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MORRISTOWN NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK A Military Capital of the American Revolution
MORRISTOWN NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK A Military Capital of the American Revolution
by Melvin J. Weig, with assistance from Vera B. Craig NATIONAL PARK SERVICE HISTORICAL HANDBOOK SERIES No. 7 WASHINGTON 25, D. C., 1950 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Oscar L. Chapman, Secretary NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Newton B. Drury, Director HISTORICAL HANDBOOK NUMBER SEVEN This publication is one of a series of handbooks describing the historical and archeological areas in the National Park System administered by the National Park Service of the United States Department of the Interi
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SITUATION: JANUARY 1777.
SITUATION: JANUARY 1777.
Sir William Howe had been mistaken. Near the middle of December 1776, as Commander in Chief of His Majesty’s army in America, he believed the rebellion of Great Britain’s trans-Atlantic colonies crushed beyond hope of revival. “Mr.” Washington’s troops had been driven from New York, pursued through New Jersey, and forced at last to cross the Delaware River into Pennsylvania. The British had captured Maj. Gen. Charles Lee, the only American general they thought possessed real ability. Some moppin
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FROM PRINCETON TO MORRISTOWN.
FROM PRINCETON TO MORRISTOWN.
Washington’s original plan at the beginning of this lightninglike campaign was to capture New Brunswick, where he might have destroyed all the British stores and magazines, “taken (as we have since learnt) their Military Chest containing 70,000 £ and put an end to the War.” But Cornwallis, in Trenton, had heard the cannon sounding at Princeton that morning of January 3, and, just as the Americans were leaving the town, the van of the British Army came in sight. By that time the patriot forces we
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THE NEW BASE OF AMERICAN OPERATIONS.
THE NEW BASE OF AMERICAN OPERATIONS.
A letter dated May 12, 1777, described the Morristown of that day as “a very Clever little village, situated in a most beautiful vally at the foot of 5 mountains.” Farming was the mainstay of its people, some 250 in number and largely of New England stock, but nearby ironworks were already enriching a few families and employing more and more laborers. Among the 50 or 60 buildings in Morristown, the most important seem to have been the Arnold Tavern, the Presbyterian and Baptist Churches, and the
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WINTER QUARTERS FOR OFFICERS AND MEN.
WINTER QUARTERS FOR OFFICERS AND MEN.
Local tradition has it that upon arriving in Morristown, on January 6, Washington went to the Arnold Tavern, and that his headquarters remained there all through the 1777 encampment period. Maj. Gen. Nathanael Greene lodged for a time “at Mr. Hoffman’s,—a very good-natured, doubtful gentleman.” Captain Rodney and his men were quartered at Colonel Ford’s “elegant” house until about mid-January, when they left for Delaware and home. Brig. Gen. Anthony Wayne, on rejoining Washington in the spring o
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INSTABILITY OF THE ARMY.
INSTABILITY OF THE ARMY.
However the troops were sheltered, it was not long before the army which had fought at Trenton and Princeton began to melt away. Deplorable health conditions, lack of proper clothing, insufficient pay to meet rising living costs, and many other instances of neglect had discouraged the soldiery all through the 1776 campaign. The volunteer militiamen were particularly dissatisfied. Some troops were just plain homesick, and nearly all had already served beyond their original or emergency terms of e
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FOOD AND CLOTHING SHORTAGES.
FOOD AND CLOTHING SHORTAGES.
Meanwhile, as the Commander in Chief noted in another letter of nearly the same date, his few remaining troops were “absolutely perishing” for want of clothing, “Marching over Frost and Snow, many without a Shoe, Stocking or Blanket.” Nor, due to certain inefficiencies in the supply services, was the food situation any better. “The Cry of want of Provisions come to me from every Quarter,” Washington stormed angrily on February 22 to Matthew Irwin, a Deputy Commissary of Issues: “Gen. Maxwell wri
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RECRUITMENT GETS UNDER WAY.
RECRUITMENT GETS UNDER WAY.
