The Battle of Short Hills

Scotch Plains, NJ

Site of the Battle of Short Hills, June 25, 1777.

Historical Marker Database

The Battle of Short Hills, fought on June 26, 1777, was a significant engagement in central New Jersey. In this battle, Lord Stirling commanded a Continental force of 2,200 men and skirmished with a much larger British column led by General William Howe and Lord Cornwallis. Although Stirling was ultimately forced to retreat, his resistance provided George Washington with crucial time to withdraw safely into the Watchung Mountains. This maneuver denied Howe the open-field engagement he sought. Although the British won a tactical victory, the Americans achieved strategic success by preserving their army and thwarting Howe's attempt to trap Washington.

The Battle of Short Hills Monument consists of a stone tower topped by a Revolutionary War cannon. Each side of the monument features a panel telling the story of the battle. The panels also include a map of the battle area, a picture of Lord Stirling on horseback, and wounded soldiers being evacuated in wagons after the battle.

What's Nearby

Explore more of The Liberty Trail by visiting these nearby attractions.

Historic Site

A black cannon sits atop a small stone structure with a glass window, surrounded by green trees under an overcast sky.

The Battle of Short Hills

Scotch Plains, NJ 07076

The Battle of Short Hills

Historic Site

A tan historic building with green shutters and a columned porch stands along a brick sidewalk, shaded by large trees and marked by a streetlamp flying an American flag.

Stage House Inn

Scotch Plains, NJ 07076

4.9152497326495

Stage House Inn

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Drake House

Plainfield, NJ 07060

Washington's HQ prior to the battle of Short Hills

4.9564492126214

Nathaniel Drake House

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Caldwell Parsonage

Union, NJ 07083

12.297471815827

Caldwell Parsonage

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A white wooden church with a tall clock‑tower steeple and red doors stands behind a stone‑bordered lawn with a lamppost and statue.

Springfield Presbyterian Church

Springfield, NJ 07081

12.302595928135

Springfield Presbyterian Church

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Connecticut Farms and Springfield

Union, NJ 07083

Militia & Continentals push back a Hessian incursion

12.34512066926

Connecticut Farms and Springfield

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A bronze memorial plaque mounted on stone honors Colonel Israel Angell, featuring an engraved tribute letter from George Washington.

Col. Israel Angell Memorial and Rahway River

Springfield, NJ 07081

12.350101268027

Col. Israel Angell Memorial and Rahway River Bridge

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A yellow colonial‑style house with green shutters and a steep dark roof stands behind a leafless tree, with a stone walkway leading to its green front door.

Cannonball House at Springfield Battle Site

Springfield, NJ 07081

12.352875247824

Cannonball House at Springfield Battle Site

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Historic House

This is a sketch of a cannon stationed on a battlefield.

Cannonball House at Springfield Battlesite

Springfield, NJ 07081

12.352875247824

Cannonball House at Springfield Battlesite

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A kiosk with informational signs stands in a grassy park beside a street, with tall buildings rising in the background.

Union Veterans Honor Roll Park

Union, NJ 07083

12.402136353356

Union Veterans Honor Roll Park

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Cornelius Low House

Piscataway, NJ 08854

13.287285457973

Cornelius Low House

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A bronze plaque mounted on a stone surrounded by greenery commemorates a June 23, 1780 militia action that halted a British advance toward Morristown.

Last British Thrust Marker

Millburn, NJ 07041

13.606133557989

Last British Thrust Marker

Battlefield

State/County Park

Historical Marker in Millburn, NJ, that details the "Forgotten Victory" of 1780

Battle of Springfield

Millburn, NJ 07041

13.60794817021

Battle of Springfield

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A red‑roofed informational sign stands beside a split paved walkway in a green park, with flowers, trees, and a small bridge in the background.

