1777
On this day, Washington continued complex correspondence with British officials regarding the treatment of prisoners. He famously wrote to Lord Howe to address the “cruel treatment” of American captives on British prison ships and discussed potential exchanges of naval officers.
1780
Following a daring attempt to capture British positions by crossing the frozen ice from the New Jersey shore, American forces under Lord Stirling were forced to retreat on the morning of January 16, 1780. After spending a grueling 24 hours in waist-deep snow with little cover, Stirling withdrew his 2,500–3,000 troops back to Elizabethtown, New Jersey. While battle casualties were low, the “Hard Winter” conditions were devastating. Approximately 500 American soldiers suffered from severe frostbite during the operation.
2026 Commemorations in New Jersey
- The Morristown National Historical Park (Morristown) is currently featuring a special display on “The Colonies in Crisis” and the winter of 1780 at the Washington’s Headquarters Museum.
- You can visit Jockey Hollow (Morristown) to walk the trails where the Continental Army endured the record-breaking cold described in Stirling's reports.