In this situation, Washington wrought mightily to “new model” the American fighting forces. Late in 1776, heeding at last his pressing argument for longer enlistments, Congress had called upon the States to raise 88 Continental battalions, and had also authorized recruitment of 16 “additional battalions” of infantry, 3,000 light horse, three regiments of artillery, and a corps of engineers. A magnificent dream of an army 75,000 strong! Washington knew, however, that it was more than “to say Pres
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SICKNESS AND DEATH.
SICKNESS AND DEATH.
But the patriot cup of woe was not yet filled, and there was still another evil to fight. This was smallpox, which together with dysentery, rheumatism, and assorted “fevers” had victimized hundreds of American troops in 1776. Now the dread disease threatened to run like wildfire through the whole army, old and new recruits alike. Medical knowledge of that day offered but one real hope of saving the Continental forces from this “greatest of all calamities,” namely, to communicate a mild form of s
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WASHINGTON TIGHTENS HIS GRIP ON NEW JERSEY.
WASHINGTON TIGHTENS HIS GRIP ON NEW JERSEY.
Running the gauntlet of these and other problems, all at the same time, was discouraging for Washington, to say the least. Few generals have ever been more skilled, however, in ferreting out their opportunities, or in making better use of them. Nearly on a par with his remarkable victories at Trenton and Princeton was the way in which he reasserted patriot control over most of New Jersey during the winter and spring of 1777, excepting only the immediate neighborhood of New Brunswick and Perth Am
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THE PROSPECT BRIGHTENS.
THE PROSPECT BRIGHTENS.
As spring advanced and roads became more passable, the new Continental levies finally began to come in. “The thin trickle became a rivulet, then a clear stream, though never a flood.” By May 20, Washington had in New Jersey 38 regiments with a total of 8,188 men. Five additional regiments were listed, but showed no returns at that time. Moreover, this new army was on a fairly substantial footing, the enlistments being either for 3 years, or for the duration of the war. There was also an abundanc
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END OF THE 1777 ENCAMPMENT.
END OF THE 1777 ENCAMPMENT.
General Howe had meanwhile determined, as early as April 2, to embark on another major attempt to capture Philadelphia, this time by sea approach. He apparently kept his own counsel, however, and up to the last minute neither the American nor the British Army knew his real intentions. The garrisons at Perth Amboy and New Brunswick left their cramped winter quarters for encampments in the open soon after the middle of May. This colored reports that Howe was about to attack Morristown, or that, wh
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INTERMISSION: WAR IN DEADLOCK.
INTERMISSION: WAR IN DEADLOCK.
Nearly two and a half years passed by before the main body of the Continental Army again returned to Morristown. During that interval the British both captured and abandoned Philadelphia, Burgoyne’s Army surrendered to the Americans at Saratoga, and France and Spain entered the conflict against Great Britain. Washington’s soldiers had stood up under fire on numerous occasions, besides weathering the winter encampment periods at Valley Forge in 1777-78, and at Middlebrook in 1778-79. On the other
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MORRISTOWN AGAIN BECOMES THE MILITARY CAPITAL.
MORRISTOWN AGAIN BECOMES THE MILITARY CAPITAL.
Such was the general condition of affairs when, on November 30, Washington informed Nathanael Greene, then Quartermaster General, that he had finally decided “upon the position back of Mr. Kembles,” about 3 miles southwest of Morristown, for the next winter encampment of the Continental forces under his immediate command. As he later wrote to the President of Congress, this was the nearest place available “compatible with our security which could also supply water and wood for covering and fuel.
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BUILDING THE “LOG-HOUSE CITY.”
BUILDING THE “LOG-HOUSE CITY.”
Events now moved swiftly. Many of the American troops reached Morristown during the first week of December, and the rest arrived before the end of that month. Estimates vary as to their total effective strength, but it was probably not under 10,000 men, nor over 12,000, at that particular time. Eight infantry brigades—Hand’s, New York, 1st and 2d Maryland, 1st and 2d Connecticut, and 1st and 2d Pennsylvania—took up compactly arranged positions in Jockey Hollow proper. Two additional brigades, al
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TERRIBLE SEVERITY OF THE WINTER.
TERRIBLE SEVERITY OF THE WINTER.
