The Pic-Nic on the Hudson

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The PicNIC on the Hudson

Thomas P. Rossiteroil on canvas

Frederick Joseph James, Julia Butterfield's oldest son. He is named after his father, Frederick Plummer James. Frederick died at a young age in a horse accident. He was traveling on horse, along side of the carriage of his fiance, Ms. Julia Fish (daughter of Hamilton Fish). They were heading to her family home in Garrison, NY. It is said that Frederick was a skilled horseman. During this ride, they encountered a cow injured in the road and Frederick attempted to jump the cow with his horse. The horse landed on top of him and he was killed. The incident took place along Route 9D in Cold Spring in front of Thomas P. Rossiter's home.

Warren was born in Cold Spring, Putnam County, New York, and named for Gouverneur Kemble, a prominent local Congressman, diplomat, industrialist, and owner of the West Point Foundry. His sister, Emily Warren Roebling, would later play a significant role in the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. He entered the United States Military Academy across the Hudson River from his hometown at age 16 and graduated second in his class of 44 cadets in 1850. Gouverneur Kemble Warren began his military career after graduating second in his class from the United States Military Academy in 1850. He was commissioned into the Corps of Topographical Engineers, and spent time working along the Mississippi River, as well as taking part in creating one of the first comprehensive maps of the United States west of the Mississippi River. On the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg, Gouverneur Warren realized the importance that a position known as Little Round Top would be during the battle, and sent Colonel Strong Vincent to hold the position just as Confederates began to attack. As a result of this action, the Union army was able to hold onto the key position, and went on to win the battle. He was promoted to major general on August 8, 1863 following the battle.

Mrs. Frederick P. James, née Julia L. Safford (before her then-husband passed away in 1884; she married Daniel Butterfield in 1886). The Julia L. Butterfield Memorial Library was established by the will of the late Julia L. Butterfield. Mrs. Butterfield died on August 6, 1913 at the age of 90. Mrs. Butterfield was born on December 19, 1824, in St. Marks' Place, New York City, NY. She moved to Cold Spring in 1852, with her first husband Frederick James. Up until the time of her death, she spent a large portion of her time at her beautiful Cold Spring residence known as Cragside.Cragside was located on the site of the new Haldane Central School District's high school building. The gatehouse to Cragside still stands today on the corner of Route 9D (Morris Ave) and Craigside Drive.Mrs. Butterfield loved to entertain, and her frequent guests included, the Grand Duke of Russia, the Count of Paris, Presidents of the United States, several governors, famous generals and bishops.Many of the paintings that hang in the Library today once hung in Cragside. The most famous of which is "A Pic-Nic on the Hudson" painted in 1863 by Hudson River School artist Thomas Rossiter. Rossiter also lived Cold Spring and was a friend of Mrs Butterfield.

Mr. Frederick Plummer James, Julia Butterfield's first husband and the father of her two sons, Frederick Joseph and Julian. He died of illness shortly after losing his son, Frederick Joseph James. His son Julian, died a couple of years following his father death, leaving Julia alone.

Wife of the artist, Thomas Prichard Rossiter (1818 – 1871) an American artist known for his portraits and paintings of historical scenes, he later came to be associated with the Hudson River School of artists. Many of his paintings hang in the Julia L. Butterfield Memorial Library in the Village of Cold Spring, NY. The most famous of which is this painting, The Pic-Nic on the Hudson.

Julian James (no middle name), was the youngest son of Julia and Frederick P. James. He died in his twenties due to illness. He was a sailing enthusiast, while his older brother, Frederick preferred riding horses.

The artist, Thomas Prichard Rossiter (1818 – 1871) was an American artist born in New Haven, Connecticut. Known for his portraits and paintings of historical scenes, he later came to be associated with the Hudson River School of artists. Rossiter lived in Fair Lawn in Cold Spring, New York. His home still exists today along Route 9D towards Garrison, NY - across from The Manitou School.

Robert P. Parrott is known to many Civil War artillery researchers and collectors for his inventions of the projectile and cannon which bear his name. Born in Lee, New Hampshire, October 4, 1804, Parrott graduated 3rd in his class at United States Military Academy, located at West Point, NY, in 1824. He was the inspector of ordnance at the West Point Foundry at Cold Spring, New York. The foundry was a private firm and administered by civilians. Parrott, by this time a captain, resigned his rank and accepted the civilian position of superintendent of the foundry on, October 31, 1836. His accomplishments during his tenure included the perfection of a rifled cannon and its corresponding projectile (both named after him) patented in 1861, and the Parrott sight and fuze which were developed during the Civil War years. In 1867, Parrott turned the operation of the foundry over to other parties, but he continued to experiment with projectiles and fuzes until his death on December 24, 1877.

