The Continental Army in Morris County in the Winter 1779-80
Edmund D. Halsey (1889)

Few Washington Association addresses are as replete with historical detail as Edmund D. Halsey's talk, which quotes from the letters of "Mad Anthony" Wayne and Nathanael Greene, the journal entries of surgeon Joseph Thatcher, and other military leaders and newspaper correspondents to create a rich picture of the hardships and the triumphs of the Second Morristown Encampment. Included are George Washington' s order that " all Fatigue and Working Parties cease" for the celebration of St. Patrick' s Day, while expressing hope " that the celebration of the day will not be attended with the least rioting or disorder," and the grand review of four hand-picked American battalions under the direction of Baron von Steuben for the French minister.

In an unpublished letter of General (Anthony) Wayne, written just after the war, he says in the quaint style of the day: " The Revolution of America is an event that will fill the brightest page of history to the end of time, and the conduct of her Officers and Soldiers will be handed down to the latest ages as a model of Virtue, perseverance and bravery-- the smallness of their numbers and the unparalleled hardships and excess of difficulties and dangers that they have encountered, in the defence of their Country, from her coldest to her hottest sun-- places them in a point of view hurtful to the eyes of the leaders of faction and party."

No doubt the General had in mind as he pronounced these sentences, the extraordinary sufferings he and his compatriots of the Continental Army endured during their second winter in Morris County.
The campaign of the summer of 1779 in the Northern Colonies had not been an active one.

General Washington during the whole year had here pursued a defensive policy and the chief military operations had been carried on in the South and in the Ohio Valley. General Clinton with 16,000 men at Newport and New York, protected by his fleet, attempted no great undertaking, and Washington with a force of scarcely one third that number could only watch his powerful adversary and by his vigilance and activity make up for his inferiority in strength.

In June, he had moved up from his camps near Middlebrook in the direction of the highlands and had established his headquarters at New Windsor.

Here standing directly in the way of any hostile expedition to the northward, he was prepared to move east or south as his antagonist might show signs of activity. The brilliant affairs of Stony Point, July 16th, and Paulus Hook, August 18th, warned the enemy to keep close to their shipping and kept alive the military spirit in our little army. Sullivan's expedition against the Six Nations in Western Pennsylvania and New York, in which the Jersey troops participated, occupied 5,000 of our best men during the latter part of the summer.

Both in the East and South our armies had been unsuccessful An independent expedition from Boston to capture a post recently established by the British on the Penobscot had proved a disastrous failure, and the whole country to the eastward of that river had been abandoned to the enemy. In the South, General Lincoln had made his unsuccessful attack upon Savannah and, abandoned by his French allies, had retreated to Charleston where he was soon after to be captured with his army.

At the close of the campaign, Washington dismissed the militia, sent the North Carolina and Virginia troops to South Carolina to reinforce Lincoln, and leaving a brigade in Connecticut, and a division, mostly of Eastern troops, under General Heath, in the Highlands, with the remainder of his force he sought winter quarters in New Jersey. For weeks previously, General Greene and the other officers of his staff had been examining the country to select such a spot as, in the language of the Commander in Chief, would best secure the army, afford the best protection that circumstances would admit of to the country, and be near to supplies of provision and forage. "

The neighborhood of Scotch Plains, if the circumstances of wood and water will admit," is in his mind when writing to Congress November 24th, but the Kemble and Wick farms, about four miles south of Morristown. were finally chosen, not, it seems, with the entire approbation of General Greene, who predicted that the selection would " prove very distressing to the Quartermasters Department."

The reasons which influenced the General's choice are very obvious. The proposed camp was a plateau on high hills, covered with heavy timber, well watered, and with good roads leading north, south and west, and was concealed from the observation of the enemy by the ridges which bound it to the eastward.

From " Fort Hill," a high knoll which rose gradually in front of the centre of the camp and fell off abruptly to the east, the country for mikes around was visible.