Weather conditions when the army arrived at Morristown were but a foretaste of what was yet to come, and long before all the huts were up, the elements attacked Washington’s camp with terrible severity. As things turned out, 1779-80 proved to be the most bitter and prolonged winter, not only of the Revolutionary War, but of the whole eighteenth century. One observer recorded 4 snows in November, 7 in December, 6 in January, 4 in February, 6 in March, and 1 in April—28 falls altogether, some of w
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LACK OF ADEQUATE CLOTHING.
LACK OF ADEQUATE CLOTHING.
Not even good soldiers warmly clothed could be expected to endure this ordeal by weather without some complaint. How much more agonizing, then, was such a winter for Washington’s men in Jockey Hollow, who were again poorly clad! A regimental clothier in the Pennsylvania Line referred to some of the troops being “naked as Lazarus.” By the time their huts were completed, said an officer in Stark’s Brigade, not more than 50 men of his regiment could be returned fit for duty, and there was “many a g
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SHORTAGE OF PROVISIONS AND FORAGE.
SHORTAGE OF PROVISIONS AND FORAGE.
Still more critical was the lack of food for the men, and forage for the horses and oxen on which every kind of winter transportation depended. December 1779 found the troops subsisting on “miserable fresh beef, without bread, salt, or vegetables.” When the big snows of midwinter blocked the roads, making it totally impossible for supplies to get through, the army’s suffering for lack of provisions alone became almost more than human flesh and blood could bear. Early in January 1780, said the Co
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MONEY TROUBLES AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES.
MONEY TROUBLES AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES.
The cause of many difficulties faced by Washington that winter appears to have been the near chaotic state of American finances. Currency issued by Congress tumbled headlong in value, until in April-June 1780 it took $60 worth of “Continental” paper to equal $1 in coin. “Money is extreme scarce,” wrote General Greene on February 29, “and worth little when we get it. We have been so poor in camp for a fortnight that we could not forward the public dispatches for want of cash to support the expres
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GUARDING THE LINES.
GUARDING THE LINES.
Keeping the Continental Army intact under all these conditions was but part of Washington’s herculean task in 1779-80. Again, as at Morristown in the winter of 1777, and at Middlebrook in the winter of 1778-79, the threat of attack by an enemy superior in manpower and equipment hung constantly over his head. Communications between Philadelphia and the Hudson Highlands had to be protected, and the northern British Army had to be prevented from extending its lines, now confined chiefly to New York
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THE STATEN ISLAND EXPEDITION.
THE STATEN ISLAND EXPEDITION.
Routine duty on the lines was interrupted on January 14-15 by what might be termed a “commando” raid on Staten Island. This daring expedition, planned by Washington and undertaken by Maj. Gen. William Alexander, Lord Stirling, was prepared with the utmost secrecy. Five hundred sleighs were obtained on pretence of going to the westward for provisions. On the night of the 14th, loaded with cannon and about 3,000 troops, these crossed over on the ice from Elizabethtown Point “with a determination,”
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SIDELIGHTS ON THE PATTERN OF ARMY LIFE.
SIDELIGHTS ON THE PATTERN OF ARMY LIFE.
Except on rare occasions, such as participation in an occasional public celebration might afford, the average soldier found camp life at Morristown hard, unexciting, and often monotonous. Sometimes his whole existence seemed like an endless round of drill, guard duty, and “fatigue” assignments, the latter including such unpleasant chores as burying the “Dead carcases in and about camp.” What little recreation the line troops could find was largely unorganized and incidental. Washington proclaime
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LUZERNE AND MIRALLES.
LUZERNE AND MIRALLES.
Among the most interesting events which took place at Morristown in the spring of 1780 were those connected with the Chevalier de la Luzerne, Minister of France, and Don Juan de Miralles, a Spanish grandee who accompanied him, unofficially, on a visit to the American camp. These gentlemen arrived at headquarters on April 19, but Miralles became violently ill immediately afterwards, and it was only Washington’s distinguished French guest who could participate in the celebrations that followed dur
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THE COMMITTEE AT HEADQUARTERS.
THE COMMITTEE AT HEADQUARTERS.
