USA > New Jersey > Essex County > Newark > A History of the city of Newark, New Jersey : embracing practically two and a half centuries, 1666-1913, Volume I > Part 25
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"The whole country became instantly hostile to the invaders. Sufferers of all parties rose as one man to revenge their personal injuries. Those who from age and infirmities were incapable of military service kept a strict watch upon the movement of the royal army and from time to time communicated information to their countrymen in arms. ** * * The militia of New Jersey, who had hitherto behaved shamefully, from this time forward generally acquired high reputation ; and through a long and tedious war, conducted themselves with spirit and discipline scarce sur- passed by the regular troops. In small parties they now scoured the country in every direction, seized on stragglers, in several skir- mishes behaved unexceptionably well, and collected in such numbers as to threaten the weaker British posts. % * In a few days,
" History of New Jersey, pp. 232, 233.
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indeed, the Americans had overrun the Jerseys. The enemy was forced from Woodbridge; General Maxwell surprised Elizabethtown and took near one hundred prisoners with a quantity of baggage; Newark was abandoned, and the royal troops were confined in Brunswick and Amboy."
FIRST AND SECOND BATTLES OF SPRINGFIELD.
After pursuing the British retreating from the battle of Princeton toward New Brunswick, Washington turned to the left. marching up the bank of the Millstone river, on January 3, 1777; and on the next day was seventeen miles on his way to winter quarters in Morristown. An encampment had been collecting there since early in December, 1776. There were upwards of eight hundred militia there and about the same time three regiments of the line arrived, to protect Ford's powder mills from the enemy.
On December 17 a party of Cornwallis' Hessians marched upward toward the Short Hills, either on a reconnaisance or with the hope of reaching Morristown. The militia assembled at Morris- . town met them at Springfield and made such a vigorous defence that the Hessians beat a more or less hasty retreat, losing about forty men in killed and captured.
The militia were becoming steadier. This was the first battle at Springfield, of which one reads but little, although it was a dis- tinctly valuable asset to the cause, as out of it the citizen soldiery of North Jersey gained new strength and courage. In this engage- ment it is said that the British and the Jersey militia were about equally matched as to numbers.
A second engagement occurred at Springfield, on February 1, 1777, when a regiment of Highlanders was pushed out from Eliza- bethtown toward Short Hills.14 A British account reported the American losses as "two hundred and fifty men killed on the spot." This was a wild exaggeration. One of the most significant parts of this account is that the British admitted they failed to push the "advantage" they reported to have gained. In other words, they were brought to a standstill and must have retreated immediately without having accomplished anything worth their while.
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NEWARK A PATRIOT OUTPOST.
During the war there were about a hundred battles and skir- mishes in New Jersey, and at least a score in what was then Essex County. From the close of 1776 until after the final battle of Springfield, June 3, 1780, Newark and Elizabethtown were to be, as it were, outposts, with Staten Island and Bergen Heights as the British frontier, with the Hackensack meadows and West Hudson as more or less neutral ground. The Americans made occasional dashes into the enemy's country and the British and Hessians dashed in plundering expeditions across the border line into Eliza- bethtown and Newark, never getting further west than Springfield and seldom beyond Orange Mountain from Newark; and on no occasion passing the Mountain in any force.
For the most part the British incursions into this territory were made for foraging purposes, although there were two exten- sive expeditions to Newark largely for the purpose of overawing the inhabitants of the region. Small parties of British wormed their way through the hills looking for information concerning the Con- tinental army when in its stronghold at Morristown. There were numerous clashes of small bodies of British and militia, and some- times Continental line detachments, upon the Hackensack meadows, in at least one of which Aaron Burr, afterwards vice president of the United States, a native of Newark, took a courageous part.
" See New Jersey Archives, Second Series, vol. i, pp. 280, 281.
WASHINGTON'S VISITS TO NEWARK.
