REVOLUTIONARY WAR SITES IN SCOTCH PLAINS, NEW JERSEY

Osborn Cannonball House
1840 Front St.
Map / Directions to the Osborn Cannonball House
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Website
(908) 212-1199

Hours: First Sunday of the month, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m., or by appointment

The Osborn Cannonball House Museum is maintained by the Scotch Plains - Fanwood Historical Society.
Their website explains the history of the house, and the Osborn family who lived here: [1]

"Two of the Osborn sons helped the infant country survive by enlisting in the Army when the Revolutionary War broke out.  John Baldwin the eldest, fought in the Revolution.  Son number two, Jonathan Hand, was only 16 when he joined the troops as a drummer boy.

"The eldest son, John Baldwin, who “bearded the British Lion under Washington”, had left his home on Front Street to live in a larger home (at 2117 Westfield Avenue) when he married Mary Darby in 1774.  While he served in the Army, his wife kept the home, cared for the children and became a heroine in her own right.

"In June, 1777, following the Battle of Shirt Hills fought near Ash Swamp in Scotch Plains, the American Army retreated before British General Sir William Howe and headed toward the safety of the Watchung Mountains.  The Soldiers were ' …in great destitution, some being without tents, blankets, shoes or provisions and under the utmost depression of sprits'.  Young Mary Osborn, heart-sick at the plight of the men, immediately '…exerted herself with patriotic zeal to supply their wants, and gave for that purpose everything eatable or wearable that her house afforded'.

"Ironically, at approximately the same time Mary was helping our cause, a Colonial artilleryman fired his cannon in the direction of the oncoming British who were marching down Park Avenue.  The shot was misdirected and thudded into the side of the Osborn house.  From then on the townspeople referred to the house as the Cannonball House."

Frazee House
1451 Raritan Road
Map / Directions to the Frazee House
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www.frazeehouse.org

The Frazees fed the militia troops under Captain Littell in February 1777. [2]

British troops entered and plundered the Frazee house during the Battle of Short Hills on June 26, 1777. [3]

Battle of the Short Hills Monument
1210 Raritan Road
Entrance of the Ash Brook Golf Course
Map / Directions to the Battle of the Short Hills Monument
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The Battle of the Short Hills Monument is located at the entrance of the Ash Brook Golf Course.

The Monument has several plaque with information about the battle, including:

"On the 26th of June in 1777 Washington's continental forces of under 6,000 men fought a running battle on the plains below the Watchung Mountains with the combined British and Hessian troops numbering 12,000.
Early on that Thursday morning the British, under the command of Gen. William Howe, after feigning a departure from New Jersey, suddenly at midnight began to march upon the rebel army th ld) and the outposts in The Short Hills and Ash Swamp (Scotch Plains) in order to meet the British.

"In Howe's words 'The right under command of Lord Cornwallis, with Major General Grant, Brigadeirs Mathew and Leslie and Colonel Donop took the route by Woodbridge towards Scotch Plains. The left where I was with Major Generals Stirn, Vaughan and Grey, Brigadiers Cleveland and Agnew, marched by Metuchen Meetinghouse to join the right column in the road from thence to Scotch Plains.' A little before sunrise scouts of Colonel Daniel Morgan's riflemaen encountered Cornwallis in Woodbrige and shots alerted Washington of the enemy's surprise approach. Discering the British intent to secure the mountain passes, Washington began with haste to remove the main forces to Quibble Town and ordered the divisions of Green Lincoln, Stephen and Sullivean back to the heights. The delaying tactics of the riflemen gave the American troops and local militia time to assemble.

"The first massed resistance by American troops was on the crossroads at Oak Tree where Cornwallis' column was fired upon by a body of about 600 men under Brigadier General Thomas Conway at about 8 a.m. His troops were joined by three companiies of Pennsylvania-German volunteers of Major Nicholas Ottnedorff, newly placed under the command of the French Colonel Charles Armand-Tuffin with the three brass field pieces marking the first use of French command and arms in the war. After considerable fighting Conway's troops, forced by the British through 'Martin's Woods' (New Dover Rd. Edison) withdrew to join Stirling's main body at the Short Hills near Ash Swamp.

"Lord Stirling, divided by Cornwallis drew his troops into battle formation on rising ground near Ash Swamp determined to make a stand. His forces of 1,798 men included Gen. 'William Scotch' Maxwell's Brigade consisting of four New Jersey regiments and Conway's and Armand's troops. In addition, they were joined by Morgan's and Dark's riflemen as well as an undetermined number of militia. The 3rd Hessian Grenadier battalion of von Minnigerode attacked the rebels left flank and were joined by Howe's column.

