USA > New Jersey > Salem County > History of the counties of Gloucester, Salem, and Cumberland New Jersey, with biographical sketches of their prominent citizens, vol. 1 > Part 8
USA > New Jersey > Gloucester County > History of the counties of Gloucester, Salem, and Cumberland New Jersey, with biographical sketches of their prominent citizens, vol. 1 > Part 8
USA > New Jersey > Cumberland County > History of the counties of Gloucester, Salem, and Cumberland New Jersey, with biographical sketches of their prominent citizens, vol. 1 > Part 8
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"In commemoration of the battle of Red Bank and the valor of Col. Greene, a monument of blue-veined marble, about fifteen feet high, was ereeted (in 1829) just within the northern line of the outworks of Fort Mercer and within a few feet of the margin of the Delaware. This tribute to the memory of valor and patriotism was made by some New Jersey and Penn- sylvania volunteers."
The following is a copy of the inscription on this monument :
South Side.
"This monument was erected on the 22d Octo., 1829, to transmit to Posterity a grateful remembrance of the Patriotism and Gallantry of Lieutenant-Colonel CHRISTOPHER GELENE, who, with 400 meo, con- qnered the flessian Army of 2000 troops ( then in the British service), at Red Bank, on the 22d Octo., 1777. Among the slain was found their comoiander, Count Donop, whose body lies interred near the spot where he fell."
West Side.
"A number of the NEW JERSEY AND PENNSYLVANIA Volunteers, being . avenne through which his army could receive food desirous tu perpetuate the memory of the distinguished officer and soldiers who fought and bled in the glorious struggle for INDEPENDENCE, have erected this monument, on the 22d of October, & D. 1823."
"While it is a testimony of one of the noblest traits in human character, it bears another of the ex- istenee of the most detestable. In the inscription were the words NEW JERSEY AND PENNSYLVANIA
"The firing of the first gun from the Hessian bat- tery upon Fort Mereer was the signal for the British vessels to approach and attack Fort Mitllin. They had already made their way through the lower barrier at Billingsport, and the ' Angusta,' a sixty-four-gun ship, and several smaller vessels were anchored just above it, waiting for flood tide. As soon as Fort Mercer was attacked the ' Augusta,' with the 'Roe- buek,' of forty-four guns, two frigates, the ' Merlin,' of eighteen guns, and a galley came up, but were kept at bay by the American galleys and floating batteries. These galleys did good execution, not only upon the British vessels but by flanking the assail- ants at Red Bank. The attack upon Fort MitHin was deferred until next morning, when. the Hessians being driven from Fort Mercer, the whole power of the Ameriean flotilla was brought to bear upon the British Heet. A heavy cannonade was opened upon Fort Mifflin, and attempts were made to get floating bat- teries in the channel in the rear of Mind Island. Lieut .- Col. Smith, the commandant at Fort Mifflin, who was vigilant and brave, thwarted every attempt thus to outflank him (if the term may be used in refer- ence to a garrison in a fort), and by a gallant defense essentially aided the American flotilla in repulsing the enemy. The fire was so fieree and incessant that the British ships endeavored to fall down the river. A shot struek and set fire to the 'Augusta,' and at noon, while lying aground on a mud-bank near the Jersey shore, she blew up. The engagement con- tinued with the other vessels until three o'clock in the afternoon, when the 'Merlin' also took fire and blew up near the mouth of Mud Creek. The conflict now ceased ; the 'Roebuck' dropped down the river and passed below the chevaux-de-frise at Billingsport, and the Americans remained masters of the Delaware forts for a short season.
" It was indeed but a short season that quiet posses- sion of the river was vouchsafed the patriots. Al- though repulsed, his ships beaten baek, his mercen- ary allies decimated, Iowe was not discouraged, and he labored eagerly and hopefully to dislodge the Americans from their strong posts upon the only and clothing and his magazine supplies for the winter. A timely reinforcement from New York enabled him to act with energy. He took possession of Province Island, lying between Fort Mitfin and the main, and at different points works were thrown up to strengthen his power and annoy the patriots. This was on the Ist of November, and from that time never was a
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HISTORY OF GLOUCESTER, SALEM, AND CUMBERLAND COUNTIES.
garrison more harassed than that at Fort Mitllin, and never was patience and true courage more nobly ex- hibited than was then shown by Lieut .- Col. Smith and his compatriots.
