Battle of Punk Hill facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Punk Hill
Part of the American Revolutionary War
Date 8 March 1777 Location Bonhamtown, New Jersey Result Minor American victory
Belligerents
United States Pennsylvania militia	Great Britain
Commanders and leaders
Gen. William Maxwell Col. James Potter and others...	Gen. William Howe and others...
Strength
Unknown number of militia and regulars	3,000 British regulars
Casualties and losses
None	4 killed, 3 captured, unknown wounded

The Battle of Punk Hill was a small but interesting fight during the American Revolutionary War. It happened on March 8, 1777, in New Jersey. This battle was part of a bigger series of small fights called the Forage War. Even though it was a minor battle, it almost became a very important moment in the war.

What Happened at Punk Hill?

British Foraging Expedition

On March 8, 1777, about 3,000 British soldiers left Amboy, New Jersey. They were going towards an area known as Punk Hill. Their main goal was to find food and supplies for their army. This kind of trip was called a "foraging expedition."

American Plan to Attack

General William Maxwell, an American commander, saw the British moving. He was watching from a nearby hill. General Maxwell quickly made a plan to attack the British.

• He sent a small group of American soldiers to bother the British on their left side.
• He sent a larger group of soldiers towards Bonhamtown. This group's goal was to get around the British from their right side.

American Forces Join Up

The larger American force was made of two parts. One part was from Colonel Potter's Pennsylvania militia. It was led by Colonel Cook. The other part was from Colonel Thacher's New England troops.

These two groups joined together about half a mile out. They quickly ran into a large group of British soldiers. The Americans immediately started fighting them.

Reinforcements Arrive

General Maxwell quickly sent more American soldiers to help. Colonel Martin and Lieutenant Colonel Lindley led these reinforcements. General Maxwell also started getting his main army ready to follow.

The British also tried to send more soldiers to help their troops. But another group of Americans stopped these British reinforcements. This caused confusion among the British.

British Retreat and American Pursuit

The British reinforcements had to turn back. This made many of their fellow soldiers panic. The whole fight quickly turned into a disorganized retreat for the British.

The American soldiers chased the British as far as Bonhamtown and Metuchen. However, the Americans did not have enough soldiers or good hiding places to keep chasing them. So, the pursuit ended.

Aftermath and What Could Have Been

The Battle of Punk Hill was a small victory for the Americans. At least four British soldiers were killed. Three British soldiers were captured by the Americans.

One of the captured British soldiers told the Americans something very interesting. He said that General Howe, a very important British commander, had been in Bonhamtown during the battle.

If General Maxwell had known this earlier, the battle could have been much bigger. Capturing General Howe would have been a huge moment in the American Revolutionary War. It could have changed the course of the war.