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Friends of Red Bank
Red Bank Plantation
Along the Delaware River in an area just south of the city of Philadelphia on the New Jersey side are 411 acres of prime farmland first settled by Jonas Treadway in 1688.
In 1700 Job Whitall purchased the property from Jonas Treadway and named it Red Bank plantation because of the distinctive red clay banks on the Delaware River.
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The Whitall Family
In 1722 James Whitall inherited Red Bank upon the death of his father.
In 1739 James met and married Ann Cooper and they moved to Haddonfield where they started their family.
Their growing family made it necessary to find larger accommodations, so they decided to build a farm Manor at Red Bank on the land James had inherited.
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Who Were the Hessians
Six German states furnished troops to King George III and his British army to serve in America during the Revolutionary War. By far the largest contingent was provided by the German state of Hesse-Cassel, and all German troops fighting for the British Crown in America at that time came to be known as Hessians.
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War comes to Red Bank
In the spring of 1777 delegates from the Continental Congress approach James Whitall about using a portion of Red Bank to build a fort to defend the Delaware River and Philadelphia. James refuses their request so the Continental Congress orders that James Whitall's apple orchard north of his home be confiscated and Fort Mercer is built.
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A Soldiers View of Battle
"This day was especially sad for me. I lost five of my oldest friends, among whom was a relative, and four of my best friends were severely wounded. As long as I have served, I have not yet left a battlefield in such deep sorrow."
Hessian Captain Johann von Ewald
"They sent in a flag demanding the fort but was answered that the fort was not to be given up on any terms. In reply to this, they answered that if we still remain’d obstinate, our blood might be upon our own heads, for we should have no mercy shone us."
Colonel Isreal Angell
2nd Rhode Island Regiment
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The Continental Army
In the fall of 1777 the First and Second Rhode Island regiments of the Continental Army are ordered to march to Fort Mercer.
Although the Fort is designed to hold 2,000 Continentals the combined regiments consist of a little over 500 men. Colonel Christopher Greene in overall command is ordered to hold the fort at all cost.
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Jonas Cattell
Jonas Cattell was born in 1758, on a farm called Lavender Hills. The farm was located just outside Woodbury, New Jersey, in what is now Deptford. While growing up, Jonas loved the outdoors and exploring the woods and trails in the area. He was known as a fast runner and a knowledgeable tracker. He knew the area like the back of his hand. When the time came he did not hesitate.
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Read the Story of the Battle of Red Bank
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