Battle of Short Hills

Overview

The Battle of the Short Hills was a conflict between a Continental Army force commanded by Brigadier General William Alexander, and an opposing British force commanded by Lieutenant General William Howe. The battle took place on June 26, 1777, at Scotch Plains and Edison, New Jersey, during the American Revolutionary War.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Short Hills brought a Continental Army force of 2,500 under Brigadier General William Alexander (Lord Stirling) into direct confrontation with a British force of approximately 11,000 commanded by Lieutenant General William Howe, with field operations conducted by Cornwallis and Vaughan. The stark disparity in force sizes shaped the engagement's strategic character, as Alexander's command faced one of the war's largest British forces then operating in New Jersey. The action took place in the Scotch Plains and Edison area of New Jersey in the summer of 1777, a period when Howe was maneuvering to position British forces for what would become the Philadelphia campaign. The engagement reflected the broader Continental challenge of contesting British movement through New Jersey with a significantly outnumbered field army.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (4)