Tour Book
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Audio Tour
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Tour book includes driving directions to each site and can be used separately or in conjunction with the audio tour. Want to curate your own tour? Check out the list of sites from this tour below.
Sites
Oak Tree Pond/ Strawberry Hill
Edison, NJ 08820/ Intersection of Green Street and Route 1, Woodbridge, NJ 07095 The British plan was to fake a retreat from New Brunswick to Staten Island and draw Washington and his forces down from the Watchung Mountains. To accomplish this Major General William Howe and General Charles Lord Cornwallis planned to use the pincher attack they used on Long Island. This attack would allow them to surround and destroy the Continental forces. This maneuver was part of a larger plan to destroy the Continental forces in New Jersey and then capture the American Capital of Philadelphia. A little before sunrise the two groups of British soldiers headed out from Perth Amboy taking separate paths. As he approached Strawberry hill, which is now the intersection Green Street and Route 1, Cornwallis encountered a group of riflemen lead by Colonel James Dark. They had a half hour skirmish up Oak Tree Road that alerted Washington to the British plan, costing the British the element of surprise. Washington then called for a retreat from Quibble Town up the Watchung Mountains. The first mass resistance of the Continental forces would happen at Oak Tree Pond where cannons fired at the British forces. |
Plainfield Country Club
1591 Woodland Ave, Edison, NJ 08820 plainfieldcc.com Brigadier General Thomas Conway was positioned at what is now the Plainfield Country Club. Here were the American cannon emplacements on the high ground. As the British advanced the Continentals fired upon them joined by French Colonel Armand-Tuffin, and this marked the first use of both French arms and command in the Revolution. The two sides then fought through an area known as “Martin’s Woods” up to the Ash Swamp where they met up with Lord Stirling’s forces. |
Monument to the Battle of the Short Hills at Ash Brook Golf Course
1210 Raritan Rd, Scotch Plains, NJ 07076 ashbrookgolfcourse.com This monument was put up to commemorate the battle on land that was once part of the Ash Swamp. A model of a Revolutionary War era cannon is on top. The monument originally had four bronze plaques with information that were stolen and missing for several years. They have recently been replaced with new ones. It is located on Raritan Road on your way to Ash Brook Reservation. |
Ash Brook Reservation
1776 Raritan Road, Scotch Plains, NJ 07076 exploreunioncounty.com General William Alexander, or Lord Stirling had been stationed at Ash Swamp, now Ash Brook Reservation with 1,798 men. At this point fighting stretched 14 miles from the swamp to the Metuchen Meeting House. Conway and his men continued to fight through the woods up to Ash Swamp to meet up with Stirling. They were joined here by Armand’s troops as well as the Morgan Riflemen. Here they decided to make a stand, however while fighting Cornwallis, they were flanked by Howe’s troops who had caught up and the men were forced once again to retreat. Many fled into the swamp in hopes of losing the British. The men that could escape went forward towards the mountains to guard the passes per Washington’s orders. Ashbrook reservation is one of the only areas associated with the battle to remain undeveloped. |
Drake House Museum
602 West Front Street, Plainfield, NJ 07060 drakehouseplainfieldnj.org Open Sundays 2 pm- 4 pm Coming up Plainfield Ave, you can see how close the fighting came to the Drake House, which sits on the intersections of Plainfield Ave and West Front Street. The Drake House was the headquarters for Washington and his generals during the battle. The house was in an ideal location as it was close to all three locations where generals were stationed, Ash Swamp, Samp Town, and Quibble Town as well as the various mountain passages. After hearing the shots fired at Strawberry Hill, Washington ordered the troops to evacuate Quibble Town and head to the mountains. It is unclear how long Washington stayed at the Drake House. He may have left when Quibble Town was evacuated, or later after Lord Stirling’s men fled from Ash Swamp. |
Cannonball House
1840 Front Street, Scotch Plains, NJ 07076 historicalsocietyspfnj.org/museum As the Continental Army was retreating from Ash Swamp pursued by the British they passed the Osborn House. Mary Osborn, the family’s young daughter, rushed outside to offer food and clothing to the Continental forces. As she was doing so, a Continental cannon was misaimed and hit the side of the house instead of the British forces who were marching down Park Avenue. After that, the house became known as the Cannonball House. |
Bloody Gap
New Providence Road, Scotch Plains, NJ 07076 By the end of the battle 200 men were wounded or captured and between 60 and 80 were killed. Howe’s aide, Muenchhausen, reported seeing 37 wagons carrying the wounded up the mountain. The wagons traveled up New Providence Road to Valley Road. The area around New Providence road has since been called the Bloody Gap. |
Washington Rock
Washington Avenue, Green Brook 08812 state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/washrock.html In May and June of 1777 Washington and his troops observed the British movements from what is now called Washington Rock. While Washington spent a lot of time at the outlook sources are conflicted as to whether Washington was actually at the outlook on the day of the battle. It seems likely that after ordering the retreat from Quibbletown, or after Lord Stirling’s forces retreat from Ash Swamp, that Washington himself would have moved up to Washington Rock as well. Today the area is a state park and offers scenic views of New Jersey as well as a view of the New York skyline. |
Samp Town
Modern South Plainfield
Heading towards Ash Swamp and the Frazee House Howe’s troops, along with Vaughn’s column, marched down to the Samp Town Encampment where Major John Sullivan was stationed. The two armies met, and Howe was able to penetrate the American lane up to Plainfield Ave. From here Howe was able to flank the Continentals at Ash Swamp and meet up again with Cornwallis.
Modern South Plainfield
Heading towards Ash Swamp and the Frazee House Howe’s troops, along with Vaughn’s column, marched down to the Samp Town Encampment where Major John Sullivan was stationed. The two armies met, and Howe was able to penetrate the American lane up to Plainfield Ave. From here Howe was able to flank the Continentals at Ash Swamp and meet up again with Cornwallis.
Quibble Town
Modern North Plainfield and New Market
Main army encampment located in what is now New Market and North Plainfield. When Washington heard the shots at Strawberry Hill he ordered the main army retreat from Quibble Town to the Mountains.
Modern North Plainfield and New Market
Main army encampment located in what is now New Market and North Plainfield. When Washington heard the shots at Strawberry Hill he ordered the main army retreat from Quibble Town to the Mountains.