Essential Facts
- Also Known As: Battle of Metuchen, Battle of Metuchen Meetinghouse.
- Date: June 26, 1777.
- Location: Between Perth Amboy and Oak Hill, New Jersey.
- Participants: United States of America and Great Britain.
- Key American Leaders: William Alexander, Daniel Morgan, Charles Armand, William Maxwell, George Washington.
- Key British Leaders: Charles Cornwallis, John Vaughan, William Howe.
- Who Won: British forces carried out a successful attack on American forces near Scotch Plains, New Jersey, but failed to lure General Washington into a larger battle.
- Part of: Philadelphia Campaign, American Revolutionary War.
- Significance: The Battle of the Short Hills is important to American History because it led to British forces abandoning New Jersey and preparing to attack Philadelphia.
History
Following the American victories at Trenton (December 25, 1776) and Princeton (January 3, 1777), both American and British armies settled into their winter quarters. The Americans were located in and around Morristown, New Jersey, while the British continued to occupy New York City and a handful of outposts in New Jersey, including Brunswick.
From January to March 1777, American and British forces sent out numerous foraging and scouting parties in New Jersey and New York. The region became a no-man’s-land as these forces ambushed and engaged each other, battling for control of precious supplies, provisions, and military stores.
Meanwhile, the American victories inspired men to join General George Washington’s Continental Army. The new recruits started joining the camps around Morristown, but many of the men were rough, untrained, and inexperienced.
At the same time, General William Howe was planning to take his army south to Philadelphia, capture the city, and return to New York to help General John Burgoyne complete his campaign in the Hudson River Valley.
Bound Brook
As spring approached, both armies prepared to engage each other. Washington knew Howe would attack, but he did not know when or where.
Then, on April 13, 1777, British forces, led by General Charles Cornwallis, carried out a surprise attack on an American outpost at Bound Brook. Cornwallis drove the Americans from the town and inflicted casualties. However, he returned to his post at Brunswick, allowing the Americans to reclaim the outpost later that day.
With this engagement, the 1777 campaign was underway.
Washington Moves to Middlebrook
Soon after, Washington decided to reduce the number of American outposts in New Jersey. He wrote a letter to General William Maxwell on April 17, ordering him to consolidate the forces that were stationed outside of Morristown.
- Washington hoped this would prevent surprise attacks.
- If they did happen, he would be able to respond more quickly.
- Middlebrook was also a better location to receive shipments of supplies that were coming from Congress.
On May 28, Washington moved the army from Morristown to Middlebrook, New Jersey, just north of Bound Brook and between two ranges of the Watchung Mountains. From this position, Washington was protected and could monitor British movements in Brunswick and Perth Amboy.
- This threatened Howe’s route from Brunswick to Philadelphia, which ran through Princeton and Trenton.
- Washington placed troops in entrenchments along the main roads to the towns, including Philadelphia. Some of these posts included artillery batteries.
- General John Sullivan was sent to Princeton to defend the town and block any British movements there.
June Maneuvers of the Philadelphia Campaign Begin
Howe decided to try to entice Washington to come down from the Watchung Mountains and engage in battle. On June 12, 1777, Howe marched out of Perth Amboy with 18,000 men to Brunswick and then divided his expedition into two columns, led by General Charles Cornwallis and General Leopold de Heister.
- Both columns marched out to the plans around Middlebrook.
- This put them between Washington in the mountains and Sullivan in Princeton.
- Upon arrival, they built entrenchments, as if they were preparing for an attack.
Seeing the danger to Sullivan, Washington sent orders, instructing him to move from Princeton to Rocky Hill, New Jersey, roughly 23 miles to the northeast. This put Sullivan on the right of Howe’s Army. Washington told Sullivan to avoid a large battle, but to “harass the enemy by incessant parties when they attempt to break through the country.”
- From Rocky Hill, Sullivan would still be able to block Howe’s path to Philadelphia.
- It also put Sullivan closer to Washington’s Army, which would make it easier for him to escape if Howe attacked him at Rocky Hill.
Washington understood Howe was trying to entice him to march out of the mountains and was not taking his army to attack Philadelphia. The first indication was that Howe stopped his march. The second was that American intelligence reports informed him that Howe did not have the necessary supplies to cross the Delaware River, which was required to march to Philadelphia.
