The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1902-02-21

and mental suffering. At West Point,
upon the End of the preceding Octo-
Der, an elaborate plan of uniforms had
been adopted for the troops. Thus for
New York and New Jersey "blue
faced with buff, white lining and
buttons" was designated. The uni
forms to be worn by troops Of the
other states were also blue, the facing
differing White was designated
for the facings to be worn by the SOL
diers from New Hampshire, Massa-
chusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecti-
cut; red for Pennsylvania, Delaware
Maryland, and Virginia; blue for
North Carolina, South Carolina and
Georgia.
1t was not alone the lack of proper
military clothing that caused alarm.
For several weeks the army had been
on half allowance, the magazines
were exhausted, with no hope of re-
plenishing them, as the commissaries
were destitute of money or credit
The situation was no less critical
than it had been at Valley Forge.
Snow lay from four to six feet deep,
the roads were blocked, while in a
blizzard which swept over the coun-
try some of the soldierswere actually
covered while in their tents and
buried like sheep"
The soldiers were feeble from hun
ger and cold, unable to perform mill
tary duty or to construct huts. The
personal experience of General Wash
ington was scarcely less distressing.
Eighteen of his family were crowded
together in the kitchen of the Ford
House. "scarce one of them able to
speak for the colds they have
caught, while there was no provision
for cooking meals nor for lodging
servants.
To add to these discomforts the
country was flooded with counter
feited paper currency made by the
British in New York.
While Washington lay at Morris
town preparations were on foot in
New York to aid Mr.. Henry Clinton
in South Carolina. AS early as
Christmas, 1779, Admiral Arbuthnot
General Clinton, and Lord Cornwall
lis, with between five thousand and
six thousand troops, had left Sandy
Hook, and upon the 18th of April 1880,
second detachment of two thousand.
five hundred men sailed from that
city.
Camp at Morristown was broken
early in June, Washington having
moved his army to Short Hills, or the
Heights of Springfield, upon the 7th
Aside from the mutiny in Philadel-
phia. which in the early summer of
1878 drove Congress from Philadel-
phia to seek safety in Princeton. the
two most notable military revolts
in the history of the Revolution were
those which occurred in Morristown
in the winter of 1881. New Year s
day of that year marked mutiny
among the Pennsylvania troops sta
toned at Kimball Hill.
Following the example set by the
Pennsylvania men, it was upon the
Goth of January of the same year that
one hundred and sixty soldiers of the
New Jersey brigade left their huts at
Pompton and, according to contem-
porary newspaper account. proceeded
to Chatham under the direction of
the sergeants. Their demands were
similar to those of the Pennsylvania
troops, money or blood from Con-
gress. Instantly five hundred rank
and file Of the Massachusetts,, Connec-
ticut and New Hampshire lines, un-
der command of Major General
Robert Howe, were sent in pursuit,
with orders to grant no terms while
the revolted troops were with arms. {"
Before the arrival of General Howe
OAO AOSASAobANO OOA1lAloSlOu6I6 udu
consulted with the mutineers, result
ing in an adjustment, and the men
returned to their duty But upon the
way to, and after their arrival at their
huts,a few of the ringleaders, en-
couraged by emissaries from Sir
Harry, and perhaps by the too great
clemency of granting them a general
pardon, again became insolent and
mutinous.
The military execution of several
of the ringleaders and the presence
of General Washington effectually
destroyed the spirit of mutiny.
Thereafter every mark of penitence
and respect for order was manifested
by those who had offended. entire
order and subordination taking place
IN the brigade.