Sergeant Jeremiah Greenman
Born: Newport, Rhode Island, May 7, 1758
Died: Washington County, Ohio, November 15, 1828
Died: Washington County, Ohio, November 15, 1828
Jeremiah Greenman joined the army at 17. After a season as a private on Benedict Arnold's expedition to Quebec, followed by a term as a prisoner of war, Greenman reenlisted in the Rhode Island Continentals as a sergeant for the campaign of 1777, and by its end he was first sergeant of his regiment. In 1779 came promotion to ensign; in 1781, first lieutenant; and in 1782 he assumed the duties of regimental adjutant for the Rhode Island troops, remaining on active service until after the definitive treaty of peace was signed and most of his fellow soldiers and officers had already been mustered out.
Excerpt from Jeremiah Greenman's Diary
Jeremiah Greenman At the Battle of Forts Mifflin and Mercer
S[aturday] 18 [October, 1777]. this day pushed on to Hattonfield where we halted and drew sum Provision / then pushed on to Read Bank at Fort Mercy / we lodged on our tents, & very cold-
S[unday] 19 [October, 1777]. we are informed on our arrival hear that two Bomb batterys which the Enemy had erected on fort Mifflin, which they left unsupported gave an oppertunity to Colo. Smith to order a sally above & below, & the two partys supported by the gallies under Commodore Hazlewood they landed on the Beach of Province Island & stormed the Batterys, which was defended by two officers & 60 Brittish, who surrendered themselves and where carried into the Fort before the Enemy's Guards could attack the party but not before the Guns where spiked up / this small check caused the Enemy to be more cautous, & the guard of their Trenchment was afterwards so strong that it became imposable to make any other attempt. we keep very Constant Fire one [on] batterys which the Enemy was erecting to reduce for[t] Mifflin, and indeed it was very weak[,] Nothing more than a wooden fort especilly on the Side which we wanted for Defense, on the Side of New Jersey very dangerous for the Splinters-& quite unfit to support a Sige / the enclosure was of Pallsades, on the Side of Province Island; and in front opposite to Hog Island a Water Battery [of] 10-or a dozen guns, 18 pounders / The Enemy where not unaquainted with the Miserable Situation of the Fort and their Chife Enginear Montresor, who had been imploy'd in its Constructions, knew its weakness, & the most proper means to reduce it. Accordingly the Enemy employed a Great Number of men on Povince Island to raise more Batterys againts the fort, and covering works on the Hights in their Rear, for their Protection againts the attack that might possibly happen from Genl. Washington by the Side of Derby. / the Garrison of the Fort was quite inadequate to its extensiveness & the heavy duty, which required 1500 men in stead of the 500 which had been left for the Defense of the place & two thirds of these whare Jersey Militia / in the mean time the Enemys Batterys had got ready to play very smartly on the Fort, two bomb Battrys three 3 Gun Batteries, one of Six Guns 24 pounder between the two lower block houses, the other at the Hospital Warf of 5-24 pounders & one intermediary upon the Little Warf of Communication between Province Island and Mud Island, a Bridge of Boats was built at the lower ferry, for the Communication between the division at the Trenches & the Main camp Philadelphia / two other Batterys were likewise raised on the point of land, at the Mouth of the Schuylkill, to cut off the upper Navigation of the River, we all this time ware not inactive for we raised two 18 pounder batterys againts the Enemys Main Battery a nother of two 9 pounders to annoy the Batterys on the warf, we [had] our Magazine secured againts Shells, we endeavoured to cover ourselves againts the Shots of Province Island and diged in the inside of the Fort a Square Intrenchmt, but could not find any Means to secure againts the bombs & Carecases, except under the wall which faced the Jersey Shore, & that lay all open to the Shipping and it was very much to be feared that a Storm would be attempted, we surrounded the fort with wolf holes and Vertical Pickets to render the approach more difficult and wake up the Defenders / a sevear fire was keep by the Enemy on us, the two west block housan were ruined & the north one blew up by the fall of several Shells by which two or three men was killed & two or three more wounded, the enemy seeing this hoped to soon be in possession of the Fort & as it was very important, for their remaining in Philadelphia to have the Communication open to their Shipping.