Dr. Joseph E, Tuttle thus eloquently describes the view from the top of this hill:

Westward you can see the Schooley's Mountain range, and, as I fancied, the mountains along the Delaware. Southward is a fine range of Highlands, in the midst of which is Baskinridge, so distinct, that with a glass, you can tell what is doing in its streets. South-east of you, Long Hill and Plainfield Mountain stretch far in the distance, from the top of which you may see from New York to New Brunswick, if not to the Delaware.

East of you are the Short Hills, so famous as the watch tower of freedom, on which night and day sentinels were observing the country along the Hackensack, Passaic and Raritan, and even to New York and the Narrows. North-east you can see the two twin mountains in the vicinity of Ringwood, and beyond that, the blue tinged mountains towards Newburg. Between these prominent points are intervening landscapes, beautiful as the eye ever rested on.

Westward of the camp was a fine farming region from which the troops might naturally expect supplies of provisions and forage. The position covered the iron works where shot and shell were being manufactured at Hibernia and Mount Hope. Morristown afforded convenient quarters for the Commander in Chief and the officers of his staff, and storage, unhappily more abundant than stores. While far enough from the enemy to prevent the troops from being harassed by frequent causeless alarms, from it they could easily move to defeat any hostile excursions made from New York.

To this place the various divisions of the army, which had been campaigning all summer on scant rations and less than half pay, made their way as best they could from the camps on the Hudson. Surgeon James Thatcher in his journal of December, writes:

Our Brigade (Gen. Stark's) left Danbury on the .5th interest It snowed all the afternoon, and we took shelter in the woods at Cortland's Manor. Marched the next day through a deep snow, and took lodging at night in private houses at Crompond; marched again early, crossed the Hudson at King's Ferry, and proceeded twenty miles. We marched to Pompton on the 9th, and on the 14th reached this wilderness, about three miles from Morristown, where we are to build log huts for winter quarters.

Our baggage is left in the rear for want of wagons to transport it. The snow on the ground is about two feet deep, and the weather extremely cold; the soldiers are destitute of both tents and blankets, and some of them are actually barefooted and almost naked. Our only defence against the inclemency of the weather consists of brushwood thrown together.

Our lodging the last night was on the frozen ground. Those officers who have the privilege of a horse, can always have a blanket at hand. Having removed the snow, we wrapped ourselves in great coats, spread our blankets on the ground, and lay down by the side of each other, five or six together with large fires at our feet, leaving orders with the waiters to keep it well supplied with fuel during the night. We could procure neither shelter nor forage for our horses and the poor animals were tied to trees in the woods for twenty four hours without food. except the bark which they peeled from the trees. Lieutenant W. and myself, rode to Morristown, where we dined, and fed our starving horses at a tavern.

General Washington has taken his headquarters at Morristown, and the whole army in this department are to be employed in building log huts for winter quarters. The ground is marked out and the soldiers have commenced cutting down the timber of oak and walnut of which we have a great abundance. In addition to other sufferings, the whole army has been for 'seven or eight days entirely destitute of the staff of life; our only food is miserable fresh beef, without bread, salt or vegetables.

In General Orders of November 19th, it was directed: " Upon the arrival of the troops destined to quarter in New Jersey on the ground upon which they are to Hut, the space alloted for each Brigade will be pointed out by the Quarter Master Genl who will furnish a plan of the intended dimentions of the soldiers’ Huts in the construction of which it is expected that a minute attention will be paid to the plan.

As conveniency, health and every good consequence will result from a perfect uniformity in the Camp, the Commander-in-Chief takes this previous opportunity of assuring that any hut not exactly conformable to the Plan or the least out of the line shall be pulled down and built again agreeable to the Model of this plan. The Commanding officers of Brigades will pay strict attention to this order.”

In a letter of a newspaper correspondent from Baskingridge of December 22d, we read that " most of our poor soldiers were under good roofs. The encampments are exceedingly neat; the huts are all of a size and placed in more exact order than Philadelphia. You would be surprised to see how well they are built without nails." Headquarters is at Morristown and the army extends " from there along the hills nearly to this place."

