The Surgeon Counterinsurgent

The cause of the American Revolution was a conflict of two motives: one for independence from Britain and its monarchy, and the other for ongoing allegiance to that same monarchy as part of the larger British "empire" that emerged in the 18th century. The Loyalists often receive a bad reputation. They were not evil, misguided, or any more treacherous than the patriots as a whole. They were simply traditional people who perceived greater advantages in remaining under the crown than in rejecting it. In the long lead-up to the War for Independence, many sought to steer the politics of their respective colonies toward addressing their grievances.

Political agitation caused some to  remain ambivalent

But by the outbreak of actual hostilities, Loyalists were forced to go underground (keep their sympathies secret) or assert royal prerogative through action. New Jersey was the most divided of all the states in this regard. Many influential Loyalists had participated in the various committees, associations, and even Congress to guide the disaffected toward a political solution. But once the gauntlet was thrown, they began to slip away quietly or abruptly to action.

Loyalists organized for the day the British would come

One such "First Loyalist" was a little-known doctor from Teaneck, New Jersey, in the divided Bergen County, by the name of Abraham Van Buskirk. Van Buskirk was a prominent name in the region. The Van Buskirk family was an old Dutch family that had lived in the area for many years. His father, Lawrence Van Buskirk, operated a successful stagecoach service. By the time of the war, the elder Van Buskirk had passed the enterprise, called The Flying Machine, to his son Andrew, who ran the stage to the Hoboken Ferry. He also operated a tavern in New Bridge. 

Doctor Abraham pitched in from time to time, typically making the run to Paulus Hook. Van Buskirk and his family were well entrenched in the area. His travels on the stage and knowledge of the region would later prove useful. Abraham Van Buskirk and many other prominent New Jersey Dutch failed in their political efforts to keep the colony aligned with the crown. Additionally, they secretly took other measures as the cloud of war descended on the troubled Royal Colony. 

Despite his Tory leanings, Van Buskirk became an officer in the county militia. However, many local patriots were skeptical and viewed him as a Loyalist. He had been associated with the patriot cause early on, having been elected as a moderate to the county committee and provincial congress. Van Buskirk was able to dodge and evade accusations so cleverly that he appeared more like a patriot. But he was a man of principle; he broke with the patriots over the question of outright independence for the thirteen colonies, refusing to swear the oath of abjuration, renouncing his loyalty to the Crown, and resigning from the provincial congress. Yet, in his practical Dutch way, Van Buskirk and his fellow secret Loyalists would only declare openly if the British appeared in loco. Fortunately for them, and unfortunately for the patriots, they did not have to wait long.

Cornwallis's Invasion of the Jerseys

During the late summer and into the fall of 1776, the people of Jersey waited anxiously as the British, under Lord William Howe, methodically drove Washington and his Continental Army from Staten Island, Long Island, and the Island of New York (Manhattan). After an inconclusive engagement at White Plains (in Westchester), Washington moved the bulk of his forces across the North (Hudson) River to the "safety" of the Jerseys. 

In November, British General Lord Cornwallis led a force of 5,000 men up the palisades overlooking the Hudson River and sent the Continental Army in headlong flight toward Pennsylvania. Now was Van Buskirk's time! On November 22, the British crossed the Hackensack River and took the city. Swarms of Hessians dazzled or terrified residents, depending on their allegiance. The Volunteer Loyalists assembled in town. He and his men could openly declare and organize their unit, the 4th Battalion, New Jersey Volunteers. Van Buskirk, the citizen, soon became an accomplished military leader, guiding his unit with a firm hand and grim efficiency.

Loyalist Infantry

The War for Independence was fought at the local level and often savagely, especially between Loyalists and rebels. Some of the fiercest fighting occurred in the Hackensack Valley. To support British efforts to pacify Jersey, Van Buskirk began sending his men on raids across Bergen County and later guarding the critical areas of Bergen Neck and Staten Island. Van Buskirk's patrols captured prisoners for interrogation or exchange. They foraged from the local populace's resources (as did the patriots). They engaged in countless skirmishes with the despised rebel militia and sometimes with Continental units. Van Buskirk quickly became a scourge to Hackensack Valley patriots and any Continental units that passed through the area. 

After Washington's surprise victory at Trenton, many British units returned to New York. The few that remained in Jersey concentrated near Paulhus Hook and Bergen. From there, Van Buskirk's companies launched further raids into the so-called "neutral ground" of the valley. They played a role in the "Winter War" (or Forage War), helping to protect farmers who were trying to supply goods to the British, who were concentrated in the New York area. Throughout 1777, Van Buskirk successfully waged unconventional warfare from his headquarters at Bergen Point, dispatching operatives as far as the New York border to capture patriots for interrogation and retribution.

In September 1777, the British commander in New York, General Clinton, launched a 2,000-man, three-pronged assault into New Jersey. Van Buskirk's men played their part with enthusiasm, landing at Elizabeth Town and moving swiftly north, where they acquitted themselves well in an engagement at Passaic. In August of that year, American General John Sullivan initiated an attack on British and Loyalist forces on Staten Island. Abraham Van Buskirk's battalion was part of Brigadier General Cortland Skinner's Loyalist Brigade.

Patrick Ferguson

In May 1779, Van Buskirk supported a British raid on Closter (with the objective of Paramus). Captain Patrick Ferguson, who would later become renowned for King's Mountain, played a significant role in the raid. Later that year, Van Buskirk thwarted local patriots in another way by escaping Light Horse Harry Lee's raid on Paulhus Hook, where he was among the intended targets. Van Buskirk's intelligence network was now firmly established in that part of Jersey, which made the difference.


The winter of 1779-80 proved brutally cold. Van Buskirk's 4th New Jersey was stationed on Staten Island. Things would soon warm up. On January 14, American General Lord Stirling attempted a raid against Van Buskirk that ultimately failed. Undeterred, Van Buskirk launched a counter-raid on January 25, capturing 50 prisoners despite the harsh cold impacting both sides. In April of that year, Van Buskirk took a lead role at the battle of Hooperstown.

In September 1781, Van Buskirk led his battalion during the turncoat Benedict Arnold's infamous burning of New London and siege at Fort Griswold, where the surrendering fort commander, Colonel Ledyard, was infamously stabbed and many of his men were bayoneted to death. The last action of the war in the North is somehow emblematic of the true nature of the desperate struggle for America.

Benedict Arnold: British general

The action in Connecticut in 1781 was one of the last significant engagements in the north. With the lengthy period of negotiation following Yorktown in October 1781, the war became once again one of "low intensity." One can imagine Van Buskirk played his part masterfully until the end. After the war, Van Buskirk's fate was no different from that of many other Loyalists whose dreams were shattered and whose homes were destroyed or taken by vengeful rebels. Someone as committed to the crown as Van Buskirk had few options. Therefore, the surgeon, businessman, politico, and warrior joined the many other Loyalists who emigrated to Nova Scotia. There he settled in Shelburne, where he died in 1791.