M[onday] 20. this day we hear that Burgines Army is all captured at which this fort and fort Mercy fired 13 Cannon & all the Shipping, the Gallies went down to the Chevaux Defrizes & drove one or two Ship that was trying to get up to have fore play on the Fort / we took 6 men & a Serjt. that was in a boat going to Province Island from the Shipping.
T[uesday] 21. Continuing at fort Mifflin / the duty very hard indeed
/ keep a continual fire on the Enemy & they on us with hot Shot & Shells, & building a Nother Battery to open on the fort.
W[ednesday] 22. this morning are informed that a party of the Enemy crossed Cooper fery last Evening and was on their way thro Haddonfield for this Fort / Came a crost this morn from Fort Mifflin [NOTE- his unit moved across to Fort Mercer] / had scarce an opportunity to git into the Fort, before a Flag came to Colo. Green, who commanded the Fort threatning to put the Garrison to [ death ? ] if he did not surrender it immediately, Colo. Green answered with disdain, that he would defend it 'till the last drop of his Blood-as soon as the Flag had returned they oppined 7 field peaces & 2 Howitzers on the fort and played very smartly for about ten moments then rushed on very Rash that even Success could not justify its temerity / they attacked on the North & South Sides, the North Side was a brea[st] work within a nother which we cut off and made the Fort small as we had but few men to man it especially the Bigness it was wen we first arrived, the Parapet was high the Dikes deep / a row of strong pallesaids sallied out from the parapit on the gate on the South Side / we had a small place big enough for eight men to fight in which overlooked all the ground round the Fort which was surrounded with double abattis /
Both of the attacks where such as was expected / the artillery & Musquetry of the fort Great Slawter / they advanced as far as the abbatis, but they could not remove it (tho sum few got over) being repulsed with great loss / they left their Command'g officer dying on the Ground in his glacis, and retreated with hurry & Confusion / they rallied in the woods and leaving thear Dead wounded & a few prisoners (which was under the walls of the Fort that could not handely retreat) in all amounting to about three hundred in our hands they returned to Philadelphia that Night-we feched in to the fort all the Wounded & dressed them shewing as [much] humanity as posable. Colo. Donop was attended with care / in the attack we lost 7 of our Regiment killed & I4 Wounded / [One] of the Killed proved to be my Capn. Shaw who was shot thro the Neck/ in all Killed and Wounded it amounted to 31
T[hursday] 23. the fore part of this day implying ourselves in burying the dead 73 buried in one grave 4 or 5 in [an]other & C / about 9 o'clock the Ships Eagle, Summersit, Isis, agusta, Pearl Leverpool & Several Fregates with a Galley, came up to the Chevaux de frize 500 yards from the fort, at the same time the Land Batteries & our gallies, & the Brittish S uadron engaged and one of the Most Solumest Actions commenced, that may be seen by a soldiers eye, the Spectacle was magnificent, to see at once, the river covered with Ships, four great fire ships, in a blase, floating on the Water / the Island & Main covered with Smoak & fire / part of the English Army drew up in battle array on Province Island ready to tho them selves into boats, to storm the Fort, which appeared involved with fire & was the prise of the day, the firing lasted 'till 2 o'clock PM. with [rel]entless fury. The Fort frequently fired red hot balls
/ Likewise one of the floating Batterys & either by chance or good luck one of these shot set fire the Augusta, a 64 gun Ship, the nearest to the Chevaux de frize. / [She] suddenly took fire at the stern, and in a moment She wass in a blase, & soon after blew up, with a thundering noise, before the Enemy could take out all their hands (our gallies was so nigh her at this time that several peaces fell on board of them in which one officer & a number of men [were] wounded. / a Moment after the Merlin, a 22 gun Frigate ran a shore below the Agusta nigh to this shore so that she was reached by Genl. Varnum's Battery, and as she could not be moved from the explosion, took fire & also blew up, the other ships frightened by the fate of those two retired below hog island, & the Land Batteries (which had hoised the Blody flag to warn the garrison that they were not to expect any quarter) continuing the firing from Province Island 'till Evening & then a plenty of Shells / the troops that where to storm did not attempt & the Victory yet remained to the fort and gallies.
