Edward Thomas (1750 - 1797)

Born 1750 in Columbus, Mansfield Township, Burlington County, New Jersey, British Colonial America

Died 25 Jun 1797 at about age 47 in New Jersey, United States

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Biography

Captain Edward Thomas in "The Affair at Cedar Bridge" is sometimes described as the last skirmish of the Revolutionary War

Monmouth County, New Jersey annals include a long list of the British Tory Loyalist, Captain John Bacon's blunderings and brutalities. His blackest moment, however, was the night of the "Long Beach Massacre".

In late December of 1782, a group of Burlington County militia set out to find and capture the British Tory Captain John Bacon the leader "Pine Robbers" gang and perpetrator of the Massacre at Long Beach Island where 20 Americans were murdered while Prisoners of War on October 25, 1782.

Among the Americans of the massacre was Lieutenant Andrew Steelman who lost his life at age 21. And Private John D. Dennis who managed to escape by running miles in the crashing waves of the surf all the while being pursued by the British Torys. Private John D. Dennis gave witness testimony in his deposition of the massacre that lead to the capture and demise of John Bacon.

The Americans seeking the capture of John Bacon consisted of six cavalry commanded by Captain Richard Shreve and twenty infantrymen commanded by Captain Edward Thomas. They searched for Bacon as far as the shoreline, and then after several days of not finding him, they decided to head west back to Burlington. Along the way, the men stopped to rest at the "Cedar Bridge Tavern", located very close to a bridge over the Cedar Creek. While they were in the tavern, Bacon and his men appeared on the other side of the bridge.

Captain Shreve and the militiamen attempted to charge and attack Bacon's men, but they were repelled. They were at a disadvantage because they needed to charge over the narrow bridge while Bacon's men could fire at them from fixed positions on the other side of the creek. Bacon's men were especially determined to fight hard to avoid being captured; they knew that they could not expect leniency as prisoners because of the severity of the crimes they were wanted for, and they would likely be executed if caught.

Several local Loyalist residents came to the aid of Bacon, and fired on the militiamen, who were forced to halt, allowing Bacon's men to escape. One of Bacon's men, Ichabod Johnson, who had the £25 reward on his head, had been killed. Several others were wounded. Bacon himself had been wounded, but he had managed to safely escape. Seven of the local Loyalists who had come to the aid of Bacon's men were captured and taken to the Burlington jail. The Americans had also suffered several wounded and one killed. The man killed was William Cook; his brother Joel Cook would have his revenge on Bacon the following spring. A few months later, Bacon, who had a bounty of 50 Sterling on his head, was found in a tavern by Captain John Stewart , where he was mortally wounded, and his body was desecrated. According to the account, Captain Stewart along with five men, including Joel Cook, a brother of William Cook who was killed at Cedar Creek Bridge, received a report that Bacon might be found at a “public house” owned by William Rose near West Creek on the Shore Road a few miles north of Clamtown (Tuckerton).

The Affair at Cedar Bridge is sometimes described as the last skirmish of the Revolutionary War, although different historians name different skirmishes. At the very least, it is the last documented skirmish in New Jersey. Afterwards, troops on both sides waited for the treaty to be finalized to end the war.

Daughters of the American Revolution information:

• THOMAS, EDWARD
• Ancestor #: A114218
• Service: NEW JERSEY
• Rank(s): CAPTAIN
• Birth: 1750 COLUMBUS NEW JERSEY
• Death: 6-25-1797 NEW JERSEY
• Pension Number: *S
• Service Description: (1) ALSO LT, BURLINGTON CO MILITIA
• Spouse: PRUDENCE KIRKBRIDE; Created: 2002-03-27 23:17:13.16, Updated: 2002-03-27 23:17:13.16, By: Conversion 1)
• Child son: STACY THOMAS, [Spouse #] Spouse: [1] ELIZABETH VAN COURT
• Child daughter: ELIZABETH THOMAS, [Spouse #] Spouse: [1] JOHN D SMITH

On FamilySearch.org 3 sources of information for:

Name • • Edward Thomas • • Sex • • Male Birth • • 1750 Columbus, Mansfield, Burlington, New Jersey, United States Christening Death • • 1797 Burial

Other Information:

Alternate Name • Birth Name Edward Thomas Last Changed: March 18, 2022

Sources

• https://services.dar.org/Public/DAR_Research/search_adb/?action=full&p_id=A114218
• https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/G66Y-N4G

• https://www.nationalwarmemorialregistry.org/joomla/new-jersey/massacre-at-long-beach-revolutionary-war-memorial-marker
• https://allthingsliberty.com/2021/09/captain-john-bacon-the-last-of-the-jersey-pine-robbers/
• https://awiatsea.com/incidents/1782-10-25%20The%20Long%20Beach%20Island%20Massacre.html
• https://www.revolutionarywarnewjersey.com/new_jersey_revolutionary_war_sites/towns/barnegat_nj_revolutionary_war_sites.htm
• http://www.pineypower.com/cedarbridge.htm