"Old Fort Mifflin was upon the lower end of Mud (now Fort) Island, having its principal fortification in front, for the purpose of repelling ships that might come np the river. On the side toward Province Is- land (a low mud bank, nearly covered at high water, and separated from Mnd Island by a narrow channel) the fort had only a wet ditch without ravelin or abatis. This part was flanked by a block-house at each of its angles. These were not strong. When the Americans saw the enemy take po-session of Province Island, and begin the planting of batterie- to bruise their weakest points. they were sensible that Fort Mitilin would be untenable if the British completed their works. Sneh, too, was the painful conviction of Washington, and from his camp at Whitemarsh, he put forth all his energies to prevent the evil. But, weak in numbers and deficient in everything which constitutes the strength of an army, he was obliged to see the enemy. day after day rearing his battle works, without being able to interpose. He had sent anxious requests to Gen. Gates to forward reinforce- ments from the north, Burgoyne's invading army being captured, and no other formidable enemy re- quiring a large force in that quarter; but that officer, doubtless willing to see his rival unsuccessful, gave no heed to his orders until longer non-compliance would have been positive disobedience. To break up the encampment at Whitemarsh and move the army to the west side of the Schuylkill would be to leave depositories of stores and hospitals for the sick within the reach of the enemy. It would also leave the fords of the Schuylkill in the custody of the royal troops, and render a junction of the expected northern forces with the main army difficult, if not impossible. Furthermore, it might bring on a general engagement, which, with his weakened forces, the commander-in-chief knew might be fatal. Thus sit- uated, Washington viewed the progress of the enemy in his designs upon Fort Mitilin with intense anxiety.
With consummate skill and courage Lient .- Col. Smith directed the responses from the ordnance of the fort. The artillery, drawn chiefly from Col. Lamb's regiment, were commanded by Lient. Treat. ! who was killed on the first day of the siege by the ; bursting of a bomb. On that day the barracks alone suffered, but on the morning of the 11th the direction of the enemy's fire was changed, a dozen of the strong palisades were demolished, and a cannon in an em- . brasure was disabled. The firing did not cease until midnight. and many of the garrison were killed or wounded. Col. Smith, the commander, had a narrow escape. He had just gone into the barracks to write a letter to Gen. Varnum, when a ball passed through a chimney. He was struck by the seattered bricks. and for a time Iny senseless. He was taken across to Red Bank, and the command devolved on Lient .- Col. Russel, of the Connecticut line. That officer was disabled by fatigue and ill health, and Maj. Thayer. of the Rhode Island line, volunteered to take his place. Maj. Henry, who sent daily reports to Washington of the progress of the siege, was also wounded on the 11th, but he continued with the garrison. On the 12th a two-gun battery of the Americans was de- stroyed, the northwest block-house and laboratory were blown up, and the garrison were obliged to seek shelter within the fort. The enemy continued to throw shells at night, and fearful indeed was the scene. At sunrise on the 13th thirty armed boats made their appearance, and during that night the heavy floating battery was brought to bear on the fort. It opened with terrible effect on the morning of the 14th, yet that little garrison of only three hun- dred men managed to silence it before noon. Hith- erto the enemy did not know the real weakness of the garrison ; on that day a deserter in a boat carried information of the fact to the British, who were seri- ously thinking of abandoning the siege, for they had suffered inch. Hope was revived, and preparation- were made for a general and more vigorons assault. At daylight on the 15th the 'Iris' and . Somerset,' men-of-war, passed up the east channel to attack the fort on Mud Island in front. Several frigates were brought to bear on Fort Mercer, and the 'Vigilant,' an East Indiaman of twenty twenty-four-pounders. and a hulk with three twenty-four-ponnders made their way through a narrow channel on the western side, and gained a position to act in concert with the batteries on Province Island in enfilading the Amer- ican works. At ten o'clock, while all was silent, a signal bugle sent forth its summons to action, and in- stantly the land-batteries and the shipping poured forth a terrible storm of missiles upon Fort Mifflin. The little garrison sustained the shock with astonish- ing intrepidity, and far into the gloom of the evening an incessant cannonade was kept up. Within an hour the only two cannons in the fort that had not been dismounted shared the fate of the others. Every man
