250th Anniversary Retreat from Fort Lee to New Bridge Landing
November 21st & 22nd, Fort Lee, New Jersey
This year’s retreat weekend will be like no other; and for good reason. The 250th anniversary of the American Revolution has been here, and it’s time to bring our absolute best to every event we step onto the field for, and to every plan we set in motion for the years ahead.
For this year, the Brigade, the Palisades Park Commission, Bergen County Parks, Historic New Bridge Landing, the towns in between, and many others are working together to ensure this event isn’t anything short of unforgettable.
On Friday, November 20, Fort Lee will be open to participant camping for both American and British forces while the Kearney House will be open to camping onsite for British forces. On Saturday, November 21, a march up the palisades at Huyler’s Landing will take place for willing British forces before attending the events at Fort Lee during the day. The memorial march into town will be more meaningful this year- as representatives from each town that the historic Retreat Route runs through will attend to share their thoughts on the importance of such a maneuver and our replicating of it. After the ceremony, a large-scale tactical demonstration will take place throughout the grounds of Fort Lee showing the chaos of the American Rearguard action as British and Hessian forces sweep through the grounds. The public will be welcome to stay afterwards into the evening to listen to both side’s stories of the darkest days of 1776 and walk through the camps by firelight.
On Sunday morning, the 22nd, the opportunity for additional marches will take place for willing participants. The American rearguard will begin at Fort Lee, and follow the historic Retreat Route with escorts and members of the public gathered to witness the recreated evacuation of the palisades. Washington will meet the column at the historic site of the Englewood Liberty Pole before leading the troops across the Hackensack River. But, the British will be right on the rearguard’s heels as they march the historic route from Huyler’s landing to the Liberty Pole and are turned to New Bridge Landing. At New Bridge, a fortified Steuben house awaits as the retreating and advancing columns clash over the bridge and grounds continuously from the east bank of the river to the west and through the whole site. Programming will be taking place throughout both Saturday and Sunday at Fort Lee and New bridge between the scheduled tactical weapons demonstrations.
Be on the lookout for more Retreat Weekend 250 information. Registration is now open and will close on October 20th. For questions or suggestions, please contact the Brigade’s Retreat Weekend organizer, James McKane, directly at 3rdNJJPMreenacting@gmail.com.
