This 250-article collection by author and renowned historian, Michael Adelberg, is the most comprehensive history of the American Revolution in Monmouth County ever assembled. Learn about the bloody civil and coastal warfare in the territory, the amazing story of David Forman, Joshua Huddy, Colonel Tye, and others in this incredible compilation. 250 for the 250th Celebrating the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution in Monmouth County by Historian and Author Michael Adelberg ©2025 Articles by Year About the Author Purchase Books Other Resources Subscribe Monmouth Courthouse, 1778 We now understand that the American Revolution was more complicated than a contest between the George Washington’s Continental Army and the red-coated British. In no locality are these complications more evident than Monmouth County, New Jersey, where Patriots and Loyalists clashed in brutal, localized civil warfare. This local war transformed the county in multiple ways. It ushered in a new set of leaders whose ambitions were previously blocked by British rule; i t sparked new industries such as privateering and salt-making that brought new people and capital to the shore region, and i t re-structured the county’s most important institutions, including its churches, annual elections, and courts. While some of the clashes and incidents that occurred in Monmouth County—such as the Battle of Monmouth and the hanging of Captain Joshua Huddy by vengeful Loyalists—are well-narrated, dozens more remain largely unnarrated. The 250th anniversary of the American Revolution is the ideal time to compile and narrate the most important events and activities that occurred in Revolutionary Monmouth County. Articles by Year Click the year to be taken to all articles for that year, then click the article title By Year 1774 1775 1776 1777 1778 1779 1780 1781 1782 1783 1774 1774 1. April 1774 - Turning Away the Tea Ship, Nancy 2. June 1774 – Committees Form to Resist British Policies 1775 1775 3. January 1775 – Shrewsbury Township Resists Continental Movement 4. January - April 1775 – Committees Consider Three Loyalists 5. May 1775 -- Anglican Reverend Samuel Cooke Flees Shrewsbury 6. October 1775 – Shrewsbury Leaders Move Against Their Black Neighbors 7. October 1775 – Monmouth Countians Capture British Ship 8. December 1775 -- Monmouth Militia Takes Control of the Ship, Polly & Anne 1776 1776 9. January 1776 -- Elias Longstreet’s Continental Army Company 10. January 1776 – The Capture of the Blue Mountain Valley 11. March 1776 – Dysfunction in the Monmouth County Militia 12. March 1776 - The Mission to Disable the Sandy Hook Light House 13. April 1776 – British Navy Takes Sandy Hook 14. April 1776 -- British Burn the Sloop Endeavor at Tucker’s Island 15. April 1776 – First Skirmish at Sandy Hook 16. May 1776 – Salt Works Begin on the Monmouth Shore 17. May 1776 – Sandy Hook Becomes Haven for Loyalists 18. June 1776 – Monmouth County’s Petitions Against Independence 19. June 1776 – The Difficult Service of Forman’s Flying Camp 20. June 1776 – Captain Thomas Creigher Sails the Monmouth Coast 21. June 1776 – Lt. Colonel Tupper’s Continentals Attack on Sandy Hook 22. June 1776 – Upper Freehold’s First Loyalist Insurrection 23. June 1776 – George Taylor and Nathaniel Scudder Report the Arrival of British Army 24. July 1776 – Monmouth Loyalists Join British Army at Sandy Hook 25. July 1776 – Pennsylvania Continentals Travel Through Allentown 26. July 1776 – Dr. John Lawrence and the Crime of Having Loyalist Kin 27. July 1776 – Monmouth Militia March to Perth Amboy to Defend Against British Attack 28. July 1776—The Rise of Little Egg Harbor and the British Response 29. July 1776 – New York Tories Find Refuge in Shrewsbury 30. July 1776 – Monmouth Slaves Seek Freedom Behind British Lines 31. August 1776 – Shrewsbury Friends Move to End Slaveholding 32. August 1776 – The Discovery of Samuel Wright’s Loyalist Association 33. August 1776 – County Commissioners Inventory Loyalist Estates 34. October 1776 – First Moves Made to Stop Illegal Trade from Monmouth County 35. October 1776 – The Capture of the Betsy and Disappearance of Its Cargo 36. November 1776 – Colonel George Taylor Turns Loyalist 37. November 1776 – David Forman’s Campaign Against William Taylor’s Loyalists 38. November 1776 – The Capture of Richard Stockton and John Covenhoven 39. November 1776 – The Continental Navy on the Monmouth Shore 40. November 1776 – Defending the Pennsylvania Salt Works at Toms River 41. December 1776 – The “Tory Ascendancy” in Upper Freehold 42. December 1776 – The Freehold-Middletown Loyalist Insurrection 43. December 1776 – The “Tory Ascendancy” in Shrewsbury and Down the Shore 44. December 1776 – British and Continental Soldiers Pass Through Allentown 45. December 1776 – Monmouth Loyalists Jailed at Fredericktown, Maryland 1777 1777 46. January 1777 – The First Battle of Monmouth 47. January 1777 – Lt. Colonel Gurney’s Campaign against Monmouth Loyalists 48. January 1777 – Monmouth County’s Ill-Fated Loyalist Militia and the Fall of George Taylor 49. January 1777—Loyalist Refugees Go into British Lines 50. January 1777 – Raising David Forman’s Additional Continental Army Regiment 51. January 1777 - Captain Francis Wade at Allentown 52. February 1777 – Reconstructing Monmouth County’s Government 53. February 1777 – Disaffection in the Monmouth Militia 54. February 1777 – The Battle of the Navesink 55. February 1777 – Militia Family Suffering after the Battle of Navesink 56. February 1777 -- Daniel Van Mater and Monmouth Refugees in New York 57. March 1777 – Salt Work Laborers and Militia Exemptions 58. March 1777 – Monmouth Baptists Reset Their Congregations 59. March 1777 – David Forman’s Attack on Sandy Hook 60. March 1777 – The First Loyalist Raids against Monmouth County 61. March 1777 -- Captain John Walton Captures Loyalist Boat 62. March 1777 -- David Forman’s Drift into Martial Law and Scandal 63. April 1777 – Monmouth Loyalists Pardoned for Continental Army Service 64. April 1777 – The Disaffection of Edward Taylor 65. April 1777 – David Forman and the Continental Army Red Coats 66. April 1777 -- New Jersey Council of Safety Moves on Monmouth Loyalists 67. April 1777 – Lewis Bestedo Kills Loyalist and Exposes Loyalist Outlaws 68. April 1777 – The Trial of Joseph Leonard 69. May 1777 – Monmouth’s Presbyterians Lose Two Ministers in a Week, then Gain One 70. May 1777 – David Forman Seeks a Fort, Sends Intelligence, and Struggles with Militia 71. May 1777 – Competition for Continental Army Recruits in Monmouth County 72. May 1777 – The Difficult History of the 1st Battalion of New Jersey Volunteers 73. May 1777 – The Travails of Mary Leonard and Other Loyalist Women 74. June 1777 - Monmouth Militia Join Continental Army to Shadow British Retreat 75. June 1777 – The Confusing Case of Captain Benjamin Weatherby 76. June 1777 – Thomas Seabrook and Other Whigs Move Inland for Safety 77. June 1777 – David Forman’s Informants in and from New York 78. July 1777 – The Rental of Loyalist Estates 79. August 1777 – Forman’s Additional Regiment and Salt Works Scandal 80. August 1777 – The Capture of the William & Anne and Post-Capture Maneuvering 81. August 1777 – 1st Battalion of New Jersey Volunteers Routed on Staten Island 82. September 1777 -- The Hanging of Stephen Edwards 83. September 1777 – Monmouth Countians Fight at Battle of Germantown 84. October 1777 – Huddy’s Artillery Company 85. October 1777 – Monmouth Militia Defeated by New Jersey Volunteers near Sandy Hook 86. November 1777 -- The Demise and Sale of the Pennsylvania Salt Works at Toms River 87. November 1777 – New Jersey Legislature Voids Monmouth County Election 88. November 1777 – The Disaffection Rhoda Pew and Murder of James Pew 89. November 1777 – Nathaniel Scudder’s Service in the Continental Congress 1778 1778 90. January 1778 – The First Monmouth County Court of Oyer and Terminer 91. March 1778 – Forman’s Additional Regiment Merged into the New Jersey Line 92. April 1778 –The Continental Army Draft in Monmouth County 93. April 1778—British and Loyalist Attack Monmouth County Salt Works 94. May 1778 – State Troops Raised for the Defense of Monmouth County 95. May 1778 – Loyalists Raid Middletown Point and Keyport 96. June 1778 – William Marriner and John Schenck Raid Brooklyn, New York 97. June 1778 – Second Monmouth County Court of Oyer and Terminer 98. June 1778 – The British Army’s Unpleasant Stay at Allentown 99. June 1778 – British Plundering and Arson at Freehold 100. June 1778 – The Monmouth Militia during the Monmouth Campaign 101. June 1778 – The Second New Jersey Volunteers During the Monmouth Campaign 102. June 1778 – The Continental Army Camps at Englishtown and Manalapan 103. June 1778 – Local Leaders at Battle of Monmouth 104. June 1778 – Damages from the Battle of Monmouth 105. June 1778 – Burying the Dead and Recovering the Wounded after the Battle of Monmouth 106. June 1778 – Monmouth Countians Attack British Baggage Train 107. June 1778 – British Army Marches through Middletown to Navesink Highlands 108. July 1778 – Continental Army and Militia Shadow British Withdrawal 109. July 1778 - British Army Boards Ships via Sandy Hook 110. July 1778 – British Fortify Sandy Hook in Preparation for French Attack 111. July 1778 – French Fleet Threatens Sandy Hook 112. July 1778 – Local Pilots Advise French Fleet about Sandy Hook 113. July 1778 – Provisioning the French Fleet via Rumson 114. July 1778 – Admiralty Courts Held at Barton’s Tavern in Allentown 115. July 1778 – New Jersey Proprietors Sell Off Land on Monmouth Shore 116. August 1778 – The Irregularity John Morris and Court Martial of Jacob Wood 117. August 1778 – Major Richard Howell’s Continentals Camp at Black Point 118. September 1778—The Capture of the Venus by Two Privateers and Its Aftermath 119. September 1778 – The Privateering of Captain Yelverton Taylor on the Jersey Shore 120. September 1778 - Daniel Hendrickson and Other Militia Officers as Privateer Captains 121. September 1778 – The Re-Capture of the Love & Unity at Toms River 122. September 1778 – The Daring Escape of John Hewson from New York to Monmouth County 123. September 1778 – The Death of the Pine Robber, Jacob Fagan 124. October 1778 – Thomas Crowell and Regulating Loyalist Passage into New Jersey 125. October 1778 - Pulaski’s Legion and the Osborn Island Massacre 126. October 1778 – Pulaski’s Legion in Stafford Township 127. October 1778 – Militia Respond to the Attack on Chestnut Neck 128. October 1778 – The Pardons of Purgatory of Ezekiel Forman 129. October 1778 – John Lloyd and David Rhea Lead Purchasing for the Army 130. November 1778 – William Marriner’s Second Brooklyn Raid and Later Career 131. November 1778 – The Decision to Station Continental Troops in Monmouth County 132. December 1778 - The Capture of the Schooner Two Friends and Its Captain 133. December 1778 – The First American Raids Against Sandy Hook 1779 1779 134. January 1779 – Toms River Emerges as a Privateer Port 135. January 1779 – Shore Neighborhoods Support Loyalists 136. January 1779 -- Militia from Other Counties Ordered into Monmouth 137 January 1779 – Caleb North’s Continentals in Monmouth County 138. January 1779 – Grain Seizure Splits Whig Leadership 139. January 1779 – John Van Kirk Infiltrates Pine Robber Gang 140. February 1779 – Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee’s Dragoons in Monmouth County 141. February 1779 – Major John Burrowes and His Actions at Middletown Point 142. March 1779 – Mordecai Gist’s Continentals in Middletown 143. March 1779 – The Auction of Loyalist Estates 144. March 1779 – Scandals Mar the Sale of Loyalist Estates 145. April 1779 – Loyalist Kin Gain Pieces of Confiscated Estates 146. April 1779 – Alarm Beacons Constructed in Monmouth County 147. April 1779 – Benjamin Ford’s Maryland Continentals in Monmouth County 148. April 1779 – British-Loyalist Raid Tinton Falls and Shoal Harbor 149. May 1779 – Philip Freneau: Patriot, Poet, and Privateer 150. May 1779 – Loyalist Raids Increase in Frequency 151 May 1779 – Holmes v Walton as a London Trading Incident 152. May 1779 – Holmes v Walton as a Constitutional Watershed 153. June 1779 – State Troops Raised to Defend Monmouth County 154. June 1779 – The Loss of Tinton Falls 155. June 1779 – Refugee Women Listed in Monmouth County Militia Returns 156. June 1779 –New England Privateers Prey on Shipping at Sandy Hook 157. July 1779 – Monmouth Soldiers Participate in Campaign against Iroquois 158. July 1779 – Lewis Fenton, the Infamous Pine Robber 159. July 1779 –David Brearley Leaves Continental Army for the Supreme Court 160. August 1779 – Monmouth County’s 3rd Court of Oyer and Terminer 161. September 1779 – The Fall of John Morris and His Loyalist Battalion 162. September 1779 – New Jersey Volunteers Drift into Other Loyalist Units 163. October 1779 – Monmouth County Prepares for Return of French Fleet 164. September 1779 – Yelverton Taylor Takes British Troop Transport 165. November 1779 – The Establishment of the Associated Loyalists 166. November 1779 -- Thomas Henderson Selected to Continental Congress 167. October 1779 – David Rhea Complains about Lee’s Continentals in Monmouth 168. December 1779 – The Capture of the Brigantine, Britannia 169. December 1779 -Continental Congress Seeks Blankets Via London Trade 1780 1780 170. January 1780 – Provisions Taken from Shore Residents for the Continental Army 171. January 1780 – Henry Lee’s Continentals Raid Sandy Hook 172. January 1780 – Winter Storms Drive Five Ships onto Monmouth Shore 173 February 1780 -- Samuel Lippincott, Man-Stealing, and Jailed Militiamen in New York 174. March 1780 – The Disaffected Officeholders of Dover and Stafford Townships 175. March 1780 – Loyalist Privateers Sail the Monmouth Shore 176. March 1780 – Monmouth Leaders Split as David Forman Re-Emerges 177. March 1780 – Asher Holmes Raises New Regiments of State Troops 178. March 1780 – Loyalist Raiding Party Murders John Russell 179. April 1780 – British Counter-Attack American Privateers Off Sandy Hook 180. May 1780 – Loyalist “Manstealing” Peaks and the Rise of Colonel Tye 181. May 1780 – Preparations Made for the Return of the French Fleet 182. May 1780 – The Capture of the Outlaws John and Robert Smith 183. June 1780 – Controversy Surrounds Local Prisoner Exchanges 184. June 1780 – Stephen Decatur: The Greatest Privateer of the Jersey Shore 185. May 1780 – The Battle of Conkaskunk 186. July 1780 – The Establishment of the Association for Retaliation 187 June 1780 – Joseph Murray Killed While Tending His Fields 188. June 1780 – Colonel Tye and the Black Brigade 189. June 1780 – David Forman Sends Intelligence Reports to George Washington 190. July 1780 – Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee Returns to Monmouth County 191. August 1780 – Crackdown on Militia Delinquents in Shrewsbury Township 192. August 1780 – Prominent Loyalists Captured and Scandal Ensues 193. August 1780 – Trevor Newland Pushed toward Disaffection 194. August 1780 – The Capture of William Marriner 195. August 1780 – Colonel Tye’s Final Raid 196. September 1780 – New Jersey Legislature Investigates the Retaliators 197. October 1780 – County Elections Marred by Violence and Voter Intimidation 198. October 1780 – Monmouth Loyalists Captured at King’s Mountain 199. October 1780 – Company of New Jersey Volunteers Taken in Route to Sandy Hook 200. October 1780 – New Jersey Assembly Struggles to Support State Troops 201. November 1780 – Monmouth Whigs Crack Down on London Traders 202. December 1780 – Lt. Joshua Studson Killed by John Bacon 1781 1781 203. January 1781 – Failed Prisoner Exchange Stokes Tensions between Whigs and Loyalists 204. January 1781 – The Capture of Lt. Col. Klein and Others Seeking to Go to New York 205. February 1781 – Monmouth County’s Jail and the Jailbreak of February 1781 206 March 1781 – Richard Lippincott Leads Raid against Monmouth Shore 207. April 1781 – Richard Lippincott as an Active Loyalist Partisan 208. April 1781 – The Bold Privateering of Adam Hyler 209. May 1781 – Loyalists Seek to Defend Waters Off Sandy Hook 210. May 1781 – The Monmouth County Whig Society 211. May 1781 –William Clark and the Raritan Bay Horse Thieves 212. June 1781 – The Battle of the 1500 at Middletown 213. July 1781 – Shrewsbury Friends Struggle to Stay Out of War 214. July 1781 – Monmouth County Intersects with the Yorktown Campaign 215. October 1781 – The London Trading Case of Elisha Walton v William Laird 216. October 1781 – Violence Again Mars Monmouth County Elections 217. October 1781 – The Vigilante Acts of the Association for Retaliation 218. October 1781 – Nathaniel Scudder