North Approach to the Queen's Bridge

Profiting from its experience of the year before at Valley Forge, the Continental Army made preparations at Middlebrook for establishing its winter encampment there in November and December of 1778. Accordingly, supply distribution points, then known as magazines, were established throughout the area convenient to the troops and pre-stocked as much as possible. Of these, quartermaster stores, food, etc., were housed in Bound Brook. A slaughterhouse also operated there in what would be today the business center of town, as cattle on the hoof came from far and near to be butchered and issued directly to the troops. Conveniently located nearby was a commissary of hides to supply leather for repairs to boots, shoes, harness and the like. Supplies arriving at this convenient point were delivered to it by pack-horse; cart, wagon and riverboat.

An equipage magazine was located near the Van Vechten House in Finderne, a horse corral or animal replacement depot near Pluckemin, a forage magazine at Raritan, a clothier at the artillery park at Pluckemin, the Army's post office in the vicinity of Tunison's Tavern in Raritan, and a hospital at Somerset Court House in Millstone.

Most of these installations were manned by civilians, leaving the troops to be outfitted and trained for combat. The whole supply system procurement, transport, storage and distribution, was a Herculean task at best. This responsibility fell to the able Nathanael Greene, who accepted with reluctance the rank and honor of Quartermaster-General of the Army. He experienced little or no criticism such as had fallen to those who had preceded him in that position.