Deserted Village Patriot's Cemetery - American Revolutionary War Veteran Graves on Waymarking.com

The Willcocks and Badgley family cemetery located in the woods of the Deserted Villege, Watchung Reservation, Union County NJ. There are an estimated 24 graves in this little modest cemetery. There are headstones of the three Revolution War Patriots. The original headstone is of John Willcocks who died November 22, 1776. John Willcocks was a member of "Captain Marsh's Light Horse Troop", and was killed defending General George Washington retreat across New Jersey. The following is the historical event in the Revolution of when John Willcox was killed defending our freedom: On November 16, 1776, Fort Washington fell to an overwhelming assault by the British forces who captured over 2,000 American troops. Following the fall of New York City to British occupation, the Continental Army crossed the Hudson River and scaled the Palisades to man the fortifications on the bluffs of Fort Lee.
General Washington, realizing that with the loss of New York's Fort Washington, Fort Lee was of little military value, and made preparations to evacuate his remaining army through New Jersey. An orderly retreat, however, was not in store for the Americans. On November 20, General Cornwallis ferried between 6,000 and 8,000 men across the Hudson River north of Fort Lee. When word of the crossing reached Washington, he ordered the abandonment of Fort Lee and an immediate retreat before his army was cut off and captured by the British. Most of the American supplies and artillery had to be left behind. During these darkest days for the Revolution when it seemed as though the Continental Army could not survive, Thomas Paine, who was in Fort Lee with Washington’s army, wrote the famous words, “These are the times that try men’s souls.” The other Patriots graves, John's brother William Willcocks died October 20, 1800 after serving as judge advocate in Chatham NJ, for Revolutionary court martials during the war. Their cousin Joseph Badgley died in 1785.

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Location type: Section of a Cemetery/Mass Grave Grave Marker Text: (1)John Willcocks Sr. New Jersey, LT Horse CO., NJ Militia,Rev war. (2)William Willcocks New Jersey, Judge Advocate Rev War. (3)Joseph Badgley New Jersey, Pvt. 1st NJ Reg. Rev War. Date of Birth: Not listed Date of Death: Not listed Cause of death: Not listed Ranks: Not listed

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PLEASE NOTE: This category is for American Revolutionary War Veterans only. Veterans of other revolutions are not part of this category.

I have allowed one entry for a grave of British solders, but it was an exception. Please only list graves for Colonial soldiers.

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Date Logged Log User Rating   11/20/2014 Kirsten2usa visited it 11/14/2014 2KatzHunt visited it 03/06/2008 RMR45 visited it 01/07/2008 ReZappers visited it

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