Loyalist Raids Increase in Frequency

The first armed clashes in Monmouth County were skirmishes on Sandy Hook when the British took the peninsula in spring 1776; the first Loyalist raids were launched from Sandy Hook into Monmouth County in spring 1777; the first major military campaign in Monmouth County was in June 1778 (prior to the Battle of Monmouth). Yet for the people of Monmouth County, spring 1779 was more significant than any the prior year. In spring 1779, armed clashes in Monmouth County escalated to civil warfare.

While Continental troops were stationed in the county through much of the year, their ability to defend the county was limited. Local militia bore primary responsibility for combatting increasingly prevalent and vindictive Loyalist raiding parties. Several Monmouth militiamen described their hard service in their postwar veteran pension applications. For example, John Matthews wrote of being called out whenever raiding parties “co-operating with the Tories in the county of Monmouth, appeared along the sea coast for the purpose of carrying off & plundering cattle or other provisions.” Matthews wrote of the raiders: “their excursions were very frequent” and militia needed to “immediately lay aside all business at the report of the alarm gun.” (Beacons were used in preference to alarm guns for part of 1779.)

Quantifying Armed Clashes

Historian David Munn attempted to compile all of the armed clashes that occurred in New Jersey during the American Revolution. His research documents 129 armed clashes occurring in Monmouth County or along its shores. This is more than any other county—and roughly triple the number of any county besides Bergen County. See chart 2a.

Munn’s research also demonstrates that the civil warfare in Monmouth County intensified considerably in 1779. According to Munn, the county hosted 28 armed clashes in 1779 and again in 1780—more than any other years of the war. Chart 2b displays armed clashes in and around Monmouth County by year. 

While Munn’s compilation is the most comprehensive dataset of Revolutionary War clashes in New Jersey, it is built on newspaper accounts and the personal papers of a small number of leaders. As such, Munn’s tabulations do not include many of the smaller clashes that were only recorded in personal accounts, including the pension applications of militiamen, verbal accounts printed in credible antiquarian sources, and the personal papers of local leaders. Historian Harlow McMillan, who studied raid warfare on Staten Island, noted the undercounting that results from relying on newspapers: "Retaliatory raids were small and sporadic, and many were not reported in the papers." The same statement can be applied to the smaller raids in Monmouth County.

Most of the time, smaller raids were not reported in newspapers—and many are not included in Munn’s tabulations. Accounts of armed clashes in pension applications, antiquarian sources, and personal papers are compiled in the data in the appendix of this article. They compile 42 armed clashes: five in 1778, thirteen in 1779, twelve in 1780, and twelve in 1781. When these events are combined with Munn’s, the quantity of armed clashes bumps up in the middle years of the war, when small raids were most prolific. Chart 2c compiles armed clashes in and near Monmouth County by year. 

Due to brief narratives of these smaller events, there likely is some double-counting of the same armed clash. However, the amount of double counting is exceeded by the number of armed clashes that cannot be assigned a year—and are therefore not included in the totals in chart 2c. For example, below is one omitted event; it is from the pension application of Samuel Johnson:

His company was stationed at Peter Parker's in Shrewsbury with other companies commanded by Col Hendrickson [Daniel Hendrickson]. That in the night one John Newman, a sentry, was fired upon and his pocket was shot through by some of the refugees. The next morning, about sunrise, a colored man, a Negro by the name of Moses, with his gun on his shoulder, was approaching the house where the company was stationed. When he perceived the militia, he immediately turned about & went down the field, upon which the deponent and others followed him, he then turned short and made for a creek called Little Silver of about 200 yards wide. He went in the creek, and the light horse under Captain Walton [John Walton] followed him, as did this deponent and the rest of the company all of whom followed at him whilst in the water, and just at the time he was making the land on the other side of the creek, a rifleman by the name of Alexander Erlich [Alexander Eastlick] fired and wounded said Negro.

