The story of Battle of Red Bank has enough moving parts to give any commanding general gray hair…even an accomplished general like General George Washington. In less than one year, there were three consequential battles, Saratoga, NY and Brandywine and Germantown on the outskirts of Philadelphia along with at least a dozen minor battles along the East Coast.
This article has information about the actions of the Gloucester County militia before and during the Battle of Red Bank on October 22, 1777. Spoiler alert: Washington did not like militia organizations. He heard bad reports about militia commander General Silas Newcomb. General Washington didn’t trust their steadiness in battle, and he didn’t like that their time of service could be just one month.
Consider that in the year 1772, there was not one fort along the Delaware River, not even one artillery battery, to defend Philadelphia, the largest city in the colonies. The Pennsylvania government that year allocated money for the purchase of Mud Island and the construction of fortifications there, later known as Fort Mifflin.
Activity picked up under the direction of the Second Continental Congress. River defensive studies were completed, sites were evaluated. Property for Fort Billingsport was purchased by Congress on July 5, 1776.
However, when the British Army prepared to leave New York City in April 1777, the fortifications Fort Billingsport, Fort Mercer, and Mud Island (Fort Mifflin) were not completely finished. Congress in January 1777 had requested NJ Governor Livingston to provide militiamen as support to the paid laborers working at Fort Billingsport.
On Aug. 1, 1777, Washington made an inspection of the Delaware River forts. Shortly after that, he sent an order to General Newcomb that New Jersey militia should go and assist in the completion of the New Jersey works.
General Washington was so busy moving soldiers around Philadelphia, New Jersey, and
Delaware that no military units had been assigned to garrison Fort Mercer as late as October. Colonel Christopher Greene was on the march across New Jersey with two battle-tested Continental Army regiments, about 400 officers and men from Rhode Island when he was ordered by General Washington to occupy the fortifications at Fort Mercer.
When Colonel Greene arrived, the instructions were that only his men from the Continental Army would remain inside the fort. New Jersey militia units were to remain in the vicinity, but outside of the Fort Mercer works.
Fort Billingsport was the first defensive work along the Delaware River to fall. The British Army planned an attack on Fort Billingsport in early October. Captain Robert Brown from Swedesboro, led one of the militia companies located there.
The British attackers were known to outnumber the defenders at Fort Billingsport, so the decision was made to evacuate that post. General Newcomb pulled the militia units back to a defensive position along the Mantua Creek.
About 27 men under the command of Captain Joseph Thorn and 40 more men under Captain John Cozens guarded the Kings Highway bridge across Mantua Creek. At the mouth of Mantua Creek, an artillery battery was constructed to fire on British warships on the Delaware River. In support at that location was a militia company of 50 men under Captain Richard Cheeseman.
The next part of the plan to free the blockade of the Delaware River was to entirely reduce Fort Mercer. General Howe authorized the Hessian soldiers, about 2,000 men strong, to make an attack on Fort Mercer at Red Bank. The Hessians crossed the river from Philadelphia on Oct. 21 and marched to Haddonfield where they halted and camped for the night.
General Silas Newcomb ordered Gloucester County militia under the command of Captain Felix Fisler from Woolwich, to move up to Big Timber Creek at Westville, and to be an interposing force between the Hessians at Haddonfield, and the Continental Army at Fort Mercer. In addition, Fisler’s men were ordered to remove the Big Timber Creek bridge planks.
On the morning of Oct. 22, 1777, the Hessians were no longer able to cross at Westville. A much longer march was required from Haddonfield to the Clements Road bridge, to Woodbury, and then to Red Bank.
Captain Fisler’s men remained on the move in advance of the Hessians. Jonas Cattell had been released from detention at Haddonfield and dashed to Fort Mercer to alert Colonel Greene the Hessians would bring on a full battle that day.
By noon, the Hessians had arrived at Fort Mercer. However, their attack was delayed until 4 p.m. Very little skirmishing occurred during the morning and most of the afternoon. The militia under General Newcomb had held their positions.
None of these units were drawn into the fighting at Fort Mercer, once the battle had commenced. The bloody battle was over in 45 minutes. The ranks of the Hessian soldiers were decimated from the fort’s musket fire and cannon fire, as well as a raking cannon fire from the Pennsylvania Navy.
An overwhelming victory was won by the Continental Army at Fort Mercer. The British Army returned with a vengeance in November 1777. Again outnumbered, the Americans withdrew from the fortifications.
The British took over Fort Mercer and burned the walls to the ground. This completely ended the blockade of the Delaware River.
by Russell. Shiveler
