Battle of Quinton's Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Quinton's Bridge was a minor battle
of the American Revolutionary War
fought on March 18, 1778, during the British occupation of Philadelphia
. New Jersey militia companies defending a bridge across Alloway Creek
in Salem County, New Jersey
were lured into a trap by British Lieutenant Colonel Charles Mawhood
and suffered significant casualties.
occupied Philadelphia, the seat of the Second Continental Congress
, and viewed by Howe as the capital of the rebellious Thirteen Colonies
. The occupation was not an easy one, as the surrounding countryside swarmed with Continental Army
and Patriot
militia companies as part of a campaign by George Washington
against British supply lines. The winter of 1777-1778 was particularly harsh for the Americans, but both sides regularly sent out significant forces to forage
for their own side and to interfere with the foraging operations of the other side.
On February 19, with the Continental Army in desperate need of provisions, Brigadier General Anthony Wayne
led a force across the Delaware River
south of Philadelphia on a foraging expedition through southern New Jersey
. General Howe responded by sending a force of about 4,000 men to harass Wayne. However, Wayne moved rapidly northward, gathering provisions, forcing residents to move supplies he could not take away from easy British reach, and occasionally skirmishing with the chasing British. Howe sent another force in March under Lieutenant Colonel Charles Mawhood
to forage and also to try to force Wayne into battle. On March 17, Mawhood led a mixed force of 1,200 men, consisting of British regulars and Loyalist
companies of New Jersey Volunteers
and John Graves Simcoe
's Queen's Rangers
, across the Delaware River
into Salem County, New Jersey
. General Wayne, alert to British movements, had largely completed his work and was in Burlington
, preparing to return to Valley Forge.
Alloway Creek
in Salem County formed a natural line of defense, and the local militia, after learning of the British movement, established strong defensive positions at the two crossings nearest the Delaware, Quinton's Bridge and Hancock's Bridge, to prevent the British from crossing. Mawhood led his force to Salem
, where they were met by some local Loyalists who told them that Colonel Asher Holmes, along with 300 militia, was at Quinton's Bridge, only three miles (4.8 km) to the southeast. Holmes had established his position on the north side of the bridge, and had taken up the bridge's planking to prevent its easy use.
When Smith and his men were attacked, the soldiers posted in the house slipped out and ran to the Americans' rear, cutting off any retreat to the bridge. They then forced Smith's force to attempt another crossing of the creek. At this point the main body of British soldiers arrived at the bridge and attempted to cross over to the American position. They were stopped by Colonel Elijah Hand and his militia, who arrived with two guns in time to stop a complete annihilation of the American force. In the event, the Americans lost between 30 and 40 men in the engagement, most to drowning
.
Mawhood then sent a letter to Colonel Hand, warning him that if the militia did not put down their arms, he would "attack the militia wearing arms, burn their houses, and reduce them, their unfortunate wives, and their children to beggary and distress." Hand eloquently rejected the threat, writing that "[y]our threat to burn and destroy, induces me to imagine that I am reading the orders of a barbarous Attila
, and not of a gentleman, brave, generous, and polished."
Wayne's expedition through southern New Jersey heightened tensions between General Washington and New Jersey officials, since it brought on a wave of British violence, orchestrated by Colonel Mawhood. New Jersey had largely been left to its own defenses during the winter, and the British response to Wayne's movements led New Jersey officials to demand a Continental Army presence. One week after Wayne's departure, Washington sent a small detachment of Continentals into southern New Jersey, but it was wholly ineffective at preventing the crumbling of southern New Jersey militia organizations.
Battle
Generally, a battle is a conceptual component in the hierarchy of combat in warfare between two or more armed forces, or combatants. In a battle, each combatant will seek to defeat the others, with defeat determined by the conditions of a military campaign...
of 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...
fought on March 18, 1778, during the British occupation of Philadelphia
Philadelphia campaign
The Philadelphia campaign was a British initiative in the American Revolutionary War to gain control of Philadelphia, which was then the seat of the Second Continental Congress...
