USA > New Jersey > Morris County > Annals of Morris County > Part 21
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As for the man who was thus named as the leader in all these crimes, after his escape from prison he was for sometime concealed in a rude hut in a " coaling-job " between Hibernia and Mount Hope. The name is preserved lo this day as " Smultz's cabin," It was the popular belief of the day that Sheriff Thomas Kinney had connived at his escape. His Deputy Sheriff, John King-Ford's confederate as is said -- in February 1774 charged Kinney before the Privy Council with allowing Ford to escape. The charge was dismissed as " not supported. But it appearing to the Board that the said Thomas Kinney may nevertheless be blameable for negligence in his offiee respecting the escape of the said Samuel Ford, the Attorney General was called in and examined touching that matter, who informed the Board that a Bill of n dictment was found against the said Sheriff ly the Grand Inquest of this said County of Morris for Misbehaviour respecting the raid escape ; whereupon the Council advised his Excelleney to order the Attorney General to prosecute the said indictment at the next court." It was also the popular opinion that Kinney did not wish to re-capture Ford, because had he used proper diligence he could have taken him. It was on a certain Sabbath shortly after Ford's escape that Sheriff Kinney and a posse rode up to the old Rockaway meet- ing house during service and took Abraham Kitchel out of meeting for the purpose of com- pelling him to act as guide to Ford's place of concealment. James, the oldest son of Abra- ham Kitchel, then about fourteen years old, greatly excited at seeing his father arrested, started for home by the road which led by where is the house of the late Matthias Kitchel, Esq. On the opposite side of the valley re- sided one Herriman, and James rnshed into his house to tell him the occurence at the meeting house. A stranger sitting in the house heard his story and without further delay started on a lull run across the meadows for Hibernia. James on foot had gone to Her- riman's, and the stranger on foot started for Smultz's cabin, but the Sheriff's party on horse- back had a direct road to follow either by White Meadow or Mount Hope. As they left
the church Kitehel told the Sheriff "I know where Sam Ford has been concealed and I will take you to the spot, but you know very well that you would rather give vour horse, saddle, and bridle than to find Sam Ford." The mounted party moved along leisurely and in due time reached Smultz's cabin, but of course Sam Ford was not there, the footman whom James Kitchel saw starting from Herriman's House, undoubtedly having notified bim of his danger. There is one little cirenmetarce additional. When the Sheriff attached and sold Ford's property he did up the business so clean that be even emptied a cup full of milk which Ford's wife was warming for her child, a circumstance which looks like an attempt to show the people that their suspicious of his complicity with Ford were groundless. And during these transactions which fell with cruel weight ou Grace Ford and her littte family, her oldest son William told the Sherriff that he was as bad as his father for he had seen him sitting on the very press on which Ford was printing the counterfeit bills. There are also some hints of facts which taken in connection with the social position of those arrested and the popular rumors of the day, have led me to suspect that if the truth were known that this gang of coun- terfeiters was much larger than is generally anpposed, and that some never named were involved in its crimes, And moreover that whilst Ford was undo ibtedly a dishonost mian and a leading spirit, he was so in very respecta- ble company.
The only man who suffered the extreme penatty of the law was David Reynolds an Irishman, and it is a tradition that he was arrested on information given by another Irishman who showed the most pungent grief when he found that Reynolds was hung.
How long Ford remained in this region after the adventure at Smultz's cabin I am not alle to state positively. I learn from the county records that his family had a hard time of it. for on the 21st of September, 1773, two months after his arrest and escape and a month after the conviction of four of his confederates the Sheriff attached his farm called " the Han- mock containing 130 acres," and the court ap- pointed "Samuel Tuthill, Esq , Jonathan Stiles, Esq., and Mr. Thomas Milledge anditors to sell Ford's "perishable goods." At the same time the conrt ordered warrants to be issued for "Bern Badd, and Grace Ford and devions other persons" to testify to the auditors in the case. It further appeared that "Bern Budd and Grace Ford hath negligently and contemptuously refused and neglected to attend as by said warrant they were commanded." Soll ont of house and possession, Grace Ford had a heavy load to
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carry, but aided by her friends she carried it bravely. She lived to be an old woman and died some years ago m Whippany.
