The Victory Trail A Thirteen-Mile Hike for Scouts Commemorating the Battle of Connecticut Farms and The Forgotten Victory of Springfield

Transcription

1 The Victory Trail A Thirteen-Mile Hike for Scouts Commemorating the Battle of Connecticut Farms and The Forgotten Victory of Springfield Cedar Knolls, New Jersey

2 Before Your Hike A Scout is courteous. Call the sites listed below before you schedule your hike to assure the site will be open and a guide will be available to give your group a tour. The victory Trail is an urban hike on public sidewalks and roadways. Please be considerate of foot and road traffic as your group passes. The Victory Trail also passes along private property. Please be respectful of the residents privacy and pass quietly. A Scout is prepared. All Scouts must bring the water they will need for the hike. There are no facilities to refill water bottles along the trail. Bring snacks and lunch, a 13-mile hike makes a Scout hungry. Plan for the weather and dress appropriately. A Scout Leaves No Trace. Scouts should plan to carry their refuse with them and dispose of it properly. Schedule a Visit The sites below are listed in the order in which you will see them on your historic hike from Elizabeth to Springfield. All are open to the public. Take a few minutes before your hike to contact them and arrange a visit while your troop or crew is hiking The Victory Trail. Boxwood Hall has a very rich history that connects it with an early mayor of Elizabethtown, a President of the Continental Congress, the first President of the United States, the first Secretary of the Treasury, and three signers of the United States Constitution. Boxwood Hall is listed on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places and is a National Historic Landmark property. Boxwood Hall is open to the public Monday-Friday 9am-noon & 1pm-5pm and will open for Scouts on Saturdays upon advanced request, staff availability permitting. Visitors should call ahead to confirm hours and availability of a guide. Admission is free. (908) The Caldwell Parsonage was the home of Reverend James Caldwell, a Presbyterian minister and active supporter of the patriot cause during the war for independence. The original parsonage was built in the 1730 s and was burned in 1780 by loyalists. Later that year Caldwell s wife Hannah was killed in the house by British soldiers during the Battle of Connecticut Farms. Caldwell was shot a year later by an American sentry a year later. (908) During the Battle of Springfield, the town was essentially burned to the ground, leaving only four houses standing when the smoke cleared and the fighting was over. Of the four remaining houses, one was demolished in the 1970 s and two are privately owned. The Cannonball House is open to the public. (973) Reverend James Caldwell was the pastor of Springfield Presbyterian Church. During the Battle of Springfield, Caldwell took Watt s Hymnals from the church for the American soldiers to use as wadding for their guns. (973)

3 VICTORY TRAIL QUESTIONNAIRE NAME UNIT This form is to be used by each hiker of the Victory Trail. The directions in italics should be followed completely to get you from one historic site to the next. At each site, fill in the question based on information available at the site. Also read the accompanying historical account as it tells you of this site s importance in Colonial History. At the end of the hike turn in the completed questionnaire to your unit leader. This trail will follow the approximate route taken by the British Army as it marched through what is now Elizabeth, Roselle Park, Union and Springfield in its attempt to reach Morristown. You will also learn how the New Jersey Militiamen were successful in turning back the British invasion, saving the colonies from certain defeat. Along the course of the trail you will pass and visit sites of historic interest dating back to colonial times. Springfield was strategically important during the Revolutionary War, standing between the British who occupied Staten Island and Washington s army encamped at Jockey Hollow near Morristown. The hiking trail starts at the foot of Elizabeth Avenue in Elizabeth, at the corner of Front Street. Travel west up Elizabeth Avenue. 1. How many flag poles at the Waterfront Veterans Memorial Park? At dusk on the night of June 6, 1780 a very nervous American spy pulled a boat from the marsh reeds on the Staten Island shore opposite this point, and rowed carefully across the narrow Arthur Kill. A half hour later he handed his message to Colonel Elias Dayton, Commander of the 250 regulars of the New Jersey Brigade who were guarding Elizabeth. What Colonel Dayton read made his flesh crawl. The British were preparing to invade New Jersey. An army of 5,000 men was moving across Staten Island at that very moment. Proceed up Elizabeth Avenue to Third Street, read the plaque at the boundary marker in front of the Liberty Square Senior Citizen Center. 2. What was Elizabeth Avenue formerly known as?

