4th of July: Sag Harbor Revolutionary War Sites

On another note, for the Fourth of July, SHHS would like to remind everyone of our Revolutionary War Battle related sites. If you're looking for a way to add some history to your holiday, stop at Foster Memorial Long Beach, where the American militia under Lt. Col. Return Jonathan Meigs landed when they crossed Long Island Sound from Connecticut to raid British outposts in Sag Harbor.

The American forces rowed across Long Island Sound in a dinky little boat called a "whaleboat," much like what's visible in the front yard of the Whaling Museum. After leaving the boats at Foster Memorial Long Beach (which SHHS recently offered an exhibit about), the Americans came into Sag Harbor and seized and destroyed goods at the Long Wharf and what is now the American Hotel on Main Street. At the American Hotel, then a hotel owned by the Howell Family, the troops seized some British affiliated soldiers, and continued to what is now known as the Old Burying Ground, the cemetery next to the Old Whalers' Church on the corner of Union and Madison Streets.

British soliders built a fort in the cemetery that had been used for burials since at least 1767. This was a common practice during the British occupation of Long Island, designed to break the spirit of the rebellious colonists. The British fort in today's Old Burying Ground was located at the top of a hill in the center of the cemetery. The cemetery still has a noticeable incline in the center, along with an indentation in the middle of the hill, reflecting the British soldiers' fortifications.

No Americans died during this highly successful raid, which has been largely forgotten, but it came during a period of stalemate, making it a significant morale booster.

The Old Burying Ground is also a significant Revolutionary War site since it is the final resting place of several Revolutionary War veterans, along with their families. The Burying Ground signs out front, and inside the hedges note several veterans.