~ A Crossroads Celebration ~
Battle of Bound Brook:
Washington's Army at Middlebrook 1777 ~ 1779
April 10th & 11th, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 12, 2010Media Contact Only: Rhonda Florian, 732-563-4807, floriangel1@comcast.netFor the public: 732-469-3198 or www.staatshouse.org Towns Rev Up For American Revolution The boom of the cannon and the crack of the musket will be heard on April 10-11 when the Battle of Bound Brook will be fought in the streets of Bound Brook and South Bound Brook. During Battle of Bound Brook 2010: Washington’s Army at Middlebrook 1777-1779, re-enactors and historians will bring the Middlebrook encampments of 1777–1779 to life. “This is a very exciting event,” said Tom Harabin, President of Friends of Abraham Staats House. “It makes history come alive when people can see the soldiers living their daily lives in the encampment just as they did when Washington’s army was here over 200 years ago.” Opening ceremonies for Battle of Bound Brook 2010 will begin at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 10 at the Old Stone Arch Bridge and will then be followed by street battles in Bound Brook and South Bound Brook. Soldiers, camp followers, and sutlers will be encamped at the Abraham Staats House in South Bound Brook Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Other weekend activities include historic house tours, lectures, demonstrations, presentations, a pasta dinner, and a pancake buffet breakfast. Harabin encouraged families to bring their children to the Battle of Bound Brook. “I think the kids love to see the soldiers drilling. Of course, they really get a kick out of seeing them fire the muskets and the cannon. And in the process, the kids are learning the history of our area!” The Abraham Staats House is located at 17 Von Steuben Lane, South Bound Brook. From Route 287 N or S, use Exit 10 to South Bound Brook. Von Steuben Lane is located off Route 527/Main Street. The street battle, encampment, grounds, and parking at Abraham Staats House are free to the public. Admission will be charged for lectures, house tours, pasta dinner, and pancake breakfast. For more information, visit www.staatshouse.org or call 732-469-3198.
Contacts:
South Bound Brook
SBB Historic Preservation Advisory Commission & The Friends of Abraham Staats House, Inc.
Tom Harabin: 732-469-3198
Kathy Ormosi: 732-356-4789
Brian & Kathy Faulks: 732-469-5836 (evenings)
Web site: http://www.staatshouse.org
Bound Brook
Linda Brnicevic
Bbcitizensgroup@aol.com
732-690-3438 (cell)
Event information: www.battleofboundbrook.org
Join us for an exciting and historic weekend April 10 – 11, 2010! The two-day program explores the American Revolutionary War during the timeframe of the Battle of Bound Brook and Middlebrook encampments, 1777 – 1779. Learn about and experience this important period in New Jersey’s and America’s history. Weekend activities include:
« 18th century Soldiers’ Encampment on the grounds of the Abraham Staats House, 17 von Steuben Lane, South Bound Brook, 08880. Come walk through camp and see what life was like for American and British troops during the time of the American Revolution.
« Historic house tours: The Abraham Staats House, with the original structure c. 1740, was home to the Staats family for nearly 200 years and served as the headquarters for George Washington’s “Drillmaster” Baron von Steuben.
« Lectures and presentations at the Abraham Staats House, throughout the weekend, include:
Collector Earl Becker offers a talk and display of his collection of trade beads and wampum (Sat. 2 pm.)
Eminent historian H. Kels Swan – presents "The Forage War of the Raritan Valley During the Winter and Spring of 1777" (Sunday, 12:30 pm.)
Noted historian and author Robert A. Mayers, author of "The War Man: The True Story of a Citizen-Soldier Who Fought from Quebec to Yorktown" (Sunday 1 pm).
Gary DePaolo, New Jersey Militia, Heard’s Brigade, portrays a surgeon of the Colonial era. Learn about medical practices of the 18th century and view surgical instruments used during that time. (Sunday 2-4 pm)
Tom Harabin, President, Friends of the Abraham Staats House, plays music of the Colonial Era (throughout the weekend.)
