The Jacobus
Vanderveer House
General Henry Knox
Chief of Artillery for the Continental Army
THE REVOLUTION
During the American Revolution, the Somerset Hills were a hotbed of military activity. The area fell victim to British raids, saw the capture of American patriots and played host to a part of the Continental Army. Many of its citizens chose sides, fighting and dying for their beliefs.
For Bedminster Township, the most important chapter of the Revolutionary period was the winter of 1778-1779 when, on orders from Washington, Knox established in the village of Pluckemin an encampment for the Continental Artillery with 1,000 troops under his command.
The site chosen for the encampment was at the foot of the Second Watchung Mountain, secure from British attack and near the Jacobus Vanderveer House.HENRY KNOX
Henry Knox seemed to have been everywhere in the Revolution from the Boston Massacre to the British surrender at Yorktown. Best known for his heroic winter trek to Boston with artillery from Ticonderoga, Knox served with distinction in every major engagement of the war and later became Secretary of War. He is also remembered as the first commander of West Point and as the namesake of Fort Knox. Before the war, Knox was a bookseller in Boston, but was involved with the cause for American independence from the beginning of the Revolution in 1775. It was then that Knox met Washington who admired Knox's knowledge of artillery, and came to rely on him in all matters regarding that field of the military.
PLUCKEMIN ENCAMPMENT AND MILITARY ACADEMY
Henry Knox had some innovative ideas for improving the artillery. At Pluckemin, he put many of his theories to practice. The camp itself was an impressive site that attracted spectators from miles around. In addition to barracks for the enlisted men and separate quarters for the officers, the camp included an armorer's shop, a complete military forge and a laboratory. The most significant innovation, however, was the establishment of the first military academy in the country for the training of artillery and engineering officers, therefore becoming the forerunner to the Academy at West Point.
The barracks, buildings and academy at the Pluckemin encampment disappeared shortly after the end of the Revolutionary War. Since then, most of the site has been intensively developed. But in the late 1970s, the non-profit Pluckemin Archaeological Project sponsored a dig which recovered thousands of artifacts. Much
was learned about the Revolution from the project.
Detail from a buckle tip with a rare depiction of the first time the American Flag was seen on land
