The Legend of Tempe Wick Traditional Cache

Temperance Wick (October 30, 1758 – April 26, 1822), also known as Tempe Wick and Tempe, was an American Revolutionary War heroine and the subject of many early American legends. She is traditionally regarded as an example of female patriotism in the early Republic, though many scholars and historians dispute the historical accuracy of the stories and traditions surrounding her life.

The Revolutionary War is raging. Food and firewood are scarce, and Tempe Wick is worried that she will not be able to care for her ailing mother and her family and still maintain the farm.

The Wick House was built between 1747 and 1750 by Henry Wick. Captain Henry Wick owned the home and farm including 1400 acres of timber and open field. He served with a company of the Morris county calvary. The calvary's mission was to protect Governor Livingston and the Privy Council.

The Wick House in the Morristown National Historical Park served as the quarters of Major Joseph Bloomfield of the Third New Jersey Regiment during the winter of 1776-1777. Later, it also served as the winter headquarters of General Arthur St. Clair in 1779 through 1780. The Continental Army spent that winter camped on the Wick and Kimbel Farms approximately four miles southwest of Morristown.

On December 21, 1780, Henry Wick died at Jockey Hollow. In January 1781, the Pennsylvania soldiers under the command of General Anthony Wayne mutinied. The soldiers intended to gather food and other supplies, including horses. They supposedly intended to travel south to Philadelphia to march on Congress. They demanded higher pay and better living conditions for soldiers. Instead of heading south to Philadelphia, the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania negotiated with them, and the mutiny ended peacefully, and many of the soldiers agreed to stay in the army. During that same winter, Mary Wick, the widow of Henry Wick, sent her daughter, Temperance Wick, known locally as Tempe, to get her brother-in-law, Dr. Leddel.

Upon returning on her horse, Tempe was stopped by several soldiers and ordered to dismount and give them her horse. Tempe pretended to dismount, but tricked the soldiers, and escaped with her horse. When she returned to Jockey Hollow, she hid the horse in her bedroom using a feather bed to muffle the sound of the horses hooves. Shortly thereafter, the soldiers came looking for the horse and searched the barn and in the woods surrounding the home, and never imagined that the horse was hidden inside the house. In one version of this legend, the horse remained hidden in the home for three weeks. This inspired Ann Rinaldi's famous novel, A Ride Into Morning, which combines several versions of the story together, told from the perspective of Mary Cooper, a cousin of Tempe Wick, who lived at Jockey Hollow during the Winter at Jockey Hollow.

Other versions of the story include Tempe Wick saving General Washington from mutineers during the Pennsylvania Line Mutiny, passing letters through British lines, and acting as a spy. However, these versions of the story are generally regarded as erroneous.

This geocache is approved by Morristown National Historical Park, Morristown NJ. Meeting historic and educational guidelines providing information about the American Revolution.

These educational "Jockey Hollow's Morristown National Park geocaches" are in conjunction with the upcoming "New Jersey American Revolution Geo~Trail" which will be located throughout New Jersey. The Geo trail geocaches are hidden at historic locations which have a connection to important New Jersey's American Revolutionary War history.

The Northern New Jersey Cachers, NNJC is about promoting a quality caching experience in Northern New Jersey. For information on The Northern New Jersey Cachers group you can visit: www.nnjc.org.