"The British erected five batteries on Province Island, of eighteen-, twenty-four-, and thirty-two- pounders, within five hundred yards of Fort Mitllin. They also brought up by the new channel made be- tween Hog Island and the main by the changing of the enrrent by the cheraur-de-frise, a large floating battery, mounting twenty-two twenty-four-pounders. within forty yards of an angle of the fort. They also brought to bear upon the fort four sixty-four-gun ships within nine hundred yards, and two forty-gun ships. Altogether the enemy had fourteen strong redoubts, and these were well manned and furnished with heavy artillery. On the 10th of November (1777). the enemy opened their batteries on land and water, and for six consecutive days ponred a storm of bombs and round-shot upon the devoted fortification. : who appeared upon the platform was killed by the
27
GENERAL HISTORY.
podketeers in the tops of the ships, whose yards al- get hung over the American battery. Long before ght not a palisade was left, the embrasures were ruined, the whole parapet leveled, the block-houses were already destroyed. Early in the evening Maj. Thayer sent all the remnant of the garrison to Red Bank, excepting forty men, with whom he remained. Among these was the brave Capt. (afterward Com- ty-lore; Talbot, of the Rhode Island line, who was wounded in the hip, having fought for hours with his erst shattered by a musket-ball. At midnight, every fen-e and every shelter being swept away, Thayer and bis men set fire to the remains of the barracks, evacuated the fort, and escaped in safety to Red Bank. Al ogether it was one of the most gallant and obsti- nate defenses made during the war. In the course of the last day more than a thousand discharges of can- hon, from twelve- to thirty-two-pounders, were made against the works on Mud Island. Nearly two hun- dred and fifty men of the garrison were killed and wowunded. The loss of the British was great, the number was not certainly known.
"Fort Mercer was still in possession of the Conti- rental troops. Howe determined to dislodge them, for while they remained the obstructions in the river could not with safety be removed. While a portion of his force was beating down Fort Mitilin, he was buy in fortifying Philadelphia. He had extended intrenchments across from the Delaware to the Schuyl- kill. Having received more reinforcements from New York, he sent Cornwallis to fall upon Fort Mercer in the rear. That officer, with a detachment of about two thousand men, crossed the Delaware from Chester to Billingsport (Nov. 18, 1777), where he was joined by some troops just arrived from New York. Wash- ington had been apprised of this movement, and h.vl detached Gen. Huntington's brigade to join that of Varnum in New Jersey. He also ordered Maj -- Gen. Greene to proceed with his division to flor relief of the garrison, and to oppose Cornwallis. Inat. able officer, accompanied by Lafayette, who had not yet quite recovered from a wound received in the battle on the Brandywine, crossed the Delaware at Burlington, and marched with considerable foree toward Red Bank. He expected to be reinforced by Hover's brigade, then on its march through New Jur-ey, but was disappointed. Ascertaining that the force of Cornwallis was greatly superior to his own in numbers Gen. Greene abandoned the idea of going him battle, and filed off toward Haddonfield. Col. Greene, deprived of all hope of succor, evacuated Font Mercer (November 20th), leaving the artillery, with a considerable quantity of eannon-balls and Cores, in the hands of the enemy. Cornwallis dis- mantled the fort and demolished the works. His army * a- augmented by reinforcements, and with about five thou-and men he took post at and fortified Gloucester Point, whence he might have a supervision of affairs in Lower Jersey. Morgan's rifle corps joined Gen.
