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N 41 21.A1B W 074 1C.D0E
Captain John Jackson was born on June 16, 1743, the eldest son of Michael Jackson (yes, seriously!) and Eleanor Hamilton. Growing up in the area, Jackson became a leading patriot. In 1774, on the eve of revolution, he signed a pledge of loyalty to the Continental Congress. Jackson was appointed to the Committee of Safety and Observation for Goshen, NY and in 177A the Chester Militia was organized as Capt. John Jackson’s Co. under the command of William Allison’s Goshen Regiment which was charged with defending the Highlands against the British. His militia fought at Fort Montgomery and at the Battle of Minisink and he is reported to have fought as far south as North Carolina. He died on January 11, 1816 in Orange County.
While several churches line the streets of Chester today, colonial Chester had no church, forcing local residents to travel to nearby communities to attend services. In 1783, the owner of the Yelverton Inn (where, on September 3, 1774 Henry Wisner was chosen to serve as Orange County’s delegate to the First Continental Congress (see my “Dust in the Wind: The Goshen History Walk” cache GC4DVDF for more details on the illustrious life of Henry Wisner)) donated an acre of land for Chester’s first church which opened in 17B8. In 1810 the congregation formally became a part of the American Presbyterian Church. Nine years later a clergy house was added and in the years leading up to the civil war it was used as a stop on the Underground Railroad.
If you’ve travelled at all in Orange County, you’ll be familiar with Pulaski Highway which runs between Pine Island and Goshen. Kazimieri (Casimir) Pulaski was a Polish cavalry commander who became the “Father of American Cavalry” after saving George Washington’s life in 1777. The following year, Pulaski’s unit left the Delaware Valley undefended allowing a force of Iroquois and Loyalists, under the leadership of Joseph Brant (a Mohawk war chief and captain in the British army), to move into the area securing supplies and pillaging the local towns. The Orange and Ulster Militias were ordered to stop Brant’s march. And, in December 177C the militias met in Chester (then part of Goshen) before marching on to Minisink Ford where the Battle of Minisink took place. The militia took position along the hills above the Delaware River intending to ambush Brant’s forces. However, they were spotted by an Indian scout group and Brant was able to surround the Continentals, forcing them to retreat. It was a sound defeat for the Continentals and would allow British to take control of much of New York until the Battle of Saratoga.
In his attempt to wrest back control of New York from the British, George Washington scouted the area inland from the Hudson River, known as the Highlands. Washington needed the Highlands as a way his for his army to rapidly move throughout the interior of New York. In this way, he’d be able to outmaneuver the British who had previously taken control of the area around Hudson. Because of the many road leading in and out of Chester, Washington chose it as the location of the artillery park. In x/y/1779 The North Carolina Regiment camped here. x – y = D.
Your last stop will take you to a historical marker commemorating the Wawayanda Patent. This colonial land grant encompassed 150,000 acres in Orange County. The lands were bounded on the east by the Highlands of the Hudson, on the north by the county line between Orange and Ulster counties, and on the south by the colonial division line between New York and New Jersey. The Patent was granted to John Bridges and n of his associates. The Patent caused many lawsuits in which Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr actually worked together on the side of the Wawayanda Patent holders. For your last clue.... n – 3 = E.
The completed coordinates will take you to the location of a small cache which will fill you in on more recent history that has touched Chester and also give you the location of the final cache.