4:00 pm - Chains Across the River an Author talk with Bevis Longstreth

Join Bevis Longstreth for a lecture discussing the factual foundation for his recent historical fiction book Chains Across the Hudson.  This event will be held online on Sunday, April 25th at 4 pm.

In the Revolution, a British deserter could become a traitor to the Crown by joining the Continental Army and there become a hero. Chains Across the River tells the enthralling tale of one such soldier, Captain Thomas Machin, a brilliant engineer of flawed character born, educated, and trained in England. He enlisted in the British Foot and was posted to Boston, where he saw action at Breed’s Hill before deserting to join the Continentals.  Observing Machin’s engineering skill and practical bent, Washington ordered Machin to the Hudson River, there to imagine, design, and install obstructions to block the British Armada gathering in New York Harbor. Both sides believed control of the river a strategic necessity.

The immensity of Washington’s charge was matched by Machin’s audacity in imagining obstructions capable of stopping an 850-ton warship under full sail and following tide. He installed a chain at Fort Montgomery and, when the British overran that Fort and cut the chain, he installed another at West Point.  Filling out the story of Thomas Machin are the unforgettable women in his life, Elizabeth Van Horne and Caroline Filippante.

About the author:
The author of four compelling works of historical fiction, Bevis Longstreth combines his passion for history with a unique, contemporary perspective. His keen eye and incisive pen were honed during his years as a lawyer and his experience serving as a Commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission.  Mr. Longstreth is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School. He practiced law in the New York City law firm of Debevoise & Plimpton, becoming a partner in 1970. From 1981-84 he served as a Commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission. After returning to Debevoise & Plimpton in 1984, he retired from the practice of law in 1993 to teach at Columbia Law School and pursue other interests, among which was writing. Over his professional career, he has often spoken and written on investment management. corporate behavior and the law. In 1968 Longstreth built a house in Garrison and has long been captivated by the Hudson River.

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