Washington's Retreat Route

[Lugosi81]

So some friends of mine and myself have followed the route from Fort Lee....with the clearly marked signs.....but we completely lost the trail in Hackensack.....the road forks....the sign points right....and no matter which way we go, we have not been able to locate another! Do the signs simply stop? Or can anyone here shed some light on this mystery?

Any help would be greatly appreciated...I haven't been able to locate anything on the internet with detailed enough information.

Thanks!

[Albert]

The signs appear on Main St. from Rt. 4 and continue (I believe) to Passaic Street.  If you make a right on Passaic, you'll see some more near the Maywood border.  Not sure what happens after that, but I'll try to find out.

[Lugosi81]

Thanks so much!

[Steenrapie]

The troops went down Main Street from New Bridge and encamped the night. Others crossed at the mill dam, now the Midtown Bridge. I think they went out Essex Street to Polifly Road. Anyway, claire Tholl's map (available at Campbell-Christie House or on display at Steuben House) is based upon period road returns and maps, so it is accurate (to the best available knowledge) and shows modern street names. Check that to be certain.

[Lugosi81]

I'll definatly check it out!

You guys are the best...thank you!

[MaskedSanity]

So Lugosi81 and myself finally tracked down his path in Bergen County.  I'm going to assume they ran out of signs that have arrows pointing right, since there's more than one occasion that the trail ends due to that reason.

In the Hasbrouck Heights area, it's kind of ironic that the retreat route goes down Williams Ave, not Franklin, Madison, or Jefferson Aves, or even Washington Place. 

The signs also lead to a few dead ends, sometimes directly through someone's property too.  I had to figure out ways around that, but was able to do so. 

I followed the trail to Passaic County.  Are there any more signs in that area, or is this strictly a Bergen County thing?

[just watching]

As a former Hackensack resident, I'll tell you what is commonly believed, which may or may not be correct. My understanding is that Washington retreated from New Bridge Landing down Main Street, and his army camped all along what is now Main Street from Passaic Street to the Green (site of current courthouse).  And then the next day, the primary bulk of the army retreated west on Essex Street, and then south on Polifly Road, before zig-zagging through Hasbrouck Heights and downtown Lodi on the way to what is now the City of Passaic.

There are "retreat" signs on Polifly Road.  I've also seen them on Passaic Street, and it is certainly possible that a portion of the army went west on Passaic Street into Maywood, enroute to downtown Lodi.

There were very few east-west roads in Hackensack at the time, with Essex Street and Passaic Street being the primary.  Large areas of Hackensack were farmland, with perhaps some swamplands along the river and what is now central Hackensack, and pasturelands and woodlands on the hill in the west part of the city.  I know that the bend of Essex Street in Hackensack was a STRATEGIC SPOT because it was a dry neck of land connecting the village of Hackensack to the hill.  That is why the Native Americans had a trail there, which then became Essex Street. There were impassable swamps to the north (Newman Street) and south (South Newman Street), and there were no westbound roads south of Essex Street for many miles, perhaps all the way to Newark Bay.  I'd have to check an old map to verify.

I can see why General Washington chose to retreat out of the old village of Hackensack, and not risk getting his army encircled and trapped there.  Had the British been able to cross at New Bridge Landing quicker, they could have easily marched through the Fairmount area of Hackensack and onto the Summit Ave ridge, and then approached the old Village of Hackensack from the WEST, along Essex and Passaic Street.  That would have completely trapped General Washington and ended the Revolution.

Yes, New Bridge Landing is the bridge that saved the nation, because the American forces dismantled it once they crossed and retreated to the Village of Hackensack.

[DPowell]

We have Claire Tholl's map for sale in the Campbell-Christie House gift shop.
The main body of Washington's Army, including Thomas Paine crossed at New Bridge at the Steuben House.

Click the image below to enlarge:

[intellectual]

this retreat route conflicts with a BCHS-NJHS marker that claims Washington's troops encamped in Oradell, along Kinderkamack Rd, on the grounds of the Blauvelt Mansion, at the corner of Soldier Hill Rd.

[Mike T]

The retreat was in 1776, the encampment was in 1780.

[sahanley]

I recently purchased a home on Fort Lee Road near Route 46 and have a "Retreat Route 1776" sign in my backyard. I'm trying to find out more info on why it is there. As far as I know, all of them are on the street, why is this one in my backyard?

[leanne]

Howe and his troops were pillaging Fort Lee for several days before moving on to South Jersey.  They dismantled fences, stole sheep, food and clothing and had a big party.  There is a list of grievances by the Dutch of Fort Lee somewhere on line.  THAT is why it took them so long to follow Washington's army.