Major John Andre, the unfortunate Adjuant-General of Sir Henry Clinton's army, facetiously wrote what he called the "Cow Chase" in 1780, the closing stanza of which reads as follows:

"And now I've closed my epic strain,
I tremble as I show it,
Lest this same warrio-drover, Wayne,
Should ever catch the poet. "

This bit of satire may have had some of its foundation of fact in the foraging expedition made by Wayne in Salem and Gloucester counties in February, 1778, as well as the affair at Bulls Ferry.

On February 16, 1778, Major General Nathaniel Greene wrote Washington that General Anthony Wayne had gone to Wilmington, Delaware, to cross over to New Jersey if the ice would permit; otherwise he would make a large circuit and come in by the way of Goshen. Wayne's orders were to drive all the live stock back from the New Jersey shore bordering on the Delaware and forward it to Valley Forge by the shortest and safest route. He was also ordered to destroy the hay to prevent its use by the enemy in Philadelphia. He landed in Salem county on the 19th of February and proceeded to Salem, where he arrived the same evening. Immediately after Wayne's arrival he dispatched a letter addressed to Brigadier-General Joseph Ellis of the local militia to collect the cattle and horses at Gloucester, Cooper's Ferry and Haddonfield and take them to a secure place, and at the same time have his militiamen refrain from insulting or abusing the owners. Wayne took it for granted that Col. Ellis was a Brigadier-General but he had declined that honor just a year before.

On February 21st Col. Ellis wrote to General Wayne from Haddonfield as follows:

"I am happy in just receiving your orders by express, which I shall be particularly careful in attending to. Such cattle, etc., as are fit for present use and the several horses for the immediate use of the cavalry in the neighborhood of Gloucester, Coopers Ferries and my present quarters shall be taken and driven to some secure place as soon as the small detachment under my command can possibly collect them.

"You may depend upon my being so attentive to the motions of the enemy that you shall receive the earliest intelligence of their route.

"I shall be as well careful to prevent any insult or abuse whatever being offered to the inhabitants through which the militia may pass, as executing any other orders that I may receive from you.

"I am, Dear Sir, Your Most Obt. Hum. Serv.

"Jos. Ellis."

On the morning of the 2Oth of February, Wayne sent out several detachments and, according to a letter he wrote to Washington from Haddonfield on the 25th, he had succeeded in collecting in Salem county about one hundred and fifty head of cattle, despite the fact that the inhabitants, who had an abundant supply, had secreted them in the swamps, which made them difficult to find. He probably spent two days foraging in Salem county , and, while there, heard the enemy was about to land a force at Burlington to intercept him. He, therefore, attempted to send the cattle from Salem county over to New Castle, Delaware, by means of Captain John Barry's boats, but the effort failed. Whether the failure was caused by the inadequacy of the boats, the ice in the river, or the presence of the enemy, is not known. In the early part of February Captain Barry with four of his row galleys that were saved after the fall of Fort Miffiin, went down the Delaware past the City of Philadelphia with about twenty five or thirty men and was of great assistance to General Wayne.

While Wayne was on his foraging expedition Barry captured the Kitty and the Mennaid, two vessels convoyed by the Alert with ten guns, but while sacking the two ships he was discovered by the British cruisers and was compelled to burn them and beach the Alert. It is probable that the supplies taken off the destroyed vessels were sent forward to Valley Forge at the same time as the cattle.

In a letter dated Salem, February 23rd General Wayne ordered Captain John Barry, also at Salem, later the first Commodore of the United States Navy, to go up the river with his row galleys and burn all of the hay between Salem and Billingsport in order that the enemy might be deprived of its benefits. Wayne wrote Barry that there was reputed to be nearly one hundred tons on the place of John Kelly at the mouth of
Raccoon Creek and also a considerable quantity up Mantua Creek.

On February 26, 1778, Captain Barry wrote to General Washington to the effect that he had destroyed about four hundred tons of forage before the enemy's boats had appeared and deprived him of the ability to proceed further. Barry promised to transmit the names of the persons whose hay he had destroyed together with the quantity belonging to each, as he had been ordered to do by General Wayne before he left Salem on the twenty-third of February.

