Sussex County History Today: Battles with Sussex County engaged

We have spoken, as an overview, of how the Revolutionary War transpired from 1775 through 1783. We looked at major battles that took place. We will soon look at how our own Sussex County troops participated in some of the battles.

For the militia, there was, usually, the older men who would gather and make up the bulk of the militiamen. There were, though, younger men who would truly be “Minutemen,” as they would carry their muskets to their workplace—perhaps in a field mending stone or cutting wheat for the mill. If the warning rang out through church bells, a gunshot, or a distant smoky fire on a mountaintop, they would hurry to the appointed mustering place.

What battles were the 2nd regiment of Sussex County, N.J., engaged in during the Revolutionary War? Because Sussex County was a frontier region at the time, the regiment was unique in that it had to split its focus between major Continental Army campaigns and protecting local settlements from frontier raids.

Here are some of the major engagements or campaigns that our locals were involved in.

The Battle of Long Island (August 1776): As part of Heard’s Brigade, members of the Sussex militia were sent to New York. They faced the overwhelming force of the British landing and were part of the difficult retreat across Brooklyn.

The Battle of White Plains (October 1776): After the retreat from New York City, the regiment saw action as Washington attempted to keep the British from cutting off his supply lines in Westchester County.

The Battle of Quinton’s Bridge (March 1778): The regiment was active during the “foraging wars” in South Jersey, where they engaged British and Loyalist forces attempting to seize supplies for the occupied city of Philadelphia.

The Battle of Monmouth (June 1778): This was one of the regiment’s most significant engagements. Under Colonel Hankinson, the 2nd Sussex provided support and participated in the massive heat-exhausting struggle against Sir Henry Clinton’s retreating army.

The Battle of Springfield (June 1780): The Sussex militia helped repel the last major British attempt to invade the New Jersey interior and reach the Continental stores at Morristown. Their knowledge of the local terrain was instrumental in holding the bridges.

While the battles above were formal engagements, a large portion of the 2nd Regiment’s service was spent in “Frontier Guard” duty along the Delaware River.

Minisink Campaign (1779): Following the Battle of Minisink (where many Sussex men fought and died), the 2nd Regiment was frequently called out to man the forts and blockhouses along the Delaware to protect against Joseph Brant’s raids and Loyalist incursions.

The “Mud Rounds”: Much of their service involved short-term monthly rotations, marching to places like Elizabeth, Perth Amboy, or the Hudson Highlands to man defensive lines when the British threatened a move out of New York City.