Most people who zip through River Edge on their way to the train or Route 4 and Paramus shops probably barely notice the little neck of green land with three weathered stone houses and a little iron bridge called Historic New Bridge Landing.

On Saturday, they had a chance to slow down and learn about the vital role New Bridge played in the Revolutionary War at an historical reenactment of an attack launched from the area on the British fortification at Paulus Hook, now Jersey City, sponsored by the Bergen County Historical Society.

"New Bridge hosted 11 important Revolutionary war events," said Todd Braisted, a past president of the society and a prominent military historian who gave a talk in the 1752 Steuben House, which housed General Washington during his encampments at New Bridge.

The Steuben House is said to be the house that "has seen more of the Revolution than any other house in America."

The Mahwah resident, also a former commander of the Brigade of the American Revolution, the national group that coordinates that war's re-enactors, was dressed in full Loyalist military garb, befitting a man whose forebears arrived in the U.S. in the 1630s and fought alongside the British.

New Bridge's proximity to New York City and access to a key crossing of the Hackensack River made it strategically important in the war and an ideal site for Washington's headquarters.

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In 1779, a raid was planned to rout the Loyalists from the heavily fortified Paulus Hook. When the boats that were supposed to ferry the soldiers down the Hackensack never arrived, the continental forces marched south, returning to New Bridge 24 hours later with 100 prisoners. They lost only 11.

Lena Pyatski of Rivervale, though much newer to the country than Braisted, was also captivated by the history, along with her daughter Abigail, who attends Holdrum Middle School; her son Ben, a junior at Bergen County Academies, and their friend Eve Cohen.

"I don't know too much about American history," said Pyatski, a native of Russia. "That's why it's fascinating for me to see all this. We live in a very historical place."

Every type of Revolutionary war soldier was represented at the event, down to the type of gun, style of tie and color of uniform--rebels, British redcoats, American loyalists and Hessians.

Joseph Malit, wearing a tall metal hat not unlike a bishop's mitre, was immersed in his role of Hessian soldier, right down to his thick German accent (though he's not German, he studies the language). The Newark native, now living in Pennsylvania, explained that the portrayal of Hessian soldiers as brutal perpetrators of atrocities, or drunken incompentents, was inaccurate and used as "spin" for strategic purposes.

Re-enactors, Malit says, are steeped in the history of their characters and part of their mission is to engage and share their knowledge with others.

In addition to the military re-enactors, there were civilians setting up tents, cooking dinner and giving tours of the Dutch sandstone houses.

Peter Prato of Hasbrouck Heights, a history teacher at Bruriah Academy High School in Elizabeth, played the role of tavern owner at the Campell-Christie House. Bergen County had 29 taverns, he said, back when Hudson was part of Bergen and almost half the county was Hackensack (called "New Barbados" then).

Sporting a T-shirt that read, "History Nerd," Laurie Pelletier, a Massachusetts resident who grew up in Bergenfield, was also enthusiastic. "I drove by as a child but never came here," she said.

"There's history everywhere but people get so busy it's easy to take it for granted. I'm so happy I picked this weekend to visit."

Email: jmartin@gannettnj.com

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