This event celebrates the anniversary of the day Continental and French troops marched through Westfield, NJ, on Aug. 29, 1781, on their way to Yorktown, Va., where they would fight, lay siege to and force the surrender of Cornwallis. Thousands of troops led by Gens. Washington and Rochambeau crossed New Jersey on their way to Yorktown that August, and several columns passed through Westfield including the 1st Rhode Island, with many African American soldiers.

This event’s chief sponsor is Washington Rochambeau Revolutionary Route-NJ, but the NJSSAR and West Fields Chapter and Westfield DAR all play important supporting roles. In some years there has been a parade at midday, in others an all day encampment in Mindowaskin Park.

For more information, contact: Jay Hershey

Join the Sons of the American Revolution for the commemorative events on the Battle of Brooklyn.

The Battle of Long Island, also known as the Battle of Brooklyn and the Battle of Brooklyn Heights, was an action of the American Revolutionary War fought on August 26, 1776, at the western edge of Long Island in present-day Brooklyn, New York. The British defeated the Americans and gained access to the strategically important Port of New York, which they held for the rest of the war. It was the first major battle to take place after the United States declared its independence on July 4, and in troop deployment and combat, it was the largest battle of the war.

After defeating the British in the siege of Boston on March 17, commander-in-chief George Washington relocated the Continental Army to defend the port city of New York, located at the southern end of Manhattan Island. Washington understood that the city's harbor would provide an excellent base for the Royal Navy, so he established defenses there and waited for the British to attack. In July, the British, under the command of General William Howe, landed a few miles across the harbor on the sparsely populated Staten Island, where they were reinforced by a fleet of ships in Lower New York Bay over the next month and a half, bringing their total force to 32,000 troops. Washington knew the difficulty in holding the city with the British fleet in control of the entrance to the harbor at the Narrows and accordingly moved the bulk of his forces to Manhattan, believing that it would be the first target.

On August 21, the British landed on the shores of Gravesend Bay in southwest Kings County, across the Narrows from Staten Island and more than a dozen miles south of the established East River crossings to Manhattan. After five days of waiting, the British attacked the American defenses on the Guan Heights. Unknown to the Americans, however, Howe had brought his main army around their rear and attacked their flank soon after. The Americans panicked, resulting in twenty percent losses through casualties and capture, although a stand by 400 Maryland and Delaware troops prevented greater losses. The remainder of the army retreated to the main defenses on Brooklyn Heights. The British dug in for a siege, but on the night of August 29–30, Washington evacuated the entire army to Manhattan without the loss of supplies or a single life. The Continental Army was driven out of Manhattan entirely after several more defeats and was forced to retreat through New Jersey to Pennsylvania.

On September 3, 1777, at Cooch's Bridge, the first battle of the Philadelphia Campaign and the only battle fought on Delaware soil during the Revolutionary War. At least two-dozen Continental soldiers were killed during that battle and are believed to be buried in forgotten, unmarked graves somewhere on the battlefield.

The Delaware Societies of the Sons and the Daughters of the American Revolution requests your presence to honor and remember the soldiers who fell at the Battle of Cooch’s Bridge. Also participating will be the Pencader Heritage Area Association, Friends of Cooch's Bridge Historic Site, Delaware Division of Historic and Cultural Affairs, 1st Delaware Regiment, and member of the Friends of the Washington Rochambeau Trail.

Color Guard Muster: Compatriots wearing continental uniforms would be greatly appreciated. Please register at the following link: Battle of Cooch's Bridge Memorial Service. Memorial service honoring the fallen Continental & militia soldiers who bravely fought in the only American Revolutionary War battle in Delaware. Contact: Peter Moller, Cooch’s Bridge Battlefield DESSAR Coordinator and NJSSAR Trustee, hobokenpete@gmail.com

A Family Day of Fun and American History!

2024 Young Patriot’s Day Featured…

1. Free Gifts for all Registered Families

2. Demonstrations & Drilling with the New Jersey Grays

3. Talk with George Washington and Ben Franklin

4. Artillery and Musket firing

5. Information by Area Historical Organizations and Sites

6. Living Historian Demonstrations

7. Tours of the Thomas Clarke House & Museum

Updates at PBS1777.org

Registration for Young Patriots Day, TK

In 2024, PBS Young Patriot’s Day was partly sponsored by NJM Insurance Group and with funds from the Mercer County Division of Culture, Tourism, and Heritage, a New Jersey Historical Commission partner.