USA > New Jersey > Morris County > Annals of Morris County > Part 15
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taking possession of the log-huts just con- pleted by our sokliers, where we shall have more comfortable accommodations ;" and vet in March, he says, "our soldiers are in a wretched condition for want of clothes, blan- kets, and shoes ; and these calamitous circum- stances are accompanied by a want of pro- visions." (Thaeher's Military Journal, 187. )
From these letters, written by actual wit- nesses, we are able to gather enough of facts to aid us in appreciating the conditon of the Arıny.
I may appropriately close this historical monograph with an original letter of Washing- ton, which has never yet been published, and which is a very striking commentary on the difficulties of his position the last, Winter he was in Morristown. It was found among some old papers, in the possession of Stephen Thomp- son, Esq., of Mendham, New Jersey, a son of Captain David Thompson, who is referred to in this article. It will be remembered that the great suow-storm which caused such di-tress in the camp, began on the third of January. 1780. The famine which threatene I the Army, caused Washington to write a letter "to the Magistrates of New Jersey," which is published in Apark's editions of the Writings of Washing- 1011. A copy of that letter was inclosed in the letter which is now published for the first time. It is a valuable letter. as showing that Wash- ington's "integrity was most pure, his justice most milexible."
HEAD QUARTERS, MORRISTOWN, January 2. 1750. " SIR, -The present distresses of the Army. with which son are well acquainted, have de - termined me to call upon the respective Coun- ties of the State for a proportion of grain and cattle, according to the alibties of each.
" For this purpose, I have addressed the Magistrates of every County, to induce them to nudertake the business. This mode I have preferred as the one least inconvenient to the inhabitants ; but, in case the requisition should not be complied with, we must then raise the snpphes ourselves in the best manner we can. This I have sigintied to the Magistrates.
" I have pitched upon you to superintend thi execution of this measure in the County of Bergen, which is to furnish two hundred head of cattle and eight hundred Unshels of grain.
"Yon will proceed, then, with all dispatch. and calling upon the Justices, will deliver the inclosed Address, enforcing it with a more particular detail of the sufferings of the troops. the better to convince them of the necessity of their exertions. You will, at the same time. let them delicately know that yon are instruct- ed, in case they do not take up the business immediately, to begin to impress the articles called for throughont the County. You will!
1
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ANNALS OF MORRIS COUNTY.
press for an immediate answer, and govern yourself accordingly. If it be a compliance, von will concert with them a proper place for the reception of the articles and the time of the delivery, which, for the whole, is to be iu four days after your appheation to them. The owners will bring their grain and cattle to this place, where the grain is to be measured and the cattle esti mated by any two of the Magis- trates, in conjunction with the Commissary, Mr. Vorbes, who will be sent to you for the purpose, and certificates given by the Com- missary, specifying the quantity of each article
and the terms of payment. These are to be previously settled with the owners, who are to choose whether they will receive the present market price --- which, if preferred, is to be in- serted-or the market price at the time of pay- ment. Immediately on reeciving the answer of the Magistrates, you will send me word what it is.
" In case of refasal, you will begin to impress till you make up the quantity required. This von will do with as much tenderness as possible to the inhabitants, having regard to the stock of rach individual, that no family may be deprived, of its necessary subsistence. Milch cows are not to be included in the impress. To enable you to execute this business with more effeet and less inconvenience, you wilt call upon Colo- nel Fell and any other well-affected active man in the County, and endeavor to engage their advance and assistance. Yon are also anthor- ized to impress wagons for the transportation ot the grain.
"If the Magistrates undertake the business, which I should intimately prefer, on every ac- vount, you will endeavor to prevail upon them to assign milis for the reception and prepara- tion of such gram as the Commissary thinks will not be immediately necdInl in the Camp.
"I have roposed this trust in yon from a perf. ct confidence in your prudence, zeal, and respect for the rights of citizens. While your measures aro adapted to the emergency, and voi consult what you owe to the service, I am persuaded you will not forget that, as we are compelled by necessity to take the property of citizens for the support of the Army, on whom their safety depends, you should be careful to manifest that we have a respect for their rights, and wish not to do any thing which that necessity, and even their own good, do not absolutely require.
,I ,am, Sir, with great respect and esteem, " Your most obedient servant, " Go. WASHINGTON.
" P. S. After reading the letter to the Jns- tices yon will seal it.
"LT. COL. DE HART."