Greene, but the Americans were not strong enough to venture a regular attack on Cornwallis. A detach- ment of one hundred and fifty riflemen under Lieut .- Col. Butler, and an equal number of militia under Lafayette, attacked a picket of the enemy three hun- dred strong. killed between twenty and thirty of them, drove the remainder into the camp at Glouces- ter, and returned without losing a man. Gen. Greene soon afterward withdrew from New Jersey and joined Washington, and Cornwallis returned to Philadelphia. The American fleet, no longer supported by the forts. sought other places of safety. On a dark night (Nov. 21, 1777), the galleys, one brig, and two sloops crept cautionsly along the Jersey shore, past Phila- delphia, and escaped to Burlington. Seventeen other vessels, unable to escape, were abandoned by their crews and burned, at Gloucester. The American de- fenses on the Delaware were now scattered to the winds ; the obstructions in the river were removed, the enemy had full possession of Philadelphia, Con- gress had fled to the interior, and the broken bat- talions of the patriot army sought winter quarters on the banks of the Schuylkill, at Valley Forge."
More than a century has elapsed since the battle of Red Bank, but the embankments and trenches of Fort Mereer are still plainly discernible. A forest of young pines protects them from being leveled by the plow, and they are likely long to remain. The washing away of the bank by the river has, from time to time, exposed the remains of the soldiers who were buried there in boxes after the battle.
Between the fort and the Whitall house was the grave of Count Donop, marked by a modest stone. but the erumbling of the bank exposed his remains, and in 1874 Mr. Murray, the occupant of the Whitall house, humanely removed them to another place of interment.
The old Whitall house still stands, a short distance south from the fort, and close to the river-bank. It is a brick structure, and it is now one hundred and thirty-four years old, as appears from the date of its erection on the north end, where the characters "J. A. W." (James and Anna Whitall), "1748," may still be seen.
Lossing, who wrote in 1851, said, "The Whitalis were Quakers, and of conrse, though Whigs, took no part in the war. This fact made some suspect the old man of Toryism. I was informed by the present owner that when the attack was made upon the fort, and his grandmother was urged to flee from the house, she refused, saying, 'God's arm is strong and will protect me. I may do good by staying.' She was left alone in the house, and while the battle was raging, and cannon-balls were driving like sleet against and around her dwelling, she calmly plied her spinning- wheel in a room in the second story. At length a twelve-pound ball from a British vessel in the river, grazing the American flag-stati (a walnut-tree) at the fort, passed through the heavy brick wall on the north
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HISTORY OF GLOUCESTER. SALEM, AND CUMBERLAND COUNTIES.
gable, and, with a terrible crash, perforated a partition at the head of the stairs, crossed a recess, and lodged in another partition near where the old lady was sit- ting. Conceiving Divine protection a little more cer- tain elsewhere after this manifestation of the power of gunpowder, the industrious dame gathered up her implements, and, with a step quite as agile as in youth, she retreated to the cellar, where she contin- ued her spinning until called to attend the wounded and dying who were brought into her house at the close of the battle. She did, indeed, do good by re- maining, for, like an angel of mercy, she went among the maimed, unmindful whether they were friend or foe, and administered every relief to their sufferings in her power. She scolded the Hessians for coming to America to butcher the people. At the same time she bound up their wounds tenderly, and gave them food and water."
On the green between the Whitall house and the . ton's bridge, three miles from Salem. He deter- river formerly lay the cannon which burst and killed mined, therefore, to dislodge them, and, as he openly declared, " chastise the insolent rebeis who dared to resist his majesty's arms." He sent out parties to col- several of the Americans during the action. This relie was removed by the government ten years since. A tract of one hundred acres of ground here ' lect horses among the inhabitants, and on these he was purchased by the government in 1872, and the , mounted some of his best men for the expedition. march of improvement is not likely further to ob- Meantime Col. Holme was on the alert. Ile threw literate the few remaining traces of the battle of , out vedettes towards various points, to watch the Red Bank.
CHAPTER VIII.
REVOLUTIONARY HISTORY .- (Continued.)
themselves to whatever they wished withont cere- mony.
