Life and Times of Washington, Volume 2: Revised, Enlarged, and EnrichedSchroeder, John Frederick
History
Life and Times of Washington, Volume 2: Revised, Enlarged, and Enriched
Schroeder, John Frederick
Presidents -- United States -- Biography; Washington, George, 1732-1799
Three days after the surprise of Baylor, Col. Richard Butler with a
detachment of infantry assisted by Maj. Henry Lee with part of his
cavalry, fell in with a party of 15 chasseurs and about 100 yagers under
Captain Donop, on whom they made such a rapid charge that without the
loss of a man, they killed ten of them on the spot and took about twenty
prisoners.
The movement of the British army up the North river already mentioned,
was made for the purpose of foraging and also to cover a meditated
attack on Little Egg Harbor, and having accomplished its object it
returned to New York. Little Egg Harbor, situated on the coast of
Jersey, was a rendezvous of privateers, and being so near the entrance
to New York ships bound to that port were much exposed to their
depredations. An expedition against it was therefore planned and the
conduct of the enterprise entrusted to Capt. Patrick Ferguson of the
Seventeenth regiment with about 300 men, assisted by Captain Collins of
the navy. He sailed from New York, but short as the passage was he was
detained several days by contrary winds and did not arrive at the place
of his destination till the evening of the 5th of October (1778). The
Americans had got notice of his design and had sent to sea such of their
privateers as were ready for sailing. They had also hauled the largest
of the remaining vessels, which were chiefly prizes, twenty miles up
the river to Chestnut Neck, and had carried their smaller vessels still
further into the country. Ferguson proceeded to Chestnut Neck, burned
the vessels there, destroyed the storehouses and public works of every
sort, and in returning committed many depredations on private property.
Count Pulaski with his legionary corps composed of three companies of
foot and a troop of horse, officered principally by foreigners, had been
detached by Washington into Jersey to check these depredations. He was
ordered toward Little Egg Harbor and lay without due vigilance eight or
ten miles from the coast. One Juliet, a Frenchman, who had deserted
from the British service and obtained a commission in Pulaski's corps
redeserted, joined Captain Ferguson at Little Egg Harbor after his
return from Chestnut Neck and gave him exact information of the strength
and situation of Pulaski's troops.
Ferguson and Collins immediately resolved to surprise the Polish
nobleman, and for that purpose, on the 15th of October (1778), they
embarked 250 men in boats, rowed ten miles up the river before daybreak,
landed within a small distance of his infantry, left fifty men to guard
their boat, and with the remainder of their force suddenly fell on the
unsuspicious detachment, killed fifty of them among whom were the Baron
de Bosc and Lieutenant de la Borderie, and retreated with scarcely any
loss before they could be attacked by Pulaski's cavalry.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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