The general line of battle was established by General Order of December 17th, as follows: First Line (from the left flank), 2nd Brigade, Connecticut; 1st Brigade, Connecticut; Maxwell’s Brigade, New Jersey; hand’s Brigade, Pennsylvania; 2nd Brigade, Maryland; 1st Brigade, Maryland. Second Line (from the left flank): Stark’s Brigade, Rhode Island, etc.; Clinton’s Brigade, New York; Grand Parade; 2nd Brigade, Pennsylvania; 1st Brigade, Pennsylvania.

The location of the huts of several of these brigades can still be ascertained with certainty. Captain William Tuttle of the 3rd New Jersey Regiment, who married a daughter of Henry Wick and spent his life either on the Wick farm or at his house in South street, (still owned by his great granddaughter, Miss Blachly), frequently went over the ground and pointed out the sites of many of the camps to persons who were living until recently.

The old farm house (which Governor Bloomfield in a letter written while in the service calls “Wick Hall”) is still standing. In the cleared field between it and the Jockey Hollow road was the Parade Ground. The camp of the Maryland line was in the field next north of this. The New Jersey troops were in the hollow in front and to the left of the house. The Commissariat department was on both sides of the little brook which is just south of the junction of the roads.

On the south of " Fort Hill" along the road which a few years ago ran directly down the hill towards Hoyt' s Corners, was the Pennsylvania line, and north of Fort Hill on the east side of the Jockey Hollow road were the huts of the New York troops. The extreme limits of the encampment, as shown by the reins of the huts, were the hills overlooking the Passaic River on the south, and the Mills' farm near the Morris Township line on the north.
A young schoolmaster from Connecticut, visiting his friends in camp, writes January 4th: " I find the log house city on the declivity of a high hill three miles south of 'Morristown.

There the Connecticut line dwells in tabernacles like Israel of old, and there the troops of other States lie, some at a greater and some at a less distance, along the hills in similar habitations."
One of the most interesting spots is the Hospital Field, in the southwest corner of that part of the Wick farm now owned by Mr. Groff, about a quarter of a mile from the Jockey Hollow road.

Here, near a little spring brook, and sheltered by the surrounding hills, was the hospital; and here, as late as 1855, the graves of those who perished by disease during that long winter could be plainly seen. The patriotic owner of the land had planted a grove of locust trees to mark the spot and prevent it being disturbed. These have since disappeared, and there is absolutely nothing now to distinguish the place from the lands about it. It seems an unaccountable neglect on the part of our people, who are certainly not lacking in reverence for the men of the Revolution, that for over a hundred years not a dollar has been expended to permanently mark the graves of these men w ho gave their lives to snake this a nation.

When Dr. Tuttle, in 1855, was preparing his article on Washington in Morris County, many of the camps could be distinguished by the Stone Chimney backs, blackened by smoke, standing in long rows in the fields. Fort Hill was surrounded by several rows of these chimneys, numbering over a hundred.

Many if not all of these have been removed to clear up the ground, and for building purposes, but on top of the hill are still piles of stone, ruins of works of some sort, whose character can now only be conjectured. Near the old road down the mountain there remains a rectangular stone oven blackened with smoke. Thirty years ago, a few of the rails made from the logs of the huts, distinguished from the other material by their length (16 feet) and notched ends, were still visible in the fences.

The camp was protected from surprise by the usual camp guards, a picket was sent daily to Morristown and a chain of outposts was drawn closely around the British lines. Gen. Irvine commanded advance guards at Woodbridge, Spanktown, Elizabethtown and Newark. There were others at Second River, Paramus and further north. On the heights at Short Hills was the Alarm Gun, and the officer commanding on the lines was directed " in case of any sudden and serious movement of the enemy in that quarter, to cause it to be fired.

This was to he answered by the alarm gun in Camp, upon which the Brigades were to form in their respective parades and wait orders." Several times, it would appear this alarm was sounded when the enemy made sallies to Newark, Elizabeth or Paramus. The horses for want of forage had been sent back still further into the country, and Washington was very apprehensive during the early part of the winter that his powerful enemy, knowing his straightened situation, would attempt to drive his army from their winter quarters. to succeed in which, he felt, would be a " most disastrous calamity."