Wayne probably marched up the Old King's Highway from Salem to Blessington, now Sharptown, and on by the Moravian Church on Oldman's Creek to Swedesboro. He ordered Captain John Barry , with his row galleys, to make a feint on the 24th at the mouth of Raccoon Creek which was done at 10 o'clock in the morning. This movement, as was hoped, attracted the attention of the enemy and, on the morning of the 25th, just after midnight, they sent down by Gloucester Point (on the Pennsylvania shore), twenty flat-bottomed boats, together with a number of other craft all filed with troops, under Lieut. Col. Abercrombie. While they were rowing down the river Wayne had horsemen scouting up and down the river front trying to locate their landing place, which proved to be Billingsport, early on the 25th, on which day Wayne was at Haddonfield, where he had joined forces with Cot. Ellis. The combined patriot forces amounted to about 550 men.

The route of Wayne from Swedesboro is supposed to have been by way of the King's Highway to the south end of Woodbury, passing through a farm, thence over to the Clements Bridge Road to Haddonfield. By means of this route the soldiers protecting the cattle escort could be kept between the cattle and the river which is not far distant from the King's Highway that ran from Woodbury to the Big Timber Bridge at Westville (Buck Tavern), and thence to Mt. Ephraim.

On February 25, the cattle from Salem county were at Mt. Holly, and Wayne wrote from Haddonfield to Washington that there were enough more between Cooper's and Dunk's ferries (Camden and Beverly) which he expected to drive in within four days to bring the total number of cattle up to 250 head and also 30 horses for Lee's Legion. The owners had received certificates signed by Col. Richard Butler, which were presumably redeemed by a Commissary officer and Quartermaster at Mt. Holly during the month of May following. On February 26th Wayne wrote Governor William Livingston from Mt. Holly that the enemy forces amounting to about 2,000 men had been split at Billingsport and that 1,500 of them had proceeded toward Salem and had encamped the night before within seven miles of that place (near Sharptown), and about 500 had gone up to Haddonfield, where they were joined at dawn of day on the 26th by about 1,300 more men, who had
crossed from Philadelphia to Cooper's Ferry at 2 o'clock in the morning with the expectation of capturing the forces under Wayne and Ellis.
            Revolutionary War
                                     Penns Neck New Jersey.
Information on the local war time events appear scant and/or fragmented and in some cases are clouded by local lure. However we will attempt to present that which we have been able to glean from the various pamphlets, publications and sources such as local historians and that which we find on the internet.

Before the Revolutionary War started the people of the Township and surrounding area did their part in preparing for and later working with those who were active in the movement for independence in the other parts of the thirteen colonies. On July 1, 1774 a meeting was advertised to be held on July 15th to consider measures to be taken in support of American Freedom. At this meeting a long list of resolutions were adopted similar to those of other counties and other colonies. A committee of correspondents was set up from this region. Thomas Carney, Sr., was appointed on the first committee of Patriots of Salem County. Later George Somerville, William Smith and Thomas Carney, Jr. were added to this committee.

(Note) Similar to the Boston Tea Party, 12/16/1773, the Greenwich Tea Party took place on December 22 1774 Greenwich has been granted the distinction of being one of the five tea-party towns in America, the others being Charleston, Annapolis, Princeton, and Boston. In 1908 this monument was erected in the old market place on Ye Greate Street to commemorate the burning of a cargo of British tea December 22, 1774.
The next step towards the independence of this country was the establishment of committees known as “Associators.” A list of the Associators in Upper Penns Neck was as follows: Thomas Carney, John Summerill, and George Somerville. John Helms Jr., Garret Vaneman, Andrew Helms, Thomas Carney Jr., Peter Boon, Casper Sack, John Kidd, William Strimple, John Bittel, William Bittel, William Dalbow and David Miley.
A company of Minute Men was formed and met at Pole Tavern.
Salem County established 3 companies of Minute Men and 1 regiment of Militia. They were equipped with some muskets etc. but were ordered by the Provincial Congress to make such supplies as they needed.
The location of Salem County was not exactly a crossroad on the war road map, however, its politics and resources did not go unnoticed. Shots were fired, lives were lost and property was destroyed. Both Naval and land encounters can be listed within the areas history. Probably the most notable was the naval battle off Helms Cove and the massacre at Hancock’s Bridge.
The battle at Helms Cove May 9th 1776 ensued as two British ships moved up the Delaware River to aid in the taking of Philadelphia. They were the HMS. Roebuck, commanded by Captain Andrew S. Hamond with a crew of 280 men, armed with 44 guns and HMS Liverpool commanded by Captain Henry Bellow with a crew of 200 men, armed with 28 guns. As the reached a point in the river off Helms Cove they were engaged by the forces of the Pennsylvania Navy. The Pennsylvania State Navy was formed on July 6, 1775 by the Pennsylvania Committee of Safety for the defense and safety of Philadelphia's waterborne approach - the Delaware. Thirteen row galley's were ordered built, each to be armed with a single large cannon in the bow. The armament ranged from 18-pounders up to 32-pounders.After a brief engagement, both enemy ships were forced to withdraw south past Newcastle, Delaware. And as I understand it the 28 gun Frigate USS Delaware was present.
HMS Roebuck at the Battle of Helms Cove
Note the Whale Boat Floatilla of the Pennsylvania Navy
It is reported that cannonading was heard on both the 8th and 9th and noted that a cannon ball struck and entered the Helms Tavern. This artifact was for many years in the possession of the property owners.
The winter of 1777 found General George Washington and his defeated and demoralized American Army encamped at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. The British occupied Philadelphia. Both armies were in desperate need of food and supplies. General Washington ordered General Anthony Wayne to forage for food, cattle and horses in South Jersey.
In February, 1778, Washington sent Wayne to New Jersey in search of food for the troops. He and his forces had minor skirmishes with the British, returning to camp in March — "I shall begin my march for Camp tomorrow morning. It was not in my power to move until I could procure shoes for the troops almost barefoot."

