28
May
1777
Continental Army Departs Morristown (First Encampment)
Morristown, NJ· day date
The Story
Washington led the Continental Army out of Morristown at the end of May 1777, moving to Middlebrook, New Jersey, to observe British movements and prepare for the summer campaign. The first encampment had lasted approximately five months, during which the army had recovered from the winter, received new recruits, and conducted the smallpox inoculation program. The departure marked the end of Morristown's first period as a military capital, though the army would return two and a half years later.
People Involved
George Washington
Led the army out of Morristown toward Middlebrook
Virginia planter and Continental Army commander-in-chief who owned and managed Mount Vernon's enslaved workforce. Absent from his estate for most of the war, he directed Lund Washington's management by correspondence and returned to find the plantation's human community shaped by eight years of wartime disruption.
Nathanael Greene
Senior officer departing with the army
Continental Army major general (1742-1786) who served as quartermaster general during the Morristown winter encampments and later commanded the Southern Department.
Martha Washington
Headquarters Manager
Joined Washington at Morristown during both winter encampments, managing the headquarters household, organizing sewing circles to produce clothing for soldiers, and hosting events to maintain officer morale.