On April 19, 1775, the militia of Massachusetts, later joined by the militias of other New England colonies, began a siege at Boston to prevent thousands of newly-arrived British troops from moving inland.
On June 14, 1775, meeting in Philadelphia, the Second Continental Congress created a Continental Army, to be formed out of the individual militias of the Thirteen Colonies. The next day, Congress created the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, and unanimously elected Washington to that position. Congress formally presented him with his commission on June 19, and he departed Philadelphia, on June 23, headed for Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he arrived on July 2, and took command of the siege. It lasted until March 17, 1776, when the British withdrew by ship.
Traveling with the headquarters staff and a troop of bodyguards, Washington tended to stay at military camps, taverns, houses belonging to Continental Army officers or sympathetic civilians, and vacant houses seized from Loyalists. Topography and geographical features were exploited to protect a headquarters—before and after the Battle of Germantown, Washington stayed at the Henry Keely House,[1] atop a plateau on the west side of the Perkiomen Creek, while the Continental Army camped on the east side of the creek at Pennypacker Mills; between Washington and the British Army.
Washington's correspondence and expense accounts are useful sources for determining his location on a specific date. For instance: an expense account entry that lists meals – but not "use of house" – likely indicates that Washington and his staff pitched their tents on the owner's property.
^ a b cWashington to Samuel Kennedy, 26 September 1777 from the National Archives.
^Benjamin Wadsworth House Archived 2014-04-16 at the Wayback Machine from Historic Buildings of Massachusetts.
^ a b cExpenses paid on the Road ... April 1776. from the George Washington Papers.
^ a bExpense Account of Journey to and from Philadelphia from National Archives.
^Varnum Lansing Collins, The Continental Congress at Princeton (University Library, 1908), p. 126.
^William H. Benedict, "Early Taverns in New Brunswick," Proceedings of the New Jersey Historical Society, vol. 3, no. 3 (July 1918), p. 137.
^Queen's College (now Rutgers University) held classes at the tavern from 1771 to 1774. They were suspended when the only teacher, Frederick Frelinghuysen, joined the Continental Army. There is a short bio of Frelinghuysen available from Founders Online. See footnote 1 in Proclamation to the Friends of America in the State of New Jersey, 31 December 1776.
^Petition of Samuel Fraunces to the U.S. Congress, March 5, 1785. — "That he [Fraunces] was the Person that first discovered the Conspiracy which was formed in the Year 1776 against the Life of his Excellency General Washington ..." "Memorials Addressed to Congress, 1775-88," Papers of the Continental Congress, Record Group 360, M.247, Reel 49, National Archives, Washington, D.C.
^"Washington's New York City Headquarters – No. 1 Broadway". 9 July 2013.
^McKinley, Jesse (21 July 1996). "F.Y.I." The New York Times.
^Moscow, Henry (1990). The Street Book: An Encyclopedia of Manhattan's Street Names and Their Origins. Fordham University Press. ISBN 978-0-8232-1275-0.
^Van Cortlandt Upper Manor House from Westchester County Historical Society.
^Washington to John Hancock, 16 November 1776 from the National Archives.
^"Peter Zabriskie's Mansion House Site".
^Leiby, Adrian C. (1980). The Revolutionary War in the Hackensack Valley: The Jersey Dutch and the Neutral Ground, 1775–1783. Rutgers University Press. ISBN 978-0-8135-0898-6.
^Scott, William W. (September 1, 1931). "Passaic's Victory Day: How Washington's Retreat Became Stabilized at Passaic". Passaic County Historical Society. Archived from the original on 19 December 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
^"The Blanchard House Historical Marker".
^Cummings, Chareles (May 13, 1999). "Visitors (Presidential and Otherwise) Have Made the Scene". Newark Star-Ledge.
^Barber, John Warner; Howe, Henry (1844). Historical Collections of the State of New Jersey: Containing a General Collection of the Most Interesting Facts, Traditions, Biographical Sketches, Anecdotes, Etc. Relating to Its History and Antiquities, with Geographical Descriptions of Every Township in the State. NYPL.
