One of the lesser known but important battles of the American Revolution. Fort Mercer at Red Bank helped protect the sunken obstructions across the Delaware River and helped support Besieged Fort Mifflin across the river.
The American defenders made up largely of black and white troops from Rhode Island were hopelessly outnumbered by a professional and disciplined Hessian Force. Before the battle began the Hessian Commander sent word to the Americans that if they did not surrender immediately, no quarter would be given to them in the ensuing fight. American Colonel Christopher Greene responded by sending back the message “We ask no quarters, nor will we give any”.
A few hours later after desperate fighting and assaults by the Hessians, they withdrew defeated with significant dead and wounded including their commander who was killed in one of the assaults and was buried by the Americans just outside the fort.
During my daughter’s research into her family tree she discovered that, to our surprise, her earliest paternal American ancestor was a Hessian who had deserted. It was quite interesting because the primary record of his military involvement was preserved by the Hessians. We know when he enlisted, when promoted to the grenadiers, when he arrived in New York, when deployed to Howe’s Philadelphia campaign, who his battalion commander was, and where some of his battalion’s battlefield stations were.
What made it extra personal was I was born, grew up, got married and raised my family in the middle of the path of Howe’s march from the head of the Chesapeake to Philadelphia. My childhood home was within one hundred yards of his battalion’s encampment immediately following the battle of Cooche’s Bridge. I got to visit each of the battlefields where he was involved. It was shortly after the battle of Red Bank that he deserted. I can only wonder if he finally succumbed to the Colonial enticements after the Hessians took it on the chin there. What we don’t know is what became of him between his desertion and his marriage recorded to a girl in Lancaster, PA. After his marriage they became part of the very first pioneers to settle Butler county PA raising a slew of kids that generated a slew of descendants. We understand that to this day the families in Butler county have great family reunions.