Key Facts
- Duration
- January–March 1777 (approx. 3 months)
- Theater
- New Jersey, American Revolutionary War
- Largest operations
- Some engagements involved 1,000+ troops
- British casualty comparison
- Exceeded total British casualties in New York campaign
- Nature of conflict
- Partisan campaign of numerous small skirmishes
Strategic Narrative Overview
Washington ordered the systematic removal of supplies from areas accessible to British forces. Continental regulars and militia from New Jersey and Pennsylvania conducted relentless scouting and harassing operations against British and German foraging parties. While most engagements were small skirmishes, some escalated to involve more than 1,000 troops. The Americans maintained sustained pressure throughout the winter months, disrupting enemy logistics across central New Jersey.
01 / The Origins
Following the American victories at Trenton and Princeton in late December 1776 and early January 1777, both British and Continental Army forces moved into winter quarters in New Jersey. The British and their German auxiliaries depended on local forage and provisions for troops and draft animals. General George Washington recognized the opportunity to exploit this dependency by denying the enemy access to local food and fodder supplies.
03 / The Outcome
The campaign concluded by March 1777 as winter quarters ended and the military season resumed. American operations proved highly effective: British casualties sustained in New Jersey during this period, including those from Trenton and Princeton, surpassed those of the entire earlier New York campaign. The Forage War demonstrated the viability of partisan warfare in degrading a conventional occupying force's logistical capacity.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
George Washington.
Side B
1 belligerent