^"George Washington slept here: NJ homes where our founding father spent time". The Star-Ledger. February 13, 2014. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
^Tuttle, Brad R. (2009). How Newark Became Newark: The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of an American City. Rutgers University Press. ISBN 978-0-8135-4656-8.
^"Newark Hostelries Opened Their Doors to Diverse New Worlds". Newark Public Library. December 2, 1999.
^Demasters, Karen (October 14, 2001). "ON THE MAP; With Roots in Earliest Newark, This Tree Has Seen It All". The New York Times.
^Washington to Gen. William Heath, 29 November 1776 from the National Archives.
^"George Washington slept here: NJ homes where our founding father spent time". 13 February 2014.
^Rojas, Christina (July 24, 2017). "Historic house being restored for $300K. Yes, George Washington stayed here". NJ.com. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
^John Fenner House from Historic American Buildings Survey.
^Washington to John Hancock, 5 January 1777 from the National Archives.
^Pluckemin, Washington's Headquarters from Rutgers University.
^General Orders, 29 May 1777 from the National Archives.
^General Orders, 29 May 1777 (footnote 1, Gen. George Weedon to John Page, 31 May 1777) from the National Archives.
^General Orders, 24 June 1777 from the National Archives.
^Gen. Stirling to Washington, 3 July 1777 from the National Archives.
^"Bullion's Tavern" (PDF). National Park Service.
^"Continental Army Winter Encampments. Morristown, New Jersey and vicinity" (PDF). National Park Service.
^ a bWashington to Gen. John Sullivan, 12 July 1777 from the National Archives.
^General Orders, 14 July 1777 from the National Archives.
^Washington to John Hancock, 14 July 1777 from the National Archives.
^Washington to Gen. Israel Putnam, 15 July 1777 from the National Archives.
^John P. Galloway Jr., George Galloway: A Loyalist's Story (2012)
^General Orders, 21 July 1777 from the National Archives.
^General Orders, 25 July 1777 from the National Archives.
^Washington to Col. Daniel Morgan, 26 July 1777 from the National Archives.
^Washington to Col. Theodorick Bland, 26 July 1777 from the National Archives.
^General Orders, 26 July 1777 from the National Archives.
^"Pequannock Township Master Plan" (PDF).
^Washington to Gen. Israel Putnam, 28 July 1777 from the National Archives.
^Washington to Christopher Ludwick, 25 July 1777 from the National Archives.
^"Holcombe House, Lambertville, Hunterdon County, Hew Jersey" (PDF). Historic American Buildings Survey, HABS NJ-56.
^General Orders, 27 July 1777 from the National Archives.
^Washington to Gen. Nathanael Greene, 1 August, 1777 from the National Archives.
^General Orders, 5 August, 1777 from the National Archives.
^Washington to John Hancock, 10 August, 1777 from the National Archives.
^Washington to Col. Daniel Morgan, 10 August, 1777 from the National Archives.
^Jacob Rudolph was listed as a tavernkeeper in Lower Darby Township in 1774. Pennsylvania Archives, 3rd series, vol. 12 (J. Severns & Company, 1897), p. 10. In 1777, he was a captain in the Pennsylvania Militia. During the retreat from Brandywine, he was captured by the British at Darby on September 12. Decennial Register of the Pennsylvania Society of Sons of the Revolution (F.B. Lippincott, 1898), p. 403.
^General Orders, 24 August, 1777 from the National Archives.
^Washington to Capt. Benjamin Pollard, 6 September 1777 from the National Archives.
^ a b cBill for Expenses of George Washington's Staff [21 September 1777] from the National Archives.
^"George Washington Witness Tree of Delaware - History of the Hale-Byrnes House and the George Washington Witness Tree of". www.georgewashingtonwitnesstreeofdelaware.org. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
^General Orders, 6 September 1777 from the National Archives.
