During the 1780-1781 winter a group of about 2,500 American soldiers of Pennsylvania troops were encamped at Morristown, under the command of General Anthony Wayne. Wayne used the Kemble house as his headquarters, arriving here on November 29, 1780. General Washington headquartered at New Windsor, New York, while the Continental Army was spread out in small encampments which stretched along the roughly sixty miles from West Point, New York, to Morristown, where the Pennsylvania Line Mutiny Occurs
The situation came to a head when about 1300 of the troops mutinied on New Year's Day 1781, which happened to be the thirty-sixth birthday of General Wayne. Several officers were killed or wounded. The mutineers set out on a march towards Philadelphia, where they intended to demand that Congress take steps to relieve their hardships.
In January, 1781 a number of Pennsylvania regiments of the Continental Line mutinied out of protest that they had had to endure another devastatingly cold winter without adequate food rations and shelter. They had not been paid for months. The biggest point of contention, though, was that they felt, after spending five years in service, their original three-year periods of enlistment were up. They believed that they were not obligated to serve for the duration of the war, which in January of 1781, showed no sign of ending.
Tensions were running high among the troops, who were angry about the lack of sufficient food, clothing, and pay. When they enlisted, the soldiers had been promised that a new set of clothes and a blanket would be issued to them every year. Instead, the realities of supplying the army through the difficult war years had meant that these annual new clothes and blankets had not been issued. As winter weather set in, the lack of these necessities took on a greater urgency.
General Wayne was well aware of the situation among his men. He described the clothes situation in a letter to Pennsylvania Governor Joseph Reed on December 16, " the old worn out coats and tattered linen overalls, and what was once a poor substitute for a blanket, (now divided among three soldiers,) is but very wretched living and shelter against the winter's piercing cold drifting snows, and chilling sleets. Our soldiery are not devoid of reasoning faculties, nor are they callous to the first feelings of nature; they have now served their country with fidelity for near five years, poorly clothed, badly fed, and worse paid; of the last article, trifling as it is, they have not seen a paper dollar in the way of pay for near twelve months."
The mutiny began in the ranks of the New Eleventh Pennsylvania Regiment and spread to the First, Third, Sixth, Seventh and Tenth Pennsylvania Regiments, Members of the Second, Fourth, Fifth and Ninth Pennsylvania Regiments did not initially want to join the mutiny. They were threatened by the mutineers first at bayonet point, and then cannon from the Fourth Continental Artillery Regiment was fired over the heads of the non-participants, and they quickly fell in line with the mutineers.
Thusly it was that nearly half of the entire 2,500 Pennsylvania Line fell out in full gear on the morning of New Years Day, 1781 and prepared to leave their camp at Morristown, New Jersey. They intended to march to Philadelphia and demand arrears of the Continental Congress, then in session. General Anthony Wayne attempted to dissuade them, but to no avail.
One casualty occurred when some of the captains attempted to stop the mutiny. Adam Bettin was the captain of the 4th Company of the Fourth Pennsylvania Regiment. According to witnesses, Captain Bettin met his death almost by accident. When the cannon from the Fourth Continental Artillery was commandeered by the mutineers, a detachment of the Fourth Pennsylvania Regiment, commanded by Captain Thomas Campbell, charged against the mutineers in an attempt to retake the cannon. They failed, and in the confusion of the moment, a mutineer attacked Lieutenant Colonel William Butler who was nearby. Butler fled between some huts, and his attacker followed. The attacking mutineer changed direction and headed around the huts in an attempt to cut Butler off. As he came around a corner, he ran smack into Captain Bettin. Bettin raised his spontoon in defense and the mutineer raised his gun, shooting Captain Bettin and inflicting a mortal wound.
The mutineers traveled to Princeton, where they set up a temporary camp. General Anthony Wayne and two of his officers followed the mutineers, who never made it to Philadelphia. They reached Princeton on January 3.
Wayne wrote to Washington the following morning, informing him of the situation: <>
(Note that the spelling and punctuation in this letter have not been modernized or corrected.)
Mount Kemble 2nd Jany 1781 9. OClock. A.M.
Dear General
The most general and unhappy mutiny suddenly took place in the Pennsa Line about 9. OClock last Night—it yet subists—a great proportion of the troops with some Artillery are Marching towards Phila.
every exertion has been used by the Officers to Divide them in their Determination to revolt—it has succeeded in a temporary manner with near one half—how long it will last God knows.
... What their temper may be I can not tell—we had our escapes last night—perhaps we may be equally fortunate to day. If not adieu my Dear General & believe me yours Most Affectionately
Anty Wayne Major
British General Henry Clinton saw an opportunity in the mutiny and attempted to persuade the mutineers to take up sides with the British. He sent John Mason and a guide by the name of James Ogden as ambassadors to the mutineers to convince them to take up sides with the British, but they rejected the offers. Their argument was not against the Patriot Cause; rather, it was simply that they wanted redress for their grievances. The men of the Pennsylvania Line believed that if they could present those grievances to the delegates assembled in Congress, they might be persuaded to remedy the situation. Mason and Ogden were taken into custody.
Joseph Reed, appointed by Congress to meet with the mutineers, arrived at Princeton on 07 January. He was successful and persuaded the soldiers with assurances that the Congress would attempt to address their complaints.
On 24 January, 1781 the committee that had been appointed to review the disturbance in the Pennsylvania Line delivered its report to the delegates assembled in Congress.
"On their arrival at Trenton on Saturday Evening the 6th Inƒtant, they met and converƒed fully with Mr. Preƒident Reed from the Executive Council of the State of Pennƒylvania, who had that Day been at Maidenhead near Princeton and began a Treaty with the insurgents through General Wayne. The Committee of Congreƒs and of the Council agreed upon the meaƒures to be purƒued by them in conjunction and in particular, that not only every thing juƒtly due to the Soldiers of the Pennƒylvania line ƒhould be granted, but that a conƒtruction favorable to them ƒhould by put upon the form of enliƒtment, for three years or during the war; viz: that it ƒhould terminate in three years unleƒs the ƒoldier had voluntarily reinliƒted but that they would not on any account diƒcharge thoƒe who had freely inliƒted for the war. They alƒo agreed that as Genl Wayne had offered them on the 2d Inƒtant a general amneƒty it ƒhould be confirmed whatever reaƒon there was in two or three inƒtances to have made exceptions."
The Committee from Congress met with General Wayne, President Reed and representatives for the mutineers over the course of the next four days. They finally arrived at agreeable terms on the 10th of January.
On the 11th of January, the men of the Pennsylvania Line, their mutiny at an end, handed over the two British ambassadors, Mason and Ogden, to General Wayne, who had them hung as spies.
On January 20, another mutiny occurred in New Jersey. It began about twenty-five miles northeast of Morristown, and is known as the Pompton Mutiny.
General Anthony Wayne died December 15, 1796. The Township of Wayne NJ was named for him in 1847.
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