- Remaining patient, Washington placed 1,000 Continentals and 1,000 militia two miles from Middlebrook, in Steele’s Gap at Sourland Mountain.
- This strengthened his own position in the mountains and provided additional support for Sullivan.
Howe was frustrated by this and Washington’s refusal to engage. However, his options were limited.
- Washington’s position in the Watchung Mountains was too strong to attack.
- He lacked the supplies to cross the Delaware River, and even if he tried, he would have Washington’s Army behind him and American forces waiting for him on the other side of the river.
Howe decided his best option was to trick Washington. On the night of July 19, he marched his army back toward Brunswick. Washington thought he was retreating.
- He sent General Nathanael Greene after Howe.
- He wanted him to attack the rear of Howe’s Army as it left.
- Greene was reinforced by Sullivan, Anthony Wayne, Daniel Morgan, and William Maxwell.
Action on June 20
Morgan and his men caught up to the British early the next morning, June 20, as the last of Howe’s Army crossed the bridge into Brunswick.
- Morgan and his men engaged British troops, mainly Hessians who were guarding the river crossing, and were joined by men from the commands of Greene and Wayne.
- The Americans drove them across the bridge and into Brunswick.
- British forces took defensive positions in their earthen mounds (redoubts), but the Americans pushed them out.
- The British fled toward Piscataway.
Greene pursued them toward Piscataway, but was forced to break off when Sullivan and Maxwell failed to join him. Unfortunately, neither of them received their orders in time to provide support.
Meanwhile, Howe continued his march to Perth Amboy. His men burned and pillaged homes along the road. Although Howe did retreat, the move brought Washington down out of the mountains.
- Washington moved his army to Quibbletown (present-day New Market, New Jersey).
- He sent General William Alexander, Lord Stirling, to Short Hills, near Metuchen, New Jersey. This was north of Brunswick.
Battle of the Short Hills Begins
With Washington out of the mountains, Howe decided to attack Alexander. He hoped to crush him, block Washington’s escape route back to the mountains, and engage him near Quibbletown.
- Around 1:00 a.m. on June 26, 1777, Howe led two columns out of Perth Amboy.
- Cornwallis and General John Vaughan led the columns.
- Each column took a different route toward the American camp.
- Cornwallis marched toward Woodbridge.
- Vaughan marched toward the Metuchen Meetinghouse, accompanied by Howe.
- Howe intended to trap Alexander between the two columns and then close in on him.
The march to the American camp was hot and wore down Howe’s men. Both columns also encountered American pickets and snipers along the way, after an African American boy, who was helping keep watch, saw the British and alerted the Americans.
The initial engagement was early in the day, before sunrise, near Woodbridge. British advance forces encountered Americans led by General Daniel Morgan and Colonel Charles Armand.
- Armand was a French volunteer, and this was his first action of the war.
- His command suffered heavy casualties, but he was able to stall the British advance and recover an American cannon.
Washington heard gunfire coming from the area around Woodbridge. He sent General William Maxwell there to reinforce the Americans. Maxwell had 700 men from General Thomas Conway’s 3rd Pennsylvania Brigade.
Cornwallis was delayed for about 30 minutes at Woodbridge and then pushed through. After marching a few more miles, Maxwell attacked him, but Cornwallis and his men repelled the Americans. This occurred in the vicinity of present-day Edison, New Jersey.
Howe and Vaughan converged with Cornwallis at Oak Tree, where Alexander had formed his men into a line that started at the Short Hills Tavern and stretched eastward. With roughly 1,000 men and four cannons, he started marching south.
- British and Hessian troops engaged the Americans for the next two hours in the area known as the “Short Hills.”
- Alexander had his men fall back and take defensive positions at Ash Swamp.
- The British fired on the Americans with artillery, forcing Alexander to retreat to Westfield, then Scotch Plains Gap, also known as “Bloody Gap,” and, finally, into the Watchung Mountains.
- The British ended their pursuit and remained near Westfield, where they burned and pillaged homes.
During the time that Alexander and his men held their positions, Washington moved the army back to Middlebrook Heights in the mountains above Quibbletown.