During the winter of 1777, after Washington had gone into camp at Morristown, the younger officers of his official family were intensely active, watching from the hilltops for movements of the enemy, to prevent surprises upon the camp; organizing a more perfect system of outposts and communication with headquarters, heartening the inhabitants, and contributing in many other ways to the stiffening of the sinews of the body militant. It was a time of strenuous life for the young gentlemen of the staff, including Alex- ander Hamilton and others. We shall never know the real measure
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of their services during that period. Throughout the Morristown encampment of 1779-1780 it was very much the same. It was, no doubt, during those two winters that Hamilton gained the intimate knowledge of all this region which was to stand him in such good stead when a member of Washington's cabinet, and when he was instrumental in laying the foundation of one of New Jersey's chief industrial cities, Paterson.
Washington himself made a number of visits to Newark during those two winters, sometimes attending meetings of St. John's Lodge of Free Masons and accepting the hospitality of patriotic citizens. On at least one occasion Washington was entertained by the family of Captain Nathaniel Camp at the corner of Camp and Broad streets, riding down from Morristown along what is now Springfield avenue, to Clinton avenue. He visited Bloomfield and Orange more than once. These were never, apparently, expeditions for recreation, simply. The General wished to inform himself of the actual conditions prevailing upon the border line.
For several generations there has been a popular belief that Washington, Lord Sterling, General Knox and others of the army attended divine service in Trinity Church. There exists no proof of this. When Washington was in Newark in November, 1776, the church was used as a hospital. The Rev. Isaac Browne, the loyalist rector, wrote, on January 7, 1777, that the church had been "used by the rebels as a hospital for the sick the greater part of the sum- mer preceding; they broke up and destroyed the seats and erected a large stack of chimneys in the middle of it." Even if the sick and wounded were all removed to Morristown while Washington was in Newark, in November, 1776, which is probable, the edifice was in no condition for services, and the rector and the majority of the church members were entirely out of sympathy with the cause of the patriots.
A few weeks after Cornwallis left Newark, late in 1776, the rector departed as did nearly all of the leading members of the church. There was no regularly installed rector until after the war, and the church is believed to have been used as a hospital
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more or less intermittently until after the Continental army had marched towards Yorktown. It is highly probable, too, that it was utilized as a barracks for bodies of Continentals or militia who were more or less constantly in Newark. If Washington and the other members of his staff and of the army who were Episcopalians had wished to attend services there it would have been necessary to refurnish the edifice and provide their own clergymen, and there were not many of that sect in the army. That Washington did enter the church, and through the doorway of the original church tower that is incorporated in the present (the second) Trinity church building, is very probable, on visits to the sick or to inspect it as a barracks.
The church was not entirely without attention on the part of its parishioners, however. Uzal Ogden, a Newark merchant, and one of the wardens of the church who remained in the village dur- ing the war, was, on Easter Monday, 1779, authorized to write to his son, the Rev. Uzal Ogden, then a missionary in Sussex . County who had been ordained a minister of the Church of Eng- land in 1775, "and desire him to visit the Parish at Newark and Second River and confer with them respecting his preaching to then and administering the Sacraments at certain times as shall be agreed upon." He does not seem to have done more than make occasional visitations. Previous to the above call, in February, 1779, Dr. Ogden must have had some temporary connection with the church management, for it is set down in the old church records that he complained to Colonel Shreve that his regiment, the Second New Jersey Continental Line, stationed in the village for that win- ter, had, on February 8 and on February 20 broken open the windows and doors and done other damage to Trinity church.
A force of some size, composed of Tories and British, moved upon Second River early in April, 1777, in all probability coming from Bergen heights, across the Hackensack and along the old Schuyler road, now the Belleville turnpike, and making use of the ford a little distance above the present Belleville bridge over the Passaic. An American account of the affair reads: "A party of
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armed Tories lately made their appearance near Newark, when they were attacked by the Militia, who killed a captain and two privates, and put the rest to flight." A British account in which defeat is virtually acknowledged, coupled with an unreliable story that Gen- eral Greene and his Continentals were in the fight, is as follows: "The expedition to Newark and Second River did not turn out agree- able to our expectations. The tide being rather late, the troops could not land, and lucky for them it was so, for Mr. Greene arrived at Newark yesterday [April 8] evening with a whole brigade ; how- ever, our people crossed Second River, beat the rebels as far back as Wardsesson, killed three of them, without any other loss on our side than that Marsh received a bad wound in the right breast."