Also omitted are vaguely-described events. For example, Kasimir Pulaski’s letters described disaffected Stafford Township residents “making a sport” of firing on his Continental troops, but those sniper incidents are not included in the tabulations above because the references are too vague to count. The data also omits Pine Robber violence, unless the incident in question is documented as either a kidnapping or a skirmish. Including all of these events would have swelled the numbers in chart 2c considerably.

Defending Monmouth County against Loyalist Raiders

As time went on, the Monmouth County militia and a related regiment of State Troops (men raised predominantly from Monmouth County to defend Monmouth County) performed better. Particularly along with Raritan Bayshore, militia and State Troops led by Colonel Asher Holmes, had some successes against raiding parties. At times, local forces were able to turn back raiders with only modest damage. For example, on May 19, 1779, the New Jersey Gazette reported that:

Saturday last, a party of near 200 of the enemy landed near Middletown in Monmouth County on a plundering expedition. But from the alertness of our militia in collecting and repelling those invaders, they were soon driven on board their boats by which they were prevented from doing any other mischief than plundering two or three families.

Antiquarian sources add that the raiders came over from Staten Island (probably Loyalist New Jersey Volunteers camped there) and landed near Keyport. They intended to burn the Baptist Meeting House (the meeting excommunicated Loyalist members in 1777), but were driven off before they could do that. One antiquarian source, however, notes that the raiders killed a militiaman while skirmishing.

Loyalist raiders usually had excellent intelligence on the places they intended to raid. Raiding parties inevitably included Monmouth Loyalists who knew the terrain and their enemies. Regular updates from illegal traders coming to Sandy Hook kept Loyalists current on militia deployments. The intelligence of Loyalist raiders is demonstrated in a surviving map titled, “A Fine Foraging Country Best for Cattle & Hay within Six Miles of Middletown Point.” The undated map includes the roads in northeast Monmouth County with mileage between Sandy Hook villages and as far away as Freehold and Shark River. Interestingly, David Knott's house and sawmill (at the head of Shark River, several miles inland) is the only private house on the map. This probably means that Knott operated a safe-house for raiders. The continued presence of disaffected men like Knott along the shore meant that Loyalists could raid with impunity along their shore even as defenses improved along the Raritan Bayshore.

Related Historic Site: William Clements Library (Ann Arbor, Michigan)

Appendix

Armed Clashes in Veterans’ Pension Applications Not Recorded in Newspaper Accounts

1778

William Hurley

"He was with Jacob Brewer, Peter Stillwagon and William Beck, were sent to Tinton Falls to warn out the militia in Shrewsbury, as it was reported that the British & Tories made a landing on the coast; they were sent to Shrewsbury, and the Quakers being then in their meeting, each of the party took a house for the purpose of doing their duty more effectively... when they got to Eatontown, they were fired upon by a party of Tories, Brewer was killed, Stillwagon was made prisoner and sent to New York - I and William Beck made our escape."

1778

William Newberry

At Tuckerton, "were engaged about an hour, none of Capt. Randolph's men were killed or wounded. It was said that several of the refugees were wounded."

1778

Benjamin Van Cleaf

"Had a brush with the Tories" at Tinton Falls.

1778

John Wilbur

“On one occasion they attacked the British and Tories in their boats near Little Egg Harbor Creek and drove them off to their boats, killing and wounding some in their boats."

1778

Adam Stricker

"Was in a skirmish at Sandy Hook… in which he and his company took 48 prisoners, 14 horses and a large quantity of household provisions which the enemy had plundered... lost but one man, named Thomson, who was shot through the brains while standing close to the deponent."

1779

William Paynton

“Was engaged at Rumson in Shrewsbury with the refugees, and at Jumping Point where two men were killed & six wounded."

1779

William Lloyd

"They opened their fire upon us with two field pieces. The first shot cut the bayonet off one of the men's gun. We marched under their fire towards them, but before we got out of the woods, they made their hasty retreat."

