A July 4th trip on New Jersey's Revolutionary War trail

star ledger ^ | 07.01.17 | Mark Di Ionno

[Coleus]

Welcome to Independence Day weekend, New Jersey.

It's a time to cast aside all the aspersions brought on by the Turnpike's industrial corridor and celebrate our proud Revolutionary War history. Simply put, New Jersey, more than any other state, was the place where the battle was fought, nearly lost, and ultimately won.

With a four-day holiday weekend, it's a chance to make a historic scavenger hunt to put New Jersey's legacy in perspective. That is, if the state lawmakers can play nice on the budget impasse and get the parks they're supposed to run reopen.

Here are some stops along the way:

Fort Lee Historic Park

A visitor's center and a re-created encampment are perched on the high cliffs of the Palisades. But if nothing else, go for the views, especially the incredible girder-scape of the George Washington Bridge.

The history isn't as glorious. The Continental Army abandoned the fort without a fight in November 1776, beginning the retreat across New Jersey.

Military and Washington parks, Newark

The first stop in the retreat, this is where Thomas Paine wrote "These are the times that try men's souls," those famous opening words of the pamphlet "The American Crisis," as he traveled with Washington's army.

Gutzon Borglum's massive sculpture "The Wars of America" is at Military Park. It is one of his signature works, along with "Seated Lincoln" in front of the Historic Essex County Courthouse, before he undertook Mount Rushmore.

Morristown National Historic Park, Jockey Hollow and the Ford Mansion

The winter of 1779-80 was brutal; 28 winter storms marred the Continental Army's encampment. There was a smallpox epidemic, and the men were starving. Washington ordered the horses removed so the men wouldn't slaughter them for meat.

[AlaskaErik]

Simply put, New Jersey, more than any other state, was the place where the battle was fought, nearly lost, and ultimately won.

And then they let the DemocRATS take it all away. Nice going.

[laplata]

“And then they let the DemocRATS take it all away. Nice going”.

The Founding Fathers would take us all to the wood shed for allowing the country to go to hell.

[Coleus]

NJ kicked butt, especially when the British killed the pastor’s wife in Connecticut Farms, now Union, NJ (the last section of the article.)

[njslim]

Rev James Caldwell, known as “The Rebel High Priest” was at
2nd Battle of Springfield (June 23, 1780) when call went
up from NJ militiamen for wadding. Paper wadding was necessary tamp down the charges in their muskets to prevent
bullets from sliding out of barrel (musket balls were .05 in
smaller than bore)

Caldwell spurred his horse to nearby parsonage, grabbed
armload of hymn books by noted Hymnist Isaac Watts.
Returning to battlefield Caldwell began ripping out pages
and handing them to the men calling out “Give ‘em the Watts
boys”.

Street live on is named RIFLE CAMP ROAD from company of
riflemen camped nearby to watch the gap through the
Watchung Mountains

[XRdsRev]

New Jersey “Crossroads of the American Revolution”.

The state was the site of military operations by American, British, French, Hessian, Loyalist & Native American forces.

Significant Battles - Trenton, Princeton, Bound Brook, Fort Mercer (Red Bank), Monmouth Court House, Springfield.

Smaller battles & skirmishes - Too numerous to list here, literally hundreds of engagements.

Major Winter Encampments - Morristown 1 (1776-1777), Middlebrook (1778-1779), Morristown 2 (1779-1780), Amboy-Brunswick Line (British Army 1776-1777).

Existing buildings used as Headquarters by George Washington - Van Doren House, Wallace House, Ford mansion, Dey Mansion, Holcombe House, Colfax House, Van Allen House, Hunt House, Wetherill House, Village Inn, Hermitage, Doremus House, Harper House, Morrell House & the Berrian House.

A few Military Firsts in New Jersey - First US Army Military Academy (Pluckemin NJ 1778/79), First military operations of Ferguson’s Riflemen (first real use of breechloading muskets in combat 1777). First school for Army doctors (Middlebrook 1778/79), First formation and combat of the United States Army Rangers (Middlebrook 1777). First use of fire beacons by army for early warning and communications (1777).

[Albion Wilde]

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