^General Orders, 13 September 1777 from the National Archives.
^Buck Tavern from Lower Merion Historical Society.
^From George Washington to Brigadier General William Maxwell, 17 September 1777; at Yellow Springs
^General Orders, 18 September 1777; at Reading Furnace
^"General Washington retreated to passed Warwick to Reading to have the army's muskets repaired," Reading Furnace Historical Marker, May 12, 1948.
^"Upgrades coming to historic Parker Ford Tavern," The Pottstown Mercury News, January 26, 2009.[1]
^General Orders, 19 September, 1777 from the National Archives.
^Washington to Gen. Philemon Dickinson, 22 September 1777 from the National Archives.
^General Orders, 22 September 1777 from the National Archives.
^Washington to Gen. Israel Putnam, 23 September 1777 from the National Archives.
^General Orders, 23 September 1777 from the National Archives.
^Washington to Dr. Samuel Kennedy, 26 September 1777 from the National Archives.
^General Orders, 30 September 1777 from the National Archives.
^General Orders, 2 October 1777 from the National Archives.
^Washington to John Gill, 6 October 1777 from the National Archives.
^General Orders, 5 October 1777 from the National Archives.
^General Orders, 9 October, 1777 from the National Archives.
^General Orders, 16 October 1777 from the National Archives.
^General Orders, 11 December 1777 from the National Archives.
^Revolutionary War Journals of Henry Dearborn, 1775–1783, Lloyd A. Brown & Howard H. Peckham, eds. (New York: 1939, reprinted 1971), p. 118.
^General Orders, 19 June 1778 from the National Archives.
^Judith A. Meier, An Historic District within the Boundaries of the Norristown State Hospital Archived 2019-10-22 at the Wayback Machine (East Norriton Township, 2000).
^General Orders, 20 June 1778 from the National Archives.
^General Orders, 21 June 1778 from the National Archives.
^Washington to Gen. Charles Lee, 22 June 1778 from the National Archives.
^Gen. Lafayette to Washington, 25 June 1778 from the National Archives.
^"Englishtown, New Jersey Revolutionary War Sites – Englishtown, New Jersey Historic Sites". www.revolutionarywarnewjersey.com.
^"Ross Hall". The Metlar-Bodine House Museum.
^Steiner, Bernard Christian (1907). The Life and Correspondence of James McHenry: Secretary of War Under Washington and Adams. Burrows Brothers Company. p. 22 – via Internet Archive. After viewing these falls we seated ourselves.
^"It was about 6 o'clock in the (15 July) morning when we bade adieu to the Hermitage —" McHenry, p. 23.
^Alexander Hamilton to Capt. Patrick Dennis, 16 July 1778 from the National Archives.
^Rasnick, Marvin (1979). "Staunch Patriot: Ann Hawkes Hay". South of the Mountains. New York: The Historical Society of Rockland County: 7–13.
^Levy, Steven S. (April 22, 1976). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Hoyer House".
^Washington to Gen. Horatio Gates, 19 July 1778 from the National Archives.
^Gen. Charles Scott to Washington, 20 September 1778 from the National Archives.
^"The 20th. [A]fter twelve miles March we Come to Mr. Right's mills on the age [edge] of the White Planes." Elijah Fisher's Journal.
^"The 27th. Head Quarters moved Down to the White Planes" Elijah Fisher's Journal.
^This may be the house of Lieutenant Ephraim Raymond of the New York Militia, who was from Bedford.
^"Sept. 16. We Left the White planes and Marching through North Castel and after sixteen miles March we Come to Mr. Rayemand in Bedford." Elijah Fisher's Journal.
^"The 18th. We Left Bedford and Marched and Come to Fredrexburg, after the March of fifteen miles and Pitched our tents." Elijah Fisher's Journal.