4 Take the left fork up First Avenue to where it re-intersects with Elizabeth Avenue. Stop at the Minuteman Statue. Five hours later Ogden and his men, crouched behind a roadside fence near here, heard the tramp of marching feet. Soon they saw a man on horseback, and behind him a mass of red coats--the British army. Ogden told his men to aim at the rider and whispered, Fire. The 12 muskets erupted. Cries of pain and panic rose from the British ranks. Ogden and his men ran toward Broad Street, while return volleys of British musketry sent bullets whistling harmlessly through the night. In Elizabeth, Colonel Dayton heard Ogden s report, and then ordered his son, Captain Jonathan Dayton to ride for Morristown to warn George Washington. The British invasion could not have come at a worse time. In Morristown, the worst winter of the war had badly weakened the American army. Over 1,000 men had deserted rather than endure the near-starvation rations on which they had been forced to live. The main army had dwindled to less than 3,600 men. Then there was the New Jersey Militia, 16,000 part-time soldiers who were supposed to turn out in emergencies like this one. Would they? Colonel Dayton could only pray that they still supported the Cause. Otherwise there was little or no hope of stopping the British. By morning they could be over the Short Hills, within a few hours march of Morristown, where the American artillery and tons of ammunition could be captured easily. The Americans had no horses to move them. If Washington s out-numbered army was forced to flee, New Jersey might be knocked out of the war. Such a major defeat in the North could wreck the Revolution. Colonel Dayton could not know that the Americans already had a great stroke of luck. One of the bullets fired by Ogden s men had crippled the general commanding the British advance guard, Brigadier Thomas Stirling, one of the toughest, most aggressive officers in the British army. Colonel Ludwig Von Wurmb, who replaced him, was more cautious. He decided to wait until dawn before advancing another step. Von Wurmb was especially anxious for the invasion to succeed because the man in command was, like him, a German. George III had hired over 25,000 German troops to fight beside his British regulars in America. The commander-in-chief of these German mercenaries was Lieutenant General Wilhelm von Knyphausen. Von Knyphausen hoped to win a quick easy victory that would make him conquering hero of the Revolution. 3. What is the Minuteman holding in his right hand? Continue up Elizabeth Avenue, crossing over to the right side of the street at one of the intersections. Continue on Elizabeth Avenue, under Route 1. Turn right on Catherine Street and go over one block to East Jersey Street, turn left. Along East Jersey Street, you will see three houses of historic interest. With the exception of Boxwood Hall, which groups can tour by appointment, these houses are not open for public display. The brick house on the left is the Belcher-Ogden Mansion. The mansion was built by John Ogden in the late 1600 s. Governor Jonathan Belcher, a royal governor of the Province of New Jersey, resided in the house from 1751 to 1757, when he died. William Peartree Smith, a leader of the Revolutionary

