Battle of Springfield (1780)

Battle of Springfield

"Give 'em Watts, boys!"

Date	June 23, 1780
Location	Springfield Township, Essex County (present day Union County), New Jersey
Result	American victory

Belligerents

United States

Great Britain

Hesse-Kassel

Commanders and leaders

Nathanael Greene

Wilhelm von Knyphausen

Strength

1,500, reinforced by undetermined number of militia

6,000

Casualties and losses

Continentals
13 killed;
49 wounded;
9 missing
Militia: Including June 7
10 killed;
40 wounded;
10 captured

Including June 7
25 killed
234 wounded
48 missing

The Battle of Springfield was fought during the American Revolutionary War on June 23, 1780. After the Battle of Connecticut Farms, on June 7, 1780, had foiled Lieutenant General Wilhelm, Baron von Knyphausen’s expedition to attack General George Washington’s army at Morristown, New Jersey, Knyphausen and Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton, British commander-in-chief in North America, decided upon a second attempt. Although the British were initially able to advance, they were ultimately forced to withdraw in the face of newly arriving colonial forces, resulting in a Continental victory.

A two-pronged assault was planned. Starting from Elizabethtown Point, one column would advance along the Galloping Hill Road, straight through Connecticut Farms and Springfield, while another column would take the Vauxhall Road north of Springfield along the southern edge of Short Hills. Both were heading for the same objective as on June 7: Hobart Gap, the path through the Watchung Mountains that would allow an advance across eleven miles of flat ground to Washington’s main encampment at Morristown.

Clinton hoped that Washington would respond to Knyphausen’s attack by bringing his main army round the northern tip of the Watchung Mountains west of Newark to hit Knyphausen’s right flank. In anticipation of this response, Major General Alexander Leslie was dispatched up the Hudson with 6,000 men in order to prevent Washington from retiring behind the Watchung Mountains. Meanwhile, Major General James Robertson was to remain in reserve in Elizabethtown with five regiments (1,865 men) to protect Knyphausen’s rear against attack from militia and to reinforce Leslie if necessary.

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