On the 236th-year anniversary of the start of a nearly month-long campaign by His Majestys forces to destroy the Americans forts and river defenses protecting the southern approach to the Continental capital city, here is the dramatic eyewitness description recorded in his diary by Sergeant John Smith, 1st Rhode Island Regiment, from Fort Mercer, Red Bank, NJ: Wednesday 22d -- we turnd out Early in the Morning & struck tents & Cleared away for an attackt & Every man at work to strengthen our Selves -- we sent Partys out to fetch in all the stock & horses into the fort which was Done & Every Person in the fort by 2 O clock & about 3 or 4 O Clock the Enemy advanc’d to the woods adjoining the fort when the Hesian Genll. or Commander Sent a flag & Demanded the fort or they were ordred to Show no Mercy but Put all to Death if they overcame us -- Colo. Olney Gave them Answer that we ask’d no mercy nor Did we Expect any [;] we was Determind to fight or Die in Defence of the Garrison -- the flag Returnd & the Enemy began the Attackt immeadiately -- they began a brisk fire with their feild Peces & then advancd up to the fort with Each a fascein [i.e., fascine] with him & all of them with Entrenching tools with him such as spades Peckaxes Saws to Cut Down our Pickets -- we began a smart fire with our Artillery & our small armes & Continiued firing 47 Munites [i.e., minutes] as smart as Ever was Known -- the firing began [when] the sun [was] half an hour high & Continued till Dark -- we Lost Killd one Captian Shaw two Serjts. of Colo. Angels Regemt. two Searjeants & one fifer of Colo. Greens Regemt. & the Colos. Clerke [i.e., the colonel’s clerk] Captian Oliver Clarke teaken Prisoner as he was out with a Party of Discovery teaken by the Light horse & Several Privats Killd Belonging to both Regemts. -- We Killd Dead of the Hesians on the spot one Lt Colo. & several Officers 70 or 80 Non Commissiond Officers & Privats Included -- one Colo. who was Cheif Commander & a briggade Major who was the Officer who Came with the flag befor the battle was wounded & teaken Prisoners & about 70 or 80 wounded Privats teaken Prisoners -- the Rest of the [enemy] army made the best of their way off teaking with them 3 or 4 wagons Loaded with the wounded Hesians & Empressd all the waggons on the Rhode to Carey their wounded off -- they Left 20 at a house on the Rhode as they went back & we heard that they Carreyd over the ferey about 300 wounded men that Night -- this Intelegence we have had by two men that Disserted to us who fereyd them Over & by the inhabitants who saw them Goe back -- the ships Came Up in the time of the action & fired at our Galleys all the time of the action -- we had a small Reinforcement but Came too Late -- the whole Garrison were up all Night Dressing the wounded & teaking Care of them -- we had no Disturbance this night [October 23] -- in the morning we began to strip & bury the Dead of our men & hesians -- we buried 75 hesians in one Grave in the intrenchment & Covered them over & 8 or 10 more below the bank by the River -- it took us all Day to bury the Dead -- this morning the Ships began to Come towards us & our fire ships began to move down -- they were set on fire but Did the fleet no Dammage -- the Galleys & floating batries Keept a Continiul fire & by a hot shot from one of them they set a 64 Gun ship on fire which burnt up & a 20 Gun Ship was Set on fire who was a Ground lest she should fall in[to] our hands -- the River seemd all on fire the Whole Day & at Night we heard of a flag of truce a Coming to Exchange Prisoners but Did not Come -- a Docter & a searjeant Came here to teake Care of their wounded -- a Party of British Troops was sent to Cover their Retreat but Returnd back with them -- they Left behind them some field Peces which we have not yet found -- this Day 10 Hesians Died of their wounds -- we took a Negro man belong[ing] to Gloster [i.e., Gloucester, New Jersey] who was Pilot to the Hesians & a white man who was another & Confind him in Irons -- the Negro went out in the Woods with Capt. Tew to Look for the feild peces but found them not To explore Sergeant Smiths complete diary for 1777: revwar75/library/bob/smith.htm
Posted on: Wed, 23 Oct 2013 21:25:10 +0000
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