USA > New Jersey > Morris County > Annals of Morris County > Part 10
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On the twenty-second of December, Colonel
Inasmuch as this gentleman bore a promi- nent part in the affairs of the State, up to the time of his death, having been honored with several responsible offices in the State and Ar- my, and, furthermore, as the name is connect- ed with that of Washington's Winter-quarters, in 1779-'80, a lew facts concerming bun will be interesting.
In the diary of the late Hon. Gabriel H. Ford, son of Colonel Jacob Ford, Junior, was found the following entry : - "THURSDAY, 21 June, 1849. A ceusus was taken in the years 1771 aud 1772, in the British Provinces of America, and deposited, after the Ravolution, as publie ar- chives at Washington ; but their room becom- ing much wanted, those of each Province were delivered to the members of Congress, from it, to eull what they chose, preparatory to a buru- ing of all the rest ; Gen. Mablon Dickerson. then a member from New Jersey, selected some from the County of Morris and sent me vester- day a copy, verbatim, of one entry as follows :- 'Widow Elizabeth Lindsley, mother of Col. Ja- cob Ford, (Senior), was born in the City of Ax- ford, in Old England ; came into Philadelphia when there was but one house in it ; and into this Province when she was but one year and a half old. Deceased April 21st, 1772, aged 91 years and one month.' I always understood, in the family, by tradition from her, (whose short stature and slender, bent person I elearly recall, having lived in the same house with her and with my parents, in my grandfather's fam- ily, at her death and before it,) that her father fled from England when there was a universal dread of returning Popery and persecution, three years before the death of Charles the Second, A. D. 1682, and two years before acces- sion of James the Second, in 1684; that while landing his goods, Philadelphia, he fell from a plank into the Delaware river and was drowned between the ship and the shore, leaving a fam- ily of young children in the wilderness ; that she had several children by her first husband, whose name was Ford, but none by her second husband, whose name was Lindsley, at whose death she was taken into the family of her son, Col. Jacob Ford, Sen., and treated with filial ten ferness the remaining years of her life, which were many. I am in the 85th year (since
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January last) of my age, being born in 1765, and was seven years old at her death."
This interesting item is in a clear, beautiful handwriting, quite remarkable in a man eighty- Colonel Ford continued on duty until the thirty-first of December, when on parade he was taken ill of the sickness of which he died on the eleventh of January, 1777, nearly thirty - nine years of age. By order of General Wash- ington, who a few days before hal reached four years old. The family name of Mrs. Lind- sley and the origin of her first husband I have not seen. From the earliest organization ot Morris county, in 1739, her son, Colonel Jacob Ford, Senior, was a leading man. In 1740, he was one of the Judges of "the Inferior Court of | Morristown, this gallant officer's remains were Common Pleas for Morris County," and, for buried with the honors of war. It is not with- out interest here, to state the fact that the father, Colonel Jacob Ford, Senior. died on the nineteenth of the same month. Both families. at that time, were hving in the house which Washington occupied as his Head-quarters the second Winter in Morristown. Colonel Ford, Jumor's widow wasa daughter of the venerable pastor of the Presbyterian Church, in Morris- town, the excellent and patriotic Rev. Doctor Timothy Johnes. This lady was afterwards honored as the hostess of Washington. many years, he appears to have delivered the Charges to the Grand Jury, and was not unfre- quently a member of the lower Honse in the Provincial Assembly. Being a man of thor- ongh business habits and industry, he was suc- cessful in accumulating property. His second son and name-sake was born in 1738, and when the Revolutionary War began, he was one .ot the most enterprising and successful business men in the County. In 1769, he had boldly ven - tured some fourteen miles into the mountains, North-west of Morristown, to build a Forge for manufacturing iron. In 1770, he built the old stone honse at Mount Hope ; and, in 1772, he sold the property to John Jacob Faesch, who erected a blast farnace on it. Previous to the War, he had been entrusted with some difficuit missions by the State, which he executed to general satisfaction. (American Archives, V., iii., 290, 292, 293, 564, etc.) But the greatest service he rendered his country was as the builder of the Powder-mill, on the Whippany river, near Morristown. Early in 1776, as may be inferred from a manuscript in the New Jer- sey Historical Society, he "offered to erect a Powder mill, in the County of Merri , for the Making of gunpowder, an article so essential at the present time ;" and that the Provincial Congress "agreed to lend him two thousand pounds of the Publick money for one year, without interest, on his giving satisfactory se- . curity for the same, to be repaid