist, served as the headquarters for Benedict Arnold, the American commander at West Point. Although Major John André had been captured days earlier, exposing Arnold’s treason, Washington and Lafayette remained unaware of the plot. After returning from inspecting West Point’s fortifications, they were informed of the evidence against Arnold. 

Washington ordered Arnold’s immediate arrest, but the effort, led by Colonel Alexander Hamilton, failed to capture him. Washington and Lafayette established their headquarters at the Robinson House, where Washington began refortifying West Point. He discovered that Arnold had intentionally weakened the garrison by sending troops elsewhere under various pretexts. Orders from this period were formally issued from “Headquarters at Robinson’s House.”

Learn about Revolutionary War Combat Strategy. Watch the Revolutionary War Animated Map. For a summary, read An Overview of the American Revolution.

The Johnstown conference was held during a critical moment in the American Revolution. The Continental Congress and New York officials were attempting to secure the allegiance—or at least the neutrality—of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois Confederacy). The Six Nations were divided: Oneida and Tuscarora leaned toward the American cause. Mohawk, Seneca, Cayuga, and Onondaga leaned toward or allied with the British. Lafayette, then a young major general serving under George Washington, was sent to the Mohawk Valley to help stabilize the frontier and strengthen alliances.

Lafayette attended the March 1778 Johnstown conference of the Six Nations as a representative of the Continental Army. His presence symbolized America's commitment to diplomacy with Native nations. The Oneida, in particular, viewed Lafayette favorably because of his reputation for fairness and his advocacy for Native allies. The Mohawk Valley was a volatile frontier. Securing Oneida support helped protect American settlements from raids. His meeting with the tribal officials at then-Fort Johnstown had mixed results, with two of the six nations joining his side.

Learn about Revolutionary War Combat Strategy. Watch the Revolutionary War Animated Map. For a summary, read An Overview of the American Revolution.

General Lafayette’s participation in the negotiations that led to the Treaty of Fort Stanwix is central to confirming his public identity as a friend of Native Americans. Lafayette arrived at Fort Stanwix on September 29, 1784. Although now a private citizen, Lafayette was held in high regard by representatives of the Six Nations. Rev. Samuel Kirkland recommended that Lafayette attend as he felt his influence was “…of essential consequence to the treaty.” The Treaty of Fort Stanwix was intended to establish peace between the United States and the Iroquois while securing land for American settlers. The treaty was signed on October 22, 1784, at Fort Stanwix, located in present-day Rome, New York.

Learn about Revolutionary War Combat Strategy. Watch the Revolutionary War Animated Map. For a summary, read An Overview of the American Revolution.

Following the Revolutionary War, Lafayette accepted an invitation from George Washington and returned to America. The Marquis de Lafayette departed France in mid-June 1784 and arrived in New York City on August 4. The five‑month goodwill visit reconnected him with George Washington, celebrated his role in American independence, and strengthened political and commercial ties between the United States and France. He would return again in 1824-1825.

His visit to Schuylerville on October 9, 1784, placed him in a region central to his Revolutionary War legacy, where the 1777 American victory had helped secure French support.

Learn about Revolutionary War Combat Strategy. Watch the Revolutionary War Animated Map. For a summary, read An Overview of the American Revolution.

The Henry Knox Trail, also known as the Knox Cannon Trail, is a network of roads and paths that traces the route of Colonel Henry Knox's "noble train of artillery" from Crown Point, New York, to the Continental Army camp outside Boston, Massachusetts, in the American Revolutionary War.

George Washington commanded Henry Knox in 1775 to transport 59 cannons (weighing over 60 tons) from captured forts on Lake Champlain, 30 from Fort Ticonderoga, and 29 from Crown Point to the army camp outside Boston to aid the war effort against British forces. They included forty-three heavy brass and iron cannons, six coehorns, eight mortars, and two howitzers.

This marker is in Crown Point, New York, in Essex County. It can be reached from Grandview Drive, on the left when traveling west. Marker is located in front of the museum at Crown Point State Historic Site.

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The Henry Knox Trail, also known as the Knox Cannon Trail, is a network of roads and paths that traces the route of Colonel Henry Knox's "noble train of artillery" from Crown Point, New York, to the Continental Army camp outside Boston, Massachusetts, in the American Revolutionary War.

George Washington commanded Henry Knox in 1775 to transport 59 cannons (weighing over 60 tons) from captured forts on Lake Champlain, 30 from Fort Ticonderoga, and 29 from Crown Point to the army camp outside Boston to aid the war effort against British forces. They included forty-three heavy brass and iron cannons, six coehorns, eight mortars, and two howitzers.

When traveling south on Aiken Avenue, the marker is on the left at the intersection of Aiken Ave. and Columbia Turnpike (U.S. 9 & 20). The Gen. Henry Knox Trail Marker is in the median garden between opposing lanes of Aiken Avenue in Rensselaer, NY. It marks the spot where Knox began their journey on land towards Massachusetts.