A month later, General Sir William Howe dispatched 1500 troops and loyalists under General Charles Mawhood to do the same. Mawhood’s foraging activities met with considerable resistance from the Salem County militia and local patriots. Repulsed at the Battle of  Quinton’s Bridge, a key transportation link to the fertile fields of Cumberland and Salem Counties, the British were eager for victory. They also wanted to punish the people of Salem County for their support of the Continental Army.

On March 29, 1778, Mawhood issued the following mandate to his British troops:
“ Go---spare no one---put all to death---give no quarters.” At approximately five O’clock in the morning of March 21, 1778, these orders were carried out.

With local Tories acting as guides, Major John Simcoe and a force of approximately 300 men attacked the Hancock House where they knew the local militia was stationed. Everyone inside was bayoneted; not a shot was fired. Among the ten who were killed, was Judge William Hancock. The British had expected to find a much larger, more heavily armed force. They had not expected to find Judge Hancock, who despite his strong American sympathies, was an official in the British colonial government. Proud of their “Victory,” but chagrined that they had not defeated the Americans, British troops left Salem County a week after the massacre.
ref.  Stewart
Stewart, Frank H., ed. Foraging For Valley Forge by General Anthony Wayne in Salem and Gloucester Counties, New Jersey, with Associated Happenings, and Foraging in Salem County for the British Army in Philadelphia by Colonel Mawhood and Major Simcoe, 1778. Woodbury, NJ: Gloucester County Historical Society, 1929.
THE SOUTH JERSEY CONNECTION TO VALLEY FORGE
by
Richard M. Burr
This talk is from an article written in 1929 by Frank H. Stewart, President of the Gloucester County Historical Society and was entitled "Foraging for Valley Forge by General Anthony Wayne in Salem and Gloucester Counties, N.J., with Associated Happenings".

Colonel Joseph Ellis, of Gloucester county, was appointed February 15,1777, Brigadier-General to take the place of Brigadier-General Philemon Dickinson, who had removed from the State. Colonel Ellis declined the honor and Colonel David Potter, of Cumberland county, also declined an appointment in place of Colonel Ellis, made by the Legislature six days later.

After the resignation of General Silas Newcomb, December 4, 1777, Colonel Ellis was selected by Governor Livingston to take command of Newcomb's Brigade and continued as the ranking military officer of the community until the end of the Revolution.

It is just to mention that many well-informed persons feel that the resignation of General Newcomb was caused by criticism that was entirely too harsh under the circumstances. He was short of field pieces and ammunition for his command which probably never exceeded five hundred men in service at anyone time. A considerable part of his brigade was detached to join the Grand Army under Washington preceding the Battle of Brandywine. Col. David Potter was later captured near Frankford and paroled. He returned to his home in Cumberland county where he remained until he was exchanged.

