the Musket Balls flew Like a shower of hail stones The Short Hills Battlefield Study GA-2255-09-019-ABPP Grant © 2010 DigAM - digitales archiv marburg / Hessisches Staatsarchiv Marburg archiv marburg / Hessisches Staatsarchiv © 2010 DigAM - digitales Prepared for Prepared by The Metuchen-Edison Historical Society John Milner Associates, Inc. Edison, NJ West Chester, PA and The American Battlefield Protection Program National Park Service Final Washington, D.C. December 2011 This material is based upon work assisted by a grant from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of the Interior. “…THE MUSKET BALLS FLEW LIKE A SHOWER OF HAIL STONES…” THE SHORT HILLS BATTLEFIELD STUDY GA-2255-09-019-ABPP GRANT FINAL Prepared for: The Metuchen-Edison Historical Society P.O. Box 61 Metuchen, NJ 08840 and The American Battlefield Protection Program National Park Service Washington, D.C. Prepared by: Brooke Blades, Ph.D. Wade P. Catts, RPA John Milner Associates, Inc. 535 North Church Street West Chester, PA 19380 December 2011 ABSTRACT ABSTRACT The Short Hills Battlefield is located in Edison Township in Middlesex County, New Jersey, north of the town of Metuchen. The battlefield represents the scene of a military encounter during the American Revolution on 26 June 1777, between British and Hessian forces under the overall command of Sir William Howe and Continental troops commanded by Lord Stirling. This study was undertaken by John Milner Associates, Inc., under contract with the Metuchen-Edison Historical Society; the Society in turn had received a grant from the American Battlefield Protection Program of the National Park Service to document the location and current physical conditions of the battlefield. This report provides baseline documentation according to the guidelines and requirements provided by the ABPP. Historical research relating to the battle is summarized. A KOCOA analysis (Key Terrain, Observation, Cover and Concealment, Obstacles and Avenues of Approach and Retreat) is undertaken to identify Defining Features on the battlefield. Various geographical areas are defined, which in this instance reflect decreasing sizes: Study, Core and Potential National Register areas. Two days of metal detecting survey on a portion of the battlefield resulted in the recovery of metal artifacts including two—a rifle ball and a sword scabbard tip—that were associated with the battle. A catalog of artifacts recovered during the field survey is attached as an appendix. JMA would like to acknowledge the following people for their contributions to this report: Joseph Balicki (JMA) Linnea Bass Tod Braisted Adrian Devine John Fallon Juliette Gerhardt (JMA) Bob Hall Bill Hermstedt Amy King (JMA) Donald Landahl-Smidt Peter Leach (JMA) Byron Miller (Plainfield Country Club) John U. Rees Tim Reno Sarah Ruch (JMA) Mike Russell Rob Schultz (JMA) Robert Selig Dan Sivilich George Stillman, Sr. Walt Stochel (MEHS) Ann Walker (MEHS) Kathryn Wood (JMA) ii THE SHORT HILLS BATTLEFIELD STUDY GA-2255-09-019-ABPP GRANT TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... ii List of Figures .................................................................................................................................iv List of Tables....................................................................................................................................v 1.0 Introduction and Geographic Location................................................................................1 1.1 Methods..................................................................................................................3 2.0 Historical Research..............................................................................................................4 3.0 Research Assessment........................................................................................................14 3.1 KOCOA Analysis.................................................................................................14 3.2 Study Area............................................................................................................14 3.3 Defining Features.................................................................................................16 3.4 Core Area.............................................................................................................24 4.0 Archeological Metal Detector Survey...............................................................................27 4.1 Introduction ..........................................................................................................27 4.2 Results..................................................................................................................27 4.3 Discussion............................................................................................................31 5.0 Research Evaluation..........................................................................................................35 5.1 Core Area Assessment..........................................................................................35 5.2 Potential National Register Area..........................................................................35 6.0 Summary and Recommendations......................................................................................39 7.0 References .........................................................................................................................40 Appendices Appendix I: Artifact Catalog Appendix II: Primary Accounts for the Battle of the Short Hills Appendix III: Order of Battle, 26 June 1777 Appendix IV: Meeting Minutes iii THE SHORT HILLS BATTLEFIELD STUDY GA-2255-09-019-ABPP GRANT LIST OF FIGURES LIST OF FIGURES 1. Project Location and Areas on Modern USGS Quadrangle................................................2 2. “Plan de l’Affaire de Westfield & du Camp de Raway” (Library of Congress) ...............11 3. Various Areas on 1905 USGS Plainfield Quadrangle.......................................................15 4. Oak Tree intersection, view facing northwest (March 2010)............................................19 5. Laing (Smith) Farm facing southwest (June 2010) ...........................................................19 6. Plainfield Country Club, 4th teebox, view facing east (June 2010) ...................................21 7. View toward Watchung Mountains, facing west from Plainfield Country Club ..............21 8. View facing east from Washington Rock with Plainfield Country Club marked .............22 9. Eighteenth-century buckle recovered by Mr. Bob Hall from the “water tower” hill ........22 10. Purported cannon ball recovered from yard at intersection of Inman Avenue and Old Raritan Road......................................................................................................................25 11. Musket balls recovered along Old Raritan Road at the Wardlaw-Hartridge School.........25 12. Metal Detector Find Locations..........................................................................................28 13. Metal Detecting: Brass Buckle exposed on Smith Farm...................................................29 14. Military and Eighteenth-Century Artifacts from Smith Farm...........................................30 15. Brass Sword Scabbard Tip ................................................................................................30 16. Possible Hessian Button reverse face................................................................................32 17. Various Areas on Modern Aerial Photograph ...................................................................36 18. Detail of Core Area and Potential National Register Area on Modern USGS Quadrangle ........................................................................................................................37 iv THE SHORT HILLS BATTLEFIELD STUDY GA-2255-09-019-ABPP GRANT LIST OF TABLES LIST OF TABLES 1. List of Defining Features for the Short Hills Battlefield...................................................16 2. Short Hills Smith Farm Field Survey June 2010...............................................................27 v THE SHORT HILLS BATTLEFIELD STUDY GA-2255-09-019-ABPP GRANT 1.0 INTRODUCTION AND GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION 1.0 INTRODUCTION AND GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION This report describes research undertaken to complete the Short Hills National Register Nomination Project. The report and associated research were prepared by JMA (John Milner Associates, Inc.) in close coordination with the Metuchen-Edison Historical Society (MEHS) of Metuchen in Edison Township, Middlesex County, New Jersey. The MEHS received a grant (GA-2255-09-019 ABPP Grant) from the American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) for this purpose. The MEHS in turn awarded the contract to JMA to undertake various tasks including archival and field investigation, GIS mapping, preparation of a technical report and the National Register nomination (Figure 1). The Battle of The Short Hills occurred on 26 June 1777, as British and Hessian (Crown) forces advanced westward from Perth Amboy in an attempt to engage and destroy advanced elements of the Continental Army. The