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Mifflin, Fort

The firing of the first gun upon Fort Mercer (q. v.) was the signal for British vessels to approach and attack Fort Mifflin, opposite. They had made their way through the obstructions near Billingsport. the Augusta, ship-ofwar, and other armed vessels, came up the river, but were kept at bay by American galleys and floating batteries. The attack was deferred until the morning after (Oct. 23, 1777) the assault on Fort Mercer. A heavy cannonade was brought to bear on

Fort Mifflin—destruction of the Augusta.

[181] the British fleet by the American flotilla, and at the same time an equally heavy fire was kept up by the royal vessels on Fort Mifflin, the little garrison of which was commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Smith, of Maryland. Smith made a gallant defence. A hot shot from the fort set fire to the Augusta, and she blew up. After an engagement of several hours, the British fleet retired, and the Americans remained masters of the Delaware a short time longer. Finally the British erected batteries on Province Island, that commanded Fort Mifflin, and brought up a large floating battery, and four 64-gun ships and two 40-gun ships to attack the fort. On Nov. 10 the British opened their batteries on land and water. Lieutenant-Colonel Smith, with his garrison of 300 men, sustained the siege six consecutive days. When every gun was dismounted, and the fort was almost a ruin, the garrison left in the night (Nov. 16), after firing the remains of the barracks, and escaped to Fort Mercer, which Colonel Greene, despairing of relief, evacuated Nov. 20. During the siege of Fort Mifflin, about 250 men of the garrison were killed and wounded. The British loss is not known.

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