This engagement was spoken and written of for several gen- erations thereafter as the "Battle of Wardsesson" (Bloomfield).
About two hundred of Colonel Dayton's regiment, New Jersey Continental Line, were stationed at Newark in the late spring of 1777.
WASHINGTON CHARGED WITH TREACHERY.
From a letter written by a Tory to friends in New York at that time we read that "the men are very badly clothed and almost barefooted; that the generality of the people throughout the Jer- sies express great dissatisfaction at Mr. Washington's Behaviour when he was last attacked at Metouching [Metuchen] Meeting- House, for retreating in such a Manner, and leaving the Inhabit- ants to be plundered; that they begin to suspect Mr. Washington is treacherous, and going to sell their Country. This they are induced to believe from the great Dispersion of the Rebel Army in their Retreat, which was so great that they did not get alto- gether again in seven or eight days."
ACTIVITIES AT SECOND RIVER.
As a matter of fact Washington was at that time, and until the end of June, striving to draw Howe up into the hills or on to ground where, with his inferior and comparatively undisciplined
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army, he would have a fair chance for success in a general engage- ment. It was a very pretty series of maneuvers which we have no time to discuss here. But the British had become exceedingly cautious in dealing with Washington; Trenton and Princeton had taught them much. Near the close of June, Howe put his army on the fleet and sailed for the Chesapeake, and the scene of war shifted to Pennsylvania.
According to an item in Hugh Gaine's New York Gazette and Weekly Mercury, a large part of Washington's army was gathered for a time along Second river at "the Clove," which means the gully along the northern boundary of the present city of Newark, from Summer avenue west. This was late in July, 1777. From there it marched for Philadelphia, passing through the town of Newark, Elizabethtown and onward. The rest of the army pro- ceeded southward from Morristown.
A little later the same industrious newspaper man, once so staunch in his upholding of the patriot cause, announced, on Sep- tember 14, 1777, that a detachment of British troops had captured fourteen "rebel" prisoners at Newark and Second River. The "detachment" was far from small and the occurrence of some importance, as will now appear.
GENERAL CLINTON'S DESCENT UPON ESSEX COUNTY.
Early in September, 1777, General Clinton planned and executed with at least partial success an extensive movement into the "en- emy's country," with Elizabethtown, Newark and Acquackanonck, as the objective points. It was the only regularly laid out series of military maneuvers during the entire war in which Newark had a part. Primarily, it seems to have been the purpose of Clinton to collect as large a number of cattle and as great a quantity of the harvest as possible. But that he also had in mind a still further incursion into the "back country" seems probable, as upwards of five thousand men were engaged, on the British side, in the entire operation. While the British officers still continued to treat the
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Americans with contempt, they had gained a more wholesome respect for their qualities as a foe. Clinton, for instance, now knew well that he needed a strong force to even pass successfully from Elizabethtown, through Newark to Acquackanonck.
"My principal motive was, if possible," Clinton reported to General Howe, on September 23, 1777, "to attempt a stroke against any detached corps of the enemy, if one offered, or, if not, to collect a considerable number of cattle, which would at the same time prove a seasonable refreshment to our troops, and deprive the enemy of resources which I understand they much depended upon, and finally to retire with our booty by the only road practicable with these embarrassments [cattle, foodstuffs and other plunder], to re-embark, return at our camp or proceed on any other expedition if anything presented itself."
The expedition was developed from four points and as nearly simultaneously as was possible, the operations beginning on Sep- tember 12th. Three British regiments, two detachments of Hes- sian grenadiers and three hundred Tories were landed at Elizabeth- town Point. About three hundred men with two cannon were brought around into Newark Bay and up the Hackensack, going ashore at Schuyler's Ferry, commonly known as Dow's Ferry. Three full British regiments, five companies of grenadiers, five cannon and a troop or so of cavalry moved from Fort Lee down on to the flats and across the Hackensack meadows toward the Passaic. Two hundred Tories and forty marines, constituting the fourth division in the undertaking, were landed at Tappan. And all this directed chiefly against the people of Essex County who did not, including men, women and children, number more than 12,000 souls, with none of the Continental army to defend them, and with only their militia to rely upon !
