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The Continental army wintered at Morristown.
Col. Levi Pawling commanded troops stationed in the Clove.
In March the British launched a two pronged attack into Bergen County. One unit landed at Weehawken, proceeded to Little Ferry and then to Hackensack where they burned the courthouse and several other buildings and captured many rebel sympathizers. The other unit landed at Closter, went through Pascack (Woodcliff Lake) and Werimus (Saddle River), and approached Paramus where a contingent of Pennsylvania troops was stationed. The British with 300 men scattered the defending Pennsylvania unit. However, as the British were returning toward New York, the Pennsylvania soldiers harassed them along the route to New Bridge and to the crossing of the Hudson
In April the British launched another attack into the same area. A cavalry unit landed at Bergen Point and marched north to meet in the English Neighborhood (Leonia) an infantry unit that had crossed the Hudson at Fort Lee. This 700 man combined force of British, German and Loyalist soldiers scattered a small rebel militia unit at New Bridge. They then overran a picket of Continental soldiers stationed at the bridge over the Saddle River just below the Paramus Church. At Hopperstown (Ho-Ho-Kus) they beat back a Pennsylvania regiment after a sharp but short fight. They then plundered the area, but again were harassed by patriot fighters on their march from Paramus to Fort Lee.
The posting of troops at Paramus, according to Washington, was primarily for intercepting trade with the enemy in New York City.
The British and Loyalists in May built a blockhouse at Bull’s Ferry (Guttenberg) as a base for attacks by Loyalists into Bergen County - to Closter, New Bridge and Schraalenburgh (Bergenfield).
In May the Marquis de Lafayette road through the Clove to Morristown to announce to Washington that a major French force would arrive at Newport, Rhode Island to support the patriot war effort.
Washington then decided to move his Continentals toward the Hudson for a possible assault on New York City. These troops proceeded to Whippany and on June 26 marched down Valley Road and camped in Ramapaugh (Mahwah). They remained there until July 1. This army then moved to Col. Dey’s in Preakness (Wayne).
A large force of French troops arrived in Newport on July 10.
However, Washington and the French officers were unable to develop a joint military operation for 1780. The Continentals then through August and September kept on the move through Orange and Bergen counties - including Liberty Pole (Englewood), English Neighborhood, Tenafly, New Bridge, Hackensack, and Steenrapie (New Milford). During this time the soldiers foraged throughout the area for food
Gen. Wayne with 1,800 troops on July 21 attacked the British blockhouse at Bull’s Ferry (Guttenberg), but failed to dislodge the defenders. Then in late summer the British evacuated this fortification, burned it and moved to Fort Delancey in Bergen Neck
During this time British officer Maj. John Andre was arranging for Gen. Benedict Arnold to surrender West Point to the enemy. The plot was discovered in late September, Arnold escaped, but Andre was captured. He was tried and hung at Tappan on October 2. The British did not get West Point.
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Residents in Bergen
County continued to feel vulnerable to attacks from the British and the Tories.
Not only did they expect continued encroachments, but they knew that the enemy
had detailed information from neighboring Loyalists on all rebel troop locations
and of every house inhabited by a supporter of the rebel cause, and they had
guides who could point out these houses to the invading British.
We learn from preserved British records from February 1780 that the wife of a British soldier who had come through Paramus and to New York City reported:
that the regiment that has laid at Paramus for some time past was relieved a few days ago by another consisting of between two and three hundred men, that they have guards at Hendrick Zabriskie’s and the widow Ackerman’s, on the road from Paramus Church to New Bridge, also another guard at a fulling mill to the eastward of the church. This being the case, they are open and exposed on every side but their front. (AZ to Tyron, Feb. 5, 1780, British Transcripts LC)
AZ, a Loyalist agent, reported in the same month to British Maj. Gen. William Tryon, commander of provincial troops in the New York/New Jersey area:
The best guide there can possible be is Stephen Ryder, who may be depended upon. Theunis Blauvelt, a very enterprising, discreet and good young man, is perfectly acquainted from here to Wagaraw, but Ryder can find the most proper persons whenever they may be required.....They could [capture] there...between two hundred and two hundred fifty....Meanwhile I can furnish you with a map of the roads that lead to Paramus by the routes I have described. (AZ to Tyron, Feb. 6, 7, 1780, British Transcripts LC).
Consequently, also in February 1780, residents of the Hackensack area wrote to Gen. Philip Schulyer asking for Continental troops to give them protection.
We...magistrates, sheriff and officers of militia...residing at Hackensack and its vicinity...make application to you for a detachment or party from your command to assist in protecting us and our neighbors, the well-affected inhabitants to the American cause against the incursions and depredations of small parties of the enemy and their vile abettors, the Refugees.
