Battle of Iron Works Hill Site Marker and Monument
attle of Iron Works Hill Site Marker and Monument
Pine St., between Shreve St. and Hulme St.
In front of St. Andrews Cemetery
Map / Directions to the Iron Works Hill Site
Map / Directions to all Mount Holly Revolutionary War Sites
On November 19, 1776, British and Hessian forces invaded New Jersey, disembarking at Huyler's Landing in Bergen County. At the time, General George Washington and the Continental (American) army were in nearby Fort Lee. Washington's army had recently suffered a string of defeats in New York city. Upon learning of the landing of the British and Hessian troops at Alpine Landing, the Continental army began a retreat across New Jersey that ended when they crossed over the Delaware River into Pennsylvania on December 2.
While the Continental Army was on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware River, British and Hessian forces occupied a number of towns throughout New Jersey. Soldiers under the command of Hessian Colonel Carl von Donop occupied Bordentown at this time.
Six miles to the north of Bordentown, Hessian Troops under the command of Colonel Johann Rall occupied Trenton.
Colonel von Donop's Hessian troops at Bordentown were drawn south towards Mount Holly to engage with a small group of American troops under the command of Samuel Griffin. They fought the Petticoat Bridge Skirmish in Springfield on December 22, and the Battle of Iron Works Hill here the following day.
Following the Battle of Iron Works Hill, Colonel von Donop chose to have his men remain in Mount Holly for several days, instead of returning to Bordentown. This placed them eighteen miles away from Trenton, rather than six miles if they had returned to Mount Holly. As a result, they were too far away from Trenton to be of any assistance to Colonel Rall's Hessians there when Washington's troops attacked Trenton after their famous crossing of the Delaware River on Christmas night. The American victory at the Battle of Trenton helped to turn the tide of the war. [1]
Colonel von Donop's decision to remain in Mount Holly appears to have been motivated by romantic - rather than military - considerations. Captain Johann Ewald, who served under Colonel von Donop, recorded the following in his diary: [2]
"The colonel, who was extremely devoted to the fair sex, had found in his quarters the exceedingly beautiful young widow of a doctor. He wanted to set up his rest quarters in Mount Holly, which to the misfortune of Colonel Rall, he was permitted to do."
There has been speculation as to who the "exceedingly beautiful young widow" might have been. The possibility has been raised that she might have been an American agent, who was acting with the intent of delaying von Donop from returning to Bordentown. Betsy Ross has been listed as a possibility. However, no solid evidence has been found to identify this woman. [3]