The “members of Congress” mentioned by Dr. Thacher as having attended Miralles’ funeral were undoubtedly Philip Schuyler, John Mathews, and Nathaniel Peabody, who had arrived in Morristown only the day before. These men had been appointed by their colleagues as a “committee at head-quarters” to examine into the state of the Continental Army, and to take such steps, in consultation with the Commander in Chief, as might improve its prospects of winning the war. The committee remained active until
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LAFAYETTE BRINGS GOOD NEWS.
LAFAYETTE BRINGS GOOD NEWS.
Even as Schuyler and his co-workers penned their report, however, good news was arriving at headquarters. On May 10, 1780, following more than a year’s absence in his native France, the Marquis de Lafayette came to Morristown, fortified with word that King Louis XVI had determined to send a second major armament of ships and men to aid the Americans. This assistance would prove more beneficial, it was hoped, than the first French expedition under the Count d’Estaing, which, after failing to take
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TWO BATTLES END THE 1779-80 ENCAMPMENT.
TWO BATTLES END THE 1779-80 ENCAMPMENT.
Early in June there was far less cheerful news. Reports reached camp that the enemy had taken Charleston, capturing General Lincoln with his entire army of 5,000 men. Worse still, the British forces under Sir Henry Clinton’s immediate command would now be released, in all probability, for military operations in the North. This was the dark moment chosen by Lt. Gen. Wilhelm von Knyphausen, then commanding the enemy forces at New York, for an invasion of New Jersey, ostensibly to test persistent r
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January 1781: The Story of Two Mutinies
January 1781: The Story of Two Mutinies
Early the next winter, which most of Washington’s forces spent at New Windsor, on the Hudson River just north of West Point, the New Jersey Line was assigned to quarters at Pompton. The Pennsylvania Line, consisting of 10 infantry regiments and one of artillery, repaired and occupied the log huts built by Hand’s and the 1st Connecticut Brigades at Jockey Hollow in 1779-80. Morale was extremely low at this time among all the Continental troops stationed in New Jersey. Not only did the Pennsylvani
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The New Jersey Brigade Encampment of 1781-82
The New Jersey Brigade Encampment of 1781-82
The last major battles of the Revolutionary War were fought in the South, ending with the Virginia campaign which resulted in the surrender at Yorktown, on October 19, 1781, of the British Army commanded by Lord Cornwallis. Following this event, Washington ordered most of his forces to return northward. Plans were made to establish the main Continental Army encampment at Newburgh, N. Y., during the coming winter, but the New Jersey Brigade was directed to “take Post somewhere in the Vicinity of
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NO. 1. HISTORICAL MUSEUM.
NO. 1. HISTORICAL MUSEUM.
Located in the rear of the Ford Mansion ( No. 2 ), at 230 Morris Street, Morristown, is the historical museum, a fireproof structure erected by the National Park Service in 1935. In the attractive entrance hall and four exhibition rooms of this building may be seen military arms and equipment, important relics of George and Martha Washington, and a large collection of other objects associated with the story of Morristown in Revolutionary War times. Here also are located the park administrative o
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NO. 2. FORD MANSION, WASHINGTON’S HEADQUARTERS, 1779-80.
NO. 2. FORD MANSION, WASHINGTON’S HEADQUARTERS, 1779-80.
Facing Morris Street where it joins Washington Avenue, is the Ford Mansion. This structure, a splendid example of late American colonial architecture, was built about 1772-74 by Col. Jacob Ford, Jr., an influential citizen, iron manufacturer, powder mill owner, and patriot soldier of Morristown. Colonel Ford died on January 10, 1777, from illness contracted during the “Mud Rounds” campaign of late 1776, in which he rendered valuable service to the American cause as commander of the Eastern Batta
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NO. 3. SITE OF WASHINGTON’S LIFE GUARD CAMP, 1779-80.
NO. 3. SITE OF WASHINGTON’S LIFE GUARD CAMP, 1779-80.
