W3R Heritage Tour in New York 

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Historical Overview After marching across CT in 1781 June the 5,500 men of the French Expeditionary Force (FEF) camped around what is now Hartsdale NY, near the permanent campsites of the Continental Army near what is now Yorktown NY. For six weeks they explored the strength of British defenses around New York City. Then, siezing an opportunity to trap a smaller British army in Virginia, the allied armies marched south and captured the army under Cornwallis in Yorktown VA. The Continental forces returned to NY immediately after the victory. The French came north nine months later, staying briefly in NY before moving east through CT and RI to Boston, where they embarked for the Caribbean Islands. See the Main History Page for a more detailed history of the 1781 camp and actions near New York City and 1782 march north from VA to MA. Consider the economic benefit to New York from housing and provisioning 5,500 French troops for six weeks, then follow their footsteps west and south to New Jersey. A Note about "Official" W3R Routes

AUTO ROUTE TO FOLLOW THE FRENCH ARMY:	Goal GPS in WGS84
Enter NY on Mopus Bridge Road, which joins Rt 116 and then Rt 121 and both go west and then south.	N41.33533°, W73.54802°
Follow Rt 121 (Rt 116 goes off to the right) all the way past Cross River and to Bedford NY. This might be the easiest place to start your tour.	N41.20633°, W73.64665°
Go right on Rt 172. When it hits Rt 117 go right to Mt Kisco and turn left onto Rt 133. Follow this to turn left and merge with Rt 100, then follow Rt 100 south. It will join Rt 9A and become a divided highway until Hawthorne. Find Rt 100 there and follow its twists and turns as it goes south past Washington's Headquarters Museum near Valhalla and the White Plains National Battlefield Site, past Camp 14 where the French camped for six weeks to Hartsdale, where Rochambeau had his headquarters. .	N41.02955°, W73.78956°
From Hartsdale we follow the route of French unit B. Take Rt 100 back north as it twists and turns past Hawthorne and Millwood and over Pines Bridge, then take Rt 118 left and follow it north when it goes right after a mile. After several miles Rt 118 intersects Rt 202 in Yorktown Heights.	N41.27688°, W73.78397°
Take Rt 202 left on Croton Ave to Furnace Dock Rd, then west (right) on this to Rt 9A and north (right) on this to Trolley Road. Take that left (west), and it becomes Kings Ferry Road into Verplank.	N41.25255°, W73.95971°
Take the ferry across the Hudson to Stoney Point. From Stoney Point take Rt 202/9W south to West Haverstraw.	N41.20963°, W73.98526°
Shortly thereafter take Rt 202 west and follow that all the way to Suffern NY, near the NJ border.	N41.11466°, W74.15380

AUTO ROUTE TO FOLLOW THE CONTINENTAL ARMY:	Goal GPS in WGS84
From Dobbs Ferry (N41.01547°, W73.86931°) follow Rt 9 north to where it merges with Rt 9A at Crotonville, then follow Rt 9A (off the divided highway) to Trolley Road. Take that left (west), and it becomes Kings Ferry Road into Verplank.	N41.25255°, W73.95971°
Take the ferry across the Hudson to Stoney Point. From Stoney Point take Rt 202/9W south to Palisades NY near the NJ border.	N41.01110°, W73.91349°
The route north re-traced essentially the French Army path in reverse.

Other Revolutionary-Era Sites -- The Village Historian of Dobbs Ferry includes a pictorial account of the 1781 encampment of the allied American and French armies in Dobbs Ferry, Ardsley, Hartsdale and Edgemont NY. The Village Historian site makes the comment, "I cannot understand why the NPS persists in opposing Dobbs Ferry’s request to be included on the official map of the route that General Washington and his French ally, General Rochambeau, followed on their historic march from Westchester County to Yorktown in 1781. " It is unclear why this statement was made. The NPS Resource Study (Fig 4.4) clearly shows Dobbs Ferry on the route of the Continental Army, and W3R-US leaders have expressed their agreement with the historical fact that Dobbs Ferry was part of the route of march for the allied armies. This is noted in the routes described above. -- The Hudson River Valley Association provides photos and descriptions of many sites in the Hudson River Valley that are associated with the the American Revolution in NY It has a virtual tour of sites, lesson plans, a schedule of commemorations, and a special section on the W3R. -- Yorktown Heights Area: While encamped near New York City Rochambeau was quartered at the Odell farm (still standing and used as a museum) in Hartsdale NY. Washington's headquarters were where the Ardsley High School now stands. Maj. Gen. Chastellux stayed at a house in Scarsdale NY (still standing). [submitted by Scott Tompkins] Visit other Revolutionary War sites at Brooklyn, Kings Point, New York City, and White Plains.

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