The winter which began with such severity became more and more terrible as the new year opened. Its equal has never been experienced since. The Kill von Kull, the Hudson, and even Long Island Sound were frozen over, so that men and teams crossed from Paulus Hook and Staten Island to New York, and from Long Island to Connecticut.
On the third day of January, 1780, and before the greater part of the army had built their huts, Thatcher says in his journal:

We experienced one of the most tremendous snow storms ever remembered. No man could endure its violence many minutes without danger of his life. We are greatly favored in having a supply of straw for bedding,over this we spread all our blankets and with our clothes and large fires at our feet, while four or five are crowded together, preserve ourselves from freezing. But the sufferings of the poor soldiers can scarcely be described; while on duty, they are unavoidably exposed to all the inclemency of storms and severe cold. At night they now have a bed of straw on the ground, and a single blanket to each man; they are badly clad, and some are destitute of shoes. We have contrived a kind of stone chimney outside, and an opening at one end of our tents gives us the benefit of the fire within. The snow is now from four to six feet deep, which so obstructs the roads as to prevent our receiving a supply of provisions.

Had the troops been well fed and clothed. the rigors of this winter might have been cheerfully borne; but the testimony is unanimous that they were both scantily provisioned and wretchedly clad. General Greene, who. as Quartermaster, was in a position to know their condition, writes to the Colonel of the Morristown militia:

The army is upon the point of disbanding for want of provisions; the poor soldiers having been several days without any, and there not being more than a sufficiency to serve one regiment in the magazine. Provisions are scarce at best, but the late terrible storm, the depth of the snow and the drifts in the roads, prevent the little stock from coming forward which is in readiness at the distant magazines. This is therefore to request you to call upon the militia officers and men of your battalion to turn out their teams and break the roads between this place and Hatchetstown, there being a small quantity of provisions there that cannot come on until that is done.
The roads must be kept open by the inhabitants, or the army cannot be subsisted, and unless the good people immediately lend their assistance to forward supplies this army must disband. 'The dreadful consequences of such an event I will not torture your feelings with a description of; but remember the surrounding inhabitants will experience the first melancholy effects of such a raging evil. We would give you assistance were it in our power, but the army is stripped as naked of teams as possible to lessen the consumption of forage, which has reduced us to such straits as render us unable, with the teams we have, to do the duty called for in camp. You will call to your aid the overseers of highways, and every other order of men who Åëan give dispatch and success to the business.
-- P. S.-- Give no copies of this for fear it should get to the enemy.

Major Huntington of Stark's Brigade writes the day before Christmas: " You will by the date perceive that we are in camp, tho' expect, if good weather, to have the men's Hutts so far compleated that they may go into them on Sunday or Monday. The officers Hutts are not begun, nor will they be meddled with till after the men have finished theirs. The severity of the weather has been such that the men have suffer'd much without shoes and stockings, and working half leg deep in snow."
The men on outpost duty requiring constant activity and watchfulness, though in some respects better off than their comrades in camp, were continually calling and generally in vain, for supplies.

General Wayne, writing from his post at Second River. December 14th, to his friend General Irvine commanding the posts at Elizabeth, etc., says with grim humor: " My situation is such that I can't go to see you, lest Mr. Brittish might pay a visit to this Camp in my Absence. I was favored with yours of the 10th per George and am much pleased at the prospect of once more Clothing our Officers and Soldiers. I must confess that the latter would make a better appearance had they a sufficiency of hatts, but as Congress don't seem to think that an essential or necessary part of uniform, they mean to leave us uniformly bareheaded as well as barefooted, and, if they find we can bare it tollerably well in the two extremes, perhaps they may try it in the Center."

Commissary Samuel Woodruff writes to General Irvine from Springfield January 1st: " The teams I sent to Morristown yesterday for provision for your detachment returned last evening without an ounce of anything; the waggoners inform me that there is no kind of provision to be had at that post at present."

Lt. Col. Olney at Elizabethtown, January 4th, complains that " the Troops here are Supply'd with meat up to Wednesday night, but the Bread was out Monday night. I have not a Single ounce to Issue. I beg you will therefore Send a Supply of Bread as Early as possible tomorrow morning."