1779

William Lloyd

"At one time the Negro refugees fired upon a sentinel and pursued them to a place called Jumping Point on the Shrewsbury. We went into the river with one of the men, he got tired a distance from land and could swim no further. I swam to him... and saved his life."

1779

Garrett Irons

[Serving] "as a guard along the shore & at the Pennsylvania Salt works, which were situated about five miles from Toms River - whilst at the Salt works, we had a skirmish with a British boat armed with about thirty men sent from New York to plunder the salt works, several shots were passed, two men wounded on our side & the boat driven off."

1779

Garrett Irons

"He was engaged in a skirmish with the British & Refugees near Homerstown, in which we had two men killed and three men taken."

1779

Zephaniah Morris

“He purchased one half of the farm that formerly belonged to Colonel John Morris, who had forfeited the same… was taken prisoner and carried to New York, where John Morris was Colonel in the British service… was kept a prisoner for 11 months.”

1779

William Newberry

"We had two skirmishes with the Refugees, the first was at the salt works [near Absecon], at two other skirmishes around Egg Harbor in Gloucester County;

1779

William Newberry

At Cedar Creek, "the skirmish lasted about two or three hours and night came on, so that the refugees got to go to their boats.”

1779

John Wilbur

"They lost three men who were taken prisoner, being part of a scouting party, this was along the sea shore at night."

1779

Moses Shepherd

“He was once made a prisoner taken in his own house by a party of Tories about dawn… he was taken to New York paroled as an officer on Long Island, stayed about six weeks, he, in company with Captain Thomas Chadwick took a small boat or skiff and came home but was afterwards exchanged.”

1779

Cornelius Smock

"He was one of thirteen men, with Capt. Barnes Smock, commanded by his father, Lt. Col. John Smock, that went to a place called the Gut on the sea shore near Sandy Hook, and after a smart skirmish, took 26 prisoners - refugees commanded by Lt William Stevens, who was amongst the prisoners - these prisoners were afterwards exchanged for American prisoners then in prison in New York."

1779

Cornelius Smock

"He was with a party that marched on Sandy Hook and retook John Stillwell's cattle, and brought them off."

1780

John Brown

"Was taken prisoner by the British at Shrewsbury & carried to New York, where he remained a prisoner in close confinement for 7 months & suffered cruelly from his captors."

1780

John Wilbur

At Toms River, "they had a skirmish with the Tories at Nestaconk... wounded one man named John Smith, when they were driven into the swamps by our party."

1780

Linton Doughty

“He was taken again by a company of refugees and carried to New York, and kept there in close confinement."

1780

Adam Stricker

"Was in a skirmish at Conkaskunk with a party of British & Tories who came over for the purpose of carrying off cattle & horses, at which time he received a musket ball in the shoulder, by which he was stunned & thus mowed down - that Daniel Walling was near him at the time & assisted him to rise, the British party had got four wagons of household goods & had collected five hundred head of cattle, the whole of which we recovered from them, with the exception of a calf they killed."

1780

Benjamin Van Cleaf

"Once had quite an engagement at Squan, when the British and Tories attempted to burn the Union Salt Works."

1780

Joseph Johnson

"He was taken prisoner... he was kept a prisoner of war in close confinement for 9 1/2 months at which time he took with small pox and very nearly died and then exchanged at Elizabethtown"

1781

John Brown

“Attached himself to Capt. Thomas Chadwick's company of Colo. Holmes's Regiment, during the latter part of that service he received a wound from a musket ball in his shoulder, which disabled him for 4 or 5 months"

1781

Francis Jeffers

"Was wounded in my hand & wrist, which made me a cripple, which took place in the Township of Shrewsbury"; Anthony Holmes testifies that Jeffrey "was wounded by a bullet shot in his right hand."

