Dr. Jabez Campfield's Account of the Battle of Newtown, August 29, 1779

Dr. Jabez Campfield was a surgeon in Spencer's 5th New Jersey Regiment and recorded the following entry in his diary about the Battle of Newtown.

(Punctuation and spelling are original)

The army advanced in its common order of march, until about the middle of the day when the advance received a fire from the enemy, whom they found posted advantageously behind a brest work, extending about 2 or 300 yards, built on a rising ground, having a brook and very thick brush in front at the distance of small musquet shot - they were about 1000 strong, mostly Indians, under Brandt - Butler, however, commanded, having with him 3 or 400 rangers and Tories.

The Rifle men amused them for some time with a scattering fire, while Gen'l Clinton & Poor could gain their left flank, and the artillery be properly posted. When the cannon began to play upon them, they ran immediately, in great disorder; they, then attempted to gain a mountain on the right of the river, which they effected, but Genl Poor immediately dislodged them, & their rout became general.

Two prisoners were taken, a Tory & a Negro; 17 men were killed on the spot, who our people found, one of them an Indian of distinction - their number wounded we dont know, they must have been considerable. We had only 3 men killed and 30 wounded, among whom were a Major, Captain & Sub'n., all of the Hampshire troops.

At evening the whole army arrived and incamped in New Town, the inhabitants of which had deserted it two days before.

Here we found great quantities of corn, beans, pumpkins, &c.

On our right up the brook, where the action was, at some distance, were found a cluster of new houses with split stuff, supposed to have been built for a magazine as they hand not been inhabited. From the manner of building the houses here, I think the Tories must have built them, and the corn was planted after the manner of the white people.