The 4th of July is fast approaching! In the spirit of the season here’s another neglected battle from the American Revolution.
BATTLE OF SPANKTOWN
Date: February 23rd, 1777
Location: Spanktown, NJ (Now Rahway)
American Commander: General William Maxwell
British Commander: Colonel Charles Mawhood
The Battle: Colonel Mawhood, with 2,000 men, was roaming the New Jersey No-Man’s Land with orders to destroy any American forces he encountered. At Spanktown Mawhood’s troops came upon American Militiamen herding livestock for supplies while being accompanied by Continental Army Regulars. The American forces totaled fewer than 900 men.
The British attacked but the Continentals held firm, protecting the Militiamen herding the cattle and driving off their attackers. The Americans proceeded to “spank” the Redcoats all the way to Amboy.
British losses were 56 dead and 39 wounded (unusual since wounded normally outnumber the dead) while American losses were just 5 dead and 9 wounded.
FOR REVOLUTIONARY WAR BATTLES PRIOR TO JULY 4th, 1776, CLICK HERE: Before the Fourth
© Edward Wozniak and Balladeer’s Blog, 2015. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Edward Wozniak and Balladeer’s Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Balladeer's Blog 
Spanktown? Sounds kinky.
I agree.
Putting the spank in spanktown!
You know it!
As a young boy, William Dunlap in his later autobiography of the American Theater, recounts the 24th Scottish Highland Regiment of the Black Watch debarking Perth Amboy from Rhode Island and marching out to forage and finally combat with American militia and continentals at Spanktown (Rahway) and of their defeat and bloody return to P.A. that night harassed by the hit and run tactics of Gen Maxwell’s Militia & NJ Continentals.
We reanacted this event in Rahway River Park.
Great!
That is interesting! Thanks for the info.