USA > New Jersey > Middlesex County > Perth Amboy > Contributions to the early history of Perth Amboy and adjoining country : with sketches of men and events in New Jersey during the provincial era > Part 12
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General Skinner's head-quarters were on Staten Island, and it is not known that he served with the army in any other sec- tion of the country. Although unable to induce many to join his standard, yet he had friends among the provincials, who, when his personal safety was concerned, were ready to give him intelligence of the movements of the colonial forces. An instance of the kind occurred in November, 1777, when Gen- eral Dickinson projected an expedition against Staten Island, with two thousand men. Knowing the neccessity for secrecy, he concealed his object even from his field officers, until the
71 A letter to Mr. Skinner from Joseph Bloomfield, written two years previ- ously, is before me, expressive of the most cordial sentiments. It concludes, " Wishing you health and a speedy re- turn home, in which Oliver (Oliver Barberrie, another student,) and An-
drew join me, with our best respects, remain your most dutiful and humble servants."
72 See Doc. Hist. of U. S., 4th Series, Vol. 4, pp. 586, 595.
73 Gordon's Hist. of America, II., p. 200, quoting Lord Howe's despatch.
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night in which it was to be executed, yet by 3 o'clock the next morning, General Skinner had been made aware of his inten- tions, and saved his brigade by taking shelter in some works too strong to be carried by assault. The expedition conse- quently was a failure.74 Two of his battalions were in the detachment which, on 7th June, 1780, under General Knyp- hausen, crossed over to Elizabethtown, and penetrated as far as Connecticut Farms, and subsequently remained encamped at the Point until the 23d, when the march to Springfield, and the engagement there occurred ; but it does not appear that General Skinner himself was with them. His family in the month of February, 1776, was broken up, some of his children taking up their abode with his son-in-law, Mr. Ter- rill, at Piscataway, and Mrs. Skinner and one daughter going to her brothers, in Monmouth County. After some time, how- ever, the General took a house at Jamaica, Long Island, and gathered his family again within it, giving them as much of his time as his official duties would permit.
After the Revolution General Skinner went to England with his family, and received from the government compensa- tion for his forfeited estate, and the half-pay of a Brigadier- General during his life. He died March 15th, 1799, aged 71. It is said in letters written at the time, that he was there universally known and beloved, and the attention paid to him during his illness truly remarkable, hundreds of people that his family had never known, or scarcely heard of, sending daily to inquire about his health. His wife survived him, after a union of 47 years, and continued to reside among her chil- dren, in England and Ireland, until her death.75
Mr. Skinner's residence in Amboy stood on the bank, on the south-west corner of South and Water streets, opposite the
74 Marshall's Washington, 2d Edit., I. p. 181.
15 The following is the inscription on General Skinner's tombstone in St. Augustine's Church, Bristol: "Near this place are deposited the remains of Brigadier-General Cortlandt Skinner. Born in New Jersey, North America, where he was many years h is Majes- ty's Attorney-General. Died at Bris-
tol, 15th March, 1799, aged 71. De- scended from an honorable family in Scotland, of distinguished loyalty, he proved the inheritor of their virtues, in the steady performance of all the duties of life, which will make his death ever regretted by his family, most of all by his afflicted widow, Eliza- beth Skinner, who erects this monu- ment to his memory."
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house of late years occupied by the Hon. James Parker. It was of stone and brick, and not many years since a portion of the foundation remained to identify the spot. His office was the one now occupied by Mr. Parker, on the opposite corner. The gardens attached to Mr. Skinner's house extended along Smith street to what is now Rector street (no buildings then occupying the ground), and where the stable stood, is now the dwelling occupied by Mr. Jotham Smith. Cortlandt Skin- ner had several children :
William was placed in the English navy, and died young.
Philip Kearny entered the Army, and died in London in 1827 or 1828, unmarried. He was taken prisoner on one occasion by the French, and detained for some time at Lisle. On his release and return to England, in 1799, he found he had been promoted to an Adjutant-generalship, and before his death was Lieutenant-General, commanding at Bombay.
