the Bergen County Historical Society
Video of the engagement at Historic New Bridge Landing, August 17, 2019.
More to come!
The 240th Anniversary of the Raid on Paulus Hook August 17th, 2019 All roads lead to New Bridge and in the 18th century this was often the case. Due to its proximity in NJ to NYC and sitting at a strategic crossing on the banks of the Hackensack River, New Bridge Landing would be an active piquet post, HQ for George Washington, an information gathering post and the site of eleven skirmishes and engagements during the American Revolution. You may be familiar with Historic New Bridge Landing and its connection to the Retreat of 1776 by Continental forces from Fort Lee and their first objects, as Thomas Paine mentions was this very pivotal crossing. Yet, the story does not end there. The summer of 1779 would be a year that would show the war was far from leaving the area and heading South. Three major operations unfolded that summer. The first being Stony Point, the Sullivan Expedition, which was meant to end Loyalist and Native American incursions on the frontiers of PA and NY and finally an attack on the British held fortification at Paulus Hook. Paulus Hook was an impressive fortification that was located in modern day Jersey City, NJ. Surrounded by a swamp, canal with a drawbridge, stockade, multiple blockhouses and soldier’s barracks, it was a formidable location on the banks of the Hudson. Inspired by Anthony Wayne’s daring attack on Stony Point, “Lighthorse” Harry Lee proposed to Washington that a similar attack should occur at Paulus Hook and he was just the guy to lead it. At first, Washington was not sold on the plan but after making accommodations for His Excellency, that plan was set in motion. Lee, his partisans and Continental troops would organize at New Bridge, attacking only with the bayonet. They would heroically take the fortification but not hold it for too long and would have to march back to New Bridge. Along the way, Crown forces would engage Lee’s men between Paulus Hook and New Bridge (River Edge.) Mark Hurwitz of the BAR is speaking.