About This Place
Mount Kemble, located south of Morristown along what is now Tempe Wick Road, was the encampment site of the Pennsylvania Line during the winter of 1780-1781. It was here, on the night of January 1, 1781, that approximately 1,500 Pennsylvania soldiers mutinied against their officers, seized their weapons, and began marching toward Philadelphia to demand redress of grievances from the Continental Congress. A historical marker at the site commemorates the mutiny, which was the most serious internal crisis the Continental Army faced during the war. The site is accessible from trails within Morristown National Historical Park.
Revolutionary Significance
The Pennsylvania Line mutiny of January 1781 was not a spontaneous uprising but the culmination of years of broken promises. The soldiers had not been paid in months, their enlistment terms were disputed, and many lacked adequate clothing and food. The mutineers maintained remarkable discipline throughout their march, killing two British spies who attempted to recruit them and negotiating directly with congressional representatives. The event forced Congress to address the systemic failures of army administration, though many of the underlying problems persisted until the end of the war.
Location
Tempe Wick Road, Morristown, NJ 07960
Open in Google Maps →
Events at This Location
1777
Continental Army Arrives in MorristownGeorge Washington, Nathanael Greene, Colonel Jacob Ford Jr.
1777
First Winter Encampment at MorristownNathanael Greene, Colonel Jacob Ford Jr., Theodosia Ford
1777
Washington Establishes Headquarters at Ford MansionGeorge Washington, Theodosia Ford, Alexander Hamilton
1777
Morristown Intelligence Network OperationsGeorge Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Martha Washington
1777
Continental Army Smallpox Inoculation ProgramDr. John Cochran, George Washington, Martha Washington
1777
Construction of Fort NonsenseGeorge Washington, Martha Washington
1777
Continental Army Departs Morristown (First Encampment)George Washington, Nathanael Greene, Martha Washington
1779
Continental Army Returns to Morristown for Second EncampmentGeorge Washington, Nathanael Greene, Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben
1779
The Hard Winter: Second Encampment at MorristownNathanael Greene, Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, Temperance "Tempe" Wick
1779
Soldier Hut Construction at Jockey HollowGeorge Washington, Joseph Plumb Martin, Martha Washington
1779
Martha Washington Arrives at MorristownMartha Washington, George Washington, Theodosia Ford
1780
Supply Crisis and Starvation at Jockey HollowGeorge Washington, Nathanael Greene, Joseph Plumb Martin
1780
Great Snowstorms of January 1780Joseph Plumb Martin, Nathanael Greene
1780
Alexander Hamilton Courts Elizabeth SchuylerAlexander Hamilton, Martha Washington, George Washington
1780
Continental Currency CollapseNathanael Greene, Alexander Hamilton, George Washington
1780
Continental Army Departs Morristown (Second Encampment)George Washington, Joseph Plumb Martin, Anthony Wayne
1780
Knyphausen Raids Connecticut FarmsGeorge Washington
1780
Battle of SpringfieldGeorge Washington, Nathanael Greene
1780
Benedict Arnold's Treason DiscoveredAlexander Hamilton, George Washington, Martha Washington
1781
Pennsylvania Line MutinyAnthony Wayne, Temperance "Tempe" Wick, George Washington