Americans often considered themselves morally superior to the British, and therefore their cause was almost of a divine nature. This belief was only cemented when one looks at this march. Numerous times the British troops, both regular and irregular, are connected to horrendous crimes of “wanton outrage and vindictive destruction. ” The town of Holmdel was reduced to a smoldering gathering of burnt barns and ransacked houses. Allentown, which neighbored Holmdel, was stripped of anything that “could be of any advantage to the redcoats. ” This included firewood, silverware, furniture, ricks of hay, any livestock that could be accumulated, and, probably the most horrendous, women. Obviously the women were not stolen, but many dignities were taken by the horrid actions of the British troops. There are over thirty accounts of rape, and an innumerable amount of whisperings to those which went unreported. There are so many that a deep prejudice remained in this area of the country against anything British for many decades after they had left. This prejudice became so severe that even after the war, Tories dare not return to this area of the country. The reason this story is being relayed is that one can imagine the effect of defeating such an army when one already believes his cause is divine. The news that the Americans had stood their ground against the same army that had just ravaged this countryside became a jolt to all who heard it. I believe that it had this profound effect mostly because of stories such as these. The Divine Cause became cemented, and the British inadvertently shot themselves in the foot. ...
