The Revolutionary War and Toms River

July 4th weekend is a time to celebrate the United States' independence and freedom, while also remembering the history of Toms River and its part in the Revolutionary War. 

"We were staunch for independence in this town," said Mark Mutter, town historian of Toms River. 

Toms River was a patriot stronghold during the Revolution and endured two attacks before the final Battle of Toms River in 1782, according to Mutter.

The town was established by an act of the colonial legislature in 1767 and by the time of the Revolution, Toms River was nine years old. According to Mutter, the first two attacks on Toms River in 1777 and 1778 were unsuccessful. 

Toms River was important to General George Washington's army because of the number of salt works in the area and the blockhouse that stored the salt, located on present day Robbins Street, according to Mutter. A monument was established on the Town Hall grounds where the blockhouse was previously located.

These salt works were important to the American troops because they were used to preserve meat rations, before the invention of the refrigerator, according to Mutter. British troops were aware of the importance of the flow of salt works to the local Patriot efforts.

"An army travels on its stomach," Mutter said. "During the 18th century, the Cranberry Inlet was open in the area of present day Ortley Beach and the saltine element in the bay was much higher than today. This gave the patriots a day to produce salt in the works near Shelter Cove." 

The salt was then transported by wagon to Toms River where it was stored in warehouses and distributed further inland as needed, according to Mutter.

"We were a pest; a thorn in the side to the British during the entire war," Mutter said. "And with that, comes these three attacks."

The third was the famous Battle of Toms River in 1782 where patriot Captain Joshua Huddy and nine patriots defending Toms River were killed, according to Mutter.

Huddy was hanged along a beach on Sandy Hook after being falsely charged with the murder of a captured Loyalist, and his body was buried in Old Tennent Church near Manalapan. 

"From the history perspective, we were a patriot stronghold," Mutter said. "The township is nine years older than the Declaration of Independence and we were crucial to the success of the revolution from the George Washington standpoint."