Timeline of Events at New Bridge in the American Revolution

Timeline of Events at New Bridge in the American Revolution. 11 Engagements Throughout the War. , British close the Port of Boston in response to Boston Tea Party, Mar 25. , 1st Continental Congress is called in response to the Intolerable Acts, Oct 20, 1774. , Jan Zabriskie and Annetje Ackerman enlarge the 1752 house in 1767. He dies; house, farm and mill go to his son John, Sr., Oct 1774., 1775 , First shots fired Battle of Lexington and Concord, MA, Apr 19. , Battle of Bunker Hill, MA, June 17. , George III rejects the proposal for recognition of American rights and declared colonies to be in open rebellion, Aug 23. , Bergen County has citizens who remain loyal to the crown including New Bridge residents Jan Zabriskie and Andrew Van Buskirk., 1776 , Paine publishes Common Sense, Jan. , John Zabriskie resigns as lieutenant colonel of the Bergen Militia, Jun 29. , Declaration of Independence by Continental Congress, Jul 4. , Severe defeats at the Battles of Long Island and White Plains, Aug-Nov. , Cornwallis and 5,000 British troops climb 425 ft up the Palisades with plans to attack 3,000 troops at Fort Lee, Nov 20. , Washington meets the troops and General Greene vicinity of the Liberty Pole, (Englewood) Nov 20. , Washington leads the troops across New Bridge, Nov 20. , Thomas Paine describes these events including New Bridge in The American Crisis, Dec 23. , British troops under Major General Vaughan attack the American rear guard and seize the New Bridge, killing, wounding or capturing the detachment posted there, Nov 21. , Abraham Van Buskirk of New Bridge raises the 4th Battalion, NJ Volunteers for service with the British, Nov 21. , Continental brigades under Generals Heath and Parsons and NY Militia General Clinton plunder Loyalist properties from Paramus to Hackensack to Bergen Woods including ones of Zabriskie and Van Buskirk Dec 15-20., 1777 , Steuben offers his services to Ben Franklin and Silas Deane. At Valley Forge, he trains the ragged, starving army into an effective fighting force. His training manual remains a reference for military training. , Major Samuel Hayes of Newark and soldiers arrest “disaffected persons” including Jan Zabriskie, Sr., who is imprisoned at Morristown. On August 10, he takes an oath to New Jersey and is released. , Sir Henry Clinton forages Bergen and Essex Counties with over 2,000 British troops, including some stationed at New Bridge. Aaron Burr leads 30 Continental soldiers from Ramapo to the British guard at the New Bridge school house of Robert Timpany, Sept 12-16., 1778 , French-US alliance signed in Paris, Feb 6. , Steuben trains army at Valley Forge, Spring. , 6,000 British troops forage in Bergen County. Gen. Charles Grey leads 1,550 of these troops from New Bridge to attack 120 Continental Cavalry at River Vale under Col. George Baylor. 12 are killed. Capt. John André includes description and map in his journal, Sep 23-Oct 15., 1779 , New Bridge is occupied by British troops under Capt. Patrick Ferguson in an unsuccessful attempt at the garrison of Paramus, May 17-18. , Americans capture Stony Point, NY, July 16. , Major Henry Lee leads American troops from New Bridge to attack British earthworks at Raid on Paulus Hook/Jersey City, Aug 19. , Steuben writes Benjamin Franklin how effective his bayonet training was for soldiers at Stony Point and Paulus Hook, Sept 28., 1780 , Bergen Militia and Continental troops attack 600 British troops and German auxiliaries at New Bridge, Mar 23. , 312 British forces attacked and overwhelm Americans at New Bridge outpost, Apr 16. , 300-400 British attack, retreat with 10 dead, May. , British Brigade of Guards “some loss” possibly killed and wounded by friendly fire in the Steuben House, New Bridge, May 30. , General Wayne leads troops from New Bridge on a raid against the Bull’s Ferry Blockhouse, July 21. , Washington makes his headquarters here during Steenrapie Encampment, with 14,000 men, Sept 4-17. , Gathering for the Council of War on Sept 6, 1780. The generals hear of losses at the Battle of Camden, SC. , Washington accompanies Gen. Enoch Poor’s body from Brower Hill/New Bridge to Hackensack for burial, Sept 8. , Hamilton writes a desperate letter to Laurens, Sept 12. , Gen. Benedict Arnold escapes but Capt. John André is hung in Tappan as a spy, Oct 2,, 1781 , Jan Zabriskie is commissioned a Captain of Guides by the British, Feb. , Ratification of the Articles of Confederation, Mar 1. , The Zabriskie-Steuben House is confiscated from the Jan Zabriskie family. , 20 Loyalist cavalry under Capt. John Miller capture 3 Demarest militiamen on the New Milford side of New Bridge, Jul 27 , British surrender forces under Cornwallis, Oct 19., 1782 , Washington moves HQ to Newburgh, NY, Apr 1. , Loyalist troops evacuate post at Bergen Point, now known as Bayonne, Oct., 1783 , Treaty of Paris, formally ends the war, Sept 3. , Abraham Van Buskirk and family resettle in Shelburne, Nova Scotia with other Loyalist families in the area. , NJ presents the confiscated Zabriskie House to Major-General Baron von Steuben in appreciation for his services in the war, on condition he “hold, occupy and enjoy the said estate in person, and not by tenant.” Dec 23., 1788 , Steuben restores the war-damaged Zabriskie-Steuben House. , Deeply in debt by 1788, he advertises the house for sale, “long-noted as the best stand for trade in the State of New Jersey. Large well-built stone house, thoroughly rebuilt lately; a grist mill with two run of stone . . . ” and “Walker and Hamilton are my Administrators.” , Steuben’s aide-de-camp Capt. Benjamin Walker is in business at New Bridge with John Zabriskie, Jr. Zabriskie purchased his ancestral home from Steuben, Dec 1788.