within the time of one year in good Merchantable Powder" -the first installment "of one ton of good Mer- chantable Powder," to be paid on first of July noxt, and one ton per month thereafter till the sum of two thousand pounds be paid," (Bote- ler Papers, in the New Jersey Historical Socie- ty.) This mill was forthwith erected ; and there is good reason to suppose that some of Colonel Ford's "good Merchantable Powder" proved a valuable auxiliary in the Battles of Springfield, Trenton, Assanpink, and Prince- ton. The fact is interesting as a part of the history of the Revolutionary struggle, and as showing one reason for tho repeated but fruit- less attempts of the enemy to reach Morris- town. From the letters of General Heath and General MeDougal, and the modest letters of Colonel Ford himself, it is evident that ho had
done good service to bis country ; and this ser- vice was much applauded at the time. 'Amer- ican Arebives, V .. iii. 1259, 1278, 1419. )
After the Battle of Princeton, the British went into Winter quarters, at New Brunswick, and the Americans at Morristown. What was the number of troops with Washington, I can- not state ; but it was small. as is plain from nis letters. On reaching Mor istown Washington wrote, "the situation is by no means favorable to our views, and as soon as the purposes are answered for which we came, I think to re- move, though I confess I do not know how we shall proenre covering for our men, elsewhere." (Sparks's Washington, iv., 264.) And yet, all things considered, it may be doubted whether a better position could have been chosca, >itu- ated as it is among ranges of mountains ex- tending from the Delaware to the Hudson. Re- peated trials proved it to le finely adapted to repelfing the enemy, who could not approach in any direction without the movement being de- tected and the invasion communicated to a highly patriotic population by signal-guns and beacon fires. The means of communicating with the posts on the Delaware and Hudson were easy ; aud, besides all this, largo portions of the surrounding country were cultivated, affording food and shelter to the soldiers. The fact that Washington wintered the second time at Morristown. proves that he had changed his views of it. The character of the County may be inferred Irom the fact that Governor Liv- ingston, of New Jersey, removed his family to Parsippany, a few miles North-east of Morris- town, tor their greater security ; and, for years the honse be rented was known as "The Gov- ernor's House."
General Washington reached Morristown on the seventh of Jannary, 1777, and took up his quarters at a tavern owned and kept by Colo- nel Jacob Arnold, the commander of a Squad-
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ron of Light Horse, winch did efficient service. | The records of the courts show that the pecun- This was a two story house, on the West side of the Morristown Green ; and it is still stand- ing, but greatly changed. A hall passed through the centre of the house ; and on the South side of this hall were two rooms, com- municating with each other by a door. The front room was occupied by Washington for a general office, sitting room and parlor, and the back room for his sleeping apartment. These two rooms have since been thrown into one, which is still used as a store. This old build- ing has been refitted, and is likely to stand ma- Ity years. as a memento of the greatest man over sheltered under its roof. From this house issned the noble letters of Washington that Winter, which were so efficient in promoting the cause of our national independence.
"The Magazine" was on the South side of the Green, on a lot where now stands the Wash- ington Hall; and tradition says that frequent- ly wagons, apparently loaded with casks of powder and guarded by soldiers, might be seen passing from the powder mill to the magazine; but many of these casks contained SAND, in or- der to deceive spies, who would thus give a flat- tering account of this part of our mihtary tor s.
In the North-west corner of the Green, stood the old court house and jail, so famous as the common prison of fories caught, not only in Morris, but Essex, Bergen and Sussex coun- ties.
Just East of the present building of the First Presbyterian Church, stood the old Meeting- house, which, as we shall see, was used this Winter as a hospital for the army. Following the street towards the depot we see the house occupied by the minister, Doctor Johnes, -- it is still standing-and half a mile further on, we reach a beautiful swell of land, commanding magnificent scenery, in the midst of which is the "Ford Mansion."
Taking the road which goes North from the Green, in less than a mile, we come to the iden- tica! house, built by Lewis Condict, a distin- guished patriot and, through the war, an inde- latigable member of the State Privy Council. Taking the road which goes West about two miles you reach the sito of the house used by General Knox, of the artillery, the second Win- ter in Morristown. On the South-east corner of the Green, where is now the store of Mr. William M. Lindslev, was the office of the Com- missary. At this time Morristown was a mere village, but surrounded by a fine farming re- gion, which was quite thickly peopled.