Gouverneur Kemble Warren (January 8, 1830 – August 8, 1882) was an American civil engineer and Union Army general during the American Civil War. He is best remembered for arranging the last-minute defense of Little Round Top during the Battle of Gettysburg and is often referred to as the "Hero of Little Round Top." His subsequent service as a corps commander and his remaining military career were ruined during the Battle of Five Forks, when he was relieved of command of the V Corps by Philip Sheridan, who claimed that Warren had moved too slowly. Warren was born in Cold Spring, Putnam County, New York, and named after Gouverneur Kemble, a prominent local Congressman, diplomat, industrialist, and owner of the West Point Foundry. His sister, Emily Warren Roebling, would later play a significant role in the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. He entered the United States Military Academy across the Hudson River from his hometown at age 16 and graduated second in his class of 44 cadets in 1850.

Gouverneur Kemble (January 25, 1786 – September 18, 1875) was a two-term United States Congressman, diplomat and industrialist. He helped found the West Point Foundry, a major producer of Artillery during the American Civil War.

Mary Kemble was married to Robert Parrott in 1839. Mary was the sister of Gouverneur Kemble, founder of the ironworks.

George Pope Morris married Mary Worthington Hopkins and they had one son, William H. Morris, and two daughters, Ida (shown here) and Georgianna. William attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and had a distinguished record of military service as a Civil War general.

Born in Philadelphia, George Pope Morris (1802-1864) was a prominent editor, journalist and poet. According to most sources he moved – presumably with his family – to New York City in his youth. He was a frequent contributor of poetry to the editorial columns of city newspapers, and in 1823 founded his own paper, The New York Mirror and Ladies’ Literary Gazette. Morris was active in the New York State Militia, in consequence of which he was addressed throughout his life as General Morris. He married Mary Worthington Hopkins and they had one son, William H. Morris, and two daughters, Ida and Georgianna. William attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and had a distinguished record of military service as a Civil War general. Following the Civil War, William authored works on infantry tactics. While George P. Morris spent much of his time attending to business in New York, the principal family residence was farther up the Hudson River in the town of Cold Spring, where the Morris home, known as Undercliff was a popular landmark.

Robert Walter Weir (June 18, 1803 – May 1, 1889) was an American artist and educator and is considered a painter of the Hudson River School. Weir was elected to the National Academy of Design in 1829 and was an instructor at the United States Military Academy. His best-known work is Embarkation of the Pilgrims in the United States Capitol rotunda in Washington, D.C. More than 450 of his works are known, and he created many unsigned paintings that may never be attributed to him. One of his paintings, Portrait of General Winfield Scott hangs in the Julia L. Butterfield Memorial Library. He was appointed as Teacher of Drawing and then Professor of Drawing at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, a position he held until 1876.

Truman Seymour was a career soldier and an accomplished painter. He served in the Union Army during the American Civil War, rising to the rank of major general. He was present at the Battle of Fort Sumter. He commanded the Union troops at the Battle of Olustee, the only major Civil War battle fought in Florida. Seymour received an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point. He graduated in 1846, ranked nineteenth in a class of fifty-nine graduates. West Point Class of 1846 stands as one of the most illustrious in the academy's storied history with George McClellan, Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, Jesse Lee Reno, Darius Couch, George Stoneman, Samuel Sturgis, David Rumph Jones, and George Pickett among its members. After graduating, Seymour was assigned to the 1st United States Artillery.

George Pope Morris had a son, William H. Morris, and two daughters, Ida and Georgianna. William, show here in his military uniform, attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and had a distinguished record of military service as a Civil War general. Following the Civil War, William authored works on infantry tactics.

Belle Wheeler

George Pope Morris and his wife, Mary Worthington Hopkins Morris had one son, William H. Morris, and two daughters, Ida and Georgianna Morris (shown here).

Carra Bean

The Hudson River is 315-miles (507 km) long and it flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York in the United States. The river originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate NY and it flows southward through the Hudson Valley (Cold Spring is located) to the Upper New York Bay between New York City and New Jersey. It eventually drains into the Atlantic Ocean at New York Harbor. The river is named after Henry Hudson, an Englishman sailing for the Dutch East India Company, who explored it in 1609, and after whom Hudson Bay in Canada is also named. Settlements of the colony clustered around the Hudson, and its strategic importance as the gateway to the American interior led to years of competition between the English and the Dutch over control of the river and colony. During the eighteenth century, the river valley and its inhabitants were the subject and inspiration of Washington Irving, the first internationally acclaimed American author. In the nineteenth century, the area inspired the Hudson River School of landscape painting, an American pastoral style, as well as the concepts of environmentalism and wilderness.