The land where this cache sits was once part of the estate of
Lord Stirling, an important figure in colonial America and a key
participant in the American Revolution (see bio below). The Great
Swamp is one of the remanants of Lake
Passaic, which was a 30 mile long, 10 mile wide lake that
covered this area about 12-15,000 years ago. There is a display in
the EEC's basement that recounts the geological and human history
of this very interesting area. It once was slated to be the site of
a huge airport, meant to replace Newark International. Imagine how
different this area of the state would be had that happened.
Catch the trailhead behind the Environmental Education Center.
The trails here are well maintained and flat, making it a great
walk for families. Being in the swamp the walk can be wet in some
seasons, but most of the time, it's dry and pleasant. There is no
need to bushwack. The trails may twist and turn, but they
eventually take you to the cache. It's probably a good idea to pick
up a trail map at the EEC before you head out.
The cache is in a decon container, which isn't much larger than
a pack of cigarettes and only contains a logbook and pencil. There
is no need to leave the "trail" to find this cache.
As part of your log, list any interesting animals spotted
along your route. When I placed it, I saw a red headed woodpecker,
a blue heron, several wild turkey, but oddly enough, not a single
deer. They must have seen the signs about hunting and headed
elsewhere.
Lord Stirling
William Alexander was born in New York City in 1726.
Alexander was an educated, ambitious and bright young man and was
proficient in mathematics and astronomy. He joined his mother in a
successful provisioning business and in 1747, married Sarah
Livingston, the daughter of Philip and sister of Gov. William
Livingston. During the French and Indian War he joined the British
Army where he became aide-de-camp to Gov. Shirley. He traveled to
London in 1756 to testify on behalf of Shirley, who was facing
charges of dereliction of duty. While there he attempted to claim
the vacant title of Earl of Stirling on the advice of friends. A
Scottish jury accepted his claim, but the English House of Lords
refused to do so; probably because the earldom included a land
grant that consisted of much of the New England coast, parts of
Nova Scotia and the entire St. Lawrence River valley.
Satisfied by the partial acceptance of his claim, he
returned to America in 1761, now using using the title, Lord
Stirling. Stirling was appointed Surveyor-General of East Jersey
and was also a member of the Provincial Council. He was one of the
founders of Columbia University (then called King's College) and
became its first governor.
Stirling was a socially prominent and wealthy man, having
inherited a large fortune from his father. He dabbled in mining and
agriculture and lived a life filled with the trappings befitting an
English Lord. This was an expensive lifestyle and he eventually
went into debt to finance it. He began building his grand estate in
Basking Ridge and upon its completion, sold his home in NYC and
moved here. His estate covered the much of the land that is present
day Lord Stirling Park. His mansion was set on today's Lord
Stirling Road across from the Lord Stirling school. It is unclear
what happened to the original structure, but a building on the site
burned to the ground in the 1920's. Descriptions of this building
don't jibe with descriptions of Stirling's mansion, so it was
either a different building, or one that had been significantly
altered. Another building (a mail order, Montgomery Ward house) was
erected on the original foundation and survives today. It is
visible from the road but is closed to the public. An
archaelolgical dig at the site has uncovered numerous artifacts
from the colonial period. George Washington was a guest there on
several occasions during the revolution and gave away Stirling’s
daughter at her wedding.
When the revolution started, Stirling was made a Colonel
in the New Jersey militia. He outfitted the militia at his own
expense and was always willing to spend his own money in support of
the cause. A practice that eventually cost him his fortune. He
distinguished himself early by leading a group of volunteers in the
capture of an armed British transport. Congress appointed him
Brigadier-General in the Continental Army in March of 1776. At the
Battle of Long Island, in August of that year, Stirling led the
Maryland Brigade in repeated attacks against a superior British
force and took heavy casualties. Outnumbered 25-1, his brigade was
eventually overwhelmed and Stirling was taken prisoner, but not
before repelling the British forces long enough to allow the main
body of troops to escape. Because of his actions at Long Island,
one newspaper called him “the bravest man in America” and he was
praised by both Washington and the British for his bravery and
audacity. He was released in a prisoner exchange, promoted to
Major-General and became one of Washington’s most able and trusted
generals. Washington held him in such high regard that he placed
Stirling in command of the entire Continental Army for nearly two
months, while he was away on personal business and throughout most
of the war he was considered to be 3rd or 4th in rank behind
Washington. At Trenton Stirling received the surrender of a Hessian
regiment and subsequent battles at Brandywine, Germantown and
Monmouth cemented his reputation for bravery and sound tactical
judgment. In 1779 he surprised and captured a British detachment at
Paulus’ Hook. Lord Stirling also played a part in exposing the
“Conway Cabal”, a conspiracy of disaffected officers looking to
remove Washington as Commander-in Chief and replace him with Gen.
Gates. When Washington took his army south in 1781, he appointed
Stirling commander of the northern army and he was sent to Albany.
Stirling, always a heavy drinker, was in poor health by this time,
suffering from severe gout and rheumatism. He died in Albany on
January 15, 1783. His untimely death just months before the
official end of the war is the probable reason that he is not as
well known today as many of his peers. Still, his significant
contributions made him one of the most important figures of the
American Revolution.-BS