The following account of the death of Bacon was furnished to the New York Historical Society by the late Governor George F. Fort.

"John Bacon was a notorious Refugee who had committed many depredations along the shores of Monmouth and Burlington counties. After having been a terror to the people of this section for some time, John Stewart, of Arneytown, (afterwards Captain Stewart), resolved, if possible, to take him. There had been a reward of fifty pounds sterling offered by the Governor and Council for his capture, dead or alive. A short time previous, in an engagement at Cedar Creek Bridge, Bacon and his company had discomfited a considerable body of State troops, killing a brother of Joel Cook, Burlington county, which excited much alarm and exasperated the whole county. On the occasion of his arrest, Captain Stewart took with him Joel Cook, John Brown, Thomas Smith, John Jones, and another person whose name is not recollected, and started in pursuit, well armed.

They traversed the shore and found Bacon separated from his men at the public house or cabin of William Rose, between West Creek and Clamtown (now Tuckerton), in Burlington County. The night was very dark, and Smith being in advance of the party, approached the house, and discovered through the window a man sitting with a gun between his knees. He immediately informed his companions. On arriving at the house, Captain Stewart opened the door and presenting his musket demanded a surrender. The fellow sprang to his feet, and cocking his gun was in the act of bringing it round to the breast of Stewart, when the latter, instead of discharging his piece, closed in with him and succeeded after a scuffle in bringing him to the floor. He then avowed himself to be John Bacon, and asked for quarter, which was at once readily granted to him by Stewart. They arose from the floor, and Stewart (still retaining his hold on Bacon) called to Cook, who, when he discovered the supposed murderer of his brother, became exasperated, and stepping back gave Bacon a bayonet thrust unknown to Stewart or his companions. Bacon appeared faint and fell. After a short time he recovered and attempted to escape by the back door. Stewart pushed a table against it. Bacon hurled it away and struck Stewart to the floor, opened the door, and again attempted to pass out; but was shot by Stewart (who had regained his feet) while in the act. The ball passed through his body, through a part of the building, and struck the breast of Cook, who had taken position at the back door to prevent egress. Cook's companions were ignorant of the fact that he had given Bacon the bayonet wound, and would scarcely credit him when he so informed them on their way home. They examined Bacon's body at Mount Misery, and the wounds made by both bayonet and ball were obvious. They brought his dead body to Jacobstown, Burlington county, and were in the act of burying it in the public highway, near the village in the presence of many citizens who had collected on the occasion, when Bacon's brother appeared among them and after much entreaty succeeded in obtaining his body for private burial."

This affair took place on Thursday evening, April 3rd, 1783.

The Refugee leaders in our State - Hetfield, Bacon, Lippencott, Davenport, Moody and others - all doubtless held commissions from the "Board of Associated Loyalists," of which the President was William Franklin, the last British Governor of New Jersey.

This scoundrel, who was probably one of Davenport's gang, was exceedingly obnoxious to the Americans on account of outrages in which he was concerned. He was intimately acquainted with all the roads and bypaths in the woods and swamps in old Dover township, which then extended to Oyster Creek. Tradition says, that early in the war he had a cave near the head-waters of Cedar Creek.

Near Quail Run was a woman of low character, whom he often visited. On the day he was shot he called on her; she told him as the militia were after him, they would find him there, and advised him to go to a less suspected place. He was seen by some patriotic women, who sent information to his pursuers, who surprised him at the house while the woman was sitting on his lap. He sprang for his musket, which was in the chimney corner, and just as he reached it his pursuers fired through the window and killed him instantly.

On the first of June, 1782, Davenport with eighty men, half of whom were black and half white, in two long barges landed at Forked River, first on the north side where they demanded provisions of Samuel and James Woodmansee, brothers who then lived on the James Jones and Joseph Holmes places. They then proceeded to the south branch of Forked River, to the house of Samuel Brown, an active member of the militia, who then lived on the place owned some twenty odd years ago by John Wright, still known as the Wright place. They plundered his house, burnt his salt works, and came near capturing Mr. Brown himself, who just had time to escape to the woods. Mr. Brown often had to sleep in the woods for fear of Refugee raids at night.

After completing their work of destruction, the two barges proceeded down Forked River to its mouth, when one went up the bay, while the other with Davenport himself proceeded down the bay with the intention of destroying the salt works of the Americans at Waretown and vicinity. Davenport expected to meet with no opposition, as he supposed no militia were near enough to check him. But before he reached Oyster Creek he perceived a boat heading for him. His crew advised him to turn back, as they said the other boat must have some advantage or they would not venture to approach.

Davenport told them they could see the other boat had fewer men, and ridiculed their fears. He soon found, however, why it was that the American boat ventured to attack them. Davenport's men had only muskets with which to defend themselves; the Americans had a cannon or swivel, and when within proper distance they discharged it with so effective an aim that Davenport, who was standing up in the boat, was killed at the first discharge, and his barge damaged and upset by his frightened crew. It happened that the water was only about four feet deep and his crew waded ashore and landed near Oyster Creek, not far from the place lately owned by James Anderson, deceased, and thus escaped, scattering themselves in various directions in the woods and swamps. The late John Collins of Barnegat remembered some of them calling on his father and other Quakers begging for provisions.

Back of Toms River is a stream called Davenport's Branch, which some suppose to have derived its name from his having places of concealment on its banks, but this is an error, as the stream was known before the war as "Davenport's Tavern Branch."

Samuel Brown, above named, after the war removed to Mannahawkin and has many descendants now living there and elsewhere.