Killed during Loyalist Raid 219. December 1781 – Pine Robbers Menace Dover and Stafford Townships 220. December 1781 – The Rise of John Bacon’s Pine Robber Gang 1782 1782 221. January 1782 -- Associated Loyalists Embrace Policy of Retaliation 222. January 1782 – Privateer Captain William Gray Clashes with London Traders 223. January 1782 – Joshua Huddy’s State Troops Stationed at Toms River 224. February 1782 – Loyalists Raid Pleasant Valley during Winter Storm 225. February 1782 – David Forman Seeks Passport for Mrs. Prevost 226. March 1782 – Associated Loyalists Raze Toms River 227. March 1782 – The Capture and Murder of Philip White 228. April 1782 – Richard Lippincott Hangs Joshua Huddy 229. April 1782 – The Local Response to the Hanging of Joshua Huddy 230. April 1782 – The Continental Response to Huddy Hanging 231. April 1782 – The Court Martial of Richard Lippincott 232. May 1782 – The Aftermath of the Huddy Hanging and Lippincott Acquittal 233. May 1782 – Loyalist Estate Confiscations Resume in Monmouth County 234. May 1782 – The Case of Caesar Tite and Other Litigation over Freedmen 235. May 1782 – Prosecution of Loyalists Intensifies in Monmouth County 236. May 1782 – Adam Hyler Captures Loyalist Regulars on Sandy Hook 237. June 1782 – Davenport’s Pine Robbers Routed at Forked River 238. June 1782 – Loyalists and American Prisoners Fish Off Sandy Hook 239. July 1782 – The Capture and Execution of Ezekiel Tilton 240. August 1782 – Monmouth Whigs Form New Associations 241. September 1782 – The Retaliators Outlast the War 242. September 1782 – Monmouth Loyalists Seek to Come Home 243. September 1782 – Monmouth Loyalists Emigrate to Canada 244. October 1782 – John Bacon Slaughters Gloucester Militia at Barnegat 245. November 1782 – The Secret London Trading of the Privateer Nathan Jackson 246. December 1782 – Pine Robbers Defeat Militia at Cedar Creek 1783 1783 247. January 1783 – Accidents and Humiliations Plague the British at Sandy Hook 248. February 1783 – Jonathan Forman’s Long Service in the Continental Army 249. March 1783 – The Death of John Bacon 250. April 1783 - Monmouth County’s Black Loyalists Emigrate to Canada Own the book inspired by these articles! Makes a great gift for the history lovers in your life! New Release! The American Revolution on the Jersey Shore Button The Razing of Tinton Falls: Voices from the American Revolution The American Revolution in Monmouth County: The Theatre of Spoil and Destruction Books About the Author About the Author Michael Adelberg has been researching the American Revolution in Monmouth County, New Jersey, for over thirty years. He is the author of the award-winning The American Revolution in Monmouth County, and three other books. His essays on the American Revolution have appeared in The Journal of Military of History , The Journal of the Early Republic , The Wilson Quarterly , and other scholarly journals. Adelberg’s research has been recognized by the New Jersey Historical Commission, the New Jersey Studies Academic Alliance, the David Library of the American Revolution, the public television program NJ Today , and the government of Monmouth County. Other Resources Other Resources 250 for the 250th FAQs 1. How were topics selected for the articles in 250 for the 250th? Article topics were selected based on two criteria: 1.) the importance of the topic to the people who lived in Revolutionary Era Monmouth County; 2.) adequate source materials to draft the article. The Battle of Monmouth was the largest Revolutionary War event to occur in Monmouth County but it is not narrated in 250 for the 250th. That is because the Battle of Monmouth is already the subject of an excellent book, Fatal Sunday, by Mark Lender and Garry Wheeler Stone. However, several topics related to the battle and its impact on the people of Monmouth County are the subject of articles. 2. Are the articles in 250 for the 250th written about elsewhere? The articles in 250 for the 250th fall into one of three categories: a.) Discussed by modern historians, but not easily accessible. For example, David Fowler wrote an outstanding PhD dissertation about the Pine Robbers. The dissertation was written for a scholarly audience and never published as a book. Few people will read Fowler’s research. So, there are articles about the Pine Robbers in 250 for the 250th even though Fowler already well-covered this topic. b.) Discussed in local histories and antiquarian works. Several topics in 250 for the 250th are narrated in antiquarian sources or local histories. Some of these narratives are balanced and well-researched, some are not. Either way, Revolutionary War topics in these works hopscotch sources and are spread across dozens of older books. So, many topics covered in these histories are included in 250 for the 250th. c.) Original source materials. A number of topics in 250 for the 250th have never been narrated (for example, the raising of Monmouth County’s state troops). Shards of information exist across original documents and were pasted together for the first time in these articles. I enjoyed being the first historian to write on these topics. 3. How are antiquarian and genealogical materials used in 250 for the 250th? The articles in 250 for the 250th are built on source materials—those written by people who witnessed the American Revolution. If there are not source materials sufficient to write on a topic, that topic is not part of this collection. However, antiquarian and genealogical sources often add important details not contained in source materials. So many of the articles include supporting information from antiquarian and genealogical materials. 4. Modern historians discuss some aspects of the American Revolution in Monmouth County. How are these works used in 250 for the 250th? The articles in 250 for the 250th are ground in and written from source materials. In a number of articles, specific historians who contributed an original analysis or critique on the article’s topic are mentioned and their works are cited. 5. What is the likelihood that there are errors in the 250 for the 250th articles? The articles in this series are built on source materials and these materials offer the most reliable information about the Revolutionary era. But source materials reflect the bias of the author and sources sometimes disagree. For example, casualty counts in Continental and British narratives of the same event frequently disagree. Source materials are often imprecise with regard to specific dates, name spellings, and locations. In many articles, I make suppositions based on probability and context. Qualifying terms such as “likely” and “potentially” are used alert readers to suppositions. In any collection as large as 250 for the 250th there is inevitably a small amount of human error. If a reader believes an error might exist in an article, the reader is encouraged to bring it to my attention, and forward the source material that can correct the record. Readers can contact me at 250@monmouthhistory.org . 6. Were any edits made to source materials when transcribed into the articles in 250 for the 250th? In some articles, small edits were made to made to increase the readability of a particular document. 18th Century sentences were often extremely long and packed with qualifying language that can confuse a modern reader. So, some punctuation edits were made, archaic abbreviations are modernized, and some qualifying text is removed (replaced with “…”). In all cases, edits were minor and made only for the purpose of increasing the readability of the source. 7. Should there be more articles about poor people, women, and minorities in 250 for the 250th? The articles in 250 for the 250th are built on surviving sources and the body of surviving sources tilts heavily toward political and military leaders. When the body of surviving documents allows it, I selected topics that shed light on how the American Revolution impacted poor people, women, and minorities (particularly Africans-Americans in Monmouth County). Even when articles focus on political and military leaders, I seek to discuss the article topic’s impact on ordinary people. 8. Is 250 for the 250th the complete story of the American Revolution in Monmouth County? 250 for the 250th is the most complete account of the American Revolution in Monmouth County, but it is not the complete story. There are many important and interesting topics that lacked enough documentation to develop an article. Below are five examples of interesting topics that are not explored in 250 for the 250th due to lack of source materials: •Free African-American communities •The handfuls of American-Indians, Catholics, and Jews in Revolutionary Monmouth County •The Mattisonia Grammar School near Freehold and education in the county •Refugeetown on Sandy Hook (home to the Black Brigade and other Loyalist partisans) •Rebuilding villages razed by Loyalist raiding parties. Name Index For a name index throughout articles, the following searchable PDF is available. Tip : Use Crtl+F to find the names easily. Tables Here is the link to the tables page. Citations This entirety of this work is protected under US copyright . When using the information, please cite appropriately. This online citation generator offers various styles. Sample citation: Michael Adelberg, “[Article Title],” 250 for the 250th, Monmouth County Historical Association, 2025, [url]. Teacher Resource Click here for a guided classroom activity! Contact Information If you have a question for the author, please email 250@monmouthhistory.org . The author will return correspondence as time allows. Note : Mr. Adelberg is not a genealogist and is unable to help with genealogy questions. If you have a genealogy inquiry for our research librarian, please email Library@monmouthhistory.org . All in-depth genealogy questions will incur a standard research fee . The MCHA staff is unable to respond to emails or voicemails regarding this independent project. Thanks for understanding! Subscribe to get exclusive monthly updates on this collection Email* Join Our Mailing List Subscribe

Monmouth County Historical Association collects, preserves, and interprets its extensive museum, research library, and archival collections that relate to Monmouth County’s history and culture and makes these resources available to the widest possible audience. About Us Our Mission Monmouth County Historical Association collects, preserves, and interprets its extensive museum, research library, and archival collections that relate to Monmouth County’s history and culture and makes these resources available to the widest possible audience. The Association promotes the study and appreciation of regional and national history through educational programming, publications, special exhibits, and research services. The Association also preserves and interprets five significant historic sites that represent the County’s vanishing architectural heritage. Through its pursuit of these objectives, the Association enriches the quality of life in Monmouth County by preserving and passing on knowledge of its diverse heritage for future generations. MCHA Bylaws For a copy of the MCHA bylaws, please click here . Logo History Over a quarter of a century ago, MCHA adopted the thistle as the official logo of the organization. The image was taken from a carving in a rare chair in the Association’s collection. The Rhea Chair is the oldest piece of documented New Jersey furniture and the only surviving wainscot chair made in the state. The chair maker Robert Rhea emigrated from Scotland to America, eventually settling in Monmouth County. Rhea, who was both farmer and carpenter, carved the Scottish thistle along with his and his wife Janet’s initials into the chair back with the date “1695.” According to James Fenimore Cooper, “The thistle is the order for dignity and antiquity.” The national symbol of Scotland, it is also the emblem of the Order of the Thistle, one of the highest orders of chivalry of Scotland. Throughout Celtic areas the thistle signifies strength, bravery, durability and determination. As the familiar symbol of the Association, the thistle reflects both the depth of the collection and the qualities central to the MCHA’s ongoing mission. Photo: Carving on chair back crafted by Robert Rhea with thistle along with date and initials. Executive Committee President Charles H. Jones III, Ed.D. First Vice President R. Glenn Cashion Second Vice President John Gagliano Treasurer Tom Bovino Secretary Betsy O'Connor BOARD of TRUSTEES Mark Aikins Thomas Bovino Sarah Ashmore Bradley Elise Casey Leslie M. Clark Eugene Croddick Dennis Fotopoulis Thomas J. DeFelice III Anna Greeley Jean Holtz Peter Izzo Robert G. Kash Michael J. McCarty William J. Mehr, Esq. La wrence J. Metz Joseph Mancino Lauren Stavola Luke Mosley Dwight Pittenger Candace Sparks Jessie Spector C arol Stillwell Thomas S. Taylor William Wells Advisory Committee Robert D. Broege, Esq. Hope Jones Ross Millhiser, Jr. Claire Knopf Cynthia Wilby Events 3rd Annual Farm to Fork Honoring Carol Stillwell of Stillwell-Hansen Saturday, October 4th, 2025 We had another phenomenal event this year - thank you to all of our sponsors and supporters. We could not do it without your help! Please click here for the ad journal video. Many Thanks to Our Garden Party Supporters! The 50th anniversary celebration of this MCHA tradition was a wonderful success thanks to all who donated to help us protect and preserve Monmouth County History. Click here to view the ad journal of our supporters.

Monmouth County Historical Association is a non-profit history museum, research library and archives with five historic houses throughout the county. The Monmouth County Historical Association DONATE Museum Hours Main Museum, 70 Court Street in Freehold : Storm of Revolution: Monmouth at War opens April 29th Wednesday-Friday 1-4, and the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Saturdays of the month from 1-4 Covenhoven House : Fridays 1-4, 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month from 1-4 Marlpit Hall and Taylor Butler House : Fri-Sun 1-4 Allen House is currently closed for renovations, reopening in 2027! Free audio tours for adults (and kids!) available here for Covenhoven, Marlpit Hall and the Allen House! Happening Now Help Support MCHA at the 51st Annual Garden Party June 12th from 5:30 - 8:30 Purchase tickets here Join us as we honor the DeFelice family, Circle Auto Group, and Circle Motor Group for their dedication to the restoration of the historic 1710 Allen House. New Exhibit Storm of Revolution: Monmouth at War Opening April 29th 70 Court Street, Freehold NJ 07728 Wed-Saturday from 1-4 Using archival records and objects from our world class collection, this exhibit explores the drama, glory, and impact of the American Revolution in Monmouth County. Monmouth County 250th Historical Scavenger Hunt The Monmouth County Historical Association and the MonmouthNJ 250 Committee invite you to take part in the Historical Scavenger Hunt - a fun, family-friendly adventure across Monmouth County's historic sites as we celebrate America's 250th birthday! Home of Washington Rallying the Troops at Monmouth Come see this masterpiece up close and personal, featured heavily in Ken Burns' popular miniseries The American Revolution . While the painting is a permanent fixture at MCHA, our exhibit On the Edge of War: Monmouth Before the Revolution will only be open through January 2026. Don't miss it! 250 for the 250th: The American Revolution in Monmouth In celebration of the 250th anniversary of our nation, MCHA is proud to announce the newest project by author and renowned historian Michael Adelberg. The incredible 250-article collection is the most complete history on this topic ever assembled! It is free and digitally accessible on our website - click here to visit or enter via the Learn tab above! The Allen House Restoration Project The Allen House needs you! Please consider helping MCHA save an important piece of American history by donating to the Allen House restoration project. Your donation will be matched dollar for dollar. Thank you in advance for your generosity - we could not do everything we do without the care and dedication of the community! DONATE Explore Explore our museum collections, exhibits, educational materials, research library and historic houses Exhibits Explore Indvidual Exhibits Read More Research Library Open by Appointment Only Read More Historic Houses Visit One of Our Houses Today! Read More Education Digital and On-Site Programs Read More Join our email list for updates! Sign Up Thanks for submitting!

