Diary: British/Hessian Troops Retreating North through Moorestown, June 1778
The below mentions "Moores Creek" on this leg of his campaign. We know from other Diaries and accounts more about when the Column stayed in Moorestown that will be covered elsewhere.
I kept the spelling and grammar as I found it. Good Luck! To see the snippet of Moorestown from earlier in the Diary, go here. To see the entire Diary, go here.
Excerpt:
“After the army left Philadelphia, with the retreat through the Jerseys, and up to the arrival on York Island.
At daybreak on the morning of June 17 the rest of the troops left Philadelphia, crossing the Delaware in two divisions at Upper Ferry and between the city and Kensington. As soon as it had assembled on the le t bank of the Delaware, the entire army set out toward Haddonfield, where the queue arrived during the night and encamped on the heights in two battle lines. The Hessian grenadier brigade and the Jager Corps under General Kospoth, 38 took position behind Cooper Creek to cover the rig flank of the army. The light infantry and the English grenadiers covered the rear. The jager pickets skirmished constantly with the enenn, only one jager was wounded.
The 18th The armv set out one hour before daylight. The jag formed the advanced guard, followed by the Hessian grenadiers, the provisions wagons containing supplies for the entire retreat, and then t armv. The light infantry, rangers, and provincials brought up e
As soon as dav broke the militia received us with sharp n e ne, g part of the light troops of Washington’s armv hung on our rear gua • The skirmishing continued without letup. Many men tell and Ik* ■* lives miserablv because of the intense heat, and due to the san } g m
FROM JANUARY 1778 UNTIL ARMY ARRIVED AT NEW YORK
ch we crossed through a pathless brushwood where no water was to be "“midday armv^ached the left bank of Moores Creek - The my had ruined the bridges across the creek, but they were soon re- red, whereupon the army crossed them and camped in a long quad- ale in an uninhabited area. .. , • « i
"he 19th The army marched off one hour before daylig t, as 1 day before, going by way of Fostertown.- Toward midday the army ived on the iff. t bank of Belly-Bridge Creek,*’ where the enemy had ■troved the bridges. There were still two beams left here, an< ? since i the advanced guard, I immediately tried to cross over with eighty ers to take post L the other side of the water by which the workmen the bridge were protected. I found a very suitable post on a hill, which >ccupied I then took thirty jagers with me to patrol the area aheaT hen I had ventured one hour further on, it seemed to me from my m p a, the terrain in the distance indicated I must no, be far from Eayres- n <1 where the army was headed according to my idea of the march.1 M back a jager wht/was to guide a lieutenant and thirty men to the ace I had left, and I continued on my march.”