Celebrating America 250
June 7th, 1780 - The Battle of Connecticut Farms
In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, the Historical Committee of Connecticut Farms Church would like to share a brief history of the Battle of Connecticut Farms Church on its 246th anniversary.
War comes to New Jersey
The Revolutionary War had been ongoing since 1775. Our little farming community of Connecticut Farms, (now the present-day town of Union), would surely be suffering from the hardships of wartime. General George Washington was encamped in Morristown, New Jersey through the winter of 1779-1780. Washington’s army constructed over 1,000 log cabins in preparation for the winter at the famous Jockey Hollow encampment just south of Morristown. That winter was oneof the worst in recorded NJ history, including over a dozen snowstorms. His army of around 2,000 men was falling apart from illness, starvation, and desertion.
Repelling a British Advance
The British were encamped on Staten Island for that same winter and were gathering information about Washington’s status from locals. This intel led the British to believe that Washington and his men were sick of the war and would most likely surrender if confronted by a strong military force. Early on the morning of June 7th 1780, the British crossed the strait between Staten Island and New Jersey landing in Elizabeth. Their goal was to march to Morristown and capture Washington and his troops to definitively end the American Revolt. A Continental Army lookout spotted the British advance and alerted the town of Connecticut Farms so that the local soldiers could ready themselves. The British and Continental Armies clashed on the road just outside of the front entrance to the Church, what is now Stuyvesant Avenue. The local Continental militia was able to stop the momentum of the British advance, leading to them withdrawing from New Jersey entirely and returning to Staten Island. As the British retreated, they pillaged and burned every building, home, and barn in the surrounding communities, including the original Connecticut Farms Church sanctuary. Everything that could be carried away was taken by the British to bolster their stockpile of supplies.
Reverend James Caldwell was the pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Elizabeth during the Revolutionary War. He was extremely outspoken against the authority of King George over the colonies. Caldwell's church in Elizabeth had been burned by the British, so he moved his family into the parsonage of Connecticut Farms Church. The Reverend’s wife, Hannah Caldwell, was shot and killed by a British soldier through the window of that parsonage as the British ransacked the town. That former parsonage is now the Caldwell Parsonage museum located on Caldwell Avenue in Union, and is the headquarters of the Union County Historical Society. The killing of Hannah Caldwell became a rallying cry during the Battle of Springfield, which occurred just 16 days later on June 23rd, 1780. The Battle of Springfield once again kept the British from advancing on Washington’s forces encamped in Morristown.
Rebuilding a Community
June 7th in Union County is a day to remember those brave local soldiers that fought so bravely and lost so much. If it were not for their ability to stop the British advance at both the Battles of Connecticut Farms & Springfield, the American Revolution may have had a very different outcome.
In 1788, one year after the signing of the US Constitution, the modern Connecticut Farms Church sanctuary was constructed on the same site as the original sanctuary that had been erected in 1730. The congregation of Connecticut Farms Church is active to this day in the town of Union, and we would love you to visit us and be immersed in a faithful and historic community.
If you'd like to learn more about the history of our church, click HERE!
Worship service is every Sunday 11:00am-12:00pm
[Summer Sundays in July & August: 10:00am-11:00am]