General Washington receiving these reports from General Irvine writes him from Morristown, January 4th: " We are not under less embarrassing and distressful circumstances in this quarter for provisions than those you have represented in your letter of this days date. Of the scanty pittance we have distributed to the army, the last is nearly exhausted and without a prospect of any adequate and immediate succor. Amidst the difficulties which occur on this occasion, to keep the army together and draw from the country a supply of provisions, it is not easy to determine what course we should adopt."

On the 8th of January, the General made his eloquent appeal to the Magistrates of New Jersey, in which he so graphically describes the condition of the army and calls upon them for relief. Though there is a suggestion that if the requisition were not complied with, measures more effectual if less agreeable would be adopted to obtain supplies, it is only a suggestion and shows how deeply the writer was moved by the trials of his men and the confidence he had in the patriotism of those whom he addressed.

The appeal was responded to " with the most cheerful and commendable zeal." It should be forever remembered to the honor of this State, that notwithstanding the general impoverishment of its citizens, the demands made upon the magistrates were immediately and fully met. Not only did the civil authorities respond to the call of the general, but very many instances are recorded of private citizens contributing freely and without any compensation whatever, all they could spare to relieve individual eases of want among the soldiers. By the end of January, the situation of the men is reported as " comfortable," and Thatcher says, " We are now rejoicing in having a plentiful supply of provisions and a favorable prospect of a full supply in future."

One great difficulty in furnishing the army was the great depreciation in value of the currency. Congress had far exceeded its limit of two hundred millions of continental money, and its plan of making a new issue to be guaranteed by the States, and to retire the old at the rate of one for twenty, was found to be impracticable.

The credit of the purchasing agents of the government was entirely destroyed, and all business was demoralized by the want of a currency of purchasing value in the community In the minutes of Morris Township is this significant entry: " Benjamin Lindsley Esq., John Carle Esq., Jonathan Stiles Esq., and Capt. Peter Dickerson were elected in as men to assist the assessor in levying the first payment of the tax of Åí3,375,000 this year." It was said that the only honest men were those who withheld the payment of their debts, and instances occurred of wealthy men fleeing from their debtors as from highwaymen.

There was a widespread feeling, not without foundation, that Congress was indifferent to the condition of the army. That body was at that time most unfortunately distracted by party spirit, and the absence of such men as Franklin, Adams and Laurens, who had commanded unanimity by their genius, was felt in its unpatriotic and uncertain councils. It might be alleged in excuse for its failure to do more to relieve the distress in the army, that the powers conferred on it by the States were meager and indefinite.

However, the strong representations which were made to it, led to a committee of inquiry who reported that the army " was unpaid for five months; that it seldom had more than six days provisions in advance and was on several occasions for sundry successive days without meat; that it was destitute of forage; that the medical department had neither sugar, tea, chocolate, wine or spirituous liquors of any kind; that every department was without money and had not the shadow of credit left; and that the patience of the soldiers, borne down by the pressure of complicated sufferings, was on the point of being exhausted."

It is not to be wondered at under these circumstances, that desertions occasionally occurred and severe penalties were declared and enforced to prevent them. Many were tried and found guilty, but few suffered the extreme penalty. On the 26th of May, one James Coleman of the 11th Pennsylvania was hung for repeated desertions and forgery, but at the same time, two others under like sentence were pardoned, which is spoken of as an " Unparallelled act of leniency of our illustrious chief." The terms of enlistment of most of the troops expired during the winter, and fears were entertained that few would be found to re-enlist, but a very considerable proportion did re-enlist and for the war. This excited the astonishment of one of their officers, to whom it seemed " extraordinary that men who had experienced such accumulated distresses and privations should voluntarily engage again in the same service."

It might be supposed that our half clothed and half fed army would at least be content to remain in their quarters and to keep the peace if the enemy would permit them. But the very severity of the winter made feasible an expedition which promised considerable glory.

