Hard Winter O Robert A. Mayers O GardenStateLegacy.com Issue 7 O March 2010
Photo by Gordon Bond Image from “Morristown: Where America Survived” Courtesy of NJN Public Television.
been quartered in the homes of the town. These veterans mistakenly predicted a benign winter. John’s Brigade was locally as Jockey Hollow. returning from the Here they would suffer Sullivan-Clinton Campaign n December 7, through more than twenty against the Iroquois 1779, a column of snowstorms. This was the Nations. It was a perilous Osoldiers stumbled longest and most severe six-month, 600-mile through a blinding winter of the revolution expedition deep into the snowstorm as they passed and the entire eighteenth rugged country of western through Morristown, New century. New York State. Earlier in Jersey, a village with a few During early December, the year, Washington houses formed around a 12,000 officers and men of reluctantly sent out about town green where cattle the Continental Army a third of his sorely grazed in the warmer streamed into the camp needed troops to stop the seasons. Corporal John along back roads from brutal attacks and atrocities Allison with the 2nd north of New York City. by Indians and their Company, 5th New York Most of these men, like Loyalist allies on Regiment, was reported on John Allison, were settlements on the frontier. the muster roll that week seasoned veterans. They During these months the as “sick in camp.” He had fought in the invasion Continental troops had struggled to keep up with of Canada in 1775 and at endured hunger, clashes his comrades. The way the battles of Long Island, with hostile Native that led out of the town White Plains, Trenton, Americans and exhausting was a narrow back road, Princeton, Saratoga and forced marches over slick from rain and ice Monmouth. Two years mountains and through storms that had left two earlier many had wintered swamps. Of the twenty- feet of hard crusted snow at Valley Forge, seven men in John on the ground. After a few Pennsylvania two years Allison’s Company who miles the weary soldiers earlier. Some of the men had started out in the came into a bleak, had spent the winter of spring, only fourteen windswept 2,000-acre 1776–1777 in Morristown remained fit for duty when forest in a mountainous and were now returning. they arrived at Jockey valley. They had reached At that time, the Army was Hollow. Some were killed their final destination for smaller, the weather was in the fighting. Others died the year. It was known less harsh and a few had from illness, and a few
Hard Winter O Robert A. Mayers O GardenStateLegacy.com Issue 7 O March 2010 Image from “Morristown: Where America Survived” Courtesy of NJN Public Television.
deserted. Seven men had Brook. Jockey Hollow hungry and barefoot men been left behind in occupied most of the farm had little choice but to lie hospitals along the way. of Henry Wick, a down on an armful of All of this suffering in prosperous farmer. Timber straw and huddle together Indian country would soon for the building of huts for warmth. Most were seem trivial when could be found in this clad only in threadbare compared with the center of rich farmland. remnants of uniforms. challenges of the winter However, the severity of The New York Brigade ahead. the winter and the ability was assigned to the George Washington to sustain the Army with northern end of the camp. selected this desolate clothing, supplies and food The site lies along the east Morris County location were tragically side of Jockey Hollow because it had obvious underestimated. Every day Road where it intersects logistical, topographical the troops needed 10,000 with Grand Parade Road. It and geographic military pounds of bread and beef is about a mile and a half advantages. It was to survive. north of the house of protected on the east by Still exhausted from the Henry Wick’s house. This three ridges of the rigors of the past six was the main road through Watchung Mountains and months in combat on the the camp. It led north to the impassible Great frontier, it was a bad time Morristown. Swamp. The possibility of for John to be sick. Until The campsite is on a observing advancing log huts could be built, sloping well-drained troops of the main British there was no shelter for hillside area about one Army, thirty miles away in the survivors of the 2nd hundred yards long and New York City, from the Company in the three hundred yards deep. first ridge of the Watchung wilderness. Tents pitched The huts stood near a Mountains was a great after scraping through the footpath that leads about advantage. This made it snow that soon became fifty yards down the easy to defend passes knee-deep provided the hillside to a rushing through the Watchungs at only protection. Both tents stream. John Allison Westfield, Scotch Plains, and blankets were in short probably used this path Watchung and Bound supply. Many of the cold, hundreds of times to carry Hard Winter O Robert A. Mayers O GardenStateLegacy.com Issue 7 O March 2010 Image from “Morristown: Where America Survived” Courtesy of NJN Public Television.
