- This event has passed.
The Battle of The Short Hills Commemoration
June 26, 2025 @ 5:00 pm
Free
The New Jersey Society Sons of the American Revolution and the Township of Edison invite you to attend the annual commemoration of The Battle of The Short Hills at 5 pm on Thursday, June 26, at Oak Tree Pond Historical Park in Edison.
This important battle is often overlooked in histories of the American Revolution. But it left its scars on half a dozen or more New Jersey communities. Few other battles in that war covered as much ground in a single day, or involved as many troops. The strategic victory scored by Washington and Stirling that day, by avoiding capture or defeat, also marked the end of the British Occupation of New Jersey.
Commemoration of The Battle of The Short Hills, fought on June 26, 1777
The New Jersey Society Sons of the American Revolution at 5 p.m. on Thursday, June 26, 2025, will honor the 248th anniversary of The Battle of The Short Hills in a ceremony at Oak Tree Pond Historic Park, at 2064 Oak Tree Road, Edison, N.J.The NJSSAR Color Guard, wearing the buff-and-blue uniforms of the New Jersey 3rd Regiment, will host the ceremony and present the colors. The short program will include the Pledge of Allegiance, a welcome to distinguished guests, an expert speaker on the battle, and finally, the presentation of wreaths and a benediction.The entire ceremony is expected to take less than one hour.NJSSAR thanks the Township of Edison for its support of this important historic event.Historical synopsis: This battle, sometimes mistakenly referred to as the “Battle of Short Hills”, unfolded over a long summer’s day, June 26, 1777. British, Hessian and American troops engaged in a fight that began in the morning in Woodbridge and quickly spread to Edison, Metuchen and Plainfield, in an area referred to as “the Short Hills.” The attack, an effort to capture General Washington, failed when Washington and his combined force of Continentals and New Jersey Militia retreated to their stronghold in the Watchung Mountains. Meanwhile, the retreating British and Hessian armies marched through Scotch Plains and West Fields in a raid that pillaged numerous farmhouses in both communities and lasted into the next day.Those with questions can contact Jay Hershey, adjutant of the NJSSAR Color Guard, at julian.hershey@verizon.net.