. New Jersey militia companies defending a bridge across Alloway Creek
Alloway Creek
Alloway Creek is a tributary of the Delaware River in Salem County, southwestern New Jersey in the U.S.The headwaters of the creek are to the southeast of Daretown, in Upper Pittsgrove Township. It flows roughly parallel and to the south of Commissioners Pike, meeting Cool Run before turning west...
in Salem County, New Jersey
Salem County, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 64,285 people, 24,295 households, and 17,370 families residing in the county. The population density was 190 people per square mile . There were 26,158 housing units at an average density of 77 per square mile...
were lured into a trap by British Lieutenant Colonel Charles Mawhood
Charles Mawhood
Lt. Col. Charles Mawhood was the British commander at the Battle of Princeton.His military service began with purchase of a cornetcy in 1st Dragoon Guards . He served in the Seven Years' War , initially as a Captain in the 15th Light Dragoons, then transferred to 18th Light Dragoons...
and suffered significant casualties.
Background
In late 1777, British forces under the command of General William HoweWilliam Howe, 5th Viscount Howe
William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe, KB, PC was a British army officer who rose to become Commander-in-Chief of British forces during the American War of Independence...
occupied Philadelphia, the seat of the Second Continental Congress
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that started meeting on May 10, 1775, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, soon after warfare in the American Revolutionary War had begun. It succeeded the First Continental Congress, which met briefly during 1774,...
, and viewed by Howe as the capital of the rebellious Thirteen Colonies
Thirteen Colonies
The Thirteen Colonies were English and later British colonies established on the Atlantic coast of North America between 1607 and 1733. They declared their independence in the American Revolution and formed the United States of America...
. The occupation was not an easy one, as the surrounding countryside swarmed with Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
and Patriot
Patriot (American Revolution)
Patriots is a name often used to describe the colonists of the British Thirteen United Colonies who rebelled against British control during the American Revolution. It was their leading figures who, in July 1776, declared the United States of America an independent nation...
militia companies as part of a campaign by 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...
against British supply lines. The winter of 1777-1778 was particularly harsh for the Americans, but both sides regularly sent out significant forces to forage
Foraging
- Definitions and significance of foraging behavior :Foraging is the act of searching for and exploiting food resources. It affects an animal's fitness because it plays an important role in an animal's ability to survive and reproduce...
for their own side and to interfere with the foraging operations of the other side.
On February 19, with the Continental Army in desperate need of provisions, Brigadier General Anthony Wayne
Anthony Wayne
Anthony Wayne was a United States Army general and statesman. Wayne adopted a military career at the outset of the American Revolutionary War, where his military exploits and fiery personality quickly earned him a promotion to the rank of brigadier general and the sobriquet of Mad Anthony.-Early...
led a force 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...
south of Philadelphia on a foraging expedition through southern 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...
. General Howe responded by sending a force of about 4,000 men to harass Wayne. However, Wayne moved rapidly northward, gathering provisions, forcing residents to move supplies he could not take away from easy British reach, and occasionally skirmishing with the chasing British. Howe sent another force in March under Lieutenant Colonel Charles Mawhood
Charles Mawhood
Lt. Col. Charles Mawhood was the British commander at the Battle of Princeton.His military service began with purchase of a cornetcy in 1st Dragoon Guards . He served in the Seven Years' War , initially as a Captain in the 15th Light Dragoons, then transferred to 18th Light Dragoons...
to forage and also to try to force Wayne into battle. On March 17, Mawhood led a mixed force of 1,200 men, consisting of British regulars and Loyalist
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...
companies of New Jersey Volunteers
New Jersey Volunteers (Skinner's Greens)
The New Jersey Volunteers was a British provincial regiment raised for service during the American Revolutionary War.-Regimental history:...
and John Graves Simcoe
John Graves Simcoe
John Graves Simcoe was a British army officer and the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada from 1791–1796. Then frontier, this was modern-day southern Ontario and the watersheds of Georgian Bay and Lake Superior...
's Queen's Rangers
Queen's Rangers
The Queen's Rangers was a military unit who fought on the Loyalist side during the American War of Independence. After the war they moved to Nova Scotia and disbanded, but were reformed again in Upper Canada before disbanding again, in 1802, a decade prior to the War of 1812.-French and Indian...
, 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...
into Salem County, New Jersey
Salem County, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 64,285 people, 24,295 households, and 17,370 families residing in the county. The population density was 190 people per square mile . There were 26,158 housing units at an average density of 77 per square mile...