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13.616764155848

Taylor Park and the Forgotten Victory Trail

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Buccleuch Mansion

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Piscataway, NJ 08854

13.916597096206

East Jersey Old Town Village

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Millburn, NJ 07041

14.088604681948

Hessian House

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Vauxhall Bridge Battle Marker

Millburn, NJ 07041

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Vauxhall Bridge Battle Marker

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Staats House

South Bound Brook, NJ 08880

Von Steuben's Middlebrook HQ that hosted Washington

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Staats House

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Abraham Staats House

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Former home of NJ's first elected governor

14.395306374298

Liberty Hall

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Battle of Connecticut Farms and Liberty Hall

Union, NJ 07083

14.395306374298

Battle of Connecticut Farms and Liberty Hall Museum

Historic Site

A light‑stone courthouse stands behind a grassy area with a tree, a small cannon monument, and a historical marker noting the site of an early borough courthouse built before the Revolution.

Cannon at Elizabeth Courthouse

Elizabeth, NJ 07201

14.466506852845

Cannon at Elizabeth Courthouse

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A tall brick church with a white clock‑tower steeple rises above a fenced grassy area with trees under a bright blue sky.

First Presbyterian Church and Elizabethtown

Elizabeth, NJ 07201

14.49997711958

First Presbyterian Church and Elizabethtown Academy

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A tall brown stone Gothic‑style church tower with pointed arches and ornate spires rises above trees under a bright blue sky.

Saint John’s Episcopal Church

Elizabeth, NJ 07201

14.617621876303

Saint John’s Episcopal Church

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Perth Amboy, NJ 08861

Mansion of Benjamin Franklin's Loyalist son, William

14.855516528582

Royal Governor's Mansion

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Elizabeth, NJ 07201

14.956209286591

Boxwood Hall State Historic Site

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A two‑story yellow colonial house with dark brown trim and twin brick chimneys stands behind a small front porch and brick walkway.

Nathaniel Bonnell House

Elizabeth, NJ 07201

15.024470188029

Nathaniel Bonnell House

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A colonial era militia statue enclosed by a circular black fence stands in a small plaza with an American flag behind it, surrounded by multi‑story city buildings under a bright blue sky.

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15.329749634946

Minuteman Statue

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Elizabeth, NJ 07206

16.018233011741

Elizabethtown Point

State/County Park

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Original outbuilding of Lord Stirling's Manor in New Jersey

Lord Stirling's Manor Site

Basking Ridge, NJ 07920

Private estate of Lord Stirling

16.153167615297

Lord Stirling's Manor Site

Historic Site

State/County Park

Van Veghten House

Bridgewater, NJ 08807

Greene's Headquarters at Middlebrook

19.121327246364

Van Veghten House

Historic Site

Lafayette Tour Marker, Staten Island, New

Staten Island, NY 10302

20.660410852268

Lafayette Tour Marker, Staten Island, New York (NY-120)

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Wallace House

Somerville, NJ 08876

Washington's HQ at the Middlebrook encampment

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Wallace House

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Somerville, NJ 08876

21.51460886387

Old Dutch Parsonage

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Jockey Hollow

Morristown, NJ 07960

22.002499485554

Jockey Hollow

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Morristown, NJ 07960

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New Jersey Brigade Area

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Morristown, NJ 07960

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Ford Mansion

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Morristown, NJ 07960

Site of two Continental winter encampments

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Morristown

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Fort Nonsense

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Morristown Green

Morristown, NJ 07960

Where France committed to the cause of Independence

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Morristown Green

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Early 20th century post card depicting the First Presbyterian Church in Morristown, NJ

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Morristown, NJ 07960

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Washington's HQ for the first Morristown encampment

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Arnold's Tavern

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Painting of Henry Knox's Pluckemin Cantonment in New Jersey

Pluckemin Artillery Cantonment

Bedminister, NJ 07921

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Pluckemin Artillery Cantonment

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Jacobus Vanderveer House

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26.616664707916

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Patriot morale is restored in New Jersey

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