John was a Lieutenant in the young company called the "Governor's Guards," elsewhere mentioned.76 Soon after a memorable review day he was required to doff his cap, with its motto "Liberty or Death," and was sent on board the Phenix frigate, at Sandy Hook, and entered as a mid- shipman.77 Soon after this, the Phenix on passing up the North River came within range of the guns at Fort Washington, and young Skinner had the misfortune to have his right hand shot off by a ball, which did no other injury on board. He had previously, while playing in the market Square, at Amboy, lost the sight of one eye from a cork-dart ; 78 and thus mutilated he passed through life, a bachelor, ever active and cheerful, be- nevolent to a fault, an affectionate son and valued citizen.
As a post-captain, he for many years commanded the Holyhead packet, and while in the discharge of his duty was accidentally drowned in 1830; being swept overboard in a sudden squall. A monument, erected by public subscription, attests the estimation in which he was held.
Cortlandt was left by his father for several years in this country, with his brother-in-law, Mr. Terrill, but afterward went to England, and even- tually established himself in Ireland, and died in Belfast.
He held different offices, and for several years was Comptroller of the
76 See Chapter on Revolutionary "What a strange thing is identity, Events.
77 It is probable that he commanded a small cruiser before the war was over. R. Laird in his Journal, recount- ing his escape from Yorktown, in March, 1782, p. 412, and journey north- ward, mentions his having been taken on board a vessel in Amboy Bay (after embarking in a boat from Mon- mouth County for Staten Island) com- manded by "Capt. Skinner," who put him and his party ashore, and gave them a note of introduction to his fa- tler, General Skinner.
78 " While playing with me, and other urchins," says Mr. Wm. Dunlap, in a letter to the author, and he adds,
that I should call myself an urchin." Mr. D. was then in his 70th year.
79 "What most interested me at this place (Holyhead), was a lofty and tasteful monument on a neighboring height, to the memory of Captain Skin- ner, the son of an American Refugee, who formerly commanded a packet out of this port, and was accidentally drowned a few years since. It was built by subscription, and so widely and favorably known was the subject of it, that contributions were received from all quarters in the north of Wales, the west of England, and in Ireland."-Correspondent of N.Y.Com. Advertiser, London, Sept. 4th, 1843.
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Customs, being highly respected and esteemed. After the death of his father, his house became the residence of the widow, who described his premises in her letters to her friends in this country, as being highly im- proved, and pleasantly situated. He subsequently resided at Dungannon Park, the property of Lord Dungannon, who was his personal friend. He was twice married. His first wife was Miss Kingsmill, the second Miss Isabella McCarty, and he left several children.
Downs, named probably by Mrs. Governor Franklin, as that was her maiden name, went from England to the Island of Jamaica, whither his brother-in-law, Sir George Nugent, was sent soon after as Governor, and married there. He returned to England for his health in 1801, but finally died in Jamaica, previous to 1803. He left but one daughter, named after his mother, Elizabeth Kearny, who inarried a Rev. Mr. Simpson of Eng- land, and has two children, William and Adelaide, twins, born on the day Queen Adelaide was crowned.
General Skinner had seven daughters :
Susan married Major Jasper Farmar of the British Army, and after his death his brother, Thomas Farmar, who are elsewhere noticed, and de- scendants bearing the name of Murphy are living in Nova Scotia.
Elizabeth married William Terrill, of New York, and had four daugh- ters, who never married, and one son, John, who is yet living in England and has children,-one of his daughters married Henry Meigs, of the Me- tropolitan Bank, New York, and left one daughter.
Euphemia became the wife of Oliver Barberie, who studied law with her father, and is noticed on another page.
Catharine married Sir William Henry Robinson, son of Col. Beverly Robinson, of New York. She died at Marlow, England, in 1843, aged 75, and left several children.80
Maria married, in 1797, Captain (afterward General) Sir George Nu- gent, G. C. B. D. C. L., and accompanied her husband both to India and Jamaica, whither he was sent by his government to discharge impor- tant trusts ; and a diary kept by her has been printed for private distribu- tion since her death, which took place in 1834. At one period they re- sided in great splendor at Dublin. Sir George Nugent died March 11th, 1849, aged 92, leaving four children.81
Isabel married a Doctor Frazer, while the family were on Long Island. He subsequently went to England, and she followed, with her father, at the close of the war. They had several children. One son (Thomas) be-
80 See Sabine's Royalists. A daugh- ter, with her husband, Commissary General Robinson, of the British Army, was recently residing in Canada.