^The Ferris property appears on a 1778 map, prepared for Washington's use by Robert Erskine, geographer with the Continental Army. A detail of the map was published in Rev. Warren H. Wilson, Quaker Hill in the Nineteenth Century (Quaker Hill Conference Association, 1907), frontispiece. [2]
^"The 19th. We Left Fredericksburg and after thirteen miles march we pitched our tents at Mr. Reed [Ferris]'s field in Oblong." Elijah Fisher's Journal.
^The 26th. Head Quarters and likewise the guard Left Oblong and come to Mr. Cain's, in Fredrexburg four miles and pitched tents." Elijah Fisher's Journal.
^Washington to Gen. Johann DeKalb, 22 September 1778 from the National Archives.
^"The 30th. His Exelency with his adde-camps went to Fishkill." Elijah Fisher's Journal.
^Washington to Gen. Charles Scott, 8 October 1778 from the National Archives.
^'"The 8th. His Exelency and Addecamp returned from Fishkill to Mr. Cane's." Elijah Fisher's Journal.
^"Nov. 28th. His Exelency and also his Gard Left Fredericksburg and Marched for the Jarseys [New Jersey]" Elijah Fisher's Journal.
^Washington to Maj. John Bigelow, 29 November 1778 from the National Archives.
^"Nov. 28th. [A]t Night we Pitched our tents by Clane's tavern in Philipsepatten [Philipsburg] after the March of sixteen miles." Elijah Fisher's Journal.
^"Dec. 1st. The guard Left Fishkill and Crossed at King's farrey Marched on to Col. Hazes and Encampt after Marching two and three is five miles." Elijah Fisher's Journal.
^"The 2d. We left Col. Hazes and after seventeen miles March we Come to Mr. Jones Baggat in Romepawe [Ramapo] and Picht our tents." Elijah Fisher's Journal.
^"The 3d. We left Romepawe and after twenty miles March we Come to Mr. Goods in Prequannackit [Pequannock]." Elijah Fisher's Journal.
^"The 4th. We Left Mr. Goods and after twenty miles March we Come to Mr. Lott's in Troy and Pitcht our tents." Elijah Fisher's Journal.
^"The 5th. We left Troy and Marched and Come to Morristown." Elijah Fisher's Journal.
^"The 6th. We left Morristown and after twenty-three miles March we Come to Mr. Wallase, where His Exelency had his winter Quarters" Elijah Fisher's Journal.
^"His Excellency's stay was rendered the more agreeable by the company of his lady, and the domestic retirement which he enjoyed at the house of the Honorable Henry Laurens, Esquire, with whom he resided." —Pennsylvania Packet, February 4, 1779.
^General Orders, 6 February 1779 from the National Archives.
^ a bAlexander Hamilton to Gen. Arthur St. Clair, 5 June 1779 from the National Archives.
^"The 21st. We Left Smith's Clove and after fourteen miles march we Come to Mr. Ellis in New Winsor where the Gen. had his Quarters" Elijah Fisher's Journal.
^"The 20th. After putting all the baggage aboard the sloop we left New Winsor at four in the Afternoon and went by water to West Point and staid aboard that Night twelve miles." Elijah Fisher's Journal.
^Elijah Fisher's Journal.
^Henry Doremus House from Revolutionary War New Jersey.
^"George Washington slept here: NJ homes where our founding father spent time". 13 February 2014.
^"George Washington slept here: NJ homes where our founding father spent time". 13 February 2014.
^"George Washington slept here: NJ homes where our founding father spent time". 13 February 2014.
^Washington to Henry Lee, 24 August 1780 (Early Access Document) from the National Archives. Also available via Internet Archive as archived on January 7, 2020. Washington to Henry Lee, 24 August 1780 (Early Access Document).
^"The 17th. Gen. Washington and Gen. Nocks [Knox] and Gen. DeMarkee [Lafayette] with there Addes set out from Head Quarters for Hartford to meet the French troops that was a coming to jine our army." Elijah Fisher's Journal.