Across Morris Street, slightly northeast of the Ford Mansion ( No. 2 ), is the site occupied in 1779-80 by Washington’s Life Guard (officially, the Commander in Chief’s Guard). Erskine’s map of Morristown ( p. 13 ) shows the exact position of some 13 or 14 log huts built by this unit for its winter quarters. Except for minor changes introduced at some uncertain date after March 1779, the Guard uniform consisted of a dark blue coat with buff collar and facings, red vest, fitted buckskin breeches,
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NO. 4. PARK SQUARE (MORRISTOWN GREEN).
NO. 4. PARK SQUARE (MORRISTOWN GREEN).
Surrounded by the main business district of Morristown is a parklike area about 2½ acres in size. Here was the old Morristown Green of eighteenth century times. On the green itself, then crossed by roadways, stood the Morris County Courthouse and Jail, where both civil and military prisoners were confined during the Revolutionary War. About a dozen other buildings faced toward the green, among them the Arnold Tavern ( No. 5 ), the Presbyterian and Baptist Churches ( p. 9 ), and, in the winter of
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NO. 5. SITE OF ARNOLD TAVERN, WASHINGTON’S HEADQUARTERS, 1777.
NO. 5. SITE OF ARNOLD TAVERN, WASHINGTON’S HEADQUARTERS, 1777.
Facing the northwest side of Morristown Green, about 100 to 150 feet from the present Washington Street corner, is the site of the Arnold Tavern, which, according to local tradition, served as Washington’s headquarters in the winter of 1777 ( p. 5 ). Built some years before the Revolutionary War, this structure was originally quite pretentious and handsomely furnished. During the nineteenth century it was converted into stores, and, in 1886, removed to another part of Morristown. Fire completed
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NO. 6. FORT NONSENSE, 1777 (NOW RECONSTRUCTED).
NO. 6. FORT NONSENSE, 1777 (NOW RECONSTRUCTED).
Continuing from the south end of Court Street is a road leading upward into the Fort Nonsense Area of the park. There, at the top of a steep hill (the northern terminus of Mount Kemble), visitors may see a restored earthwork originally built at Washington’s order in 1777. How the name “Fort Nonsense” came into being is unknown. It does not appear in any available written record before 1833, nor has anyone yet authenticated the oft-repeated story that the Commander in Chief’s reason for construct
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NO. 7. GUERIN HOUSE (PARK SUPERINTENDENT’S RESIDENCE).
NO. 7. GUERIN HOUSE (PARK SUPERINTENDENT’S RESIDENCE).
At the southwest corner of the Jockey Hollow and Sugar Loaf Roads stands the Guerin House, in which is incorporated some of the original dwelling owned and occupied in Revolutionary War days by Joshua Guerin, a farmer and blacksmith of French Huguenot descent. Largely remodeled, the building now serves as a residence for the park superintendent. It is not open to visitors....
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NO. 8. RANGER STATION (INFORMATION POINT).
NO. 8. RANGER STATION (INFORMATION POINT).
About one-quarter of a mile southwest of the Guerin House ( No. 7 ), on the same side of the Jockey Hollow Road, is the ranger station. Here are located the office and quarters of the park ranger. Visitors may obtain free literature and other park information at this point....
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NO. 9. NEW YORK BRIGADE CAMP, 1779-80.
NO. 9. NEW YORK BRIGADE CAMP, 1779-80.
About opposite the ranger station ( No. 8 ), parallel to the east side of the Jockey Hollow Road, is the campsite occupied in 1779-80 by the New York Brigade under Brig. Gen. James Clinton. In this brigade were the 2d, 3d, 4th, and 5th New York Regiments, with a combined total enlistment, in December 1779, of 1,267 men. The official uniform of these troops was blue, faced with buff; the buttons and linings, white. TRAIL MAP JOCKEY HOLLOW...
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NO. 10. PICNIC AREA AND REST ROOMS.
NO. 10. PICNIC AREA AND REST ROOMS.
Three-eighths of a mile southwest of the New York Brigade campsite ( No. 9 ), on the west side of the Jockey Hollow Road, area picnic area and rest rooms. Parking facilities are provided close to the road. From that point a winding foot trail (pp. 20 , 35 ) leads to open places among the trees where tables and benches are placed for the convenience of visitors who wish to bring basket lunches. No fires are permitted, either here or elsewhere in the park....