On the 17th of March, in the same year, a British force, composed mostly of Scotchimen from the Ser- enteenth and Forty-fourth Regiments in Philadel- phia, twelve or fifteen hundred strong, under the command of Col. Mawhood and Majs, Simcoe and Sims, marched to Salem. They sought to surprise Col. Anthony Wayne, but that vigilant officer made good his retreat without loss. They were joined by about three hundred Tories, who were placed under the command of British officers, and who wore a uni- form of green faced with white, and cocked hat> with broad white bands to distinguish them from the British troops whose uniform was red. From these Tories Col. Mawhood learned that about three hundred mili- tia, under command of Col. Benjamin Holme, were posted on the south side of Alloway's Creek, at Quin-
movements of the enemy and prevent surprise by a passage of the stream elsewhere, while he prepared to dispute the passage of the bridge.
On the morning of the 18th Col. Mawhood dis- patched Maj. Simcoe with his rangers, and before daylight they had secreted themselves within halt a mile of the bridge, in a deep ravine and a tangled. bushy swamp. They also took possession of a two- story brick house, occupied at that time by Benjamin Wetherby, and drove the family into the cellar. The main road to Salem ran between this house and the barn, and the swamp with its thicket of bushes wa- near by. In this house, barn, and swamp the British
Operations in Salem and Cumberland Counties. -While the Americans were encamped at Valley 1 Forge, and the British held possession of Philadel- phia, the latter at various times sent out parties to raid the country, plunder the people, and break up the feeble American posts. Among the most active , were secreted. troops in these enterprises were the Queen's Rangers, After daybreak a small portion of the enemy showed themselves, and manoeuvred for the purpose of draw- ing the Americans across the bridge into the ambush. In this they were finally successful, for the mo-t ex- citable of the patriots became too anxious to be re- strained by the more prudent officers present. Capt. Smith, the senior officer present, determined to ero>> the bridge and attack the enemy. He led the way, and in a confused, unmilitary manner. they crossed without -- as prudent, vigilant men should do-examining to learn whether or not there were concealed foes. The decoying party feigned a flight, and Capt. Smith call- ing out; " We will have them before they get to Mill Hollow !" pursued. After passing some yards beyond Wetherby's house the patriots found themselves in the midst of the enemy that opened on then: from the house, barn, swamp, and fences a galling and de- structive fire. They retreated towards the bridge con- a corps of American Loyalists. or Tories, that had been enlisted mostly in Connecticut and the vicinity of New York. They were, as their name implies, de- signed for active service, and at one time they num- bered about four hundred men. They had become reduced in numbers, but in the autumn of 1777 Maj. Simcoe, a young and efficient officer of the British army, was placed in command of them. By his zeal and military ability he soon made this corps a model of its kind. About the 20th of February, 1778, an expedition of this kind was sent out from Philadel- phia, under the command of Col. Abercrombie, of the Fifty-second Regiment. It consisted of about five hundred men, and included the Rangers. They went to Salem by water, and remained several days, recon- noitering to ascertain the position of Wayne, who was then in New Jersey collecting horses and pro- visions for the American army. They also helped ! fusedly, fighting bravely in squads. The horsemen
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GENERAL HISTORY.
w. .. not able to charge on them effectively, for the un- : ved horses became frightened and unmanageable. ! ugh thus surprised, and attacked in front, flank, a I rvar, they made their retreat across the bridge, wo'a the loss of between thirty and forty, many of e ,om were drowned in the creek. During this skir- t. . h and retreat Capt. Smith had a part of his cue : away, and was grazed by a bullet in his loins. Hr horse was twice shot, but took his rider over the trage, then fell dead.
