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F 142 .02517
1800
CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF OCEAN COUNTY.
HISTORICAL REMINISCENCES
OF
OCEAN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY,
BEING A SERIES OF HISTORICAL SKETCHES RELATING TO OCEAN COUNTY. ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE NEW JERSEY COURIER, TOMS RIVER, N. J.
/ BY EDWIN SALTER. 11 . H L. C.
PRINTED AT THE OFFICE OF THE NEW JERSEY COURIER.
TOMS RIVER, N. J.
1878.
F142 .02517
$0.30
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.
OLD TIMES IN OCEAN COUNTY,
HISTORICAL SKETCHES
OF Forked River, Cedar Creek and Vicinity.
BY EDWIN SALTER.
[NOTE .- The greater part of the following sketches was prepared by request, for the Presbyterian Society at Forked River, Rev. James MI. Denton, pastor, for their Centennial Fourth of July celebration. Since then, both Mr. Denton and the writer have received nu- merous letters from clergymen and others, asking for extracts, aud also inquiries in re- gard to matters not presented for want of time in the orginal paper. In consequence, it has been suggested that the sketches should be published in the NEW JERSEY COURIER, with additional matter, to make more complete historical notices of the places named.]
DISCOVERY OF OCEAN COUNTY.
Who first discovered this section of our country ? Who first entered Barne- gat Bay, and explored its shores ? Who were the first whites who located here ? Have any accounts of the Indians once living here been preserved ? These are among the first questions which natural- ly present themselves in making inqui- of our State. While the records of the past, meagre indeed as regards this lo- cality, do not furnish as full answers as
The discovery of that part of New Jersey now known as Ocean County, was by Sir Henry Hudson, on the 2d day of September, 1609, while cruising along our coast in the celebrated Dutch ship, the Half Moon. This ship was quite small, being of only eighty tons burthen,
and of a build that would now be con- sidered quite novel, reminding one of the curious-looking Dutch galliots, which occasionally were seen in the harbor of New York a generation or so ago, which used to attract the attention of, and are well remembered by old seafaring men of Ocean County.
This ship, two or three days previous- ries into the early history of this section ly, had tried to enter Delaware Bay, but finding the navigation dangerous, no at- tempt was made to land, and she again stood out to sea. After getting fair- desirable, yet much has been preserved ly out, Hudson headed northeastwardly, which is of interest to all desirous of ob- and after a while hauled in and made taining information on these and kindred land, Sept. 2d, near Egg Harbor. A points.
very complete log of the ship was kept by the mate, Alfred Jnet, which was sub- sequently published, and from which is made the following extract giving their observations of the coast, bay, land, &c., as they sailed elose along shore. It will be seen it quite accurately describes our coast from Egg Harbor on to within
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sight of the Highlands of Navesink. The
By the extract given above from the lake spoken of is now known as Barne- log of the Half Moon, it will be seen gat Bay, and the mouth of it as Barne- that the opinion of the whites who first gat Inlet :
saw this part of our coast, was that "this "Sept. 2d, 1609. When the sun arose is a very good land to fall in with, and a we steered north again, and saw land pleasant land to see."
from the west by north to the northwest, all alike, broken islands, and our sound- oms. Then we luffed in for the shore,
EXPLORING OUR COAST.
The first attempt to make explorations ings were eleven fathoms and ten fath- on our coast was in 1614, by Captain Cornelis Jacobsen Mey, in the ship For- and fair by the shore we had seven fath- tune. He displayed considerable ego- oms. The course along the land we tism in naming places after himself, as found to be northeast by north. From New York Bay he called "Port Mey ;" the land we first had sight of until we the Delaware Bay, "New Port Mey," came to a great lake of water, as we and its north point, "Cape Mey," and its south one, " Cape Cornelis." Only one of these designations has been re- tained-Cape May-and that with a slight change of orthography. It is probable it was he who gave the names to Barne- gat Inlet and Egg Harbor. On the map could judge it to be, being drowned land, which made it rise like islands, which was in length ten leagues. The mouth of the lake has many shoals, and the sea breaks upon them as it is cast out of the mouth of it. And from that lake or bay the land lies north by east, and we' of the original explorations, the inlet had a great stream out of the bay ; and now known as Barnegat was marked as from thence our soundings were ten Barende-gat, the Dutch words signify- fathoms two leagues from land. At five ing " breakers' inlet," or an inlet with o'clock we anchored, being light wind, breakers. and rode in eight fathoms water. night was fair. This night I found the land to haul the compass eight degrees. Far to the northward of us we saw high hills. This is a very good land to fall in with, and a pleasant land to sec."