DIGITAL RESOURCES CLASS TRIPS PROF. DEV MCHA is a proud partner of the grades 5-12 History Happened Here initiative. Students are welcome to click here to learn how to use our resources to discover our fascinating Monmouth County history, and how it fits into the larger framework of American history. Education Programs DigRes Digital Education Our award-winning exhibit on slavery in New Jersey, Beneath the Floorboards: Whispers of the Enslaved at Marlpit Hall , is now the focus of two grade-banded digital companions, tailored to NJ curriculum standards Colonial History (Upper Elementary level) General Monmouth County History (Intermediate-through-Secondary level) Digital resources are currently only available for laptop/PC viewing CLICK the image to access the resource 250 for the 250th: The American Revolution in Monmouth - For educators and high school level students - In celebration of the 250th anniversary of our nation, MCHA is proud to announce the newest project by author and renowned historian Michael Adelberg. The incredible 250-article collection is the most complete history on this topic ever assembled! It is free and digitally accessible on our website. Visit today to learn about Monmouth as a microcosm of Revolutionary War activity. Beneath the Floorboards: Whispers of the Enslaved at Marlpit Hall Using primary sources and artifacts from the MCHA collections and material culture from the historic c. 1756 Marlpit Hall in Middletown, this exhibit tells the stories of seven of the 12 known enslaved individuals who inhabited this residence. The larger story of slavery in New Jersey is also explored through careful research and documentation. Upper Elementary Level Middle School / High School Colonial Kids Education Page This upper elementary resource focuses on the Colonial Era. Discover what 18th-century life was like for the people who lived at the historic Covenhoven House in Freehold! Monmouth County Education Page This intermediate/high school resource focuses heavily on primary sources from the collections of MCHA and beyond to illustrate the rich history of Monmouth County! Colonial era documents, WWII artifacts and ephemera, newspaper articles, and other unique objects help students connect American history to fascinating local history. Trips On-Site Education: Covenhoven House and Monmouth Battlefield! 150 W. Main Street, Freehold, NJ 07728 Grades 2-6 The battlefield books up quickly. Book NOW for 2026, the 250th anniversary of our nation!! This beautiful 1752 historic house museum offers students a window into the Colonial era. Situated on what was known as the Burlington Path, Elizabeth Covenhoven's stately residence was used by General Clinton as the British headquarters in the days before the Battle of Monmouth. Our new exhibit, Choices , will explore the options our various forebears were faced with during the American Revolution. Would you side with the Patriots...or Loyalists? Stay to defend your home, or flee to safety? For the enslaved, the British promised freedom if they fought for the crown...but could this promise be trusted? Students will tour the house and learn about life in the Colonial era through the various historical figures who lived in and visited this home. Groups of students will rotate out to nearby Monmouth Battlefield, the next stop for the British where they clashed with the Continental Army at the Battle of Monmouth. There they will learn about the battle from the park historian and participate in a pre-selected choice of activities, including a battlefield hike, museum scavenger hunt, cannon or musket drill! Covenhoven House Program Only This 90-minute program includes a fun tour of this historic house museum, a hearth cooking demonstration, and a spy code-cracking activity! Students are welcomed into the home by a costumed interpreter, where they will be transported by the sights and sounds of the 18th century as the delicious scent of cinnamon applesauce cooks gently in the kitchen. Dates book very quickly - we cannot stress enough to secure your date early! Hope to see you soon! INQUIRE Recent Review from Mr. Iosue at St. Rose of Lima School: Taking our fifth graders on a trip to the Covenhoven House was a no brainer. As a local historical site I knew this would allow the students to connect on a deeper level. As we toured the home the children were extremely engaged in all of the aspects of colonial life demonstrated to them. The presenters were very knowledgeable and receptive to questions and comments. It was a day that will remain with our students for a long time because of the dedication of the staff. The program was well organized and structured while being exciting and filled with suspense. Every room had a rich history and as it all was explained to us, our fifth graders were able to see the classroom experience come alive. I truly would recommend a trip to the Covenhoven House to any teacher! The kids have not stopped talking about it...from the kitchen to the garden...they loved it all! Thank you to the association! Marlpit Hall Beneath the Floorboards: Whispers of the Enslaved at Marlpit Hall 137 Kings Hwy, Middletown, NJ 07748 Program is tailored for attending grade band (click here for pdf) Grades 3-12 (Approx. 90-minute program) Combination trips with the historic Murray Farmhouse at Poricy Park or the T. Thomas Fortune Cultural Center are also available! Inquire about pricing below Freehold High School students, 2022 This c. 1762 house features our award-winning exhibit, Beneath the Floorboards: Whispers of the Enslaved at Marlpit Hall . Students Grades 3-6* tour the historic house museum to learn about slavery in New Jersey through the lens of those who were once enslaved at the residence. The personal stories of these individuals are explored, reconstructed through primary sources such as birth records and freedom papers. Students are given the opportunity to investigate the process of creating historically accurate stories using primary sources; they leave the exhibit with a solid understanding of the institution of slavery in New Jersey, and the skills needed to think like historians. Students grades 7-12** are engaged in an in-depth Primary Source Workshop after the guided museum tour to learn about the processes involved in analyzing documents such as birth records, inventories, freedom papers, as well as "for sale" and runaway ads. What can these sources tell us, what questions do they leave us with, and how can we use our understanding of history to develop possible theories? Students leave with the skills to conduct responsible analysis and interpretation of historic documents, and a solid background on the components of slavery in New Jersey. *For a longer program for grades 3-6 , pair Marlpit Hall with the historic Murray Farmhouse at Poricy Park ! Students will gain a fuller understanding of the Colonial era in this dual program. Murray Farmhouse visitors will learn about Patriots and Loyalists in Monmouth County, as well as have a chance for hands-on activities such as churning butter and grinding spices. ** Grades 7-12 can pair Marlpit Hall with a trip to the historic T. Thomas Fortune Cultural Center in nearby Red Bank. This dual program is an excellent segue from slavery to an emphasis on the many successes of Black men and women post-1865. INQUIRE Recent Testimonial Saint John Vianney High School History Club recently visited Marlpit Hall in Middletown. This 18th-century farmhouse holds layers of history regarding slavery in Monmouth County. Thanks to the Monmouth County Historical Association, our guided tour delved into the lives of the seven slaves who once called this place home. From their daily routines to the broader narrative of slavery in Monmouth County, every detail was thoughtfully explored. The interactive workshop afterward was equally enlightening, as students engaged with primary sources, including descriptive want ads offering rewards for runaway slaves. The tour was a powerful learning experience. For fellow educators seeking impactful experiences for their students, I can't recommend this tour enough. The insights gained at Marlpit Hall are invaluable for understanding our shared history. I'm already planning future visits with the MCHA and eagerly anticipating the opportunity to incorporate their educational web resources into my early American history lessons. It's a journey worth taking, enriching both educators and students alike. Kenneth Brumbaugh Social Studies Teacher/Saint John Vianney High School Early College Academy, Adjunct Professor/Brookdale Community College Hybrid Virtual Programs! Marlpit Hall comes directly to your classroom with MCHA's hybrid virtual class trip, bringing your students the best of both worlds! This webinar package includes: - A video tour of Marlpit Hall, learning directly from the curators who built the exhibit. A professional educator will then be available after the presentation for a live Q&A, to answer any questions the students might have. - Grades 7-12 will also be guided through the Primary Source Workshop, in which the skills to critically analyze historical primary source documents are developed. - All grades receive professional lesson plans and activities based on the exhibit material - Students are encouraged to explore the free digital education pages above as a pre-or-post trip activity. - MCHA educators are always available by email to any questions that teachers or students may have, so feel free to reach out! INQUIRE PD Professional Development MCHA offers free professional development training for all grade levels. Our PD program is given by professionals in the field, and presents educators with a two-fold approach to understanding the topic on an in-depth level. First, educators experience a curator-led tour of the exhibit, where they gain the background necessary to bolster their confidence level in the subject matter. They then take part in a Primary Source Workshop in which they learn how to analyze documents from the era to extract information in the most useful way, applying curriculum standards into guided classroom discussion. They are prepared with the most commonly asked questions from students, and provided answers according to top scholars in the field. This workshop can be applied in the classroom as well via the digital companion to the exhibit, and has been found useful by ELA educators as well. The program runs approximately 2 hours long. The Elizabeth Van Cleaf Institute is a multi-day workshop that runs during the summer and is by application only. Click here to learn more! Want to book a trip or PD training? Have questions? Suggestions? Compliments (yes, please!)??? Contact Dana at dhowell@monmouthhistory.org Thank you to our advisors and supporters on the Beneath the Floorboards digital programs: Hank Bitten, Executive Director, New Jersey Council for the Social Studies Dr. Wendy Morales, Assistant Superintendent, Monmouth Ocean Educational Services Commission Dr. Jason Fitzgerald, Dr. Rich Veit and Dr. Bill George, Monmouth University Noelle Lorraine Williams, Director of African American Education at the New Jersey Historical Commission The New Jersey School Boards Association The New Jersey Center for Civic Education Many Thanks to Our Education Sponsors and Supporters Larry & Paula Metz Sam & Laurie Landy Bill Mehr

The articles in the collection 250 for the 250th: The American Revolution in Monmouth County represent the most complete history of this topic ever assembled. < 250 Home < Previous pg. Next > The Second New Jersey Volunteers During the Monmouth Campaign by Michael Adelberg Recruiting notices like this one were circulated through Monmouth County in June 1778. While recruiting efforts produced many recruits in 1777, only a few new Loyalists came forward in 1778. - June 1778 - As discussed in prior articles, in July 1776, Monmouth County Loyalists established the 1st and 2nd battalions of the New Jersey Volunteers (often called “Greens” based on the color of their coats). While the 1st Battalion suffered defeats and the capture of its senior officers, the 2nd Battalion was, according to historian Todd Braisted, the most successful of the original five New Jersey Volunteer battalions and appears to have had a special relationship with a British artillery regiment. In fall 1777, the 2nd Battalion was one of a small number of Loyalist units selected to join the British Army on its campaign to take Philadelphia. The 2nd Battalion was still with the British Army when it quit Philadelphia and withdrew across New Jersey in June 1778. The Second Battalion was commanded by Lt. Colonel John Morris, a former British Army lieutenant from the Seven Years War who lived on the shore, near Manasquan. Morris joined the British Army within days of its landing at Sandy Hook. He grew his battalion in 1777 to more than 200 men. According to a printed British troop return from February 1778, "Colonel Morris's regiment of Jersey Volunteers (with General Howe), green uniform" was 350 men—but this number is likely exaggerated. With France’s entry into the war in February 1778, the British chose to consolidate forces in New York—which meant quitting Philadelphia. On May 20, as they prepared to march, the New Jersey Volunteers were told to switch from green to red-uniforms, but there were no new uniforms for Morris’ men. They were ordered only to "wear their new clothing when fitted." It appears that Morris returned to New York without his men. With the march at hand and without their colonel, the officers of the 2nd Battalion increased discipline ahead of the march. On May 23, two deserters from his battalion, John McCue and John Conolly, were sentenced to 500 lashes—a sentence that likely would kill the men if carried out in full. As the British Army marched across New Jersey, the New Jersey Volunteers actively recruited. One handbill that was printed and circulated promised a bounty and western land in exchange for joining: Heroes… who are willing to serve his Majesty King George the Third, in defense of their Country, laws and constitution, against the arbitrary usurpations of a tyrannical Congress have now the opportunity of manifesting their spirit, by assisting in reducing to obedience their too long deluded countrymen, but also acquiring the polite accomplishments of a soldier, by serving only two years, or during the course of the war. Enlistees would be rewarded "with 50 acres of land, where every gallant hero may retire, and enjoy his bottle and lass. Each volunteer will receive a bounty of five dollars, besides arms, clothing and accoutrements.” There is no evidence that recruiting efforts were particularly successful. The New Jersey Volunteers continued to recruit while in Philadelphia, but his efforts brought in only twelve new men, according to an April 1778 troop return. The 2nd Battalion of New Jersey Volunteers during the Monmouth Campaign The British Army chose to rest for a day at Freehold on June 27. Officers turned a blind eye to plundering while compiling a "Return of Number of Men, Wagons, Women and Children Victualed at Monmouth." The return included a line about the 2nd Battalion. Their numbers at Freehold: 129 fit & present men and 4 women. The unusually low number of women (most regiments listed at least 15 women) might have been because a number of Monmouth women, back in their home county, left the army to visit family. That same day, the British Army convened a court martial of Chaddock Butler of Upper Freehold. Butler was arrested for stealing a British Quartermaster horse and "going directly the contrary way to that which the troops were marching." Butler claimed he was a Loyalist supporting Morris’ men: On being advertised to the rebels, on account of carrying three men of Colonel Morris's corps to New York, he was obliged to leave his own habitation & come to his uncle's who lives on the road the Army had passed, & meant to go to the King's Army, which he had just joined. Butler said he temporarily took the Quartermaster’s horse in order to pursue a rebel who rode off with one of his uncle's horses. "He took him [the horse] with the intention to return him & not steal him." Capt. Richard Robert Crowe (who captained a company of “Negro Pioneers” in the British Army) testified in support of Butler. Crowe said Butler was from a Loyalist family and "had been obliged to leave his father's on account of the situation of public affairs.” Butler returned the horse and was acquitted. On the morning of June 28, many of the 2nd New Jersey Volunteers guided the regiments guarding the British baggage train toward Middletown. The Battle of Monmouth was fought behind them. A German officer, Capt. [?] Heindrich, wrote of leaving Freehold before 6 a.m. with the "Jersey Volunteers." The baggage train was attacked by Monmouth militia and state troops led by Joshua Huddy. Heindrich wrote that "various attempts were made to capture the baggage, but these failed." That evening, while the British Army waited on the battlefield, the baggage train’s guard "encamped below Middletown." Although they were from Monmouth County, the 2nd Battalion of New Jersey Volunteers were not used as guides during the Battle of Monmouth. John Simcoe’s Queens Rangers also had Monmouth County natives, and they served as guides. Simcoe wrote of the Monmouth men under his command: Simcoe had a book, in which was inserted the name of every soldier in his corps, the counties in which they were born, and where they had ever lived, so that he seldom was at a loss for guides in his own corps; he had also many Refugees with him, who served as guides. He further noted that “the chief of his guides was born at Monmouth” and that “two soldiers of the regiment, natives of Monmouth County” were sent to the British Commander in Chief, Henry Clinton. A British troop return noted the presence of 89 “Refugees” and 17 men from “Skinner’s corps” besides Morris’s