New Jersey Frontier Guard facts for kids
The Frontier Guard was a special group of soldiers from New Jersey formed in 1755. This local army unit was created by New Jersey's government during the French and Indian War. Their main job was to protect the frontier, or the edge of settled land, along the Delaware River in northwestern New Jersey. They guarded a series of small forts built to keep people safe.
Soldiers in the Frontier Guard were paid two shillings each day. This was in the local money of the time. They had to bring their own gear, like a gun, a blanket, a small axe or sword, a box for bullets, a bag for supplies, and a powder horn for gunpowder. The Frontier Guard did not have uniforms. This was because the government had already spent a lot of money on another group of soldiers called the Jersey Blues.
Protecting New Jersey's Frontier
During the French and Indian War (which lasted from 1756 to 1763), most people in New Jersey lived near the Atlantic Ocean. Big towns like Elizabethtown, Newark, and Perth Amboy were busy seaports.
Why Forts Were Built
The leaders of New Jersey decided to build strong, small forts called blockhouses. These forts were in what is now Sussex and Warren Counties. They were meant to be the first line of defense. This meant they would be the first to stop any attacks from the French army or Native American groups allied with the French.
The Frontier Guard was created specifically to live in and protect these forts. Other New Jersey soldiers, part of the state's main army, were fighting in other colonies like Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New York.
Getting Supplies to the Frontier
Getting supplies to the Frontier Guard was important. Food, weapons, and other necessities were sent from Elizabethtown. They traveled along a special route known as the Military Road.
The areas where these forts were built were very quiet and had few people living there. These frontier settlements often faced attacks from Native American warriors in the years before the American Revolutionary War. The Frontier Guard helped protect these communities.