1781

Abraham Lane

"He was taken prisoner by a company of Refugee of whom William Gillian was Captain, and was carried to the City of New York and confined in the Sugar House, from there he was removed to the North Church and detained prisoner from March to September 1781."

1781

John McLean

"He was taken prisoner at the house of John Stout, where the guard was stationed - from there they was marched to Sandy Hook, put on board the guardship and there kept 4 or 5 days; he there met a friend who interfered on his behalf. He was sent home on parole.”

1781

John McLean

“He again took the field and went out under Capt Shepherd, the company being stationed at Tinton Falls... but about this time, deponent say he was shot thru the hand and the thigh accidentally by his own gun.”

1781

Daniel Walling

At Navesink Highlands, "under Capt. John Schenck, where we met under a general alarm & where we took twenty-eight or thirty prisoners, Tories that had been plundering the country."

1781

John Truax

“John Truax came home with his gun in hand and told them that the Refugee named John Mount had that night been shot and that two other refugees that was with him had been taken."

1781

John Truax

"Samuel Carman came and & informed her husband that Clayton Tilton, a refugee of notoriety, was off & at home, her husband, John Truax and several more of his men went and took him - and brought the prisoner to their house."

1781

John Truax

"The refugees took the slay [sic] & horses and brought them off to Sandy Hook" but are attacked and the Refugees "were forced to retreat and leave the horses there."

1781

Elisha Clayton

At Colts Neck "was taken to New York and confined in North Church, and from thence to the Sugar House, where he was kept prisoner until New Year's following, when he was exchanged… That the party that took him prisoner also took a horse from him, from which he never received any compensation."

Armed Clashes Listed in Antiquarian Sources that Are Not Recorded in Newspaper Accounts

August 1779

Two militia on sentry near Toms River are ambushed and killed.

1779

Private Benjamin Salter is killed in skirmish with refugees

March 1780

Capture of militiaman Samuel Bowne by raiding party, who had been exchanged only three days earlier

April 1780

Captain Jonathan Holmes: militia Captain,

May 1781

In skirmish between refugee party and militia under Capt. Thomas Chadwick, militiaman Francis Jeffers is wounded

1781

Sgt Joshua Marsh of militia killed by refugee raiders

Armed Clashes Listed in Local Leader Letters that Are Not Recorded in Newspaper Accounts

July 1780

Col. Samuel Forman

“Our men retook the horses of the Enemy took from the neighborhood of Monmouth Court House and wounded one Negro.”

July 1780

Col. Samuel Forman

“Yesterday, the enemy got their plunder: lost one man killed and deserted that come from N. York. He is a person very ignorant. We had not one killed in either action."

December 1780

Chief Justice David Brearley

“The villain Price [William Price] mentioned in your letter [was] brought here a prisoner this morning, he was taken together with five others yesterday at Shrewsbury by a party that went on a scout, they were found carousing in a dram shop with a sentinel at the door - the surprise was so complete that but two escaped; they were all armed, notwithstanding, they were taken by equal number without firing a gun"

May 1781

Col. Samuel Forman

"The refugees, joined by a number of residents from Burlington County have drove Ensign Imlay & some militia from the boundary of Little Egg Harbor to Hankins; our men have killed one & wounded two mortally.”

Notes: A few of the armed clashes in the data above did not occur within the boundaries of Monmouth County, but are included because Monmouth County militia engaged in the clash. It is possible that two militiamen recalled the same in a few of the entries above. In one case, the wounding of Francis Jeffers in May 1781, a pension application and antiquarian source both recorded the same event.

