Fort Mifflin on the Delaware
Digital Photos by S. Fox, Chadds Ford, PA, November 17, 2001
Kodak DX3500
The Defense of the Fort
The siege of the fort lasted until November 15th when 375 Continental soldiers crossed by boat to Fort Mercer on the New Jersey side of the Delaware. A few men stayed behind to set fire to what was left of Fort Mifflin.
You can see the Delaware River just over the wall and New Jersey in the distance. The stone work on the wall is representative of the fort's construction under Captain John Montrésor of the Royal Engineers. The brick was used to heighten the wall during the reconstruction of the fort begun in 1778. The earthwork embankments and casements inside the wall were added.
The battle with the British war ships continued from Fort Mercer. Cannon fire from the fort and on land sunk the British man of war, Augusta and the Merlin. According to reports, the explosion that sunk the Augusta was felt in Philadelphia and heard as far away as Reading.
© Unica Online
| 
