"Middlebrook encampment" may refer to one of two different seasonal stays of the Continental Army in central New Jersey near the Middlebrook in Bridgewater Township in Somerset County. They are usually differentiated by either the date of the encampment or their chronological order (First vs Second).
Middlebrook Encampment Site | |
![]() A Thirteen Star Flag at the Middlebrook encampment is displayed continuously. | |
Location | Middlebrook Road, Bridgewater Township, New Jersey |
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Coordinates | 40°34′45″N74°32′16″W / 40.57917°N 74.53778°W Coordinates: 40°34′45″N74°32′16″W / 40.57917°N 74.53778°W |
NRHP reference No. | 75001160 [1] |
NJRHP No. | 2485 [2] |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | July 3, 1975 |
Designated NJRHP | May 8, 1975 |
The FirstMiddlebrook encampment refers to the spring encampment of the Continental Army, commanded by General George Washington, during the American War for Independence near the Middle Brook in Bridgewater Township, New Jersey (between Martinsville and Bound Brook) in 1777. The second, longer winter cantonment took place in 1778–1779, from December 1 to mid-June. A cantonment is a protracted quartering of an army in a specific location, typically for the duration of the winter. [3]
A portion of the first encampment site, known as the Washington Camp Ground, was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 3, 1975. The Campground is located in Martinsville, a section of Bridgewater Township. The Middlebrook Encampment site includes part of the ridge of the First Watchung Mountain. Its position provided a natural fortress not only protecting the Continental Army but also overlooking the plains towards New Brunswick, where the British forces were stationed in 1777. A surviving earthen redoubt believed to date to the 1777 encampment is also located on the mountain within Washington Valley Park. [4] The strategic strength of the army's position on the Watchung or Blue Mountain ridge contributed ultimately to the success of the Continental Army by lengthening the war and wearying the British forces during both of the army's stays. [5] [6] [7] [8]
During the winter of 1776–1777, Washington initially encamped the Continental Army at Morristown, New Jersey. After his outpost garrison at Bound Brook was surprised and routed during the Battle of Bound Brook on April 13, 1777, Washington moved the encampment closer to Bound Brook. The army established its Middlebrook encampment on May 28 and stayed there until July 2. A total of 8,298 soldiers were housed in the encampment, but 2,660 of them were sick or disabled, unable to fight. In contrast, the British maintained a force of about 17,000 near New Brunswick, New Jersey. From the heights of the Watchung Mountains, Washington could monitor and counteract British movements. When General Howe decided to move against Philadelphia, concern over the threat by the Continental Army made him choose the safer sea route instead of the faster land route. This led to a significant delay in operations for the British and disrupted plans to reinforce British General Burgoyne in northern New York. On June 30, Howe moved his troops to Staten Island in preparation for his Philadelphia campaign, and two days later Washington left Middlebrook and moved the army to Pompton Plains, New York.
It is largely conceded that it was at the Middlebrook encampment that the first official flag of the United States was unfurled, after a law to adopt a national flag had been passed by Congress on June 14, 1777. This event is commemorated annually since 1889 on July 4 with a changing of the flag, a reading of the Declaration of Independence, and the delivery of an historical address at the Washington Camp Ground. Also, by special order of Congress, a Thirteen Star Flag is flown 24 hours a day at the Washington Camp Ground.
Washington used the area around Middlebrook and much of central Somerset County as a cantonment site, known as the Middlebrook Cantonment, during the winter of 1778–1779. He brought about 8,000–10,000 troops to the area between November 30, 1778 and late January, 1779, arriving himself in early December. The main cantonment stretched across a broad swatch of Somerset County including sites in present-day South Bound Brook, the Finderne section of Bridgewater, Somerville, and. Raritan, as well as Pluckemin to the north. Smaller contingents of troops were cantoned at Elizabethtown, Minisink, the New York Highlands, and Danbury, Conneticuit. In each of their separate camps at Middlebrook, soldiers constructed cabins from logs covered with clay, but improving on the construction, layout, and organization compared to the previous winter at Valley Forge. [9] The hutting constructed at Pluckemin for the artillery camp was more elaborate. [10] Washington himself rented the Wallace House (now a New Jersey State Historic site) in Somerville for six months to server as "Headquarters Middlebrook" and paid Wallace $1,000 for this inconvenience. General von Steuben lived at the Staats House in South Bound Brook. General Henry Knox lived at the Jacobus Vanderveer House near Pluckemin with the Continental Artillery encamped at the Pluckemin Artillery Cantonment Site. on the hills above Pluckemin. Nathanael Greene lived at the Van Veghten House in Finderne. [11] General William Alexander, Lord Stirling, and on occasion, General Richard Henry Lee, occupied the Philip Van Horne House in Bridgewater. All five headquarters are publicly owned National Register sites. The main body of the much larger British army was based in New York that winter. Washington again used the security of the Watchung heights to monitor their troop movements and maintain a strong defensive position. [8] The cantonment ended on June 3, 1779 when Washington led his army north to Highlands, New York and General John Sullivan began the 1779 summer campaign against the Iroquois Nation.
