Battle of Quinton ' s Bridge 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 . Background . In late 1777 , British forces under the command of General William Howe 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 . 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 . 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 , 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 .