You're listening to an Airwave Media Podcast. Hello and thank you for joining the American Revolution.

Today episode 127 the Forage War.

Last week we wrapped up the 10 crucial days

ending with the victory in Princeton,

which effectively allowed the Americans

to retake most of New Jersey.

General William Howe ordered General Cornwallis back to New York and pulled all British and

Heshin forces back to Brunswick and Amboy, two New Jersey towns just across the river from New York City.

Today we call these towns New Brunswick and Perth Am Boy, in case you want to look them up on a map.

New Jersey civilians who had taken General

Howe's oath of allegiance in order to protect themselves in their property

now found themselves branded traders by the Patriots who once again controlled almost the entire

state. Patriot militia in New Jersey came out from hiding and began attacking

British soldiers in what later became known as the Forage War.

Now that the British and Heshin forces were concentrated in large garrisons, the Americans

could not attack them directly without great risk.

However, armies had to send out supply trains, reconnaissance parties, and messengers.

They also had to send out foraging parties to find food and forage

for themselves and their horses. When they left the safety of their entrenched bases, the

militia had the chance to attack them.

Today we would call this a guerrilla war, a term that would not come into use for a few more decades.

Some at the time referred to this as the Petit Gerre, French for little war.

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