Show When Patriots Melted Statue o of King ICing in George WhIle the Liberty Boys under the thebold thebold thebold bold patriot Isaac Isac Sears were easIng easing ing their feelings LJ by hanging Rivington Riving Riving- ton IOD in effigy and carrying cas off his type to be made Into bullets the time Continental Conti ContI- array army was engaged in a n struggle struggle gle Ie with the En English arm army under Howe for Cor the possession of uC Boston The TLe British troops finally evacuated that cit city in l March h 1770 and retired I t to Halifax General Washington believing In that Yew New York would be the next nett point of ot attack by the enemy began to assem- assem tle tIe the Continental army there The case looked rather hopeless for tor the time town to was open to attack by any power pow puw- er tr In possession of strong sea forces IS as England wa was but Washington made such hasty as was possible Ha Bayards Bayard's 3rd's mount bounded by the pre present nt Grand Centre Broome and Elizabeth streets which commanded a view flew north as ns far as ns Greenwich Village Tillage c. c was fortified as ns was trades Oracles hook opposite Hell gate Guards were stationed at Rockaway to watch for forthe forthe forthe the approach of enemy ships Prepared for Defense Governors Governor's Island had a garrison act and ard three companies of expert riflemen rifle- rifle men were stationed on Staten Island t s t r rc 1 c t p pf I I I f 1 I II I I St Statue of George III which at the time of the Revolution stood on Bowling Bowling Bowling Bow Bow- ling Green New York to worry boats that might wl wish h to toland toland land there from the he enemy's ships Other troops were stationed on 01 the We west t end of Lon Long Island within the present limits of Brooklyn n from Wall Wall- about to A crude fort tort was milt In the vicinity of oC the present Fulton ferry err In April Washington himself arrived ar nr- arrived rived In New York to take command of or the last desperate preparations to meet neel the attack of the British troops By Bv the end o of that month there were werl about about lOY troops o of the American army enlisted from nil all the colonies camped l In and neur near New York June saw many skirmishes between the Tories in the city and the time arm army which If It the truth must he be told was wasa WURa a rather undisciplined one and find hard to control Meanwhile the British hold held off ofT time the attack which all nil knew would come eventually Proclaimed Independence On June 7 7 1770 1776 Richard Henry lenry HenryLee Lee Ue of Virginia offered his famous resolution in the Continental congress con con- press gress ress which met let at Jit Philadelphia to the effect that these united colonies are and of ot rl right ht ought to he be free and states slate A Declaration of ot Independence was ryas drafted b by Thomas J Jefferson and formally adopted by bythe bythe bythe the delegates on July 4 4 1775 yews News of this great reat defiance to the thc king s did BeI not reach New York until nearly Dearly the live days litter later so slowly did lI liens lien's wS travel In ht those days of post When the word reached New NewYork Newall York Sari all nil the troops within the city were gathered d on the Commons Cummons tho thoI present I ent Cit City Hull hill park drawn drown up In a n aho aw ho hoBo ilou w square and und stood at attention t General Washington rode Into tile the C center of the square with his tta Elan R und and the De Declaration luru was read rend aloud The little open space had bad seen many manyI a rIot many an Ull Indignation me meeting of the I Liberty Bo Boys s 's many great gather gather- eve even en a at that early day Nearby I I the patriot Leisler r had g gone one to hi death for tor the cause of the people B But Butas this was as perhaps the most thrilling dR day In all nil its history Material for Bullets Though It was evening when the I ceremony on the Commons took place the excited citizens and soldiers were I not ready to go o home and to bed A band rushed down Nassau street to the time City hall holl on Wall Nall street and tore down the time picture of or George III HI which graced the building Then on they went to Bowling Green headed by Isaac Sears and andI tore down own a 0 leaden lenden equestrian statue of the tho king which had been erected there five or six years before With great zeal the they chopped and ond hacked this statue to pieces Nearly one hundred hundred hun hurl dred Bred years yena's later the saddle and the horses horse's tail were found In Wilton Conn and are now v In the possession of ot the New York Historical society But It Is safe to say that most of or the despised statue of or the kin king was melted melted melted melt melt- ed Into bullets to shoot his soldiers for or 4 musket balls bans were made from this metal P. metal P. P B. B Cole Story I of or New York fork In the New York Fork World I |