Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-10-29
THE BATTLE AT RED BANK.
How the Hessians were RepuIsed
at Fort Mercer IO0 Years age

How the Hessians were RepuIsed
at Fort Mercer IOO Years age
One hundred years ago October
21, 1777,) occurred the memorable
attack Of the Hessians upon the
Americans at Fort Mercer, Red
Bank, New Jersey, in which the
Americans behaved in so meritori-
GUS a manner as to receive the for
NAL thanks Of congress, with a vote
of a sword to each of the three
leading commanders.
The attack was planned to drive
the Americans from Fort Mercer on
the Jersey shore and Fort Mifiin
on the Pennsylvania side, SO that
the "chevaux-de-frise obstruc-
tions in the Delaware might be
removed, and the British vessels
allowed to come up to the city.
AS Billingsport had already been
dismantled by the enemy, and the
water distractions removed, Gen.
Washington felt the great impor-
tance of maintaining Forts Mercer
and Mifflin and the chevaux-de-
frise which they defended. The
two forts we're garrisoned with tried
men, Fort Mercer with 400 Rhode
Island troops, under Colonel Chris
topher Greene; Fort Mifiin by
about the same number of Mary
land and Virginia troops, under
Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Smith.
Galleys, floating batteries and fire.
ships were disposed near the forts.
These vessels belonged in part to
Pennsylvania, and were commanded
by Commodore Hazelwood, who
acted under Pennsylvania COM
mission.
On the morning of the 22d Of
October, while the works at Fort
Mercer were yet unfinished, Count
Donop, with 1900 Hessian troops,
suddenly made his appearance from
the cover Of adjacent woods. The
garrison was summoned to surren-
der, under threat of emo quarter"
but the demand was promptly re-
fused, and Donop Immediately
made preparations to storm the
fort.
The American soldiers were in
structed to make only a feint at re.
sistance and fall back to the shelter
of the inner works or 'redoubt.'
Within those works the main body
of the garrison we're kept concealed
And the space between the outer
and inner walls was planted witt
pitfalls and other dangerousimpedi
ments.
Donop and his Hessians advanced
and were met by a fanking fir
from the American galleys, an(
Just enough resistance was made b,
the troops in Fort Mercer to Civ,
the defence the appearance o
reality. The Hessians entered tn,
outer works in two columns anC
proceeded with the shout of victor
to storm the redoubt. Suddenl,
the garrison revealed themselves il
a continuous sheet Of flame; fir
was opened from the unsuspecte(
: batteries, and hundreds of Hessin
in an incredible short space of tim
, were killed and wounded, while th,
survivors fled to Philadelphia.
The acknowledged loss of thu
, Hessians was over four hundred il
killed and wounded. Count DonoI
was among the fatally injured, ant
twenty four other officers wer
killed or wounded. The American
loss was eight killed and twenty
!. nine wounded. Of the Britisl
: vessels which were to sustain tn,
( land attack by a cononnade of Fort
5 Mercer and Miflin, two got agrounc
{ and were lost. One, the Augusta
was fred by the American shot
, the other was set on fire and aban
doned by her crew. On board tn
+ Augusta several of the officers an,
: crew perished by the explosion 0
S the magazine.
1t was not until three month
afterward that the British, will
E much superior force, were able t,
p invest and capture the place.