Absecom Inlet was also The marked Barende-gat, but the present name, of Indian origin, was eventually substituted. Barende-gat was in course of time corrupted by the English to Barndegat, Bardegat, and finally to Barnegat. Egg Harbor was so called on account of the number of gulls' eggs found by the explorers on the islands with- in the inlet ; the Dutch calling it Eyre Ha- v'en, which in English means Egg Harbor.
The next day the Half Moon procced- ed north wardly, and entered Sandy Hook, and the day after, Sept. 4th, a boat was sent on shore, which contained the first Enropeans who landed on New Jersey
In 1615, Captain Hendrickson, in a soil. It is supposed they landed in old little yacht called the "Onrest," (which Monmouth, not far from Keyport. The in English means "Restless,") also Indians looked upon the whites and their ernised along the coast to make explora- ship with wonder, and some ventured on tions. This little yacht was the second board with presents of green tobacco vessel built in America. The year pre- leaves, and seemed pleased to see the vious a Dutch ship, while lying near whites. After lingering there until the New York island, had accidentally caught 10th, the ship got under way, and. pro- fire and burned up, and during the win- ceeded up the Hudson River, which de- ter the crew built the Restless, about rives its name from its discovery at this where Beaver Street, New York, now is. When she was launched in the spring, her first cruise was np Long Island Sound, under Captain Adrian Block, who time by the commander of the ship; and on their return down the river, the ship put to sca without any attempt to land.
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went as far as Block Island, named after | Jersey, and perhaps others, had perma- him, and his perilous adventures through nently located at points from Toms Hell Gate, caused him to bestow the River to Egg Harbor. name it has ever since retained. The name he gave to what is now called THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR. Rhode Island, has caused a very natural REFUGEES AT FORKED RIVER, CEDAR CREEK AND VICINITY. mistake to be made in our school text- books, which say it was so called from its During the Revolutionary War, Forked River, Goodluck and Cedar Creek were occasionally visited by parties of Refu- gees under command of the noted Capt. John Bacon, the Dover Refugee, Daven- port, and perhaps others. fancied resemblance to the island of Rhodes in the Mediterranean Sea, while the fact is Captain Block called it Roodt Island ; Roodt, which is pronounced as Rhode, is the Dutch word for red, and the island was so called from red soil and leaves that attracted Block's notice. Af- ter Block returned to New York, Captain Hendrickson took command of the Rest- less, and cruised south along the New Jersey coast. He made a curious map of his discoveries, which he took to Hol- land, and which has, since been copied in this country. One writer claims that he was the first white man who set foot on
Bacon, in one of his raiding expedi- tions, with fifteen or sixteen men, plun- dered the dwelling house of John Holmes then residing at the upper (Frank Cornelius) mill. The party camped in the woods near the house un- til daylight and then came and demanded money. Mr. Holmes had the reputation of being somewhat forehanded, and the Tories expected to make a good haul. the soil of West Jersey or Pennsylvania, 'In expectation of such a visit he had From the small size of his yacht, about buried many of his valuables, and at this sixteen tons, it is quite probable that time he had most of his money hid under Captain Hendrickson entered Barnegat a gooseberry bush in the garden. The Bay, and that he was the first white man Refugees put a bayonet to his breast and who set foot in what is now known as threatened to kill him if his money was Ocean County.
not forthcoming. Mr. Holmes's wife
Another noted navigator, named De- happened to have some money about her, Vries, was on our coast April 15, 1633, which she delivered to them, and this and says that off Barnegat "he fished seemed to satisfy them as far as money with a drop-line, and caught in two hours was concerned. They then ransacked
eighty-four codfish, which are very good the house and took provisions and such flavored, sweet fish, better than those of other things as they wanted. An ancient Newfoundland." And in 1656, Vander- newspaper, probably referring to this donk, another noted Dutch explorer, affair, says that about the last of April, speaks of Barnegat and Egg Harbor In- 1780, a party of Refugees visited the lets as safe harbors, but says they are house of John Holmes and robbed him . seldom used, seemingly because their of a large amount of Continental money, seafaring men were not acquainted with the channel ways.