Sources: Munn, David, Battles and Skirmishes of the American Revolution in New Jersey, (Trenton: Bureau of Geology and Topography, New Jersey Geological Survey, 1976); Harlow McMillen, “Red, Green, and a Little Blue: The Story of Staten Island in the American Revolution, Part 8,” Staten Island History, 1st ser., vol. 32 (1977): Part 8, pp. 104, 108; National Archives, Revolutionary War veterans Pension Applications, New Jersey - William Hurley; National Archives, Revolutionary War Veterans' Pension Application, William Paynton of NJ, www.fold3.com/image/#25319416; John C. Dann, The Revolution Remembered: Eyewitness Accounts of the War for Independence (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1980) pp 125-6; National Archives, Revolutionary War Veterans Pension Applications, New Jersey - Garrett Irons; National Archives, Revolutionary War Veterans Pension Applications, New Jersey - John Wilbur; National Archives, Revolutionary War Veterans' Pension Application, Moses Shepherd of NJ, www.fold3.com/image/# 16276047; National Archives, revolutionary War veterans Pension Applications, New Jersey - Adam Stricker; National Archives, revolutionary War veterans Pension Applications, New Jersey - Cornelius Smock; National Archives, Revolutionary War Veterans Pension Applications, New Jersey - Joseph Johnson; Edwin Salter, Old Times in Old Monmouth (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1970) p 303; National Archives, Revolutionary War Veterans Pension Applications, New Jersey - Francis Jeffrey; National Archives, Revolutionary War Veterans Pension Applications, New Jersey - William Newberry; National Archives, Revolutionary War Veterans Pension Applications, New Jersey - Daniel Walling; National Archives, Revolutionary War Veterans' Pension Application, John McLean of Middletown, www.fold3.com/image/#27289028; National Archives, Revolutionary War Weterans Pension Applications, New Jersey - John Truax; National Archives, Revolutionary War Veterans Pension Applications, New Jersey - Abraham Lane; National Archives, Revolutionary War Veterans Pension Applications, New Jersey - Elihu Clayton; National Archives, Revolutionary War Veterans Pension Applications, New Jersey - Linton Doughty; National Archives, Revolutionary War Veterans Pension Applications, New Jersey - John Brown; National Archives, Revolutionary War Veterans Pension Applications, New Jersey - Benjamin Van Cleave; William Horner, This Old Monmouth of Ours (Freehold: Moreau Brothers, 1932) p 406; William S. Stryker, Official Register of the Officers and Men of New Jersey in the Revolutionary War (Trenton: Naar, Day & Naar, 1872); William Horner, This Old Monmouth of Ours (Freehold: Moreau Brothers, 1932) p 406; Franklin Ellis, The History of Monmouth County (R.T. Peck: Philadelphia, 1885), p229-32; Franklin Ellis, The History of Monmouth County (R.T. Peck: Philadelphia, 1885), p209-10; William S. Stryker, Official Register of the Officers and Men of New Jersey in the Revolutionary War (Trenton: Naar, Day & Naar, 1872); William Horner, This Old Monmouth of Ours (Freehold: Moreau Brothers, 1932) p 403; Library of Congress, Early American Newspaper, New Jersey Gazette, reel 1930; William Horner, This Old Monmouth of Ours (Freehold: Moreau Brothers, 1932) p 394-5; Munn, David. “The Revolutionary War Casualties.” The Jersey Genealogical Record, vol. 55 (September 1982) p 65;  Koegler, M.L., Burrowes Mansion of Matawan, New Jersey, and Notations on the History of Monmouth County (Matawan, NJ: Matawan Historical Society), pp. 47-8; Samuel Forman to William Livingston, Carl Prince, Papers of William Livingston (New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 1987) vol. 4, pp. 12, 28-9; David Bearley to William Livingston, New Jersey State Archives, William Livingston Papers, reel 13, December 26, 1780; Samuel Forman to William Livingston, New Jersey State Archives, William Livingston Papers, reel 14, May 20, 1781; “A Fine Foraging Country Best for Cattle & Hay within Six Miles of Middletown Point,” University of Michigan, Clements Library, Map #236; National Archives, Revolutionary War Veterans' Pension Application, John Matthews of NJ, www.fold3.com/image/#23666685.