Washington dispatched Count Kazimierz Pułaski and his Legion to assist the Patriots, although they did not arrive until the day following the battle. Battle Because of bad weather, the British fleet did not arrive off Little Egg Harbor until late in the afternoon of October 5, 1778, and were prevented from getting over the bar. Knowing the people had been warned and that Count Pułaski was on his way, the British troops made their way up the river to Chestnut Neck as quickly as possible. The troops were put aboard the galleys and armed boats and left at daybreak on October 6, 1778. They were delayed when two boats grounded, and did not reach Chestnut Neck until four o'clock, in heavy fog. They fought against American defenders and retrieved some supplies. Having destroyed any supplies that they could not retrieve, and having received intelligence that Count Pułaski was on his way, they quickly left at noon on October 7, 1778, stopping at the mouth of the Bass River to destroy the salt works and mills of Eli Mathis. They also burnt the houses on his plantation, his home and barns and then rejoined their ships. Aftermath As soon as Pulaski arrived at Chestnut Neck, he crossed the river and marched to Tuckerton, arriving there on October 8, 1778. Pułaski (with 50 troops) and the Loyalists (with 200) watched each other until October 15, 1778. That day a force of 250 Loyalists under Ferguson's command surprised an outpost of Pułaski's men, bayonetting the sentry and almost all of the other men while still sleeping. The Loyalists withdrew and sailed back to New York. Patriot sources called this the "Little Egg Harbor massacre." The site is marked by a monument erected by the Sons of the Cincinnati. Although they retrieved some supplies and destroyed others at Chestnut Neck, Ferguson's men were not able to capture any of the American privateers or recapture any of the prize vessels present in the area. After the battle, Chestnut Neck never regained its status as a trade center. Three of the large land owners returned and rebuilt their homes, but the others eventually built new homes in present-day Port Republic. Legacy In the early twentieth century, the General Lafayette Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution erected a high monument to mark the site of the Battle of Chestnut Neck and honor the men that