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Countdown to 250: Salem County & America’s Journey

Salem County 250

5 days ago

Countdown to 250: Salem County & America’s JourneyWeek 25 - British Foraging in Salem County — The War Comes to the Farms (1778)In 1778, Salem County’s fields, barns, and river landings became a target for food and foraging. With the British army occupying Philadelphia, both sides needed cattle, hay, grain and other food supplies to keep armies moving. That need drove repeated British operations into South Jersey, using the Delaware River and Salem Creek as highways into the heart of the county.British journals describe troop movements by flat-bottom boats, tenders, and galleys, landing men near Billingsport in Gloucester County and pushing south toward Salem, while armed vessels shadowed the shoreline to protect the expedition. One observer in Delaware watched “about 40 boats… full of troops” move downriver and feared they had gone up Salem Creek. Major John Graves Simcoe, commander of the Loyalist Queen’s Rangers, explained the strategy bluntly in his journal: these expeditions were meant to collect supplies, and British commanders hoped local militia would not interfere. But Salem County’s militia and civilians were caught in a brutal bind. When Americans foraged first, they sometimes burned hay and provisions to deny them to the enemy. When the British arrived, they seized what they could sometimes with additional plundering and destruction that locals likely remembered for generations afterward.Even the human stakes were real and immediate. Some enslaved people used these chaotic situations to escape with British units, while families recorded stolen items in inventories listing clothing, livestock and other household goods.For the people of Salem County, the foraging from both armies truly brought the fighting into their own backyards. ... See MoreSee Less

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Salem County 250

2 weeks ago

Countdown to 250: Salem County & America's JourneyWeek 24 - Thompson’s BridgeThe early name of Alloway was Thompson's Bridge, in honor of William Thompson, who purchased a large tract of land on the south side of Alloway Creek and his son, Benjamin, who was in charge of the nearby Wistarburg Glass Works. Thompson’s Bridge was erected across the creek in 1709 and the village was built on Thompson’s land. Later it became known as Upper Alloways Creek, then Allowaystown, a name it bore until 1882, when it was shortened to Alloway.In March 1778, Colonel Mawhood of the British Queen’s Rangers gave an order to forage between the Salem Creek and Alloway Creek. The forage was to take place on Wednesday, March 18.Per Simcoe, “The rebel militia was posted at Hancock's and Quintin's, the nearest bridges, which they had taken up, and defended by breastworks. Colonel Mawhood made detachments to mask these bridges ; and foraged in their rear : the officer who commanded the detachment, consisting of seventy of the 17th infantry, at Quintin's bridge, sent information that the enemy were assembled in great numbers at the bridge, and indicated as if they meant to pass over whenever he should quit it, in which case his party would be in great danger. Colonel Mawhood marched with the Queen's Rangers to his assistance: he made a circuit, so as to fall in upon the road that led from Thompson's to Quintin's bridge, to deceive any patrole which he might meet on his march, and to make them believe that he directed it to Thompson’s, not Quintin's bridge.”Major Simcoe had arrived in Salem near where Colonel Mawhood had been. They continued to Quinton and part of the unit hid in a public house located on the Salem side of the Quinton Bridge (now referred to as the Daniel Smith house). Some of the British approached the bridge, saw the local militia guarding the bridge and turned away. The local militia were tricked into believing that the British were retreating and followed the retreating army while the British contingent that was hidden moved between the local militia and the bridge so the local militia could not retreat. Many of the local militia escaped by jumping into the creek. Some of the men drowned. Two secondary sources report that there was some advance notice of the attack but this story could not be confirmed. The story suggests that an English officer had stopped at a store operated by Nancy Cattell in Guineatown (now Penton) outside of Thompson’s Bridge and he had spoken of a planned British raid on Hancock’s Bridge. Shortly thereafter, an American scouting party left Thompson’s Bridge and stopped by the store. Cattell entrusted the information to Sergeant Samuel Gosling, commander of the scouting party. The men had some grog at Cattell’s store and were late returning to Thompson’s Bridge. Unfortunately, they had not learned the countersign so the guard locked them in the guardhouse and would not let Gosling communicate with Colonel Holme. Although Gosling pleaded with the guard to let him see Holme, he was not allowed to leave for Quinton until 4 AM. Holme believed Gosling’s story but his arrival at Hancock’s Bridge was too late to prevent the attack.The following map shows the location of the Revolutionary War battles in Salem County. Note that Thompson’s Bridge is identified as Alloway’s Bridge. ... See MoreSee Less

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Salem County 250

4 weeks ago

Countdown to 250: Salem County & America’s JourneyWeek 22 – The Battle of Helm’s CoveIn May of 1776, nearly two years before the British occupation of Salem, Salem County and the Delaware River became the site of one of the earliest naval clashes of the Revolution. Just off Helm’s Cove, near present-day Penns Grove, British warships and American river defenses met in a tense two-day engagement.Two British ships called the Roebuck and Liverpool sailed upriver toward Wilmington, DE checking American defenses and seeking supplies. In response, Pennsylvania troops deployed a fleet of row galleys and floating batteries upriver that were low maneuverable vessels specifically designed for river warfare. On May 8th, these American boats advanced and opened fire, engaging the British ships for more than two hours. The American use of row galleys was particularly suited to these shallow, narrow waters, allowing them to challenge larger British ships that struggled to maneuver and risked running aground.During the fighting, the Roebuck ran aground near Penns Grove in a dangerous position that left her exposed. American forces continued the attack which lasted for two days. British accounts admitted the ship took multiple hits “betwixt wind and water,” while American observers believed the engagement had gone in their favor. Andrew Helm’s Tavern, standing near the shoreline, was struck by a cannonball during the fighting bringing the violence of the battle directly to his doorstep. Though the battle ended without a decisive victory, it revealed much about both sides. The British demonstrated their naval strength but also their vulnerability in unfamiliar inland waterways. The Americans, showed ingenuity and determination, using smaller craft and local knowledge to hold their ground against a more powerful enemy.By mid-May, the British ships withdrew downriver, anchoring near Reedy Island before eventually returning to sea. While the Battle of Helm’s Cove is often overshadowed by larger engagements, it stands as an early warning that Salem County was not on the fringes of the war, but already a part of the fight. ... See MoreSee Less

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Salem County Tourism Website:
morethancows.com

Salem County Economic Development Website:
choosesalem.com

Salem County Government Website:
salemcountynj.gov

This project was made possible in part by a grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission.