Huddy's Leap

Joshua Huddy’s capture in September 1780 was a dramatic episode in the conflict between Patriots and Loyalists during the Revolutionary War. As a militia captain, Huddy was a well-known figure. Before dawn, a band of Tories, led by the feared Loyalist commander Colonel Tye, stormed his home at Colt's Neck, determined to seize him. Huddy fiercely resisted, reportedly holding them off single-handedly until they set fire to the house, forcing his surrender. The raiders, likely intending to deliver him to British authorities in New York City via their fort at Sandy Hook, transported him toward the Shrewsbury River. However, Patriot militiamen, alerted to the attack, pursued the captors and opened fire on their boat from the riverbank in what is now Rumson.

Amidst the chaos, the boat capsized, throwing Huddy and his captors into the water. Despite suffering a gunshot wound to the thigh, Huddy managed to escape, swimming to shore and evading recapture. During the skirmish, Colonel Tye, a highly effective leader of the Loyalist Black Brigade and a former enslaved man who had gained prominence for his guerrilla tactics, was wounded in the wrist. Though the injury may have seemed minor at the time, it led to a fatal case of tetanus, weakening Tye and ultimately contributing to his death a few days later. His loss was a significant blow to the Loyalist cause in New Jersey, as his leadership had made him one of the most formidable opponents of the local Patriot militias.