The Life and Times of Gen. John Graves Simcoe

By D. B. Read

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• Language: English
• Publisher: DigiCat
• Release date: Aug 16, 2022
• ISBN: 8596547187288

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CHAPTER II.

Table of Contents

The Campaigns of 1777-1778.

Table of Contents

he headquarters of the British Army in October, 1777, was at Philadelphia. The Queen's Rangers were posted about four miles from Philadelphia, on the road leading to Frankfort, a village on Frankfort Creek, about five miles from headquarters. It was there Major Simcoe first met the Polish officer Pulaski, in command of the Continental troops in that district. The opposing troops did not, however, come to close quarters, though it was thought that an encounter might take place at or in the vicinity of Frankfort. On the 3rd of November, 1777, the very distressing news came from New York that General Burgoyne's army on their march from Ticonderoga (which they had reduced) had reached Saratoga, where, being surrounded by the American forces, he was compelled to surrender to the American generals, Gates and Arnold, and that his troops were made prisoners of war. Such news, at such a time, read in general orders to the Rangers on their parade, was very dispiriting indeed to the officers, and might have proved disastrous, were it not for the temper and spirit the men displayed on the distressing occasion. When Major Simcoe came to one of the articles of surrender proposed by the American generals, rejected by General Burgoyne's army in the following terms:—Sooner than this army will consent to ground their arms in their encampment they will rush on the enemy determined to take no quarter, the whole corps thrilled with animation and resentment against the enemy, and every soldier of the regiment burned to revenge the insult put upon him by the Revolutionists.

It was always the policy of Major Simcoe to conciliate the people of the country as much as was in his power. In a civil war, where the masses divide in their allegiance, it often becomes difficult to distinguish friend from foe. The nearest relatives and nearest neighbours are often in opposing camps. In the campaigning around Philadelphia, he found many of the people well disposed towards the British, and to continue their friendliness it was necessary that the Rangers should afford them protection. Protection means abstaining from plundering and marauding. Consequently we find Major Simcoe very early in the campaign warning his force against this evil. When a general order was given out, enforcing the regulation to which I have referred, Major Simcoe felt bound to declare that it is with the utmost satisfaction Major Simcoe believes there would have been no necessity for the general orders of this day had every corps of the army been as regular in respect to their abstaining from plunder and marauding as the Rangers. He trusts that so truly a military behaviour will be continued, and that the officer and soldier of the corps will consider it as honourable to him as the most distinguished bravery.

To illustrate the method adopted by Major Simcoe to prevent plundering, it may be noticed that on the march he never halted, if he could avoid it, but in a wood; sent a safeguard to every house; allowed no man to leave the ranks; and was careful to instil into the minds of the men the belief that while they protected the country the inhabitants would give every information of the enemy's movements and ambuscades. At the close of the campaign of 1777 an attempt was made at headquarters to have the military dress of the Queen's Rangers changed from green to red. This move was opposed by Major Simcoe, his opinion being that green with dark accoutrements is beyond comparison the best colour for light infantry uniforms.

In the campaign of 1778 the first we hear of Major Simcoe is that about the end of February he and the Rangers were employed in opposing the force of General Wayne, who had been detached from Washington's army to make a forage in the lower Jerseys in order to collect cattle for provisioning the troops. This expedition was not as successful as it might have been had the views which Major Simcoe entertained of the proper time and place for attack been followed. After crossing the Delaware an incident occurred reflecting honour equally upon the Queen's Rangers and on a Polish officer in the American service. As related by Major Simcoe the incident was this: At a certain point there was nothing opposed to the Rangers but some cavalry watching their motions, and as Major Simcoe advanced rapidly to gain an eminence in front, which he conceived to be a strong advantageous position, they fled into the wood, an officer excepted, who, reining back his horse, and fronting the Rangers as they advanced, slowly waved with his sword for his attendants to retire; the light infantry being within fifty yards of him, they called out to him, You are a brave fellow, but you must go away. But he not paying so much attention as he should, McGill, afterwards quarter-master, was directed to fire at him, on which he retired into the woods. A few straggling shots were fired in the front; the light infantry company was detached there, and, supported by the Highlanders, soon cleared the front; the battalion halted on the position it had gained, and at the entreaties of the sailors, a few cannon shot were fired at a party of the enemy who were near the bridge over Cooper's Creek, till perceiving they were busy in destroying it, they were no longer interrupted; the firing totally ceased, and the enemy retreated. The person whom McGill fired at proved to be Pulaski; his horse was wounded, and had not the Hussars been sent over the Delaware previous to the attack, he would have been taken or killed.

