Washington took the Continental Army to Jockey Hollow, near Morristown, for winter encampment from December 1779 through June 1780, where they endured the coldest winter of the war. They had previously camped in the area following the Battle of Princeton in January 1777, notably constructing Fort Nonsense at Morristown.
In the past several months we have endured significant and harsh weather conditions, particularly along the mid-Atlantic seaboard. Dr. James Thacher reported in 1779 that: “We reached this wilderness, about three miles from Morristown where we are building log huts for winter quarters. The snow on the ground is about two feet deep, and the weather extremely cold.”
Places like Jockey Hollow are a reminder to us of the reality of this war, beyond the platitudes and hype that often comprise the mythology.
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Hello- Good post- Have you read 'My American Revolution,' by Robert Sullivan yet?
A group of artists in Brooklyn will be having a art exibit with the theam of the Battle of Long Island. email me for the details.
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