Chestnut Neck

In late September 1778, British Commander General Henry Clinton, frustrated by the havoc American privateers were wreaking on British supply lines, ordered a strike on their base at Chestnut Neck, New Jersey. A fleet of nine ships, led by naval officer Henry Collins and carrying 400 British troops under Captain Patrick Ferguson, set sail from New York on September 30. Their journey was anything but smooth—shifting winds and a raging storm turned what should have been a swift assault into a grueling, four-day struggle to reach Great Bay. By the time they arrived on October 5, their larger ships were useless in the shallow waters, forcing the troops to cram into smaller boats for the final push toward Chestnut Neck.

At dawn on October 6, the British stormed the settlement, blasting the militia-held fort with cannon fire and driving the defenders into the woods. They torched homes, wrecked privateer ships, and ransacked what remained. However, delays had given the Americans time to hide valuables and send many vessels upriver beyond the British reach. Hoping to push further inland, the British instead received word that American reinforcements were closing in and hastily withdrew to their ships by October 7. Yet, nature struck again—strong winds kept them trapped in the bay for fifteen agonizing days. By the time General Casimir Pulaski’s troops arrived on October 8, the town was lost.