In his paper on the robbery of the Treasury Mr. Whitehead says that while the trial of the counterfeiter and its attending circumstances " were transpiring Ford, Richardson and King, the prime movers and concocters of the mischief were seeking safety in the wilds of the West with prices set upon their heads. They were traced along the Susquehanna and Juniata rivers; were joined by another accomplice, and all, weil armed, proceeded towards the Miss- issippi. Ford boldly paid his way with his spurious Jersey bills, thus leaving bis mark behind him as he fled, and after reaching the Indian country his course was traced some dis- tance by the counterfeit coin found in possess- ion of the uninitiated lords of the forest. Emissaries were dispatched down the Ohio after the fugitives but they succeeded in effect- ing their escape." (Procced. N. J. His. Soc. v p 56.)
I suspect this description is not literally correct, for "John King, late under sheriff of Morris County," who undoubtedly is the person named as Ford's confederate, was in New Jersey in February 1774 making statements to the Privy Council concerning Kinney's conni- vance at Ford's escape. And a letter from Sam Ford himself to Benjamin Cooper, bearing no date, but sworn to Sept. 8th, 1774, before Lord Stirling by Joseph Morris, a brother-in- lyw, and Jonathin Ford, a brother, of Sam Ford, implies that he was not very far off it that time. I suspect he did not leave New Jersey until the following Spring or Summer. His letter is a curiosity and I will copy a few para- grans from it. The letter opens with a singu- lar bnt direct statement of the writer's aim. "Can I now he awake ?" he asks, "or is it a dream ? Would to God it was a dream! How- ever Ihave already felt the smart too keen t believe it a dream and shall therefore proceed as though it were reality, good earnest. Did you ever in the jaws of death depose that Sam Ford was the person that robbed the Treasury ? One would expect that what was then delivered could be nothing but the truth. Or was it a turn of thought which you expected to get a reprieve for. Well if that was the case was I the worst enemy you had in the world that the notorious scandal must be fixed on me and on wy family ? Or had you inducers to persuade von to lay sueh a charge on me to defame my family and a reprieve should be had for you. I have various conjectures who should induce yon to brand me with such atrocious false- hoods, but I cannot get the least reason why I should be the unfortunate person. Have not I really enough to struggle under without that
false accusation, ah, I say notorious falsehood without the least ground whatever, which you in your own conscience know." Having thus berated Cooper for his "atrocious falsehood " about robbing the Treasury, Ford addresses him about "the money making affair " as he ingeniously calls the counterfeiting, and is quite indignant " that you describe me as being the chiefest promoter and first introducer of that " He denies this and asks "did not you in the time of our distressed circumstances at the furnace first move such a scheme to me." He then seeks to make it appear that David Reyn- olds who was hung was the main agent in the business first, but he did his work so roughly that some money passed at the Charlotten- burgh Iron Works to a Mr. Gordon made a great " noyse." "When you found this money would not pass did you not press me continually to try my ingenuity, that you believed I conld soon do it to perfection if I would on'y begin. * * It never entered my mind to fall in to such a scheme nor I am sure it never would had not you a PEEST me to it, nor did I dream I should ever comply for a long time, but a continual dropping WARES a stone .*
However not to dwell so long on this but to come to the MANE point. I am at is this. It is known amongst some of my friends where 1 am sy that I am the person that is acensed of robbing the Treasury, which I conceit they think the worst of ine, for they dont mind the money making charge. That they look upon only as a piece of ENGENUITY. Therefore I want from under your hand a clearance and the reason why you thus falsely accused ine. This I want you to write and give to my brother on your receiving this. Dont fail complying to my request, and let my brother see your letter to me before you seal it, and let it be drawn to bis liking. It cant do yon no hurt and wil. do me a great of good to stor my friends where I live. Let me tell you, sir, that you are by no means to refuse. If you do, depend a greater fall than ever will take place in your family. It would be an extraordinary case to see two brothers and one brother-in-law condemned to be hanged in one creditable family. Yon may depend (this) will immediately take place in case refusal, if I must take the SEVERITY. Dont expect your amercement is over. You will immediately be tried for the same crimes committed in New York which you and I know of." He closes his threats by saying that he will write to the Governors of New York and New Jersey a full account of Cooper's crimes and offer to turn State's evidence if he does not comply with his demand, and signs himself " your much injured well wisher Sam Ford." To this remarkable letter some one, probably Lord Stirling, adds this note. "Joseph Morris
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declared the foregoing to be a true copy of the [ he had nacommon talents but that he made a original in Ford's handwriting shown to him very bad use of them. by Jonathan Ford five or six weeks ago, and delivered by him to Benj. Cooper at His house in Hunterdon County. Sworn before Stirling, 8 Sept., 1774. Jonathan Ford also testifies to the truth of the copy the same day."
