The legend of Tempe Wick and the hidden horse during the Pennsylvania Line mutiny

Tempe Wick’s Bedroom Secret During Washington’s Military Crisis

Morristown National Historical Park preserves one of the Revolutionary War’s strangest stories about a young woman who hid her horse in a bedroom.

In December 1780, twenty-two-year-old Tempe Wick lived alone with her sick mother and disabled brother on their 1,400-acre farm at Jockey Hollow.

Over 10,000 Continental soldiers had camped there through a brutal winter, and tensions were breaking.

When three mutinous Pennsylvania soldiers tried to steal her horse, Tempe escaped and allegedly led the animal straight into her house, hiding it in a guest bedroom until the danger passed.

The story of Tempe Wick’s bedroom horse reveals how close Washington’s army came to complete collapse during that terrible winter.

The Wick Family Faced Hardship After Father’s Death

Henry Wick owned a huge 1,400-acre farm at Jockey Hollow near Morristown when he died on December 21, 1780.

His death left his 22-year-old daughter Tempe alone to care for her sick mother Mary and her troubled brother Henry Jr. The timing was awful.

Over 10,000 Continental Army soldiers camped on Wick land since winter 1779-80. These hungry troops cut down more than 600 acres of the family’s trees for huts and firewood.

Major General Arthur St. Clair and his staff lived in the Wick house during this time.

Angry Soldiers Grew Restless as Winter Set In

Trouble started as 1780 ended. About 2,400 Pennsylvania Line soldiers under General Anthony Wayne faced changes in their regiments starting January 1, 1781.

Many soldiers thought they could leave after three years, but officers said they had to stay until the war ended. Money problems made things worse.

Pennsylvania paid soldiers only $20 bounty while New Jersey gave $1,000. The Continental Army had shrunk from 26,000 men in July 1779 to fewer than 15,000 by summer 1780.

New Year’s Celebrations Turned Into Armed Rebellion

Pennsylvania Line soldiers threw a wild New Year’s party on January 1, 1781. Men from the 11th Regiment started drinking and making noise around 8 PM.

By 9 PM, soldiers came out with weapons and took control of artillery and ammunition. About 1,500 joined the uprising while others stayed loyal.

Officers tried to stop them but failed. Captain Adam Bettin got shot by a soldier chasing Lieutenant Colonel William Butler.

The rebels ignored their officers and decided to march to Philadelphia.

Mutineers Abandoned Camp and Headed South

The angry soldiers left Morristown on January 2, 1781. General Wayne followed them but kept his distance.

The soldiers marched south but stopped at Princeton instead of going all the way to Philadelphia. Twelve sergeants, led by William Bowzar and Daniel Connell, spoke for the group during talks.

Wayne sent urgent messages to Washington and Pennsylvania government asking for help. The mutineers set up camp in Princeton and kept military discipline despite their rebellion.

Mary Wick’s Health Took a Turn for the Worse

Tempe Wick’s mother Mary got much sicker during the chaos in early January 1781. Tempe needed to get Dr. William Leddell, who lived about a mile from the Wick farm. The family’s last horse, Colonel, was their only way to travel.

Hungry soldiers had been searching the area for days, taking horses and supplies for their march. Tempe knew she risked danger riding through areas filled with desperate, unpaid soldiers looking for anything they could grab.

Three Soldiers Tried to Steal Tempe’s Horse

Tempe rode Colonel to Dr. Leddell’s home, but the doctor wasn’t there.

She left a message with his family and started back to the Wick farm. On the way home, three Pennsylvania soldiers stopped her and told her to give them her horse.

One soldier grabbed Colonel’s bridle while ordering Tempe to get down. When the soldier let go to help her dismount, Tempe saw her chance.

She whipped her horse and raced home at full speed, leaving the surprised soldiers behind.

Tempe Found a Clever Hiding Place for Colonel

After getting home safely, Tempe knew the soldiers would come looking for her horse.

The quick-thinking young woman led Colonel through the kitchen and parlor into a small guest bedroom, according to the popular story.

She closed all the window shutters and put a feather bed on the floor to muffle hoof sounds. The horse stayed hidden until the danger passed.

Some stories claim Colonel hid for three weeks, while others say the horse stayed there until January 8 when the mutiny ended.

British Spies Got More Than They Bargained For

General Henry Clinton tried to use the mutiny to help the British on January 7, 1781. He sent two men, John Mason and James Ogden, to Princeton with an offer.

Clinton promised to pay the mutineers all their back wages if they switched sides to fight for the British. The plan failed badly.

The mutineers caught both British spies and told Pennsylvania officials about the bribery attempt. This show of loyalty helped convince the Pennsylvania government to take the soldiers’ complaints seriously.

Pennsylvania Officials Struck a Deal with Rebels

Joseph Reed, Pennsylvania’s President, arrived in Princeton on January 8, 1781, to talk with the sergeants. They made a deal that let soldiers go home if their papers clearly showed three-year terms.

About 1,250 infantry soldiers and 67 artillery men got to leave, while nearly 1,150 stayed in the army. Many of the released soldiers signed up again for new bounty payments.

The British spies Mason and Ogden were found guilty of spying and hanged on January 11.

Success Sparked a Copycat Mutiny That Failed

The Pennsylvania Line’s success gave ideas to other unhappy troops. Between 200-300 New Jersey soldiers started their own mutiny at Pompton on January 20, 1781.

Washington took a much tougher approach this time.

He refused to talk and sent General Robert Howe with New England troops to crush the rebellion by force. A court martial sentenced three New Jersey leaders to death by firing squad.

Their own fellow mutineers had to shoot them. Two died, and one got pardoned as a warning to other soldiers.

Tempe’s Story Lives On at Jockey Hollow

Tempe Wick married Dr. William Tuttle in 1788 when she was 30 years old.

She had five children and inherited Jockey Hollow after her mother died in 1787.

The Wick family shows up often in Revolutionary War letters, journals, and receipts from that time.

Historians debate whether the horse-hiding story really happened, pointing out how hard it would be to keep a horse indoors for weeks.

Visitors to Morristown National Historical Park can still see the Wick House and the bedroom where Colonel supposedly hid during those tense days of the Pennsylvania Line Mutiny.

Visiting Morristown National Historical Park

You can visit Morristown National Historical Park for free to learn about Tempe Wick’s legendary horse-hiding story during the Pennsylvania Line Mutiny.

The Wick House at 586 Tempe Wick Road offers guided tours Thursday through Sunday, furnished as Major General Arthur St. Clair’s 1779-1780 winter headquarters.

Contact the Jockey Hollow Visitor Center on your visit day for current tour times. A short 500-foot trail connects the house to the visitor center.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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