Essential Facts
- Also Known As: Battle of Iron Hill.
- Date: September 3, 1777.
- Location: Near present-day Newark, Delaware.
- Participants: United States of America and Great Britain.
- Key American Leaders: William Maxwell, George Washington.
- Key British Leaders: Ludwig von Wurmb, William Howe, Charles Cornwallis.
- Who Won: Britain won the Battle of Cooch’s Bridge.
- Part of: Philadelphia Campaign, American Revolutionary War.
- Significance: The Battle of Cooch’s Bridge is important to American History because it was a key part of the Philadelphia Campaign and the only land battle that took place in Delaware. Various accounts indicate this was the first battle in which American forces carried the Stars and Stripes Flag.
History
Following the American victories at Trenton (December 25, 1776) and Princeton (January 3, 1777), the American and British armies settled into their winter quarters. The Americans were located in and around Morristown, New Jersey, while the British continued to occupy New York City and a handful of outposts in New Jersey, including Brunswick and Perth Amboy.
Between January and March 1777, both armies sent out numerous foraging and scouting parties into New Jersey and New York. The region became a no-man’s-land as they ambushed and engaged each other, battling for control of precious supplies, provisions, and military stores in what is called the New Jersey Provision War.
Meanwhile, the American victories inspired men to support the Patriot Cause and join General George Washington’s Continental Army. They started arriving in the camps around Morristown, but many of them were rough, untrained, and inexperienced…