Red Bank Battlefield - New Jersey

The attack on Fort Mercer at the Red Bank battlefield began on October 22, 1777. The Pennsylvania Militia had commandeered the James Whitall farmhouse on April 16,1777, and used the house as a hospital during and shortly after the attack. The battle was a key victory and morale builder however with the rumor of a second attack being immanent, they destroyed the fort and left the property on November 24, 1777.

When the Revolutionary War began, Congress ordered the construction of river defense systems. One of these systems were the creation of Cheveau-de-fries which are a series of underwater obstructions designed to stop enemy warships from traveling up the river. One of these defenses was built just off of Fort Mercer. These consisted of large boxes made of pine logs and lined with wood planks that were floated out into the river and filled with rocks to sink them. They had long, heavy poles with iron tips on them to impale ships as they moved up or down the rivers. These poles sat just below the water line, making them very difficult to spot and avoid. Some of the remnants of these fortifications can be found at the entrance to the battlefield.

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