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NO. 11. NATURE TRAIL.
NO. 11. NATURE TRAIL.
More than 100 species of birds, some 20 species of mammals, and over 300 species of trees, shrubs, and wildflowers have been observed in Jockey Hollow at various times of the year. A walk over the Nature Trail (pp. 20 , 35 ), which begins and ends at the Picnic Area ( No. 10 ), affords opportunity to enjoy seeing many such elements of the park landscape. The area is a wildlife sanctuary, however, and visitors are reminded that disturbance of its natural features is prohibited by law (pp. 43 -44)
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NO. 12. OLD CAMP ROAD, 1779-80.
NO. 12. OLD CAMP ROAD, 1779-80.
Almost opposite the Picnic Area ( No. 10 ), intersecting with the east side of the Jockey Hollow Road, is what has long been known as the Old Camp Road ( p. 20 ). This leads across Mount Kemble to the old Basking Ridge Road, now Mount Kemble Avenue (U. S. Route 202), and to the site of Jacob Larzeleer’s Tavern, where Brig. Gen. John Stark made his quarters in 1779-80. Part of the road may have been built as the result of orders issued to Stark’s and the New York Brigades, on April 25, 1780, to “
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NO. 13. FIRST MARYLAND BRIGADE CAMP, 1779-80.
NO. 13. FIRST MARYLAND BRIGADE CAMP, 1779-80.
About one-sixth of a mile southwest of the Picnic Area ( No. 10 ), on the same side of the Jockey Hollow Road and parallel to it, is the campsite occupied in 1779-80 by the 1st Maryland Brigade under Brig. Gen. William Smallwood. In this brigade were the 1st, 3d, 5th, and 7th Maryland Regiments, with a combined total enlistment, in December 1779, of 1,416 men. The official uniform of these troops was blue, faced with red; the buttons and linings, white. About the middle of May 1780, following th
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NO. 14. SECOND MARYLAND BRIGADE CAMP, 1779-80.
NO. 14. SECOND MARYLAND BRIGADE CAMP, 1779-80.
About three-tenths of a mile southwest of the Picnic Area ( No. 10 ), paralleling the opposite side of the Jockey Hollow Road, is the campsite occupied in 1779-80 by the 2d Maryland Brigade under Brig. Gen. Mordecai Gist. In this brigade were the 2d, 4th, and 6th Maryland Regiments, and Hall’s Delaware Regiment, with a combined total enlistment, in December 1779, of 1,497 men. The official uniform of these troops was the same as that of the 1st Maryland Brigade. About the middle of May 1780, fol
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NO. 15. BETTIN OAK AND FORT HILL.
NO. 15. BETTIN OAK AND FORT HILL.
Immediately southwest of the campsite occupied by the 2d Maryland Brigade in 1779-80 ( No. 14 ), on the same side of the Jockey Hollow Road, stands the Bettin Oak. Near the base of this old tree is the traditional grave of Capt. Adam Bettin, who was killed on New Year’s Night 1781, during the mutiny of the Pennsylvania Line, then encamped nearby under command of Brig. Gen. Anthony Wayne (pp. 27 -28). Defensive works for the protection of Wayne’s camp were erected on Fort Hill, which rises to the
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NO. 16. NEW JERSEY BRIGADE CAMP, 1781-82.
NO. 16. NEW JERSEY BRIGADE CAMP, 1781-82.
About 1,200 feet southwest of the point where the Tempe Wick and Jockey Hollow Roads meet is the traditional campsite occupied in 1781-82 by the New Jersey Brigade under Brig. Gen. Elias Dayton ( p. 29 ). In this brigade at that time were the 1st and 2d New Jersey Regiments, with a combined total enlistment, in April 1782, of around 700 men. The official uniform of these troops was blue, faced with buff; the buttons and linings, white....
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NO. 17. WICK HOUSE, ST. CLAIR’S QUARTERS, 1779-80.
NO. 17. WICK HOUSE, ST. CLAIR’S QUARTERS, 1779-80.
