The 4th of July holiday is fast approaching, so here is another seasonal post from Balladeer’s Blog. This one deals with some more overlooked clashes from America’s Revolutionary War.
FEBRUARY 1st – At Drake’s Farm near Metuchen, New Jersey. In reaction to British losses throughout January as part of what some have called the Forage War, British General William Erskine sought to lure American forces into a trap.
Erskine sent a small party of his men pretending to be foragers to Drake’s Farm, seemingly to pillage supplies. American forces under General Adam Stephen and Colonel Charles Scott attacked them, at which point Erskine revealed his real strength and sent his hundreds of Redcoats and Hessians plus eight artillery pieces against the rebel forces.
The Americans put up a monumental fight against superior numbers and ultimately the British troops retreated toward New Brunswick. Americans lost roughly 40 killed and unknown wounded. The Brits and Hessians lost around 36 killed and 100 wounded.
General Stephen filed a formal complaint against the Redcoats for war crimes due to the way 7 wounded American soldiers led by Lt. William Kelly were beaten and stabbed to death as they lie on the ground just before the British fled.
FEBRUARY 2nd – Location: The American Fort McIntosh on the Georgia side of the border with eastern parts of Florida. At this time British Loyalist forces had been driven out of Georgia but began periodic forays back into the state using east Florida as their base.
On February 2nd British Tories sent by former Tory Governor Tonyn attacked Fort McIntosh. The fort repulsed the attack, following which the Loyalists settled in for a siege.
FEBRUARY 4th – With no hope of relief, American Captain Richard Winn surrendered Fort McIntosh. Some American prisoners were taken as far away as St. Augustine, FL for imprisonment.
WEIRD NOTE: Other sites claim that Fort McIntosh was besieged on February 17th and surrendered on the 18th. The wildest alternate account claims the siege was conducted by Loyalists and 600 of Britain’s Creek Indian allies … and that the siege lasted from February 23rd to March 15th. All the accounts cite Richard Winn as the surrendering officer, so it was not three separate sieges. Historians, amirite?
FEBRUARY 6th – Along the North Carolina coast, Britain’s HMS Solebay fought and captured the American sloop Speedwell and its cargo of rice & indigo. (Now THAT’S good eatin’!) A prize crew took the American vessel to Jamaica.
FEBRUARY 7th – Also along the North Carolina coast, the Solebay captured two more American ships – the schooner Hope and the brig Fortune.
FEBRUARY 8th – At Quibbletown, New Jersey British General Cornwallis led over 2,000 men against hundreds of American rebels under General Nathaniel Warner. The Americans outmaneuvered the Redcoats by foiling their efforts to force a pitched battle and instead whittled them down via several smaller actions on terrain which favored the Continental Army.
Again, the British retreated to New Brunswick. Documents regarding casualties for both sides have not survived.
FEBRUARY 9th – Back to the North Carolina Coast, the busy British ship the Solebay captured the American schooner Little Dick. Redcoat attempts to tow the vessel to Jamaica were foiled when the Little Dick got stuck on the Nassau Bar.
FEBRUARY 13th – Along the SOUTH Carolina coast this time, the South Carolina Navy brig Comet, under Captain Edward Allen, captured a British vessel whose name has not survived. Captain Allen towed the prize into Charleston Harbor.
FEBRUARY ?th – Also along the South Carolina coast, the American ship Defense, under Captain Thomas Pickering, captured two British ships (names have not survived) and towed them into Charleston Harbor.
FEBRUARY 23rd – The Battle of Spanktown. I previously covered this American victory in detail HERE.
FEBRUARY 27th – Off the coast of South Carolina, Captain Edward Allen of the Comet captured two British ships transporting mahogany and logwood.
Balladeer's Blog 
Great posts as always. I honestly don’t know much about the Revolutionary War, but I found this article to be very informative. It brought to mind classic war movies that I have watched. For instance, the article did remind of the war film “All Quiet on the Western Front”. It’s actually a completely different film because it focuses on German soldiers during WWII. Despite its different setting, however, it captures themes which you discussed in this insightful article. One of the best war movies that I have watched in recent years that did justice to history.
Here’s why it’s worth watching:
Thank you! I’m on my way to read your review of All Quiet on the Western Front.
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Logged, thank you sir!