Attack on Fort Mercer at Red Bank, decimation of the Hessian attackers, the Augusta destroyed
The attack by the British forces on Fort Mercer (at Red Bank on the New Jersey side of the Delaware River) in late October 1777 was a disaster for both the land and naval components of the planned attack. In broad outline, the attack unfolded as follows:
On October 21, a Hessian force of more that a thousand men crossed the Delaware from Philadelphia to what was then called Cooper’s Ferry and is now Camden, New Jersey. They marched to Haddonfield (see Haddonfield) and encamped there for the night.
On October 22, the Hessians marched toward Fort Mercer. They were delayed because American militia had destroyed the bridge across Timber Creek at Westville and they had to detour to Clements Bridge.
When they arrived at the Fort, they sent a message to the defenders demanding surrender, and promising “no quarter,” i.e., that all defenders would be killed, if that demand was rejected. It was rejected.
The Hessian forces attacked the fort. One part of the fortification was quickly abandoned by the Americans and for a short time the Hessians celebrated, thinking they had won as they entered the abandoned area. That quickly became a killing ground, however, as the defenders opened up with massed musket fire and cannons. The American river navy, using sloops each carrying a cannon each and likely also musketmen, also opened up on the Hessans from the river side of the fort.
The Hessians were faced with obstructions, deep ditches, and smooth walls and they lacked ladders. Their only possible way to get over the walls was to stand on each other’s shoulders. Hundreds of Hessians were killed and wounded, including von Donop and many of his officers.[1] The shattered force retreated to Philadelphia via Haddonfield, leaving von Donop to die as an American prisioner.
This had been planned as a combined land and naval attack. The British navy’s contribution was to be the moving of several ships, including the Augusta, a 64-gun battleship, past the obstructions in the river at Billingsport and through the shallow waters above those obstructions to bombard the fort and to keep the American river navy from supporting the fort. The British navy was delayed, and von Donop did not wait for it.
The British naval force, once it got by the obstructions, was attacked from Fort Mifflin and also by the American river boats. The Augusta went aground in the shallows and could not be moved.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Augusta_and_Merlin_on_fire.png
On October 23, the Augusta was set afire and blew up in a tremendous explosion. There our conflicting accounts of whether this was the result of American fire[2], or a British accident. An accompanying sloop, the Merlin, also went aground and was burned by the British before they withdrew to safety down the river.[3]
For the story of Fort Mercer’s sister fort, Fort Mifflin, see Fort Mifflin Timeline. See also Fort Mifflin and Fort Mercer: What was their significance?
For a visit to the remains of Fort Mercer today, see Fort Mercer today
[1] For a contemporaneous first-hand account of the attack on Fort Mercer by an officer involved, see To George Washington from Major Samuel Ward, Jr., 23 October 1777, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-11-02-0606 Major Ward wrote on behalf of Colonel Greene, who commanded the fort and was presumably otherwise occupied on the day after the battle. The letter was mistaken in the name of the battleship that was destroyed, referring to it as the Phoenix, rather than the Augusta.
[2] Commodore Hazelwood of the American navy told General Washington: “About 11 OClock I beleive one of our Ship⟨s⟩ set the Augusta on fire, & at 12 she blew up, being aground.” To George Washington from Commodore John Hazelwood, 26 October 1777, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-12-02-0010
[3] There is, of course, much more to the story of the attack on Fort Mercer, and for those with the time and interest in a little more detail, a good choice is the comprehensive description of the events at Fort Mercer by Harry Schenawolf, see Schenawolf, H., “Battle of Red Bank, October 22, 1777. Incredible American Victory Against Overwhelming Odds,” Revolutionary War Journal (August 21, 2013), http://www.revolutionarywarjournal.com/battle-of-red-bank/