The Wick House, built about 1750, and occupied as quarters by Maj. Gen. Arthur St. Clair in the winter of 1779-80. On the north side of the Tempe Wick Road, about 325 feet west of its intersection with the Jockey Hollow Road, is the Wick House, which served in 1779-80 as quarters for Maj. Gen. Arthur St. Clair, then commander of the Pennsylvania Line encamped in Jockey Hollow ( Nos. 20-21 ). The building was erected about 1750 by Henry Wick, a fairly prosperous farmer who had come to Morris Coun
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NO. 18. ARMY BURYING GROUND, 1779-80.
NO. 18. ARMY BURYING GROUND, 1779-80.
On the south side of the Cemetery-Wick House Road, at the point where it joins the Grand Parade Road, is the traditional site of the Continental Army Burying Ground in Jockey Hollow. Here are said to lie the remains of between 100 and 150 American soldiers who failed to survive the terrible winter of 1779-80. Army Burying Ground in Jockey Hollow....
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NO. 19. RECONSTRUCTED ARMY HOSPITAL HUT, 1779-80.
NO. 19. RECONSTRUCTED ARMY HOSPITAL HUT, 1779-80.
Immediately adjacent to the Army Burying Ground ( No. 18 ), visitors may see a log structure of the type used for hospital purposes while the Continental Army lay encamped in Jockey Hollow. This building was reconstructed by the National Park Service from a description and plans prepared by Dr. James Tilton, Hospital Physician in 1779-80, and later Physician and Surgeon General, United States Army....
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NOS. 20-21. FIRST AND SECOND PENNSYLVANIA BRIGADE CAMPS, 1779-80, AND RECONSTRUCTED OFFICERS’ HUT.
NOS. 20-21. FIRST AND SECOND PENNSYLVANIA BRIGADE CAMPS, 1779-80, AND RECONSTRUCTED OFFICERS’ HUT.
About 400 feet east of the reconstructed Army Hospital Hut ( No. 19 ), on the west slope of Sugar Loaf Hill, and cutting diagonally across the Grand Parade Road, are the campsites occupied in 1779-80 by the Pennsylvania Division commanded that winter by Maj. Gen. Arthur St. Clair. In this division were the 1st and 2d Pennsylvania Brigades. The former, under Brig. Gen. William Irvine, was composed of the 1st, 2d, 7th, and 10th Pennsylvania Regiments, with a combined total enlistment, in December
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NO. 22. GRAND PARADE, 1779-80.
NO. 22. GRAND PARADE, 1779-80.
North of the Grand Parade Road, below the east slope of Sugar Loaf Hill, is the level ground “between the Pensylvania & the York encampment” which served as the Grand Parade used by the Continental Army in 1779-80. Here the camp guards and detachments assigned to outpost duty usually reported for inspection, and the troops were sometimes paraded to witness military executions. The ground was also used for drill purposes. Near the Grand Parade was the “New Orderly Room” where courts marti
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NO. 23. HAND’S BRIGADE CAMP, 1779-80, AND RECONSTRUCTED SOLDIERS’ HUT.
NO. 23. HAND’S BRIGADE CAMP, 1779-80, AND RECONSTRUCTED SOLDIERS’ HUT.
Parallel to the north side of the Tempe Wick Road, about 300 feet southeast of where it joins the Jockey Hollow Road, is the campsite occupied in 1779-80 by Hand’s Brigade, named for its commanding officer, Brig. Gen. Edward Hand. In this brigade were the 1st and 2d Canadian and the 4th and New 11th Pennsylvania Regiments, with a combined total enlistment, in December 1779, of 1,033 men. The official uniform of the Pennsylvania regiments was blue, faced with red; the buttons and linings, white.
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NOS. 24-25. FIRST AND SECOND CONNECTICUT BRIGADE CAMPS, 1779-80.
NOS. 24-25. FIRST AND SECOND CONNECTICUT BRIGADE CAMPS, 1779-80.