- Later in the afternoon, Howe surveyed the American positions and decided they were too strong to attack.
- While the British won the Battle of Short Hills, the Americans regained a strategic advantage.
Aftermath of the Battle of the Short Hills
The British remained in Westfield that night and returned to Perth Amboy the next day, June 27. Over the next two weeks, Howe withdrew all his troops from New Jersey and started organizing his expedition for Philadelphia.
In early July, Howe withdrew from New York City to Staten Island, where he loaded 14,000 troops onto ships under the command of his brother, Admiral Richard Howe. He left 7,000 troops in New York City under the command of General Henry Clinton. However, Howe did not sail for two weeks, forcing his troops to remain on the ships.
While Howe knew his destination, Washington only suspected it was Albany. He did not know for sure. Another issue for Washington was that Buryone’s Army was moving down from Canada toward Fort Ticonderoga. Intelligence reports indicated to Washington that Howe had three options, besides attacking Philadelphia:
- New England — Howe could attack from the coast, trapping the region between the Royal Navy and the British Army.
- Hudson River Valley — Howe might deceive Washington and return to New York to support Burgoyne’s Saratoga Campaign.
- Southern States — Howe could secure ports like Charleston or disrupt the harvest of tobacco and rice in the Chesapeake Region and the Carolinas.
The Continental Congress added to Washington’s dilemma. The members wanted to prioritize the defense of their own states and regions ahead of others, so there was no consensus on where to organize defenses.
- Washington knew if he marched his main army northward, Howe could easily sail to Philadelphia and take the city.
- Washington moved his army back to Morristown.
- He sent James Mitchell Varnum and Enoch Poor to Peekskill to assist in defending the Hudson River Valley.
- He sent General Sullivan and his command to “The Close,” a pass through the Ramapo Mountains, near Peekskill, on the west side of the Hudson River.
Then, word arrived that General Arthur St. Clair had abandoned Fort Ticonderoga, divided his army, and was retreating toward Albany. Burgoyne’s Army was in pursuit, and General Barry St. Leger was leading another army into the Mohawk River Valley.
With Howe’s troops still on the ships around New York Harbor, Washington was convinced that Howe’s delay meant that he intended to sail up the Hudson River to join Burgoyne at Albany.
- Washington marched his army to The Clove.
- He sent Sullivan and Alexander across to Peekskill.
On July 23, Howe’s fleet sailed away from Sandy Hook, but did not go up the Hudson River. The next day, Washington was informed that Howe was sailing southward. This meant his target was either Philadelphia or Charleston.
Appendix
The Legend of Aunt Betty
According to local history, as the British marched toward the Watchung Mountains, Cornwallis stopped at a house, known as the Frazee House, where Betty “Aunt Betty” Frazee was baking bread. Cornwallis stopped and said, “I want the first loaf of bread that next comes from that oven.” Betty replied, “Sir, I give you this bread through fear, not in love.” Impressed by her bravery, Cornwallis refused the bread and said, “Not a man in my command shall touch a single loaf.”
Local Account of the Battle of the Short Hills
This account of the battle is from Woodbridge and Vicinity by Joseph W. Dally (1873). Please note that minor text corrections have been made, and spacing has been added to improve the readability.
The British army evacuated New Brunswick on the 22d of June, retreating to Perth Amboy. On Thursday morning (26th), they marched forth under Sir William Howe and Lord Cornwallis as far as Westfield, intending to annihilate Gen. Washington, whose camp was now situated in the neighborhood of Plainfield. But the resistance they encountered at every stage of their advance was disheartening in the extreme.
Nearly every crossroad had its squad of pugnacious militia, which poured its deadly volleys into the splendid columns of the well-equipped troops. As they were passing through Woodbridge, they were checked for half an hour by Col. Daniel Morgan’s Rangers. Some sharp skirmishing and rapid firing resulted in considerable loss of life.
The army moved from Amboy in two columns, one marching by way of Metuchen meeting-house under Howe, and the other passing through Woodbridge under the command of Cornwallis. These columns were to form a junction beyond Metuchen, and then, two miles further on, they were to separate in order to flank the Americans at Ouibbletown.