I have no comments to make on this remark- able letter except to adet that I inter from this and other circumstances that Ford was con- cealed in New Jersey some months before he started ou his journey. What ronte he pur- sned I do not know, but I learn that he made his way to the Green Briar Country among the mountains of Virginia, that there he formed a partnership with another man and followed the calling of a silver smith. It was commonly reported that after the war began he sent word to Washington that if he would secure his pardon and permission to return that he wonid engrave bills which could not be counterfeited. The proposition was either not received, or if received was not noticed. . In his new home he was very sick, and supposing his end to be near, he confessed his past history to his part- ner's wife. Contrary to expectation he recov- ered, and not long after his partner died leaving considerable property to his widow, whom Ford married, she being his third living wife. In Virginia he dropped the name of Ford and assumed his mother's name which was Bald- win. After the war, William, his oldest son, and Stephen Halsey (son of Ananias Halsey) made a journey to Virgima to see him. They tound hnu with "a great property" and surrounded by sev- eral promising young Baldwins. They asked his Virginia wife if he had not deceived her, but she knew all about his past history and she did not think he would dare to leave her to go to New Jersey. His Jersey visitors described him as a " most melancholy man." He professed to be pemtent and to have become a religious man, which profession is not confirmed by his con- truing his peculiar family relations in Virgima, and utterly neglecting his wife Grace, whom he kit in so distressed a sitnation with her little ones. I may add that his descendants in New Jersey are most worthy people whose virtues are not in the least dimmed by his misdeeds. As for the Baldwins of Virginia I learn from good anthority that in that Green briar region are men of that name who stand high in the community for wealth and talent, and it is not nulikely that they are the lincal descendants of tho man Sam Ford who complacently said that his friends looked on his "money-making charge," his counterfeiting "only as a piece of eugennity." He is diseribel to me as a fine looking man, who had a remarkable dimple m his chin. His tateuts were never doubted byj lux cotemporaries, whose judgement was that
It is time I brought this discourse to a close. I have endeavored to present to you a picture of our parish from the death of the first pastor to the calling of the second, a period of 13 years. It was a period full of lisappointments to our fathers, which they bore nobly. The church was exposed to danger which threatened to extinguish it, but God kept it alive as al this day. The great effort of these men was to seenre a man of God to be their pastor, and to attain an end so desirable they were ready to make great sacrifices. I confess that the more I have read and studied the old records of the church with all their errors of spelling, gram mar, and rhetorie, the more I have loved the men who figure in those records. Some of them were men of decided parts, they were " characters." Such were Dea. Allerton, Job Allen, David Beman, Stephen and Benjamin Jackson, Benjamin Beach, William Winds and others. All of them were governed by a sense of honor. Certain expenses were to be met in bearing up the church, and these men did not dodge responsibility, but put hand to paper agreeing that the duly elected assessor should rate them according to their property. They kept up their Sabbath services with a inister or without one in that comfortless honse which some wag called " the Lord's Barn." Tuose men deserve to be honored.
But it is an affeering consideration that all those active men are dead. Winds, the Bemans. the Jacksons, Ross, Beach, Gaston, alonnon. Bigelow, the Kitchels, Allen, Allerton, Litu !. Huntington, Ford, Faesch, the Hoffs, Tuitie, they are all gone. Among us still lives our persou now ninety-two years old, who was only four years old when our first pastor died, but she is nearly alone. Those brave, faithful, strong men, loving one church, loving om country, and laboring nobly for both chorch and country, are all gone. Nay most of their children are gone also, and now the third gen- eration is made up of the gray hea is.
" Eighty years have rolled away Since that high, heroic day, When our father's m the fray Struck the conquering blow !
Praise to them-the bold who spoke ; - Praise to them-the brave who broke Stern oppression's galhng yoke,
Eighty years ago."