It is interesting and affecting to glean from reliable sources, the facts which indicate the character and condition of the people in Morris Co. at the time Washington came among them.
iary affairs of the people were very much em- barrassed. The masses of the people were Whigs ; but there were some Tories. Thomas Millege, a leading man, residing in Hanover, was elected Sheriff of the county ; but as we learn from a letter of his dated April 2d, 1776, he had scruples abont taking the oath. His scruples ripened into genuine toryism ; and he joined the enemy, hoping thus to save his large estate from confiscation. He died an exile ; and his estate was confiscated. In Hanover, "an English emigrant, a man of considerable prop- city, and uot a little HAUTEUR who had drunk deeply into toryism," was holding "many an ardent controversey" with celebrated "Parson Gren," Presbyterian minister of the parish, on the subject of American Independence. Ashbel Green, the parson's son, heard the talk, and af- terwards was amused to see this Tory standing up in the church on a Sunday whilst the mis- ister read his confession of the sin of toryism, being carnestly moved thereto by the rumor that he had been threatened with a coat of tar and feathers, by some hot bloods in Morris- town. This was in the forenoon; and the cul- prit rode rapidly to the said "'neighboring town," to get Doctor Johnes to read for him, the same confession there, which the Doctor at last convinced him was unnecessary. (Dr
Green's Life, 33-36. )
About twelve miles North from Morristown, in "Rockaway Valley," was a nest of Tories, but some sterling patriots. The goodly farms of the latter, the Tories were sure would be con- fiscated by and by, and in so many words, had selected their share in the forfeited estates ; but, as Providence willed it, the confiscations took place on the other side of the question. The patriots met in a stone house which yet stands; and the greatest MAN among them was the strong-minded wife of one Fre. eric Miller, who annihilated all the faint-heartedness of her Whig friends by her owu brave bearing.
Over in Mendham, seven miles West of Mor- ristown, Captain David Thompson -- devout, Godly, most eloquent in praver-only repre- sented his neighbors in that old Presbyterian congregation, when in answer to a brother offi- cer who exclaimed at a very critical time in our affairs : "We are ruined; what shall we do now ?" he said, devoutly raising his eyes to- wards heaven, "I suppose we can yet trust in God." And Captain Thompson's wife, Hannah Carey, was the true representative of her sex in Morris, when she said to the starving sol- diers : "You are engaged in a good cause, and we are willing to share with you what we have as long as it lasts."
In Whippany, five miles North-east of Morris- town, noble Anna Kitchel, wife of Uzal, scorn-
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ed to get a "British Protection," when urged by good. but taint-hearted, Deacon - having, as she said, "a husband. father, and five bro - thers iu the American army, and if the God of Battles will not care for us, we will fare with the rest !" It was well said, that saying of An- na Kitchel In fact when we get at the history of that Winter we find that not a small part of the provisions which sustained the soldiers, was raised, the previous season by the women and servants, aided by men and boys, too old or too young to assist in defending the coun- try.
About this time Charlas Hoff, the manager of Lord Stirling's Hibernia Furnace, is assur- ing his employer that with skilful workinen they can cast very good cannon there-in fact, they did cast one on a certain day. "which missed in the breach ; all the rest wis sound and good." But then Mr. Hoff and John Jacob Facsch are very successful in casting cannon balls and grape, which no doubt did execution when impelled by some of Colonel Ford's "good Merchantable Powder." Meanwhile, about New Year's day, lion-hearted and lion-voiced Colonel William Winds-afterwards General- has conducted the Morris County regiment home, from the North; and often he is seen riding, or rather rushing along the highways, 1:ever able to get along fast enough.
In Morristown there was Benoni Hatheway, first Major, then Colonel, a man who after- ward believed in the "Morristown Ghost." and whose faith in witches led him to keep the sov- ereign horse shoe nailed somewhere about his premises ; but there was nothing else he fear- ed. and very often he rushed among the enemy in baltle like a cannon ball. Benoni managed the powder in the magazine just right, having the same made into cartridges.
