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The Weather Was Extremely Cold and Duty Hard, When We Brother Jonathan’s Images, No. 7 Major Joseph Bloomfield, 3d New Jersey Regiment Artist: Charles Willson Peale Year: 1777 Collection: Privately owned Narrative Joseph Bloomfield was born in Woodbridge, Middlesex County, East Jersey in 1753. His father was a physician, his mother a member of the colony’s wealthy and influential Ogden family. After attending Green’s Classical Academy in Cumberland County, West Jersey, Bloomfield studied law under Cortlandt Skinner, Attorney 1 General of the province, and later founder of the Loyalist New Jersey Volunteers. Joseph Bloomfield began practicing law in 1775 but was soon caught up in the Whig cause. His initial military experience was aimed at his former mentor. In January 1776 Whig authorities intercepted letters from both Skinner and New Jersey Governor William Franklin (Benjamin’s illegitimate son), voicing anti-Whig sentiments. Col William Alexander, commanding the 1st New Jersey Regiment, sent militia companies to both residences, to search the premises. Bloomfield, still with no official commissioned rank, commanded the detachment sent to the attorney general’s home, but Skinner had left Perth Amboy for the safety of a British vessel.1 Joseph Bloomfield first served with the 3d New Jersey Battalion in 1776, a one- year unit, with the entire enlisted contingent signed on for that term. The first two Jersey battalions were authorized in October 1775, and clothed and equipped their men sufficiently that by 7 February the first company began its march for Canada, with the remaining companies following in turn. Authorization to raise the state’s third battalion was not forthcoming until mid-January 1776, and Elias Dayton was appointed commander. Joseph Bloomfield received his captain’s commission on 8 February, and by seniority was fourth in command of the battalion after the three field officers (colonel, lieutenant colonel, and major). Dayton’s battalion left New York City on 3 May 1776 heading up the North (Hudson) River aboard a number of vessels bound for Albany. While the 1st and 2d New Jersey Battalions went directly upriver to Quebec, taking part in the retreat from Canada, and eventually ending up with the Fort Ticonderoga garrison, the 3d Battalion spent the spring and summer months in the Mohawk Valley, with a portion garrisoning Fort Stanwix. That autumn Colonel Dayton’s men marched to Ticonderoga, arriving on November 1st, fourteen days before the 1st and 2d Battalions left for New Jersey, their one-year enlistments having expired.2 Little is certainly known of clothing supply for all three Jersey battalions for that first year; hunting shirts were intended as part of their uniform, and numbers were made for the 1st and 2d Regiments, but as late as 31 January William Maxwell, colonel of the 2d Regiment, was compelled to inform John Hancock, “The Congress seem to think I have mistaken their Orders with respect to Marching them by Companies … untill the 8th instant we had no thought of going to the Northward & of course got Cloathing accordingly. We have many Frocks made but nothing like half enough for the Regt. - they might be taken for a southern Regt. & Cloath [for wool coats] given to us.” Besides clothing, “it has been my Chief object since I had the Honor to Command this Battallion that they might be well Armed - I have urged the Committee of this place on that Head & I saw Mr. Tuckers Letters wrote very pressingly for Arms & Blankets - You have now sent Money but it is too late before the Officers goes to the different parts of the province gathers them up and has them Repaired it will be too late there will nothing do at present but about 300 stand of good arms put into their Hands under stopages. The Committee has Intirely forgot Canteens & Camp Kettles. Camp Equipage I suppose will follow us.” Eight days earlier Maxwell had told President Hancock, “I find the Congress has ordered my Regt. to Canada Immediately. I hope I shall always obey them chearfully but must beg leave to mention … what the Regt. wants to compleat it, and … must inform you it wants a great part of every thing but Men. We want for the Regt. about 280 stand of Arms 405 Bayonets and 2 a great many of the Arms wants repairing we have them at so many Smyths we cannot get an exact Return / they have got their Hats Shoes & Stockings I believe in general but they want much warmer Cloathing to go into Cannada than if they stay'd here. There is a good many Cartouch boxes & Cross Belts some haversacks & Frocks here. Mr. Lowrey I suppose has the rest of the Articles making in different places, but still I am afraid not so much as I could wish possably for