Page "belles_lettres" Paragraph 1169

On the morning of November 17th, Cornwallis and 2,000 men had left Philadelphia with the object of capturing Fort Mercer at Red Bank, New Jersey.

In order to prevent this, Washington hastened to dispatch several units to reinforce the fort, including a force under the Marquis De Lafayette containing some 160 of Morgan's riflemen, all who were fit for duty at this time, the rest having no shoes.

Although the fort was evacuated in the face of the force of Cornwallis, Morgan and his men did have a chance to take another swing at the redcoats.

A picket guard of about 350, mostly Hessians, were attacked by the Americans under Lafayette, and driven back to their camp, some twenty to thirty of them falling before the riflemen's fire.