Col. Hand, of the Cumberland militia, had been n formed of the presence of the enemy, and hastened ! , join the force at Quinton's bridge. He arrived with two pieces of eannon just at the moment when t ... Americans commeneed their retreat, and at once y'aced his men in the trenches that had just been vacated by the patriots, and opened on the pursuing chemy such a severe fire as to check their pursuit. When the retreating patriots had recrossed the creek the draw of the bridge was eut away. This was done l'y a man named Andrew Bacon, who seized an axe, and worked while volleys were fired at him. He finished His work, and rendered the bridge impassable, but on retiring to the trenches he received a wound which crippled him for life, though he lived to the age of more than eighty years.
bly the most reliable source of information concern- ing the affair at Hancock's Bridge, which imme- diately succeeded the fight at Quinton's bridge. What has been handed down by tradition concerning it must be received with the allowance which should always be made for that uncertain source of informa- tion.
" An expedition was formed under the command of the late Col. Mawhood, consisting of the Twenty- seventh and Forty-sixth Regiments, the Queen's Rangers, and New Jersey Volunteers, they embarked the 12th of March, and fell down the Delaware. On the 17th the Queen's Rangers landed, at three o'clock in the morning, about six miles from Salem, the Huz- zars carrying their accoutrements and swords. Maj. Simcoe was directed to seize horses, to mount the cavalry and the staff, aud to join Col. Mawhood at Salem. This was accordingly executed. Maj. Simcoe, making a eireuit and passing over Lambstone's bridge, arrived at Salem, near which Col. Mawhood landed. The Huzzars were tolerably well mounted, and sufficient horses proeured for the other exigencies of the service. Col. Mawhood had given the strictest charge against plundering; and Maj. Simcoe, in taking the horses, had assured the inhabitants that they should be returned, or paid for, if they did not appear in arms, in a very few days ; and none but offi-
The failure of Maj. Simeoe, with his fine battalion, to drive the Americans from their trenches greatly , cers entering the house, they received no other injury. chagrined Col. Mawhood, and he determined on an attack the next day with his full force. In anticipa- tion of this, the militia employed themselves during the remainder of the day, not only in burying their dead and caring for their wounded, but in strengthen- ing their position, so as to be able to repel the ex- Preted attack. It is said that on that night they en- tered into a solemn compact that " no British soldier should eat bread or set his foot on that side of Allo- way's Creek while there was a man left to defend it."
The Queen's Rangers Infantry were about two hun- dred and seventy, rank and file, and thirty cavalry. Col. Mawhood gave directions for the forage to take place on the 18th. The town of Salem lies upon a ereek of that name which falls into the Delaware nearly opposite Reedy Island. The Aloes or Allewas (Alloways) Creek, runs almost parallel to the Salem Creek, and falls into the Delaware to the south ward of it; over this ereek there were three bridges : Hancock's was the lower one, Quintin's that in the At about ten the next morning, as was anticipated, the whole British force appeared, and, with martial music sounding, advanced to the foot of the cause- way that led to the bridge, and formed their lines at the edge of the marsh. The creek there ran in a semi- circular direction, and Cols. Holme and Hand had placed their men in their intrenchments, both up and down the stream, within musket range, so that the front and both flanks of the enemy were exposed to the fire of the patriots. Thus were they situated when the militia opened on them with cannon and wall-arms in front, and with musketry on their Banks, as they sought to reach the bridge by the causeway. They were thus thrown into confusion, and compelled to retreat to Salem. centre, and Thompson's the upper one. Between these creeks the foraging was to commence ; the neck or peninsula formed by them was at its greatest dis- tance seven, and at its least, four miles wide. The rebel militia was posted at Hancock's and Quintin's, the nearest bridges, which they had taken up and de- fended by breastworks. Col. Mawhood made detach- ments to mask these bridges and foraged in their rear. The officer who commanded the detachment, consisting of seventy of the Seventeenth Infantry, at Quintin's bridge, sent information that the enemy were assembled in great numbers at the bridge, and indicated as if they meant to pass over whenever he should quit it, in which case his party would be in great danger. Col. Mawhood marched with the ---- An expedition was sent the next day to the head of . Queen's Rangers to his assistance. He made a eir- Wlewater on the creek near Allowaystown, but it re- . cuit so as to fall in upon the road that led from Thomp- turned without crossing.
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