HISTORY OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF ROCKAWAY
PREFACE,
The principal portions of this History were delivered in FIVE LECTURES to the church and congregation of Rockaway. The circumstances which led to the delivery of the first discourse were remarkable and they are deseribed in the opening paragraphs of the disconrse itsell. It is now nearly eighteen years since that occa- sien, and yet the history of he church was on- ly brought down in a third lecture to the close of the second pastor's term of office. The Con- tennial year has led some of the people to de- sire this history to be completed. This re- quest is so far heeded as now to bring the nar- rative to the close of Dr. King's ministry. This was delivered in two discourses July 30th. 1876. For obvious reasons only a bare refer- ence is made to his colleague who was with him from November, 1847, to April, 1862. The task of writing the history of the church as connect- ed with the pastors who have occupied its pul- pit but are still living, is left for some other pen. Let me add that Iam greatly indebted to my friend, E. D. Halsey, for valuable aid espe- cially in fixing some of the earlier dates. Nor is this the first help I have had from him in tracing the history of Morris County.
August 29th, 1876.
THE HISTORY.
The cireunistances under which we have come together are not a little extraordinary. This church has to-day enjoyed the rare privilege of listening to the memorial discourse in which your venerable pastor has traeco the history of God's providence as seen in his mimstry of more than fifty veurs to one people. His ofti- cial relations during that period in several cases bave been with tive generations of the same family. It has been an eventful period to this church, determining its character and position in this community perhaps for ages to come. A great work has been accomplished by the simple agency not of a flash preacher, » famous orator, but by the divinely blessed preaching of a man gifted with good sense, piety and industry. To say he has boon lead- ing us over that period, and as he announced his text, "The Lord hath blessed thec since my coming," our minds flashed over the pros- trate condition of things here in 1807, the signs of new and vigorons life which were dis- played in the revivals of 1808, 1818 and 1831. the hundred converted and the vast good done, and we involuntarily said in our hearts, "it is truly so, the Lord hath blessed ns since his servant came here!"
69
ANNALS OF MORRIS COUNTY.
That occasion was as delightful as it is rare, and all its themes illustrate the grace of God. It is not very likely that this church will again have the privilege of hearing a half-century ermon from one of its pastors.
To-night I shall invite you to accompany me muto a more remote field than that to-day dis- cussed by the pastor, and whilst to me it is full ofinterest, I shall have to claim your indul- gence and patience, whilst cudeavoring to bring np from the past the people who first dweit and acted here, the manner in which they lived, and especially all the fac's connected with the most important work they did -- that of found- ing this church-which is now so venerable in our eyes, with the toils and honors of ber first hundred years.'
Every community has a history which, if properly related, must be interesting to those who are members of that community. In its beginnings and its progress it may have borne a very humble part in the grand drama which the world is acting, and yet humble as is that part it is both interesting and important to those who acted it. This is my apology, if any le needed, for attempting to write the Instory of this church. It has never ocenpied a very prominent position except iu thus community and vicinity. It is neither a Wittenburgh nor a Geneva, the center of religions revolution, and the famous scene of great deeds. Nor yet has it the notoriety which sometimes is given to a community by great wealth. Our histo- ry spread out on the pages of general Instory would seem out of place, and it would suffer eclipse from the more distinguished transactions recorded on the same pages. But tor ts the history of this church has more attractions than many deeds sufficientiy important to oe- «upy the pen of the general historian. Here our lathers fought out the battle of hfe agamst real difficulties ; here they felt the wants which preosed on them as the moral creatures of God; here they wrestled with principalities and pow- ers ; here they laid the foundations of the church ; and here they died, leaving the work to their successors, and then sepulchres are with us to this day. They were not as great meu as many who have lived, nor was the en- terprise they set on foot as distinguished as many others ; yet in them and in their work we cannot but feel a very pecuhar interest.
To write this history is no casy task, owing to the want of records and other materials from which to weave the narrative. For some years my attention has been turned to this subject, and whenever opportunity has been given 1 have been gathering the materials for this his- tory. The records of the Parish in the form of a book quite worn and perishing, and also many loose papers have been copied for me by
two young gentlemen of the congregation. This alone cost the copying of four hundred pages of letter sheet. Besides this I have been at great labor in examining the records of neighboring churches, our early county records, rare books and mannscripts in the Libraries of the Historical Societies of New York and New Jersey, the State Library at Trentou, the Res- ords of Deeds and Wills for East and West Jer- sey in the office of the Secretary of State at Trenton, and also in looking for facts by cor- responding with gentlen.en whose investiga- tions wonkt be likely to fit them to aid me in my search. The beginners of society here were plain people, the most of whom were nuedu- cated. The records of the church prove this, and yet though they left no voluminous details of their doings, and their position was one se cluded araong the mountains, I have been grat- ified and surprised to tind many faets which belong to that history, sufficient to make it iu- teresting to us if not sufficiout to make that history complete.
