Pompton Mutiny facts for kids
The Pompton Mutiny, also called the Federal Hill Rebellion, was a protest by Continental Army soldiers. It happened on January 20, 1781, at Pompton Camp. This area is now known as Bloomingdale, New Jersey. Colonel Israel Shreve was in charge of the camp at that time.
History of the Mutiny
Around 300 soldiers from the New Jersey Line of the Continental Army rebelled. They were influenced by Sergeants David Gilmore, John Tuttle, and George Grant. These soldiers started marching towards Trenton. They wanted to tell the Continental Congress about their problems and ask for solutions. They were doing this because soldiers from the Pennsylvania Line had done something similar and succeeded.
Colonel Israel Shreve, the commander at Pompton Camp, found out about the rebellion. A woman, whose name is not known today, told him. Colonel Shreve then told George Washington, who was the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army.
General Washington quickly sent a group of soldiers from West Point. This group was led by Major General Robert Howe. They surprised the rebelling soldiers in their camp. The mutineers were forced to give up without any conditions.
Sergeants David Gilmore and John Tuttle were immediately punished. A firing squad made up of 12 of the mutineers carried out the punishment. Sergeant George Grant was pardoned. This was because other soldiers said he had tried to get everyone to return to duty peacefully. The soldiers in the firing squad were very sad as they carried out their orders. After the mutiny ended, all the soldiers were said to be sorry for what they had done.
Modern Day Importance
Today, there is still discussion about where the punishments took place. At least one possible site is on private land. This land is in danger of being developed. The Federal Hill site in Bloomingdale was once owned by DR Horton. They wanted to build 256 homes there. They did not plan to consider the historical or environmental importance of the site. They even won a court order to start building.
Since then, a large part of Federal Hill, called the Meer Tract, has been bought by Tilcon Industries. This company is part of a big mining group called Anglo American plc. They plan to mine the land. Many environmental groups and the Borough of Bloomingdale are against this plan. They have always opposed development there.
The TV show TURN: Washington's Spies shows a made-up version of this mutiny. It appears in the fourth season episode called "Nightmare."
Media Coverage of the Mutiny
- "Part 18: Mutiny!" (August 26, 2001 - NJ.com)
- "Back in the Day - June 2, 1976: Washington put down Bloomingdale mutiny" (June 13, 2011 - Northjersey.com)
- "A Tramp over Historic Ground" (May 5, 1879 - New York Times)
- "An Interesting Relic." (January 24, 1873 - Paterson Daily Press)
- "Back in 1781." (March 5, 1904 - The Chehalis Bee-Nugget)
- "For Today" (January 20, 1897 - Boston Evening Transcript)
Images for kids
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Federal Hill in Bloomingdale, New Jersey, seen from Riverdale, New Jersey.
