The American Revolution was not fought by strangers. It was fought by communities— neighbors, relatives, men who had worshipped together, farmed adjoining lands, and shared the same Dutch and English heritage that defined central New Jersey in the 1770s. When war came to Somerset County, it came to the Van Dyke family's doorstep, and they stepped forward to defend the world they knew and help build something entirely new.
This is the story of William Van Dyck and the Somerset County men who served with Captain Abraham Vroom's company, who endured the hellish heat of Monmouth, who helped prove that the Continental Army could stand against British regulars. It's the story of how one family's Revolutionary service became a point of pride carried forward through generations—honored by descendants like Benjamin Franklin Van Dyke who joined the Sons of the American Revolution more than a century later.
Explore This Chapter
1756-1807
William Van Dyck
Revolutionary War patriot who served at the Battle of Monmouth with Captain Vroom's Somerset County Company. His service became the foundation for generations of family pride.
Eight Revolutionary Ancestors
Patriot Profiles
Eight 6th and 7th great-grandfathers who served across five colonies—from Lexington's alarm to Yorktown's siege, Pennsylvania frontier to Carolina campaigns.
June 28, 1778
Battle of Monmouth
Cinematic Experience
An immersive journey through the longest single day of combat in the Revolutionary War. Experience the 100-degree heat, Washington's leadership, and the moment William Van Dyck helped prove the Continental Army could stand against British regulars.
Somerset County in Revolution
Somerset County, New Jersey, in 1776 was not a simple place of clear loyalties. It was a patchwork of Dutch-descended farmers, English settlers, Quaker pacifists, and families whose economic ties to both Philadelphia and New York created competing allegiances. The Revolution split communities, turned neighbor against neighbor, and made survival a matter of careful navigation.
The Van Dyke family sided with the Patriots. This was not necessarily a foregone conclusion—many Dutch families in New Jersey remained neutral or even loyalist, preferring the stable rule they'd known under British governance to the uncertainty of revolution. But William Van Dyck and his community chose independence.
Somerset County saw repeated military action. British and Hessian forces raided farms, confiscated supplies, and occupied towns. The Continental Army marched through on campaigns between New York and Philadelphia. Militia units like Captain Vroom's were called up repeatedly—for guard duty, for escort missions, for battles like Monmouth when Washington needed every available man.
For families like the Van Dykes, the war meant years of disruption. Crops went unplanted when men were called to service. Livestock was requisitioned by armies on both sides. The war economy made everything expensive and uncertain. But they endured, and when the war ended, they had helped create something new: an independent American nation where their descendants would build lives for generations to come.
Revolutionary War Timeline
War Begins
Lexington and Concord. The Continental Congress forms the Continental Army. George Washington takes command. New Jersey becomes a battleground state.
Declaration & Dark Days
Independence declared. Washington's army retreats across New Jersey. Trenton and Princeton victories restore hope. William Van Dyck, age 20, enters the conflict.
Valley Forge & Transformation
The Continental Army endures the brutal winter at Valley Forge. Baron von Steuben trains the troops. They emerge as a professional fighting force ready to prove themselves.
Battle of Monmouth
June 28: The longest single-day battle of the war. 100-degree heat. Washington rallies retreating troops. The Continental Army stands its ground against British regulars. William Van Dyck is there with Captain Vroom's Somerset County Company.
Southern Campaign
War shifts south. Brutal fighting in the Carolinas and Georgia. New Jersey militia continues local defense and support operations.
Yorktown Victory
Combined American and French forces trap Cornwallis at Yorktown. The British surrender. The war is effectively won, though fighting continues sporadically.
Peace & Independence
Treaty of Paris signed. American independence recognized. Soldiers return home. William Van Dyck returns to Somerset County to build a life in the new nation he helped create.