Saturday, April 10
10 AM ~ 5 PM Soldiers Encampment and historic Abraham Staats House, 17 von Steuben Lane, South Bound Brook, NJ, 08880 open to the public
10 AM Soldiers march down Main Street, South Bound Brook to the Old Stone Arch Bridge, site of the original Battle of Bound Brook in 1777. The bridge site is located on the Bound Brook side of the Queens Bridge, at the border of Bound Brook and Middlesex on Railroad Ave.
10:30 AM Ceremony and presentation at the historic Old Stone Arch Bridge, c. 1730, one of the oldest surviving stone bridges in New Jersey and a rare example of colonial highway engineering. Key speakers are slated to include Somerset County Freeholder and Cultural and Heritage liaison Patricia Walsh, Bound Brook Mayor Carey Pilato, and Historian Wayne Daniels.
11 AM Battle for the Old Stone Arch Bridge and the Queens Bridge in Bound Brook. Following the ceremony at the Old Stone Arch Bridge, the soldiers will battle north on South Main Street, Bound Brook to reenact a street battle. Battle ceases at the rotary and the troops march west on Main Street, Bound Brook to the Van Horn Plaza at the Historic Train Station
11 AM
11:15 AM Demonstration, drill, battle in the Van Horn Plaza at the Historic Train Station
11:30 ~ 12:15 PM Lunch for soldiers at at Mama Rosina’s, Bound Brook.
12:15 PM All troops return to South Bound Brook using sidewalk on Main Street and Queen's Bridge.
12:30 PM All troops initiate South Bound Brook street battle starting at Elm & Main St., (south end of Queen’s Bridge) battling back to Cherry Street.on Main Street and Queen's Bridge.
12:45 PM All troops form up and march in southbound lane of Main St. to von Steuben Lane.
1 PM Soldiers return to the Soldiers Encampment at the Abraham Staats House.
At the Soldier’s Encampment/Abraham Staats House:
Inside the Abraham Staats House: Special lectures, exhibits and tours inside the Abraham Staats House (Fee: $10 for adults & $5 for 18 years and under.)
2:00 PM Earl Becker, presentation on trade beads and wampum of the 18th century./font>
On the grounds of the Abraham Staats House (free):
1 ~ 5 PM Visit the living history American Revolutionary Soldiers Encampment at the Abraham Staats House c. 1740, (17 von Steuben Lane, South Bound Brook). Come see life as it existed for the soldiers, camp followers and others who lived the American past.
Living history demonstrations, soldiers drilling and practicing military tactics, sutlers (merchants) selling colonial goods, sewing, basket weaving and cooking, period music and refreshments at the camp. The soldiers will be drilling during the afternoon, just as they did 200 years ago (No fee for activities on outside grounds of the Abraham Staats House.)
5:00 PM Soldiers Encampment and Abraham Staats House closed.
4 PM ~ 8 PM Pasta Dinner: Eat with the troops at a great Pasta Dinner, available for purchase at the Fellowship Hall of the Reformed Church of Bound Brook in South Bound Brook (located in South Bound Brook, on Clinton Street) from 4:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. Live Music by Tom Harabin. Adults: $9, Seniors: $8, 5-12 years: $6, 4 and under: Free.
Sunday, April 11
7:30 AM – 12 Buffet Breakfast: South Bound Brook Firehouse Co. #1 Firehouse. Eat with the soldiers and colonial camp followers at the famous All-You-Can-Eat Sunday Buffet Breakfast at the Firehouse on Edgewood Terrace, available for purchase from 7:30 a.m. – 12 noon. Adults: $9, Seniors: $8; under age ten: $6, under age 5: free.
10 AM Flag Raising Ceremony~Abraham Staats House
10 AM ~ 4 PM Soldier's Encampment at Abraham Staats House open to public
12:30 PM H. Kels Swan: "The Forage War of the Raritan Valley During the Winter and Spring of 1777"
1:00 PM Lecture by noted historian and author Robert A. Mayers: Author of "The War Man: The True Story of a Citizen-Soldier Who Fought from Quebec to Yorktown". Robert Mayers has written an impressive history of the American Revolutionary War as it was fought from Quebec to Yorktown. With an exhaustive amount of research, he managed to retrace the footsteps of his great-great-great grandfather, a citizen soldier in the conflict, by researching numerous officially recorded documents. The description of these battles depicting the hardships endured and lives lost, gives the reader a renewed appreciation of, and respect for, those who gave so much of themselves so we could experience the freedoms we enjoy today.
