Clement’s Bridge, Over the Big Timber Creek

Clement's Bridge
Clements Bridge Rd.
Map / Directions to Clement's Bridge
Map / Directions to all Deptford Revolutionary War Sites

British forces occupied Philadelphia from September 26, 1777 until June 18, 1778. It was during this time that the British sent Hessian troops to attack Fort Mercer, an American fort on the Delaware River in what is now National Park. (Hessians were German mercenary soldiers hired by the British to fight in the Revolutionary War.)

On October 21, 1777, Hessian troops under the command of Colonel von Donop crossed the Delaware River into New Jersey, landing in Cooper's Ferry (now Camden). They marched to Haddonfield, where they camped for the night.

The following morning, they marched southwest towards Fort Mercer. In order to reach Fort Mercer, the Hessians needed to get across the Big Timber Creek at some point. They marched to the location of a bridge in what is now Brooklawn. However, they found that the bridge here had been dismantled by American forces. This caused them to march an additional eight to ten miles, and cross the Big Timber Creek at a bridge which stood at the location where this modern bridge now stands.

From here, they marched to Fort Mercer along a path of what are now Almonesson Road, Caulfield Avenue, Deptford Avenue and Hessian Avenue. They attacked the fort, and were defeated in what is known as the Battle of Red Bank. Afterwards, they retreated back towards Philadelphia along the path they had come, and they crossed the bridge here as part of their retreat. [1]

A historic sign  is located at the modern bridge which stands at the site of the 1777 bridge. The sign mentions the British retreat over the bridge but not their approach which had occurred several hours earlier that day.