"Outnumbered by Howe's full forces with at least 15 cannons, the Americans stood their ground but the superiority of arms and numbers forced them to withdraw. Howe's aide Mueuchhausen in writing of the battle states: 'General Lord Stirling who was in command had his horse shot and General Maxwell was almost captured by the Hessian Grenadiers missing him only by a hair's breath... three new French brass three-pounders were taken'.  "  [4]

Stage House Inn
336 Park Avenue
Map / Directions to the Stage House Inn
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The center section of this building, which is still in use as a restaurant, was built in 1737. [5] A sign in front states that, "Colonel Recompense Stanberry, Innkeeper during Revolution raised a troop of Jersey Blues at Liberty Pole which stood in front of inn." [6]

Jesse Dolbeer House
1230 Terrill Rd
(Private Home)
Map / Directions to the Jessie Dolbier House
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This house is a private residence.
Please respect the privacy and property of the owners.

This was once the house of Revolutionary War soldier Jesse Dolbier.

There is a Scotch Plains historic sign in front of the house, which reads "Home of Jesse Dolbier, wheelwright and blacksmith of the Revolution." [7]

However, the information on the sign is a bit misleading. According to information compiled by Joan Barrett, who is the great-great-great-great-great-grandaughter of Jessie, while Jesse did work as a wheelwright, this was not a job he performed as a solider. There is also no record of him having worked as a blacksmith. Also, he apparently spelled his name as Jesse Dolbeer, rather than the 'Jessie Dolbier' spelling used on the sign. Joan has researched his Jesse's life extensively, and has provided the following information: [8]

"According to the declaration which Jesse Dolbier made while applying for a pension for his military service during the Revolutionary War, he was born in the Township of Woodbridge on August 28, 1748, where he was living when first called into service. On January 12, 1777, he moved to Westfield where he lived for the rest of his life.

"Jesse first entered service in the spring of 1776 as a drafted soldier in Captain Samuel Corkerʼs Company of militia. He was one of the guard to escort Governor Franklin from Amboy to Philadelphia. That summer he was again drafted and marched to Long Island to "subdue and put down the Tories before the British army landed. 'That same year he "marched from Woodbridge to Bergen County and was stationed at Hackensack and along the enemies lines until General Washington marched through Jersey.' Jesse fought in battles at Short Hills, Springfield, and Connecticut Farms; at the Battle of Woodbridge called Toppers Battle; and in the skirmish at Quibble Town. He was one of the guard who escorted General Washington from New Brunswick to Newark.

"Jesse is associated with two different properties. When he wrote his will in 1822, Jesse was living in his 'home farm,' located at 850 Terrill Road, Plainfield. Jesseʼs other house, in which his son Samuel was living in 1822, is located at 1230 Terrill Road in Scotch Plains. Jesse farmed his land but was also a carpenter, wheelwright, and carter. He died at his home on Christmas Day 1832. The New Jersey Eagle, published in Newark, carried news of his death in its January 18, 1833, edition: At Westfield, Mr. Jesse Dolbiere (sic), a firm patriot and soldier of the revolution, aged about 90 years." 

John Baldwin Osborn House
2117 Westfield Avenue
(Private Home)
Map / Directions to the John Baldwin House
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This house is a private residence.
Please respect the privacy and property of the owners.

This was the home of Revolutionary War soldier John Baldwin Osborn. The sign in front of the house states that it was built circa 1770; however, according to the Historical Society of Scotch Plains and Fanwood New Jersey, it was built in 1740. [9]

Scotch Plains Baptist Church Cemetery
333 Park Avenue
Map / Directions to the Scotch Plains Baptist Church Cemetery
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Church Website
908-322-5487

In addition to Caeser, there are 26 other Revolutionary War soldiers buried in this cemetery. Here are there names, along with the year they died. [10]

Littell Half Way House
1851 Raritan Road
(Private Home)
Map / Directions to the Littell Half Way House
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This house is a private residence.
Please respect the privacy and property of the owners.

The historic sign reads, "Circa 1750 - Littell Half Way House - Bought about 1785 by Capt. Gershom Littell for bride Phoebe Jerry, uniting two very early settlers families. Built around 1750. [11]