men. Many of these men were Monmouth Loyalists who served as guides; two of whom died on the battlefield. Burlington County’s Colonel Israel Shreve of the New Jersey Line wrote his wife shortly after the battle: What is most pleasing, they had two guides, Sam Leonard and Thomas Thomson, who both lived in this neighborhood, and both killed in the first action; Leonard was lying down, took with a cannon ball in the left shoulder and came out his belly. Another guide was Chrineyonce Van Mater, jailed for his role in the capture of Richard Stockton and John Covenhoven in 1776. The New Jersey Gazette noted: "the enemy, in their late passage through Monmouth County, released Van Mater; who, having piloted them through the neighborhood, went off with them to New York." The 2nd Battalion of New Jersey Volunteers continued to pilot the front of the British Army toward Sandy Hook, their departure point. A return of Loyalist regiments on the Monmouth Campaign was compiled on July 10. It listed the 2nd Battalion as having four men killed, six captured, and one deserted during the march. The four fatalities occurred on June 27 and June 28, suggesting the men were lost in skirmishing, quite possibly against Monmouth militia. Other Loyalist regiments on the march did not lose as many men: the West Jersey Loyalists and Maryland Loyalists each had one man killed; the First Battalion of Pennsylvania Loyalists had no fatalities. The men in Morris’s battalion captured during the march across New Jersey were William Rogers, Vincent Swem, Roger Wilson, Richard Marigson, Jacob Fagan, and Joseph Grooms. All were taken in Monmouth County, June 26-28. They were jailed in Morris County until August, when they were transferred to the Monmouth County jail. The most noteworthy of the captures was Jacob Fagan. Fagan was indicted twice for larceny before the war before becoming a Loyalist and joining the New Jersey Volunteers. After his capture, he must have escaped jail. He then led an infamous Pine Robber gang. He was killed by a militia party in October 1778; his body gibbeted and hung on a public road. The 2nd Battalion of New Jersey Volunteers after the Battle of Monmouth After the Battle of Monmouth, the 2nd New Jersey Volunteers marched to Middletown where it appears John Morris rejoined them. A July 1778 Muster Roll demonstrates that the Monmouth Campaign was hard on the 2nd Battalion. The data below demonstrates the battalion’s diminished size and strength: John Antill (Maj.) 2 Officers 4 NCOs 3 Other 32 Privates 9 Fit and Present 15 On Command Cornelius Wardell 2 Officers 5 NCOs 0 Other 27 Privates 6 Fit and Present 15 On Command John Colden (Maj.) 3 Officers 5 NCOs 0 Other 31 Privates 11 Fit and Present 8 On Command Cornelius McLease 3 Officers 5 NCOs 0 Other 29 Privates 8 Fit and Present 8 On Command Norman McLeod 3 Officers 5 NCOs 0 Other 35 Privates 15 Fit and Present 11 On Command A full battalion had eight companies with 50 or more privates in each. Loyalist battalions rarely reached this size, but Morris’ five quarter-strength companies were small by any standard. Two additional desertions—Oliver Talman and Peter Miers—were noted on July 10. The term “on command” was a catch-all term for assignments outside of camp. Half of the fit men were on assignment—probably at Sandy Hook and the Navesink Highlands—where Morris was salvaging horses and supplies left by the British Army prior to its evacuation to New York. While the British Army returned to New York on July 5, Morris and his men stayed on Sandy Hook and the Navesink Highlands. A July 11 document lists “Navesink” as its location. On July 20, General Clinton noted Morris’ location in Monmouth County, relaying intelligence on the French fleet which arrived off Sandy Hook on July 11. Lt. Coll Morris is busy in collecting intelligence of the position of the French Guard upon their Watering Parties. He means, I find, to be more particular in his Inquiries; as from the matter he has already collected, it seems practicable to make a successful attempt upon their Post. The next day, Morris met with Admiral Richard Howe, commanding the British fleet. Howe wrote: He has shown me the position the French had taken on Waddel’s Hill, from whence I conclude it is totally impracticable to make any attempt upon them. I conceived yesterday, that they were posted on this Side the Neversunk River. Our only caution on this side seems confined to any design that should be meditated, by the Neck, on Sandy Hook. Great threats are made, I find, against us on every part. Despite demonstrating his value to the British High Command, Morris was apparently becoming dispirited. He criticized the British Army’s plundering during the Monmouth campaign. He wrote General James Pattison to request standing orders that no British party leave camp without an officer in order to limit plundering. Pattison was not swayed: With respect that an officer must always be detached with men, I should imagine that upon reconsideration of the matter, you will see how incompatible it is with the rank of a commissioned officer to be sent with detachments of four or six men. Pattison acknowledged that Morris was ill and expressed hopes that his "lameness" would improve. Morris also lapsed in disciplining his men. He permitted one of his privates, Jacob Wood, to desert and live as a fisherman at Sandy Hook in exchange for supplying him with fresh fish. The arrangement was exposed in a court martial that must have embarrassed Morris. Braisted noted that Morris was insubordinate to Courtland Skinner (the general commanding the New Jersey Volunteers) in 1779, and retired from active service. His battalion would be consolidated with other undersized New Jersey Volunteer battalions. It would lose its special relationship with the British artillery regiment and the commanding officer who made it the most successful of the original five New Jersey Volunteer battalions. The demise of Morris and his battalion is discussed in greater detail in another article. Related Historic Site : Sandy Hook Lighthouse Sources : Edinburgh Magazine and Literary Miscellany, 1778, vol. 40, p 91; Troop Return, William Drummond, Library of Congress, MMC - Courtland Skinner, box 11; New Jersey State Archives, Dept. of Defense, Loyalists Collection, New Jersey Volunteers, box 1, 2L; Troop Return, NJ State Archives, Adjutant General's Loyalist Manuscripts, microfilm; Oliver DeLancey, "Orderly Book of Three Battalions of Loyalists," Collections of the New-York Historical Society (1916), vol. 6, pp. 75, 84; Israel Shreve to Polly Shreve, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Dreer Collection, Series 52:2, vol. 4; Stephen Kemble, The Kemble Papers (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Library, 2009) vol. 1, p 585; Van Mater’s release is described in William Dwyer, The Day is ours! - November 1776 January 1777: An Inside View of The Battles of Trenton and Princeton (New York: Viking Press, 1983) p 34-5; Philip Katcher, Encyclopedia of British, Provincial, and German Army Units 1775-1783 (Harrisburg PA: Stackpole Co., 1973), p 78; Troop Returns, Library of Congress, MMC - Courtland Skinner, box 6; Troop Return, Monmouth Battlefield State Park, Battle of Monmouth files: folder - British Sources; Court Martial records, Great Britain Public Record Office, War Office, 71/86, #151-8. (Photocopies from Don Hagist.); Bruce Burgoyne, Journal of the Hesse Cassel Jaeger Corps (New York: Heritage Books, 1987) p43-7; John Simcoe, Simcoe's Military Journal (New York: Bartlett & Welford, 1844) p 72; Troop Return, Monmouth Battlefield State Park, Battle of Monmouth files: folder - Loyalist Forces; Troop Return, National Archives of Canada, RG 8, “C” Series, Volume 1854, page 20; Muster Rolls of New Jersey Volunteers, Institute for Advanced Loyalist Studies, www.royalprovincial.com ; National Archives of Canada, RG 8, “C” Series, Volume 1854, page 20; Clements Library, U Michigan, Henry Clinton Papers, 6/28/78, Return of Persons Victualed at Monmouth; Troop Return, Great Britain, Public Record Office, Colonial Office, CO 5, v93, reel 4, #226; Henry Clinton to Richard Howe, Naval Documents of the American Revolution (Naval History Foundation: Washington DC, 2018) vol 13, p 445; Richard Howe to Henry Clinton, Naval Documents of the American Revolution (Naval History Foundation: Washington DC, 2018) vol 13, p 467; Troop Return, William Clements Library, Henry Clinton Papers, vol. 68; James Pattison to John Morris, Monmouth Battlefield State Park, Battle of Monmouth files: folder - British Sources; A History of the Second Battalion of the New Jersey Volunteers, http://www.royalprovincial.com/military/rhist/njv/2njvhist.htm . 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The articles in the collection 250 for the 250th: The American Revolution in Monmouth County represent the most complete history of this topic ever assembled. < 250 Home < Previous pg. Next > British Army Boards Ships Via Sandy Hook by Michael Adelberg Captain Henry Duncan of the Royal Navy captained one of the ships that covered the British Army as it marched onto Sandy Hook and then transported the Army to New York. - July 1778 - Even before the Battle of Monmouth, British leaders determined that the best route to safety in New York was via Sandy Hook. The peninsula at the northeast tip of Monmouth County was taken by the British navy in April 1776 , and attempts to dislodge the British in June 1776 and March 1777 were easily turned back. Following the Battle of Monmouth (June 28), the British Army took a week to march 25 miles through Middletown to the Navesink Highlands. Here, they would cross to safety on the Hook. Still, marching 12,000 soldiers with their camp followers, baggage train, and livestock onto the narrow peninsula was a huge task—one made more complicated by the peninsula being turned into an island by an enormous winter storm. Admiral Richard Howe, commanding the Royal Navy at New York, wrote of the job at hand: March the Army “over a Bridge formed with the Flat-Boats across the Channel which had been made by the sea last Winter, and separated the peninsula of Sandy Hook from the Main." Crossing “the Gut” onto Sandy Hook The British fleet would have to create a bridge across “the Gut” (the waterway between Sandy Hook and the mainland), cover the troops as they came across the open egress, and then transport the Army from Sandy Hook to New York. The available ships were not initially up to the task. On July 1, Captain Henry Duncan, commanding a warship at New York, wrote: "our ships, in general, were very indifferently manned, owing to sickness and being short of their compliment." That same day, engineers at Sandy Hook constructed a pontoon bridge across the Gut by lining up boats and laying boards across them. German Officer Johann Hinrich wrote: Today, the baggage was brought to the bay at Sandy Hook in order to be embarked. We waited in this position, formed in a crescent for an attack from the enemy but no one appeared before our outposts except Morgan's Corps [Daniel Morgan]. The pontoon bridge was constructed before the end of July 2. It was sturdy but narrow. The German officer, Templehoffe, wrote the bridge made the Gut “passable only by a narrow bridge of boats, which not more than six men a‑breast could pass." General Archibald Robertson wrote on July 1 that he “began to take the artillery to the beach." On July 2, he wrote: "All the provision train wagons embark'd & a number of horse swam the gut across to Sandy Hook." Captain Duncan wrote that the Army "began to embark the baggage & swim the horses across the Hook." He also recorded that only three ships were at the Hook—not nearly enough to carry the Army to New York. On the Navesink Highlands, tents and provisions were sent off before the men. The German officer, Captain Weiderholdt, recalled “days of rest since all the baggage went to Sandy Hook for shipment” but, as a result, the men now lived in a “primitive encampment, consisting of twig huts because our tents were shipped with the baggage." Another German officer, Johann Ewald, was also miserable. He wrote: We were so terribly bitten by the mosquitoes and other kinds of vermin that we could not open our eyes from the swelling on our faces. Many men were made almost unrecognizable, and our bodies looked like those people who have suddenly been attacked by measles or small pox. After artillery and baggage, the horses went next. But many of the horses were weakened from the long campaign , heat , and insufficient forage. While horses were a valuable resource, the decision was made to leave behind any horse in a compromised condition. On July 2, General James Pattison wrote: From the difficulty of transporting the horse & probably scarcity of forage, I was under necessity, by direction of Sir Henry Clinton, of leaving about 70 of the worst artillery horses behind, the Quarter Master General having the same reason, left three or four hundred. Pattison noted that the horses were "turned loose in the woods." Just a day later, the Quartermaster General William Erskine, realizing the mistake, sent George Taylor, Colonel of a non-existent Loyalist militia , to round up the salvageable horses being left behind: "Colonel George Taylor has the Commander in Chief's permission to take up these horse wherever he can find them." Taylor’s party took some horses and killed many others. Colonel John Laurens of the Continental Army later reported that Taylor’s Loyalists “cut the throats of a great many horses.” By the end of July 3, General Robertson, noted that "all the baggage of the Army embark'd" and then on July 4 "the Dragoons, bat horses, light baggage, etc. etc. etc., all got off." This happened amidst terrible weather. Lt Colonel Francis Downman wrote that on July 3, "it rained very hard the greater part of the day, the embarkation of stores and baggage, however, went on, as did the transportation of horses to Sandy Hook by swimming them over a passage of about 50 or 60 yards of breadth." On July 4th, the rain continued. British soldiers heard cannon fire in the distance—not from hostilities, but from the Continental Army’s Independence Day celebrations. The movement of the Army onto Sandy Hook was completed on July 5. General Robertson remembered the march of the remainder of the British Army on the morning of July 5: “Early, the Army marched in four columns and got over the bridge of boats into the Hook by 10 o'clock without a shot being fired." Men on Sandy Hook started loading onto boats bound for the transport ships anchored offshore. Lieutenant Stephen Jarvis, a Loyalist cavalryman, wrote: The army continued its march, the [Queen's] Rangers bringing up the rear. The army crossed over a pontoon bridge to Light House Island. The Queen's Rangers embarked in flat bottomed boats and rowed up to New York. Weiderholdt wrote of moving the horses that were not previously transported: The horses and cows were tied up, 8 or 9 together, four men got into a boat, tied a rope to the boat and rowed off, this way the horses & cows had to swim over... we laid all night in the sand by the light house. John Montressor, an engineer on Sandy Hook, wrote of General Henry Clinton's arrival on Sandy Hook: "He [Clinton] was saluted by the guns from the forts as he left with the Army at the Neversink in New Jersey." Clinton, himself, reported: "Preparations were made for passing Sandy Hook Island by a bridge, which by the extraordinary efforts of our Navy were soon completed." The Sandy Hook Encampment and Embarkation On Sandy Hook, accommodations were no better than at the miserable Navesink camp. Potable water was scarce. Montressor wrote on July 3 that "the heat so extraordinary this morning that five or six persons fell dead principally by drinking [bad] water." German Officer Jacob Piel called Sandy Hook "this sandy wasteland." Lt. John Von Krafft noted the need to forage for his own food while on Sandy Hook, “I dug up some fine large clams on the beach, a thing I had learned from the English and I immediately ate them with ravenous appetite owing to my hunger.” From a distance, the red lines of men marching across the Gut must have been an extraordinary sight. Locals came onto the Navesink Highlands to watch. A Continental Army officer, Parke Custis, wrote: "The number, order and regularity of the boats, and the splendid appearance of the troops, rendered this embarkation one of the most brilliant and imposing spectacles of the Revolutionary War." Grenadier John Peebles, however, was not impressed, “deep sand... a very irregular & ill-managed embarkation." British leaders worried little about the vulnerability of the Army as it crossed onto Sandy Hook. Admiral Howe noted that "the Enemy desisted from every purpose of further obstruction.” But junior officers on Sandy Hook were less sure. Lieutenant Von Krafft worried that the transport ships were “without guns.” He further wrote: I was greatly surprised that the Rebels did not take advantage of the disorder in our arrangement and crossing since we were without cannons and even our muskets were unloaded... They would have succeeded since we were too confident. From Sandy Hook, the men were ferried on flatboats to transport ships. This occurred on July 5 and July 6. Captain Duncan noted that the same British flatboats that were used to form the pontoon bridge across the Gut were now used to ferry men from Sandy Hook to the ships. “Made a bridge of the flat boats across the gully that separated the Hook from the Neversink, over which the army marched with great ease -- Took away the boats, and embarked the troops from the Hook.” In keeping with the previous two weeks, boarding the ships at Sandy Hook—the last leg of the Monmouth Campaign—was difficult. Lt. Von Krafft described the difficulties. The men had to “wade through water up to our knees” to get into the boats. And because there were not enough