THIRD SERMON.
ilaving thus gathered up those incidental facts in our early history which are of sufficient interest to be preserved, I now resume the thread of my narrative. We have followed the fathers of this church through their struggles and disappointments as late as the beginning of 1783. Ou the 17th of March, 1783, we find
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mention for the first time in our record of the Rev. David Baldwin, who was at that time preaching as a candidate in "the Parish of Black River," as Cbester, iu this county, was then called. It was resolved " to treat with Mr. Baldwin to preach for us in case he should not wetile at Black River." William Ross waited on Mr. Baldwin and " reported that Mr. Bald- win can give us but little encon ragement." In September we find them writing to "Mr. Johnes and Mr. Grover to apply for supply es for us," and in December they " voted to give Mr. Baldwin a call for settlement by twenty- seven votes for it and five votes contra." He was to receive eighty pounds a year, the use of a parsonage, and his fire wood. In the fol- lowing February the committee reported that " Mr. Baldwin exceptod our call and proposal, and that he should be ready to con.e to us with his lamily by the first of May next." A com- mittee was appointed " to view the parsonage hous and ece what wants to be Done to make it fit for Mr. Baldwin io move into." The com mitico were instructed "to put out the repairs of said House at publick auction in parcells or in whole as they should Judge best." They also voted that " we will be at the expense of the parish to move Mr. Bald- win," and " that we will make a garden in good order for Mr. Baldwin il he should not find i' convenient to move in two weeks hme." The Rev. Richard Webster says Mr. Baldwin was installed pastor of this church in April, 1784. ( MS. Letter of R. W. to me) and I see noth- ing in our records inconsistent with that statement. As there is no mention made of Mr. Baldwin in the records cither of the Pres- bytery or Synod of New York, the presump- tion is that the church had united with the Morris County Presbytery, which body effected the installation.
Of Mr. Baldwin's early history I have been able to discover nothing as yet, not oven the place of his graduation. Mr. Webster con- founds our second pastor. David Baldwin, with Moses Baldwin, who was graduated at Prince- ton in 1757, and licensed to preach by the Snffolk Presbytery in 1759. The earhest traces of our minister I find in a historical sketch of the Congregational Church at Chester, pre- pared by the Rev. Abner Morse, and copied into the Recordsof that Church. " The Amer. ican War," says Mr. Morse, "came on soon after the removal of Mr. Sweasey, and during the year of 1777-8 the Congregational Meeting house was used as a hospital for disabled sol- diers. regular worship was suspended, aud the moral and religious habits of the people sul- fered greatly. A union of the two churches -the Congregationa: and the Presbyterian- was soon after attempted under the Rev. David
Baldwin who had been ordained about 1779 in the merting house upon the hin west of Black River- Presbyterian-and received a member of the Morris County Presbytery and Congre- gational body. The members of the two churches were formed into one eburch adopt. ing, it is believed, the Congregational mode of government. Mr. Baldwin ministered to them alternately at their two houses of worship for six years, but disappointed in his hopes of a cemented union be lett bis church, which was soon after by the Rev. Mr. Lewis, of Florida, pronounced dissolved." If Mr. Morse is cor- rect in saying that Mr. Baldwin preached in Chester churches six years he must bare como into that region in 1777-8, as be left there carly iu 1784.
The testimony of wituesses in this congre- gation concerning Mr. Baldwin is quite Dni- form. "He was an ordinary man, a very moderate preacher. Ent a good man." (MS. of Rev. Peter Kanonse. ) The late Col Joseph Jackson and others, both living and dead, have often expressed themselves in terms very sim- ilar to these just quoted. In the church records there is a copy of a letter irom him to the congregation which manifests a most excellent spirit, and at the same time leaves The impression on the mind of the reader that he was remarkable neither for natural talent nor for education. When he came to Rock. a way he occupied the parsonage house which stood on the Tom Mann lot, (where Mr. Oscar L. Cortright now lives,) but subsequently be purchased land and lived on the property now occupied by Wm. Dayton, on the south side of the road to Denville. The concluding sentence of his letter to the "church and parish at Rockaway," shows that bis own hands ministered to his necessities and that it was not easy for him to meet his expenses during the eight years of his pastorate. "You cannot be insensible, gentlemen," he writes, " that my ministerial labors have been much impeaded by a constant cvocation to my tem- poral Business for the support of my family and still must continue to bo wilhout a more regular way for my relief from worldly incum- brances."*
The state of society in all this region when Mr. Baldwin came to Rockaway and for a
*The late Col. Joseph Jackson once told me that whilst Mr. Baldwin occupied tho parson- age Mis. Baldwin came to Squire Jackson's and asked Mrs. Jackson if she would not let Mr. Baldwin havo the loan of one of the Squire's linen shirts to wear to Presbytery, as his were 100 mnch worn to be respectable. The Squire's wife represented the case to her bus- band who declined to lend the shirt, but in place of it gave Mrs. Baldwin the materials for two new oncs for her husband.
