Battle of Chestnut Neck
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Chestnut Neck was a battle fought on October 6, 1778 in New Jersey
during the American Revolutionary War
, at Chestnut Neck, a settlement on the Little Egg Harbor River near the present-day town of Port Republic, New Jersey
.
, Chestnut Neck was a busy thriving trade center around the Little Egg Harbor River on the New Jersey
coast. Local vessels traveled to New York and elsewhere, carrying mail and trading goods and merchandise. With the coming of the war, the same harbor facilities which made it a seaport, made it a home base for American privateer
s who would attack and seize British ships and take their captured prizes into Chestnut Neck. The captured vessels and their cargos were sold, and the captured vessels were often used as privateers.
With the British holding Philadelphia
and New York City
during the winter of 1777–78, General George Washington
at Valley Forge
was cut off from his sources of supplies. Supplies were then brought into Little Egg Harbor, unloaded at Chestnut Neck, taken up the river on flat boats to the Forks, carted across the state to Burlington, across the Delaware River
, and on to Valley Forge. Many cargoes intended for Sir Henry Clinton
in New York were seized by privateers, and reached General Washington by this route.
General Clinton became so exasperated by this constant loss of his ships, that he decided to "clean out that nest of Rebel Pirates." Accordingly, on September 30, 1778, a fleet of nine British ships and transports, under command of Captain Henry Collins, with 300 British regulars
and 100 New Jersey Loyalists
, under Captain Patrick Ferguson
, sailed from New York, bound for Chestnut Neck.
Governor William Livingston
learned of their sailing, and sent riders to warn the people. General Washington dispatched Count Kazimierz Pułaski and his Legion
to assist the Patriots, though they did not arrive until the day following the battle.
Having destroyed any supplies that they couldn't retrieve, and having received intelligence that Count Pułaski was on his way, they quickly left at noon on October 7, 1778, stopping at the mouth of the Bass River
to destroy the salt works and mills of Eli Mathis. They burnt all of the houses on his plantation, his home and barns, and then rejoined their ships.
, arriving there on October 8, 1778. Pułaski (with 50 troops) and the British (with 200) watched each other until October 15, 1778 when the British were able to surprise an outpost of Pułaski's men, bayonet the sentry and almost all of the other men. Americans call this the "Little Egg Harbor massacre
." The site is marked by a monument erected by the Sons of the Cincinnati. The British then sailed back to New York.
Despite the retrieval of supplies, the British and American Loyalists were not able to capture any of the American privateers or recapture any of the prize vessels present in the area.
After the battle, Chestnut Neck never again became a trade center. Three of the large land owners did return and rebuild their homes, but the others eventually built new homes in present-day Port Republic
.
, marking the site of the Battle of Chestnut Neck. The Minute Man at its top faces the river, still guarding the shore against the approaching enemy. The monument honors the men who defended Chestnut Neck at the "Battle of Chestnut Neck" on October 6, 1778. The monument was dedicated on October 6, 1911.
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, at Chestnut Neck, a settlement on the Little Egg Harbor River near the present-day town of Port Republic, New Jersey
Port Republic, New Jersey
Port Republic is a city located in Atlantic County, New Jersey. As of the United States 2010 Census, the city had a total population of 1,115....
.
Background
At the beginning of the American Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, Chestnut Neck was a busy thriving trade center around the Little Egg Harbor River on the New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
coast. Local vessels traveled to New York and elsewhere, carrying mail and trading goods and merchandise. With the coming of the war, the same harbor facilities which made it a seaport, made it a home base for American privateer
Privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
s who would attack and seize British ships and take their captured prizes into Chestnut Neck. The captured vessels and their cargos were sold, and the captured vessels were often used as privateers.
With the British holding Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
during the winter of 1777–78, General George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
at Valley Forge
Valley Forge
Valley Forge in Pennsylvania was the site of the military camp of the American Continental Army over the winter of 1777–1778 in the American Revolutionary War.-History:...
was cut off from his sources of supplies. Supplies were then brought into Little Egg Harbor, unloaded at Chestnut Neck, taken up the river on flat boats to the Forks, carted across the state to Burlington, across the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
, and on to Valley Forge. Many cargoes intended for Sir Henry Clinton
Henry Clinton (American War of Independence)
General Sir Henry Clinton KB was a British army officer and politician, best known for his service as a general during the American War of Independence. First arriving in Boston in May 1775, from 1778 to 1782 he was the British Commander-in-Chief in North America...
in New York were seized by privateers, and reached General Washington by this route.
