FISHKILL— Senator Charles Schumer visited the grounds where the Fishkill Supply Depot was located and where, it was recently confirmed, that possibly thousands of soldiers’ graves are still there.

“Now we’re going to get the federal government to step up to the plate,” Schumer told local town and county officials, as well as residents who gathered at the Van Wyck Homestead on Route 9 in Fishkill on Monday, June 1.

Before Schumer spoke, he walked from where the historic Van Wyck Homestead is located, on Snook Road, to where the graves were found, right off of Van Wyck Lane, south from the Homestead on Route 9.

At the gravesite William Sandy, who worked on the archeological dig, told officials about working on the site.

“I couldn’t be more excited,” said Sandy before Schumer’s arrival. “The site is of incredible importance. There are few like it.”

Sandy was working for Greenhouse Consultants in New York City, when the graves were discovered.

“We found basically three things. Obviously the most important is the graves,” he remarked. The excavation also helped uncover architectural features, according to Sandy, and “pits with the bones of the food these people ate.”

“Overwhelming” is how he described working on the dig.

“I was never as moved. As an American, think about it. You got a bunch of farmers, merchants, taking on the greatest military power [at the time, the British]. Nothing to eat, no firewood, an infestation of lice. They died by the [thousands],” said Sandy.

Fishkill Town Supervisor Joan Pagones said she was thrilled that Senator Schumer came to Fishkill.

“We realize that if Senator Schumer’s here, good things are coming down the pike,” said Pagones. Town officials, remarked the supervisor, know the importance of the site.

“Our history is part of our country. Our history is part of who we are,” said Schumer.

He announced legislation that would enable the federal government to help with purchasing 11 acres of part of the land that was the Fishkill Supply Depot.

“The British fought to divide the colonies in half, right here,” said Schumer.

The Fishkill Supply Depot was used as the hub for food, supplies and camp from 1776-1783.

“This is a natural treasure,” Schumer said of the Fishkill Supply Depot site.

There are two pools of money from the federal government, remarked the senator.

The National Park Service makes $10 million available annually to help states and local municipalities purchase and preserve threatened Civil War battlefields. One pool, he said, allows for the purchase of any battlefield, but not the purchase of land that was not a battlefield. The second pool of money allows for the purchase of land, but only from the Civil War. Schumer’s legislation would expand the program to include historic sites from the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. Schumer wants to see the now $10 million available, doubled to $20 million.

“We’re just going to say one word to them, “Fishkill,” “Fishkill,” until they give us the money,” said Schumer.

Mara Farrell is with Fishkill Historical Focus, a group aimed at preserving Fishkill historical sites.

“It’s the day we’ve been waiting for. We’ve been advocating since May of ’06,” said Farrell. “Now to get this bill that’s being introduced, it’s going to have a huge impact on preserving the nation’s history.”

Farrell said it was fitting that the money to help preserve the depot was coming through the federal government because “this was where the Continental Army was and their funding came through Congress.”

Nate Binzen is also with Fishkill Historical Focus.

“It’s a day of celebration for us because it’s been a long time coming,” said Binzen.

He said it is vindication day for the Revolutionary War soldiers.

“They’re the ones that have been waiting,” he remarked.

It is also one-day closer to when the Fishkill Supply Depot takes its place along side Valley Forge in national importance, commented Binzen.

“I think we have a historic opportunity here with federal attention to a site with national significance,” he stated.

One of the owners of the site, Domenico Broccoli, said he thought it was a great event.

“To me it’s a tribute to the Revolutionary War soldiers. They finally got their recognition,” he said.

Tourism to New York State brings in billion of dollars to the Hudson Valley, said Schumer. Six percent of jobs are related to tourism, he said. Officials believe the Fishkill Supply Depot site would bring more tourism to the state.

Having Schumer visit the site, said Dutchess County Legislator Alison MacAvery would “Draw more attention to this type of site and to go through the application process quicker.”

Sandy said on the site people are “walking in footsteps of giants.” He said of General George Washington, “He would have been nothing without these guys.”