81 At the time of his death he was the oldest general officer in the Eng .. lish Army, his first commission, as Ensign, bearing date, July 5th, 1773. He served in America, from 1777 to 1783, was in the expedition that pro- ceeded up the North River for the re- lief of Burgoyne's army, and was at the taking of Forts Montgomery and Clinton. He subsequently served with credit on the continent, and in 1811,
was Commander in Chief of the troops in India, and he held high civil trusts, both in Ireland and Jamaica. He attained to a colonelcy in 1794, and was promoted to the rank of General in 1813.
His acquaintance with Miss Skinner commenced in America. His heir is Sir George Edmund Nugent, born in 1802, who in 1830 married the daugh- ter of Lord Colburn. He is a captain in the Grenadier Guards. There is another son, and two daughters- Lady Freemantle and Lady Clinton.
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came a physician ; another is, or was, a captain in the British Army, and a third a clergyman.
Gertrude married (June, 1780, at Jamaica, L. I.) Captain Meredith, of the 70th regiment of foot, who died previous to 1800, leaving her with four children, one of whom (Richard) is a captain in the British Navy.
STEPHEN, the second son of the Reverend William Skin- ner, was for many years previous to the Revolution engaged in mercantile pursuits, in 1758-9 making a trading voyage of several months' duration among the West Indian islands, and up to August, 1767, keeping at Amboy what was then called "a general store," which he then sold out. His residence was on the bank, on the north side of Smith street, where during the present year (1855) some buildings have been erected, adjoining the Bruen stores.
After relinquishing his mercantile pursuits, Mr. Skinner, as treasurer of the province for East Jersey, was for several years a very prominent character. On the 22d July, 1768, the public money-chest in his possession was robbed of between six and seven thousand pounds, and the circumstances of the case were such as to lead to much angry discussion between the Exe- cutive and Legislative departments of the province. The Gov- ernor and his Council threw the odium of the robbery upon one Samuel Ford, a notorious rogue and counterfeiter, while the As- sembly attributed it to the negligence of the treasurer, at least, if they did not directly impugn his integrity, and desired to hold him accountable for the loss. The matter agitated the province greatly, but cannot in this place be more fully no- ticed. Mr. Skinner finally (Feb'y 23d, 1774) resigned his office, and his successor was authorized to institute a suit for the recovery of the money. This, however, was never brought to a legal termination ; the political events which soon after occurred, sending the ex-treasurer into banishment, and put- ting an end to the provincial government. After his resigna- tion, Governor Franklin, very unwisely for his own popularity, appointed Mr. Skinner one of his Council.82
Although chosen by the good people of his native town to represent them in the Provincial Congress, in April, 1775, in
82 See Proceedings of N. J. Hist.Soc., Vol. V. page 49.
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conjunction with James Parker and Jonathan Deare, there is nothing known of his sentiments, rendering it probable that he was favorably inclined to the colonial cause. Certain it is that soon after the commencement of hostilities he removed his family to New York, and thence to England, the property left behind him in New Jersey being confiscated to the use of the State. His house was accidentally set on fire on 28th December, 1776, and entirely consumed ; the New York papers of the time stating that, by fire, and "the depreda- tions of the rebels," Mr. Skinner had suffered within the month a loss of full £3,000.
He married Catharine, daughter of Andrew Johnston, by whom he had nine or ten children, but they all died without issue, either in England, or Nova Scotia, to which province the family eventually removed, having received a grant of land there, as compensation for his losses in New Jersey.
WILLIAM, the third son of the Rev. Mr. Skinner, entered early in life the provincial service, and served as a captain against the French in Colonel Schuyler's regiment,83 partici- pating in all the trials and dangers of the campaigns of 1755 and 1756.
A letter from Captain Skinner in my possession, dated Oswego, September 7th, 1755, says :
83 One of his muster rolls is in my possession, giving the names of all his company, during April, 1756. His company numbered besides the Cap- tain, Lieutenant (who was his brother John), and ensign (Daniel Clark), four sergeants, four corporals, two drums, and ninety privates. The pay of the captain was £10 1s., of the Lieuten- ant, £7 10s., 9d., of the ensign, £6 14s., 8d., of the sergeants and corpo- rals, £2 10s. 3d., and of the privates, £1 13s. 6d. each, per month. On May 11th, 1755, a letter now before me, dated at Amboy, says : "Billy Skin- ner's company was mustered yester- day, and is complete. John Parker's will be on Tuesday next, and also Capt. Risco's. I was at Elizabethtown on Friday, to muster Risco's company,
but what with people under age, and more unfit for service, he had but seventy-nine, which he said he would make up by Monday night. Colonel Schuyler's company we hear has about sixty, and Woodward's will never fill, but I believe that his company will be given to one Dr. Ogden, who, many say, has got fifty or sixty men. We propose having them move, and every thing ready by the 25th." From the accounts of Col. Schuyler, from June 6th, to Sept. 7th, it appears from the amount of pay, that the companies ranked in June-1 Risco's, 2 Skinner's, . 3 Parker's, 4 the Colonel's, 5 Wood- ward's :- and in September, 1 Wood- ward's, 2 the Colonel's, 3 Skinner's, 4 Risco's, 5 Parker's.
