When the Revolutionary War began the ranks of the Hunterdon Militia swelled with Amwell men. One such participant was William Chamberlain. Chamberlain’s parents, Lewis and Lucretia came over the Sourland Mountains from Hopewell and settled on land along the stream between Reaville and Wertsville. William was born there in 1736 and over his lifetime had 4 wives and 23 children. In 1761 he purchased a house (still standing) and two mills at the foot of Rainbow Hill Road next to the present bridge. When war broke out he was appointed Major in the Second Regiment of the Hunterdon County Militia. Over the next few years he participated in many battles including Trenton, Princeton, Germantown and Monmouth, ultimately rising to the rank of Lt. Colonel. But, in 1779 he got into trouble. He was accused of six different offenses including pilfering military supplies for personal use from the American storehouses in Princeton. In October, officers under his command petitioned the Governor, William Livingstone, the Commander in Chief of the New Jersey Militias to relieve Chamberlain from duty or they would resign in mass. Chamberlain was court martialed in March of 1780, charged and found guilty of “ungentlemanly and un-officer like behavior towards the officers of his regiment, and willfully and maliciously impeding the militia when about to march on general alarm”.He was cashiered from the service in 1781. He later moved to Shamokin, Union County, Pennsylvania and died there in 1817 at 90 years old.

Jim Davidson