5 movement in New Jersey, resided next in the house. His daughter, Catherine, married Elisha Boudinot, brother of Elias Boudinot, who was president of the Continental Congress, in a gala ceremony in the house. Among the wedding guests were George Washington, Marquis de Lafayette, Alexander Hamilton, General Thaddeus Kosciusko, Aaron Burr and Governor William Livingston. Aaron Ogden, a descendent of John, resided in the house while he served as governor of the state. The wooden house on the right is the Bonnell House, which is presumed to be the oldest standing house in Elizabeth. Read the historic marker in front of the Bonnell House without entering the gate. 4. When was the Bonnell House built? Proceed up East Jersey Street to Boxwood Hall. Visit Boxwood Hall if you made prior arrangements. Boxwood Hall was the home of Elias Boudinot, President of the Continental Congress. Other historic information is contained on the two plaques out front. 5. When was Elias Boudinot President of the Continental Congress? At Madison Avenue, cross East Jersey Street and East Scott Place into Scott Park. This park originally had a pathway down the middle bordered by Boxwood trees, from which Boxwood Hall got its name. At the far end of the park, facing Elizabeth Avenue was a two-story brick building. This building had the Elizabeth Municipal offices on the second floor and was a produce market on the ground floor. The present City Hall to the west of Scott Park was built by the Works Progress Administration during the depression of the 1930 s. Proceed along Scott Park to Elizabeth Avenue. At the Vietnam Memorial Monument cross Elizabeth Avenue and Bridge Street bridge over the Elizabeth River and turn right through the park, heading towards the large brick building. According to a carefully preserved family tradition, Andrew Hamton is said to have eloped from Scotland with Lady Margaret Cumins. He settled in Elizabethtown in 1696 and built a house at this site, which was enlarged in Following a fire the house was largely rebuilt as a brick structure in On the east wall are three cornerstones. In 1749, the house and property were purchased by the Trustees of St John s Church on Broad Street to be used as a Parsonage. 6. What is at the top of the flag pole? Be sure to stay on the stone walkways. Do not walk on the grass. Go up to the front walk to Pearl Street, turn right and proceed on Pearl Street to Broad Street. Turn right

6 onto Broad Street; go past the firehouse, and cross Broad Street at Elizabeth Avenue. Read the historic markers in front of the Elizabeth Public Library. 7. In what year did Washington stop here? Cross Rahway Avenue to the Court House. Proceed along Broad Street reading the signs in front of the Court House as you pass. 8. When was the present Court House built? Stop at the First Presbyterian Church to read the plaques alongside the front door. The Colonial Pastor of this church, Reverend James Caldwell, played an important and heroic role in fighting off the British invasion which this trail recounts. More will be heard about him farther on, in Union and Springfield. Many of the Elizabethtown Patriots are buried in the cemetery here, including Hannah Caldwell, wife of Reverend Caldwell, whose ghost has been seen here recently. The steeple of this church burned off after being struck by lightning. 9. What year was the church burned by the British? Continue along Broad Street, staying on the left hand side. The large church on the other side of the street, just past Caldwell Place, is St. John s Church, the Parsonage of which you visited earlier. This church dates back to The present structure was built in During the Revolutionary War, the British used the original church as a barracks. Continue along Broad Street. After going under the railroad arches, make the first left and then the first right. You should now be on Morris Avenue. At the next intersection, turn left onto Westfield Avenue. Stop at the bridge crossing the Elizabeth River. In colonial times, there was a dam across the river where the bridge is now. The river, retained by the dam, formed a large pond in the area which was later filled and is now Municipal Parking lot #4. The Mill Pond supplied water power for Crane s Mill which was located between the river and the area of the large apartment building. The portion of Westfield Avenue that you just hiked was known then as Mill Lane. Only a narrow bridge crossed over the river to the Mill complex. 10. When was this bridge last rebuilt?

7 Continue west on Westfield Avenue for 1.5 miles. Cross to the right-hand side of the road at the Elmora Avenue intersection. Farther on, cross and turn right onto Galloping Hill Road. At Colonial Road, stop to read the historical marker. At dawn on June 7, 1780, following their skirmish with the Elizabethtown Patriots below Broad Street the British resumed their march and moved through Elizabeth into the fields beyond the town by this route. 11. A. Whose son was killed near here? B. How was he killed? Follow Galloping Hill Road for a mile, to the Five Points intersection just past The YWCA 5 Points Wellness Center, turn right onto Chestnut Street, just past the Galloping Hill Inn. Follow Chestnut Street down under the Garden State Parkway and Route 22. Very carefully, cross Stuyvesant Avenue at the Wewanna Road Crosswalk and go up the steps to the front of the Connecticut Farms Presbyterian Church. Read the plaque on the front of the church. 12. What two officers names appear on the plaque? On the outskirts of Connecticut Farms, a little village three miles inland from Elizabeth, Colonel Dayton and his men waited for the invading British army. They had just been joined by two other regiments of the New Jersey Brigade, bringing their strength to a little over 500 men. On the road between Elizabeth and Connecticut Farms, groups of militiamen skirmished with the British. Colonel von Wurmb sent his light infantrymen, especially trained in open-formation fighting, into the fields on both sides of his column. They swiftly dispersed these daring guerrillas with a series of bayonet charges. In Connecticut Farms, the New Jersey Brigade dug in along a deep, narrow ravine that ran through the center of the village. By 8 a.m., the 500 regulars had been reinforced by at least a thousand militiamen. A tremendous fight began. Colonel von Wurmb s regiment of green-coated German light infantry, called jägers (huntsmen), armed with short-barreled rifles, joined the British in the battle that rolled up and down the ravine. After about an hour, the German and British soldiers lost heart. Their officers had told them there would be no hard fighting, that the Americans were ready to surrender. Pressing their advantage, the Americans counterattacked and drove the enemy out of the ravine entirely. But as they fell back, they