local farmers. The few was breaking down and water and firewood and to men left in the 2nd officers were resigning. walk to the parade ground company could almost be The Continental Army was and stand sentry duty. accommodated in one hut. beginning to disintegrate. Except for trees, this place They completed building All of the New York today looks exactly as it huts by the end of the senior officers left camp to did during that winter. month. John could see go home for several A descriptive sign at the these crude dwellings weeks. Some did not New York encampment stretching south for a mile return until spring. reads: from the New York camp, The reason offered for Brig. Gen. James toward the town of their absence was that they Clinton with the New Basking Ridge. were returning to their York brigade of the home state to recruit 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th GEORGE WASHINGTON replacements for their Regiments, a total of ARRIVES decimated units. Corporals, 1,267 men, spent the General Washington sergeants and low- level winter of 1779–1780 in arrived in Morristown on officers were responsible huts here on this December 1, 1779, one for of the army during hillside. They were week after the New most of the hard encamped here from Yorkers, and winter. Only December 12, 1779 to moved his staff Lieutenant Henry May 12, 1780. The into the Ford Vanderburgh official uniform of these Mansion in and Corporal troops was blue, faced Morristown. Allison with buff with white Washington remained in buttons and linings. soon faced charge of the By December 15, John these urgent 2nd Company. Allison and his comrades problems. New York began cutting down oak, Enlistments Brigade orderly walnut and chestnut trees were expiring, books, the daily from the Wick land to men were record of orders finish and move into huts. beginning to and details of When this supply of desert, food General George Washington camp life, show timber ran out, they began supplies were Rembrandt Peale, Oil on Canvas, that strict The Metropolitan Museum of Art by pulling down fences not reaching discipline was and outhouses for boards. camp through the observed at Jockey Hollow This caused a furor among impassible roads, discipline despite harsh conditions. Hard Winter O Robert A. Mayers O GardenStateLegacy.com Issue 7 O March 2010 Photo by Gordon Bond
new year. Howling winds tore apart many of the tents. Five more snows fell having in January. Drifts had wherewithal to reached over twelve feet cover his high and caused the roads nakedness in to disappear in many this severe places. Guard duties season and a In January 1780, a month were assigned great number after arriving at each day and very bad with Morristown, the 2nd parades, musters, the itch.” Company had dwindled inspections, drills Gen. Baron von down to a handful. There and punishments Steuben Quartermaster were barely enough men Charles Wilson Peale, were regularly 1782 General Nathanael to fill a single hut. Two held on the Greene reported, men were sick and were Grand Parade ground. “Poor fellows, they being cared for at hospitals General Washington and exhibit a picture truly in Newburgh and members of the distressing-more Haverstraw, New Continental Congress than half naked York. Seven men visited the camp parades, and two thirds were on duty on and inspections were held. starved.” the front lines, This involved the entire Washington guarding the army. himself criticized passes to the east One day as John Allison General James of Morristown. and his comrades stood at Clinton by saying Some men attention, shivering on the that his New York guarded posts in parade ground, General troops were “in Gen. Nathanael the Watchung Baron von Steuben Greene bad an order as Charles Wilson Peale, Mountains, and personally inspected each possible.” While 1783 others worked of the eight state brigades he excused their building a wintering at the camp. tattered clothing, he fortification overlooking After reviewing the New deplored their rusty and Morristown. This York Regiments, the Baron broken muskets. earthwork, built by the reported, A severe snowstorm hit previous encampment in “The most shocking the camp on December 28, the spring of 1777, took picture of misery I have 1779, and the weather on the name of Fort ever seen, scarce a man continued to worsen in the Nonsense since it was
Hard Winter O Robert A. Mayers O GardenStateLegacy.com Issue 7 O March 2010 believed that the project Troops were deserting at nation in its effort to was maintained for the Jockey Hollow at an maintain a standing army sole purpose of keeping alarming rate, and mutinies in the remaining years of the soldiers busy. of entire state brigades the war. Thousands of soldiers at were festering. The lines of huts on the Jockey Hollow had now Like most men in the hillside of the New York been in service for three Continental Army that year, encampment offered little years. Many enlisted in John Allison was shocked protection as the cruel early 1777, about the same and disappointed by the winter went on. Bitter time as John Allison. When news. In February, he winds pierced the wooden they signed up, the term expected to return with his walls and froze hands and of enlistment was “for discharge in hand to his feet. During those weeks, three years or the duration home forty miles away in many regiments were of the war.” Since three Haverstraw, New York. He reporting that only fifty years had passed, they had not seen his wife, men were ready for duty assumed their obligation Sarah, and their infant out of about four hundred was over and expected to children, Elizabeth and men. Many men were too leave this frozen misery. Anthony, for eight months cold to desert. Without However, the Continental and dreamed of basking in warm clothing and far Congress interpreted the the warmth of the fireside from home, they could terms as requiring the men with his young family. He never survive the trip to remain for the “duration could easily have deserted, home. Soldiers were of the war.” This issue had like so many others, by starving and freezing to never been clarified during just disappearing into the death at the same time. the excitement and woods and beating his Despite severe patriotic fervor three years way home through the punishment, typically a before. Now, the only way bitter weather over the hundred lashes, the to go home was to desert narrow, snow-blocked suffering troops began to and risk a death penalty. roads of the New Jersey hills. He protested to the few officers of the New York Brigade who remained at the camp that he could prove that he had only enlisted for three years. His pleas were ignored. Thousands of others shared John’s plight caused by the vague enlistment terms. It was a major issue for the new