2 - 4PM Soldiers Drills and Battle Demonstration on the grounds. Watch the American and British soldiers as they perform military maneuvers of the American Revolution.
2 ~ 4 PM Gary DePaolo, New Jersey Militia, Heard’s Brigade, Surgeon of the Colonial era. Learn about medical practices of the 18th century and view surgical instruments used during that time.
3 PM Battle Demonstration
4 PM Soldiers Encampment/ Abraham Staats House closed to public.
Directions: I-287, Exit 10, Rt. 527 (Easton Ave to South Bound Brook) to Von Steuben Lane (approx. 3/4 mile) Follow Von Steuben Lane to end, driveway entrance and parking for house.
Information: www.battleofboundbrook.org
About the Annual Battle of Bound Brook Weekend:
The annual Anniversary of The Battle of Bound Brook, launched in 2001, is a multi-community event created to raise pride and awareness in our area’s historic character and vital contribution to the American struggle for independence. The event also supports preservation of key Revolutionary War sites, including the Abraham Staats House in South Bound Brook and the historic Old Stone Arch Bridge in Bound Brook.
The Friends of Abraham Staats House, Inc. has received an operating support grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State. The weekend lectures have been funded, in part, by a grant from the Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission and Friends of Somerset County Culture & Heritage, Inc. The Abraham Staats House also receives support from the Borough of South Bound Brook, which owns and maintains the property.
Parking for events in South Bound Brook is available along Main Street and along public streets in the area of the Soldiers Encampment. Parking in Bound Brook is available throughout the town. Intermittent street closings are expected during the weekend in South Bound Brook and Bound Brook to accommodate the march of the soldiers.
Battle of Bound Brook Web sites: Visit www.battleofboundbrook.org and www.staatshouse.org for event schedules, information and updates.
ABOUT:
The Battle of Bound Brook and Middlebrook Encampments
On Sunday, April 13, 1777, a four-column force of 4,000 British Crown troops led by Lord Charles Cornwallis attacked a small American garrison of about 500 commanded by General Benjamin Lincoln and located in the town of Bound Brook. The objective: surround the town, capture the garrison and provisions located at this patriot stronghold and gain a foothold in the war against the American Revolutionary army. In the surprise attack, an advance column led by Hessian Jaeger scouts fighting for the British were pinned down by Colonial soldiers who put up a spirited resistance at the Old Stone Arch Bridge located near the Queens’ Bridge.
The skirmish bought precious time for the bulk of the American force in Bound Brook as British forces poured into the area. When a second column of 1,000 British soldiers charged over the Queen’s Bridge to attack, the Colonials retreated, escaping the trap. The American army regrouped in the area later in 1777, in a larger encampment called First Middlebrook. General George Washington’s army was also settled in the winter and spring of 1778-79 in a Second Middlebrook encampment, in the area of Bound Brook. Nearly 10,000 troops gathered at Middlebrook, with attendant artillery camps, hospitals, commissaries, post office, artificers, quartermasters stores, corrals and other military operations situated in nearby locations. General Washington and many of his officers stayed in homes in the area, near to the main encampment. General Baron Frederich von Steuben made his headquarters at the home of Abraham Staats in South Bound Brook, today known as the Abraham Staats House. www.battleofboundbrook.org
The Abraham Staats House
17 Von Steuben Lane, South Bound Brook
During the American Revolution, the house was owned by American patriot Abraham Staats, marked as an enemy of the Crown by the British. His family hosted General Baron Frederich von Steuben, drillmaster of the American Revolutionary Army, who used the house as headquarters during the Second Middlebrook encampment in the winter of 1778-79. Research indicates the earliest portion of the house dates from around 1738, with sections added around 1800 and 1840 by the Staats family, which owned the home for 200 years. Following the Battle of Bound Brook in April 1777, a retreating British column crossed the Staats’ property, taking items which Abraham later made claim as war damages. The home was the setting for visits by General George Washington and other key figures during the War. The Abraham Staats House was purchased by the Borough of South Bound Brook in 1999 for historic preservation. The South Bound Brook Historic Preservation Advisory Commission and Friends of the Abraham Staats House, Inc. are dedicated to preservation of the house, which has been placed on both the State and National Register of Historic Places.
