Battle of Gloucester

Battle of Gloucester Part of the American Revolutionary War Date November 25, 1777 Location Gloucester, New Jersey Result American victory Belligerents United States Great Britain Hesse-Kassel Commanders Gilbert de La Fayette Armand de La Rouërie Lord Charles Cornwallis Strength 350 Continental Army and militia 350 jaegers Casualties and losses 1 killed 5 wounded 20 killed 20 wounded 20 captured

v • d • e Philadelphia campaign 1777–1778 Staten Island – Cooch's Bridge – Brandywine – Paoli – Germantown – Red Bank – Gloucester – White Marsh – Matson's Ford – Valley Forge – Quinton's Bridge – Crooked Billet – Barren Hill – Monmouth

The Battle of Gloucester was a skirmish fought on November 25, 1777, during the Philadelphia campaign of the American Revolutionary War. It was the first battlefield command for the Marquis de Lafayette.

Background

In the summer of 1777, British General William Howe embarked on a plan to regain control of Britain's rebellious Thirteen Colonies by capturing Philadelphia, the city where the Continental Congress met. He successfully captured the city in September 1777, and then consolidated his command of the Delaware River and repulsed an attack from General George Washington's Continental Army at Germantown in October.

He then embarked on a plan to extend British control from Philadelphia to New York City by gaining control of New Jersey. He sent a portion of his army across the Delaware to Gloucester, New Jersey under the command of Lord Cornwallis to begin this work. Washington reacted to this by detaching forces under General Nathanael Greene, which crossed over the Delaware to the north of Gloucester.

Greene was accompanied by the Marquis de Lafayette, a young French officer who had accompanied Washington at the Battle of Brandywine. Lafayette had been wounded in the foot in that battle, and, while it was not fully healed, he was eager to join the action. Greene ordered Lafayette out to on a reconnaissance mission to determine the location and strength of Cornwallis' army.

Battle

Lafayette led 350 men toward the British position. He carefully scouted the British camp, at times personally coming within firing range of British sentries. He then led his men in a surprise attack on a forward pickett of jaegers. The 400 Hessians were caught completely unprepared, and began a disorganized fighting retreat toward the main British camp, with Lafayette and his men giving chase. Cornwallis sent some grenadiers to provide covering fire as the Germans retreated, and Lafayette withdrew under cover of darkness, returning to Greene.^[1]

Aftermath

Lafayette's reconnaissance was a success. He suffered only one killed and five wounded, against 60 casualties on the British side. Word of the operation was instrumental in a decision by Congress to award him a commission as a major general in the Continental Army.^[2]

References

• Boatner, Mark Mayo, III. Encyclopedia of the American Revolution. Revised ed. New York: McKay, 1974. ISBN 0-8117-0578-1.
• Johann Conrad Döhla, A Hessian Diary of the American Revolution
• Bayard Tuckerman, Life of General Lafayette
• Harlow Unger, Lafayette