Manuscript Group 947, Morris County Brigade, New Jersey Militia Military Records, 1812
Archives Documents, Manuscripts, Maps, & Photographs
Manuscript Group 947, Morris County Brigade, New Jersey Militia
Military Records, 1812, 0.01 linear feet / 1 volume
Call Number: MG 947
Kept May 6 – Nov. 14, 1812 at a camp near Jersey City, New Jersey.
The Morris County Militia was called into service on September 3, 1812 and consisted of four infantry regiments and one
squadron of cavalry. The commanding officers of the four infantry regiments were: Lieutenant Colonel Silas Axtell, Lieutenant Colonel John Smith, Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Jackson, and Lieutenant Colonel Lemuel Cobb. Lieutenant Colonel William Campfield commanded the cavalry squadron and Brigadier-General John Darcy was in command of the entire Morris County Militia. The Morris County Militia was formed to protect New Jersey from any would be British invasions just after the War of 1812 began.
The source of this collection is unknown.
This collection consists of one volume of regimental orders for the Morris County Militia regiment commanded by Lieutenant
Colonel Joseph Jackson. The orders date from May through November 1812 and were issued at a camp near Jersey City.
The orders pertain mainly to self-conduct within the camp. On September 27, 1812, Jackson ordered that soldiers must
shave and wear a clean shirt on Sunday and Thursday mornings. The soldiers were not allowed to leave camp without permission and had to receive permission to go to the sink “in cases of nature.” There are also several instances where officers were selected to conduct court martial or to capture deserters.
For more information on the Morris County Militia see:
Manuscript Group 129, William Leddel (1747-1827) Papers
Processed by James Lewis, June 2001 as part of the “Farm to City” project funded by a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
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