This triple-arch bridge is one of the oldest surviving stone bridges in New Jersey and a rare example of colonial highway engineering. Construction of the bridge was authorized by the Legislature in 1730. It was probably built soon thereafter to span the Green Brook, a channel of the Bound Brook, and form part of a causeway that crossed a large area of marshy ground along the Bound Brook and Raritan River. The bridge played a significant role in the defense of Bound Brook during the Revolutionary War, and it is one of the few existing battlefield resources in New Jersey for which a first-hand action account exists. The diary of Hessian officer Johann von Ewald records the fighting along the causeway during the Battle of Bound Brook in April 1777. Made of locally quarried rough sandstone and shale, the bridge spans the boundary between Somerset and Middlesex counties and the boroughs of Bound Brook and Middlesex. Approximately 85 feet long and 33 feet wide, its remains are almost completely buried by fill on its north side; on the south side they are exposed above the top of the arches, including two large buttresses, one of which is relatively intact.
(Excerpt from “Preservation New Jersey: info@preservationnj.org )
The soldiers and camp followers will be living life in camp much as it would have been in 1777. Visitors may tour the camp, observe camp artifacts and equipment, and see how the troops of the American Revolution, British Crown and American forces, lived and view Camp Food Preparation, Military Training and Drills, Artillery and Small Arms Practice. Members of the reenactor’s units involved in the encampment are dedicated to recreating the history of the American colonial 18th century period through demonstrations, exhibits, lectures, encampments, and interpretations. Equipment used and clothing worn by members is authentic and documented. The men, women, and children who participate volunteer their time to recreate the lives of everyday people struggling for independence during the American Revolution. Members are encouraged to learn 18th century skills and strive for authenticity in their interpretations.
Participating Organizations/Internet Links:
Battle of Bound Brook Web site: www.battleofboundbrook.org
Friends of the Abraham Staats House: www.staatshouse.org
AMERICAN PATRIOTS FORCES
Host ~ 24th Connecticut Militia Regiment: www.24cmr.org/
Co-Host ~ New Jersey Milita Heard’s Brigade: www.newjerseymilitia.org/
Co-Host ~ Outwater’s Militia: www.outwatersmilitia.com/
Col. Ogden’s 1st NJ Regiment: www.1nj.org/
11th Pennsylvania Regiment: www.11thpa.org/
1st Battalion of NJ Volunteers mysite.verizon.net/valachovic2/home.html
Lamb’s Artillery: www.lambsartillery.org/
Morgan’s Rifles: www.brigade.org/barmem/american/morgans.html
Penn. State Regt/Donegal Twp. Riflemen: www.donegaltownshipriflemen.org/
BRITISH / LOYALISTS CROWN FORCES/strong> HHost - 1st New Jersey Volunteers: www.1njv.freeservers.com IV Battalion of NJ Volunteers, Capt S. Hayden’s Coy: rp_helge1776@yahoo.com 35th Regiment of Foot, Grenadier Company: the35thregiment@aol.com Infanterie-Regiment von Donop: http://www.vondonop.org/ Von Prueschenck’s Jaegers: www.feldjagercorps.org SUTLERSstrong> Fishhook Forge Lady Ellen’s Wears: www.ladyellens.com Mystical Peddler: Linda_Leppig@Medco.com Rancocas Merchants: sueted@bellatlantic.net Scarlet Scarab: www.scarletscarab.com/ Sunrise Trading Post: www.sunrisetradingpost.com Ye Colonial Sutler Shop
Copyright 2006-2010 Friends of the Abraham Staats House. All rights reserved. For additional information contact us at: info@staatshouse.org
