Evacuation day

[derf]

A little history lesson for everyone. I actually got this last wedensday but it makes for a good read.


25 November marks the 226th Anniversary of Evacuation Day - the
date after the end of the American War for Independence when the British
forces finally departed Manhattan. Eight locations in NJ, from
Princeton to the Skylands, and five in New York, will commemorate this
'forgotten' holiday with ceremonial lightings of Xenon Skylighter
searchlights (same used to mark the WTC site each 11 September) to
simulate the blazing beacons set that 25 November 1783 evening. This is
the 2nd straight year for marking this commemoration.

Although General Lord Cornwallis surrendered the bulk of the British
Army at Yorktown in 1781, minor battles between British and colonist
forces continued until George III issued a Proclamation of Cessation of
Hostilities in February 1783. On 3 September 1783, the 'Paris Peace
Treaty' was signed by delegates from the British crown and the United
States of America.

"Peace Treaty of 1783, Article 1: His Brittanic Majesty acknowledges the
said United States, viz., New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island
and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and
Georgia, to be free sovereign and independent states, that he treats
with them as such, and for himself, his heirs, and successors,
relinquishes all claims to the government, propriety, and territorial
rights of the same and every part thereof."

Lightings in NJ occur at 1730 tonight: Academy of Sacred
Heart-Princeton; Washington Rock State Park-Greenbrook; Beacon Hill
Club-Summit; Beacon Hill-Denville; Ringwood State Forest-Oakland; Twin
Lights-Navesink; Fort Nonsense-Morristown; and South Mountain
Reservation-West Orange. In NY at 1800: Bear Mountain State Park; Storm
King Mountain State Park, Cornwall; Spy Rock/Snake Hill, New Windsor;
Washington's Headquarters, Newburgh; and Mount Beacon, Beacon. Lights
will remain lit until 2100.

Expanded details on this evening's events can be found through the
Newark Star-Ledger article linked below.
"N.J., N.Y. to celebrate Revolutionary War anniversary with light
presentation"
By Tanya Drobness/The Star-Ledger
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/200..._anniversary.h
tml
November 24, 2009, 8:00AM
For more information, call (609) 633-2060.

Wishing you and yours a safe and Happy Thanksgiving weekend.