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President James Monroe invited the Marquis de Lafayette to visit the United States, his adopted country. Lafayette’s tour of all 24 states in 1824 and 1825 drew large crowds and sparked a renewal of patriotism. During the American Revolution, Lafayette’s intense advocacy of the American cause convinced King Louis XVI of France to send troops and ships, which proved crucial to the American victory at Yorktown. 

On June 8, 1825, General Lafayette was moving east from Geneva and Waterloo, towards Auburn and Syracuse. He crossed the Cayuga Long Bridge, arriving in the Village of Cayuga around 4 p.m., where he was met by the Committee of Arrangements. Many local citizens then had the opportunity to meet him. After about an hour, the General proceeded on towards Auburn via Genesee Street, in a barouche pulled by six chestnut horses. He was escorted by a procession, including the Deputy Marshal, a Dragoon unit, mounted military officers, the city Marshal General Brinkerhoff, and the Committee of Arrangements members.

Learn about Revolutionary War Combat Strategy. Watch the Revolutionary War Animated Map. For a summary, read An Overview of the American Revolution.

President James Monroe invited the Marquis de Lafayette to visit the United States, his adopted country. Lafayette’s tour of all 24 states in 1824 and 1825 drew large crowds and sparked a renewal of patriotism. During the American Revolution, Lafayette’s intense advocacy of the American cause convinced King Louis XVI of France to send troops and ships, which proved crucial to the American victory at Yorktown.

Lafayette left Hudson, New York, after a public reception and arrived in Germantown around midday on September 16, 1824. Upon arrival, Lafayette and his party were escorted up the hill to Clermont by a group of riflemen. At the summit, they were greeted by a regiment of well-disciplined soldiers in uniform, arranged in formation. Meanwhile, the grounds were lined with spectators eager to see the general. A sloop on the river fired a cannon salute, quickly returned by a shot from a nearby cannon hidden among the trees. Lafayette then reviewed the troops, who saluted by firing their guns in succession in his honor. Afterward, he was addressed by the local Masons.

Learn about Revolutionary War Combat Strategy. Watch the Revolutionary War Animated Map. For a summary, read An Overview of the American Revolution.

President James Monroe invited the Marquis de Lafayette to visit the United States, his adopted country. Lafayette’s tour of all 24 states in 1824 and 1825 drew large crowds and sparked a renewal of patriotism. During the American Revolution, Lafayette’s intense advocacy of the American cause convinced King Louis XVI of France to send troops and ships, which proved crucial to the American victory at Yorktown. 

On June 5, 1825, Lafayette visited Niagara Falls, New York. He was escorted to Goat Island by Judge Augustus Porter, where he spent over two hours marveling at the natural wonder and was deeply moved by its power and grandeur. His secretary, Auguste Levasseur, recorded that they remained “nearly half an hour on the edge of the gulf, contemplating the rapid fall of the water in silence and as if dumbfounded by the sound of its terrible water…whose noise makes itself heard during the calm of the night, they say, for 20 miles." 

Learn about Revolutionary War Combat Strategy. Watch the Revolutionary War Animated Map. For a summary, read An Overview of the American Revolution.

President James Monroe invited the Marquis de Lafayette to visit the United States, his adopted country. Lafayette’s tour of all 24 states in 1824 and 1825 drew large crowds and sparked a renewal of patriotism. During the American Revolution, Lafayette’s intense advocacy of the American cause convinced King Louis XVI of France to send troops and ships, which proved crucial to the American victory at Yorktown. 

In June of 1825, General Lafayette was moving east across Central New York and passed through Marcellus and Onondaga Hill on his way to Syracuse. On June 9th, he was met in Marcellus by the Committee of Arrangements from Syracuse, as well as a company of cavalry commanded by Lieutenant Toogood. He arrived at approximately 4:30 am while traveling eastward from Skaneateles. Following an address by General Wood, Lafayette resumed his journey eastward to Syracuse. They escorted him along Seneca Turnpike to the Onondaga Hill area, where they stopped at the county courthouse, where he was welcomed by General Thaddeus M. Wood, a War of 1812 veteran.

Learn about Revolutionary War Combat Strategy. Watch the Revolutionary War Animated Map. For a summary, read An Overview of the American Revolution.

President James Monroe invited the Marquis de Lafayette to visit the United States, his adopted country. Lafayette’s tour of all 24 states in 1824 and 1825 drew large crowds and sparked a renewal of patriotism. During the American Revolution, Lafayette’s intense advocacy of the American cause convinced King Louis XVI of France to send troops and ships, which proved crucial to the American victory at Yorktown. 