F[riday] 24 to T[hursday] 30. we hourly expect a nother visit from the Enemy, a flag went to Philadelphia / Sum hasan Doctors returned to take care of their wounded, ordered to lay on our arms-Nothing more Remarkable only the Enemy keep a very constant fire on fort Mifflin & on[c]e in a while give us a shot from a 32 pound at Hospital.
F 31. this day buried the Hasan Colo. [von Donop] who said previous to his Death I fall a Victim to my own ambition & to the avarice of my prince; but, full of thankfulness for the good treatment I have received from my generous Enemy, he was buried with the Honours of War,
NOVEMBER 1777
S[aturday] 1. this day we hung two who piloted the hasans to this fort, the Enemy crossing the Schoolkill River with a large Number of Waggons / rain & cold.
S[unday] 2 to S[unday] 9. Genl. Varnum's Brigade with about eleven hundred men went about 3 miles below this fort / Colo. Smith by his being absent by sickness was superceeded by the Barron Detrand a prusan officer [who] joined us again / The garrison by this time was very much reduced by the Dead, Wounded, Sick, and it was thought proper to relieve part of it / Some Pennsylvania & Virginia Troops took place of the Militia / the fetigue in a place where no body could sleep on account of the numerious shells, & the Garrison not having any covering was as great as the Danger [to] the Salt Provision [from] the water which was obliged to be waided into up to the knees, the cold nights & especially for the want of sleep, turned the men to the Hospital & the inclemency of the Wether almost insupportable in the Fort / in the beginning of the Sige the Garrison had opened the beach of Province Island, in ord[er] to overflow it / the Enemy filled up the Trench again, but with not sufficient Care; for a heavy Wind at NE raised the Water so high and increased its Strength so much that it brock [broke] the Beach, & almost overflowed the Island, Mud Island was drowned as much as the opposite shore, the water was two feet deep in the fort & all the barracks that yet remain where filled with it, at this time the fire was neither heavy no[r] continual_
M[onday] 10. this day the Enemy set out a new, resolving if posable to reduce the fort, knowing if it was not done they would be obliged to evacuate Philadelphia, [they] oppened three more batteries upon it & keep up an incessant fire on the Fort, all the pallisades where broken dow[n], the Diches filled up with Mud by the strong tides, Capn. Treet, who distinguished himself by his bravery, and his Lieut, was killed / the Garrison exhausted & almost reduced.
T[uesday]11. this morn cule / We burst an eighteen pounder which was got from the wreck of the agusta, and killed one Many & by the Scales & peaces of the Carrage Eighteen More where slightly wounded -
W[ednesday] I2. Colo. Smith was wounded and went out of the [fort] with the old Garrison, being relieved by Major Thare with sum of our men, the Enemy now began to doubt the promises of their Enginer Montresor who had constructed the Fort & had bosted at the beginning that he would reduce it in a few days, but thought all invain expecting very little from their Land Batteries.
T[hursday] 13. but this morn we found a New Battery opened on the Fort, but as long as the Shipping keep below the Chevaux defrize we where in hopes, the c[h]annel between Hog Island & Tinicut had been stopped, the tides by the Chevaux defrize in the main channel had opened a new current, and the River was deeper than it was thought to be & several sail of Vessels passed the Fort with Provision to Philadelphia this Evening-
F[riday] 14. this day the Enemy sem to be very buisey on hog Island & Tinicut, we burst a 24 pounder this day that was got from the wreck of the agusta / they keep a very constant fire from the Batteries on the Fort.