General Clinton became so exasperated by this constant loss of his ships, that he decided to "clean out that nest of Rebel Pirates." Accordingly, on September 30, 1778, a fleet of nine British ships and transports, under command of Captain Henry Collins, with 300 British regulars
Regular army
A regular army consists of the permanent force of a country's army that is maintained under arms during peacetime.Countries that use the term include:*Australian Army*British Army*Canadian Forces, specifically "Regular Force"*Egyptian army*Indian Army...
and 100 New Jersey Loyalists
Loyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
, under Captain Patrick Ferguson
Patrick Ferguson
Major Patrick Ferguson was a Scottish officer in the British Army, early advocate of light infantry and designer of the Ferguson rifle. He is best known for his service in the 1780 military campaign of Charles Cornwallis, in which he aggressively recruited Loyalists and harshly treated Patriot...
, sailed from New York, bound for Chestnut Neck.
Governor William Livingston
William Livingston
William Livingston served as the Governor of New Jersey during the American Revolutionary War and was a signer of the United States Constitution.-Early life:...
learned of their sailing, and sent riders to warn the people. General Washington dispatched Count Kazimierz Pułaski and his Legion
Pulaski's Legion
Pulaski's Legion was raised on March 28, 1778 at Baltimore, Maryland under the command of Kazimierz Pułaski for service with the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. The Legion consisted of one troop of lancers, two troops of dragoons and 200 light infantry soldiers...
to assist the Patriots, though they did not arrive until the day following the battle.
Battle
The British fleet, because of bad weather, did not arrive off Little Egg Harbor until late in the afternoon of October 5, 1778, after which the weather prevented their getting over the bar. Knowing the people had been warned, and that Count Pułaski was on the way, the British troops made their way up the river to Chestnut Neck as quickly as possible. The troops were put aboard the galleys and armed boats, and left at daybreak on October 6, 1778. Again they were delayed as two boats grounded. They reached Chestnut Neck at four o'clock, in a heavy fog.Having destroyed any supplies that they couldn't retrieve, and having received intelligence that Count Pułaski was on his way, they quickly left at noon on October 7, 1778, stopping at the mouth of the Bass River
Bass River (New Jersey)
The Bass River is a tributary of the Mullica River in southeastern New Jersey in the United States.It rises in the Pinelands of southeastern Burlington County and flows generally south, through Bass River State Forest, and joins the Mullica from the north approximately upstream from its mouth on...
to destroy the salt works and mills of Eli Mathis. They burnt all of the houses on his plantation, his home and barns, and then rejoined their ships.
Aftermath
As soon as Count Pułaski arrived at Chestnut Neck he crossed the river and marched to TuckertonTuckerton, New Jersey
Tuckerton is a Borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, named for founder Ebenezer Tucker , and was a port of entry, but not the third Port of Entry as commonly believed, in the United States As of the 2000 United States Census, the borough population was 3,517.Tuckerton was incorporated as a borough...
, arriving there on October 8, 1778. Pułaski (with 50 troops) and the British (with 200) watched each other until October 15, 1778 when the British were able to surprise an outpost of Pułaski's men, bayonet the sentry and almost all of the other men. Americans call this the "Little Egg Harbor massacre
Little Egg Harbor massacre
The Little Egg Harbor massacre took place on October 15, 1778, place in New Jersey, USA, during the American Revolution. The massacre took place about one week after the Battle of Chestnut Neck, a British raid aimed at suppressing privateers who used the area as a base to harass and seize British...
." The site is marked by a monument erected by the Sons of the Cincinnati. The British then sailed back to New York.
Despite the retrieval of supplies, the British and American Loyalists were not able to capture any of the American privateers or recapture any of the prize vessels present in the area.
After the battle, Chestnut Neck never again became a trade center. Three of the large land owners did return and rebuild their homes, but the others eventually built new homes in present-day Port Republic
Port Republic, New Jersey
Port Republic is a city located in Atlantic County, New Jersey. As of the United States 2010 Census, the city had a total population of 1,115....
.
Legacy
A monument was erected through the efforts of General Lafayette Chapter of the Daughters of the American RevolutionDaughters of the American Revolution
The Daughters of the American Revolution is a lineage-based membership organization for women who are descended from a person involved in United States' independence....
, marking the site of the Battle of Chestnut Neck. The Minute Man at its top faces the river, still guarding the shore against the approaching enemy. The monument honors the men who defended Chestnut Neck at the "Battle of Chestnut Neck" on October 6, 1778. The monument was dedicated on October 6, 1911.