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quarter of a century afterwards has been de- scribed by the Rev. Peter Kanouse, who is old enough to remember the events he delincates so vividly .* His father resided in the vicinity of Powerville and was a member of the Re- formed Dateb Church at Old Boontou, which has since been merged into the Reformed Dutch Church at Montville. In a manuscript which Mr. Kanouse has drawn up at my request he uses the following language : "At that time the region where we lived was true missionary gronnd. * *
* It is true, pions parents watched over my wayward steps ; they bad a powerful hold npon my better feelings. But every other influence with which I was con- stantly surrounded tended most powerfully to connteract both their precept and example. Immorality of every kind abounded. Fish- ing, swimnung, hunting, borse-racing, playing ball, pitching quoits, card playing, visiting and pleasure parties furnished the sports of the young people on the Sabbath ; and balls and rustic dances, shooting matches, gamb- bng, and regular horse races on a larger scale the amusements of the times on other days. No one will doubt that profanity, wranglings, fightings, debauchory, drunkenness and every other evil sprang up in rank luxuriance. * * *
* * * There was then no Sabbath school to throw around my path a sacred enclosure-no tracts to warn-uo lectures to youth to instruc ;- no revivals of religion turning night into day, and a dreary moral winter into spring. No, there were other agencies abroad. It was Tom Paine's Age of Reason, an age of infidels, of Jacobins, of suicides, and drunkenness-an age of necro- mancy and heathenish superstition, when men were prepared to be duped by such impostors as the "' Morristown Ghost." Witchcraft and forinne telling were in vogue, and elf shooting was practiced in a manner worthy of Egypt or
*Peter Kanonse was born in Rockaway Val- ley, Morris County, Ang. 20th, 1784, and died at Deelertown, N. J., May 30ro, 1864. When Mr. King began his labors at Rochaway Mr. Kanouse was working at his trade as a black - sınıth. In 1809 be was cheted an Ehier of the church. After the death of bis wile he began to study for the ministry at Bloomtieki, N. J., a cademy , then taught by Dr. Amzi Armstrong. llis theological studies were pursued vith Des Arn-trong and James hichards. He was licensed in 1821 by the Jersey Presbytery, ordained in 1822, and was pastor at Bucc .- snuna, Newark, N. Y., of the three churches of Wantige. meluding Deckertowu, Newark, N. J., Umouviile and Pongokeepsie, N. Y. Ile was also a Home Missionary in Wisconsin several years. He was a man of fine natural and acquired gifts, exceling in conversation. always able in the pulpit and sometimes reach - ing great eloquence. His ministry was abund- ant in parts and at the age of 80 he descended to the grave in great honor.
Babylon, and some obsenre, yet honest , ignor- ant, kind-hearted matron, bowed with age and l'ace furrowed over with years, was regarded with terror, and her oracles estremed as if uttered by a very Pythoness. Spooks and Wil-o-the-wisp were often seen and were fre- qnently made the sober theme of the domestic circle before the good old fashioned fire on a cold wintry night. There were some astrolo- gers, and now and then one who used divina- tion and professed to be able to detect rogues and thieves and find stolen property. The wonderful old Almanac with the water mian, or water bearer surrounded by the twelve signs, was full of curious art«, and oftener read than the Bible. Indeed something like this veneration for this family relie was proba- bly the foundation of a prophecy uttered by a distinguished statesman and disciple of Vol- taire, " That soon the Bible would be no more regarded than an old almanac." Could it only have been distributed as widely and read as eagerly, and believed as firmly, those dark days of infidelity, sucides, counterfeiting, thieving and superstition would have ended and at once been succeeded by the dawn of a better, brighter period." Mr. Kanouse says further, "whoever willingnire into the period referred to will find that these debasing evils were not confined lo the locality of my birth. They were rife throughout the country. The French had rendered us important aid in the Revolution, but they also infected ns with the same spirit that finally produced " the Reign of Terror" in France and proclaimed that "Death is an eternal sleep." Associations were formed to give eclat and currency to blind infidelity. These societies embraced many who affected to give type to publie sen- tment. The period from 1780 to 1800 pro- duced a generation many of whom have left a tragical history that might well be written in blood. Their giant footsteps have but just been washed out of this region by the mighty showers of divine grace."
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