Long Beach Island Massacre

On October 25, 1782, the American ship “The Alligator” found an abandoned Dutch merchant vessel beached in the Barnegat Inlet, and boarded the ship to scavenge for supplies. 21 of the sailors stayed aboard the Dutch Cutter that night, and were set upon by a group of Loyalist refugees under Captain John Bacon, who slit the American’s throats and soon retreated after the remaining crew arrived.