The Battle of Chestnut Neck was fought on October 6, 1778 in southern

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

, at Chestnut Neck, a settlement on the Little Egg Harbor River (now known as the Mullica River) near the present-day city of Port Republic, New Jersey, which was used as a base by

privateers A privateer is a private person or vessel which engages in commerce raiding under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign o ...

. The British retrieved some supplies and destroyed others, as well as destroying some residences and other buildings. Learning that Count

Casimir Pulaski Kazimierz Michał Władysław Wiktor Pułaski (; March 4 or 6, 1745 October 11, 1779), anglicised as Casimir Pulaski ( ), was a Polish nobleman, soldier, and military commander who has been called "The Father of American cavalry" or "The So ...

was on the way, the British quickly left by ship the following day. They had an encounter with Pulaski's forces a week later and caused heavy losses.

Background

At the beginning of the

, Chestnut Neck was a busy thriving trade center on the Little Egg Harbor River near the

coast, about north of present-day

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city (New Jersey), city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Atlantic City comprises the second half of ...

. Local vessels traveled to New York and elsewhere, carrying mail, trading goods and merchandise. With the coming of the war, American

privateer A privateer is a private person or vessel which engages in commerce raiding under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign o ...

s took over the harbor facilities to use as a home base. They would attack and seize British ships and take their captured prizes into Chestnut Neck. The captured vessels and their cargoes were sold, and the captured vessels were often adapted for use as privateers. In addition, French aid to the Patriots may have come in through Chestnut Neck as well - supplies, ammunition, uniforms, and the like. With the British holding

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and

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

during the winter of 1777–78, General

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

Valley Forge Valley Forge was the winter encampment of the Continental Army, under the command of George Washington, during the American Revolutionary War. The Valley Forge encampment lasted six months, from December 19, 1777, to June 19, 1778. It was the t ...

was cut off from his sources of supplies. Supplies were brought into Little Egg Harbor, unloaded at Chestnut Neck, taken up the river in flat-bottomed boats to the Forks, carted across the peninsula to Burlington, across the

Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and is the longest free-flowing (undammed) river in the Eastern United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock, New York, the river flows for a ...

, and transported overland to Valley Forge. Many British cargoes intended for Sir Henry Clinton in New York were seized by American privateers and reached General Washington via Chestnut Neck and the described 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 the command of Captain Henry Collins, with 300 British regulars and 100 New Jersey

Loyalists Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cr ...

, under Captain Patrick Ferguson, sailed from New York, bound for Chestnut Neck. Governor

William Livingston William Livingston (November 30, 1723July 25, 1790) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the first governor of New Jersey (1776–1790) during the American Revolutionary War. As a New Jersey representative in the Continental Congr ...

learned of their sailing, and sent riders to warn the people. General Washington dispatched Count Kazimierz Pułaski and his Legion to assist the Patriots, although they did not arrive until the day following the battle.

Battle

Because of bad weather, the British fleet did not arrive off Little Egg Harbor until late in the afternoon of October 5, 1778, and were prevented from getting over the bar. Knowing the people had been warned and that Count Pułaski was on his 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. They were delayed when two boats grounded, and did not reach Chestnut Neck until four o'clock, in heavy fog. They fought against American defenders and retrieved some supplies. Having destroyed any supplies that they could not 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 also burnt the houses on his plantation, his home and barns and then rejoined their ships.

Aftermath

As soon as Pulaski arrived at Chestnut Neck, he crossed the river and marched to Tuckerton, arriving there on October 8, 1778. Pułaski (with 50 troops) and the Loyalists (with 200) watched each other until October 15, 1778. That day a force of 250 Loyalists under Ferguson's command surprised an outpost of Pułaski's men, bayonetting the sentry and almost all of the other men while still sleeping. The Loyalists withdrew and sailed back to New York. Patriot sources called this the " Little Egg Harbor massacre." The site is marked by a monument erected by the Sons of the Cincinnati. Although they retrieved some supplies and destroyed others at Chestnut Neck, Ferguson's men 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 regained its status as a trade center. Three of the large land owners returned and rebuilt their homes, but the others eventually built new homes in present-day Port Republic.

Legacy

In the early twentieth century, the General Lafayette Chapter of the

Daughters of the American Revolution The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (often abbreviated as DAR or NSDAR) is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a patriot of the American Revolutionary War. A non-p ...

erected a high monument to mark the site of the Battle of Chestnut Neck and honor the men that fought there. The Minute Man at its top faces the river, "guarding the shore" against the approaching enemy. The monument was dedicated on October 6, 1911. Nordheimer 1993, "Port Republic Journal"

Footnotes

Citations

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External links

Battle of Chestnut Neck

{{Coord, 39.5446, -74.4614, region:US-NJ_type:event, display=title 1778 in the United States Chestnut Neck Chestnut Neck, Battle of Chestnut Neck Chestnut Neck Events in Atlantic County, New Jersey Ocean County, New Jersey 1778 in New Jersey Privateering in the American Revolutionary War Chestnut Neck