REVOLUTIONARY WAR NEGLECTED BATTLES: APRIL 1777

As the 4th of July approaches, here are some more often overlooked clashes during the Revolutionary War.

APRIL 2nd – Off the coast of Delaware the British frigates HMS Perseus and HMS Roebuck spotted the South Carolina Navy’s schooner the USS Defense, captained by Thomas Pickering. Outnumbered, the Defense fled and the British vessels pursued her from roughly 6:00am to 1:00pm.

        At that time the Roebuck and the Perseus caught up with the American ship and both of them opened fire. Ultimately, the Defense surrendered and was towed into New York Harbor by the English.

APRIL 13th – Near Bound Brook in the New Jersey No-Man’s Land, Redcoat General Charles Cornwallis and his 2,000 men caught American General Benjamin Lincoln and his 500 men by surprise. Militia units failed to warn him of the British approach.

        Lincoln remained icily calm and averted complete disaster with an organized retreat of his 500 soldiers. The Americans lost just 6 killed, 20 captured and 3 cannons seized, compared to the total catastrophe it might have been. British casualties are not known.   

APRIL 21st – Off the coast of South Carolina the British frigate HMS Galatea pursued, engaged and captured the American privateer vessel Francois, fresh from the island of St. Eustatius. 

APRIL 25th – British General William Tryon landed at Compo Beach on the Saugatuck River with 1,850 men. On April 26th, after marching 23 miles, his men raided and burned much of Danbury, CT. 

APRIL 27th – Colonel Benedict Arnold, still on the side of the Americans at this point in the war, was visiting his sister in New Haven. Hearing about General Tryon’s attack on Danbury he rode for Redding.

        Once there he joined American Generals Gold Silliman and David Wooster with their 600 men. At Ridgefield, CT the Rebel forces clashed with General Tryon’s men as they made their way back to Compo Beach. General Wooster was mortally wounded in the battle and Benedict Arnold was nearly captured as the Americans retreated.     

APRIL 28th – Near Norwalk, CT, General Silliman and Colonel Arnold’s men, reinforced by 100 militia men, attacked Tryon’s men as they were boarding the British transport ships to leave the area. General Tryon had 400 of his men under General William Erskine fight it out with the Americans while the rest of the Redcoats boarded.

        Eventually, Erskine’s men also boarded and fled the area. The Americans lost 20 dead and roughly 40 wounded. The British lost 60 dead with an unknown number of wounded.