Rev War  |  Historic Site

Huddy's Leap

3 Rumson Road
Rumson, NJ 07760
United States

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View of the Shrewsbury River, near where Joshua Huddy jumped in after being captured by Loyalists
The Shrewsbury River, where Huddy leapt from his captors' boat to swim to shore.

A Daring Leap:

In September 1780, Captain Joshua Huddy, a prominent militia officer, was captured at his Colts Neck home by a group of Loyalists led by Colonel Tye, a former enslaved man turned guerrilla leader. The raiders intended to deliver Huddy to British authorities in New York City via their fort at Sandy Hook. As they transported him along the Shrewsbury River near present-day Rumson, Patriot militiamen fired upon their boat from the riverbank. In the ensuing chaos, the boat capsized, and despite a gunshot wound to his thigh, Huddy managed to swim to shore, evading recapture. ​

Huddy's Leap Monument in Rumson, New Jersey
A monument to Huddy's famous leap stands at the banks of where he swam to shore.

Today, visitors can commemorate Huddy's daring escape at the Huddy's Leap Monument, located in West Park at the intersection of Rumson Road and Ward Avenue in Rumson, New Jersey. This site offers a poignant reminder of the area's Revolutionary War history. Additionally, the nearby Battle of Black Point marker at East River and Black Point Roads commemorates another significant skirmish, providing further historical context for visitors interested in the region's past. ​

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