h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

This battle came past the end of my street! (Well, it would of done had my street been here in 1780)

The town of Springfield encompassed a much larger area then than it does now so we could rename this battle: The Battle of Maplewood, Millburn, Springfield, Summit and Vauxhall.

The main thrusts of the attack came along Galloping Hill Rd which is now Morris Ave and along Vauxhill Rd which still is (!) but now becomes Millburn Ave. The British combined their two Forces by moving the Northern force down Main St (Millburn) and then retreated along Morris Ave.

The British were lead by Lieutenant General Wilhelm von Knyphausen with Major General Edward Mathew and included a regiment of Jaegers, battalions of the Scots Guards and Coldstream Guards, a regiment of the Light Dragoons, units of the Royal Artillery and the Queen's Rangers, as well as several regular British regiments.

The Americans were lead by General Nathaniel Greene with Colonel Israel Shreve and Major Henry Lee and included the NJ and RI brigades.

I've been doing some research into the battle as it did happen so locally. I plan to self-web-publish a boardgame scenario based on the battle (no boardgame for it exists to my knowledge) and also to complete a photo-essay this summer.

The only book on the subject is "The Forgotten Victory" by Thomas Fleming.

The battle is notable for being the last attempt by the British to invade the central states, and for being the largest battle of the war in terms of numbers (around 6500 total). The article didn't mention that there were only 1000 American Regulars - a five to one ratio, not including the 500 or so militia (farmers with guns). It gets left out of most history books because it was, in hindsight, as mentioned above, really a skirmish with relatively few casualties. Without that benefit however, it was a pretty serious attempt to catch Washington's main army by surprise at Morristown and could have provided his defeat.

The factors leading to the Americans' victory were:
1. Superior intelligence - The Americans clearly knew that the British were coming. The British had been told that the local people (militia) had become unsatisfied with the rebels and would be sympathetic to them. In fact the opposite was clearly the case.
2. Good defensive position - The Americans were skillfully positioned to hold all the high ground (now Summit and Short Hills) around an area that was for the most part, two rivers and a marsh.
3. Lack of conviction. The British realized they were in a highly disadvantaged situation and retreated. They also knew that Washington's main forces were likely to show up if they got bogged down for too long.

I'm pleased to see it mentioned here and for this to be my first post to h2g2!

Hi Phil!

Glad to see that *someone* read this entry. It was part of a larger writing project which attempted to cover the Revolutionary War in the Middle Atlantic States...

Fun project for me since I live in Pennsylvania and have been dragged to these battlefields since I was a wee lad.

Contributing Guide Entries for eventual inclusion into the 'Edited Guide' is just one of the ways you can get involved in this online community. I noticed that one of the ACEs (Assistant Community Editors) has already visited your personal space.

There are several volunteer schemes like that which allow community members to help make the site run smoother.

Plus, there's the wide variety of topics here which allow for a nearly limitless opportunity for chatting and conversation.

So welcome to h2g2!

I think you'll find a surprising number of entries about a surprising variety of topics. It's all part of the fun!

Cheers!
- Jimi X