It must be borne in mind that the militia forces of New Jersey came and went in classes on their "tours of duty" under the state law and tried to maintain their home lives and vocations while serving from time to time as soldiers. General Washington on several different occasions paid high tribute to the Militia forces of New Jersey but continually decried the idea of short-time services of the Militia of the different states.
On January 15, 1778, Colonel Ellis, from his headquarters at Haddonfield, wrote General Washington at Valley Forge that he had about five hundred men in service, who were destitute of ammunition, but he had prevented marketing intercourse between the neighborhood and Philadelphia, Howe's Winter Headquarters. Col. Ellis also wrote that his lack of field pieces had prevented the capture of several of the vessels of the enemy and had caused the loss of the cannon on board the wrecks of the Delaware River navy and fleet, which had been burned by the patriots after the evacuation and destruction of Forts Miftlin and Mercer.

The State of New Jersey could not furnish ammunition and Washington lacked it just as he did shoes, clothing, blankets, medicine, food, forage and everything else of a material character that an army should have.

Southern New Jersey had a plentiful supply of forage and food, but it could not be taken to Valley Forge because of the scarcity of horses and wagons for the long haul necessary to avoid the enemy in Philadelphia, who controlled the Delaware and Schuykill rivers near Philadelphia, thus preventing transportation by water. The only way to obtain meat was to drive it to Valley Forge on the hoof. Cattle from the northward could not be obtained because of the weather conditions.
The affairs of America never looked more ominous than during the never-to-be-forgotten winter of 1777-8'. The terrible misfortunes and conditions, however, did not prevent the activities of such men as Anthony Wayne, Light Horse Harry Lee, Allen McLane, Pulaski and others, who kept the foragers of the enemy on the alert and, more or less, within the City of Philadelphia. Those who took supplies to Philadelphia from its outskirts were called "Market people" and, generally, made part of the trip by night.

During the Winter it was evident that the British were also getting short of hay, fodder, straw, cereals and fresh meats. Governor Livingston issued an order to that outstanding fighter of Old Gloucester county, Col. Joseph Ellis, to remove all of the live stock in the counties of Burlington, Gloucester and Salem to the interior to prevent it from falling into the hands of the enemy.

The army at Valley Forge being in dire distress, Washington sent the high-spirited Pennsylvanian, General Anthony Wayne, out on a foraging expedition, which, when finished, resulted in a complete circuit of Gen. William Howe's army in Philadelphia. Wayne with his detachment crossed the Delaware river twice, once below and once above the city of Philadelphia.
General Wayne fortunately received timely warning of the approach of the enemy from one of Col. Ellis' mounted sentinels, named Chew, on the river front, who made a thrilling ride to Haddonfield. Wayne ordered one of his drummers to beat a tattoo and hastily decamped from Haddonfield and happily escaped the army that arrived in the town on the heels of his fleeing troops, who had been quartered in the homes of the inhabitants and in the Friends' Meeting House. This was early in the morning of February 26th, while it was yet dark.

Pulaski was at Trenton with about eighteen of his horsemen. The rest of his troop was divided and doing duty at great distances by orders of Washington. An express rider notified him of the events at Haddonfield. On the 28th of February he was at Burlington with fifty light horsemen he had hastily collected in the country. At this time a thaw had broken up the ice on the river. Col. Ellis with 250 of his militia, his
entire force, was at Evesham Meeting House at the junction of the Egg Harbor
and Mount Holly roads. The main body of the army of the enemy was at Haddonfield, but small detachments were out foraging between Cooper and Big Timber Creeks.

Wayne made a return forced march from Mount Holly to strike the enemy, and at 9 o'clock at night he arrived at the home of Capt. Joseph Matlack, about four miles southeast of Haddonfield, where he was joined by General Pulaski with his fifty light horsemen. An hour later Pulaski attempted to surprise the outpost of the enemy at a mill a half mile out of Haddonfield Colonel Sterling, the English Commander, however,
was not surprised, but was greatly deceived as to the number of Wayne's troops and, believing them to be superior in number to his own, left Haddonfield in three columns and precipitately retreated at 11 o'clock at night to Cooper's Ferry, where he arrived before daybreak, leaving behind the wagons, horses, and most of the cattle he had taken from the Gloucester county inhabitants, who later claimed their property.