want of Materials.” The colonel closed this missive with a plea: “I do assure you I think they are as likely a Battallion of Men as any in the Continental service & I hope they will do their Duty with any that is not more experienced - for God's sake do not let them be Disgraced for want of their Necessaries / If I might advise I would have the Congress to send 2 or 3 Men from Philadelphia as a Committee to examine the Regt. immediately & make Report to the Congress what they want & let some of those Gentm. be taken out of the Committee that fitted out the Pensylvania Battallion. The four Com[pan]y here might soon be filled up but those at Burlington want evry thing / I am Determined to March off the four Company's that are here with what little fiting I can get here for them, they will make but a Poor Figure but I cannot help it - The first Company I hope, will set off the end of this week & the others follow as soon as they can - I should be glad to have the Orders of Congress with what Company I shall March I hope with the first for I am distressed beyond measure to have so fine a parcel of Men under my Command & yet so unfit for doing their Country service when it is so much wanted.”3 In the end, the 1st and 2d Jersey Battalions were indeed sent to Canada piecemeal, company by company. Colonel Maxwell’s 31 January memorandum suggests they only left only partially clothed and equipped: “Near one-half their arms; leggings; a number of warm waistcoats; some coats and breeches; stockings to make two pair per man; some shirts; Canada caps for the whole regiment; moccasins, may be had at Albany. About one pair of stockings per man are furnished by Mr. Lowrey [New Jersey quartermaster general]. The other articles he has no orders from Congress to provide, and if he had, they could not be purchased in Jersey.” In any case, by August the Jersey troops were clad in blue, leading to an order book entry for the 21st describing a robbery by "Certain Villians who Said they belonged to the Jersey Reigment. There are more Villians that wear Blues than those suspected in the Jersey Regimt." At the time, both the 1st and 2d Jersey Battalions were present at Ticonderoga, with the 3rd Battalion not arriving until 1 November.4 3 Col. William Maxwell’s 2d New Jersey Battalion. 1776 (Painting by Don Troiani, www.historicalimagebank.com ) Elias Dayton’s 3d Battalion seems to have benefitted from their late start and was better supplied than the other Jersey battalions. Captain Bloomfield noted on May 9th at Albany, “At four Genl. Sullivan’s Brigade composed of Col. Reed’s & Starks Regmts. From New-Hampshire, Cols. Winds [1st Regiment] & Daytons from New-Jersey & Cols. Wayne & Irvin’s from Penislvana Paraded through the streets to his Excellency Genl. Schuyler’s about a mile from Albany where we were all reviewed … Col. Dayton’s Regmnt. haveing the prefference of good looking Men & being the best Equipped of any in the Field which reflected Honor on the Province of New-Jersey.”5 An advertisement in the May 1 1776 Pennsylvania Gazette describes three deserters from Capt. John Ross’s company, all with the same attire: Amboy, April 25th, 1776. Deserted from my Company in the Third-Battallion of Jersey troops, now lying at Staten Island, opposite Amboy, the three following Men, viz. THOMAS DUNN, a 4 Native of Ireland, about 3O Years of Age, a strong well built Fellow, about 5 Feet, 8 Inches high, very fond of getting drunk, and very abusive when he is so, of a dark complexion, and black Hair, has been in the King's Service, had on, when he deserted, a new Hat, bound with white Binding, a new Regimental coat, of a drab colour, faced with blue, a Pair of Buckskin Breeches, a new Shirt, and Shoes. EPHRAIM CRAMNER, born in America, near 30 Years of Age, about 5 Feet, 9 Inches high, a tolerably well built man, brown Complexion, and black Hair ; has been sick some considerable Time, and looks thin in the face; his cloathing the same as the abovementioned DUNN'S. LEVI BISHOP, a Native of this Country, about 23 Years of Age, 5 Feet, 7 Inches high, of a brownish Complexion and cloathed as the others; he lived most of his Time in Sussex County, East-Jersey, and is supposed to have gone there. Whoever takes up and secures said Deserters, and acquaints me of the same, or delivers them at Amboy, shall receive FIVE DOLLARS each, and reasonable (Charges, paid by JOHN ROSS, Captain.6 Soldier of the 3d New Jersey Battalion of 1776. (Painting by Don Troiani, www.historicalimagebank.com ) 5 For some years prior to the War for Independence the New Jersey Provincial troops had been colloquially known as the “Jersey Blues,” likely because of the color of their uniform coats.
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