8 found reinforcements- the 2 nd Division, plus the 3 rd Division commanded by General von Knyphausen-- waiting for them. Fresh regiments surged to the left and right, outflanking the Americans in the ravine. Colonel Dayton and the commander of the New Jersey Brigade, Brigadier General William Maxwell, agreed to retreat. But it was a slow, grudging retreat. The houses of Connecticut Farms were turned into fortresses, orchards and thickets into defensive strongholds. Meanwhile, more and more American militiamen streamed into the battle. Around noon, General Maxwell ordered another counterattack that sent the jägers and British light infantry reeling. But von Knyphausen refused to panic. There were not enough Americans to break up the solid central mass of his army, and soon he was driving the Americans back again. Reverend James Caldwell, Pastor of the Elizabeth Presbyterian Church and one of the most fervent supporters of the Revolution in New Jersey spent the day riding up and down the dusty roads west of the battlefield, urging militiamen to hurry to the front. Enough of them responded to his exhortations to slow the British advance to a crawl. By 4 pm, Washington had marched his men from their base camp in Morristown to the Short Hills, where they seized the high ground the British had hoped to possess. Washington sent his elite Life Guards regiment forward to assist the fighting men. By now the Americans were making a desperate stand on the bank of the Rahway River, the western boundary of Connecticut Farms. They were trying to stop the British from getting across the Rahway River Bridge into the town of Springfield at the foot of the Short Hills. The Life Guards and fresh militia launched a counterattack just before sunset, which broke the momentum of the British advance. Von Knyphausen decided his tired troops, who had no sleep the previous night, needed rest. After setting fire to most of the houses in Connecticut Farms, he pulled back to a low hill near the village and broke off the battle. Go all the way back down the stairs to the concrete sidewalk and follow the red footprints to the right along Stuyvesant Avenue and around onto West Chestnut street. Turn right onto Caldwell Place. Stop to read the two plaques at the Caldwell Parsonage. Visit the Caldwell Parsonage if you have made prior arrangements. 13. What was Hannah Caldwell s maiden name? Continue on Caldwell Place and turn left onto Elmwood Avenue. Follow Elmwood until it empties into Morris Avenue. Follow Morris Avenue for 1.5 miles, staying on the lefthand side of the road. Be careful crossing Rahway Avenue and Spruce Street. Cross to the right-hand side of Morris Avenue where Spruce Street re-enters Morris (past Liberty Avenue). Stop on the Rahway River Bridge, at the Springfield Town Boundary. Read the plaque on the north side of the Bridge. 14. Who is honored by the plaque?