I have spent not a little effort to fix a date to the beginnings of the settlement in this parish, but without as much success as I ex- pected. The original settlement at Hanover was "about A. D., 1710." (Rev. Jacob Green, Hist. Hanover Church.) I have seen one deed which indicated that in 1715 a traet of land had been conveyed in the present township of Mor- ris. (East Jersey Records, Liber F, 3, p. 28.) And I think it likely that the settlement in Morristown was begnu as early as that date. In 1713 James Wills made the first purchase of land in Mendham. (Hasting's His. Sermon MS.) "The tract of land now constituting the township of Chester was surveyed and run into lots in 1713 and 1714, and began to be settled soon after by emigrants from Southokl, Long Island." ( Records of Chester Cong. Church, containing Rev. Abner Morse' Historical Ser- mon.) In 1713 one Joseph Kirkbride located two tracts of land in the township of Raudolph amounting to hear 6,000 acres. In the same year one Hartshorn Fitz Randolph located 527 acres in same vicinity, Wm. Schooley, son of the William Schooley who settled on Schooley's Mountain, bought 600 acres. iueluding Mill Brook, and built the first grist mill in this re- gion. His brother-in-law, Richard Dell, moved on the Detl farm, now owned by Miller Smith. in 1759, a mile East of Dover on the lower road to Rockaway. Gen. Winds made Is purchase of Thomas and Richard Penn mu 1756. One John Jackson-probably brother of the grand- father of the late Col. Joseph Jackson- bought of one Latham, who bought of Hartshorne Fitz Randolph 527 acres, which included the water privileges at Dover. This was in 1722 when Jackson built the first forge. In 1757 the
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ANNALS OF MORRIS COUNTY.
mid property passed into the hands of Josiah Beman. (Richard Brotherton's statement.)
These facts give me confidence in the opinion that not long after the settlement of what is now called Randolph township, in which Dover is, the settlers began to come into this region. It will be safe for the present to assume this, at least until further examinations give us defin- ite knowledge.
The late Mr. Jacob Losey, whose acquain- tance with this section and its original settlers was very extensive, once told me that the set- tlement at Dover was commenced about 1722, when a forge for making iron was built not far from the present residence of Jacob Hurd, west of the village. He also said that there were a few settlers in the immediate vicinity of Rock- away as early as 1730, when a small bloomery forge was built near the site of the present upper forge now owned by S. B. Halsey, Esq. In this opinion the late Col. Joseph Jackson, a very intelligent judge, comcided. Experience bad led me to suspect any merely traditionary evidence in deciding dates, but it could not have been far out of the way in this instance.
The Penn Tract of 1,250 acres was located on " West Jersey Right' m 1715, and in 'he next year the Baldle & Bellars tracts, also of 1,250 acres each, and on West Jersey Right were tak- en op. These tracts joined each other. The Penn tract reaching from the top of the moun- tam, back of Mr. King's former residence, to beyond the Fraukhu road. The Behars tract extending from it to the neighborhood of Den- ville, and the Biddle traet extended from near Denville to and beyond the Rockaway river, north of the road leading to Rockaway. These large tracts were located probably to secure the land for after sale to actual settlers.
In 1740, March 25th, at a meeting of the "Generat Sessions of the Peace" the Court di- vided "the County of Morris into Proper Town- ships or Districts," not including the territory now embraced in Sussex and Warren Counties. which then belonged to Morris, Exclusive of that territory Morris county was divided into three townelaps, Hanover, Morris and Pequin- ock. That order of the Court also fixes the da v of the time when Morristown received its present name in place of "West Hanover," or, "New Hanover," by which it was known previ- ons to that time. A certain district was "or- dered by the Court" to be "callel and Distin- guished by the name of MonnIsTOWN."