The freezing of the Kill von Kull made it practicable to cross that stream under cover of the darkness, to surprise the few troops-- supposed to be about twelve hundred--on Staten Island, and to seize their stores so much needed in our army. Officers in command of the outposts examined the condition of the ice from Elizabethtown to Amboy under presence of being themselves apprehensive of attack. A detachment on Friday, the 14th of January, was conveyed in sleighs from Morristown to Elizabethport, where the troops were joined by the outposts, forming a column of about 2,500 strong Minute directions were given by General Washington.

General Irvine was to command the right hand column, composed of Colonel Walter Stuart's detachment of five hundred men, Colonel Hall's detachment of four hundred men, and his own detachment of about seven hundred. They were to rendezvous in the main road from Amboy to Elizabethtown by four o'clock in the morning and to cross at Halstead's point. Colonel Hazen was to command the left hand column, consisting of his own detachment of about one thousand men. They were to rendezvous at Connecticut farms, so as to be at Elizabethtown point at five o'clock in the morning.

The whole was under the command of Lord Stirling. But it was soon apparent that the enemy had been warned of the movement, and when the crossing was effected, they retired into their forts on the east side of the Island, where they were reinforced from the city, communication with which was, to the surprise of Lord Stirling, found open. Our troops remained on the Island until Sunday, scouring it pretty thoroughly and bringing back some seventeen prisoners, a few horses, a number of tents, several casks of wine and spirits and other stores.

A number of our men were frostbitten, notwithstanding the " woolen caps and mittens" which, it appears, the Quartermaster's department furnished. The snow was three or four feet deep. Washington was greatly disappointed by the failure of this enterprise, and undertook no other important movement during the winter.

But the enemy were not disposed to allow our men to rest quietly in their camps. On the twenty-fifth of January a party crossed to Elizabethtown and burnt the Town house, Presbyterian Church and some private buildings. Another party came to Newark, burnt the Academy and carried off Esquire Joseph Hedden and Robert Neil, two citizens who had become offensive to the loyalists by their patriotism. Both parties plundered private citizens and both retreated hurriedly; but the Newark party did not escape without losing some of their number at the hands of a few militiamen who were hastily brought together. The taking of Esquire Hedden aroused great indignation in the community, as it was attended with circumstances of great brutality. He was not permitted to dress himself, but was taken to New York half clothed notwithstanding the bitter cold weather, and his death, which occurred a few months after, was due to this exposure.

On Sunday night, January 30th, another party of the enemy made an excursion from Staten Island to Elizabethtown and carried off a few of the inhabitants as prisoners. The alarm was carried to the army, and for not turning out his battalion promptly, a commander of a Maryland Regiment was court-martialed but exonerated by the Commander-in-Chief, who found " the failure did not proceed from any neglect or want of care on his part, but to the deficiency of men, the extreme severity of the weather, and other matters which occur in the proceedings." Three sleighs and ten handsome horses, part of the plunder of this expedition, were driven to New York over the ice from Staten Island, " An enterprise," Rives says, " never yet attempted since the first settlement of this country."

To strengthen the outposts the whole Connecticut Division moved out of camp on the third of February, leaving behind as a camp guard those unable to do active service, and marched to Springfield, and from thence reinforced the guards at Rahway, Westfield, etc.

On March 23rd, two detachments of the enemy. each about two hundred strong, one crossing at Little Ferry and the other at Closter, descended upon Paramus, hoping to surprise Major Stuart. They were unsuccessful in this, but burned the village of Hackensack and plundered its inhabitants. They were chased back to the Hudson by the militia, notwithstanding a reinforcement of four hundred men which was sent to their aid. One of the Anspach Musketeers, who was in this foray, makes this entry in his journal: " My part of the booty, which 1 brought safely back, consisted of two silver watches, three sets of silver buckles, a pair of common cotton stockings, a pair of man's mixed summer stockings, two shirts and four chemises of tine English linen, two fine table cloths, one silver table spoon, and one tea spoon, five Spanish dollars and six York shillings in money." This shows that nothing came amiss to these veteran plunderers.

As to what amusements the private soldiers had during this winter, we can only conjecture. After their huts were built and each State had undertaken to care for the wants of her own men, they were not so uncomfortable and, when not serving on the various guard, picket end fatigue details, we may believe that old soldiers found some way to make time fly, even before Spring opened and it was announced that " that the proper season having arrived, it is to be hoped the weather will soon admit of a regular course of manouvering." We notice an officer court-martialed for drinking with private soldiers at their expense and for attending dancing parties of the enlisted men without their invitation.