9 Following the hard fighting at Connecticut Farms, General von Knyphausen decided to retreat to the town of Elizabeth and await reinforcements. For the next 16 days, von Knyphausen and his men camped on Elizabethtown Point while the Americans skirmished with them. On the night of June 22 nd, the British sent a double agent into the American s camp with a phony story that they planned to attack by marching north toward the town of Passaic. They hoped to lure the Americans out of the Short Hills into the lowlands around Elizabeth. But Major Nathanael Greene, Washington s second in command, smelled a trap. He refused to move his men out of their strong positions. His caution was more than justified; the next morning, the British came storming out of their Elizabethtown beachhead and advanced to the banks of the Rahway River. Here Greene had posted a regiment from his home state of Rhode Island. The Rhode Islanders, numbering only 168 men, put up a ferocious fight at this bridge. With the help of a single cannon, they beat the British back three times. Finally, the redcoats and the jägers forded the river and attacked from three sides. Through the swirls of smoke came a frantic cry: More wadding! More wadding! The Americans stuffed extra paper down their musket barrels to steady the ball and give the crude guns better aim. A few hundred yards behind the fighting was Pastor Caldwell who heard the cry and rode to the Springfield Presbyterian Church. There he filled his saddlebags with hymn books written by the English Clergyman, Isaac Watts. Back he rode to the desperate Rhode Islanders and flung them the hymn books, shouting, Give em Watts, boys! Inspired by Caldwell s courage the Rhode Islanders stood their ground for 40 minutes. Then, with every fourth man a casualty, they retreated to a position behind another branch of the Rahway River, where New Jersey militia and regulars waited to support them. Continue west on Morris Avenue, read the plaque on the front of the Cannonball House. Visit the Cannonball House if you have made prior arrangements. 15. A. On what date did a cannonball hit this house? B. On what side did a cannonball hit? Farther along on Morris Avenue, stop and read the plaques at the Springfield Presbyterian Church. Visit Springfield Presbyterian Church if you have made prior arrangements. 16. How many sayings are there on the base of the statue? Following the American retreat from the Rahway River, the British grimly pressed forward. After another hour s hard fighting, Nathanael Green decided to let them occupy Springfield and withdrew his men to even stronger positions around the main pass through the Short Hills. General von Knyphausen, studying the entrenched Americans, decided it was not worth the men it would cost

10 to break through to Morristown. He assumed that the American artillery and ammunition had long since been moved to safety. He was wrong. The precious guns, powder and shot were still sitting there for want of horses to haul them away. The embittered von Knyphausen let his men burn Springfield, as they had burned Connecticut Farms, and swiftly retreated to Staten Island. Many Americans, not knowing what the British had hoped to gain beyond Springfield, looked at the two burnt-out villages and wrongfully felt they suffered a defeat. The British had suffered a harsh repulse; they never invaded New Jersey again. The state, often called the Cockpit of the Revolution, remained firmly on the side of the Revolutionary Cause. The church is where hikers can be picked up in the parking lot across the street. THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN THE REENACTMENT OF OUR HISTORY! Excerpts taken from The Battle We Never Knew We Won by Thomas Fleming and reprinted with permission of the author, illustrator and Boys Life, published by the Boy Scouts of America.

11 Rank Advancement on the Victory Trail Tenderfoot 1 c. Tell How you practiced the Outdoor Code on a campout or outing. 5 a. Explain the importance of the buddy system as it relates to your personal safety on outings and in your neighborhood. Use the buddy system while on a troop or patrol outing. 5 b. Describe what to do if you become lost on a hike or campout. 5 c. Explain the rules of safe hiking, both on the highway and cross-country, during the day and night. Second Class 1 a. Since joining, participate in five separate troop/patrol activities, three of which include overnight camping. These five activities do not include troop or patrol meetings. On at least two of the three campouts, spend the night in a tent that you pitch or other structure that you help erect (such as a lean-to, snow cave or tepee). 1 b. Explain the principles of Leave No Trace and tell how you practiced them on a campout or outing. This outing must be different than the one used for Tenderfoot requirement 1 c. 3 a. Demonstrate how a compass works and how to orient a map. Use a map to point out and tell the meaning of five map symbols. 3 b. Using a compass and map together, take a 5-mile hike (or 10 miles by bike) approved by your leader and parent or guardian. 3 c. Describe some hazards or injuries that you might encounter on your hike and what you can do to help prevent them. 3 d. Demonstrate how to find directions during the day and at night without using a compass or electronic device. 4 Identify or show evidence of at least 10 kinds of wild animals (such as birds, mammals, reptiles, fish, or mollusks) found in your local area or camping location. You may show evidence by tracks, signs, or photographs you have taken. 6 c. Tell what you can do while on a campout or hike to prevent or reduce the occurrence of the injuries listed in Second Class requirements 6a and 6b. 6 d. Explain what to do in case of accidents that require emergency response in the home and backcountry. Explain what constitutes an emergency and what information you will need to provide to a responder. 9 a. Explain the three R s of personal safety and protection. First Class 1 a. Since joining, participate in 10 separate troop/patrol activities, six of which include overnight camping. These 10 activities do not include troop or patrol meetings. On at least five of the six campouts, spend the night in a tent that you pitch or other structure that you help erect (such as a lean-to, snow cave, or tepee). 1 b. Explain each of the principles of Tread Lightly! and tell how you practiced them on a campout or outing. This outing must be different from the ones used for Tenderfoot requirement 1c and Second Class requirement 1b.

