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An old fashioned fourth in Germantown
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| Geoff Benton of Livingston, portraying Robert R. Livingston Jr., stands at the front steps of Clermont Saturday. Benton was portraying Livingston during the old fashioned Fourth of July event at the state-run home of the Livingston family. (Andrew Amelinckx/Hudson-Catskill Newspapers) |
By Andrew Amelinckx
GERMANTOWN — Before there were parades, fireworks, hot dogs and flag-waving on July Fourth, or an American flag for that matter, there was a committee of five men.
This committee had been tasked with coming up with a document that would encapsulate the feeling of a new nation freeing itself from “the political bands” connecting it with Great Britain, and to declare to the world that they were in fact something new: “free and independent states” that would be governed by the people for the people.
Thomas Jefferson wrote the declaration’s first draft, while the other four men, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman and Robert R. Livingston Jr., helped edit.
Franklin and Adams get a lot of the editorial credit from historians, but according to Geoff Benton, deputy historian for the Town of Livingston:
“(Robert Livingston) was there during the editing,” he said. “He never gets any credit.”
Benton was at the Clermont State Historical Site in Germantown Saturday portraying Livingston during the site’s annual old-fashioned Fourth of July celebration.
Benton was portraying the Chancellor, as Livingston was known, as if it was the summer of 1777 and he had stopped by the estate on his way to Albany from Kingston.
Kjirsten Gustavson, the education coordinator for Clermont, said that this year they had three people portraying historical figures. Besides Livingston, there was someone portraying a Palatine servant named Katerina Minkler as well as Margaret Beekman Livingston, who managed the estate during most of the war period.
The house was burned — due to the Livingstons’ leading role in the revolution — in the fall of 1777 by British soldiers under the command of General John Vaughan who came up from British controlled Manhattan.
It was Margaret Beekman Livingston who oversaw the rebuilding of the house between 1779 and 1782.
Three reenactors portraying members of the British 62nd Regiment of Foot were also on hand Saturday.
“Hey, we’re here to burn your house,” Matt Zembo of Balston Spa jokingly yelled at Benton as he stood at the front door of the residence.
Zembo, a history professor at Hudson Valley Community College, was dressed as a British Sergeant in the junior British regiment in Lieutenant-General John Burgoyne’s Army from Canada during the Northern Campaign of 1777.
He said that in actuality it was the troops coming from the south that burned Clermont. These were the same troops that were supposed to relieve the 62nd, but never did, instead returning from whence they came.
Zembo seemed to relish in giving marching orders to his two subordinates Josh Clevenstine of Burnt Hills and James Jenkins of Greenfield.
He explained that in the 17th century British army class distinctions were incredibly important and that it was the same with the American side. He pointed out the white gloves he was wearing, saying that they would have been worn so that when officers slapped common soldiers they wouldn’t have to touch them with their skin.
Clevenstine and Jenkins seemed to take their orders in stride. Clevenstine, a Death Metal drummer and student working towards a history degree has been a reenactor for five years. When asked if he was interested in joining with the 62nd his response was, “I’m down.” His favorite aspect of the job was being able to teach others about history.
Jenkins is also studying history and is a member of the National Guard.
Also on hand Saturday was the Headless Horsemen, a drum and fife band that played a number of tunes from the 18th century.
The event also included games from the era like cherry pit spitting, three-legged races and stilt walking.
“They’re having a fabulous time,” said Jennifer Odlum of her two children Molly , 2, and Chapman, 9.
The family, including husband George, had come from Red Hook for the event.
Odlum said the historical aspect of the day was very important to her and that she would love to come again next year.
According to Gustavson, teaching the next generation about the areas history helps them understand other cultures.
“If you are studying 18th century people it’s definitely a different culture,” she said.
This committee had been tasked with coming up with a document that would encapsulate the feeling of a new nation freeing itself from “the political bands” connecting it with Great Britain, and to declare to the world that they were in fact something new: “free and independent states” that would be governed by the people for the people.
Thomas Jefferson wrote the declaration’s first draft, while the other four men, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman and Robert R. Livingston Jr., helped edit.
Franklin and Adams get a lot of the editorial credit from historians, but according to Geoff Benton, deputy historian for the Town of Livingston:
“(Robert Livingston) was there during the editing,” he said. “He never gets any credit.”
Benton was at the Clermont State Historical Site in Germantown Saturday portraying Livingston during the site’s annual old-fashioned Fourth of July celebration.
Benton was portraying the Chancellor, as Livingston was known, as if it was the summer of 1777 and he had stopped by the estate on his way to Albany from Kingston.
Kjirsten Gustavson, the education coordinator for Clermont, said that this year they had three people portraying historical figures. Besides Livingston, there was someone portraying a Palatine servant named Katerina Minkler as well as Margaret Beekman Livingston, who managed the estate during most of the war period.
The house was burned — due to the Livingstons’ leading role in the revolution — in the fall of 1777 by British soldiers under the command of General John Vaughan who came up from British controlled Manhattan.
It was Margaret Beekman Livingston who oversaw the rebuilding of the house between 1779 and 1782.
Three reenactors portraying members of the British 62nd Regiment of Foot were also on hand Saturday.
“Hey, we’re here to burn your house,” Matt Zembo of Balston Spa jokingly yelled at Benton as he stood at the front door of the residence.
Zembo, a history professor at Hudson Valley Community College, was dressed as a British Sergeant in the junior British regiment in Lieutenant-General John Burgoyne’s Army from Canada during the Northern Campaign of 1777.
He said that in actuality it was the troops coming from the south that burned Clermont. These were the same troops that were supposed to relieve the 62nd, but never did, instead returning from whence they came.
Zembo seemed to relish in giving marching orders to his two subordinates Josh Clevenstine of Burnt Hills and James Jenkins of Greenfield.
He explained that in the 17th century British army class distinctions were incredibly important and that it was the same with the American side. He pointed out the white gloves he was wearing, saying that they would have been worn so that when officers slapped common soldiers they wouldn’t have to touch them with their skin.
Clevenstine and Jenkins seemed to take their orders in stride. Clevenstine, a Death Metal drummer and student working towards a history degree has been a reenactor for five years. When asked if he was interested in joining with the 62nd his response was, “I’m down.” His favorite aspect of the job was being able to teach others about history.
Jenkins is also studying history and is a member of the National Guard.
Also on hand Saturday was the Headless Horsemen, a drum and fife band that played a number of tunes from the 18th century.
The event also included games from the era like cherry pit spitting, three-legged races and stilt walking.
“They’re having a fabulous time,” said Jennifer Odlum of her two children Molly , 2, and Chapman, 9.
The family, including husband George, had come from Red Hook for the event.
Odlum said the historical aspect of the day was very important to her and that she would love to come again next year.
According to Gustavson, teaching the next generation about the areas history helps them understand other cultures.
“If you are studying 18th century people it’s definitely a different culture,” she said.
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