Old road running through Mordecai Swamp

manumuskin

manumuskin

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bobpbx said:
Al, there is a wealth of information in "Smugglers Woods" *(Arthur Pierce). The rebels did erect some defense at Chestnut Neck (pg 48):

"they ranged themselves in a breastwork erected on an eminence and showed themselves in a battery (which we afterwards found had no guns)."

The British had to land upstream from Chestnut Neck, and when they came close to the Rebel defense (who were firing on the British) "the Guns of the Galleys were remarkably well pointed, the Fire from the Rebels was effectually stifled, and the Detachment, landing with Ease, soon drove into the woods the Skulking Banditti that endeavored to oppose it".

Further, according to Captain Patrick ("Scotch") Ferguson (British), "had we arrived by surprise, we meant to have pushed foward with Celerity to the Forks, within 35 miles of Philadelphia. But as the alarm had been spread throughout the country, and the Militia there had been reinforced from Philadelphia by a detachment of foot, five field pieces and a body of light horse, our small detachment could not pretend to enter twenty miles further into the Country to reach the stores and small craft there; and the shallowness of the navigation rendered it impracticle for the Galleys to cooperate with us, it was therefore determined to return without loss of time and employ our force with effect elsewhere..."

They did later cross to the north side and create some havoc there, but they never even went upstream further than the area of Chestnut Neck. And it's a good thing they didn't due to the deployment of those field artillary from Philadelphia.

I want to add that this post does not prove the patriots did not create entrenchments upstream. In fact, they did have to place those 5 guns somewhere, but maybe they didn't have time and the Brits skedaddled anyway.
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No Bob somehow I had missed this post. Yes they had to put the artillery some where and the troops no doubt had selected positions but where? They may not have realized the British had no intention of proceeding further after Chestnuy neck and may have been ready for them.I forget where I read that Batsto though they would try to flank them through Mordecai Swamp.They could have went up Mullicas south bank bank which is high ground but I"m sure they would have been discovered there since there were people no doubt living there and no doubt a road as well.I would have attacked through the swamp but then again I"m more of a Francis Marion then a British general.
Would you be interested in making a trip out there with Gabe and I? I don't care if I"m proven wrong I just want to get to the bottom of this even if I have to eat forum crow.
 
manumuskin

manumuskin

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pinelandpaddler said:
Al, Checkout this map used by the British in planning the attack on Chestnut Neck, the Forks and Batsto. Present day 542 in the vicinity of Batsto is about where the road depicted on this map was, a good distance from the dunes. There would be no reason to construct a defense so far from the road.


View attachment 16671
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That would be so but perhaps their lines did extend across ancient 542 and into the swamp to the future 1808 road but they dug no trenches in the swamp for obvious reasons.The British may have used the road but aS they approached batsto they would not have been in column they would have fanned out into ranks and thats when any artillery or musketry on their right flank could have chewed them new arses. By the way do you have any idea what this map did to my head for five seconds till I realized that north wasn't up?
 
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pinelandpaddler

pinelandpaddler

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Al, check out this map. It depicts a road from Mordecai Landing that goes north through the swamp. Problem is, I don't see diddly squat on lidar that suggests this road was ever there. If it was there at one point, it looks like it would have been quite close the the ditch here: https://boydsmaps.com/#17.00/39.636012/-74.629867/lidar2022hd/0.00/0.00 In that case, the ditch would have likely been a borrow pit for that road, and not the 1808 road.

Hmmmmm...
 

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pinelandpaddler

pinelandpaddler

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pinelandpaddler said:
Al, check out this map. It depicts a road from Mordecai Landing that goes north through the swamp. Problem is, I don't see diddly squat on lidar that suggests this road was ever there. If it was there at one point, it looks like it would have been quite close the the ditch here: https://boydsmaps.com/#17.00/39.636012/-74.629867/lidar2022hd/0.00/0.00 In that case, the ditch would have lightly been a borrow pit for that road, and not the 1808 road.

Hmmmmm...
Click to expand...
There does appear to be faint, straight line through the swamp here. Possibly, just possibly the old road from/to the landing.
 
manumuskin

manumuskin

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pinelandpaddler said:
There does appear to be faint, straight line through the swamp here. Possibly, just possibly the old road from/to the landing.
Click to expand...
I"ve never seen that map.We can look for evidence of that road when there.You'd think there would be a causeway for that road as well.I was all over that swamp when I was exploring it for several months every weekend.I don';t remember a north south road and I"m usually good at picking old roads out. We can definitely keep an eye out for it.I wonder where the north end of that road is? Lower Forge? A left turn would have taken one to Quaker Bridge.
 
manumuskin

manumuskin

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bobpbx

bobpbx

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manumuskin said:
No Bob somehow I had missed this post. Yes they had to put the artillery some where and the troops no doubt had selected positions but where? They may not have realized the British had no intention of proceeding further after Chestnuy neck and may have been ready for them.I forget where I read that Batsto though they would try to flank them through Mordecai Swamp.They could have went up Mullicas south bank bank which is high ground but I"m sure they would have been discovered there since there were people no doubt living there and no doubt a road as well.I would have attacked through the swamp but then again I"m more of a Francis Marion then a British general.
Would you be interested in making a trip out there with Gabe and I? I don't care if I"m proven wrong I just want to get to the bottom of this even if I have to eat forum crow.
Click to expand...
I think the British stupidly wore bright red coats with white trim. Stuck out like sore thumbs, probably day and night! However, they did have tory dogs with them.

You should schedule with Gabe and go Al. I have a couple medical procedures this month, one is a surgery. Let me know when you do go just in case I"m inbetween the procedures.
 
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pinelandpaddler

pinelandpaddler

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manumuskin said:
https://boydsmaps.com/#17.00/39.631269/-74.625574/lidar2022hd/0.00/0.00 perhps a faint road on crosshairs? Slightly east of road on map but heads north from river

further north https://boydsmaps.com/#18.00/39.641225/-74.622216/lidar2022hd/0.00/0.00
even further https://boydsmaps.com/#17.00/39.646075/-74.619062/lidar2022hd/0.00/0.00I remember there was signs of a small settlement here so maybe road left from here https://boydsmaps.com/#17.00/39.627223/-74.626312/lidar2022hd/0.00/0.00
Click to expand...
Not the same road as the one depicted on that map.
 
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