10/15/2026
Today's Revolutionary Moment
In the early hours of October 15, 1778, British soldiers attacked 50 American soldiers sleeping on Ridgeway Farm in Little Egg Harbor. Only five were taken prisoner, the rest killed or wounded. The British retreated at the arrival of Gen. Casimir Pulaski and American reinforcements.
The dead and wounded soldiers were part of the Pulaski Legion, which had been sent to Little Egg Harbor following the Battle of Chestnut Neck earlier in the month. Chestnut Neck was a haven for American privateers who would bring captured British ships and goods for either resale or use by the Continental Army. In early October, the British were able to destroy much of the privateers' fortifications, supplies, and houses at Chestnut Neck.
Called either the Affair at Egg Harbor or the Pulaski Massacre, the incident is sometimes viewed as an American victory, as the Continentals drove off the British before more damage could be inflicted. A monument was erected at the site honoring the dead.
Local lore has it that those visiting the monument in the predawn hours of October 15 can hear the faint screams of the massacred soldiers.
www.revolutionarywarnewjersey.com
littleeggharborchamberofcommerce.com
allthingsliberty.com
revolutionarynj.org
"New Jersey in the American Revolution, 1763-1783, A Chronology" by Dennis P. Ryan
"On This Day in New Jersey History"
