1748 - Whitall House - National Park, NJ - Dated Buildings and Cornerstones on Waymarking.com

Red Bank was the 400 acre estate of James and Ann Whitall. Built in 1748, the Whitall grounds were seized by the Patriots to built a fort ont he strategic bluffs here on the Delaware River. The house and grounds sat directly across the Delaware River from Fort Mifflin. The American's hoped that a fort on both river banks would be able to stop a naval attack. The fort built here was called Fort Mercer.

By the Fall of 1777, the British had taken Philadelphia, and Washington knew that hindering supplies to the British could be stopped by successful maritime defenses.

In October 1777, an advancing force of 1,200 Hessians, led by Count Carl Emil Kurt von Donop, planned an attack on Fort Mercer to open the waterways for British ships to Philadelphia. Colonel Christopher Greene at Fort Mercer, being forewarned of the impending attack, prepared his 400 men Rhode Island regiment for battle.

The attack began late in the day on October 22, 1777 and lasted less than one hour. Although outnumbered 3 to 1, the American forces successfully defeated the Hessian army. The Hessians suffered 200 fatalities, including Count von Donop, while the Americans' count was 37. This was a decisive victory for the American Army.

Ann Whitall remained at her spinning wheel in the Whitall House all throughout the battle. History reads that a cannonball ripped through the house, and Mrs. Whitall simply moved to the cellar to continue her work. After the battle, wounded soldiers from both sides were taken to the house, which was used as a field hospital for weeks after the battle. After the battle, the Whitalls continued to occupy the house for generations.

Today, a museum of the history of the battle and of 18th century life is displayed in the home.

Year of construction: 1748 Cross-listed waymark: [Web Link] Full inscription: IWA 1748

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