Wayne's troops were greatly fatigued, but late the next morning, March 1st, he, with General Pulaski, ~ the enemy and found them in full force at the ferry unable to cross on account of a high wind but well protected by their ships. In the middle of the afternoon the wind died down and they transported thirty-six head of cattle they had saved.
General Pulaski, fretting over the embarkment of the enemy, was anxious to change them, and General Wayne ordered Captain Doyle up with his company of fifty men, who were three miles in advance of the rest of the detachment, which was ordered to follow as quickly as possible. At this instant Wayne was informed of a fresh body of troops from Philadelphia, who were marching up Cooper's Creek. He ordered Col. Ellis
with his militia on that route to advance and engage them. Col. Sterling brought up his full force and Wayne fell back slowly until Col. Butler's detachment could join him, but he did not arrive until dark, too late to join in the skirmish. The Hessian Grenadiers had meanwhile attempted to go across Cooper's Creek bridge, but were defeated by Col. Ellis with about one hundred of his militiamen. Franklin Davenport of Woodbury
commanded a field piece in this engagement, which was a general one on the part of the field pieces and muskets of the enemy troops and the cannon of their ships.
The enemy left for Philadelphia before 9 o'clock at night. Pulaski acted with his usual bravery and had his own and four other horses of his troop wounded. According to one of General Wayne's letters to Washington, Abercrombie, who commanded the enemy detachment that went to Salem, took fright because of exaggerated reports that Wayne was returning from Mt. Holly and that the militia were collecting in large numbers. He hastily left Salem in his boats without the cattle he had collected and arrived in Philadelphia on March 1st.
Colonel Sterling and Major Simcoe followed late at night from Cooper's Ferries, but it is probable that the entire force from Haddonfield was not landed at Philadelphia until after midnight.

It is apparent that the first foraging expedition of the British to Salem and Gloucester counties did not result in the collection of very much food supplies of the capture of the adroit Wayne, who, in the "Cow Chase", written by Major Andre, was nicknamed the "warrio-drover".

On March 4th General Wayne wrote General Washington from Haddonfield that he would begin his march for Valley Forge the next day and that he had been delayed in order to obtain shoes for his troops, who were almost barefoot. By this time it is possible that the herd of cattle for the relief of Valley Forge had arrived at that place. Whether they were sent across the river at Burlington or Trenton, or elsewhere, has not
been determined. In General Wayne's letter of February 25th he wrote, "I shall push the cattle from Trent Town." Wayne himself was in Bordentown as late as March 14th
During the Revolution, when our troops were starving at Valley Forge, General Washington sent out troops to gather cattle for our soldiers to eat. One group was sent to Salem County and a great cattle drive was conducted up the old "King's" Highway, which ran from Salem to Burlington. From Woodbury, it followed Old Broadway through the Westville Oaks area and then wandered over to the stream which feeds into this park. From here, it went along the high bank above our pond and then meandered over to Willow Run and up Broadway, past our Boro Hall, and then veered over towards "Timber Park", before crossing Big Timber Creek and continuing on towards the present bowling alley. Along this dirt road came hundreds of cattle and soldiers, including General "Mad" Anthony Wayne, and Captain John Barry. Because of the foraging activities, our soldiers were able to survive the harsh winter at Valley Forge in 1778. This same road was used a year earlier, when a young man named Jonas Cat tell ran from Haddonfield to National Park to warn our troops that the British and Hessians were coming. Because of his efforts, the Battle of Fort Mercer was won by our troops
The countless heated encounters between Tories and Patriots of the area are only over shadowed by the recorded battles and skirmishes that took place within our local boundaries. Such as the burning of the Summerill home near Game Creek by a marauding party from the British fleet that was lying in the Delaware river opposite Helms Cove. And the battle near Lambson’s Tavern, Lower Penns Neck (Pennsville) at Long Lane, (now Chestnut Lane) where Captain Andrew Sinnickson led the militia that routed  British foragers.

Land and Naval Battle list:

Upper Penns Neck, March 6, 1776
Lower Penns Neck, May 6,8,9,1776, March 12, 17, 20,1778
Salem, February 26,1778, March 17, 1778
Elsinboro, March 24,1778
Hancock”s Bridge, March 21, 1778
Quinton’s Bridge, March 18, 1778
Alloway’s Bridge, March 17, 1778, Alloway, March 21, 1778
Oldmans Creek, .June 12, 1778
Swedesboro, March 22, 27, 1778, April 4, 1778
Rutgers Historical New Jersey Maps
General Anthony Wayne