^"The 20th. The whole army had orders to March, the gard was beat, the tents loded into wagons and at ten in the morning the army left Strumpee and after Eleven miles march we come to Oringetown or Tappan and Encampt." Elijah Fisher's Journal.
^Conference at Hartford, 22 September 1780 from the National Archives.
^"The 7th. The army left Oringtown the genl. [general ] was beat at seven of the Clock in the morning and we Marched at Nine and after twelve miles march we Come to Puramas at half past ten in the Evening" Elijah Fisher's Journal.
^The 9th. We left Puramas and Come to Quackit [Kakiat] and Encampt." Elijah Fisher's Journal.
^Adams, W. I. Lincoln (1922). "The "Washington Headquarters" in Montclair". In Honeyman, A. Van Doren (ed.). Proceedings of the New Jersey Historical Society. Vol. 7. New Jersey Historical Society. pp. 143–5.
^"To Mark Washington's Headquarters". The New York Times. November 29, 1912.
^Washington to Jonathan Trumbull, 28 October, 1780 (Early Access Document) from the National Archives. Also available via Internet Archive as archived on January 7, 2020. Washington to Jonathan Trumbull 28 October 1780 (Early Access Document).
^"Knox's Headquarters State Historic Site". Wikipedia.
^Washington to Board of War, 7 December 1780 (Early Access Document) from the National Archives. Also available via Internet Archive as archived on January 7, 2020. Washington to Board of War, 7 December 1780 (Early Access Document).
^"Bull Stone House".
^"Colonel Gideon Morgan, I". geni_family_tree. 15 June 1751.
^"Cogswell Tavern, New Preston, Connecticut." Daughters of the American Revolution Magazine, vol. 23, no. 5 (November 1903), pp. 360-62.[3]
^Washington, George. Diary entry: 6 July 1781 from the National Archives.
^Joshua Hett Smith House, Treason Hill from Hudson River Valley Heritage.
^Washington, George. Diary Entry: 8 September 1781 from the National Archives.
^Washington to Thomas McKean, 12 September 1781 (Early Access Document) from the National Archives. Also available via Internet Archive as archived on January 7, 2020. Washington to Thomas McKean, 12 September 1781 (Early Access Document).
^Washington, George. Diary entry: 17 September 1781 from the National Archives.
^Washington to Henry Knox (and Gouverneur Morris), 30 March 1782 (Early Access Document) from the National Archives. Also available via Internet Archive as archived on January 5, 2020. Washington to Henry Knox (and Gouverneur Morris), 30 March 1782 (Early Access Document).
^Washington to Henry Knox, 30 March 1782 (Early Access Document) from the National Archives. Also available via Internet Archive as archived on January 13, 2020. Washington to Henry Knox, 30 March 1782 (Early Access Document).
^Benjamin Walker to Gen. William Heath, 31 March 1782 (Early Access Document) from the National Archives. Also available via Internet Archive as archived on January 13, 2020. Benjamin Walker to Gen. William Heath, 31 March 1782 (Early Access Document).
^Washington, George (1931). "General Orders". In Fitzpatrick, John C. (ed.). The Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources, 1745–1799. Vol. 25. United States George Washington Bicentennial Commission. pp. 93–97.
^Washington, George (1931). "Honors to Rochambeau". In Fitzpatrick, John C. (ed.). The Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources, 1745–1799. Vol. 25. United States George Washington Bicentennial Commission. pp. 157–8.
^Alan MacKenzie, "Old Stone Houses of Rosendale," Ulster County Historical Society, October 16, 1930.[4]
^"I have always entertained a great desire to see the Northern part of this State before I returned to the Southward ... I have therefore concerted with Governor Clinton to make a Tour to reconnoitre those places where the most remarkable Posts were established, and the ground which became famous by being the theatre of Action in 1777—" Washington to Philip J. Schuyler 15 July 1783 (Early Access Document) from the National Archives. Also available via Internet Archive as archived on January 13, 2020. Washington to Philip John Schuyler, 15 July 1783 (Early Access Document).