We are now in March, 1778, Simcoe, still Major, but the regiment was commanded by Colonel Mawhood. All the honour of the campaign must not, therefore, be given to Major Simcoe, for although he and his band had to perform much executive duty, the Colonel of the Regiment directed the movements on the field. This was especially the case in a successful expedition of the Queen's Rangers and other corps into the Jerseys in the latter part of March, 1778. This expedition was formed to forage for horses for the cavalry and staff, the army being very deficient in this branch of the service; the expedition was to be made on a strip of land on the Jersey side of the Delaware, between two creeks near Salem. The country between the two streams (the Salem Creek and Aloes or Alewas Creek) is a peninsula seven miles wide at the widest part and four miles wide at the narrowest part. Over the Aloes Creek there were three bridges: Hancock's, near the mouth; Quintin's, the next higher up, and Thompson's above that. The rebel militia was posted at Hancock's and Quintin's, the nearest bridges, which they had destroyed, and was in a favourable position and defended by breastworks. The object of the continentals was to prevent the expedition crossing the creek, and to cut them off if they should retreat.

Under the orders of Col. Mawhood, Major Simcoe silently placed a company of the Rangers under Captain Stephenson in possession of a public-house near Quintin's bridge, and stationed the men in an orchard in rear of the house, two companies of the Rangers being placed in ambuscade, behind some fences at the edge of the wood, near the public-house. The Colonel then gave orders for a detachment of the 17th Regiment, which was posted near the bridge, to call in their sentries and retreat up the road in full view of the enemy. This so completely deceived the rebel forces that they hastily re-laid the bridge across the stream, and crossing it marched up the road past the house in which the Rangers were concealed. Suddenly they discovered they had fallen into a trap, and made an effort to retreat and re-cross the creek. When passing the house the Rangers rushed out and drove them across the fields; Captain Saunders pursued them, and the Hussars were despatched in pursuit, and afterwards the battalion, Colonel Mawhood leading them. Major Simcoe now directed the 17th back to the house, with the Grenadiers, and the Highlanders of the Rangers, ready to force the bridge if ordered. The enemy for a moment quitted it, but Col. Mawhood thought it useless to pass it. Some of the division of rebels who passed the house were taken prisoners, but the greater part were drowned in the Aloes Creek. The officer at the head of the division, who was taken prisoner, proved to be a Frenchman. The victorious Rangers then returned to Salem.

The rebels still occupying posts at Quintin and Hancock's Bridge, Colonel Mawhood determined to attack them at the latter place. Near Hancock's Bridge, from all reports, they were assembled nearly four hundred strong. He entrusted the enterprise to Major Simcoe, and before the expedition set out went with him and a patrol to a point opposite to the place where the rebels were posted. Here the Major ascended a tree and made a rough sketch of the buildings, and by conversing with the guides he was able to improve it into a tolerable plan of the place, and formed his mode of attack accordingly. In this enterprise everything depended on secrecy and surprise. Major Simcoe foresaw the difficulties and dangers; these he kept to himself. The enemy were nearly double his numbers. By an order that had been issued for the destruction of the flat-boats he had made use of in making a landing on the creek, his retreat, if he should be obliged to make one, was cut off. Nothing daunted, however, he, with his brave soldiers, by dint of hard work, after a march of two miles through marshes, up to the knees in mud and water, their labours rendered the more fatiguing by their carrying wooden planks for the construction of bridges over the creeks and ditches, at length arrived at a point where they obtained the shelter of a wood, made the intended attack, captured the position of the enemy, and came off entirely victorious. The result of these well-planned and successful expeditions was that the foragers got all the cattle they wanted for the supply of the troops, and what proved very satisfactory to the people of the country whose cattle had been taken, when the object of the expedition had been accomplished, they were fully paid for the losses which the necessities of civil war had entailed upon them.

Colonel Mawhood after this affair, in public orders, returned his best thanks to Major Simcoe and his corps for their spirited and good conduct in the surprise of the rebel posts. The foraging expedition having ended, the troops returned to Philadelphia, after which nothing of importance transpired while Simcoe was major of the