American Revolutionary War heroines - Two stories are told of the Stillwell sisters, Rebecca and Sarah, daughters of Captain Nicholas Stillwell of Beesley's Point, Cape May County, New Jersey. Rebecca prevented a British raiding party from landing at Beesley's Point in the Upper Precinct by firing a cannon filled with grapeshot at an approaching British sloop. Sarah was successful in enlisting General Washington's aid in an exchange of prisoners, in order to rescue her husband from a prisoner ship anchored at New York.

During the Revolutionary War, Rebecca Stillwell Willets, the wife of James Willets, lived at her father's Ferry House at Beesley's Point. The privateers had captured British supplies which they had stored near the Ferry House for the Continental Soldiers which consisted of mostly food and clothing. All men and boys of at least 15 years of age had been ordered into the Army and the women were alone. The Tories learned about the supplies, where they were stored, and that the Ferry House was unguarded. They notified the British who promptly decided to raid the storehouse.

Rebecca happened to see the British ship approach and anchor not far away. She witnessed them lowering a boat filled with sailors who began to row toward the Ferry House. Rebecca realized that they were up to no good and that she must act to protect the others. A loaded cannon was standing in the front yard ready for action, and when she thought they were within range she fired the cannon, the load of grapeshot flying just above the heads of the Redcoats. The sailors stopped rowing and the leaders decided that they must be mistaken, the Ferry House was not deserted. They turned around, rowed back to their ship, and sailed away. The storehouse was saved.

Capt. Moses Griffing was the husband of Sarah Stillwell. He, along with several other Cape May County maritime raiders, was captured by the British during the Revolutionary War. Many of them, including Moses, were taken on board the prison ship Jersey, anchored on the East River in New York. When Sally learned of his imprisonment, she traveled alone from Cape May County to Sir Henry Clinton's headquarters in New York to win the release of her husband Moses Griffing. On the way to New York, Sally visited General Washington's encampment and obtained from him the control of a British officer of equal rank with her husband and proceeded to New York where she exchanged him for her husband.

The Daughters of the American Revolution chapter of Ocean City, New Jersey, is named "Sarah Stillwell" in her honor. The Children of the American Revolution society of Cape May, New Jersey, is named for Rebecca Stillwell.