Hard Winter O Robert A. Mayers O GardenStateLegacy.com Issue 7 O March 2010
Image from “Morristown: Where America Survived” Courtesy of NJN Public Television. raid homes and steal Most offenses involved drummers and fifers laid livestock from neighboring either desertion or the on the lashes. The whip farmers in order to stay pilfering and plundering of was formed of small alive. Joshua Guerin, a livestock and other knotted cords that cut farmer whose home was possessions from civilians. through the skin with each only a half mile away from Offenders and deserters, stroke. Whippings the New York Brigade’s when apprehended, were encompassed intervals of cabins demanded given trials by court-martial two or three days, so that compensation from the and were routinely the wounds would became army for the theft of sheep punished by flogging, or in inflamed and more painful by soldiers. While the some cases even death. with each application. diaries of many officers In the six months that Executions demanded a expressed sincere John Allison’s brigade was larger audience. John, sympathy for the plight of at Morristown, the orderly sadly, was ordered on two their wretched soldiers books for the New York occasions to walk up the struggling to survive, Regiments show twenty- hill from his hut to the punishment at Jockey one floggings. Sentencing parade ground to witness Hollow was frequent and began with the first trial on these tragic spectacles. The severe. Even the January 4, 1780. punishment of death in the compassionate General These weekly trials Continental Army was Washington became continued during the carried out by either inflexible when it came to winter and into spring. hanging or firing squad. maintaining discipline. One hundred lashings was Those sentenced being the customary sentence soldiers, preferred a given out for such offenses soldiers death-the firing as stealing a shirt from squad. another soldier. This crime John, still vexed about was not considered trivial his enlistment term, since most soldiers had decided to gather evidence only one shirt. The to support his contention whipping was always done that he was entitled to an in front of the entire honorable discharge. Two brigade to the sound of witnesses could support repeated drum rolls as this claim. Both his
Hard Winter O Robert A. Mayers O GardenStateLegacy.com Issue 7 O March 2010
Photo by Gordon Bond younger brother, Thomas 5th New York Regiment Whereas I made was present at the time he had resigned, and General application to the enlisted, and his brother- Clinton had left for home commanding officer of in-law, Captain Amos in December and had not the Regt for my Hutchings, who had yet returned. This discharge, but Could recruited him, was there. frustrating wait made not obtain it, though I They could certainly attest John’s hopes for going produced evidence to what had happened at home begin to fade. Sworn in Writing that I Coe’s Tavern in By April, most of the was only enlisted for Clarkstown, New York, New York officers returned three years and no when he had signed up from leave, but John’s longer which Deposition three years before. request for discharge still I Inclose that your While the bitter cold had was not answered. In Excellancy may see the caused much suffering, the desperation, this common fairness and Clemency worst problem was that soldier did something of my Inlistment—— the depleted Continental extraordinary. He brashly Now Please your Army was starving to appealed directly to the Excellancy I implore death. Supply roads were Commander in Chief, that you would deeme snowbound until mid- George Washington. His justice done in this March, and farmers refused letter has incredibly affair and your to sell the little food survived over two hundred Petitioner in Duty available for depreciated and thirty years and was Bound shall Pray—— Continental currency. The recently discovered in the N.B. As the entire camp was going archives of the New York Commanding officer of without food for four or Public Library. the Regt would give no five days at a time. Corn Camp near Morristown attention to the used to feed horses was April 16th 1780 affidavids produced eagerly consumed. Pet To His Excellancy and sworn without the dogs disappeared from the Genl Washington evidence personally camp. Some men began Commander and Chief appeared- I produced eating bark and boiling of the United States of them personally and yet shoe leather. North America The would not—? Accept of In March, John gave the Humble Petition of John them______deposition letters from his Allison Soldier in the There is no evidence of a brother and Captain fifth New York Regiment reply to this plea. After Hutchings to Lieutenant in the late Captain five years of combat, this Henry Vanderburgh to pass Hutchings Company was the last time that John up the chain of command. Most Humbly Herewith Allison attempted to leave He waited anxiously for Whereas your the army. Like most the next six weeks. He Excellancies Petitioner soldiers at that time, he may have believed that the having only Inlisted for believed that desertion was delay was caused by the the term of three years a disgrace and continued absence of most New York and that time having to serve. At first, despair, senior officers. Colonel expired the first day of disillusionment, monotony Dubois Commander of the January last part and and longing for home,
