Somerset Courthouse

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Somerset Courthouse

SOMERSET COURTHOUSE. On the Millstone River about halfway between Morristown and Trenton, Somerset Courthouse (later Millstone) figured prominently in New Jersey's military operations. Washington's army spent the night there after the Princeton victory on 3 January 1777, skirmishes took place there while the rebels were in their Morristown Winter Quarters from January to May 1777, and British forces occupied the village during their perplexing "June Maneuvers" of the Philadelphia campaign of 1777. More notably, on 20 January 1777, General Philemon Dickinson led New Jersey militia in a daring encounter with Cornwallis's troops. On 17 June 1777 Colonel Daniel Morgan's riflemen and other light troops attacked the British redoubts being built at that time. John Simcoe conducted a successful raid against this place but was captured on 17 October 1779 as he withdrew.

SEE ALSO Dickinson, Philemon; Philadelphia Campaign; Simcoe, John Graves.

                       revised by Michael Bellesiles

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Somerset Courthouse

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