Voices of the Past

Part of the Army Heritage Center Foundation’s Educational Series Fighting For Freedom: Samuel M. Shute & REVOLUTIONARY WAR the 2nd New Jersey Regiment (United States, 1775-1783) Samuel Highlights: Moore Shute was born on February 28th, 1763 in Cumberland County, New Jersey to William and Hope Moore • Six months after the Shute. A Patriot, Shute joined the Battle of Lexington & ranks of the Continental Army to fight Concord, Samuel Shute for the American cause during the nd joined the 2 New American Revolution, and enlisted Jersey Regiment to fight again to defend his young country for the American cause. during the War of 1812.

• Shute participated in Samuel Shute joined the 2nd New many campaigns, such Jersey Regiment as a private on as the Siege of Quebec, st October 31 , 1775, under the the Sullivan Expedition, command of Colonel William Maxwell. and the Siege of Yorktown. By March of the following year, the regiment found themselves assigned • Shute joined the Army to the Canadian Department where as a Private and they took part in the Siege of Quebec. reached the rank of When the siege ended on May 5, brevet Captain by the 1776, they retreated with the rest of war’s end. the Continental forces and on June 8 Infantry: Continental Army, 1779-1783, took part in the action at Three Rivers IV. Image Courtesy of the Library of where they sustained heavy Congress. casualties. The Three Rivers blunder forced the Continental forces to Brevet rank – continue their withdraw from Canada, nd temporary promotion for a and the 2 New Jersey eventually Soldier serving in a position made their way to Fort Ticonderoga in that requires a higher rank. New York. During the retreat, Shute was promoted to Ensign, his first of many promotions. The 2nd remained was assigned to the main Army under at Ticonderoga until mid-November George Washington. With dawn of nd when they were sent back to New spring came campaign season. The 2 Read more at Jersey. New Jersey, now commanded by www.armyheritage.org Colonel Israel Shreve, saw action at The Soldiers in the 2nd New Jersey Short Hill in June and the Battle of had enlisted for a year, so upon Brandywine on September 11, 1777. At arriving home in early December 1776, Brandywine, Shute received his second Questions or nd nd comments please the 2 New Jersey disbanded. Many promotion to 2 Lieutenant. The contact: of the troops reenlisted for three years, regiment’s last major engagement of [email protected] and the regiment was reformed. 1777 was at Germantown in October, nd During the winter of 1776-77 the 2nd after which Shute and the 2 New New Jersey, along with the other Jersey moved on to White Marsh, regiments of the New Jersey brigade, Pennsylvania.

The regiment remained at White placed on detached duty, and by Marsh for a month and a half before August’s end the Continental army left moving to winter quarters at Valley New Jersey and headed for Virginia Forge. In the 1700’s, armies typically where Cornwallis’ British forces were “If the enemy should be tempted moved into semi-permanent camps for stationed. The Siege of Yorktown to meet the Army on its march the the winter months. The lack of modern began on September 29th, and by th General particularly enjoins the waterproof and insulted clothing, October 19 the British forces at troops to place their principal transportation problems, and the Yorktown surrendered. difficulty of keeping loose gunpowder reliance on the bayonet, that they dry during months of rain and snow With the war all but won, the New may prove the vanity of the boast combined to make large-scale winter Jersey men spent the rest of 1782 on which the British make of their operations difficult. Unfortunately, guard and picket duty before setting up peculiar prowess in deciding although winter quarters provided a winter quarters at New Windsor, New break from combat, the cold and wet York. After the war ended on April 19, battles with that weapon.” made for long, miserable days. 1783, Shute continued to serve until - Samuel M. Shute in his journal November 1783 and earned a dated September 27, 1781 At winter’s end the warmer weather promotion to brevet Captain. invariably brought more fighting. In June 1778, the 2nd New Jersey helped With the war over, Shute embarked to cover the Continental’s retreat upon a new career: medicine. The following the Battle of Monmouth. In soon to be doctor began his studying 1779, regiment marched to Easton, under his father-in-law, Johnathan Pennsylvania to join General Sullivan’s Elmer. Dr. Shute prospered, residing expedition against the Iroquois, who in a fine house on Broad Street in were allied with the British. The Bridgeton, New Jersey. In 1813, the regiment spent most of the campaign Governor of New Jersey appointed season raiding in Pennsylvania and Shute as Surrogate of Cumberland western New York before returning to County, New Jersey, a position he held New Jersey for the winter. for two years. When war broke out with England in 1812, Shute once In 1780, Shute became a 1st again answered the call of duty, Lieutenant. In June, the regiment was serving from 1814-1815 as Brigade engaged in both the Battle of Major. Dr. Samuel Moore Shute Connecticut Farms as well as the passed away on August 30th, 1816. Battle of Springfield. The remainder of the year they were posted in various Sources locations in New Jersey until October when they moved up to West Point Samuel M. Shute Papers, 1781-1782. before retiring again to winter quarters. Box 1. USAMHI. Colonel Israel Shreve resigned in 1781, and Elias Dayton took command “The 2nd New Jersey Regiment in the of the regiment just in time to deal with Revolutionary War.” American Wars a mutiny inspired by the Pennsylvania 101, Last modified June 22, 2011. Line mutiny a few days earlier, when http://www.americanwars101.com/unit Soldiers, upset over their living s/1775-1783-american/nj-02.html. conditions and disputes over the terms of their enlistment, attempted to Ward, Harry M. General William desert. In the 2nd New Jersey, the Maxwell and the New Jersey mutiny ended with the execution of two Continentals. Greenwood Press, of the brigade’s leaders. Westport, CT. 1997 Major General John Sullivan. Image Courtesy of the Library of Congress. During much of the summer of 1781, Research Intern: the companies of the regiment were Chris Brown

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