John Bacon (loyalist)

John Bacon
DiedApril 3, 1783 (1783-04-04)
Resting placeArneytown, Ocean County, New Jersey
NationalityBritish
Other namesBloody John
Occupation(s)Shingler, soldier, outlaw, criminal gang leader
Military career
AllegianceKingdom of Great Britain
Service / branchGovernor Franklin's Associated Loyalists
Years of service1780-1782
RankCaptain
Battles / warsAmerican Revolutionary War

John Bacon (died April 3, 1783) (also "Bloody John Bacon"), was a leader of the Pine Robbers, a band of Loyalist guerrilla fighters who hid out in the Pine Barrens of south-central New Jersey and preyed upon Patriots toward the end of the American Revolutionary War. The group was responsible for the October 1782 Long Beach Island Massacre, which occurred after hostilities between the United States and Great Britain had been put on hold pending treaty negotiations. He and his band were relentlessly pursued thereafter. Bacon was killed the following March while resisting capture (considered by several historians to be the last casualty of the war).