Many^of the persecuted Huguenot families who fled from France settled at Kingston and in its vicinity, towards the close of the seventeenth century; and when the war for independence broke out in 1775, their descendants were found on the side of the republicans. Kingston was called a "nest of rebels." There, in the spring of 1777, the representatives of the people of the State formed a state constitution, and organised civil government under it. The first session of the legislature was held there in July following, but the members were obliged to flee in the autumn, on

the approach of A^aughan and his troops. These ascended the river from the Highlands, where Sir Henry Clinton had gained a victory, taken possession of Torts Clinton and Montgomery, and destroyed the obstructions in the river which prevented vessels passing northward. The object of Vaughan's expedition, as we have said, waste draw the attention of Gates and his ai-my (then casting their meshes around Burgoyne) to the country below, where devastation and ruin were threatened. After passing the Highlands, they distressed the people along the shores of the river very much by burnings and plunderings. They landed at the port of Esopus,

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or Kingston, on the 13th of October, and proceeded to the village in two divisions. The town contained about 300 inhabitants, and the houses were mostly of stone. The people fled with what property they could carry away, and the soldiery burned every house but one.

It is related that when the British landed at Kingston Point, some Dutchmen were at work just below it, and were not aware of the fact until they saw the dreaded "red-coats" near them. It was low water, and across the flats on the river shore they fled toward the place of the present village of Rondout as fast as their legs could carry them, not presuming to look behind them, lest, like Lot's wife, they might be detained.