The Washington Camp Ground, on Middlebrook Road in Bridgewater Township, just north of Route 22, was deemed a historic site by local citizens in 1889, and entered the National Register of Historic Places July 3, 1975. The site is owned and preserved by the Camp Ground Association Washington Camp Ground Association, which also organizes the annual July 4 program at the site. The program includes a public reading of the complete Declaration of Independence, which has been read at the site each July 4 for more than 100 years. [12]
Various other sites related to the Middlebrook encampment are accessible to the public. These include Washington Rock State Park, an observation site on top of the Watchung mountain ridge, in Green Brook, Washington Valley Park in Bridgewater (nearby, but separate from, the Washington Camp Ground). A sign commemorating the encampment also stands in a now-developed area, at the corner of Chimney Rock and Gilbride Roads in Bridgewater. All five colonial homes that served as headquarters to the Generals during the cantonment were preserved at various times by local organizations beginning in 1898 with the Wallace House and all are now National Register Sites open to the public. See their respective websites for further information. A driving tour of the Middlebrook Cantonment area is available from the Heritage Trail Association and a "Five Generals Tour" is organized by Heritage Trail with the cooperating sites of the Middlebrook Cantonment.
Nearby houses used as headquarters during the second Middlebrook encampment:
The Continental Army was the army of the Thirteen Colonies and the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was established by a resolution of Congress on June 14, 1775. The Continental Army was created to coordinate military efforts of the Colonies in their war for independence against the British, who sought to keep their American lands under control. General George Washington was the commander-in-chief of the army throughout the war.
Pluckemin is an unincorporated community located within Bedminster Township, in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. It was also known historically as Pluckamin. It was the site of several historic events during the American Revolutionary War.
The Battle of Bound Brook was a surprise attack conducted by British and Hessian forces against a Continental Army outpost at Bound Brook, New Jersey during the American Revolutionary War. The British objective of capturing the entire garrison was not met, although prisoners were taken. The U.S. commander, Major General Benjamin Lincoln, left in great haste, abandoning papers and personal effects.
Martinsville is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Bridgewater Township, in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the CDP's population was 11,980.
Fort Nonsense is one of four sites comprising the Morristown National Historical Park, in Morristown, Morris County, New Jersey, United States. Two other sites in Morris County are the Ford Mansion and Jockey Hollow. The fourth is the New Jersey Brigade Encampment Site in Bernardsville, Somerset County.
As the location of many major battles, New Jersey was pivotal in the American Revolution and the ultimate victory of the American colonists. This important role earned it the title of Crossroads of the American Revolution.
The 2nd New Jersey Regiment was raised, on 9 October 1775, at Trenton, New Jersey, for service with the Continental Army under the command of Colonel William Maxwell. The regiment would see action at the Battle of Trois-Rivières, Battle of Valcour Island, Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown, Battle of Crooked Billet, Battle of Monmouth, Sullivan Expedition, Battle of Springfield and the Battle of Yorktown. The regiment was furloughed, on 6 June 1783, at Newburgh, New York, and disbanded 3 November 1783.
The Wallace House is a Georgian style historic house, which served as the headquarters of General George Washington during the second Middlebrook encampment (1778–79), located at 38 Washington Place, Somerville, Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 2, 1970.
The Philadelphia campaign (1777–1778) was a British effort in the American Revolutionary War to gain control of Philadelphia, which was then the seat of the Second Continental Congress. British General William Howe, after failing to draw the Continental Army under General George Washington into a battle in northern New Jersey, embarked his army on transports, and landed them at the northern end of Chesapeake Bay. From there, he advanced northward toward Philadelphia. Washington prepared defenses against Howe's movements at Brandywine Creek, but was flanked and beaten back in the Battle of Brandywine on September 11, 1777. After further skirmishes and maneuvers, Howe entered and occupied Philadelphia. Washington then unsuccessfully attacked one of Howe's garrisons at Germantown before retreating to Valley Forge for the winter.
The Somerset Hills is known as the northern region of Somerset County located in the U.S. state of New Jersey and includes the municipalities of Bedminster, Bernardsville, Bernards Township, Far Hills, Peapack & Gladstone. The Morris County communities of the Chesters and the Mendhams are often considered part of the Somerset Hills.