CLINTON'S HEADQUARTERS OPPOSITE BELLEVILLE.
Informed that the troops were in readiness to move, General Clinton, himself, sailed into Newark Bay to Schuyler's landing on the Hackensack and proceeded along the Schuyler road-built by John Sehuyler a dozen years before from his copper mines opposite what is now Belleville to the Hackensack to insure an easy mode of
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transportation for his ore. It is known today as the old Belleville turnpike. Clinton made his headquarters in the John Schuyler house, still standing (1913), some distance east of the river road and a short distance south of the present Belleville bridge over the Passaic.
There he learned that the force that had descended upon Eliza- bethtown had moved beyond that village and was coming toward Newark driving the militia and the cattle before it. He ordered the troops about him to make a demonstration on their side of the river on the "heights of Schuyler" to the east of the John Schuyler house. From the heights the General himself noted that the village of Newark was in turmoil and from the sound of firing gathered that the advance from Elizabethtown was harrying the people to the west of the town of Newark, as well.
He remarks at this juncture in his account to General Howe that "about noon the enemy were much increased in number and had got one piece of cannon."
This means that the militia of Newark and the county were assembling from every direction. During the war Washington presented Captain Nathaniel Camp of Newark with a cannon to be used by the local militia if occasion arose. This may have been the solitary gun which General Clinton noted. It stands on the lawn at Washington's headquarters, Morristown, today, and has been known for over a century as "Old Nat."
ENEMY'S NIGHT MARCH FROM NEWARK.
All day long General Clinton heard the sound of musketry from Newark and to the westward, with an occasional cannon shot. But it was not until nightfall that the British entered the center of Newark, whereupon Clinton sent a messenger to the officer in command of the force in Newark to acquaint him of his (Clinton's) position. For some reason never adequately explained, the force in Newark did not remain there long, its leader deciding it was best to push on toward Acquackanonck. Why ? Clinton does not explain.
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Why, if he had subdued the village of Newark did not the leader of the invading force elect to stay there and pass a comfortable night? Why was he so anxious to push on ?
The inference is that he did not like the temper of the citizen soldiery whom he had aroused. If the militia swept down from the hills west of the village the town centre might become too hot to hold him. Then, and for several hours thereafter, General Clin- ton, watching from the heights of Schuyler, heard the lowing of cattle and the sound of marching men. He noted that the din grew nearer and nearer, and presently he could tell that his force across the Passaic was about opposite him, that is, at Second River. "I judged it best for him to halt until morning," wrote Clinton to Howe, and thus the British halted for the remainder of the night at the "Ravine," as Clinton called it, or on the north side of Second River, about opposite the present Forest Hill station of Greenwood Lake branch of the Erie Railroad.
AN ALL-DAY BATTLE AT SECOND RIVER.
In the morning it became plain that the militia had increased in numbers, and that they now had three pieces of cannon and had arranged them as a battery on the south side of Second River. The situation looked serious enough to call General Clinton across the Passaic to the scene. There was fighting all day long at Second River, on Clinton's admission, which is proof enough that the coun- tryside was thoroughly aroused and that the militia were making a plucky and determined stand against superior numbers and well- disciplined regulars.
"To try their countenance," says Clinton, "and give no [an ?] opportunity to the provincials, I ordered [Van] Buskirk's battalion to march through a cornfield, with an intention of taking in flank a body of the rebels posted behind a stone-wall, and which it would have been difficult to have removed with a front attack. The regi- ment marched with great spirit, and their march, with some little movement to favour it, obliged the rebels to quit without a shot.
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I then repassed the river, desiring General Campbell to lose no opportunity of giving them a brush, and, if possible, of taking their cannon."
CLINTON EXCEEDINGLY CAUTIOUS.
