This Day in History: Affair at Little Egg Harbor

On this day in 1778, the Affair at Little Egg Harbor occurs near the coast of New Jersey. Unfortunately, “affair” is too kind of a word. It was more like a massacre.

Little Egg Harbor was a base for American privateers during the Revolution. These privateers would capture British transport ships, then take the captured cargoes inland. Some cargo was sold. At times, supplies intended for the British army made their way to Washington’s troops instead.

British Sir Henry Clinton was irritated, to say the least. He decided to “clean out that nest of rebel pirates,” and he dispatched a naval fleet to the area.  These ships carried 300 British soldiers and 100 Loyalists. Captain Henry Collins had command of the fleet, while Captain Patrick Ferguson had command of the Loyalists. The ships departed from New York at the end of September.

George Washington learned of these movements, and he dispatched Count Casimir Pulaski to the area. When Pulaski arrived, he and his Legion encamped at a local farm. Roughly 50 infantry stayed down the road at a picket post.

In the meantime, the British fleet had received orders to return to New York. They’d made a few successful raids inland. As the fleet waited for the winds to change, permitting their departure, Collins and Ferguson received a bit of a surprise. A deserter came with information about Pulaski’s forces. The deserter, Lt. Gustav Juliet, also incorrectly reported that Pulaski would not give quarter to the British if they tried to surrender in an upcoming fight.

The British grabbed the opportunity. They decided to attack Pulaski’s detachment of 50 infantry.

Ferguson set off with about 250 men a little before midnight on October 14. He discovered that no sentry had been posted at a bridge near the American picket post. Big mistake! Ferguson secured the bridge and left men to hold it for his retreat. Up the road, Ferguson soon ran into a single sentry, who was silenced before he could get off a single shot. The British then rushed upon and surprised the remaining men at the American post.

Americans were trying to surrender, but to no avail. Instead, they were butchered. Five men were captured. A few escaped. Most were killed. Ferguson later reported that Pulaski’s infantry were “almost entirely cut to pieces.” He also tried to excuse his failure to accept surrender: “It being a night attack, little quarter could, of course, be given . . . .”

In the meantime, the noise of the attack could be heard at Pulaski’s headquarters. He rushed to help, but he was too late. The British had beaten a hasty retreat across the bridge, pulling out some of the planks as they went. Some of Pulaski’s men managed to ford the creek, but they were not in time to get off more than a few shots at the retreating enemy. In the end, they had to turn back.

All in all, it was another dark, painful moment on the long path to American independence—yet another of the many sacrifices made that we might be free.

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Primary Sources:

• Letter from John Jay to Alexander McDougall (March 23, 1776)

• Letter from Major General Stirling to George Washington (October 14, 1778)

• Letter from Major General Stirling to George Washington (October 22, 1778)

• Mark P. Donnelly & Daniel Diehl, Pirates of New Jersey (2010)

• Michael Adelberg, Pulaski's Legion and the Osborn Island Massacre (Monmouth County Historical Association)

• Naval Documents of the American Revolution (Naval History & Heritage Command; 1981) (vol. 12)

• Tobias Smollett, The History of England, from the Revolution to the End of the American War, and Peace of Versailles in 1783 (1798)