boats, there was no room for animals. They “were tied to them [the boats] so as to swim behind.” The loaded boats moved slowly to the transport ships which “lay at quite a distance [from shore]. We had to row nearly an hour and a half before we reached it.” Once on board, the men had no food: “We made a great noise there because there were no provisions on board and no one knew where to get any.” Von Krafft’s complete account is in the appendix of this article. The last British regiments, covering the withdrawal of their comrades, did not cross over to Sandy Hook on the pontoon bridge. Lt. Colonel John Simcoe, commanding the mounted Queen’s Rangers, noted the “bridge of boats thrown over the channel, over which the army passed, the Queen’s Rangers excepted.” His unit, which was responsible for “covering” the soldiers as they crossed onto Sandy Hook, “embarked in boats from the Jersey side.” As the British completed the Monmouth Campaign, Henry Clinton and a few other senior leaders wrote of their success. The British Army had marched across New Jersey facing various harassments, miserable weather, and a Continental Army attack. It achieved its strategic goal of reaching New York. But other officers understood the campaign very differently. Estimates of losses through desertion varied from 500 to 1,500. Stephen Kemble worried about "the great irregularities of the Army during the march." Francis Downman worried about the hostility of the locals and concluded it “was a most fatiguing march.” The British Army had earned a rest. For the British navy, however, their troubles were just beginning. In less than a week, a large French fleet would anchor just outside Sandy Hook. Related Historical Site : Sandy Hook Lighthouse Appendix Journal of Lieutenant John Charles Philip von Krafft, July 5, 1778: At 5am we marched forth about – English miles in the neighborhood of – where we soon marched up to the water, for we had left camp by the left flank. Some companies of the Body Regiment and also the first two files of the Body Company of our regiment had already embarked in long boats. Many of these boats were also used for the transportation of animals which were tied to them so as to swim behind. Therefore we went back again and to the right across a pontoon bridge made of boats covered with boards, across which all the Engineer regiments had marched also. We had to follow them to the little island of Sandy Hook upon which stands the lighthouse for the ships. We had difficulty marching through the sand almost as far as the lighthouse, which is situated at the extreme [north] end of the island. Here we immediately went into the long boats, having, however, to wade through water up to our knees, because it was high tide. From the pontoon bridge to this place was a distance of – English miles, the time of our arrival, after 11am. Our ship, which we and the Body Company had to get to by means of two long boats for each, was three-masted, without guns and named - It lay at quite a distance [from shore]. We had to row nearly an hour and a half before we reached it and we made a great noise there because there were no provisions on board and no one knew whereto get any. Someone was sent to other ships for provisions [for us]. There is yet to be mentioned that, when we were crossing the pontoon bridge, I was greatly surprised that the Rebels did not take advantage of the disorder in our arrangement and crossing since we were without cannons and even our muskets were unloaded, according to orders received the night before. They would have succeeded since we were too confident. During a momentary detention near the water I dug up some fine large clams on the beach, a thing I had learned from the English and I immediately ate them with ravenous appetite owing to my hunger. Before we crossed the pontoon bridge all unnecessary horses were turned loose and chased back into the country. Sources : Henry Duncan is quoted in John Laughton, The Naval Miscellany (Naval Record Society, 1952) pp. 159-60; Andrew D. Mellick, Jr., Lesser Crossroads, ed. Hubert G. Schmidt from Andrew D. Mellick, Jr., The Story of an Old Farm (1889 reprint) (New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 1948), pp. 262-4; Gen. James Pattison, Monmouth Battlefield State Park, Battle of Monmouth files: folder - British Sources; C.W. Heckert, The Diary of Captain Weiderholdt (Buckhannon, WV: CW Heckert, 1984), p10; Colin Lindsay, Extracts of Colonel Templehoffe's History of the Seven Years War (London: T. Cadel, 1793), v2, p484; Montresor, John. “Journals of Captain John Montresor.” Edited by G. D. Scull. (New York: Collections of the New-York Historical Society, 1881) p 502; William Erskine to George Taylor, Great Britain, Public Record Office, Treasury, Class 1, vol 634, folio 187; Johann Ewald, Diary of the American War: A Hessian Journal (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1979) p 137-8; Moss, George H., Jr. Another Look at Nauvoo to the Hook, (Sea Bright: Ploughshare Press, 1990) pp. 18-9; Francis Downman, The Services of Lieut. Colonel Francis Downman (London: Royal Artillery Institution, 1898) p64-72; New York Historical Society, MSS Microfilms, reel 17, Stephen Jarvis Autobiography, p 30; John Laurens, The Army correspondence of Colonel John Laurens in the years 1777-8 (New York: New York Times, 1969) pp. 204-5; Jacob Piel quoted in Bruce Burgoyne, Defeat, Disaster and Dedication: The Diaries of a Hessian Officer (NY: Heritage Books, 1997) p32-3; John Peebles' American War, 1776-1782 (Stackpole Books) p196; Stephen Kemble, The Kemble Papers (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Library, 2009) vol. 1, pp. 602-3; George Washington Parke Custis, Recollections and Private Memoirs of Washington (Philadelphia: J. Bradley, 1861) p 30; Bruce Burgoyne, Journal of the Hesse Cassel Jaeger Corps (NY: Heritage Books, 1994) p47; John Knox Laughton, "Journal of Capt. Henry Duncan" in Publications of the Naval Records Society, vol. 20, 1920, p169-70; Lt. Wiedenholdt, Journal, New Jersey State Archives, Revolutionary War, Manuscripts Coll., box 2, #11; John Von Krafft, Journal of John Charles Philip Von Krafft, 1776-1784 (New York: Privately Printed, 1888) pp. 51-52; Adm Richard Howe, Naval Documents of the American Revolution (Naval History Foundation: Washington DC, 2018) vol 13, p 285; Capt. Henry Duncan, Naval Documents of the American Revolution (Naval History Foundation: Washington DC, 2018) vol 13, p 267; John Simcoe, Simcoe's Military Journal (New York: Bartlett & Welford, 1844) p 74. Previous Next

The articles in the collection 250 for the 250th: The American Revolution in Monmouth County represent the most complete history of this topic ever assembled. < 250 Home < Previous pg. Next > Monmouth Countians Attack British Baggage Train by Michael Adelberg The heavy wagons of the British baggage train were pulled single-file on Monmouth County’s narrow roads. During the Battle of Monmouth, the baggage train was attacked twice by local militia. - June 1778 - As the British Army marched across New Jersey in June 1778, its baggage train was its most conspicuous feature. Stretching twelve miles, it contained, among other things, war materials, foodstuffs, and the luxury goods of British officers and Loyalist squires. British commander, Henry Clinton, rightly understood that the baggage train was the most vulnerable and monetarily-valuable part of his army. At Freehold on June 27, as Continental forces gathered in his army’s rear, Clinton moved the baggage train to the front of his line of march. On June 28, before British forces turned west to face the attacking Continental Army, the British baggage train advanced eastward toward Middletown . Attacks on the British Baggage Train With the Continental Army west of the British Army, it fell to elements of local militia east of the British Army to menace the baggage train. While documents are not clear on some details, they demonstrate that two unsuccessful attacks were made on the baggage train on the day of the Battle of Monmouth. Lt. Col. Francis Downman, commanding a regiment guarding the baggage train, wrote: Marched through a close woody country for several miles without the least molestation or annoyance from the enemy until 12 o'clock when a party of 15 or 16 militia, taking advantage of our flanking parties being too widely dispersed, broke through the provision train and wounded two or three men and as many horses without halting at all and another party of 40 or 50 made an attempt on the baggage but went off again on the appearance of two companies [of troops]. General James Pattison of British Army also reported two attacks: A party of 15 or 16 militia, finding our flanks exposed, had the audacity to break through our line of baggage, making use of the bayonet against every man or horse they met, but without waiting the consequence of a delay or halt, & a party of forty or fifty made an appearance afterwards, apparently with a design of attacking our baggage, but they were beat back by a part of our rear guard. Additional details on the attacks emerge in other British accounts. John Peebles called the actions “small” and noted the British “had a few men killed & wounded" in the attacks. German Officer Bernhard Bauermeister wrote that "several skirmishers got between the wagons and maltreated the drivers and patrols alongside them.” Loyalist cavalryman, John Simcoe, reported “the baggage was not seriously attacked; but some very small parties ran across it, from one side to the other.” Simcoe further reported “dispersing” the attackers, but admitted that rumors of additional attacks raised his “public anxiety.” He reported enhancing the baggage train’s defenses after the attacks: “For security, he got together the pioneers of his own and other corps around his wagon… and, when the luggage halted, he passed an anxious night.” At least two British officers were unimpressed by the attacks. Gen. Archibald Robertson wrote: "An attack was made on our flank of the baggage, but they were repulsed without losing a wagon." British Officer Samuel Johnson concluded, “We pursued our march and gained our object, the heights of the Neversink, without losing a carriage." It appears that the two attacks were led by Monmouth County’s Colonel Asher Holmes, leading Middletown Township militia, and Joshua Huddy, leading a company of New Jersey State Troops raised from Monmouth County. As explained below, scant documentation of the participants involved in Holmes’ attack leaves room for interpretation. Huddy commanded an artillery company, while the attack he led was made by mounted men. This suggests that Huddy’s party was comprised, at least in part, by ad hoc volunteers with access to horses on June 28. One of Huddy’s men, Matthias Hulce, recalled the attack: "Came in contact with a party of the enemy having charge of the baggage with whom a skirmish took place in which four of the militia were killed." A second member of Huddy’s party, Andrew Pharo, recalled: "On the day of the battle, he was in a scouting party when Captain Huddy had several men killed & wounded." Joseph Johnson recalled, "They fell in with Capt. Huddy at or near Colts Neck where he was engaged with a small party of the British, he helped carry off a soldier who was butt by the sword of a horsemen, he died." The most complete account of Huddy’s attack was written by Samuel Carman: At request of Capt. Huddy, about 14 or 15 of Capt. Holmes company volunteered to go on an expedition with Capt. Huddy, they were militia men scouting round the baggage that was in advance of the mane [sic] Army, they charged a party of wagons, bayoneted some their horses, overturned some of the wagons - at this moment, they were charged by a small party of horse, they had 2 men killed but at the moment more of the militia coming up - they had retreated in to a swamp where the horse could not come - but by this time, the advance of the British come up and they retreated off, being too few in number to meet them. The second attack, led by Asher Holmes, was recalled by John Holmes of Middletown, "We continued to harass the enemy for about six miles until we came to Col. Holmes, where we had a smart engagement & we had two men killed & two men wounded." An antiquarian source noted that Holmes’ attack came from Middletown militia – the militia had one killed and several wounded. This source claimed that the British lost five men, which is likely exaggerated. Mark Lender, who exhaustively researched the Battle of Monmouth, concluded that the attackers were Middlesex County militia under the command of Colonel John Neilson of that county. Neilson was a few miles north of the baggage train; he wrote a letter that day stating that he had missed the baggage train because the British took “the most private roads” instead of the main road he patrolled. It is likely that Holmes led men from both counties. Continental Army leaders, engaged with the British Army at the Battle of Monmouth, took little notice of the baggage train attacks. The brief mention of the attacks by Colonel John Laurens is typical: "the militia of the Country kept up a random running fire with the Hessian Jaegers; but no mischief was done by either side." Perspective In isolation, the two attacks on the baggage train were small skirmishes that produced a few casualties on each side. They did not impede the British march. The skirmishing parties that engaged the British at Allentown (and elsewhere) were larger than the parties that attacked the baggage train on June 28. However, when the two June 28 skirmishes are considered in the context of the dozen or so additional skirmishes that occurred during the Monmouth Campaign, in addition to the other obstacles and harassments thrown up by the Monmouth militia, it is easy to see that the chain of activities—in total—sapped British resources and morale. As Simcoe noted, small attacks like these reminded the British that they were in hostile territory and (to borrow Simcoe’s term) greatly increased their “public anxiety.” Related Historic Site: Monmouth Battlefield State Park Sources : John Peebles' American War, 1776-1782 (Stackpole Books) p194; Gen James Pattison, report, Monmouth Battlefield State Park, Battle of Monmouth files: folder - British Sources; Francis Downman, The Services of Lieut. Colonel Francis Downman (London: Royal Artillery Institution, 1898) p64-72; Archibald Robertson, Archibald Robertson: His Diaries and Sketches in America, 1762-1780 (New York: Arno, 1969) p 178; John Simcoe, Simcoe's Military Journal (New York: Bartlett & Welford, 1844) p 72; Samuel Johnson to Lord Amherst, Amherst Manuscripts, U1350 079/22, Kent County Archives (England), Valley Forge National Historical Park (transcribed by Garry Wheeler Stone); Bernard Uhlendorf, Confidential Letter and Journals, 1776-1784, of Adjutant General Major Bauermeister of the Hessian Forces (New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 1957) p 187; National Archives, Revolutionary War veterans Pension Applications, New Jersey - Matthias Hulce; William Nelson, The New Jersey Coast in Three Centuries (New York: Lewis Publishing Co., 1902) vol. 1, p 172; John Neilson to Philemon Dickinson, Monmouth Battlefield State Park, Battle of Monmouth files: folder – Militia; John Laurens, The Army correspondence of Colonel John Laurens in the years 1777-8 (New York: New York Times, 1969) p 194; Revolutionary War Veterans' Pension Application of Andrew Phares of New York, National Archives, p4; National Archives, Revolutionary War Veterans Pension Applications, New Jersey - Joseph Johnson; National Archives, Revolutionary War Veterans Pension Applications, New Jersey - Samuel Carman; National Archives, Revolutionary War Veterans Pension Applications, New Jersey - John G. Holmes. Previous Next

