McHenry:
22d. Gen. Dickinson writes that the enemy advance -- That he is at
the draw bridge 4 miles below Trenton, and preparing for a vigorous defense
of that post. -- The enemy's superiority in horse making it impossible
for our handful of calvary to stand their ground.
Genl. du Portail, Engineer, ordered forward to reconnoitre a position
near Princeton.
Sourland hills and Rocky hill reported by the Engineer. The nearest
part of the former chain of hills 5 miles distant from Princetown -- running
in a direction of North by East. Rocky hill has advantage in point of water.
-- The roads of retreat from Sourland must be opened towards Aimwel road
-- the country rocky and difficult.
The army cross Coryels. General Lee reconnoiters a position about 6
miles from the ferry."
Letter to Washington from Lee:
(dated June 22, 1778 Camp.) Dr. General, About eleven miles from Head
Quarters and eight miles from this Camp is a most admirable position for
the whole Army either in two or one line -- it's left is cover'd by the
Stony Brook, its front Clear, excepting to the front of the right where
is a strong wood and mill dam where it will be proper to throw a Brigade
-- a strong Brigade or two shou'd occupy likewise a
Wood on the right -- it's situation is high and commanding -- the ground
dry and good -- it is well watered having besides Stoney Brook on the left
-- a large Rivulet in the front-another in the rear -- it commands likewise
both the roads to Princeton that by Pennytown and that inclining to Hopewell
meeting house." (thanks John Fabiano!)
Petrie:
"... On this third stay at the Ferry he was lodged with Richard Holcombe
at what is still known as Washington's Headquarters on North Main Street.
Reference has already been made to the bill presented by him to Washington
at this time."
Gallagher:
"When the soldiers again took up their line of march, it was through
a valley, between tow heavily timbered hills. That valley is now
known as "The Hook." The road was at the foot of the north hill,
crossed "Swan's Creek," then ascended the "Old Saw-mill Road" to the high
ground, or "Farmer's Highway," which was a steep ascent. Following
this route the army reached "Hopewell," where they again rested...."
"The statement regarding the army while here is unquestionalbly correct,
as the writer heard it from the lips of an aged man--the son of Captain
George Coryell, and grandson of Emanuel, at whose house some of the officers
were entertained, he being at the time a lad presumably twelve or fourteen
years of age."
[NOTE: What is "the statement regarding the army while here"?
It could be either the apple orchard encampment (see June 21) or the march
via The Hook, or both. The Hook statement is closer to this sentence,
but is it "regarding the army while here"? See the next excerpt!]
Petrie:
"Miss Sarah Gallagher in her booklet...
states that "from the lips of the son of Capt. George Coryell" she was
told that the men were encamped after crossing, on June 22nd, in an orchard
on the northeast corner of Bridge and Union Streets (site of A& P Store).
Furthermore, that some of the staff officers inclusing Maj. Gen. Green
and Maj. Anthony Wayne were quartered at his home, he bing a boy of fourteen
at the time. This would be the house which stood where the Episcopal
Church now stands (No.3 on map I)
" After a council of war
lasting two hours, held by Washington under an old apple tree in the rear
of his headquarters, the troops set forth toward Hopewell. The line
of march was up Quarry Street to the first bridge across Swan Creek, across
this bridge and then a left tun up the Old Saw Mill Road (Brunswick Ave.).
On reaching the top of the hill the road then became known as the Farmers
Highway or as we now term it, the Brunswick Pike. The road led directly
to Hopewell..."
[Petrie is mistaken, since the Brunswick Pike did not exist, nor did its route. Gallagher explains the location of "Old Saw Mill Road, seemingly along Stymest Road, rather than Brunswick Avenue. We don't have other written records of the "Farmers Highway" or its route, though it is said to be a common knowledge in Lambertville.]
Ege:
"During Washington's march from Cryell's Ferry to Hopewell June 22,
1778, a detachment of the army (cavalry doubtless) came over the old Bungtown
road, and four of the soldiers became so ill on reaching John Snook's [on
the modern Woodsville Road] ... that they were taken in there and cared
for. Two of them recovered, but the others died, and were buried
in a corner of a field southwest of the house.
" When the old turnpike [Route 518] was located,
it passed directly over the graves of these two old patriots, whose last
resting places should have been too sacred to be thus desecrated.
The location of the graves is in the middle of the road just opposite the
west end or Mr. Daniel Stout's garden, about two and a half miles west
of the [Hopewell] Borough." p 258
[see also Wild's Journal]
Jim Luce:
It looks as if we could put up a sign on the Hunterdon-Mercer border
just above Woodsville to the effect that the army passed by this spot,
and that it probably marked the point where the now defunct Bungtown Rd
from Lambertville joined the Woodsville-Marshalls Corner Rd (aka the Malayelick
Trail)..
By the way, important for the Bungtown Rd. problem is the 1844 survey map of that part of the Mt. Airy-Harbourton Rd. (601) that runs between Rts. 179 and 518. ...This survey shows an "Old Rock Road" branching off a bit south of Rock Road proper. This may be the Bungtown Rd. which went to James Brooks house on the county border, following pretty much the Coxe line [Hunterdon-Mercer County Lines]. But if the army did take the Bungtown Rd., why didn't it take it all the way to Hopewell? ( Might the rains have made the Stony Brook crossing difficult where Bungtown would have to cross it, but the Marshalls Corner crossing was better?)
<< this assumes that the entire "Bungtown Road" existed at the time. The area east of 601 is very wet.>>
For
an area map, click here.
Thoughts on Lee's Mill Reference:
The Lee distances don't agree with McHenry's.
McHenry says that Lee is "6 miles from the ferry", but Lee says 8 and 11
miles.
The understanding of the place that Lee is talking
about requires understanding some of McHenry's logic. Both men assume
that the enemy will attack from the south, so flanks are indicated as defense
against an attack by British troops coming north from Trenton.
.
The "Stoney Brook" referred to in Lee as 'on the
Left' means that the brook is east of the camp, I believe.
The statement:
" its front Clear, excepting to the front of the right where is
a strong wood and mill dam where it will be proper to throw a Brigade --
a strong Brigade or two shou'd occupy likewise a Wood on the right -- it's
situation is high and commanding -- "
is confusing. I believe that it is a mix of several thoughts:
1) On the right, to the south, is a high area with woods, which should
have a strong brigade or two.
2) The mill dam (somewhere) should also have a brigade.
(note that the mill is probably NOT in the woods or to the front right,
otherwise the same brigade would guard both.)
This USGS map shows the area around Marshalls Corner, also
called Glenmoore or Moores Mill. The real Stony Brook (not the branch)
is on the left side, as Lee describes, and Pennington Mountain is on the
bottom-right (Lee's 'high and commanding' position). The Mill would
have been on the north-east corner of the map, near the road to Hopewell
Meeting House (red & white dashed line). Pennington is south.
The only thing missing described by Lee, is a road to Princeton, though
there is a road to Princeton leaving from the road to Hopewell Meeting
House.
This location is, perhaps, 8 miles from Lambertville
via the circuit route (via Ringoes). McHenry would have talked to
the bearer of the letter, who may have taken the Bungtown Road, a shorter
route, back to Lambertville. This may explain why Lee's distances
were off.
Note that Wild's
Journal says that Lee's Division was 3.5 or so miles from Coryell's
Ferry on the night of the 22nd. Woodsville is 7 miles from Lambertville.
This remains a mystery.