We are credibly informed that the enemy have in contemplation to make an attack and incursion on the inhabitants of Hackensack within five days...The well-affected inhabitants, though willing to risk their persons in defense of their property, are too few in number...for the purpose of repelling the enemies’ parties or keeping up continual guards and scout for their security. (Varick to Schuyler, Feb. 10, 1780. Schuyler Papers NYPL).
Patriot reinforcements were sent to Paramus, but not to Hackensack. In late March 1780 the British did conduct another attack into Bergen County. A detachment was sent to Hackensack.
The British Captain Thorn ordered his men to attack every house that should be pointed out to them by the guides and refugees, and here to remain until the detachment returned from Paramus, and I have the pleasure to inform your excellency that the plan had the desired effect, the militia and the inhabitants being catched in their beds.(McPherson Report, March 23, 1780, HC Papers CL)
Meanwhile at Paramus the rebel troops, in the face of the British attack on their position, fled according to the British report, retreated according to the rebel report. The British further stated:
as our soldiers had been greatly fatigued with a march of near eighteen miles, after pursuing them a mile and a half and taking twenty prisoners, as I found nothing more could be effected, ordered the men back to Paramus Bridge. (Howard to Matthews, March 24, 1780, HC Papers CL)
The rebel report further stated:
As soon as the enemy found their intentions were frustrated, they seemed more disposed to plunder than pursue us and immediately commenced their retreat from the church down the Hackensack road, plundering indiscriminately (Stuart to Washington, March 25, 1780, GW Papers LC)
In April 1780 a British force of some 600 men attacked a Pennsylvania regiment with 250 men at Hopperstown (Ho-Ho-Kus) and scattered them. It was reported by the patriots that the people of Hopperstown suffered casualties and losses during this attack:
The enemy, agreeable to their usual mode of procedure plundered and burnt the house and mill of Mr. John Hopper and that of his brother’s. In the former the family of Mr. Abraham Brasher lived...The commanding officer being requested by Mrs. Brasher on her knees to spare the house, he damn’d her, and bid her begone, declaring they all deserved to be bayoneted. They made their boast, that as Major Byles did not present the hilt of his sword in front when surrendering, they shot him. (4 NJA (2) 379, 380).
The Continental Army spent much of the summer and fall of 1780 in Bergen County seeking to block a British move on the Hudson Highlands and also seeking an opportunity to attack New York City. While in the county they did much foraging.
When the troops were at Tappan, Justice John Haring of that place wrote Washington stating that his neighbors were filled with apprehension of being brought to a starving condition:
...Cornfields, buckwheat, orchards, meadows, etc. etc. are laid waste, and we know not where it will end. (19 GW 358n; 19 GW 358)
When the troops of Generals Greene and Lafayette were in Teaneck and Leonia and further south in the county, Washington ordered a thorough forage:
Such are the necessities of the army, and such the situation of the inhabitants, being all within the power of the enemy, that you will make the forage as extensive as possible in the articles of hay and grain, as well as in cattle, hogs and sheep fit for slaughter; and horses fit for the use of the army. (19 GW 431m 432)
Gen. Nathanael Greene reported:
There has been committed some of the most horrid acts of plunder by some of the Pennsylvania Line that has disgraced the American army during the war....Two soldiers were taken that were out upon the business, both of which fired upon the inhabitants to prevent their giving intelligence. A party plundered a house yesterday in sight of a number of officers, and even threatened the officers if they offered to interfere. (Nathanael Greene to Washington, Aug. 26, 1780, GW Papers LC).
An patriot officer wrote:
The country between us and the enemy (Bergen County), and below him, has been pretty thoroughly gleaned by us of the little the enemy left there. We call this foraging, but it is only a gentle name for plundering. (Shaw Journal 76).
When the Continental troops were at Schraalenburgh (Bergenfield), Maj. John Goetschius reported to Washington:
The wicked and inconsiderate soldiery (were) entirely destroying the Schraalenburgh neighborhood....They have within this three days robbed the inhabitants of Schraalenburgh neighborhood of five or six head of cattle, a number of sheep, hogs and fowl, and almost all their corn, potatoes and other vegetables, and in a violent manner abuse the well-affected in this place, running about with clubs and bayonets upon pikes by whole companies as bad as our enemies ever have done. (Goetschius to Washington, Sept. 30, 1780, GW Papers
Aaron Burr and Theodosia Prevost engaged in extended correspondence that included a recognition of that their friendship was causing much scandal.