Pegnanock Township, as the records of the Court show, was bounded on the south-east by "the Pissaick, " on the East and North-east by "the Pequanock river to the Lower end of the (ir. at Pond at the head thereof," and on the South and West by the Rockaway river from its junetion with the Passaic, following "the
West branch thereof to the head thereof, aud thence cross to the Lower End of the said Pond." This "Great Pond" I think must be "Long Pond," and the boundary line followed the Ringwood branch of the Pequanock. The greater portion of this parish was in the town- ship of Pequannock. The remainder was in Hanover. The boundary dividing Hanover and Morris began at Chatham, thence to "the Old Iron Works," at "Whippaning." thence across the mountain to "Succasunning," and "thener to the Great Pond on the head of the Museol .- neeung." Hanover then inclu led all of Hoch . away and Randolph townships South of the Rockaway river. The minuteness with which these boundaries are described convinces m" that settlers were scattered through this region previous to the date of that order of the Court. (Oldest Book ot Records of Morris Conuts Courts, in Clerk's office at Morristown.) But as yet I find no deeds even as early as 1740, al- though there is no doubt about there being famities in this region at that time. My ong theory of accounting for this is the conjecture that for a number of years those who lived bele were drawn here by the facilities of makilig iron, and that they exercised a sort of "squat- ter's Sovreignty" over the land without arquir- ing any title from the Proprietors. Many of the "locations" speak of buildings already built on the land described. Add to this another fact, that the early settlers in this region rareis had their deeds put on record, and you can ive- connt for the absence of documentary proof a. to the times when the lands in this region be- gan to be bought.
Among the earliest names I have yet it? able to find are those of Robert Schooley, Al- ner Beach, Gilbert Hedden, David Beman, Ju- seph and Stephen Jackson-father and son Hart shorne Fiz Randolph, John Jackson, Richard Dell, William Winds, Benjamin and Joseph Prudden, Jacob Allerton, Josiah Beman. John Ayers, and perhaps some others. Fui- ther inquiries may bring to our knowledge knowledge some carlier settlers.
Having thus laid before you a few meager re- sults of my investigations into the early seith - ment of this region I now invite your attention to the history of the church. A careful exam- ination of the earliest subscription papers (da- ted March, 1758,, shows us that the materials for the congregation were gathered from au extensive but sparsely settled region, including Denville, Rocka vay Valley, Horse Pound, Meri- den, Mount Hope, Denmark, Berkshire Valk ;. Franklin, Dover, and "the region beyond." reaching nearly to Monat Freedom in one di- rection and Little ton in another. From severa? sources I learn that there were not more then three houses in the village West of the river
ANNALS OF MORRIS COUNTY.
and only two on the East side, and the families in the different do cetions from this place were lew and scattered. Oaly a small proportion of these were in comfortable circumstances. The laud was poor and a great part of it was cov- ered with forests. Iron. the only cash article produced here, was made with the serions dis- advantage of being far from market, which could only be reached over very bad highways. At that time no small amount of iron bars was carried to Elizabethtown Pomt on pack horses, the bars being bent so as to tit the saddle. As is very common m regious where iron is the principal article of manufacture, what little wealth there was in this section was in the hands of a few persons. Many of the people were not frechoklers. These facts must be borne in mind as we attempt to trace the good work these men did in fonnding this church.
If we look at the church privileges they en- joyed previons to the founding of this church we shall appreciate their reasons for beginning so difficult an enterprise. Parsippany then had a church building erclosed, but it had no minister of its own. Hanover Church under tue pastoral care if Rev. Jacob Green was twohe miles distant ; Morristown Church un - der the care of Rev. Timothy Johnes was nine mues distant ; Mendham Church under the care of Rev. John Pierson was twelve milesdis- Tant ; and the Congregational and Presbyterian Comches at Chester were also at very ineon- Venient distances. Mr. Abner Beach, grand- farb-rof Col. S. S. Beach, and a workman in the forge at Rockaway, usually on the Sabbath 10.0 00 horseback to Morristown to church These facts show us why these people took bald of this dittienlt enterprise of fonuding a ebnich notwithstanding their small number, scattered condition, and their poverty. Necessity drove them to it.
I may here remark that the name of our stream, township and church is said to be de- rived from a tribe of Indians called the Rock- awacks. Isaae Beach, the father of Isaac ro- cently deceased, told Col. Samuel Serrin Beach that he remembered an encampment of this tribe on the river a short distance above the village. There was another encampment a lit- tle below the Rolling Mill. This was more than a hundred years ago. Mr. Beach described the Indians as lazy and inoffensive. They soon re- moved West of the Delaware, and were merged in some more powerful tribe.
