Evacuation Day
Memorial
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25,
2008.
Join
us, today, as we remember the
fantastic patriotism of Anthony
Glean, Esq. (1751-1842),
a hero of the American Revolution
who served as a Naval Officer in
the Continental Army, and who
stood with some measure of
distinction among those men
invited to join General George
Washington on the day of his
triumphal entry into New York
City on November 25, 1783 — Evacuation
Day, as it is
called in certain circles —
for among them, he is reputed to
have been "the man who
fired the first gun, which took
effect, at the British fleet,
when it came to New York; and the
man who hoisted the first
American flag, when the British
troops departed from it."
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"Previous to the
Revolution, he had made several
voyages to Europe and the West
Indies, and had accumulated a
handsome property, and was a
thorough seaman."
[The New-York
Spectator (New York, NY), Nov.
30, 1830.]
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He
was the nephew of Anthony Glean,
Esq. (1715-1776), my
great-grandfather from seven
generations back, and in our
family papers, whenever he is
mentioned, he is described with
much endearment, having in fact
settled in Saratoga County, New
York, in the years following the
war, together with the family of
his cousin, James Glean, Esq.
(c.1740-1811) [my
great-grandfather of the
following generation] and others.
James Embree Glean, Esq.
(1775-1839) [the next gentleman
in my ancestral line] also had
the pleasure of knowing this man,
even following in his footsteps,
so to speak, for the most
distinguishing aspects of his
professional life appear to echo
those of this former naval
officer (who had, in his youth,
made his living at sea), for we
discover that our forefather,
James Embree Glean, himself, had
been introduced to life at sea,
becoming a respectable planter,
in his own rite, and the owner of
a small, private estate on this
island of Grenada. And in
his letters to home, from
overseas, we find that our James
Embree Glean spoke rather
affectionately about his days in
Saratoga County, in the company
of this honorable gentleman,
Anthony Glean, our old family
patriarch, from an especially
courageous generation, to whom we
wish to dedicate this happy
memorial.
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" . . . by the
hands of Lieut. Anthony Glean,
the American standard was first
raised, while the British were
still getting into their boats
and evacuating the city.
The standard waving in the air,
the artillery again fired a
salute of 13 guns, which was
politely answered by the Admiral
ship with 21 guns."
— William Hone, Myer Moses,
1830.
" . . . the
Star-spangled Banner was quickly
run up by Lieut. Anthony Glean,
and floated proudly, while the
multitude gave vent to their joy
in hearty cheers, and the
artillery boomed forth a national
salute of thirteen guns!"
— James Riker, 1883.
"The British flag
was torn down, new halyards were
made ready, and the American flag
was hoisted to the top by Lieut.
Anthony Glean, the outward sign
of the return of the natives of
the United States to the control
of their own land."
— Wesley Washington Pasko,
1890.
A
NOVEMBER ANNIVERSARY
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS DAY IN HISTORY
[The
New York Times (New York, NY),
Nov. 25, 1949.]
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