The order books, which were presented by Mr. Dreer to the (Washington) Association, have many entries showing the great care taken by those in command of the health and comfort of the men. The " Fort guard house being found to be placed on an unhealthy spot, a fatigue party was ordered to parade at once, to pull it down and rebuild it on a piece of ground to be Pointed out by the Brigade Major." In February, it was ordered that a gill of rum should be issued to the officers and men on guard and picket duty, and " when it rains or snows, the camp guards may be excused from assembling on the Grand Parade, but they are to be visited as usual at their Respective Posts by the officers of the day."

One officer, found guilty of defrauding his men, was sentenced to be " cashiered with infamy by having his sword broken over his head in the Publick Parade in front of his Regiment, and for his scandalous, infamous and villainous conduct, he was, in the opinion of the Court, unworthy of holding any post civil or military in the United States."
St. Patrick's was a day of general festivity. On the day before, the following general order was issued:

The General congratulates the Army on the very interesting proceedings of the Parliament of Ireland and of the Inhabitants of that Country, which have been lately communicated, not only as they appear calculated to remove those heavy and Tyrannical oppressions on their Trade but to restore to a brave and generous people their ancient Rights and Freedom, and by their operation to promote the cause of America; desirous of impressing on the minds of the army transactions so important in their nature, the General directs that all Fatigue and Working Parties cease for To-morrow, the seventeenth, a day held in particular regard by the People of that Nation. At the same time that he orders this as a mark of pleasure he feels on the occasion, he persuades himself, that the celebration of the day will not be attended with the least rioting or disorder. The officers to be at their quarters in Camp and the Troops of each state and line are to keep in their own encampments.

Colonel Francis Johnston, commanding the 2nd Pennsylvania Brigade, was " desirous that the celebration of the day should not pass by without having a little Rum issued to the Troops, and 'thought proper to direct Commissary Night to send for a Hogshead which the Colonel has purchased for the express purpose." Whether his command " in celebrating the anniversary of St. Patrick in innocent mirth and pastime, conducted themselves with the greatest sobriety and good order," as he enjoined, or not, we are grateful to Ireland's patron saint for the holiday his birthday brought, and the heart warms to the Pennsylvania Colonel for the treat he desired to give his men.

An old subscription paper for " Assembly Balls" in Morristown (copied in Dr. Tuttle's papers) shows that the officers were disposed to make the best of their situation. There are thirty-four names attached, including that of Washington, and foots up the handsome amount of $13,600. The highest and lowest in rank gave the same amount ($400), yet the price of the tickets was probably not so very high after all.

No doubt any one could have paid his subscription with ten silver dollars, possibly with five. The officers could not have presented a very brilliant appearance, since uniforms, in the line at least, were in such a condition that it was said it was not unusual in camp to fit out the officer of the day by contributions from other officers for the honor of their State; and, that in one instance, there was but one suit of parade clothes in a whole regiment.

On the morning of the 17th of April, the Maryland line, about 2,000 strong, commanded by Baron de Kalb, began their march southward to reinforce General Lincoln and to make their magnificent fight at Camden, where their leader lost his life. This division comprised at least one-fourth of the effective force of the army.

Later in April, the army was put on its best footing to be reviewed by the Chevalier de la Luzerne, the French Minister, and Don Juan de Miralles, a Spanish gentleman of wealth and distinction, who for a year had represented his nation to our Colonial Congress. On the 24th, a review of four battalions was had under the direction of General Steuben for the benefit of the distinguished strangers. A week previously the troops had been selected (20 captains, 52 subalterns, 68 sergeants and 768 rank and file) from seven brigades, and Colonels Johnston, Cortland, Ogden and Jackson were chosen to command them. We can imagine the drilling of the men, the polishing of arms and equipments, and the getting together of uniforms in the interval between the order and the review, that the pride of the army might be maintained.