The cannon were not taken, and the British succeeded in mak- ing no demonstration of any consequence, or we may be sure General Clinton would have mentioned it. The whole day through the redcoats had striven to surround the fighting folk of Essex, and had failed, despite the fact that they had a full brigade of trained regulars. It was now Clinton's intention, as night drew on,-the second night since the invaders had left Elizabethtown for Newark and Acquackanonck-to use a company of cavalry, sent from Paulus Hook (now Jersey City) to join the British force at Fort Lee, together with part of the foot force at Fort Lee, to co-operate with his force that had been engaged with the militia of Essex at Second River throughout the day. He wanted these reinforcements in order that he might make sure of surrounding the militia on the hill beside Second River. He was presently informed that the "rebels" at Second River seemed to be departing into the woods, and a little later got word from Fort Lee that the Americans seemed to be gathering in large numbers near the Clove (not far from what is now the State line and not the Second River ravine). So the cautious Clinton ordered the force at Second River to withdraw in the morning, which shows that, although only on the very edge of the region where the militant rebels abounded, he was exceedingly anxious lest he meet with some disaster.
CLINTON COUNTS HIS PLUNDER.
At day break the Second River force proceeded toward Acquackanonck, the cattle that had been taken being brought across the Passaic at the ford, a few hundred feet north of the present Belleville bridge. In the meantime Clinton sent part of his force from the heights of Schuyler across to Second River to "cover the entry of the defile," which no doubt meant the gully leading from
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Second River and Washington avenue to the river road. This maneuver accomplished, the detachment from Schuyler heights returned and remained with its cannon, to hold the Essex militia in check should they again appear and attempt to cross the river, while Clinton proceeded to the neighborhood of Fort Lee. The sup- posed gathering of Americans at the Clove near Fort Lee seems to have been largely imaginary, for the whole expedition retired from New Jersey a few days later. General Clinton's report to General Howe says he brought away 400 head of cattle, "including 20 milch cows for the hospital (which was all I would suffer to be taken from the inhabitants), 400 sheep and a few horses." And these figures were probably not greatly exaggerated, although the greater part of the live stock is believed to have been taken in the territory between the Passaic and Hackensack rivers. He reported eight killed, nineteen wounded, ten missing and five of his people taken prisoners. He made no effort to estimate the Ameri- can loss. He was inclined to think that in the day-long engagement, the Essex militia were reinforced from the Continental army, but this is very doubtful.
The whole occurrence is of interest and value. The expedition was typical of many, many others, and serves to demonstrate that the people of this neighborhood had now come to realize the kind of warfare they must carry on if they were to co-operate with the Continental army in achieving independence. They were not often strong enough to wage a pitched battle, but they could present a sturdy resistance to the enemy's advance into their country, punish him severely at every point where the ground was favorable and hang on his flanks and rear, and harry him unmercifully from the instant he began the inevitable retreat.15
15 It was this battle of Second River that little Miss Jemima Cundict (Condit), of Orange, wrote the following in her diary already quoted in the last chapter: "September 12, 1777. on friday there Was an alarm, our Militia was Called. The Regulars Come over into elesabeth town, Where they had a Brush With a Small Party of our People; then marched Quietly up to Newark; & took all the Cattle they Could. there was five of the militia [of] Newark [killed ] they killed Samuel Crane & took Zadock and Allen heady and Samuel freeman Prisnors. one out of five run and escapt.
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Late in January, 1778, the Newark Academy, built by the public-spirited people of the town, on Washington Park, was re. opened "for the reception of twenty scholars, under the tuition of the Rev. Mr. Robert Davidson, at forty shillings each quarter for tuition and fifteen pounds for boarding The building had been used for a portion of the previous two years and a half as a hospital for soldiers.
But the people were vigilant, nevertheless, and at about the same time one half of the able-bodied men were always on duty, as militiamen, patrolling the banks of the Passaic and holding them. selves in readiness to repel invasion, or at least retard it. "In case of refusal to do such duty," says a newspaper account of the time, "or neglect of any person, the Capt. of the Company to which he belongs has Power to hire a Man in his Room, for a certain Sum agreed upon for one Month, which Sum is to be levied off the Delinquent's estate, at the expiration of the time, and sometimes the fine amounts to £100."
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