MILLSTONE: FORGOTTEN REVOLUTIONARY WAR BATTLE

General Philemon Dickinson

The 4th of July is fast approaching! As usual Balladeer’s Blog is posting relevant material and in keeping with my blog’s overall theme here’s a forgotten American victory from the Revolutionary War.

BATTLE OF MILLSTONE

Date: January 20th, 1777

Location: Weston, NJ (Now called Manville)

American Commander: General Philemon Dickinson (Younger brother of John Dickinson)

British Commander: Colonel Robert Abercromby

The Battle: The forces of the United States and the British Army (augmented by their Hessian allies) clashed frequently in the winter of 1777. These battles were often the result of both armies attempting to provision themselves off the increasingly barren New Jersey No-Man’s Land.

At a site called Van Nest’s Mill (the alternate name of the battle) roughly 450 American militiamen battled approximately 500-600 British and Hessians. The Brits had been conducting their usual activities of plundering food from hapless American citizens then burning their homes and businesses.

Dickinson – despite facing superior numbers who possessed field artillery (which, as so often, the ragtag American rebels lacked) – defied conventional military thinking and divided his force. The two divisions encircled the British by fording Millstone River, with many men having to wade through freezing waters. The resulting battle succeeded both in forcing the British forces to retreat AND in seizing all of the Empire’s wagons loaded with plundered supplies.

The British lost 25 killed or wounded plus 15-30 taken prisoner. The Americans lost just 5 killed or wounded.   In addition to the 42-50 British supply wagons the American forces recovered 107 horses, 115 cattle and 72 sheep as well as dozens of barrels and bags of flour and assorted other supplies.  

FOR REVOLUTIONARY WAR BATTLES PRIOR TO JULY 4th, 1776, CLICK HERE: Before the Fourth

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