"Pine Robbers" were loosely organized criminal gangs and marauders who were

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

sympathizers and

Loyalists Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cro ...

during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

and used the

Pine Barrens Pine barrens, pine plains, sand plains, or pineland areas occur throughout the U.S. from Florida to Maine (see Atlantic coastal pine barrens) as well as the Midwest, West, and Canada and parts of Eurasia. Perhaps the most well known pine-barre ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

to wreak havoc in the area. The pine barrens created densely forested terrain where concealment of guerrilla and criminal activities could easily be carried out.

Guerrilla and criminal activities

While the

Tories A Tory () is a person who holds a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalism and conservatism, which upholds the supremacy of social order as it has evolved in the English culture throughout history. The ...

, who had received their land from

King George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...

, were amiable neighbors during the day and enemies of the Patriots by night, the pine robbers were disgruntled British sailors who had jumped ship. They banded together with local outlaws to burn and loot throughout the New Jersey Pine Barrens. The pine robbers were commonly known to commit crimes against Patriots and, sometimes, Loyalists.

Fagan Gang

One of the most infamous pine robber gangs was the Fagan Gang led by Loyalist leader Jacob Fagan and his associate Lewis Fenton.

John Bacon and the "Refugees"

John Bacon was one of the more notorious Loyalist leaders of the pine robbers. In December 1782, Bacon and his gang, the "Refugees" were involved in the Battle of Cedar Bridge, where a surprise attack by Captain Edward Thomas of the Mansfield Militia and Captain Richard Shreeve of the Burlington County Light Horse forced Bacon to quickly build a makeshift barricade at Cedar Bridge. The Patriot forces charged the Refugees, but Bacon and three gang members escaped. On April 3, 1783, John Bacon was surrounded by the Patriot militia from Burlington, New Jersey, while drinking in a local tavern. With no chance of escape, he was bayoneted and shot to death.

References

*Ward, Harry M; ''Between the Lines: Banditti of the American Revolution''; Santa Barbara, California; Praeger; (2002).

External links

''The Refugee John Bacon (Loyalist leader of the Pine Robbers)''''Egg Harbor City to Pleasant Mills''
Loyalist military units in the American Revolution Pine Barrens (New Jersey) New Jersey in the American Revolution American outlaws {{AmericanRevolutionaryWar-stub

Guerrilla and criminal activities

Fagan Gang

John Bacon and the "Refugees"

See also

References

External links