Elizabeth (Betty) Frazee was ordinary citizen during the Revolutionary War who stood up to British demands with dignity and courage.
As the legend holds, after the British fought the Continental Army at the Battle of Short Hills on June 26, 1777, General Cornwallis and his troops passed by the home of Betty Frazee while marching toward the Watchung mountains, located a few miles to the north.
Known to the locals as a prolific baker, Betty Frazee was baking bread at the time. Hungry and tired, the troops smelled the bread and Cornwallis approached her stating, "I want the first loaf of bread that next comes from that oven." Betty is said to have replied, “Sir, I give you this bread through fear, not in love.” Evidently impressed by her courage, Cornwallis is said to have stated, “Not a man in my command shall touch a single loaf.”
Although Cornwallis may not have taken any bread, British troops certainly availed themselves of nearly everything else on the property! Claims filed by Betty's husband, Gershom Frazee, for plundered items include: 64 woodworking tools; 3 cows; 23 sheep; a hive of bees; household goods; and a "Garden Fence and other fence burnt."