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" We are now building a fort on the east side of the river, upon a hill which commands the lake, and overlooks all the land about it, so that it will be impossible to hurt us, when that is finished ;" and contains the following items relating to the operations of that period :- " We have now in our regiment the following officers, not capable of duty : Capt. Woodward, who, since he has been here, has seldom or never appeared in Camp : his ensign very bad : my ensign, an old grumbling scoundrel, and always complaining : Capt. Parker's ensign, sick these six weeks past, and I don't think he'll recover : the colonel's ensign very bad-so that you may judge how hard our camp duty is : the rest of us very hearty and well, and have not above forty men in our regiment sick."
He had previously stated that Captain Ogden had sold his commission (in consequence of sickness), to a Mr. Whittemore for £10 proc. and had left for home, as had also Capt. Rusco, who had been ill for three weeks.
"By yesterday's orders we are in hopes of going upon action, for the batteaux are repairing, and every thing is to be got in readiness, and we expect to go from here in four days at furthest, but whither is not men- tioned. So you may expect to hear something worth while, by the next letter I write to you provided I get safe back." 84
" There has been a good deal of disturbance in Shirley's regiment, which consists of the greatest villains I ever knew, five and six deserting of a night, some of whom were brought back by the Indians, and tried by a general court-martial ; five were condemned to be shot, three of whom were afterwards reprieved; the other two executed, which I hope will put a stop to it."
"I am glad to hear our Assembly has granted thirty thousand pounds for this expedition, and should be glad if they would send us a pipe of wine to make amends for the smallness of our pay, for our stock is out, and what we shall do for a little comfort I don't know. If we dine at the sutler's, and keep officers' company, our day's pay is gone."
Captain Skinner was at Oswego, in August, 1756, when the fortress was surrendered to the French under General Montcalm, and as a prisoner of war was sent to France, where he remained until the following May (1757), when he was permitted to pass over to England on his parole to await an , exchange, which was effected in the course of a few months through his intimacy with the family of Sir Peter Warren, whose widow was his first cousin.85
84 A letter from Dr. Stakes in the Rutherfurd MSS. dated Oswego, Sept. 9th, 1755, says, "we have now about two hundred sick a week, so that our effective men I imagine to be about 1,600, of which say 1,000 are to go on this expedition. Our officers and sol- 8
diers long to be in action, and the In- dians are absolutely mad to proceed." 85 Lady Warren was a daughter of
Stephen De Lancey of New York, who married Anne Van Cortlandt, sister of Elizabeth, wife of Rev. Wm. Skin- ner. Another sister, Margaret, mar-
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From letters written at this period the following items are extracted :
Under date of May 17th, 1757, he thus wrote :
"I have the pleasure to acquaint you that we [himself and brother John] are now in London, having come over from France (about ten days past), with the officers who were there, upon our paroles : to return in three months if we can't find officers, prisoners in England, of equal rank, to send to France in our room ; which we find attended with a great deal of difficulty, for there are not a sufficient number of French officers here for us, so that we shall be obliged to return to France, if we cannot get our time prolonged, which I am in hopes we shall." * * *
* -giving as a reason the influence of Lady Warren, and the steps taken by the proper department to effect the exchange- * *
* * "I waited on Mr. Partridge (the agent of our province), and told him the situation I was in. He told me he would introduce me to Lord Halifax and many others, who he thought would be of service to me in regard to what I had done, but at the same time told me nothing could be done till I am exchanged, which I find to be the case."86 * *
ried Stephen Bayard, and their daugh- ter married Peter Kemble. Sir Peter Warren died at Dublin, July 26th, 1752, after three day's illness of in- flammatory fever, leaving four daugh- ters, aged respectively, fourteen years, six years, three years, and three months.
