By Sarah Fertsch
Staff Writer
When you’re relaxing by the beach or boating along the Cape May coastline, you are standing on a battleground.
The Jersey Shore played a pivotal role in the Revolutionary War fight for independence from Britain, including an important naval battle that took place off of Wildwood Crest. The Battle of Turtle Gut Inlet occurred on June 29, 1776, 246 years ago. It was a crucial early naval victory for the Colonies.
Philadelphia served as the capital of the United States at the time, and an important seaport for keeping the Colonies supplied. The Brits were desperate to take control of the city, as it could potentially bring them victory in the war against the Colonies.
The British Navy established a blockade of the Jersey Shore and the Delaware Bay to prevent the patriots from receiving war supplies by sea. To transport arms without alerting the Brits, the Pennsylvania Committee of Safety chartered the newly built, privately owned brig Nancy to run munitions and supplies from the Caribbean to Philadelphia.
The Nancy spotted was off the Cape May coast on the evening Friday June 28, 1776, headed for Philadelphia with munitions and supplies for the Continental Army. As Nancy came closer, a message was sent to John Barry of the Continental frigate Lexington, anchored in the Delaware Bay, that two British frigates were observed in close pursuit of the Nancy.
British ships Kingfisher and Orpheus had spotted Nancy. Barry received an alert that Nancy was in trouble and headed toward the tension. Nancy sailed west toward the shore, and because of a heavy fog, it was difficult to notice the tens of British ships in deeper waters preparing for battle.
The British began shooting at Nancy even though they were out of range. Nancy was sailing into Turtle Gut Inlet. As the British inched closer, Nancy took a lot of damage. Barry organized the crew into two operations: one transported cargo into long boats and rowed to shore, where Wildwood residents would help them transfer the cargo to safer areas. The other operation returned fire on the British ships to protect Nancy and the troops. At this point, Nancy was heavily damaged.
Between 265 and 286 kegs of gunpowder had been safely removed, so Barry ordered that the sail be wrapped around 50 pounds of gunpowder and a fuse was lit. The crew abandoned the ship while the last sailor climbed to retrieve the American flag.
The enemy assumed that the lowered flag was a sign of surrender, so they quickly boarded Nancy to claim their prize. The gunpowder exploded in a huge blast, killing dozens of British sailors. The blast was felt for miles, rocking the confidence of British ships in deeper waters, causing the British to retreat farther away from New Jersey beaches.
Captain Barry’s resourcefulness has been honored by veterans and common folks alike throughout history. The Wildwood Crest Seal and the Seal of the Wildwood Crest Historical Society both feature images of Nancy. John Barry is now known as the “Father of the American Navy.”
Today you’ll find a battle memorial in Wildwood Crest known as Sunset Lake and Turtle Gut Park. There’s an American Flag and a plaque dedicated to John Barry and Brigantine Nancy. This was the only battle to ever take place in Cape May County.
For more information on the Battle of Turtle Gut Inlet, check out the Wildwood Crest Historical Society website at cresthistory.org.
