A Violent Morning on Alloway Creek
In the early hours of March 21, 1778, a brutal surprise attack unfolded at the Hancock House in what is now Hancock’s Bridge, Salem County, New Jersey. The event—often called the Hancock’s Bridge Massacre—became one of the most shocking Revolutionary War incidents in South Jersey and helped fuel Patriot anger toward British forces in the region. (Wikipedia)
The Strategic Context: War Comes to Salem County
During the winter of 1777–1778, British forces occupied Philadelphia, the seat of the Continental Congress. From there, British commanders launched foraging expeditions into southern New Jersey to gather food and supplies for their army. Local Patriot militia in Salem and Cumberland counties attempted to block these incursions, especially along crossings of Alloway Creek, an important route into the agricultural interior. (Journal of the American Revolution)
Just days before the massacre, British troops under Lt. Col. Charles Mawhood clashed with New Jersey militia at the Battle of Quinton’s Bridge (March 18, 1778). After that engagement, Mawhood ordered a follow-up operation targeting militia positions nearby. (Wikipedia)
A Night March to Hancock’s Bridge
On the night of March 20, 1778, Mawhood sent Major John Graves Simcoe and roughly 300 soldiers of the Queen’s Rangers on a covert mission. Guided by local Loyalists, the troops traveled by boat down the Delaware River, landed near the mouth of Alloway Creek, and marched through marshland toward Hancock’s Bridge. (NJ.gov)
Their target was a group of Patriot militia stationed near the bridge and using the Hancock House, built in 1734, as lodging. The house belonged to Judge William Hancock, a prominent local figure who had allowed militia members to stay there while guarding the crossing. (NJ.gov)
The Attack
Around 5:00 a.m. on March 21, Simcoe’s troops surrounded the area and stormed the house. The militia inside were asleep and caught completely off guard. According to contemporary accounts, the British troops entered the building and killed the occupants with bayonets, reportedly without firing a shot. (NJ.gov)…