Jockey Hollow Encampment Endured the Revolution’s Worst Winter

Published on July 16, 2026

PBS “Drive By History” Episode Challenges Long-Held Misconceptions of Valley Forge

Nearly 100 history enthusiasts gathered at Morris Museum this week to watch “The Worst Winter of the Revolution: 1779-80,” an episode of the acclaimed PBS series Drive By History that argues the case the Continental Army's most grueling winter encampment was at Morristown's Jockey Hollow, not the better-known Valley Forge.

No one disputes that the army of the American Revolution, wherever the soldiers marched, fought and encamped, overcame overwhelming odds and unbearable conditions throughout the nation’s eight-year war for independence. But it was literally by a matter of bone-chilling degrees and relentless inches of snowfall that the Morristown encampment was the “The Worst Winter of the Revolution,” contended Drive By History creator and host, Ken Magos.

Magos, a Mendham resident, made his case in person at the Morris Museum special screening of his PBS episode, contending the famous painting, “The March to Valley Forge,” and a storyline perpetuated over generations probably made the brutal conditions as the Valley Forge encampment more famous. The event, arranged by the Morris County 250th Anniversary Celebrations Committee, included a discussion on Jockey Hollow and other misconceptions about the American Revolution.

"As we celebrate America's 250th anniversary this year, we should also pause to reflect on the sacrifices that secured our nation's independence. We all know Morristown served as the military capital of the Revolutionary War not once, but twice," Morris County Commissioner Christine Myers told the audience at the opening of the screening. "Here, soldiers and local residents alike endured extraordinary hardships and made sacrifices that helped lay the foundation for the nation -- and county -- we call home 250 years later."

View The Worst Winter of the Revolution: 1779-80 Episode

View More Photos from the Screening at Morris Museum

Morris Museum Executive Director Tom Loughman welcomed guests at the start of the screening, which also was attended by county Commissioners Deborah Smith and Tom Mastrangelo as well as Morris County 250th Anniversary Celebrations Committee Executive Director Sarah Neibart.

"As we reframe the legacy of the American Revolution in this neck of the woods, there were plenty of calamities that didn't involve bayonets or cannon fire," said Loughman. "How lucky are we to have the talented and eminently approachable work of Ken Magos and his team to make the story of Jockey Hollow a part of his remarkable series."

The episode, which premiered as the opening installment of the series' eighth season on June 3, chronicles Gen. George Washington’s 1779-1780 winter encampment at Jockey Hollow, where thousands of Continental soldiers, as well as women and children, faced extreme cold, deep snow, food shortages and disease. It details the construction of more than 1,000 log huts from timber harvested in the surrounding forest and examines how weather shaped military strategy during the Revolutionary War.

Among the featured experts in the episode is Blake McGready, a historian and scholar whose research examines the environmental history of the American Revolution. He discusses the effects of the Little Ice Age and presents evidence that the winter of 1779-1780 may have been the harshest of the 18th century, prompting Magos to ask why Valley Forge – and not Jockey Hollow – came to symbolize the Continental Army's greatest winter hardship.

The episode concludes at Philadelphia's Museum of the American Revolution, where Magos views William Brooke Thomas Trego's 1883 painting, The March to Valley Forge, and McGready later raises an intriguing possibility: Could the snow-covered landscape have been inspired by Jockey Hollow rather than Valley Forge?

While the question cannot be answered definitively, it invites viewers to consider whether Morristown's role in the Revolutionary War deserves greater national recognition.

Following the screening, Magos answered audience questions and shared behind-the-scenes stories from filming at Jockey Hollow in December, including a humorous anecdote about the challenges of filming outdoors while missing a glove -- emphasizing that the winter conditions he experienced offered only a mild glimpse into what soldiers and residents faced nearly 250 years ago.

Magos also discussed the origins of Drive By History, which grew from his interest in an indiscernible roadside historical marker he often drove past in a neighboring town (that he noted was outside of Morris County) and his background as an educator and opera singer. The series connects overlooked historic sites throughout New Jersey and New York with the broader American story through interviews with historians, authors, preservationists and other experts.

The screening was part of Morris County's ongoing America 250 programming, which continues throughout the year with exhibits, lectures and community events highlighting the county's role in the Revolutionary War.

###

Photo 1: (l-r) Seated, from left,  Paul Muir, director of external affairs at the Morris Museum; Drive By History host Ken Magos; and Morris County Assistant Administrator Brian T. Murray. Standing from left, Morris County Commissioners Thomas J. Mastrangelo and Deborah Smith; Morris Museum Executive Director Thomas J. Loughman and Morris County Commissioner Christine Myers. Behind them is a hand-sewn13-star American flag dating back to 1777, which is part of the Morris Museum's exhibition titled "Emblems of America," exploring the historic artifacts and symbols that have shaped the United States.

Photo 2: Drive By History host Ken Magos talks about the creation of the episodes.

Photo 3: Morris County Commissioner Christine Myers introduces the program.

Photo 4: Members of the audience enjoy the question-and-answer session with Ken Magos.