Four battalions took up their position at Bonhamtown, with six heavy guns, in the morning of this eventful day. The right column, under Cornwallis, was the one that met Morgan’s Rangers at Woodbridge. Lord Howe’s official dispatch states that Morgan’s force comprised 700 men. Of course, the Rangers were compelled to give way, for the odds against them were too heavy.
When Cornwallis entered the road leading to Scotch Plains, just above the “Metuchen meeting-house,” he was checked by Gen. Stirling’s corps of American troops. A general skirmish ensued. Stirling was well posted in a wood, but he was compelled to retire after a severe contest, in which he lost three brass pieces of ordnance and several men.
Lord Howe admits the British loss to be five killed, thirty wounded, and thirteen prisoners; but sets down the loss on the other side at sixty-three killed and over two hundred wounded and prisoners — a gross exaggeration if we may believe Gen. Stirling’s report.
The enemy’s troops in this conflict comprised three regiments of Hessian Grenadiers, one of British Grenadiers, one of Light Infantry, the Hessian Chasseurs, and the Queen’s Rangers. Doubtless, one cause ot Gen. Stirling’s retreat at Metuchen was the knowledge he must have possessed that Lord Howe was advancing in the rear of the right column and would soon overtake it with a powerful reinforcement.
After an intensely hot day and a fatiguing march, the British army entered Westfield. Looking toward the hills, the weary soldiers saw that Washington had made his camp among them, having forsaken Quibbletown and all the plain. Every movement was in view of the American commander; for, taking his position on the bold bluff now so well known as “Washington’s Rock,” he was able to distinguish any important manoeuvre the foe might choose to make.
It was three o’clock on Friday afternoon that the English Generals, seeing Washington’s impregnable position, took up their line of march from Westfield to Amboy, assaulted flank and rear by Scott’s Light Horse and Morgan’s Rangers. They encamped that night at Spanktown.
The next day, harassed as before, they resumed their retreat and arrived at Amboy, from which, on the last day of June, they departed, leaving New Jersey in possession of the American army. During the remainder of the war, the Americans held Amboy, and the State was never again so completely overrun with marauders and British troops, although many parties entered it for pillage from hostile camps in adjoining States.
American Account of the Battle of the Short Hills
The following is from a letter that Alexander Hamilton wrote to Robert R. Livingston on June 28, 1777. Hamilton was with Washington’s Army at Middlebrook. Please note that minor text corrections have been made, and spacing has been added to improve the readability.
Under the supposition of their intending to evacuate the Jerseys immediately, in order to keep up the idea of a persuit, and to be in a posture to take advantage of any critical moment that might present itself to give them a blow, the chief part of our army, after their retreat from Brunswick, was marched down to Quibble Town, and parties detached thence further towards the enemy.
Finding this disposition take place and expecting that elated by what had passed, we might be willing to venture upon a general engagement, which is Howe’s only hope, he came out with his whole army from Amboy early on thursday morning and made a forced march towards our left, with design, if possible, to cut off some of our detachments, particularly one under Lord Stirling; and propably, if we were not expeditious in regaining the heights, to get there before us, by rapidly entering the passes on our left.
Lord Stirling’s party was near being surrounded; but after a smart skirmish with the enemy’s main body, made their retreat good to Westfield, and ascended the pass of the mountains back of the Scotch Plains. The other parties, after skirmishing on their flanks, came off to join the main body and take possession of the heights.
The enemy continued their march towards our left as far as Westfield, and there halted. In the meantime, it was judged prudent to return with the army to the mountains, lest it should be their intention to get into them and force us to fight them on their own terms.
They remained at Westfield ’till the next day, and perceiving their views disappointed have again returned to Amboy, plundering and burning as usual.
We had parties hanging about them in their return, but they were so much on their guard that no favourable opportunity could be found of giving them any material annoyance. Their loss we cannot ascertain; and our own, in men, is inconsiderable, though we have as yet received no returns of the missing.
I have no doubt they have lost more men than we, but unfortunately, I won’t say from what cause, they got three field pieces from us, which will give them room for vapouring, and embellish their excursion, in the eyes of those who make every trifle a matter of importance.