86 In this letter he mentions the liberality of Col. Schuyler, in furnish- ing himself and brother with a letter of credit for £200 sterling, that they might be supplied while in England- one of many like instances of gener- osity by this true-hearted old provin- cial.
The following Memorial, or Deposi- tion, alluding to this trait in his charac- ter, in the handwriting of William Alexander, is among the Rutherfurd MSS.
" Col. Schuyler was taken prisoner at Oswego, August 14th, 1756, and con- tinued in Canada until October the 29th, 1757, when he was permitted to make a visit to his family upon parole. He returned again to Canada in July, 1758, and on the 8th of November fol- lowing was released by the capitula- tion of Fort Frontenac.
" During his captivity, which was at the different periods eighteen months or thereabouts, there were in Canada a great number of captive soldiers be- longing to the troops of this colony, taken at Oswego and Sabbath-day Point : who were thrown into goals, and allowed only two ounces of pork, or four ounces of salt fish and half a
pound of bread per day, for their sub- sistence. The small pox and fluxes raged much among them ; and as the subsistence allowed them was insuffi- cient for the support of the healthy, and unfit for persons laboring under diseases, Col. Schuyler, not doubting but he should meet with the approba- tion of the government, supplied the sick and imprisoned captives with such provisions and necessaries as were absolutely wanted for their sup- port, which is the charge he makes of expenses in his accounts.
" That this charge is high, hath arisen from-1st, the number of persons he had to supply ; 2d, the sickness that prevailed among them-and 3d, the extravagance of the prices of all kinds of provisions.
" As to the number of prisoners, we cannot particularly ascertain. Doctor Stakes says that those taken at Oswe- go were sent to Europe by detach- ments, and that near or upwards of 200 men were brought in, being taken at Sabbath-day Point ; that there were constantly a number of sick, and at one time thirty belonging to the Jer- sey regiment. To all which Col. Schuyler daily administered ; and as to the prices of provisions he can declare ; beef and flour was at 10}d. sterling per pound, which is nearly equal to 1s. 7d. this currency-a shoat of about forty or fifty pounds weight, sold for £5 12s. Wine for the sick, cost from 12 to 20s. sterling per gallon, and all other articles in the like proportion
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"June 6th. Since my last, I waited on Lord Barrington, who told me he would do me all the service that lay in his power, and desired me to draw out a memorial which I shall present to his Lordship the next levee day, and get it backed by Admiral Boscawen and Lord Powerscourt, two great friends of her Ladyship-the event of which I hope to acquaint you very soon. * *
"Sept. 8th. In all probability, some of my people will get to Amer- ica soon, for they are exchanged, and now in England. I have applied to my Lord Barrington for their subsistence, and an order to send them to America, but he told me he had nothing to do with them, but advised me to write to Mr. Pitt, Secretary of State, which I have done, but have not as yet had an answer. The people are now at Plymouth, with Capt's Rusco, Becker, Walters, and Ogden, of Col. Schuyler's regiment, and are subsisted by the government, through a mistake made by the Secretary of War's clerk, who, taking them to be regulars, ordered them to be sub- sisted, which is not contradicted as yet. * *
* I have the pleasure to tell you that I have my exchange, which I received yester- day."
His exertions for the welfare of his companions in arms who were less favorably situated than himself, did not end with the application to the Secretary of State. In a letter dated October 7th, he wrote :
Dr. Stakes paid himself for a very or- dinary bed and diet, which was only soup, 18s. this currency per day.
"The moneys charged as paid to Capt. Woodward and Ensign Webb, will not appear to be high, when it is considered that those gentlemen were left in Canada, when Col. Schuyler was suffered to go to his family upon parole, and continued there until his return, which was about nine months ; during which time they could not avoid supplying the wants of the suf- fering distressed prisoners of this pro- vince, and upon a calculation it will appear they only expended, including their own charges, about 34s. per day. "William Crips, ferryman at Amboy, of Capt. Parker's company, taken at Sabbath-day Point, says, after he was taken he was carried to Montreal, and thence to Quebec, with about 300 men of his regiment, part of whom were taken at Fort Wm. Henry, and part with this deponent-where they were put into goal. The next morning Col. Schuyler came to them, to inquire their situation. He says there were many of them sick, and some had the small- pox. That Col. Schuyler ordered fresh provisions for the sick-that this de-
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