NJ, USA
Great Snowstorms of January 1780
January 2, 1780
A series of severe snowstorms struck the Morristown area in early January 1780, burying the camp under four to six feet of snow and cutting supply lines for days. The storms were part of the broader pattern that made the winter of 1779-1780 the coldest of the eighteenth century. Roads became impassable, wagons could not deliver provisions, and soldiers who were already on reduced rations faced the prospect of starvation. Diarists in the camp recorded temperatures well below zero Fahrenheit and described the suffering of men who lacked blankets, shoes, and adequate firewood.
People Involved
Enlisted Continental soldier whose published memoir provides the most vivid enlisted man's account of the Morristown winters, documenting starvation, freezing, and the daily reality of service in Washington's army.
Continental Army major general (1742-1786) who served as quartermaster general during the Morristown winter encampments and later commanded the Southern Department.