12 First Class-Continued 4 b. Demonstrate how to use a handheld GPS unit, GPS app on a smartphone, or other electronic navigation system. Use GPS to find your current location, a destination of your choice, and the route you will take to get there. Follow that route to arrive at your destination. 5 a. Identify or show evidence of at least 10 kinds of native plants found in your local area or campsite location. You may show evidence by identifying fallen leaves or fallen fruit that you find in the field, or as part of a collection you have made, or by photographs you have taken. 5 b. Identify two ways to obtain a weather forecast for an upcoming activity. Explain why weather forecasts are important when planning for an event. 5 c. Describe at least three natural indicators of impending hazardous weather, the potential dangerous events that might result from such weather conditions, and the appropriate actions to take. 5 d. Describe extreme weather conditions you might encounter in the outdoors in your local geographic area. Discuss how you would determine ahead of time the potential risk of these types of weather dangers, alternative planning considerations to avoid such risks, and how you would prepare for and respond to those weather conditions. 9 c. On a Scouting or family outing, take note of the trash and garbage you produce. Before your next similar outing, decide how you can reduce, recycle, or repurpose what you take on that outing, and then put those plans into action. Compare your results.

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14 Victory Trail Historic Trail Award-Scouts I certify that Boy Scout Troop of the Council has completed the Victory Trail hike, and the Scouts and Scouters listed below have earned the Victory Trail Historic Trail Award. The trail leader should mail the completed documents along with the application and the correct amount for the cost of the awards ($10.00 per medal) with a check made out to Patriots Path Council to: Victory Trail 13 Mile Hike Patriots Path Council 1 Saddle Road Cedar Knolls, NJ (973) ext. 253 Scout Shop Code =161 You are welcome to the information to Brenda.Sonzogni@scouting.org (call with a credit card) or you may fax the information to: (973) (call with a credit card). I am enclosing $ ($10.00 per medal) along with completed booklets for each award needed. I will pick up awards from the Patriots Path Council Service Center. Please mail the Victory Trail Awards to: Name Address City, State, Zip Phone: Scouts and Scouters who have completed the requirements are: Please write on the back if you need additional space.

15 PROGRAM EVALUATION OF YOUR VICTORY TRAIL 13 MILE HIKE In order to better serve your program needs, please complete this form and return. Thank you ******************************************************************************************** (PLEASE PRINT) Date of the event: Unit type & # District Leader or Coordinator s name: Address: Town / Zip: Telephone (H) (C) 1 Excellent 2 Very good 3 Good 4 Average 5 Poor Council service center support Maps & Directions Recognition Awards Your Hike OVERALL EVALUATION OF YOUR EXPERIENCE EXCELLENT POOR Additional comments: Please describe any positive or negative experiences you have had and any changes/additions you would like to see in the future. Signature: Date: Please return to Patriots Path council or to Brenda.Sonzogni@scouting.org.