Greenman:
“this morn started very early pushed on 6 milds as far
as a small town cal’d Crambury ware we made a halt ware we heard
of the enemy being about 18 milds a head & the enemy a pushing on for
Sandy hook. hear we stayed three owers & drawed sum provision
our Division was order’d forrid under the Command of Genl Lee
we went about 6 milds & made a halt Sum very heavy Shower
of wrain & Thundr.”
(note, Greenman now follows Lee's path)
Dr. Adams:
".. the Armny proceeded on to Cranbury- a detachment sent off under
Gen'l Lee- lodged at a Mr. [Smock's?]"
McHenry:
"March to Cranberry, and hault 7 miles from Laurence's Farm.
-- A heavy rain. (Note: McHenry has Lee leaving on the 27th.)
William Willcocks: [With Lafayette at "Justice Anderson's"]
"They [The British Army] haulted about twelve Oclock, and proceed
no further till tomorrow, on account of it being a provisions day.
Their most advanced picket is a little beyond the Court house. General
Clinton Quarter’s in town....
"I cannot conclude with out observing that about three or four hundred
yards above the Mill at Cranburry, there turns off a road to the left leading
directly through what is commonly called the neighbourhood of Manalapan;
upon the Baggage of the line, which has Niphausen’s command in the
van. This road is good but not so wide as might be desired, through
a Country very friendly to our Cause."
Willcock talks of a road leaving to the left, about 1000 feet from the Cranbury mill. This is the distance from the mill south to Cranbury Station Road.
Greenman implies that he spent three hours in Cranbury, say, from 9 AM to Noon. He then left with Lee, going east. If Lee's column was on the road Wilcocks had described [that is, if they were already coming along Cranbury Station Road], why would Wilcocks bother to describe it? If, on the other hand, Lee had taken another road, say Prospect Plains Road or Half Acre Road, then Wilcocks's letter, telling Stirling that the Cranbury Neck Road was better, would be good guidance for Washington and Stirling.
I now suspect that Lee went on one of the northern routes, but it is likely that Wilcock's letter influenced the choice of route for Washington's main column.
Though the arrangement of Cranbury was changed greatly by it's
19th century prosperity, the old, obsolete road network remains (N. Main
St, Maplewood Ave.).
Lafayette, it seems, spent the night of the 25th
in Cranbury, and left town some time between "five o'clock [a.m.]" when
he wrote Washington from "Cranburry", and "quarter after seven [a.m.]"
when he was in "Hice Town" (Hightstown) [Gottshcalk, p49].
It is possible that Lafayette's men camped by the mill. Washington's main
army spent the night of the 26th there, Lee left 3 hours after arriving
(?).
The location of "Doctr Stiles" (sp?) house is on (South?)
Main Street. [Stites]
Where Washington's army camped is not explained
here.