| Temperance Henry “Tempe” Wick was a young woman at the time of the American Revolutionary War. The Wick family was relatively prosperous, so their house was commandeered as the headquarters for General Arthur St. Clair during the winter of 1779-80. Over 13,000 soldiers camped on its grounds. |  |
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Conditions for the average foot soldier were poor, and there were several
incidents of soldiers stealing food and supplies from the local farms.
Local legend says that when a group of soldiers tried to take Tempe's horse,
she led the animal up the stairs of her home, hiding it in the second floor.
The soldiers, of course, never thought to look upstairs for a horse, and
the animal was saved.
Today the Wick House is part of the Morristown National Historic Park. Supposedly one can still see the faint imprint of a horse's hoof on the staircase. A garden at the farm features the colonial plants needed for everyday life, including medicinal herbs, flax for linen, and soapwort. Tempe Wick Road is named for her as well. Tempe is buried at Hilltop Cemetery in Mendham, the story of her adventures with the horse told in the now-crumbling surface of her large burial stone. For specific travel information about these sites, check the "Travel Resources" page. |