The Battle of Short Hills was a conflict between a Continental Army force commanded by Brigadier General William Alexander, and an opposing British force commanded by Lieutenant General William Howe. The battle took place on June 26, 1777, at Scotch Plains and Edison, New Jersey, during the American Revolutionary War.
Valley Forge functioned as the third of eight winter encampments for the Continental Army's main body, commanded by General George Washington, during the American Revolutionary War. In September 1777, Congress fled Philadelphia to escape the British capture of the city. After failing to retake Philadelphia, Washington led his 12,000-man army into winter quarters at Valley Forge, located approximately 18 miles (29 km) northwest of Philadelphia. They remained there for six months, from December 19, 1777 to June 19, 1778. At Valley Forge, the Continentals struggled to manage a disastrous supply crisis while retraining and reorganizing their units. About 1,700 to 2,000 soldiers died from disease, possibly exacerbated by malnutrition.
Middlebrook is an unincorporated community within the borough of Bound Brook in Somerset County, New Jersey. It is named after the Middle Brook, a tributary of the Raritan River, on the western side of the community. The early-18th-century Old York Road, connecting Philadelphia to New York City, passed through here.
Washington Valley Park is a 715-acre (2.89 km2) public park between the first and second Watchung mountain ridge in the Martinsville section of Bridgewater Township, New Jersey that is administered by the Somerset County Park Commission. It contains the Washington Valley Reservoir and the Chimney Rock Hawk Watch.
Middle Brook is a tributary of the Raritan River in Somerset County, New Jersey. The stream can be referred to as Rha-weigh-weiros, a Native American name meaning "running from a deep hole", on early maps of the area.
The Jacobus Vanderveer House, also known as Knox House, is a U.S. Federal style house located just north of the community of Pluckemin in Bedminster Township, Somerset County, New Jersey at the junction of US 202 and 206 north of River Road. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 29, 1995, and noted as an "excellent example of a Dutch–American house". The Vanderveer /Knox House & Museum while owned by Bedminster Township, is operated under the direction of the Friends of the Jacobus Vanderveer House, a 501-C3 non-profit organization. The Jacobus Vanderveer House is situated on part of the 218 acres (0.88 km2) that make up River Road Park. The house was thought to be built somewhere in the mid-1770s by James (Jacobus) Vanderveer, son to Jacobus Vanderveer after the property was willed to him by his father.
The Pluckemin Continental Artillery Cantonment Site in Pluckemin, New Jersey, at the southern section of Bedminster Township, New Jersey, holds historic American Revolutionary War importance as the Continental Army's artillery winter cantonment during the winter of 1778–79. It was nestled on the western side of the Second Watchung Mountain just to the North of the village of Pluckemin. The major significance of the site lies with the very different picture it yields of military organization during the Revolutionary War, although some point to it as the birthplace of the American military academy, 24 years prior to the founding of the United States Military Academy at West Point.
The Staats House, also known as the General Baron von Steuben Headquarters, is a historic building located at 17 Von Steuben Lane in South Bound Brook, Somerset County, New Jersey. Constructed c. 1740, it is now known as the Abraham Staats House after its second owner. In 1779, during the second Middlebrook encampment of the American Revolutionary War, it served as the headquarters for Prussian-American General Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 4, 2002, and noted as representing "one of the finest remaining buildings from the second phase of Dutch immigration and settlement in the Raritan Valley".
The Van Veghten House is a historic building in the Finderne section of Bridgewater Township, New Jersey, United States. The house was built c. 1725 and served as the headquarters of Quartermaster General Nathanael Greene during the second Middlebrook encampment (1778–79) in the American Revolutionary War. The Somerset County Historical Society owns the house and uses it as its headquarters, including a museum and library. The early-18th-century Old York Road, connecting Philadelphia to New York City, passed by here. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 10, 1979, and noted as representing "one of the few remaining Raritan River mansions".
The Van Horne House is a historic building at 941 East Main Street near Bound Brook in Bridgewater Township, Somerset County, New Jersey. The house was built c. 1750 and also known as Phil's Hill, after its owner, Philip Van Horne. It served as the headquarters for American General Benjamin Lincoln in 1777, during the American Revolutionary War, in particular the Battle of Bound Brook. Later, it served as the headquarters for American General William Alexander, Lord Stirling during the second Middlebrook encampment (1778–79). The house, on the early-18th-century Old York Road that connected Philadelphia to New York City, was a New Jersey landmark during the war. Since 2002, the Heritage Trail Association has used the house as its headquarters, including an exhibit space. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 8, 2002, for its locally significant Colonial Revival architecture from 1937 to 1944.
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: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)GW’s principal subordinate generals occupied other private homes in the vicinity during the winter encampment.