Potterstown Skirmish of 1777

Description

The Red Mill Museum Village is pleased to announce that it will be offering its popular Revolutionary War lectures series through the winter and into the spring. Since 1999 the series has focused on military topics as they related to the Revolutionary War and its impact on the state of New Jersey and Hunterdon County. Speakers have included a variety of scholars, authors, re-enactors, teachers and historians.

The 2012 series is titled “A Community Divided-Patriot, Loyalist, Pacifist” and will focus on issues relating to the political choices Hunterdon County residents were forced to make and the consequences which followed these decisions. The lectures will take place at 8:00 p.m. and be held at the Clinton Community Center located on Halstead Street in Clinton, New Jersey. Due to the popularity of this lecture series, pre-registration is highly recommended. The registration fee for each lecture is $5/members and $6/nonmembers.

The Potterstown Skirmish of 1777 and its Aftermath
Presented By Chip Riddle
8pm

In 1777, three groups of Tories while attempting to join the British of New York City were attacked by the local militia of Tewksbury and Lebanon Twp. The Tories were chased all the way to the Piscataway area where 80 or 90 were captured and put on trial. Chip Riddle, a local historian, author and teacher, will discuss this last organized loyalist military action in Northern Hunterdon. The talk will focus on letters and documents relating to the 35 found guilty of treason and sentenced to be hanged, and in particular of the two who were hanged, James Iliff of Alexandria Township in Hunterdon County and John Mee of Sussex County. The remaining Tories, when given the choice between being hanged or joining the Continental army, chose the latter. However, by 1778 all had rejoined the British.