S[aturday] 15. this morning about 8 oClock the Enemy made a furious attack, by the River, & land / the Ships came as near to the Fort as posable in the Main Channel, & a large East Indiaman they cut down & mounted 20 24 pounders on her. She came up under the protection of the Land Batteries, behind Hog Island & anchored four yards from the Angle of the SW Battery, the Fort had been very much exposed on this side / than [then] on it, did not remain one Single Gun excep those that was dismounted / Major Thayer ordered a 32 pounder to be carried thare, which was effected with great trouble & danger, this was done before the Ship got up /
this single gun put 14 Shot into her bow but as soon as She was farly at anchor she began to play, all resistance became imposable, in 3 or 4 Broad Sides and from the tops with Cowhorn filled with Grape Shot so that it was almost imposable for a man to move without being killed,l24 not only the parapet & the carrages, but even the Iron of the guns were broken the platforms destroyed an[d] in half an hour, not a Gun in the fort was able to fire, Soon after this the Vigilant a Sloop carring 18 guns came up & anchor'd above her, played againts the Fort all the afternoon (with her Cannon & bombs) / the gallies at the same time employed againts the ships, & shells poring from Province Island, we was not able to give them any assistance (the Ships laying so nigh the Chevaux defrize that it was almost imposable to pass with boats from us to them in this critical situation[)] / a storm was expected all the afternoon / the Garrison buried in ruins unable to retreat during the day & unwilling to do it, as long as they could expect a reingforsment, had not much expectation but to sell their selvs as dear as they could, however the Enemy did not profit this moment / Major Thayer asembled a Counsel of War in the midst of the firing a little before Night, it was imposable [to] defend the fort with so small a Force & it was determined to call for a Reingforcement from Fort Mercy & if they could not reingfors to evacuate the Fort, Before the Counsel of War broke up Major Fleury who commanded the Infentry Battery that day was wounded by the bursting of a shell & an officer of Artilery killed / at ten o clock [P.M.] no Reingforcement went from us but was sent with boats to fech them off / it was become imposable [to defend] the Fort any longer / open on all sides, without a single gun, it was no longer a Defence for the River, during the Transaction of ye day Major Talbert was wounded with a Musquet ball -Major Thayer evacuated the Fort with a Degree of fermness equal to the Bravery of his defence, he set fire to the Remains of the Barracks & with less than two hundred men carried off all the wounded & most of the Stores / he arrived hear about 12 oclock in the night.
S[unday] 16 ~ M[onday] 17. this morning we had a few 32 pounder sent among us from the Hospital Battery, the Colours was left flying which we saw in the morning halled down by the Enemy-the Field officers holding a Counsel of War, which we suppose is concerning the evacuation of this place_
T[uesday] 18 ~ W[ednesday] 19. we hear a number of the Enemy is marching for this post, at 10 oclock at night we received orders to march & struck our tents, loading them into waggons & took what provision we liked / destroyed the remainder, then proceeded on to Haddon Field where we made a halt.
T [hursday]20. Continuing in haddonfield / a party of men sent back to ye fort with a Serjeant to stay thair till ye enemy appeared then to blow ye fort up / Sum waggons ariv'd this afternoon with sum clothes / a quanterty of flower came in from the fort / order'd to lay on our arms.
F[riday] 21. this morn about 4 o clock slung our packs march[t] from haddon came to morestown ware made a small halt / then proceded on as far as moun halle ware we made a halt / lodged in a barn & very cold.
S[aturday] 22 ~ S[unday] 23. Continuing in mount hole / this day ye biger part of ye Rigement drawed Clothes &c / we ware ordered to be in ready ness for a march / about ten oClock order'd to sling our packs / we marcht to the uper end of the town ware we made a halt / was orderd to bring in the returns of each company what men was fit for duty. then return'd to our quarters again / drawed 50 rounds of carteriges & C.