MARCH THE SECOND, IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD ONE THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED AND FIFTY-EIGHT, MAY BE REGARDED AS THE BIRTHDAY OF THIS CHURCH. On that day two papers were drawn up and signed by the principal men in this re- gion, the one signed by twenty-nine persons, and the other by torty. The literary preten-
sions of these pspers are quite humble, but their aim is towards an object of the highest ost importance. These fundamental papers I will transcribe literally as curiosities and also for their importance : "Mirch 2d, 1758. We the subscribers do by these maunefest It to be our d' sier to Joyn with pasipancy to call and settel a minester to have the one half of the preachen at posipaney and the other half at rockaway and each part to be eakwel in payen a minnester.
Job Allen benery stag
Seth Meburan
John Harriman
david beman
Jonah Huston
gilbert hedy
Samuel Burwell.
Andru Morreson
John gobbel
Isak ogden
abraham Johnson
John pipes
John Cogswell
Samuel Shipman
John Huntington
Joho minton
Gershom Gard
Samnel waithed Jun Jolın Kent
Joseph burrel
amos Kilburn
wilvam wines willam Danels
nohanel michel Josiah beman
James losey abraham masacra
Sammel Moore."
This doenment is in the handwriting of Job Allen, as is ev.de it by comparing the writing with Mr. Allen's autograph in the next paper.
In the same bandwriting we have the second papir which I also copy literally.
" March 2 1758
Wo the Inhabitene of rockaway pigenml and upper mhabetene at the colonals torges and places agesant being met together In order to consult together about a place to set a niet- mg hons and being ali well agread that the most sutable place for the hol vetelments Is npon the small plain a letel above bemans forg which is below the first small brok upon that rode np to Samuel Johnson
and we the subscribers a blig ourselves to pay toward building a house at that place the sums to our names afixed.
Job Allen £5 0 0
Andrew Moresou
50 0
Gilbert Heden
50 0
David Beman
50 0
Isaac Ogden 1 10 0
John Pipes 10 0
Samnel Shipman
2 10 0
Serb Mehuren
2 10 0
John Minthorn
2 10 0
Samuel Whited
2 10 0
Joseph Burwel Jan
0 10 0
William Winds
30 0
Nathanel mitchel
1 10 0
Josiah Beman
200
James losey 10 0
Abraham Masacra 7 0
henery stag 15 0
John Harriman
30 0
John Johnson
30 0
samuel burrel 10 0
Jonah Huston 40 0
John gobel 10 0
abraham Johnson 50 0
John Cogswell 10 0
John Huntington 20 0
Gershom Gard
10 0
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ANNALS OF MORRIS COUNTY.
John Kent
10 0
Amos Kiloun
20 0
henery tuttel
0 5 44
Joseph Beach
0 5 0
John stag
0 15 0
Wiliam Danels
1 10 10
Samuel More
15 0
Jacob Garrigne
10 0
James Milege
2 10 0
bil walton
03 6
Jacob W tharp
06 6
Obadiah Lun
200
Benjamin Carey
( 4 0"
A careful examination of the above subscrip- tion shows that it is also in Job Allen's hand . writing, but the names are antograph signa- tures.
I mfer from the fact that these earliest papers are in the bandwriting of Job Allen, hit he leads both subscriptions, that he is one of the largest contributors, and further that he sub- segmently bears a consprenons part in the aff:irs of the church, that he was one of the most active in beginning the enterprise. He was a house carpenter and for many years he resided at Denville on what is now called the " Glovet Place." During the Revolutionary War he raised and commanded a company, and was frequently in actual service. Probably C'apt. Alleu built the first meeting house. We know that at a later date he built the galleries in that house and finished the bonse with walls and seats. He was very much esteemed in the community. (Copied records p. 144.)
It is possible that the Job Allen who signed the subscription paper in 1758 may have been the father of the Job Allen whose name occurs in the record afterwards, and who resided at Deuville as above stated. In a return of the lands in Rockaway covering the water power, made iu 1718 to Jacob Ford, Jr., the premises are said to include "Job Allen's Iron Works," and in Nov. 16, 1767, letters of administration of the estate of Job Allen were issued to Jacob Ford, Jr., who was his principal ereditor.
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