Everyone knows the story of Valley Forge. For generations, Americans have learned about George Washington’s Army suffering through the winter of 1777–1778 in Pennsylvania. Valley Forge has become synonymous with sacrifice, endurance, and the struggle for independence.
But somehow, far fewer people know the story of what happened just two years later in New Jersey at Jockey Hollow in Morristown. The winter of 1779–1780 at Morristown was even worse.
Historians describe it as the harshest winter of the Revolutionary War, and many sources call it the coldest winter of the eighteenth century. Snow piled up for months, supplies ran dangerously low, and temperatures plunged to levels few living Americans had ever experienced. Yet it was here, in the hills and valleys surrounding Morristown, that Washington’s Army endured and survived.
Today, visitors can walk the trails of Jockey Hollow and see four reconstructed soldier huts standing quietly among the trees. They offer a glimpse into the life of the Continental soldier, but they reveal only a fraction of the story.
“The four huts visitors see today are not the story. They are merely the doorway into imagining one of the largest military encampments in American history.”
Stand at the bottom of the hill and look up at the four huts at the top of the ridgeline for a moment, and then close your eyes.
Imagine not four huts, but hundreds. Imagine log cabins stretching across the ridges, valleys, and hillsides in every direction. Picture the smoke from thousands of fireplaces rising into the winter sky. Envision entire brigades carving a city out of the forest, felling trees, building shelter, and struggling to survive another freezing night.
The huts visitors see today are not the story. They are merely the doorway into imagining one of the largest military encampments in American history—Washington’s hidden city of log cabins, built during the brutal winter when the Continental Army fought not the British, but cold, hunger, and survival itself.
During the winter encampment of 1779–1780, approximately 10,000 Continental soldiers occupied more than 1,000 log huts scattered across Jockey Hollow and the surrounding countryside. In all, the Army constructed roughly 1,200 log structures, creating what was essentially a temporary city in the woods—one of the largest settlements in New Jersey at the time.
Morristown National Historical Park Hut Facts
| Camp Area on Trail Map | Approx. Acres | Brigade / Units | Soldiers | Est. Huts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sugar Loaf / Soldier Huts Area | 120 | New York Brigade | 1,400 | 117 |
| New York Brigade Trail / Cat Swamp Area | 150 | Connecticut Brigades (after Maryland departed) | 2,400 | 200 |
| Primrose Brook Area | 90 | Hand’s Brigade (1st & 2nd Canadian, 4th PA, 11th PA) | 1,033 | 83 |
| Wick Farm North | 110 | 1st Pennsylvania Brigade | 1,300 | 108 |
| Wick Farm South / Fort Hill | 110 | 2nd Pennsylvania Brigade | 1,300 | 108 |
| Grand Parade Vicinity | 40 | Parade Ground (no huts) | — | — |
| Jockey Hollow Road East | 120 | 1st Maryland Brigade | 1,416 | 118 |
| Jockey Hollow Road Southeast | 130 | 2nd Maryland Brigade + Delaware Regiment | 1,497 | 125 |
| Cemetery Road / Mt. Kemble Side | 90 | Stark’s Brigade | 1,000 | 83 |
| Visitor Center / Hospital Area | 30 | Knox’s Artillery & Support | 600 | 50 |
| New Jersey Brigade Area (Inset Map) | 321 documented | 1st, 2nd, 3rd NJ Regiments & Spencer’s Regiment | 1,300 | 108 |
Totals
| Category | Total |
|---|---|
| Soldiers | ~13,246* |
| Huts | ~1,100 |
| Camped Acres | ~1,300–1,400 |
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