a silver watch, gold ring, silver buckles, pistols, clothing, &c. While a part of the gang remained here, a detachment
It is probable that about this time, this section was occasionally visited by went over to Goodluck to plunder the white men from the settlements on the houses of John and William Price, from Delaware and near New York, for the which they took such things as they wanted. John Williams, Esq., an aged
purpose of explorations and to get furs of the Indians, and before the close of citizen still living at Goodluck, who is a the century, some Swedes from West grandson of John Holmes, says that
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among other things taken from the lution, members of the same family not Prices were a musket, fife and drum, and unfrequently took different sides in the war, and tradition states that a relative of the John Holmes mentioned above, named William Holmes, sympathized with the Refugees ; that at the time John that the last two came near causing trouble among the Refugees themselves, for as they marched back to Holmes' mill to rejoin Bacon, they played upon them for amusement with such effect Holmes was plundered, his team was that Bacon thought a party of Americans was after him and he arranged his men on the mill hill prepared to fire as soon as the party emerged from the woods. Unfortunately for justice he saw who the men were in time to prevent firing.
taken and this William was compelled to drive it loaded with plunder to a Refugee rendezvous in Manahawken or Bass River swamp ; that he was compelled at one time to act as guide in disguise, to a party who plundered John Rogers, grandfather of Judge Rogers, of Cedar Creek, when he was recognized and sub- sequently compelled to cause the return of the phinder. The Holmes family was quite numerous in old Monmouth, and nearly all were active patriots, some holding honorable positions in the Amer- ican Army, but two or three sided with the British, and at the close of the war left
Bacon, in his raiding expeditions in this vicinity, was materially aided by an Eng- lishman named William Wilson, better known as Bill Wilson, who pretended to be neutral, but who really acted as a spy for the Refugees. During the war he lived at Waretown ; but a patriot named Reuben Soper was killed on the beach below the lighthouse, by the Refugees, and Bill Wilson was supposed to have for Nova Scotia. Those of the family
aided, and the Waretown Sopers com- pelled him to leave. He finally located on the North Beach, about opposite herence to the cause of liberty.
Forked River, where he lived to quite an advanced age. There are persons now living who remember him, among them Renben Williams, who when a boy was quite a favorite of Bill Wilson.
now living here are descendants from pa- triots who suffered severely for their ad-
THE REFUGEE DAVENPORT AT FORKED RIVER, AND HIS DEATH,
On the 1st of June, 1782, Davenport with eighty men, half of whom were black and half white, in two long barges Bacon had a cabin, or cave on the north landed at Forked River, first on the
branch of Forked River, near Franks Crossway ; after he was killed his widow came from Pemberton to Forked River to get some of his things left in the cave, and Reuben Williams remembers some They then proceeded to the south branch
north side where they demanded pro- visions of Samnel and James Woodman- see, brothers who then lived on the James Jones and Joseph Holmes places. of Forked River, to the house of Samnel who then lived on the place owned some twenty odd years ago by John Wright. They plundered his house, burnt his salt works, and came near capturing Mr. Brown himself, who just had time to es- cape to the woods. Mr. Brown often had to sleep in the woods for fear of Refugee raids at night.
of the incidents of her visit as related by Mrs. Williams, with whom Mrs. Bacon Brown, an active member of the militia, stopped. Mrs. Bacon lived during the war and long after at Pemberton, where she was respected by the Americans ; she had two sons who grew up and went west and became useful citizens. In her late years she married a man named Morris. The late Samnel Fox, of Barne- gat, an aged citizen who died a few months ago, knew her and her last hus- band.