. General Wayne, alert to British movements, had largely completed his work and was in Burlington
Burlington, New Jersey
Burlington is a city in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States and a suburb of Philadelphia. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 9,920....
, preparing to return to Valley Forge.
Alloway Creek
Alloway Creek
Alloway Creek is a tributary of the Delaware River in Salem County, southwestern New Jersey in the U.S.The headwaters of the creek are to the southeast of Daretown, in Upper Pittsgrove Township. It flows roughly parallel and to the south of Commissioners Pike, meeting Cool Run before turning west...
in Salem County formed a natural line of defense, and the local militia, after learning of the British movement, established strong defensive positions at the two crossings nearest the Delaware, Quinton's Bridge and Hancock's Bridge, to prevent the British from crossing. Mawhood led his force to Salem
Salem, New Jersey
Salem is a city in Salem County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the city population was 5,146. It is the county seat of Salem County, the most rural county in the state of New Jersey. The name Salem is related to the Hebrew word shalom, meaning "peace".The town and...
, where they were met by some local Loyalists who told them that Colonel Asher Holmes, along with 300 militia, was at Quinton's Bridge, only three miles (4.8 km) to the southeast. Holmes had established his position on the north side of the bridge, and had taken up the bridge's planking to prevent its easy use.
Battle
Before dawn on March 18, Mawhood moved several detachments of men into position on the side of the creek opposite the American forces. He then displayed a portion of his force moving away from the bridge, as if to retreat. As soon as the Americans saw this movement, Captain William Smith replaced the planks and gave chase with 200 of the 300 men guarding the bridge. This force followed the British further along the road, eventually making contact with another group of soldiers that had been posted behind a rail fence. The remainder of the British force was nearby, posted in a house by the fence.When Smith and his men were attacked, the soldiers posted in the house slipped out and ran to the Americans' rear, cutting off any retreat to the bridge. They then forced Smith's force to attempt another crossing of the creek. At this point the main body of British soldiers arrived at the bridge and attempted to cross over to the American position. They were stopped by Colonel Elijah Hand and his militia, who arrived with two guns in time to stop a complete annihilation of the American force. In the event, the Americans lost between 30 and 40 men in the engagement, most to drowning
Drowning
Drowning is death from asphyxia due to suffocation caused by water entering the lungs and preventing the absorption of oxygen leading to cerebral hypoxia....
.
Aftermath
Although the force at Quinton's Bridge had taken significant casualties, Colonel Hand and his men stayed to reinforce the position. Mawhood attempted to force the militia to retire the next day, but they were well-positioned and could not be dislodged. Mawhood then detached Major Simcoe and his rangers to attack the position at Hancock's Bridge. Simcoe and his men returned to the Delaware, and maneuvered upstream to reach the north side of the creek. From there they marched, according to Simcoe's account through difficult terrain, to the northern end of Hancock's Bridge. There they completely surprised 20 to 30 men stationed in the house of local judge William Hancock, putting them all to the bayonet. Although they had not intended to kill Hancock, Simcoe's intelligence had reported that Hancock had abandoned the house when it was occupied by the militia; in fact he had returned home the evening before, and was among those slain.Mawhood then sent a letter to Colonel Hand, warning him that if the militia did not put down their arms, he would "attack the militia wearing arms, burn their houses, and reduce them, their unfortunate wives, and their children to beggary and distress." Hand eloquently rejected the threat, writing that "[y]our threat to burn and destroy, induces me to imagine that I am reading the orders of a barbarous Attila
Attila the Hun
Attila , more frequently referred to as Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in 453. He was leader of the Hunnic Empire, which stretched from the Ural River to the Rhine River and from the Danube River to the Baltic Sea. During his reign he was one of the most feared...
, and not of a gentleman, brave, generous, and polished."
Wayne's expedition through southern New Jersey heightened tensions between General Washington and New Jersey officials, since it brought on a wave of British violence, orchestrated by Colonel Mawhood. New Jersey had largely been left to its own defenses during the winter, and the British response to Wayne's movements led New Jersey officials to demand a Continental Army presence. One week after Wayne's departure, Washington sent a small detachment of Continentals into southern New Jersey, but it was wholly ineffective at preventing the crumbling of southern New Jersey militia organizations.
Further reading
- Stewart, Frank H. Salem County in the Revolution. Salem, NJ: Salem County Historical Society.