Hiking Through History: Monmouth Battlefield - Part IV; The Sutfin House

This installment is somewhat different than its predecessors in that it is about a single entity in an historic site. The house was built in 1731 and stands alone amidst the corn and a lone tree. It was owned by Derick Sutfin and at the time of the battle he lived there with his wife, Mary, and four of their eight children. They also owned a number of slaves who are believed to have slept in the upstairs loft of the house. The farm, at one time, covered 265 acres where the family raised livestock and grew grain. He produced wheat, rye, apple cider, beef, pork, poultry, honey and dairy products. There were also other structures on the land but the farmhouse is the only one left standing.

The image at the top of this post is a wide shot of the farm and battlefield. I took this photo while standing at the top of Combs Hill where the Visitor Center now sits. The house is approximately a mile away from where I was standing.

I have hiked this part of the park before and written about the other trails but I had only seen the old farmhouse from a distance. I started the hike on the Washington Trail but when I got to an opening in the fence I turned onto the Farms Trail and Colonel Cilley Trail which took me on to the Sutfin Farm and towards the old farmhouse. It is the Colonel Cilley Trail which ultimately passes by the house. I have always been struck by the weathered appearance of the house and I wanted to take a lot of photos. I took a few shots from different parts of the trail as I approached and then some up-close. As I was walking around the house looking for some interesting features to photograph I started feeling a bit uncomfortable. The house is closed up but many of the upstairs windows are without glass and there are holes in the side of the building so there are many places where you can see inside. I found myself concentrating more on what might be inside the house than I was on photographing the outside. The longer I was there, the more uncomfortable I felt. I just couldn't shake the feeling that I wasn't alone and that I was being watched.

Ridiculous! Right? Absolutely! The reality is the longer I was there, the stronger the feeling got until I couldn't stay any longer. I had to leave the house and I couldn't get away fast enough. So it was back to the Colonel Cilley Trail, heading southeast until I came to a wooden fence identical to the one along the Washington Trail behind me. This is where the Colonel Cilley Trail heads north and the Farms Trail goes south. I took the Farms Trail and followed it back to the parking lot.

I couldn't stop thinking about my experience at the house and so the next day I decided to take my walk through the Sutfin Farm again, this time taking the Colonel Cilley Trail which would, once again, bring me to the Sutfin House. As I was walking along I came across a fellow hiker, a gentleman I had actually seen the day before but he was too far away to stop and chat. This time we were on the same trail heading towards each other and when we were close enough we exchanged "hello’s.” I asked him if he was on the trail yesterday and he said he was. I then asked him if he had ever experienced the sensation of being watched like I had the day before. Much to my delight, he said he had. We talked a little more and then I continued along the trail and soon found myself approaching the house. I was coming from the east whereas the day before I came to it from the west. I took some photos while approaching the house but as I drew closer the strange sensation started coming over me again and so I didn't stop until I was well past the house. I have discovered that the hiker and I are not alone - check out a great post by Patrick Browne called Monmouth Battlefield: Just Me and the Ghosts. You can also check out Chuck's Paranormal Adventures, he has done a number of investigations at Monmouth Battlefield (I participated in one and will write about that at a later date) and has some interesting observations of the Sutfin House. I have since learned that, though no one with the New Jersey Parks System or Friends of Monmouth Battlefield has experienced anything like I had, there have been recent reports of "things" from visitors.

Are there spirits walking the grounds of Monmouth Battlefield or stuck inside the Sutfin House. I don't know. I don't even know if I actually believe the possibility even exists but the bottom line is - I don't think I am going to get close to the house again unless I have others with me.

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All photos are copyright Joseph S. Valencia All Rights Reserved They may not be used in any way without express written permission of the photographer. If you wish to use any of the photos you may contact the photographer at valencia32photo@gmail.com

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Hiking Through History: Monmouth Battlefield - Part III; Molly Pitcher

Molly Hays trailhead

Welcome to the 3^rd "Hiking Through History" post covering Monmouth Battlefield. The Molly Hays Trail (1.07 miles) retraces the steps of Molly Hays during the Battle of Monmouth. The following is the description from the brochure:

Molly Hays Trail: The Molly Hays Trail begins at the Perrine-Conover House parking lot, joins the Washington trail, and then swings west to overlook the spring that provided water to Washington’s army. The first segment of this trail can be used to link the Conover-Perrine House parking lot to the other marked trails.

A panoramic view of the battlefield from where Molly fought

Molly Hays (aka: Molly Pitcher) was born Mary Ludwig; born in 1754, near Trenton, New Jersey. According to legend, at the Battle of Monmouth, Mary, wife of artilleryman William Hays, carried water to cool both the cannon and the soldiers in her husband’s battery—hence the nickname “Molly Pitcher.” Molly was a common nickname for Mary during this time. Legend also asserts that when William Hays collapsed or was wounded, she took her husband’s place in the gun crew for the rest of the battle. There are other accounts that claim it was not her husband who collapsed but another soldier and that she fought side-by-side with her husband. An eyewitness account of Molly's fighting is on record in the National Archives:

"While in the act of reaching a cartridge ... a cannon shot from the enemy passed directly between her legs without doing any other damage than carrying away all the lower part of her petticoat. ... She observed that it was lucky it did not pass a little higher... and continued her occupation."

The entrance to the woods where Molly retrieved the water

The trail cuts across a large field heading towards a wooded area where the Perrine Hill Spring runs; this is where Molly retrieved the water to bring to the men on the battlefield. There are two information stations on the wooden platform overlooking the spring which is somewhere at the bottom of a tall, steep hill. One of the placards states that the temperature on the battlefield was 100°F that day. I cannot image what it was like hauling water in that heat, it was only about 62°F when I was there and the sun made it feel quite a bit warmer when I was in the middle of the field.

Panoramic view of the woods - Perrine Hill Spring is below.

Molly stayed with the Continental Army and her husband through the end of the war. In 1783 she and William moved back to Carlisle where they had both met and were married. After William's death she married John M^cCauley, working in Carlisle for the State House. In 1822 the Pennsylvania Legislature honored Molly for her services during the war presenting her with a $40 award; continuing to award her $40 each year until she died in January 1832. There is a monument commemorating her heroic performance on the battlefield. Pitcher remained with the Continental Army until the war ended, then moved back to Carlisle with Hays in April 1783. Following her husband's death, she married a war veteran named John McCauley and worked in the State House in Carlisle. She was honored by the Pennsylvania Legislature in 1822 for her wartime services, receiving an award of $40 and an annual commission of the same amount for the rest of her life. She died on January 22, 1832, in Carlisle, where a monument commemorates her heroic acts in battle.

For more information about Monmouth Battlefield State Park, check out the links below:

• New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry - Monmouth Battlefield State Park
• Park brochure and map (downloadable PDF)
• Friends of Monmouth Battlefield

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All photos are copyright Joseph S. Valencia All Rights Reserved They may not be used in any way without express written permission of the photographer. If you wish to use any of the photos you may contact the photographer at valencia32photo@gmail.com

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