If we look at the churches of Morris county, we find them sound to the core on the doctrine of the nation's independence. Excepting per- haps, two Baptist Churches at Morristown and Schooley's Mountain, there were no Churches but Presbyterian, with one or two Reformed Dutch. And the Ministers thought them- selves preaching the Gospel, when they taught their people, " ont of the Scriptures," what are the rights of men and nations. Thus, Parson Woodhull, of Black River-now 'Chester- preached so discreetly and pungently, on these vital points, that the people sent him, for seve- ral years, to the Provincial Congress, to vote for them, there. In Hanover, Parson Green, an extraordinary man, in some doggerel verse of the day, addressed, as "preacher and teacher, " Doctor and Proctor, Miller and Distiller," was exerting a prodigious influence, in the same direction. This man, Rev. Jacob Green, was, in some respects, the most extraordinary
man in the County; eminent, as a preacher and a physician, and long sighted, as a states- man. In Morristown, was the mild, gifted, and beloved Doctor Johmes, most assidnons Pa -- tor, mos: strenuous patriot, and once dispens- ing the Comnmmion elements to George Wash- ington, at a meeting held in the Grove, be- cause the Church was needed for a hospital. In Bottle Hill -now Madison-was good Pasta Azariah Horton, " who was not a whit behind the chiefest " patriots. in his zeal for American liberty. In Mendham. was Pastor Lowis, soo. to be called to higher enjoyments ; but he preached and praved national independence, as part of the Gospel. In such Churches as Rocka ray and Succasnuna, having no Minis- ters, they held "Deacon's meetings ;" and it was always noticed, that when brave William Winds prayed, in the old, unplastered Church. at Rockaway, his voice would become excited, even lond as thunder, as he implored God to break the arm of the oppressor and give Amer- ica freedom. Eunice Kitchel-afterward the venerable Mrs. Pierson of Rockaway-who died in her minets-fourth year, often heard Winds stormy patriotic prayers ; and knew they sti ick a tender chord in the popular heart.
We have not dealt in imagination, but have stated facts, gathered from authentic sources, in thus sketching the state of things, in Mor- ris County, when Washington came here in January, 1777. The people were embarassed with debt ; but everything they had, they were willing to share with their country, and also to give her their " men of war able to bear the sword." There were some Tories, but the records of the Court prove that such were loudly called on to " repent or perish." The old Jail on the Morristown Green, was full of Tories and other prisoners. And, looking at the facilities of defence and communication, the ardent patriotism of the people and the Ministers of Morris County, we may question the soundness of Washington's opinion, that " the situation is by no meeus favorable to one views."
It is not an easy, but it is an interesting, task to glean and weave together the facts, vet available, showing what was the situation of the Army, during that Winter. The testimony of old people, incidental illusions is Dews- papers and manuscripts of that time, will give us much information. I: is, indeed, a singular l'aet, that in a national work, Sparks' Writings of Washington. the map of "Military Movements in New Jersey." Bottle Hill is not even pot down, nor any reference made to the main en- campment, that Winter of 1776-7, near Bottle Hill, in what was called Lowantica Vahey, of late years known as Spring Valley. Nor is any allusion made to it, in that other great national
ANNALS OF MORRIS COUNTY.
book, Lossing's Field Book of the Revolution. By frequeut conversations, with aged people, especially soldiers, the writer of this has long been acquainted with the general faet of the main encampment being there; but the de- tarled account of it has been gathered, with great labor, by the Rev. Samuel L. Tu tle, at one time the Pastor of the Presbyterian choreb, in Madison, formerly Bottle Hill, and, with his consent. I quote his manuscript.
" The valley to which reference has been made" -- says Mr. Tuttle in his Bottle Hill, during the Revolution-"and which was select- ed as the place of encampment, was called Lo- waniea, which is an Indian uame, from the brook which runs through il. * *
* * Commencing at a point, a httle South of Mer- ristown, and running in a sonth-easterly direc- tion. for the distance of abont five miles, it oses itself in the vicinity of Green Village. in what is commonly bnown as the Great Swamp. The Lowantica, which runs through this valley, is an unusually clear and beantilul stream, which is formed from the springs which abound in the valley, and gush forth, in all their native purity, at almost every step."