Going up the Hudson River from New York City, Lafayette was forced to disembark a few miles south of Albany because of the Overslaugh, a sand bar making steamer navigation difficult in shallower waters. From there, Lafayette proceeded north in a carriage and arrived in Greenbush (today's Rensselaer is part of it), accompanied by Maj. Gen. Solomon Van Rensselaer. An arch was erected in Greenbush in honor of Lafayette, bearing the inscriptions "Freedom's Volunteer, LA FAYETTE - One Republic not ungrateful" and "Yorktown, 19th October, 1781 - "The Boy did escape."

Learn about Revolutionary War Combat Strategy. Watch the Revolutionary War Animated Map. For a summary, read An Overview of the American Revolution.

President James Monroe invited the Marquis de Lafayette to visit the United States, his adopted country. Lafayette’s tour of all 24 states in 1824 and 1825 drew large crowds and sparked a renewal of patriotism. During the American Revolution, Lafayette’s intense advocacy of the American cause convinced King Louis XVI of France to send troops and ships, which proved crucial to the American victory at Yorktown. 

On June 7, 1825, his arrival in Rochester was announced with cannon and gunfire, as well as drums. At 6 p.m., he arrived and was met by a flotilla of twelve boats, each carrying flags, with a band playing on one. The General visited each boat, greeting them with individual salutations. The boats then fell into a line, with the General in the middle, and then proceeded through Rochester. Citizens gathered on bridges to watch him pass by, and they had built a stage on the aqueduct. The General was received by a delegation, and a speech was given by the Hon. W. B. Rochester, at the time an Eighth Circuit Court Judge and son of Nathaniel Rochester, the founder of the city. The General continued on to Canandaigua later that evening.

Learn about Revolutionary War Combat Strategy. Watch the Revolutionary War Animated Map. For a summary, read An Overview of the American Revolution.

President James Monroe invited the Marquis de Lafayette to visit the United States, his adopted country. Lafayette’s tour of all 24 states in 1824 and 1825 drew large crowds and sparked a renewal of patriotism. During the American Revolution, Lafayette’s intense advocacy of the American cause convinced King Louis XVI of France to send troops and ships, which proved crucial to the American victory at Yorktown.

Lafayette arrived in Saugerties on September 16, 1824, at 4:00 p.m., Lafayette’s steamboat docked at Clermont, where Robert L. Livingston awaited him. He and his party were escorted up the hill to the Livingston residence (Arryl House) by a troop of riflemen. Lafayette had arrived at Clermont by steamboat, reunited unexpectedly with a former comrade from Valley Forge, was greeted by riflemen and a regiment of uniformed soldiers, reviewed the troops amid cannon salutes, and was honored by local Masons before being hosted at the Livingston estate for an evening reception. Lafayette spent the evening and overnight at the Livingston estate before continuing his Hudson Valley tour.

Learn about Revolutionary War Combat Strategy. Watch the Revolutionary War Animated Map. For a summary, read An Overview of the American Revolution.

President James Monroe invited the Marquis de Lafayette to visit the United States, his adopted country. Lafayette’s tour of all 24 states in 1824 and 1825 drew large crowds and sparked a renewal of patriotism. During the American Revolution, Lafayette’s intense advocacy of the American cause convinced King Louis XVI of France to send troops and ships, which proved crucial to the American victory at Yorktown.

Lafayette’s arrival in the United States began on Staten Island, and his brief stop there on August 15, 1824 (the morning after his ship anchored) set the tone for the enormous celebrations that followed. He was greeted immediately by a 13‑gun salute from Fort Diamond (later renamed Fort Lafayette), and a flotilla of naval and merchant vessels welcoming him as “The Nation’s Guest.”

Learn about Revolutionary War Combat Strategy. Watch the Revolutionary War Animated Map. For a summary, read An Overview of the American Revolution.

President James Monroe invited the Marquis de Lafayette to visit the United States, his adopted country. Lafayette’s tour of all 24 states in 1824 and 1825 drew large crowds and sparked a renewal of patriotism. During the American Revolution, Lafayette’s intense advocacy of the American cause convinced King Louis XVI of France to send troops and ships, which proved crucial to the American victory at Yorktown.

On June 5, 1825, Lafayette boarded a canal boat called the Seneca Chief. The boat was towed through the harbor in front of the Village of Buffalo and up the Niagara River to the western terminus of the Erie Canal. Many boats filled with citizens followed in a procession. They proceeded to Tonawanda, where Lafayette disembarked and was received by the Committee of Niagara County. They escorted Lafayette in a carriage up to Niagara Falls, where he viewed the falls, then returned to Tonawanda, and spent the night at Lewiston before reboarding the Seneca Chief the next day to continue traveling east. 

Learn about Revolutionary War Combat Strategy. Watch the Revolutionary War Animated Map. For a summary, read An Overview of the American Revolution.