A platform was built for the Commander-in-Chief and his guests, which was crowded by ladies and gentlemen of distinction from the whole country around, including Governor Livingston and his lady. The uniforms of the men from Maxwell's Brigade were blue and red; the men from Stark's Brigade wore blue and buff, and those from Clinton's command appeared in blue and yellow. The troops performed their evolutions so creditably that the next day a general order was issued in which:

The Commander-in-Chief at the request of the Minister of France, has the pleasure to inform Maj. Gen. the Baron Steuben and the officers and men of the four Battallions, that the appearance and maneuvres of the troops yesterday met his entire approbation and afforded him the highest satisfaction.

In the evening after the parade, General Washington and the French Minister attended a ball provided by the principal officers and the exhibition of fire works of home manufacture prepared by the artillery officers for the entertainment of the company.

M. de Miralles was, however, quite ill at the time of these festivities, and grew rapidly worse and died on the 28th. His funeral was attended with great pomp and magnificence and for a long time it was the subject of conversation among both soldiers and civilians.

In May, the condition of the army, so far as supplies and pay were concerned, was at its worst. The Committee from Congress appeared in Camp early in the month, but had no power to act. On the 25th, two Connecticut Regiments paraded under arms and declared their resolution to return home or obtain subsistence by force. The other troops, though not actually uniting with the mutineers, showed no disposition to aid in suppressing the mutiny. Only by great exertions and by the presence of Colonel Stuart's brigade of Pennsylvanians, were the Connecticut troops brought back to their duty.

The discontent of the army and of the people of New Jersey at the forced requisitions made upon them, were repeated with exaggerations to the General commanding in New York, and on the 6th of June General Knyphausen crossed over at night from Staten Island to Elizahethtown Point and marched to Connecticut Farms. The militia of New Jersey assembled with great rapidity and zeal and harassed the invaders at every step. Advancing to Springfield, Knyphausen found General Maxwell with his Jersey Brigade and the Militia of the neighborhood in force drawn up to receive him, and Washington with the remainder of his army within supporting distance at Short Hills. After some sharp fighting, in which he came off second best, the German Commander retired to Elizabethtown Point. It was on this raid that the village of Connecticut Farms was burned and Mrs. Caldwell brutally murdered-- acts which exasperated the people of the country beyond description.

The Continental Army in this region in the Spring of 1780 numbered 5,558 men, of whom only 3,000 were effective. General Clinton had returned to New York after the capture of Charleston, and had a force of 12,000 regulars besides about 4,000 royalists who could relieve his regulars of garrison duty. Washington was apprehensive now of an attack upon the posts on the Hudson, and had already begun to move troops to reinforce them.

After this affair at Connecticut Farms, he continued his movement towards the Highlands with the most of his little army, leaving a thousand regulars and three hundred militia under General Green to guard the passes of the hills. He had gotten as far as Pompton, when General Knyphausen, supposing the opportunity favorable to strike another blow at his enemy, moved out with some 5,000 men and attacked our forces at Springfield on the 23d of June. Though Washington turned back when he heard of the advance of the enemy, the troops under General Green, unaided, were able to repulse their foes. The Militia covered themselves with glory on this occasion, and won the unqualified praise of the regular army officers.

Thus ended the second encampment of the Continental Army in Morris County. The log cabins on Mount Kemble were deserted until the thirtieth day of the next November, when the Pennsylvania troops alone, under General Wayne, took up their quarters there. The huts had mostly fallen down, and the enemy were known to be at the watering places on Staten Island ready to invade the Jerseys. The General in his usual vein writes: " I wish these people would remain quiet for a week or two longer until our Hutts are completed and Coats mended.

We will be then in more decent situation to receive our quondam friends; besides they may expect to meet a warm reception, as beacons, &c., are preparing to announce their advance to the good people of Jersey, who have agreed to welcome their approach by three Volleys, which I think is as much as can be reasonably expected of a Militia."

But " Headquarters" were this winter again at New Windsor, the Ford Mansion no longer echoed to the tread of Washington and his generals; and no longer

In their ragged regimentals
Stood the old Continentals guarding its surroundings.