"At the time of which we are now speaking. nearly the whole of this beantitnt valley. hol excepting the place of the encampment, was covered with a heavy growth of tunser. * * To this well-chosen spot. then, did the Ameri- ran Army repair, for the purpose of going into Winter-quarters. The weather, at the time, was exceedingly cold. Piching their tents, at first, wherever they could find places for them; they continned to occupy them it is believed, for two or three weeks, until they were able to voustruet more substantial and comfortable ac commodations. The centre of the ground, marked ont for the on ampment, was not far from the present mansion of Mr. A. M. Tread- well. * * * The location was * admirably adapied to the objects for which it was selected. The ground, at that point, giad- mally descends towards the south-east, and is shickled, m a great measure, by the crown of hill back of it, from the severe winds and storms from North-east, North, and North-west. A little Sonth of it, runs the Lowantica ; and, still nearer, are several very large and excellent springs. The encampment began on the slope. West of the spot veenpied b. Mr. Treadwell's residence. * One principal street, * between four and five rods wide, was laid out in the middle, in the centre of which stood the Hag-staff, which, by this time, had come to be called 'the Liberty Pole,' from the top of which our national banner floated. This street was kept in excellent condition, and was used as a paraJo-grond : although there is some reason to believe that the tine level space, on the hill,
north of the camp, was used for this purpose on special occasions, such as general parades and reviews, The general direction of the mani street was North-east and South-west. On this were constructed the cabins of the officers which were somewhat larger than those which werd put up for the soldiers. On either side of thuis leading avenne, were either one or two other streets, innning in the same general di- rection, and about forty feet in width. On these the cabins of the soldiers were built, ia some cases single but oftener in blocks of three. four and five together ; whilst outside of them. especially on the northern side, others w fr constructed, without any special reference to the streets, but rather in reference to the char- aeter of the ground, the side hill there being indented with several deep gullies. The cabins. of which all the aged people in the vicinity agice there were a large number-probably as many as three hundred in all-where made of unhewn logs and covered with rough elap- boards, split ont of the forest. * In
one end of cach cabin, a rough stone fire-place was thrown np, surmounted by a plaistered stick-chimney ; while, in the other end of each structure, a bank, or sleeping-place, was ercet- ed with clap-boards and small pieces of timber. resting on erotebes, which were driven into. the ground. These buuks reached across the entire end of the cabins, and being filled with straw. were made to accommodate ten or twelve soldie & each. *
* * Rongh elap-board benches answered them for seats. Huge fires were kept continually blazing day and nig .. 1. and these constituted the sum-total of their Inrniture.
ยท Several very large cabins were erected for the accommodation of the Commissionary De- partment and camp stores : a d there are be- heved too bave boen located on the southern borders of the Camp, in the vicinity of the springs, a'ready referred to. In that part of the Camp, were also the cabins erected and oc- enpied by the Suttlers, who drove on a brisk trade in various groceries, especially good whiskey. * * * * A little farther down. towards the Lowantica, rude sheds were built for sheltering the horses belonging to the eamp. * * * * Here, too, the baggage and artillery wagons were drawn up in lines.
"On the outermost limits of the encampment, several log gnard-bonses were built for the sentinels, whose duty it was in regular beats, to pass back and forth, along the four sides of the camp day and night."
Thexe taets were derived from several aged people, who resided. all their lives, in that vicinity, and who had frequently been in the Camp, the Winter and Spring it was orenpied. The writer of this article has frequently con-
ANNALS OF MORRIS COUNTY.
versed with Mrs. Eunice Pierson, whose has- band, Darius Person, was living with bis father, on the farm, a part of which was used for the Camp : and she had the same general information from her husband, who has often pointed out to her, the location and plan of the Camp, so that, in the main, the above minnte description is doubtless correct. Mr. Tuttle nas also p inted ont the private honses, in the vicinity, which were occupied by Col. Francis Barbour, Colonel Matthias Ogden, Major Eaton, Colonel Marsh, General Wayne, and other officers, in the course of this or other Winters, during the War.
The beautiful Lowantica Valley is a place hallowed with patriotic associations ; and never should it be forgotten that, along its gentle slopes, a part of the Army which achieved the victories of Trenton and Princeton, heroically suffered great privations : and that, often, the great men of the Revolution, Alexander Ham- ilton, Anthony Wayne, Baron Steuben, and, above all, pre-eminent, Washington, have here reviewed the brave bnt thinned ranks of their Army. Here, too, the martyr, Caldwell, of Elizabethtown, idohzed by the soldiers, has "held forth the word of life," with simple but effective eloquence, and, with fervent pathos. has supplicated the aid of Him in whose sight "the nations are as grasshoppers," m behalf of the defenders of their Country. Nor should if be forgotten, that, along the slopes of the Lowantica Valley and in its immediate vicinity are many unknown graves, in which were buried patriot soldiers who died, that Winter, of diseases induced by hardship, or by the smatl-pox which prevaited. Bnt of this more in another place.
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