About 600 feet northeast of the Tempe Wick Road, along the south and east slopes of Fort Hill ( No. 15 ), are the campsites occupied early in 1779-80 by the 1st and 2d Connecticut Brigades. The former, under Brig. Gen. Samuel Holden Parsons, was composed of the 3d, 4th, 6th, and 8th Connecticut Regiments, with a combined total enlistment, in December 1779, of 1,680 men. In the latter, under Brig. Gen. Jedediah Huntington, were the 1st, 2d, 5th, and 7th Connecticut Regiments, with a corresponding
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NO. 26. SITE OF KEMBLE HOUSE, WAYNE’S QUARTERS, 1780-81.
NO. 26. SITE OF KEMBLE HOUSE, WAYNE’S QUARTERS, 1780-81.
At the northwest corner of Mount Kemble Avenue (U. S. Route 202) and the Tempe Wick Road is the site of Kemble Manor, built about 1765 as a residence for the Honorable Peter Kemble, one of the wealthiest and most influential men in the late colonial period of New Jersey history. Here were the quarters of Brig. Gen. William Smallwood, of the Maryland Line, in 1779-80; and of Brig. Gen. Anthony Wayne, of the Pennsylvania Line, in 1780-81. From “Mount Kemble,” early on the morning of January 2, 178
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NO. 27. STARK’S BRIGADE CAMP, 1779-80.
NO. 27. STARK’S BRIGADE CAMP, 1779-80.
Along the east slope of Mount Kemble, on the west side of Mount Kemble Avenue (U. S. Route 202), about five-sixths of a mile northwest of its intersection with the Tempe Wick Road, is the campsite occupied in 1779-80 by Stark’s Brigade, named for its commanding officer, Brig. Gen. John Stark. In this brigade were Webb’s and Sherburne’s Connecticut Regiments, Jackson’s Massachusetts Regiment, and the 2d Rhode Island Regiment, with a combined total enlistment, in December 1779, of 1,210 men. This
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NO. 28. KNOX ARTILLERY CAMP, 1779-80.
NO. 28. KNOX ARTILLERY CAMP, 1779-80.
One mile west of Morristown, along the main road to Mendham (New Jersey Route 24), and at the base of a hill opposite the further end of Burnham Park, is the site occupied in 1779-80 by the Light Artillery Park and the Artillery Brigade of the Continental Army under Brig. Gen. Henry Knox. In this brigade were the 1st, 2d, 3d, and 4th Artillery Regiments. Knox’s quarters were nearby on what is now Kahdena Road, at a place called “Duchman’s.” The official artillery uniform was “Blue faced with Sca
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How To Reach the Park
How To Reach the Park
Only about 30 miles west of New York City, the park may be reached by automobile from the east via New Jersey Route 24, from the south and north via New Jersey Route 32 (U. S. Route 202), and from the west via New Jersey Routes 6, 10, 5N, and 32. Regional bus lines serve Morristown from main points in the metropolitan area. The town is also located on the D. L. & W. Railroad, whose local trains stop at Morris Street, about 5 minutes’ walk from the Ford Mansion and the historical museum..
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Establishment and Administration
Establishment and Administration
The first step toward the establishment of Morristown National Historical Park was taken in 1873, when the Washington Association of New Jersey was formed to preserve the Ford Mansion “through future generations as a memorial of George Washington.” Among the first of its kind in America, this organization continues active today. As time passed, the need for saving other historic remains connected with the Revolutionary War history of this locality became more apparent. In the late 1920’s, under
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Visitor Facilities
Visitor Facilities
The park is open to visitors every day but Monday, including Sunday and all holidays except New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. Entrance to nearly all historic sites and buildings in the area is free, subject only to the application of park rules and regulations. Wherever a nominal admission charge is made, complete information on the amount involved is clearly posted on a nearby sign, or may be obtained easily upon request from any park employee. Members of the park staff are o
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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Historical Handbook Series
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Historical Handbook Series
No. 1 Custer Battlefield No. 2 Jamestown, Virginia No. 3 The Lincoln Museum and the House Where Lincoln Died No. 4 Saratoga No. 5 Fort McHenry No. 6 Lee Mansion No. 7 Morristown, a Military Capital of the Revolution No. 8 Hopewell Village No. 9 Gettysburg No. 6 Lee Mansion No. 7 Morristown, a Military Capital of the Revolution No. 8 Hopewell Village No. 9 Gettysburg American canteen...
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