New Jersey

Overview

The battles of Trenton, Princeton, and Monmouth are very famous in New Jersey.  However, Revolutionary conflict in the state continued throughout the war. For some of these little-known battles, see the following sources. Additionally, the British and Rebels waged many small New Jersey battles, such as Connecticut Farms and Springfield. Hundreds of skirmishes occurred in Bergen County and other areas bordering New York City.

Additionally, the Continental Army spent several winters in New Jersey at Middlebrook and Jockey Hollow.

Primary Sources

New Jersey in the American Revolution, 1763-1783: A Documentary History, edited by Larry R. Gerlach and published by the New Jersey Historical Commission, is a compilation of primary sources relating to the American Revolution in New Jersey. A finding aid and access links are available on the New Jersey State Library website.

Secondary Sources

Braisted, Todd. Grand Forage 1778: The Battleground around New York City, 2016.

Fleming, Thomas J. The Forgotten Victory – The Battle for New Jersey – 1780. New York: Reader’s Digest Press, 1973.

Kidder, Larry. A People Harassed and Exhausted: The Story of a New Jersey Militia Regiment in the American Revolution, 2013.

Leiby, Adrian. The Revolutionary War in the Hackensack Valley – The Jersey Dutch and the Neutral Ground 1775-1783. New Brunswick, N.J: Rutgers University Press, 1980.

Lengel, Edward G. The Battles of Connecticut Farms and Springfield, 1780, 2020.

A short, but captivating account of two Northern New Jersey battles late in the war.  Notable aspects include the sturdy professionalism of the Continental Army supported by effective, highly experienced militia units.  The British commanders exhibited little stomach for a protracted battle and pursuit of the Rebels thereby lowering the morale of their forces.  Neither side had sufficient forces or supplies to conduct a full scale attack on their opponents.

Lauerman, R. Jockey Hollow: Where a Forgotten Army Persevered to Win America’s Freedom. Rosalie Lauerman, 2014. https://books.google.com/books?id=B6oPswEACAAJ.

Mayers, Robert A. Revolutionary New Jersey: Forgotten Towns and Crossroads of the American Revolution. Staunton, Virginia: (AHP) American History Press, 2018.

Munn, David C. Battles and Skirmishes in New Jersey of the American Revolution. Bureau of Geology and Topography, Department of Environmental Protection, 1976.

Weig, M.J. and Vera B. Craig. Morristown National Historical Park, New Jersey: A Military Capital of the American Revolution. Historical Handbook Series. National Park Service, 1950. https://books.google.com/books?id=fvAx-1BCsp8C.

Jockey Hollow Winter Encampment 1779-1780