Hard Winter O Robert A. Mayers O GardenStateLegacy.com Issue 7 O March 2010
Photo by Gordon Bond aggravated by the constant duration of the war. six months after arriving, struggle for food, clothing, “Those gallant and John Allison marched out medicine, and pay, must persevering men who of Jockey Hollow with the have seemed more than he resolved to defend the New York Brigade. They could bear. From right of their invaded marched north on another that day forward country so long as the perilous mission to the he was a “War war should continue. Mohawk River Valley, Man”—the label For these are the men where Indians and loyalist given to those who who ought to be raiders were devastating were bound to considered as the pride the settlers on the New serve until the war and boast of the York frontier. ended. The “War Men” American Army.” bravely accepted their In May, anger over THE SHADOW OF fate and willingly and enlistment terms and no VALLEY FORGE loyally continued pay for five months boiled Jockey Hollow was the soldiering until the war over into a mutiny. John event of the war that truly ended four years later. witnessed suppression of a tested the heart of the new During those years these rebellion by the nation. Conditions were far men became the backbone Connecticut Regiment. more severe at Morristown of the Continental Army. Washington was angry and than at Valley Forge, They were the corporals, deeply disturbed, but Pennsylvania, during the sergeants and combat- understood the reasons for encampment there in the hardened veterans who the uprising. In order to winter of 1777–1778. But it bonded together to form avoid large scale has never rivaled the fame the professional army that punishments but still set of Valley Forge. New led to the final victory an example. Washington Jersey historians have at Yorktown. ordered the execution of always lamented its At the end of the only one of the neglect. Researching war, Washington ringleaders. Of all the original source documents acknowledged the offenses committed by and viewing both places in thousands of “War officers and men during light of events after the Men” who stayed on the dreadful winter war provide some for the encampment, mutiny was explanation as to why for feared the most. It had the many years Morristown potential to quickly destroy was overlooked. the Continental Army and The saga of Valley Forge the dream of simply made a better story independence. for the American public. By spring, the entire The winter there, viewed Continental Army was by many as the low point reduced to fewer than of the war, was followed a 4,000 men. In June 1780, few months later by the Battle of Monmouth. There for the first time the fledgling American Army
Hard Winter O Robert A. Mayers O GardenStateLegacy.com Issue 7 O March 2010
Photo by Gordon Bond Photo by Gordon Bond
stood up to seasoned British regulars of the best trained and equipped army in the world. This turning point in the war is popularly believed to have that beleaguered troops at been achieved largely by Jockey Hollow received the training of raw soldiers meager support from by Baron von Steuben at civilians who often choose Revolutionary War. Valley Forge. This had to sell food and supplies Actions that great public relations value to the enemy rather than occurred during in an area only twenty accept devalued these times miles from Philadelphia, Continental dollars. The have become the nation’s capitol for avoidable breakdown of commingled. several years after the war. the supply chain in a Valley Forge Valley Forge soon became bountiful country was fits neatly a major tourist attraction. shameful. Corporal into a single Tucked away in the back punishment of common winter, and other hills of New Jersey, Jockey soldiers at the dreary camp military and Hollow languished for was excessive when political events can years without acclaim. It compared to other periods easily be related to that did not become a National of the war. Even the local period. Park until 1933. population smarted for Jockey Hollow, purposely Many of bad things years over the memories of devoid of any large heroic happened in Morristown the encampments. The monuments, is best visited that the public and the Army brought smallpox, in mid winter. On a cold army wanted to forget in stole livestock. The snowbound day, the site the years that followed the freezing soldiers searching appears much as it did to war. Three major mutinies destroyed structures ragged and hungry John by entire state brigades searching for firewood. Allison and his comrades occurred here and in Finally, confusion of the 2nd Company as nearby Pompton. This persisted, caused by the they stood on guard in the sullied the image of quietly fact that there were two icy wind. suffering soldiers. The major encampments at place reminded people Morristown during the
Sources: •Muster Rolls Col James Bruyn’s 2nd Company of Foot, 5th New •Thacher, James, M.D. Surgeon Continental Army, A Military York Regiment Journal during the American Revolutionary War, from 1775 to October-November, 1779 Camp at Wick Farm 1783. New York: Arno Press, 1969 December 1779-Camp Morristown •Letter-John Allison to George Washington from Camp near January-February 1780- Camp Morristown Morristown April 16, 1780, Budke Collection, George Henry Budke, 1869–1948, New York Public Library, Manuscripts and March-April 1780-Camp Morristown Archives Division, •Talmadge, Samuel, Orderly Books of the Fourth and Second •Fitzpatrick, John C. Writings of George Washington from New York Regiments, 1776–1783, (Albany, University of the Original Manuscript Sources, 1745–1799, 39 vols. (Washington State of New York, 1932) General, Brigade and Regimental D.C. U.S. Printing Office [1931–44] Orders: Headquarters Morristown Dec 7, 1779 to May 31, 1780.
Hard Winter O Robert A. Mayers O GardenStateLegacy.com Issue 7 O March 2010