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Monday December 31, 2001

Troops Celebrate St. Patrick's Day

Morristown - On Sunday March 25, 2001  The Morristown National Historical Park featured a tour of the Ford Mansion, located on park grounds. The tour was designed to teach us about the role of the Irish in the American Revolution.  An estimated one out of every four soldiers in the Continental Army was Irish. St. Patrick's Day was the only holiday celebrated by the soldiers during the winter of 1779-1780. A park ranger dressed as an aide to General Washington was on hand to discuss the role of the Irish in the American Revolution.  (above) Park Ranger Eric Olsen dressed as Col. James McHenry stands on the front steps of the Ford Mansion. Col. McHenry would later have a Maryland fort named after him: Fort McHenry.

Washington's Irish Celebrate

St. Patrick's Day At The Ford Mansion

Morristown - The Morristown National Historical Park featured a tour of the Ford Mansion on Sunday March 25, 2001.  (right) Laura Dulligan, of Cresskill delivers a letter to "Col. James McHenry" (played by park ranger Eric Olsen) which was written by General Edward Hand (a general in Washington's Army) and gives details of the upcoming St. Patrick's Day holiday celebration. 

Morristown - (left) An interior view of a room in the Ford Mansion depicting a typical bedroom situation with tri-corner hat and musket at the ready. (below) An interior view of a large room in the Ford Mansion that was set up to serve as a "war room" Various maps and charts of the local area were used to develop battle strategies during the American Revolution.

Morristown - (below) An exterior view of the Ford Mansion in Morristown

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