The articles in the collection 250 for the 250th: The American Revolution in Monmouth County represent the most complete history of this topic ever assembled. < 250 Home < Previous pg. Next > British Plundering and Arson at Freehold, June 27-28, 1778 by Michael Adelberg British Commander Henry Clinton quartered at the house of Elizabeth Covenhoven near Freehold. She was plundered of livestock and family goods, and forced to sleep in her milk shed. - June 1778 - On the morning of June 26, the British Army left Allentown burdened by a massive baggage train and thousands of non-combatants. They skirmished as they left Allentown and skirmished through the day. German Officer Heinrich von Feilitsch wrote that "the enemy harassed us the entire day... the place we halted is called Upper Freehold. During a marauding expedition, the [German] corps lost twenty men." Another German officer, Major von Wilmowsky, wrote that the enemy had "blocked up the road a considerable distance with barriers of trees in order to delay us & harass our march." John Simcoe, commanding the mounted Queen’s Rangers near the front of the British army, wrote of skirmishing near the Rising Sun tavern, between Allentown and Freehold: The enemy’s light troops appeared in greater force in the rear… There was some skirmishing between the Yagers and the enemy; and one time, it having the appearance of being serious, the Rangers were divided into two divisions, to march on each flank of the Yagers, who, having no bayonets, might have suffered from an intrepid enemy. Simcoe happily concluded that “the contrary was the case… sent them away upon the full run.” The day was miserably hot. Lt. William Hale wrote: We proceeded five miles in a road composed of nothing but sand which scorched through the soles of our shoes with intolerable heat; the sun beating on our heads with a force scarcely to be conceived in Europe, and not a drop of water to assuage our parching thirst; a number of soldiers were unable to support the fatigue, and died on the spot... and the whole road strewed with miserable wretches wishing for death, exhibited the most shocking scene I ever saw. Johann Ewald, a German officer, concurred: "Many lose their lives miserably because of the intense heat... no water to be found the entire march.” Heavy storms came in the afternoon and, amidst the storms, the British camped at Robbins Tavern, a few miles before Freehold. But the storms produced new problems. A German officer, Lt. Weidenholdt, recorded: "The horse of Lt. Schaffer was struck by lightning and killed, another got lamed for several days, a soldier and a man servant were also struck at the same time and not able to speak for some days, and the tent in which they laid caught fire.” British Army Enters Freehold The British awoke on June 27 and, amidst new harassments, completed the march to Freehold. With frustrations peaking, the British Army entered Freehold. British General James Pattison was among the first to arrive: "The greater part of the village of Freehold was abandoned but some arms were found, supposed to belong to the militia." Lt. John Von Krafft, a German officer, wrote of his arrival in Freehold a few hours later. We entered this place, almost all the inhabitants had fled, evidently a short time before our arrival, because I found fresh milk in the house where I was sent to go for fresh water. Every place broken into and plundered by the British soldiers. The church, which was made from wood and had a steeple, was miserably demolished. Von Krafft visited the recently-evacuated county courthouse. It “contained in the lowest story some strong prison cells, in front of which were still bread, beverage, ham and lettuce... prisoners had been moved in great haste... The English soldiers had been destroying everything in the city-hall house, even tearing down the little bell in the steeple." Von Krafft’s account is corroborated by Benjamin Van Cleave, Jr., a six-year-old at the time of the Battle of Monmouth, who later recalled the people of Freehold fleeing in advance of the British Army: I remember the confusion of the women and children and their flight to the pine swamps. When we had got a mile from home, the British Army were in sight at a mile and a half distant. We proceeded a short distance further and a consultation was held about the course to pursue, the men having gone in search of the army. I gave them the slip & aimed to return home, got within a short distance of the British right flank and the sound of the bugles drove me back, where, in the confusion, I had not been missed. Rachel Covenhoven recalled her family taking in refugee families on June 27: "The night before the battle, her father's house was used as a shelter for the women and children of the neighborhood." The Plundering of Freehold The British camp spread four miles across Freehold and Manalapan. Captain Caleb Jones of the Maryland Loyalist regiment recorded that the men were to draw two days rations —proof that the British intended to rest the Army in Freehold. Orders were given to post sentries to curb plundering by soldiers and women camp followers: [Sentries] will report to the Commanding officers any disorderly people who attempt to force the safe guards into plunder where they are posted, the guard is to immediately make them prisoners and fire on them if they should make any resistance. All women following the army and other stragglers who attempt coming on the rear of ye army houses, barns or other buildings will be secured for leaving the line of march, whether they commit any disorders or not. Orders were also given to purchase cattle, "The inhabitants must be desired to drive their cattle to a popular enclosure fit for the use of the Army” from which officers “will pay a reasonable price for them." Despite these orders, the men behaved badly. This prompted a court martial for Michael Pepperly and Adam Derry (wagon drivers for the Army). They were "accused of setting fire to and burning a house" but found not guilty. Key to the acquittal was testimony from Ensign William Bowles: Upon seeing house on fire, he went up to it & upon going into the barn, which stood about fifty yards from the dwelling house, he found two prisoners and another man standing by a fire which had been made in a trough; that upon asking them what they were doing there, they said they were looking for some forage. Bowles said that Derry and Pepperly arrived after "the house was on fire." He claimed that a British soldier took “a lighted board to the house, which was burning, and set fire to the barn." Whether Bowles and other witnesses were covering for Pepperly and Derry is unknown. A second court martial on June 27 concerned two Mary Colethrate and Elizabeth Clarke, "followers of the Army" for "plundering." Colethrate was acquitted, but Clarke was found guilty and sentenced "to receive 100 lashes on her bare back... and then drummed out of the Army in the most public manner." Major John Antill of 2nd Battalion of New Jersey Volunteers (from Shrewsbury Township) testified: The day before yesterday, a farmer came and begged for protection, as some women were plundering and destroying his house; that upon going into the house, he saw everything in the greatest confusion, the feather bed being cut open and many other things destroyed; that there were about twenty or thirty women in the house. Antill asked the farmer which women led the riot and “he pointed out prisoner Colethrate & the woman of the house pointed out prisoner Clarke and another woman.” Antill arrested the three women but the third “was released by order of Genl. Knyphausen [William Knyphausen].” Antill discovered that “both had loaded some things in their aprons; he himself saw the prisoner Clarke was very busy turning over some things in the closet." The farmer's wife stated that Clarke "beat and abused her, carried off one load of plunder and returned for another." Clarke was caught with stolen shoes, proving her guilt. Similarly, an antiquarian account describes a Loyalist group breaking into the home of Joseph Bowne (a militia corporal) outside of Freehold. The family fled into the woods and stayed there for two days. The family’s slave stayed in the house and brought them food. Similarly, Elizabeth Burke, wife of militia private Samuel Burke, recalled that on the morning of the Battle of Monmouth "her home was robbed by the British and Hessians." Historian Randall Gabrielan wrote of the family of John Craig, who owned a house near the battlefield. Craig was a militia officer who was likely with the militia and away from his family when the British entered Freehold. He wrote: “As Mrs. Craig fled that day in a westerly direction, she took two wagonloads of possessions with her, although silver hidden in a well was lost to British who occupied the place.” That same day, William Wilcocks, an attorney in the Continental Army, wrote Lord Stirling (General William Alexander) from the house of John Anderson near Freehold. Wilcocks was sent "to observe the motions of the enemy" with a small mounted party. He noted two arsons (“They have burnt Col Henderson's [Thomas Henderson] & Benjamin Covenhoven's house & barn.”) and a few desertions ("I have made prisoner of four Hessians & a British pioneer, and am now in pursuit of an English officer & three soldiers, inquiring their way through the country."). He also detailed the British line of march which extended into Manalapan and described it as “a country very friendly to our cause." Disorders increased through the day. Two German officers wrote about efforts to raise fresh provisions for the soldiers also about the arsons and plundering of British troops. Von Krafft wrote: "Today, the Hessians got permission from the commander of the Regts. to take cattle whenever they should find any, and kill and slaughter it” and also that “the English soldiers set fire to a house outside of town and ransacked it because, it was said to be the property of a prominent rebel." Major Bernhard Bauermeister, wrote that “although the men were never in need of salt or fresh provisions, there was much plundering… It has made the country people all the more embittered rebels." British or Loyalist parties targeted the homes of leading Revolutionaries. One group traveled to Marlboro to sack the home of Colonel Asher Holmes (who was out with the militia). According to an inventory compiled by Holmes, the looters took several items stored for the militia: 73 pairs of stockings, 25 blankets, 12 caps. They also took the family’s silver, fabrics, some clothes, muskets, and pistols. The total value of the plundered items was a substantial £1677. Three other local leaders, Colonel David Forman, John Cox, and Captain Hendrick Smock, were robbed of financial notes issued by the State and Continental governments. Three weeks later, Forman and Cox advertised for the return of the stolen notes in the New Jersey Gazette : The public is requested to be cautious about purchasing or receiving bank notes or tickets from strangers, disaffected or straggling persons... The public are desired to detain them until it can be made to appear that they [persons with such notes] lawfully came by them. Forman, acting as a purchasing agent for the Continental Army deposed that a British party “entered and plundered the house of the deponent, carrying off, among other things, he believes, the said vouchers… purchases made for clothing, cloth and blankets." Militiamen Moses Estey recalled: [He] volunteered with others to go in pursuit of a detachment of the enemy of about 200 men at General Forman’s, who had plundered his house of all valuables, destroyed all his furniture & taken off his plantation all his cattle which they were driving off the British Army then near. They succeeded in re-taking the cattle which were brought back, but the detachment of the enemy got back to the camp of their main army. Captain Hendrick Smock was pilfered of £1,000 in Continental loan notes. Smock wrote that the British “plundered and destroyed to a considerable amount, and among other things carried off the certificates.” Nellie Smock, his wife, testified that when “the enemy was in their march through the County, came to the house of the deponent and, among other things, took the deponents pocket book in which was the above mentioned bills." As late as 1780, the Smocks were still seeking compensation for the stolen notes. While leaders were deliberately targeted, families of modest means were victimized also—particularly with respect to seized livestock. Rhoda Sutphin recalled that her father in law "was robbed of almost everything" by the British before the battle. After the Battle of Monmouth, Thomas Wiggins of Freehold and James Stout of Englishtown advertised rewards for horses stolen on the day of the battle. After the battle, General William Maxwell wrote George Washington wrote about "a number of applications made to me by the distressed inhabitants to have leave to go to the enemy to endeavor to get their horses & cattle, first their horses in particular.” Permission was not granted. However, the worst actions of the day were the arsons. Benjamin Van Cleave, Jr., remembered: On the retreat of the enemy the inhabitants returned and found, with some exceptions, the buildings around our neighborhood burnt, the naked chimneys standing, a great part of the trees in some orchards cut down, the woods burnt and property that had been hid [was] destroyed or carried away. The earth was strewn with dead carcasses, sufficient to have produced a pestilence. My father had neither a shelter for his family, nor bread for them, nor clothes to cover them, save what they had on. A detailed account of the "devastation” at Freehold was printed in the New Jersey Gazette in July. The author, likely Thomas Henderson, detailed the arson of his home and seven other homes “above the court house” (the homes belonged to Benjamin Covenhoven, George Walker, Hannah Solomon, Benjamin Van Cleave, David Covenhoven, Garrett Vanderveer, and John Benham). The British burned four more homes on the morning of the 28th (Mathias Lane, Cornelius Covenhoven, John Antonidas, and [?] Emmons) as the Battle of Monmouth began. British officers were "seen to exult at the sight of the flames” and stated that the rebels deserved it. The British spared the homes of disaffected families, demonstrating that these arsons were not random. (See Appendix for article.} Henderson’s account was likely incomplete. John Vanderbelt claimed that his home was "burnt down by British soldiers on the day of the Battle of Monmouth.” Before that, the British “plundered it of our property, burnt the house, and drove off our cattle." There may have been additional victims. Historian Garry Wheeler Stone mapped the arsons and noted that all of the burned homes were close to the Burlington Road (the main east-west road through the village) and less than two miles from each other. The arson and plundering occurred in defiance of orders from the British Commander in Chief, Henry Clinton. Lt Col Alerud Clarke recorded general orders from Clinton: If any disorderly people attempt to force the guards or plunder where they are posted, the guard is to make them prisoners, and fire at them if they should attempt to resist. All women followers of the Army and other stragglers who shall come in the rear of a house, barn or building will be immediately secured and punished for leaving the line of march, whether they commit any disorder or not. Yet Clarke also wrote that he was "mortified on observing the great irregularity and excesses that have been committed within these last few days." And Henry Clinton, himself, turned a blind eye to looting in the very house in which he was staying, the home of Elizabeth Covenhoven and William Covenhoven. The Covenhovens owned a large house immediately west of Freehold and Clinton claimed it as his headquarters. According to Elizabeth’s deposition, Clinton “promised on his honor that everything she had should be protected and nothing injured." Despite this, the Covenhovens lost their horses and cattle in separate incidents. She was pressured to return her "concealed" furniture under promises of protection, and then "she found almost everything of value was taken out of the wagon.” The remaining items “were scattered on the ground." When she asked for help, an officer insulted her as a “damned old rebel with one foot in the grave." She was forced to sleep in her milkshed as officers took all of the beds in her house. She estimated losses at £3,000. (See appendix for her deposition.) New Jersey’s Chief Justice, Robert Morris, visited Freehold the day after the battle and concluded: "The enemy have done much mischief, burnt several houses and left many families without food, clothes, bedding and stock, besides the unavoidable mischief incidental to the movement of such an army." Historian Mark Lender noted that while plundering occurred throughout the British march across New Jersey, the arson and looting at Freehold far exceeded anything else on the march. This was partly due to mounting British frustrations accumulated from earlier in the march. Beyond that, the British, informed by the Monmouth Loyalists , understood they were among strident Whigs who had hanged a Loyalist and pronounced death sentences on a dozen others. In British eyes, the people of Freehold were deserving of rough treatment. The British also knew that storm clouds—figurative and literal—were building around them. Continental forces were gathering four miles away at Englishtown and an attack was imminent. Massive storms came again on the night of June 27. A Loyalist cavalryman, George Hanger, recorded: I shall never forget the night before the battle of Monmouth Court-House. It was uncommonly dark, with frequent thunderstorms and rain. It fell to my lot, that night, to have the outermost picket. Never could man pass a more anxious time; the fires all put out, the enemy's patrols feeling us and firing every half hour and oftener at the advanced sentries; our men on sentry firing sometimes at the enemy's patrols and sometimes at cattle in the woods, as soldiers will do when they hear a noise in the bushes, challenge, and gain no reply; the night so dark as not to be able to perceive our own men until we came close upon them and in danger of being fired at by our own men. Such a night of anxiety and danger I never since passed, and blessed by God when the day began to dawn. After this terrible night, the Battle of Monmouth began at dawn on June 28, 1778. Related Historic Site : Covenhoven House Appendix: Selected Sources on Plundering around Freehold, June 26-28 Extract of a letter from Monmouth (July 14) I have been waiting from the time the enemy passed through this country to the present, in expectation that some of your correspondents would, thro’ the channel of your paper, have given an account of their conduct to the inhabitants—but not having seen any yet, and as has been such as every honest person out to despise, I take this opportunity of giving a short sketch of it; which, if you think it will be of any satisfaction to your readers, you may insert in your paper. The devastation they have made of some parts of Freehold exceeds perhaps any they have made for the distance in their route thro’ this state, having in the neighborhood above the court-house burnt and destroyed eight dwelling houses, all on farms adjoining each other, besides barns and out-houses—The first they burnt was my own, then Benjamin Covenhoven’s, George Walker’s, Hannah Solomon’s, Benjamin VanCleve’s, David Covenhoven’s and Garret Vanderveer’s; John Benham’s house and barn they wantonly tore and broke down so as to render it useless.