Fort Mifflin
In
1771, a British captain of the Royal Engineers named John
Montresor was selected by Pennsylvania Governor John Penn
to prepare plans for fortifying the waterborne approaches
to Philadelphia. Montresor chose Mud Island because it
offered protection to both the Schuylkill and Delaware
Rivers.
Work
began on the fort in 1772, but proceeded slowly until the
outbreak of hostilities between England and the Colonies.
By 1775 war seemed imminent. Attention was once again
turned to the defenses along the Delaware River, and
General Thomas Mifflin was charged with completing the
work of "Fort Island" (as it was called at the
time.)
Work
on the fortification continued through 1777. Artillery
batteries were setup to defend the main channel of the
Delaware River, and a dockyard was built to help maintain
the small flotilla of gunboats from the Pennsylvania
Navy. The chevaux-de-frise was constructed at several
locations along the Delaware River's main channel, and
only those river pilots with the secret knowledge of
these submerged obstacles could take a ship safely to or
from Philadelphia.
In
September of 1777 the British made their first move to
breech the American river defenses. The American
fortification at Billingsport, only three miles
down-river from Fort Island, fell to British land forces
with little resistance. The only thing that now stood
between the massing British fleet and Fort Island was the
Pennsylvania Navy and the chevaux-de-frise.
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From
September to November the British Navy worked at moving
and careening the chevaux-de-frise, and despite attacks
from the American gunboats, the British managed to clear
a channel through which their heavier warships could
pass. At the same time, British artillery from
Philadelphia moved south across Webb's Ferry and mounted
batteries on Province and Carpenter's Islands. From there
they were able to lay their guns on the less protected
west side of Fort Island.
By
November 10th the British were in a position to launch a
full scale attack on Fort Island, and on November 15th a
coordinated effort of both British land and naval
batteries reduced the fort to ruins. What remained of the
fort's garrison escaped by boat across to Fort Mercer
under the cover of darkness, leaving a handful of men at
the fort's few remaining guns to create a covering
diversion.
On
November 20th, the outnumbered American garrison at Fort
Mercer withdrew ahead of the advancing British forces.
The loss of Fort Island and the surrender of Fort Mercerd the Delaware River to the British and allowed
General Howe's army in Philadelphia to receive the
supplies it desperately needed. However, the supplies
came too late for the campaign of 1777 to continue.
Winter was rapidly approaching, and a new campaign would
have to wait until spring of 1778.
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