The port town of Sunbury is now
a ghost town, though previously it was active as a port. Fort Morris was constructed there by the authority of
the Continental Congress. A contingent
of British soldiers attempted to take
the fort on November 25, 1778. The American contingent at Fort Morris
was led by Colonel John McIntosh. The Americans numbered only 127 Continental soldiers plus a few militiamen and local citizens. The fort itself was crudely constructed and
could not have withstood any
concerted attack.
The British Col. Fuser demanded Fort Morris' surrender through a written note to the American rebels. He had 500 men plus artillery. Though clearly outnumbered, Col. McIntosh's defiant written response to the British demand included the following line:
"As to surrendering the fort, receive
this laconic reply: COME AND TAKE IT!".
The British declined to attack, in large part due to their lack of intelligence regarding other forces in the area. Col. Fuser believed a recent skirmish in the area, combined with Col. McIntosh's bravado, might have indicated reinforcements and so the British withdrew.