Battle of Paulus Hook

At four o'clock on the afternoon of August 8, 1779, Major Henry Lee, with four hundred infantry and a troop of dismounted dragoons started from New Bridge (now River Edge, New Jersey), on a march of fourteen miles through the woods to make an attack upon the fort at Paulus Hook. He detached patrols of horse to watch the communication with the North River and stationed parties of infantry at different roads leading to Paulus Hook. At Union Hill he filed into the woods where by the guide's timidity, or treachery, the march was prolonged to three hours before gaining the right road. The same night, Colonel Van Boskirk left Paulus Hook with a force of one hundred and thirty men to make a raid upon the English neighborhood. Fortunately the two parties did not meet.

Major Lee and his men reached Prior's Mill at 3 am, August 19, 1779; at 3:30 they reached the ditch at the intersection of Newark Avenue and Warren Street. The tide was rising but Lieutenant Rudolph found the canal fordable, and led by Lieutenants McCallister and Rudolph the troops pushed through and soon gained possession of the outer fort. Major Sutherland, who was in command of the fort, retired into a small redoubt with a few officers and forty Hessians. It was nearly daylight and Major Lee had no time to dislodge them. He had intended to burn the barracks, but on finding sick soldiers, women and children in them he refrained. He retreated, carrying with him one hundred and fifty-nine prisoners, officers and men he lost two men killed, and had, three men wounded.

Captain Forsyth was ordered to Prior's Mill to collect such men as were most fit for action and take a position on Bergen Heights to cover the retreat. This position was in the woods near Bergen and Sip avenues, said to be about the site now occupied by Dr. Hornblower's house, 631 Bergen Avenue. Dr. Hornblower's grandmother was then a little girl, Anna Merselis, and that morning in looking for a cow, she came upon Lee's soldiers, who deta...