It is not unlikely they will soon be out of the Jersies, but where they will go next is a mere matter of conjecture, for as you observe, their conduct is so eccentric as to leave no certain grounds on which to form a judgment of their intentions.
British Account of the Battle of the Short Hills
This account of the Battle of Short Hills is from The History of the Origin, Progress and Termination of the American War, Vol. 1, by Charles Stedman (1794). He was a Loyalist who served in the British Army during the war. Please note that minor text corrections have been made, and spacing and section headings have been added to improve the readability.
Washington at Middlebrook
About the latter end of May, Congress was enabled to send supplies of men from the different provinces to General Washington, who, on receiving this large reinforcement, relinquished his encampment at Morristown and removed to a strong place, called Middlebrook. Here, it was not thought advisable to attack him, for his camp extended along several hills and was strongly fortified by intrenchments and artillery. In the front, the approach was difficult, on account of the natural strength of the ground.
Every movement of the British on the Brunswick hills was easily discernible, as also any operation that might be carried on in the intermediate space between Brunswick and Amboy. In his rear, General Washington had a plentiful country, from which he drew vast supplies; and he was enabled, if the situation of affairs should render such a step necessary, to secure a safe retreat over the Hudson and the Delaware rivers.
Howe Leaves New York
The tents and other necessaries, together with a fresh supply of troops, having at length arrived from England, at the beginning of June, the commander in chief (Howe) left New York and crossed over to the Jerseys, with an intention of opening the campaign immediately. The British troops were, as usual, greatly superior in point of number to the Americans.
Sir William Howe was thoroughly sensible of the impracticability of making an attack on General Washington in his present situation. He therefore made use of every possible effort to induce him to quit his position and to hazard an engagement.
The American general, however, easily penetrated into the designs of the commander in chief, and eluded them by his cool, collected, and prudent conduct.
Finding that all his endeavours hitherto to provoke him to battle were unsuccessful, General Howe resolved to adopt an expedient, which in part succeeded.
Howe Retreats
On the nineteenth of June, he suddenly retreated from his situation in front of the enemy, with marks of seeming precipitation. He ordered the whole army to relinquish Brunswick and retire to Amboy. This maneuver deceived the Americans, who, in several large bodies, under the command of generals Maxwell and Conway, and Lord Stirling, pursued them.
Americans Pursue
Howe suffered himself to be pursued to some distance. He threw a bridge over the channel that separates Staten Island from the continent, over which he passed his heavy baggage and a small number of men. General Washington, conceiving this retreat to be real, immediately relinquished his encampment on the hills and removed to a place called Quibble Town, in order to be able to co-operate with that part of his army which had been detached in pursuit of the British.
Howe Regroups
As soon as the British commander in chief had succeeded in drawing the American general from his fastnesses, he marched the English army back by different routes, in order to bring General Washington to an engagement, to cut off his advanced parties, and, if both those schemes should fail, to secure some passes in the mountains, which would reduce the Americans to the necessity of relinquishing their former encampment on the hills.
Cornwallis Attacks
For this last purpose, Lord Cornwallis was detached with a considerable body of troops. On the twenty-sixth of June, Cornwallis began his march, and about seven o’clock in the morning, fell in with an advanced body of the enemy, amounting in number to about three thousand, under the command of Lord Stirling and General Maxwell.
The Americans were strongly situated and well provided with artillery. The ardour, however, of the British troops was irresistible. After a furious attack, the enemy gave way on all sides and retreated with great precipitation. They were pursued as far as Westfield, when, on account of the intense heat of the day and the woods, Cornwallis thought proper to discontinue it.
In this action, the Americans lost two hundred men, killed and wounded, besides three pieces of brass cannon.
Washington Returns to the Mountains
Convinced of his error in removing to Quibble Town, General Washington immediately regained his station on the hills, and at the same time secured those passes, of which it was in the contemplation of Lord Cornwallis to have possessed himself.
Howe Withdraws from New Jersey
Sir William Howe, being now sensible that every scheme of bringing the Americans to an engagement would be unattended with success, resolved to retire from the Jerseys. Accordingly, on the twenty-eighth of June, he returned with the army to Amboy, and on the succeeding day crossed over to Staten Island.
