The 2nd New Jersey Regiment was part of Maxwell’s Brigade in the Continental Army. Richard Howell served as Major of this regiment — the military role that defined the first half of his public life.

History#

The regiment was organized in December 1775 at Burlington and Trenton, drawing recruits from Gloucester, Huntington, Burlington, Salem, and Sussex Counties, New Jersey.

At Valley Forge (Winter 1777–1778)

The regiment entered Valley Forge with 275 men assigned, of whom 204 were fit for duty — a testament to the brutal attrition of that winter encampment. By the time the army departed in March 1778, the regiment had been reinforced: 443 assigned, 373 fit for duty.

Here is a list of documents we have collected over the years. All documents are in PDF format.

Dr. Lewis Howell (1754–1778)

Surgeon for the 2nd New Jersey Battalion

Dr. Lewis Howell was the twin brother of Richard Howell. Lewis Howell was a participant in the Greenwich Tea Party. Dr. Howell was the Surgeon for the 2nd New Jersey Regiment from December 1774 until his death on 5 June 1778.

Dr. Howell inoculated his regiment by pulling a thread infected with the small pox virus through the skin with a needle. During the bitter winter at Valley Forge he purchased blankets with his own money for the men in his regiment. With the assistance of his Surgeon’s mate, Ebenezer Elmer, he performed amputations, musket ball extractions, sutured wounds, tended the sick and administered countless other medical procedures.

Below is a transcript of a letter from Richard Howell to his friend, and Commanding Officer, Colonel Israel Shreve about some personal letters Richard wrote to his future wife, Kaziah Burr, that were left unattended by the mail carrier and opened by an unknown individual. The letters were then presented to “the council,” presumably the Quaker Council of Elders. This greatly incensed Richard. It is known that Kaziah was a Quaker. Quakers, being anti-war, generally discouraged their daughters from being involved with military officers.

Below is a letter that Richard Howell wrote on June 20th — just 8 days before the Battle of Monmouth, which was fought on June 28, 1778. It contains vital enemy tactical intelligence for the planning of that battle, to be relayed from Arnold to General Maxwell. Source citations are at the end of this post. It also describes some of the atrocities the British were visiting on the civilians in New Jersey.

Here are maps covering the period of Richard Howell’s life and the American Revolution. Also included are maps from the United Kingdom and specifically Wales.

Maps of Early Family Locations#

Map	Caption
	Newark, Delaware — 1736 — Map of Newark, Delaware at the time Ebenezer Howell’s family lived there before removing to New Jersey in 1769.

Colonial Period#

Map	Caption
	American Colonies — Map of the original American colonies during the colonial period.

Revolutionary War Period#

Map	Caption
	New Jersey Revolutionary War Battles (1974 map) — Map showing the locations of Revolutionary War battles in New Jersey. Richard Howell participated in several of these engagements.
	Plan Map for the Attack on Trenton, NJ
	The Forage War, 1777 — The Forage War was a series of skirmishes in New Jersey in early 1777.
	New Jersey and Long Island — Map of New Jersey and Long Island during the Revolutionary War.
	Revolution in New Jersey — Map of Revolutionary War sites in New Jersey.
	Battle of Monmouth (USMA) — Tactical map of the Battle of Monmouth, June 28, 1778. Richard Howell fought at Monmouth; his twin brother Dr. Lewis Howell died of illness seven days after this battle.
	Monmouth Map — Vintage map of Monmouth County, New Jersey.
	1777 Battle of Germantown — Montresor — Map by engineer John Montresor of the Battle of Germantown, October 4, 1777.
	1777–1778 Valley Forge Encampment — Map of the Valley Forge winter encampment. Dr. Lewis Howell purchased blankets with his own money for his regiment during this encampment.
	Battle of Brandywine
	Path towards American Independence
	Battle of Brandywine (USMA)
	Battle of Germantown
	British War Map, 1776
	His Majesty’s Forces in New York, 1776

Post Revolutionary War#

Maps for this period have not yet been added.

This page collects excerpts from primary source correspondence — drawn from The Writings of George Washington and the George Washington Papers at the Library of Congress — documenting Major Richard Howell’s role as an intelligence officer and field commander during the Revolutionary War.

Richard Howell’s Intelligence Operations, 1778–1779#

The greater part of the New Jersey soldiers’ time was occupied by such mundane duties as mounting guard, cutting wood, and maintaining garrisons in several towns in the area. There were occasional opportunities during this period for excitement or at least a change in the mundane rounds of daily living.

This timeline covers Richard Howell’s military service during the American Revolutionary War — from enlistment through his intelligence work, the major battles, and his resignation from the Continental Army.

Note: Where only a year is known, January 1 is used as a placeholder date.