The Pluckemin Artillery Academy

Before the Academy at West Point, There Was Pluckemin

Move over West Point. There are some historians that believe that before the famed United States Military Academy was established by President Thomas Jefferson's signed legislation in 1802 there was an earlier artillery training facility in Pluckemin New Jersey. Yes - New Jersey!

While West Point's training at the site goes back to 1794, there was an earlier army training academy established in 1778, nestled in the Somerset Hills behind the second Watchung Mountain in Pluckemin, New Jersey. While the Pluckemin Academy no longer stands and was only operational from October 1778 thru June 1779, historians are uncovering evidence that Pluckemin was in fact home to America's first military training academy.

General Knox

General Henry Knox had seen the need for more than an educated officer corps and he had been asking for one since the before the war began. He felt equally committed to standardizing and upgrading the performance of the enlisted men. John Seidel, archeologist and historian wrote in 1982; "To this end he (General Knox) ordered that from April 16, 1779 on a line of 16 fieldpieces was to be maneuvered in the field to a new order of fife and drum commands which he had composed. The men were to practice this for two hours each day until thoroughly familiar with it and then to continue to practice until the Army was again ready to take up active campaigning."

Below is a mock up of an actual drawing from what is now known as the Pluckemin Artillery Cantonment, now recognized on both the State of New Jersey and National Historic Registries as one of America's great revolutionary war areas.

The drawing was created by Captain John Lillie late 1778 or early 1779.

John Lillie was Captain in November 1778, and was also the Continental Army's Commander of the 12th Company, 3rd Regiment. Lillie was also later the "aide-de-camp" to General Knox. The original drawing is currently in the position of the National Park Service at the Morristown National Historical Park.

Officer Classes & Academy Drilling

General Knox had hired Christopher Calles, a European-trained engineer and scientist. as Conductor of Military Stores. However, Christopher's main function was to serve as "Preceptor of the Academy," which all officers up to the rank of Major were to expected to attend military training six days a week. Classes are said to have begun on March 1, 1779 and continued at least into the middle of June 1779, when the Artillery moved alongside the Continental Army and moved northward to continue the revolutionary war campaign in New York. This was the first time Henry Knox placed an officer educational requirement for all of his artillery officers.

Officer hut example (see image left)

How long the lectures continued after this have not been confirmed. There is evidence that Calles also hired a number of Assistant Conductors who were young men waiting for their commissions as junior artillery officers to be sent forward for approval to the Board of War. These men went with Calles wherever he moved and presumably received ongoing instructions from him. Historians have noted that it is possible that because of the officer training, the Continental Artillery was more effective in its later campaigns and led to the successful artillery bombardment and eventual surrender at Yorktown.

What is unique to this story and quite amazing was the physical construction of of the academy facility itself. Go to any of the other cantonment or encampment sites like Valley Forge the year before, Morristown the year after, or even Middlebrook the same year, and there was no other facility built to the likes of the Academy at the Pluckemin Cantonment.

While no structures remain at the site today, historians continue to uncover bits and pieces of information from diaries, letters, and documents identifying fascinating insights to the Academy's design and structure. The most notable Academy reference was reported in the Pennsylvania Packet in mid-1779 when the Pluckemin Academy played host to the "Grand Alliance Ball".

Drill Activity

Knox had seen the need for more than an educated officer corps and he had been asking for one since the before the war began. He felt equally committed to standardizing and upgrading the performance of the enlisted men. John Seidel wrote in 1982 "To this end he ordered that from April 16, 1779 on a line of 16 fieldpieces was to be maneuvered in the field to a new order of fife and drum commands which he had composed. The men were to practice this for two hours each day until thoroughly familiar with it and then to continue to practice until the Army was again ready to take up active campaigning.

Additional Information:

• The Grand Alliance Ball - Click Here
• United States Military Academy, West Point, New York - Click Here
• General Henry Knox, Secretary of War, Commander of the Artillery
• Wikipedia - The Pluckemin Artillery Cantonment Site - Click Here

Prepared by : Brooks Betz
Photos/Images by: Brooks Betz
Last Updated: April 2010