—It may not be improper to observe that the first two mentioned houses that were burnt adjoined the farm and were in full view of the place where General Clinton quartered. In the neighborhood below the court house they burn the houses of Mathias Lane, Cornelius Covenhoven, John Antoniadas, and one Emmons; these were burn the morning before their defeat. Some have the effrontery to say that the British officers by no means countenance or allow of burning; did not the wanton burning of Charlestown or Kingston, besides many other instances, sufficiently evidence to the contrary? Their conduct in Freehold I think may—the officers having been seen to exult as the sight of the flames, and heard to declare that they never could conquer America until they burnt every rebel’s house, and murdered man, woman and child. Besides, this consideration has great weight with me towards confirming the above, that after their defeat, thro’ their retreat of twenty-five miles, in which they passes the houses of numerous well affected to their [Great Britain] country, they never attempted to destroy one.” Deposition of Elizabeth Covenhoven Mrs. Elizabeth Covenhoven, who having been solely sworn on the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God, deposeth and sayeth, That on the 26th of June last, when the enemy came into the county, General Henry Clinton, with his suite, made his quarters at her house, and promised on his honour that everything she had should be protected and nothing injured; that some time after they had been there she saw a soldier driving her horses away, upon which she applied to them to perform their orders, and one of the General’s aides said she should be paid for them; she enjoined that she could not spare them and he declared they should be returned, and she heard no more of them. Some little time after she perceived all of her cattle, including her milk cows, driving by in the same manner and she then made application in a like manner and said they must go without milk if their cows were taken away; they then gave orders to have them stopped; but before they went, they killed and took every one of them, not leaving her a single hoof. This deponent further sayeth that the General and his aides, finding her furniture and goods, were exceedingly urgent to have them sent for, declaring it exceedingly likely they would be destroyed where they were concealed, but if they were in the house they would be safe; she told him she had no way to send for them; under which they ordered a wagon and guard to go for them and Negro wench to bring the goods; and they brought one wagon load home and placed a guard over it: That the next evening she found almost everything of value was taken out of the wagon, and only a Bible and some books, with a few trifles, were left, which were scattered on the ground; she then applied to the General himself to have liberty to take the few remaining things his Honour had left her—he ordered one of his aides to go to the guards and suffer her to have them—she followed him and he said, here you damned old rebel with one foot in the grave, take them. This deponent also saith, that though a very old woman, she was obliged to sleep on a cellar door in her milk room for two nights, and when she applied for only a coverlet, it was refused her: That by the time they went away, her house was stripped of her beds, bedding, the clothes of her whole family, and anything of any value. The farm was also left in the same situation; and that at a moderate computation, her loss amounted to 3000L and that she lost this in trusting the honour of Sir Henry Clinton, which threw her off guard and made her perfectly easy, having solemnly engaged to protect or pay for everything they used; and this deponent declares that the sum of 3L 2s, which one of the officer gave her for 50 lbs. of butter he had, was all the money or satisfaction she received for any thing she lost. And further saith not. Sources : Heinrich von Feilitsch is in Bruce Burgoyne, Diaries of Two Ansbach Jaegers (NY: Heritage Books, 1997) p41-2; John Simcoe, Simcoe's Military Journal (New York: Bartlett & Welford, 1844) p 67; Hale’s letter is John Rees, 'What is this You have been about Today?': The New Jersey Brigade at the Battle of Monmouth, www.revwar75/library/rees/monmouth/Monmouth.htm, p20; Johann Ewald, Diary of the American War: A Hessian Journal (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1979) pp. 132-7; Diary of Lt. [?] Weidenholdt, New Jersey State Archives, Revolutionary War, Manuscripts Coll., box 2, #11; Willhelm Wilmostky to William Knyhausen, Copy: David Library, Battle of Monmouth Collection, #106; General Pattison’s letter is in Ritchie, Carson I. A. “A New York Diary of the Revolutionary War.” in Narratives of the Revolution in New York (New York: New-York Historical Society, 1975) pp. 239-41; British Army Court Martials - Great Britain, Public Record Office, War Office, Class 71, Volume 87, pages 179-181; Philip Katcher, The American Provincial Corps, 1775-1784 (Reading, England: Osprey, 1973), p 16; Court Martial Papers, Great Britain Public Record Office, War Office, 71/86, #151-8. (Photocopies from Don Hagist.); John Peebles' American War, 1776-1782 (Stackpole Books) p192; John Von Krafft, Journal of John Charles Philip Von Krafft, 1776-1784 (New York: Privately Printed, 1888) pp. 45-6; Jones, Caleb, Orderly Book of the Maryland Loyalist Regiment, June 18th 1778 to October 12th 1778. Edited by Paul Leicester Ford, (Brooklyn, N. Y.: Historical Printing Club, 1891) pp. 23-5; Court Martial Records, Great Britain Public Record Office, War Office, 71/86, #151-8. (Photocopies from Don Hagist.); Rachel Covenhoven’s account is in Albert Vanderveer, Sesquicentennial of the Battle of Monmouth, Quarterly Journal of the New York State Historical Association, vol. 9, n. 3, July 1928, p 279-285; William Willcox to Lord Stilring, Library of Congress, George Washington Papers, Series 4, reel 50, June 26, 1778; John Stillwell, Historical and Genealogical Miscellany (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1970) v3, 70, 74, 82, 86-7; Randall Gabrielan, Monmouth County Revolutionary War Sites (Charleston, SC: History Press, 2025), p 50; Archives of the State of New Jersey, Extracts from American Newspapers Relating to New Jersey (Paterson, NJ: Call Printing, 1903) vol. 2, p 313; Bernard Uhlendorf, Confidential Letter and Journals, 1776-1784, of Adjutant General Major Bauermeister of the Hessian Forces (New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 1957) p 185; Library of Congress, Early American Newspaper, New Jersey Gazette, reel 1930; Arthur Pierce, Smugglers' Woods, (New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 1960) p 183; Lt. Col. Alerud Clarke quoted in William Stryker, The Battle of Monmouth (Princeton: Princeton UP, 1927) p 54; Lt. Col. Alerud Clarke quoted in Monmouth County Historical Association, Articles File: "Relic of the Revolution"; Asher Holmes, Monmouth County Historical Association, Articles File: "An Old Document"; National Archives, Revolutionary War Veterans' Pension Application, Moses Estey of NJ, www.fold3.com/image/# NJ 18309690; Hendrick Smock to Congress, National Archives, Papers of the Continental Congress, reel 52, item 41, vol. 9, #96-101; Library of Congress, Early American Newspaper, New Jersey Gazette, reel 1930mi; Garry Wheeler Stone, "The Burning of Upper Monmouth Court House", Monmouth Battlefield State Park (map); Thomas Harrison Montgomery, A Genealogical History of the Family Montgomery (Phila: Privately Printed, 1863); Lyman Horace Weeks, A Journal of American Ancestry (New York: William Clemens, 1912), p58-9; National Archives, Revolutionary War veterans Pension Applications, New Jersey - Samuel Burke; National Archives, revolutionary War veterans Pension Applications, New Jersey - John Vanderbelt; Archives of the State of New Jersey, Extracts from American Newspapers Relating to New Jersey (Paterson, NJ: Call Printing, 1903) vol. 2, p 314; National Archives, Papers of the Continental Congress, M247, I41, Memorials to Congress, v9, p100; John Stillwell, Historical and Genealogical Miscellany (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1970) v5, 50-9; Mary Hyde, Retreat after the Battle of Monmouth, Spirit of '76, vol. 5, 1899, p253; John C. Paterson, The Pine Robbers of Monmouth County, unpublished manuscript in the collection of the Monmouth County Historical Association, 1834, p 1-2; William Maxwell to George Washington, Library of Congress, George Washington Papers, Series 4, reel 50, July 1, 1778; Court Martial Papers, Great Britain, Public Record Office, War Office, Class 71, Volume 87, pp 176-178; Stephen Kemble, The Kemble Papers (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Library, 2009) vol. 1, pp. 601-2; Library of Congress, Early American Newspaper, New Jersey Gazette, reel 1930; Thomas Henderson (W426), Forman’s Regiment and Monmouth County militia, Supplementary deposition of Daniel Applegate, 21 April 1837, transcribed by John U. Rees; David Forman, Affidavit, Princeton University, Firestone Library, CO140, Misc. MSS, David Forman; Robert Morris to [?] Cooper, Monmouth County Historical Association, J. Amory Haskell Collection, folder "Battle of Monmouth"; George Hanger, Colonel George Hanger, to All Sportsmen (London: Printed for the author, 1814), pp 217-8; re-printed: http://home.golden.net/~marg/bansite/friends/hanger.html#n4 . Previous Next

The articles in the collection 250 for the 250th: The American Revolution in Monmouth County represent the most complete history of this topic ever assembled. < 250 Home < Previous pg. Next > The British Army's Unpleasant Stay at Allentown, June 24-26, 1778 by Michael Adelberg This British map shows the crossroad and cluster of houses that made up Allentown. Leaving town, the British marched east to Freehold rather than northeast toward Cranbury as most expected. - June 1778 - On June 15, the British Army in Philadelphia started ferrying men across the Delaware River into New Jersey. It took four days to complete this action. As the British Army began moving east across New Jersey, it was slowed by thousands of non-combatant Loyalists and camp-followers, and a huge baggage train. The Army stretched out twelve miles on New Jersey’s poor roads. The weather was unusually hot. The New Jersey militia was expecting the enemy’s march. On May 27, General Philemon Dickenson, heading the militia, advertised that, "The militia of this State are to be particularly attentive to signals--as a movement of the enemy is expected soon." New Jersey militia, including Monmouth Countians under Colonel Asher Holmes, made the British miserable. They felled trees across roads, fouled wells, and skirmished with the British throughout their march. The British Army Enters Monmouth County Harried and overheated, the advance column of the British Army reached Allentown on June 24. There, they found the bridge over Crosswicks Creek broken up (note: some sources claim the broken bridge was across Doctor’s Creek). The British officer, Andrew Bell, wrote: "The rebels had been there in the morning and tore up the bridge, which retarded us a short time.” A German officer named Hauser noted that “rebuilding the bridge kept us three hours." The rebuilding of the bridge impressed at least one Allentown resident, Elizabeth Waln, wife of disaffected mill owner, Richard Waln, who lived near town. She wrote: I never saw the like. The soldiers cut down big trees, trimmed them and brought each tree on porters (short trees passed under). There was a large row of soldiers on each side of a tree; they carried it along as if it weighed nothing, and some went back for another. There were so many men that as far as one tree was brought, another was close behind it, and so the bridge went up... The body marched on, and not the least annoyance was allowed. Col. John Simcoe wrote of the militia forming on the other side of the bridge, "Colonel Simcoe fired two or three cannon shot, which drove the small party from thence, and passed over without the exchange of a musket.” Bell further noted, “The Light Horse and infantry pursued them for four miles, but could not come up with any number." British officer, Thomas Sullivan, described this first skirmish at Allentown: "Fell in with Col. Morgan's [Daniel Morgan] riflemen and a body of militia… a smart firing ensued and the enemy, at length, retreated into the woods without any material loss on either side.” A second British force reached nearby Imlaystown on June 24, but not without incident. Adjutant General Carl Bauermeister wrote, "General Leslie had attempted to force the nearest road the previous evening, but had been compelled to desist because they were occupied by too strong a force. The enemy withdrew, however, during the night." Entry into the village the next day was delayed because the bridge into town "was completely demolished, which delayed his march into Imlaystown… for four and a half hours." A second German officer, Jacob Piel, mostly corroborated this account: “We had to cross a bridge which the enemy had broken up, the repairs to the bridge delayed us three hours." Lt. John Von Krafft, noted on the arrival of his company at Waln's Mill south of Allentown: We were soon again impeded in our march, the rebels having hewn and cast large trees in our way to prevent our baggage train from moving rapidly. Such tricks were often played on us by the rebels and sometimes they showed themselves in considerable numbers on the hillsides. But they never had the courage to attack us. The evening of June 24, the British Army camped in Allentown and nearby. John Peebles, a British officer, observed that “few or none of men inhabitants are at home & many houses deserted entirely.” Officers attempted to keep the Army in good order. Major John Andre wrote that "attention was paid to enforcing the orders respecting plunder, and also the Battalion horses and followers of the Army not mixing in the line of march." Lt. Colonel Alerud Clarke recorded receiving orders that "the women [campfollowers] are to march with the baggage" to lessen fraternizing and plundering. Despite the attempts to keep the Army in good order, there was bad behavior. Robert Montgomery, a militia officer, was robbed. Per an "inventory of property destroyed June 1778," he lost $249 worth of property. British soldiers reportedly "put a rope around the neck" of a family slave who would not reveal where the family hid its silver, but then let him go. In addition, three cannon balls were fired into Montgomery’s house during the June 25 skirmish. John Andrews, a supporter of the Revolution, wrote a memorandum shortly after the British left town: This day the British troops passed by with the Army, and the rear of the Army encamped at Lawrence Taylor's [tavern] and extended their three lines northern of my house, and plundered all after that part of the day, that they took from me, horses, cattle and hogs, destroyed all my grain and flax, took all of my meat and a number of things to the amount of £278. Another antiquarian account noted that the British used the Allentown Presbyterian meeting house as a stable for their horses, and damaged the building substantially. It was never repaired. John Peebles suggested widespread misbehavior by British soldiers. He wrote on the evening of the 24th that “a good deal of plundering [is] going on." On June 26, as Continental soldiers passed through Allentown, Joseph Plumb Martin of Massachusetts recorded: We had ample opportunity to see the devastation they made in their route; cattle killed & lying about in the pastures; some just in the position they were when they were shot down, others with a small spot of skin taken off their hind quarters and mess of steak taken out; household furniture hacked to pieces; wells filled up and mechanic's and farmer's tools destroyed. Better conduct was expected from British officers. Mrs. Waln recalled a British officer dining at her house: "He ate heartily and at the close of the meal, a large pile of bones by his plate... while the family refrained from eating." A twelve-year-old girl later recalled a British officer walking into her family’s house: “We all fell in to help the officers, giving them the entire table [of food]." But at the house of Elisha Lawrence (not the Loyalist and a Lt. Colonel in the militia) nearby, officers were refused food: They endeavored to evade this request, and made things as unpleasant as possible. The officer made no attempt to protect that house; and the consequence was [that] it was rifled of all valuables, and the famous Lawrence's fast mare was taken for an officer's horse. Historian John Fabiano wrote that when the British Army came through Allentown, Major John Andre carried a letter of introduction from John Lawrence (who led the first Loyalist insurrection two years earlier). Andre asked Dr. James Newell to care for his sick brother, which was done. When the British left town, Andre left Newell with the spoon (bearing the family crest) he used to feed his brother medicine. This could be used by Newell as a sign of loyalty to any future British parties. Desertion was a problem for the British Army all through the march. By some estimates more than one thousand men deserted during the miserable march across New Jersey and historian Don Hagist has documented 70 desertions during the British Army’s time in Monmouth County. As the Army left Allentown on June 25, Thomas Sullivan, a British soldier, recalled speaking with a corporal commanding a twelve-man guard who "acquainted me of their being inclined to quit the service, which I encouraged by informing them of my intention to do the same." Sullivan deserted during the march on June 25. After doing so, he recalled getting advice from a local: At some distance, I saw an old man who cautioned us against a set of people called Tories, or properly speaking, enemies of their Country. He also informed me of the route to take to escape danger... After a tedious and troublesome march, through woods and marshes, arrived at 4 o'clock within two miles of Allentown, where we met Colo. Morgan's riflemen. Sullivan surrendered to