" Channeling Molly Pitcher", Day 25, Wednesday, June 23,1976, Monmouth Battleground,Tennent,NJ...13mi

"Channeling Molly Pitcher"

There were people all along the way greeting us with waves and signs

********************************

Journal Entry: Day25, Wednesday June 23,1976,  Monmouth Battleground, Tennent NJ....13mi

Pat LeClerc was the RI State Wagonmaster

      On to the Battleground, another very hot day.  Must be close to 100 degrees.  It's so hot that
 there are some places where the big horses are  tearing up the tar !  Hope we don't have to pay to re-pave the roads !

 Got in around noon and sat around for a little while & then took off for Asbury Park.  I went in to get my feet wet and got hit by a wave and got wet up to my waist.  

Tom was watching the horses so we had a rare chance to go out for dinner! We got lost on the way back to camp.

 We are camped in a field beside the road and we are told it is where Molly Pitcher  gave water to the soldiers and  fought along side of them after her husband was killed. There is a church nearby which was used as a field hospital.  It is said that blood stains are still in the pews.  http://www.oldtennentchurch.org/html/molly_pitcher.html

In the morning we woke up to "Horses of Many Colors "!!
 All the white horses had been painted with dye red,green,yellow ect. ! White horses with pink Appaloosa spots !

 There were  women who came by camp this morning dressed in colonial clothes with freshly baked blueberry muffins ,still warm ! The muffins were in baskets covered in gingham towels and they passed them out to everyone !

There were all sorts of independent  wagons pulled by horses of all sizes
 this hitch belonged to the Chriestefferson family from Cortland,NY

Stan Bashura's CT Wagon Journal Entry for Wednesday, June 23rd, 1976.

We broke camp at about 7 am this morning and we are headed for the Mammoth Battle Grounds in Olde Tennent, New Jersey. We have a distance of 13 miles to go today. Hopefully we will be there by noon. It's already hot and humid. The roads are so hot that the tar is very soft and my horses (Jack and Colonel) are leaving horseshoe digs in the road! Things are going pretty well among all the Wagoneers and Riders. Everyone seems to be working hard together and trying to make sure everyone and the horses are doing okay. We truly do need to rely on each other. Today I personally had a special treat. I got to see my Aunt Loyza and Uncle Richard Groth, and my cousins Pat and Karen! I was so happy to see them as it's been a couple years since they last visited Connecticut. They live in Lakehurst, NJ. They are all doing well and my cousins Pat and Karen are both working at Freehold Raceway! I guess horses "run" in our family. Anyway, we made camp at the Mammoth Battle Grounds at a little before noon. We (and the horses) all were very hot and tired, but happy it was a short trip today. We settled into camp, Geri, Duke and Bev helped unharness the team and cooled them off, and gave them water and hay. Once again, I am so glad that Geri, Duke and Bev are helping out so much !