How Burgoyne's Convention Army Came to Tinicum Find out how 4000 British and Hessian Prisoners came to march across the Delaware and into Tinicum Township, Bucks County in December 1778 following their defeat and surrender in Saratoga New York in 1777.

The count of the prisoners indicated that there were 2,139 British men, 2,022 German soldiers, and 830 Canadians.

In addition Gates agreed to let some 1100 Tories, Canadians, and Native Americans return to Canada immediately.

The rest of the "Convention Army" were ferried across the Hudson River and were supposed to be marched to Boston and returned to England. In addition to these forces there were about a thousand women and children who accompanied the soldiers.

The Convention Army arrived in Cambridge on November 7,1777.

The troops were ordered into makeshift barracks on Prospect and Winter Hills and kept there for a year.

The American Congress did not ratify the Convention agreement, and consequentely, British ships sent to pick up the prisoners, were refused entry into the harbor.

Finally with no signed agreement in place, the Americans considered the Convention null and void.

Connecticut

On November 8th, Lt. Colonel Bland received detailed orders from Washington. The Convention Army arrived in Enfield, Connecticut on November 15. They made multiple stops in Connecticut including from Sunbury to New Hartford.

"A proper escort of Militia from the State of Massachusetts is to attend the troops to Enfield, at which place they will be relieved by the militia of Connecticut, previous notice being given to have them in readiness. You will take care not to dismiss the old guard till relieved by the new. The Militia of Connecticut are to proceed as far as the North River where they will either be relieved by a guard of Continental troops, or New York militia." (WGW Vol. 13, November 8, 1778 “Letter to Lt. Col. Bland”)”

"The annexed route will bring the Troops as far on in their march as Fish Kills. You will then be furnished with a new route for your direction thro' the states of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and to their place of destination in Virginia." (WGW Vol. 13, November 8, 1778 “Letter to Lt. Col. Bland”)”

New York

The New York Militia met the marching Convention Army at the North river and cut across the southeastern corner of New York passing through Goshen, Fishkill and Warwick the last week in November before heading into New Jersey.

With the militia providing a heavy guard, the Convention Army made its long march through Connecticut and New York without with surprisingly few desertions. Only 299 British and 280 German troops vanished—compared with the 1,035 British and 333 Germans who disappeared during their stay in Massachusetts.

New Jersey

The Convention Army then crossed into Sussex County in New Jersey traveling southward to Hunterdon County. The journey through the state took over a week, passing through the towns like Shaftsbury, Andover, Hackettstown, Stillwater, Pittstown and Everitstown.

Despite guards being deployed be the New Jersey Militia, this heavily German settled region provided a welcoming atmosphere for the Hessian Troops. There are apocryphal stories of desertions at each stop. For example, accounts share that twelve Hessians deserted near Stillwater, N.J., with at least one name John Kaspar Losey mentioned in records.

Rev. Alanson A. Haines, pastor of the North Presbyterian Church. In his book, "Hardyston Memorial" (1881), Rev. Haines wrote "On this march they passed through here under guard. The prisoners had been as well cared for as circumstances allowed, but their uniforms were ragged, and they presented a very shabby appearance. The Hessians were still more dejected looking. They were less cleanly than the English regulars and seemed without ambition or hope. Some had wives and young children with them, and they formed a miserable and motley crew. They were very willing to abandon the profession of arms and settle in any place where they might live in quiet."

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Pennsylvania

By all accounts the Convention Army passed across the river from Alexandria Township into Tinicum Township in Bucks County at Sherrard's Ferry. They were met in Tinicum by a contingent of Bucks and Philadelphia Militia.

Originally the Convention Army was to pass across the Delaware at Easton with guards from the Northampton County Militia, but a letter from George Washington on November 23 to Richard Peters indicates the General altered those plans and instead routed the army to cross at Sherrard's Ferry, requesting the Bucks County Militia to attend as guard instead.

Newspaper articles describe the Convention Army's entrance into Pennsylvania and the plans for the large army to proceed accross the Commonwealth in three divisions by way of Lancaster and Yorktown guardeed by 400-500 militia from Philadelphia and Bucks Counties.

We can only imagine what the Tinicum farmers thought when they saw some 4,000 prisoners being ferried across the Delaware and marched over their farms.

We know that the Tinicum Company was likely called up as a part of the Bucks County Militia Guard.

We know that the area was in great distress for much of the year prior supplying Washington's Soldiers headquartered at Valley Forge with grain, as well as after fending off foraging British Soldiers from British-occcupied Philadelphia.

We do know that Lieutenant Colonel Jacob Reed, head of the Philadelphia Militia, talks about the burden this placed on the local militia in his memoirs, and that he expressed these concerns in a letter he sent to the Council on Safety in December of 1778.

In response to orders to call up the Militia to guard the Convention Army through Pennsylvania he writes. "the invasion of the state of the last year by which the militia were subjected to constant and severe service...as their agriculture and necessary attention to their families was very much interrupted by their military duty... that the farmers of this state...are now backward in their work... it would be a great relief to them if the troop which has escorted them through the state of New York and New Jersey could be directed to proceed."

Needless to stay Reed's request was denied and so the Militias assembled "with scanty supplies" at "Sherrard's ferry, assumed charge of the prisoners, and proceeded southward with them. The March was two months long in the coldest part of the year, before they finally reached Maryland and were replaced by a new entourage."

Accounts note that they passed from Plumsteadville, to Montgomeryville, to New Providence, before reaching Valley Forge and further to Lancaster before crossing the Susquehanna River to York. Then they went on to Hanover before crossing into Maryland.

One Tinicum resident, Thomas Morris, recounted in his Pension Application about being tasked with guarding the Convention Army during his time in the Bucks County Militia.

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Maryland and Virginia

The last leg of the march went through Maryland and Virginia. The Convention Army was guarded again by the local militia from the two states respectively crossing the distance to Charlottesville in three weeks time. They arrived at the barracks on January 14, 1779.