64. Bullion’s Tavern Rochambeau"Camp Traditional Cache

The tiny village of Liberty Corner known in 1791 as “Bullion’s Tavern,” was a stopover point for French Gen. Jean Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, le Comte de Rochambeau and his 5,300 troops during the 1781 march from Providence, R.I., to Yorktown, Va. On August 29/30, 1781 French forces camped at Bullion’s Tavern on the grounds of what is today called the “English Farm”, their twenty-second camp since departure from their first camp in Providence, Rhode Island, on June 18, 1781.

Rochambeau and his troops crossed into New Jersey from Suffern, N.Y., on Aug. 25. They marched southwest through Pompton and Whippany, on to “Bullion’s Tavern,” now Liberty Corner, Millstone, Princeton and Trenton. On Sept. 3, troops crossed the Delaware River into Pennsylvania and proceeded to Philadelphia. According to a written history a rare manuscript from “Camp, Baskenridge, N.J., Aug. 9, 1781,” noted a “huge supply of flour” transferred from Continental Army Supplies to Rochambeau’s troops.

Rochambeau and Washington marched troops through New Jersey concurrently but along separate routes. Rochambeau’s troops encamped on the English family farm in Liberty Corner on Aug. 29, 1781, while, historians say, he took shelter in a nearby tavern. According to Township Historian the English Farm “is one of the few working farms remaining in Bernards Township.” “It has been part of Bernards’ history since King George II created Bernardston Township by charter in 1760.

At Yorktown, Va the French troops joined General George Washington at troops to defeat the army of British General Lord Cornwallis, ending the Revolutionary war. The First Brigade of the French Army returned and encamped again at “Bullion’s Tavern,”on September 9/10, 1782, their thirty-second camp since departure from Williamsburg, Virginia, on July 1, 1782. The Second Brigade followed the next day.

On August 29/30, 1781, and September 9/10, 1782, French forces camped Bullion’s Tavern on the grounds of what is today called the “English Farm”, their twenty-second camp since departure from their first camp in Providence, Rhode Island, on June 18, 1781. The First Brigade of the French Army encamped here on 9/10 September 1782, their thirty-second camp since departure from Williamsburg, Virginia, on July 1, 1782. The Second Brigade followed the next day.

This cache is one of "The American Revolution Geo~Trail" caches throughout New Jersey. These special geocaches are hidden at many historic locations which have a connection to important New Jersey's American Revolutionary War history. To participate in the optional Geo-Trail, after you find the geocache, locate the secret code and record it into your passport which you will print from this website. Information at njpatriots.org

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