Affair at Little Egg Harbor Monument

Affair at Little Egg Harbor Monument
 • The monument is located in a field on S. Pulaski Blvd., between Kosciusko Way and Kadlubeck Way
• The blue sign is located 100 feet away at the corner of S. Pulaski Blvd. and Radio Rd.
Map / Directions to the Little Egg Harbor Massacre site

The Affair at Little Egg Harbor occurred near here on October 15, 1778 [1]
(Also known as the Massacre at Little Egg Harbor)

On October 6, 1778, British forces made an attack on the village of Chestnut Neck, located about five miles southwest of here. Afterwards, the British ships involved in the attack remained in the waters of Little Egg Harbor, waiting for weather conditions to allow them to sail safely back to British-occupied New York City.
(See the Port Republic page for details of the Battle of Chestnut Neck.)

A group of American soldiers under the command of General Casimir Pulaski had been sent to defend Chestnut Neck, but they did not arrive in the area until October 8, two days after the Battle of Chestnut Neck. They encamped in Little Egg Harbor Township, where they could keep an eye on the British ships still in the waters nearby. One group of fifty of Pulaski’s soldiers made their camp near where the monument now stands, on what was known as Ridgeway Farm. Pulaski made his headquarters about a half mile to the west, on what was known as Willets Farm. Other groups of his soldiers were encamped nearby.

On October 13, the British in the harbor received information of the camp position and troop strength of Pulaski’s forces, and they decided to make a sneak attack. [2] Two hundred and fifty British soldiers under the command of Captain Patrick Ferguson came ashore at the southern tip of Little Egg Harbor Township late on the evening of October 14. [3] The area where they came ashore is known as Osborn Island, because it was owned by a Quaker family named the Osborns. Ferguson and his men forced a member of the family, 29-year-old Thomas Osborn, to act as a guide to lead them to Pulaski’s forces. They traveled through the dark along a road called Island Road (present day Radio Road).

Early on the morning of October 15, Ferguson’s men made a surprise attack on the group of about fifty of Pulaski’s troops encamped on Ridgeway Farm near here. They killed or wounded most of them, and took only about five prisoners. [4] When Pulaski heard the sound of gunfire, he rushed to the scene with his cavalry. However, the British had attacked and left so quickly that Pulaski’s men arrived after the British were already gone.

Pulaski’s troops attempted to go after Ferguson’s troops but were unable to catch them. Ferguson’s men had removed the planks from a bridge on Island Road, leaving Pulaski’s troops unable to cross.

Ferguson’s troops made it back to the British ships in the waters outside Little Egg Harbor. The ships remained there for another week, because weather conditions prevented them from leaving sooner. Eventually, they were able to leave on October 22, when they sailed back to New York City.