Morgan, who sent him to Philadelphia. He arrived there on June 28—the day of the Battle of Monmouth. British Army Departs Allentown John Andre noted a second skirmish with the New Jersey militia as the British left Allentown on June 25. He wrote: "a body of the enemy soon showed themselves, and passing thro' the village advanced a little toward the Jaegers [German soldiers], but were dispersed by a shot or two from their three pounders." A German captain Heindrich also described this second skirmish at Allentown: “The Jaegers in the rear guard were harassed severely by the enemy who pressed us vigorously” before they were dispersed. The New Jersey militia made the march from Allentown difficult. General Henry Clinton wrote of the rebels "filling up the wells and breaking down and destroying the bridges and causeways before us." Francis Downman wrote that "the rebels cut the ropes of the wells and filled them with rubbish.” Andre wrote: “As we approached Freehold, water was very scarce, the rebels had added to this by stopping up the wells." Bauermeister wrote of the militia blocking passage to Cranbury with "a thousand-yard wide strip of the finest woods cut down in order to barricade all the roads." Simcoe wrote of being heckled when his men temporarily took a wrong turn “by the error of the guides at a crossroads." Militiamen shouted, "You are Wrong! You are all Wrong!" But Simcoe would have a measure of poetic justice after “a rebel patrol from the Cranberry Road, come close to the front of the Rangers, mistaking them for their own people.” The next day, Simcoe’s green-coated cavalrymen were again mistaken for Continentals, and deceived a local “committeeman” into providing detailed intelligence on Continental troops movements. Skirmishing continued on the march to Freehold. German Officer Heinrich von Feilitsch wrote: “the rebels soon appeared but a Jaeger killed an [rebel] officer. Shortly thereafter they engaged us closely but after a guard reinforced us, they had to retreat." John Peebles wrote of the continued need to “exchange a shot sometimes” with militia parties on the march to Freehold. As for the locals, Simcoe noted that his Loyalists were mistaken for Continental soldiers by locals who “gave the best accounts of the movements of the rebel army" and offered his men water. In contrast, locals avoided Redcoats. Peebles wrote: “A great many people left their houses & drove away their cattle.” By any measure, the British stay at Allentown was unpleasant. They skirmished when entering and leaving town. While some locals were hospitable, most were not—many left town and took their livestock with them. The march from Allentown to Freehold was even worse. The soldiers lacked water and the weather was unseasonably hot. Rumors, no doubt, swirled about rebel forces swelling on their northern flank and rear. Skirmishing and desertions continued. It is easily surmised that the British Army was in a foul mood when it reached Freehold—and Freehold would suffer for it. Related Historical Site : Historic Walnford Appendix: Continental Army and Militia Oppose the British in Allentown Opposing the British on June 24 and June 25 were a regiment of Virginia Continentals under Colonel Daniel Morgan (guided by Monmouth militia under Colonel Asher Holmes) and roughly one thousand New Jersey militia from several counties under General Philemon Dickinson. They did not have the strength to face the British, but they were successful in making the British miserable on their march. On the 24th, George Washington ordered Morgan, You are… to get upon the enemy's right flank and give them as much annoyance as possible in that quarter. Among the militia annexed to you, Gen. Dickinson will take care that there are persons [Col. Asher Holmes] perfectly acquainted with the country and roads, so as to prevent every danger and delay which might arise from want of intelligent guides. The same day, Dickinson wrote Washington of Morgan’s “march in the afternoon for Allentown” to harass the British rear. “I shall order about the three hundred militia who are collected there to join him." A mounted party of Upper Freehold militia under Colonel Samuel Forman was nearby; he informed Dickinson of British movement to Imlaystown but wrongly predicted that the British Army would head toward Hightstown (rather than Freehold). Also on the 24th, Washington wrote General William Heath that "every obstruction is thrown in their way which our circumstances will admit." Washington’s Secretary, James McHenry estimated that the small clashes at Allentown and elsewhere cost the British "thirty or forty in the different skirmishes with our militia and flying parties." Major Thomas Massie of Morgan's Regiment later suggested that the efforts to impede the British near Allentown “stopped them a day and some prisoners were taken." On June 25, Morgan’s Continentals skirmished with the British as they left Allentown for Freehold. The Continentals entered the town at 11 a.m. He wrote Washington: I fell in with their rear. We exchanged a few shot, no harm come. They drew up on one side of the creek and down the other, I sent some parties to skirmish with them and they immediately made off… I am afraid I shant [sic] be able to do them much damage. They encamp in a body so compact that it is impossible to get any advantage. Dickinson’s New Jersey militia entered Allentown soon after Morgan. He wrote Washington that "several deserters coming in - I imagine desertion will be great." At this point, the British line of march (whether through Middlesex County to Amboy or through Monmouth County to Sandy Hook) was unknown. Seeing the British take the road to Freehold, Dickinson informed Washington: “Their rout is certainly thro’ Monmouth, tis generally thought they will embark at the Watering-place [on the Navesink Highlands].” Dickinson further noted plundering by the British, “they have collected a great number of Cattle." General William Maxwell’s New Jersey Continentals reached nearby Hightstown on the 25th. He wrote: I have a small party on the Enemys rear & two Capts. and a Major on their right and rear who says the Desertion that way is Emence [sic]. Major [Joseph] Bloomfield says their rear today marched in much disorder and left a number of their Cattle on the road. They must have put a number of Men in their waggons [from heatstroke] as the day was immencely [sic] hot. Historian Mark Lender, who wrote the essential book on the Battle of Monmouth, described an incident involving the home of Robert Montgomery (an officer in the militia). Henry Clinton had used this house, among the best in town, as his headquarters. When the British left the house, it was quickly occupied by militia who then proceed to take shots at the assembled British from the house. The British fired cannon into the house to disperse the snipers, damaging the home. Three Monmouth Countians wrote of their service around Allentown on June 24 and 25 in their postwar veterans pension applications. John Scott of the local Upper Freehold militia was likely with Samuel Forman. He wrote of being nearly captured: “He acted as an orderly sergeant, he thinks with seventeen men under his command, being detached from his company from Crosswicks to Allentown, then were obliged to surrender & escape with alacrity from a larger party of British troops.” Two militiamen were likely attached to Morgan’s regiment. They described marching on the flanks of the British Army. Matthias Handlin wrote, "The army to which this deponent was attached pursued… and camped north of the British while they lay at Montgomery's farm, about three quarters of a mile, on the farm of Job Cleavenger." Ellison Covert of Freehold wrote: “He marched to Allentown the day the British reached there, and about a half hour before the British reached there. He marched to Hightstown with his company - stayed there all night. Next day, he marched back to Allentown & stayed there all night." Sources : Library of Congress, Early American Newspaper, New Jersey Gazette, reel 1930; American Philosophical Society, Thomas Sullivan, Journal of Operations in the American War, p 403; John Peebles, John Peebles' American War, p221-8; Bruce Burgoyne, Journal of the Hesse Cassel Jaeger Corps (New York: Heritage Books, 1987) p43-7; Bell, A. "Copy of a journal by Andrew Bell, Esq., at One Time the Confidential Secretary of General Sir Henry Clinton. Kept during the March of the British Army through New-jersey in 1778.” Proceedings of the New jersey Historical Society, vol 6, 1851, p17; Bruce Burgoyne, Defeat, Disaster and Dedication: The Diaries of a Hessian Officer (NY: Heritage Books, 1997) p31-2; John Simcoe, Simcoe's Military Journal (New York: Bartlett & Welford, 1844) pp. 30, 32; Don Higginbotham, Daniel Morgan: Revolutionary Rifleman (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1961), p 87; Henry Clinton to Alerud Clark, Monmouth County Historical Association, Articles File: "Relic of the Revolution"; Robert Paterson, Diary, Copy: Monmouth Battlefield State Park, Battle of Monmouth files: folder - British Sources; Library of Congress, George Washington Papers, Series 4, reel 50, June 24, 1778; James Graham, The Life of General Daniel Morgan (NY: Derby & Jackson, 1856), 204; John Fabiano, Allen's Town, New Jersey: Crossroads of the American Revolution, unpublished manuscript in the collection of the Allentown Historical Society, p 45; John C. Fitzpatrick, The George Washington Papers (Washington DC: U.S. Govt. Printing Office, 1932, v12, p93; Veteran's Pension Application of Thomas Massie of Virginia, U.S. National Archives, Washington, DC; [?] Hausser, Journal of Quartermaster Hausser of von Lossing's Regiment, New Jersey State Archives, Manuscripts Coll., Papers of William S. Stryker; John Fabiano, Allen's Town, New Jersey: Crossroads of the American Revolution, unpublished manuscript in the collection of the Allentown Historical Society, p 51-2, 54; Allentown Messenger, Nov. 16, 1905; Carl Bauermeister, Revolution in America (New Brunswick: Rutgers UP, 1957) p185; Anonymous British Officer, Journal, Copy: David Library, Battle of Monmouth Collection, #73; Henry Jackson to George Washington, The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 15, May–June 1778, ed. Edward G. Lengel. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2006, pp. 527–528; Bernard Uhlendorf, Confidential Letter and Journals, 1776-1784, of Adjutant General Major Bauermeister of the Hessian Forces (New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 1957) p 184; John Von Krafft, Journal of John Charles Philip Von Krafft, 1776-1784 (New York: Privately Printed, 1888) pp. 45-6; American Philosophical Society, Thomas Sullivan, Journal of Operations in the American War, p407, 417; Samuel Lockwood, The British March to Monmouth, Beecher's Illustrated Magazine, vol. 6, n. 1, 1872, p24; Mary Murrin, ed., Conflict at Monmouth Court House: Proceedings of a Symposium Commemorating the 200th Anniversary of the Battle of Monmouth (Trenton: New Jersey Historical Commission, 1978) p 13; Willcox, C. DeWitt, Major Andre's Journal, (Tarrytown, NY: William Abbatt, 1930) p 77-8; Joseph Plumb Martin, Private Yankee Doodle: Dangers and Sufferings of a Revolutionary Soldier (Eastern Acorn Press, 1962) p 123; Henry Clinton, The American Rebellion; Sir Henry Clinton's Narrative of His Campaigns, 1775-1782, with an Appendix of Original Documents (Hamden, CT: Archon Books, 1971) p 90; Francis Downman, The Services of Lieut. Colonel Francis Downman (London: Royal Artillery Institution, 1898) p64-72; Alexander Hamilton, The Papers of Alexander Hamilton (New York: Columbia University Press, 1961) vol. 1, pp. 503-4; Philemon Dickinson to George Washington, Library of Congress, George Washington Papers, Series 4, reel 50, June 25, 1778; Henry Knox to William Knox, Gilder Lehrman Institute, GLC2437.00712, www.gilderlehrman.org ; Edward J. Lowell, The Hessians and Other German Auxiliaries of Great Britain in the Revolutionary War (New York: Harper Brothers, 1884) p213; Correspondence File: Table of British Desertions compiled from Don Hagist, based on documents in PRO, WO 12; Col. Daniel Morgan to George Washington, 6/25/78, George Washington Papers, Library of Congress, Series Four; John Andrews "His Surveying Book, Likewise, Paintings" private collection. Copy: David Library, Battle of Monmouth Collection, #84; Thomas Sullivan, Journal, Copy: David Library, Battle of Monmouth Collection, #52; The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 15, May–June 1778, ed. Edward G. Lengel. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2006, p. 537; William Maxwell to George Washington, The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 15, May–June 1778, ed. Edward G. Lengel. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2006, pp. 542–543; National Archives, Revolutionary War Veterans' Pension Application, Ellison Covert of NJ, www.fold3.com/image/#12873752 ; National Archives, Revolutionary War Veterans' Pension Application, Matthias Handlin of Ohio, www.fold3.com/image/#23563620 ; Contained in: National Archives, Revolutionary War Veterans' Pension Application, John Scott of PA, www.fold3.com/image/# 16232608; Franklin Ellis, The History of Monmouth County (R.T. Peck: Philadelphia, 1885), p 618; Samuel Lockwood, The British March to Monmouth, Beecher's Illustrated Magazine, vol. 6, n. 1, 1872, p25; John Simcoe, Simcoe's Military Journal (New York: Bartlett & Welford, 1844) pp. 32-3; John Anderson, The Battle Cry: Newsletter of the Friends of Monmouth Battlefield, v8, n3, May 2002; Bruce Burgoyne, Diaries of Two Ansbach Jaegers (NY: Heritage Books, 1997) p41-2; Mark Lender, Garry Wheeler Stone, Fatal Sunday (Norman, OK: Oklahoma University Press, 2016) pp 139-156. Previous Next

MCHA's Red Lion Tavern Found within the Storm of Revolution exhibit Many of the items in this tavern display are MCHA collection items from the 18th century. Learn about some of them here Our Story Every website has a story, and your visitors want to hear yours. This space is a great opportunity to give a full background on who you are, what your team does, and what your site has to offer. Double click on the text box to start editing your content and make sure to add all the relevant details you want site visitors to know. If you’re a business, talk about how you started and share your professional journey. Explain your core values, your commitment to customers, and how you stand out from the crowd. Add a photo, gallery, or video for even more engagement. Meet The Team Don Francis Founder & CEO Ashley Jones Tech Lead Tess Brown Office Manager Lisa Rose Product Manager Kevin Nye HR Lead Alex Young Customer Support Lead Our Clients

This exhibition is the first major development stemming from the Living and Breathing initiative, started in late 2019 as a means of reinterpreting MCHA’s colonial-era historic houses to include the stories of the enslaved African Americans who once resided within them. The exhibition will offer a better understanding of how slavery took root in early Monmouth County, as well as the complex dynamics of daily life and relationships among the enslaved.  Exhibits New Exhibit Storm of Revolution: Monmouth at War Opening April 29th 70 Court Street, Freehold NJ 07728 Wed-Friday 1-4 1st, 3rd, and 5th Saturday of the month from 1-4 Using archival records and objects from our world-class collection, this exhibit explores the drama, glory, and impact of the American Revolution in Monmouth County, as well the divided loyalties that engulfed Monmouth in chaos and civil warfare. Click here to watch a presentation by MCHA Senior Curator, Joe Zemla, highlighting some of the exhibit's touchstone display pieces such as township petitions, relics from the Battle of Monmouth, and one of the nation’s earliest flags, now on display at MCHA. Anchor Choices Choices: The Covenhoven Family and the Battle of Monmouth 150 W. Main St. Freehold, NJ 07728 Visit the historic 1752 home of William and Elizabeth Covenhoven, which was used as a makeshift headquarters by British General Sir Henry Clinton and his officers in the days before the Battle of Monmouth. Discover the choices that were available to the Revolutionary-era residents of Freehold as the British came through on their way to Sandy Hook. Covenhoven House is open to the public Fridays from 1-4, and on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month. Call-ahead appointments are available as well - email here to schedule a visit. Explore our volunteer tab if you would like to be a guide for this beautiful historic house museum! Open Fridays from 1-4 and from 1-4 on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month Beneath the Floorboards: Whispers of the Enslaved at Marlpit Hall 127 Kings Hwy. Middletown, NJ 07748 Visit this two-time award-winning exhibit now at Marlpit Hall, a c. 1762 farmhouse once owned by the Taylor family of Middletown. The exhibit interprets the home from the perspective of seven of the twelve known enslaved men, women and children who once lived and worked there, exploring the often-overlooked topic of slavery in the North. Open Friday-Sunday from 1-4

Join us for free virtual lectures given by Monmouth County's most interesting speakers! MCHA Presents HISTORICALLY SPEAKING A Virtual Lecture Series - Co-Sponsored by the Monmouth County Library - Register below today for FREE Zoom lectures given by Monmouth County's most interesting and well-respected historians! You'll even have the chance to engage in a Q&A at the end! Browse our upcoming line-up to join us on the specified date at 7 PM. Stay tuned for our next presentation, to be announced soon! Anchor 2 Register for the Zoom link You will receive a reminder email a few days before the lecture date, and the link will be emailed a couple of hours prior to start time. Submit Thanks for registering! Previous Lectures are Now Available!