Battle of Quinton's Bridge facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Quinton's Bridge
Part of the American Revolutionary War
Date March 18, 1778 Location present-day Quinton Township, New Jersey Result See aftermath
Belligerents
United States	Great Britain
Commanders and leaders
Benjamin Holme	Charles Mawhood John Graves Simcoe
Strength
300	1,200
Casualties and losses
30–40 killed, wounded and missing	1 wounded

The Battle of Quinton's Bridge was a small fight during the American Revolutionary War. It happened on March 18, 1778. British soldiers had taken over Philadelphia. New Jersey soldiers were defending a bridge over Alloway Creek. British Lieutenant Colonel Charles Mawhood tricked them into a trap. Many New Jersey soldiers were hurt or captured.

The War in Philadelphia

In late 1777, British forces took control of Philadelphia. This city was very important to the American colonists. General William Howe led the British troops. But the British had trouble getting supplies. American soldiers and local fighters were all around the city. They tried to stop British supply lines. These lines brought food and other things to the British.

The winter of 1777–1778 was very hard for the Americans. Both sides often sent out groups of soldiers. These groups looked for food and supplies. They also tried to stop the other side from finding supplies.

In February 1778, the American army needed food badly. General Anthony Wayne led about 4,000 men. They crossed the Delaware River into southern New Jersey. Their mission was to find food. General Howe sent British soldiers to stop Wayne. But Wayne moved quickly. He gathered supplies and moved them away from the British. He also had small fights with the British.

In March, Howe sent another force. Lieutenant Colonel Charles Mawhood led this group. He had 1,200 soldiers. They were British regulars and American Loyalists. Loyalists were colonists who supported the British. Mawhood's group crossed into Salem County, New Jersey. General Wayne had already finished his work. He was getting ready to return to his main camp.

Alloway Creek was a natural defense line. Local New Jersey soldiers learned about the British. They set up strong defenses at two bridges. These were Quinton's Bridge and Hancock's Bridge. They wanted to stop the British from crossing. Mawhood went to Salem. There, some Loyalists told him about Colonel Benjamin Holme. Holme had 300 soldiers at Quinton's Bridge. Holme's men were on the north side of the bridge. They had removed the bridge's wooden planks. This made it hard to cross.

The Battle Begins

On March 18, before sunrise, Mawhood moved his soldiers. He placed them on the other side of the creek. Then, he made some of his soldiers pretend to leave. It looked like they were retreating. When the Americans saw this, they thought the British were running away.

Captain William Smith and 200 American soldiers quickly put the planks back on the bridge. They chased after the British. They followed them down the road. They soon met another group of British soldiers. These soldiers were hiding behind a fence.

When Smith's men attacked, more British soldiers came out. They had been hiding in a house nearby. These soldiers ran behind the Americans. They cut off their way back to the bridge. Smith's men were trapped. They had to try to cross the creek again.

At this moment, the main British force arrived at the bridge. They tried to cross to the American side. But Colonel Elijah Hand and his soldiers arrived just in time. They had two cannons. They stopped the British from crossing. This saved many American lives. In the end, 30 to 40 American soldiers were lost. Most of them drowned in the creek.

What Happened Next

Even though they lost many men, Colonel Hand and his soldiers stayed. They made their position stronger. Mawhood tried to make them leave the next day. But the Americans were well-placed. Mawhood could not force them out.

Mawhood then sent Major Simcoe and his soldiers. They were to attack Hancock's Bridge. Simcoe's men went back to the Delaware River. They moved downstream to reach the south side of the creek. From there, they marched through tough land. They reached the southern end of Hancock's Bridge.

There, they completely surprised 20 to 30 men. These men were staying in the house of Judge William Hancock. Simcoe's men attacked them fiercely. Simcoe had been told that Judge Hancock was not home. But the judge had returned the night before. He was among those who were hurt or killed.

Mawhood then sent a letter to Colonel Hand. He warned Hand that if his soldiers did not give up, he would "burn their houses, and reduce them, their unfortunate wives, and their children to beggary and distress." Colonel Hand bravely refused. He wrote that Mawhood's threat sounded like a "barbarous Attila, and not of a gentleman."

General Wayne's trip through New Jersey caused problems. It led to more British attacks. New Jersey had been left to defend itself. The British attacks made New Jersey officials demand help. They wanted the main American army to send soldiers. One week after Wayne left, a small group of American soldiers arrived. But they could not stop the local New Jersey soldiers from losing hope.