After completing their work of de- struction, the two barges proceeded down
It is well known that during the Revo- Forked River to its mouth, when one
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went up the bay, while the other with to New York by way of old Cranberry Davenport himself proceeded down the Inlet, opposite Toms River, which then bay with the intention of destroying the was open. These men were not Refu- salt works of the Americans at Ware- gees, but undertook the trip merely to town and vicinity. Davenport expected make money by trying a kind of "running to meet with no opposition, as he sup- the blockade" business on a small scale. posed 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 ven- ture to approach. They arrived safely in New York, sold out their produce, and were about return- ing home when the noted Refugee Capt. John Bacon called on them and insisted on taking passage back in the whale-boat. Much against their will they were forced to allow him to come on board. They arrived near Cranberry Inlet before sun- down, and lay outside until after dark, being afraid to venture in the bay during the day. In the meantime the patriot militia stationed at Toms River had got wind of their proceedings, and being de- termined to put a stop to the contraband trade, a small party under command of
Davenport told them they could see the other boat had fewer men, and ridi- culed their fears, He soon found, how- ever, why it was that the American boat ventured to attack them. Davenport's men had only muskets with which to de- fend themselves ; the Americans had a cannon or swivel, and when within prop- er distance they discharged it with so ef- Lieutenant Joshua Studson took a boat fective an aim that Davenport, who was and went across to the inlet and con- standing up in the boat, was killed at cealed themselves behind a point just in- the first discharge, and his barge dam- side. After dark the whale-boat came aged and upset by his frightened crew. in, but no sooner had it rounded the It happened that the water was only point than to the consternation of those about four feet deep and his crew waded on board they saw the boat of the militia ashore and landed near Oyster Creek, so close by that there was no apparent not far from the place now owned by chance of escape. Lieutenant Studson James Anderson, and thus escaped, scat- stood up in his boat and called upon tering themselves in various directions them to surrender. The unfortunate in the woods and swamps. The late speculators were unarmed and in favor John Collins of Barnegat remembered of yielding, but Bacon knowing that his some of them calling on his father and life was already forfeited, refused, and other Quakers begging for provisions, having his musket loaded suddenly fired
Back of Toms River is a stream called with so deadly an aim that the brave Davenport's Branch, which some suppose lieutenant instantly dropped dead in the to have derived its name from his having boat. The sudden, unexpected firing,
places of concealment on its banks.
OLD RESIDENTS IN A BAD SCRAPE. During the Revolution, three men whale-boat was out of sight in the dark- The militia returned to Toms and the death of Studson, threw the militia into momentary confusion, and before they could decide how to act the
living in this vicinity and Waretown, ness. named Asa Woodmansee, Richard Web- River the same night and delivered the ster and Thomas Collins, hearing that body of Studson to his wife, who was farm produce was bringing exorbitant overwhelmed with sorrow at his sudden prices in New York among the British, death. Studson's home then was in a loaded a whale-boat with truck from house near the water's edge, just below farms along Barnegat Bay and proceeded the present Toms River bridge. Some
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years after Mrs. Studson married a | Collins' New Jersey Gazette, Jannary Chamberlain at Toms River. 8th, 1783 :
The crew of the whale-boat, knowing " On Friday, the 27th ult., Captain it was not safe for them to remain at Benjamin Shreve, of the Burlington home after this affair, fled to the British County Light Horse, and Capt. Edward army and were forced into service, but Thomas of the Mansfield Militia, having were of little use as "they were sick with the small pox, and suffered every- thing but death," as one of them (Col- lins) said, during their stay with the British. Taking advantage of one of Gen- eral Washington's proclamations, offering protection to deserters from the British Army, they were afterwards allowed to return home. James Mills, an aged, re- spected citizen now living at Barnegat, in his young days resided with one of the Woodmansees on the James Jones place, at Forked River, and frequently met one or two of these ill-starred blockade run- ners. Thomas Collins lived to an ad- vanced age, and was always badly scarred from the small pox, which he caught within the British lines.
THE SKIRMISII AT CEDAR CREEK BRIDGE.
