Site of Revolutionary War American Encampment (Ardsley, NY)

From July 6 to August 19, 1781, more than 10,000 members of the Continental Army under the direction of General George Washington were camped on the grounds that are now home to Ardsley High School in Ardsley, NY, in Westchester County. The soldiers foraged for food and water and practiced military maneuvers while General Washington and the Comte de Rochambeau met at the nearby Odell House in the present-day Town of Greenburgh to develop their strategy for defeating the British. Washington and Rochambeau decided to leave a contingent of troops in New York and march south with 2,700 Continental soldiers and Rochambeau’s 4,200 men. The combined American-French force marched to Yorktown, Virginia, where the British were amassing troops. The allies besieged the British and forced Lord Cornwallis to surrender on October 19, 1781. In 2022, a William G. Pomeroy marker was placed at this Revolutionary War American Encampment site in recognition of its historical significance to the Village of Ardsley, the County of Westchester, New York State, and the United States of America.

Over 240 years ago, in the summer of 1781, more than 10,000 soldiers were camped in Ardsley, NY, in Westchester County, on the land where Ardsley High School presently stands. These soldiers were part of the Continental Army that was fighting in the American Revolution under the leadership of General George Washington. They camped and trained here for six weeks (from July 6 to August 19). 

General Washington and the Comte de Rochambeau met frequently at the nearby Odell House in present-day Greenburgh to plan their war strategy. General Washington’s original plan had been to attack the British forces in New York. However, the information discovered during the Grand Reconnaissance made Washington reconsider this plan. The Grand Reconnaissance was the joint French-American military operation in Westchester County and the Bronx from July 21 to 23, 1781. The troops spent their time surveying the British strength at various locations to determine if a successful attack there was possible. It soon became clear that it was not, since the British forces had control of the “high ground,” and they had superior troop strength. 

As Generals Washington and Rochambeau debated strategy, they received news of French Admiral de Grasse’s plans to sail into Chesapeake Bay with much needed troops and supplies. Generals Washington and Rochambeau then devised an ambitious plan to march together to Yorktown, Virginia, where they engaged the enemy. The decisive battle ended on October 19, 1781 when British General Lord Cornwallis surrendered to the Patriots. After five long years the new nation had finally gained independence. 

--Text courtesy of Pete Marcus (Ardsley Historical Society)

1. du Pont d’Aubevoye, Louis-Francois-Bertrand, comte de Lauberdière. Desmarais, Norman ed. The Road to Yorktown: The French Campaigns in the American Revolution 1780-1783. El Dorado Hill, CA: Savas Beatie. 2021.
2. Friends of Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters website. https://www.odellrochambeau.org/ 
3. Lesser, Charles H. The Sinews of Independence: Monthly Strength Reports of the Continental Army. The University of Chicago Press. 1976.
4. Selig, Robert A, PhD. The Franco-American Encampment in the Town of Greenburgh, 6 July - 18 August 1781: A Historical Overview and Resource Inventory. Sponsoring Organizations: Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area; Town of Greenburgh, NY; Friends of Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters. 2020. https://www.odellrochambeau.org/s/Selig-Encampment.pdf
5. Washington, George. George Washington Papers, Series 1, Exercise Books, Diaries, and Surveys 1745-99, Subseries 1B, Diaries 1748 to 1799: Diary, May 1. 1781. Manuscript/Mixed Material. https://www.loc.gov/item/mgw1b.811/.