1775
The “Stamford Gunpowder Affair” also occurred in Connecticut, where Liberty Lads successfully seized gunpowder from a local collector to keep it out of British hands.
1777
Near Piscataway and Quibbletown, a significant partisan engagement occurred. Brigadier General Adam Stephen led a strike force of 800 Americans against a British force. The British, alerted to the approach, reinforced their position with 300 additional men. The ensuing fight lasted roughly 90 minutes; although Stephen eventually withdrew, he claimed his forces killed or wounded nearly 200 British soldiers, though actual numbers were likely lower.
1779
General William Moultrie led a successful Patriot defense of Port Royal Island in South Carolina. Despite being outnumbered by British regulars, Moultrie’s militia forced a British retreat, securing a morale-boosting victory for the Southern Department.
1781
Recognizing the weakness of the Continental Congress, John Witherspoon of New Jersey moved for an amendment to the Articles of Confederation to grant Congress the authority to regulate trade and lay duties on imports. The motion failed, illustrating the ongoing struggle to centralize American government power during the war.
In the Caribbean, British Admiral George Rodney captured the Dutch-owned island of Sint Eustatius. The island had been a critical hub for smuggling supplies and gunpowder to the American rebels, and its capture was a significant blow to the Patriot supply chain.
While the main armies were elsewhere, local conflicts between Whigs and Tories continued to simmer in the New Jersey interior. Many loyalists who had fled to British-held New York used this time to launch small-scale raids back into their home counties (like Monmouth) to seize supplies or capture former neighbors.
1783
Following the preliminary peace articles signed in late 1782, Spain officially recognized the independence of the United States on this day, further isolating Great Britain diplomatically as the war drew to a formal close.