Middlebrook Encampment

In the Middlebrook area of Somerset County, New Jersey, lies the site that General Washington chose as a defensible stronghold for his troops. Hilly terrain and plenty of natural cover. He was successful in holding off superior British forces, consisting of more than 18,000 men with a force of 8,000. On one occasion the British commander was heard to say that attacking this stronghold with his 22,000 man army would be "rashly attempted". General Washington successfully held off two savage attempts by the British to take this hill. As these pictures show, the terrain is vastly different depending on whether the attach was launched during the winter or the summer. In the Winter, the troops on both sides could see their opponent, but this made the British easy targets for the Colonials as they held the high ground. The summer would have proven to have been a bigger challenge, both in securing the area, and in finding and engaging the enemy for either side.