^Washington to Elias Boudinot, 16 July 1783 (Early Access Document) from the National Archives. Also available via Internet Archive as archived on January 13, 2020. Washington to Elias Boudinot, 16 July 1783 (Early Access Document).
^Washington to Philip J. Schuyler 15 July 1783 (Early Access Document) from the National Archives. Also available via Internet Archive as archived on January 13, 2020. Washington to Philip John Schuyler, 15 July 1783 (Early Access Document).
^"I wrote to you from Saratoga on the 26th Ulto" Washington to Timothy Pickering, 6 August 1783 (Early Access Document) from the National Archives. Also available via Internet Archive as archived on January 13, 2020. Washington to Timothy Pickering, 6 August 1783 (Early Access Document).
^"History of Olde Bryan Inn: A Historic Saratoga Springs Restaurant Steeped in Regional Lore".
^Fort Schenectady from New York State Military Museum.
^ a bFort Plain from New York State Military Museum.
^Leslie W. Devereux, March 1, 1932 presentation. Quoted by A.J. Berry, "Washington's Mohawk Valley Tour," Three Rivers: Hudson-Mohawk-Schoharie.[5]
^Washington to William Duer, 26 July 1783 (Early Access Document) from the National Archives. Also available via Internet Archive as archived on January 13, 2020. Washington to William Duer, 26 July 1783 (Early Access Document).
^Washington to Baron von Steuben, 3 August 1783 (Early Access Document) from the National Archives. Also available via Internet Archive as archived on January 13, 2020. Washington to Baron von Steuben, 3 August 1783 (Early Access Document).
^Washington to Elias Boudinot, 6 August 1783 (Early Access Document) from the National Archives. Also available via Internet Archive as archived on January 13, 2020. Washington to Elias Boudinot, 6 August 1783 (Early Access Document).
^"I returned to this place yesterday afternoon from a tour of Nineteen days through the Northern & Westwern parts of this State." Washington to William Stephens Smith, 6 August, 1783 (Early Access Document) from the National Archives. Also available via Internet Archive as archived on January 13, 2020. Washington to William Stephens Smith, 6 August 1783 (Early Access Document).
^Washington to the Marquis de Chastellux, 12 October 1783 (Early Access Document) from the National Archives. As available via Internet Archive as archived on January 13, 2020. Washington to the Marquis de Chastellux, 12 October 1783 (Early Access Document).
^Newman, Margaret (December 1, 2008). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Rockingham". National Park Service.
^Washington, George (1938). "To the Militia Officers of Bergen County". In Fitzpatrick, John C. (ed.). The Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources, 1745–1799. Vol. 27. United States George Washington Bicentennial Commission. p. 240.
^Cecil McKithan (January 1978). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: De Wint House". National Park Service.
^Washington, George (1917). Fitzpatrick, John Clement (ed.). George Washington's Accounts of Expenses While Commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, 1775–1783. Houghton Mifflin. p. 131.
General sources
"Washington's Revolutionary War Itinerary and the Location of His Headquarters, 1775–1783". The Papers of George Washington, University of Virginia. 16 June 2018.
William Spohn Baker, Itinerary of General Washington from June 15, 1775, to December 23, 1783, (Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Company, 1892).[6]
Elijah Fisher's Journal while in the War for Independence, William B. Lapham, ed. (Augusta, Maine: Press of Badger and Manley, 1880).[7] Fisher joined Washington's life-guards March 30, 1778, while at Valley Forge.
Bernard Christian Steiner, The Life and Correspondence of James McHenry: Secretary of War under Washington and Adams (Burrow Brothers Company, 1907).
External links
Media related to Headquarters of George Washington - Revolutionary War at Wikimedia Commons
Official Website: George Washington Witness Tree of Delaware Museum
Media related to Headquarters of George Washington - Revolutionary War at Wikimedia Commons