The Refugee, Captain John Bacon, had rendered himself so obnoxious to the Americans that they determined to capture him if possible, and accordingly a sharp lookout was kept for him. In December, 1782, a party of Americans from Burlington County in pursuit of him, stopped at the inn on the north side of Cedar Creek, in later years kept by Joel Platt, for rest and refreshment. They had not been in the house long be- fore word came that Bacon and his party were on the south side of the creek near the bridge. The militia immediately mounted horse and started to meet them, with what would appear to be more valor than discretion, for they had to to cross a long narrow erossway ended by a bridge which exposed them to the fire of Bacon and his men who were con- cealed by a thick growth of trees and underbrush on rising ground. The fol- fowing account of the skirmish, which occurred December 27, 1782, is from
received information that John Bacon with his banditti of robbers were in the neighborhood of Cedar Creek, collected a party of men and went immediately in pursuit of them. They met them at Cedar Creek Bridge. The Refugees be- ing on the south side, had greatly the ad- vantage of Captains Shreve and Thomas, in point of situation. It was neverthe- less determined to charge them. The onset on the part of the militia was fu- rious, and opposed by the Refugees with great firmness for a considerable time, several of them having been guilty of such enormous erimes as to have no ex- pectation of mercy should they surren- der. They were nevertheless on the point of giving way, when the militia were unexpectedly fired upon from a party of the inhhabitants near the place, who had suddenly come to Bacon's assist- ance. This put the militia in some confusion and gave the Refugees time to get off. William Cooke, Jr., son of William Cooke, Esq., was unfortunately killed in the attack, and Robert Reckless wounded. On the part of the Refugees Ielabod Jolison, (for whom the govern- ment had offered a reward of £25) was killed on the spot. Bacon and three more of the party are wounded. The militia are in pursuit of the Refugees, and have taken several of the inhabi- tants prisoners, who were with Bacon in the action at the bridge, and are now in Burlington jail; some have confessed the fact. They have also taken a con- siderable quantity of contraband and stolen goods, in searching some suspected houses and cabins on the shore."
John Salter, a member of Captain Shreve's Light Horse troop, was also wounded in the action.
As before stated, in this attack the
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Refugces had great advantage in posi- fact that the war was about closed, it is tion, being on the south side of the not improbable that the Refugecs all creek, on rising ground at the edge of a thick wood which commanded the long narrow causeway and bridge over which the Americans had to pass. Cooke was on the bridge when killed, and his horse, mortally wounded, sprang off into the stream ; a man named Imlay found the body of the horse at a landing below and secured the bridle, &c., next day. All the Refugees kept concealed in the woods, except Ichabod Johnson, who foolhardily showed himself, daring the militia to come on, when he was instantly along shore were endeavoring to get to New York, to leave the country for Nova Scotia, Bermuda Islands, and other places, with other British sympathisers, who were then leaving New York in great numbers, in ships provided by the Brit- ish government. This skirmish at Cedar Creek, and the general watchfulness of the militia, probably caused the Refugee band to scatter, and each member to look out for himself. Bacon himself, with unaccountable foolhardiness, re- mained until the following spring, when shot, and died during the day at the he was killed about half a mile below West Creek, at the house of a woman known as "Old Mother Rose," by a party of Americans, among whom was
house of a man named . Woodmansee, who then lived, it is said, on the place now owned by Judge David I. C. Rogers. (James Mills, an aged resident of Bar- young Cooke's brother.
negat, who in his youth lived at Forked River, and was then acquainted with survivors of the Revolution, says that he was told that Ichabod Johnson was carried to the house of James Wood- mansee, where he died ; that James Woodmansee then or subsequently lived on the place in late years owned by the late Capt. Joseph Holmes, and that this Woodmansee had his house twice plun- dered by Refugees. ) The Woodmansees were not sympathisers with the Refugees, but some of the family seem to have been Quakers, or inclined to their belief. The ancient paper quoted above, speaks of some of the inhabitants as aiding Bacon. There were no residents of the place who rendered Bacon assistance, but skulking, roving Refugees who had cabins or caves at different points back in the woods near the head waters of the various streams, where they made tem- porary stay in their travels up and down shore. Remains of these places of con- cealment have been found in late years. We are quite confident that no known Refugee lived in any of our shore vil- lages.
From the unusual number of men with Bacon at this time, and from the
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SETTLEMENT OF FORKED RIVER.
The first regular survey of lands in this section was by order of the Gov- ernor and Twenty-four Proprietors, in "Instructions concerning land," dated July 3d, 1685, which directs as follows : " That whenever there is a convenient plot of ground lying together, consist- ing of twenty-four thousand acres, as we are informed will more especially be at Barnegat, it be marked in twenty-four parts, a thousand acres to each propriety, and the parts being made as equal as can be, for quality and situation, the first comers, presently settling, to have the choice of divisions, and where several stand in that respect upon equal terms and time of settling, the choice to be de- termined by lot."
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