USA > New Jersey > Documents relating to the revolutionary history of the state of New Jersey, Vol. IV > Part 23
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57
JOHN Van KIRK.
Cranberry, March 27, 1780.
301
NEWSPAPER EXTRACTS.
1780]
TO BE SOLD
A Plantation within about two miles and a half of Sherard's ferry, in Nicomixon township, state of Pennsylvania, containing 23 acres and 55 perches, with allowance for roads, and on which is erected a log- house and stable; twelve acres of said land is under fence, with several fruit trees on it, such as peach, apple and cherry, in a good neighbourhood, and may be entered on immediately. For terms apply to Alexander Douglass at Trenton,-who has for sale gin by the case, muscovado sugar and port wine.
April 10th, 1780.
TO BE SOLD,
At Publick Vendue on the premises, on Tuesday the 18th inst. and possession given the 1st day of May.
A FARM, at Lamington, Bridgewater towrship, county of Somerset, containing 122 acres 3-10, on the main road from Morristown to Trenton, four miles from the White-House, five from Pluck'emin, and twenty- two from Brunswick. There is on said farm a good stone house with three rooms on a floor, a good cellar, kitchen and milk room, all in good repair, a stone kitchen near the house, a well of water between the house and kitchen, a large Dutch barn of good substantial timbers, two ex- cellent pieces of meadow on which forty load of hay has been cut in a season of the very best timothy and clover, an excellent bearing orchard of the very best apples, about fourteen acres wood-land, the rest excellent wheat-land. Any person desirous of viewing the same before the day of sale, will be waited upon; and the conditions of sale made known by the subscriber, living on the premises.
DAVID CAMPBELL.
April 8, 1780.
-
302
NEW JERSEY IN THE REVOLUTION. [1780
FOR SALE,
A NEW commodious well-finished HOUSE, a good barn, stabling, chaise house, with every other neces- sary out-building all in good repair, late the prop- erty of Thomas Lowrey, situate in Flemingtown, Hunter- don county, New-Jersey, a pleasant part of the country and a very agreeable neighbourhood; a well of water by the kitchen door, together with about 50 acres of excellent land, 15 or 16 acres of which is good meadow, an orchard of near 200 apple-trees on the same. The conveniency of the place for either publick or private business is so well known that it is not necessary to say anything in favour of it .-- With the above will be disposed of if desired, 20 acres of wood-land well timbered. A clear and indisputable title for the whole will be given .- For further particulars and terms apply to the subscriber on the premises.
AMOS GREGG. April, 4th, 1780.
N. B. Immediate possession will be given.
TO BE SOLD,
At publick vendue, on Monday the 17th instant, at Bor- dentown, in the state of New-Jersey.
A
Large quantity of Standing and Running Rigging, most part of which is as good as new; three large anchors ; two very good cables; two sets colours ; . one large ship's bell; a great number of blocks and dead- eyes, chain-plates, and many other things. The vendue to begin at ten o'clock.
April 10th, 1780.
1780]
NEWSPAPER EXTRACTS.
303
TO BE SOLD,
On Monday the 8th day of May next at the house of Col. Samuel Crow, in Woodbridge, where Ebenezer Ford, Esq. lately lived, by the subscribers, Commissioners of forfeited estates in the county of Middlesex, the fol- lowing houses and lots of land ;
A HOUSE and lot of land in Amboy, late of John Smith : ยท A house and lot, late of Thomas Skinner :- A house and lot, late of Philip Kearny, junior: The third part of a large house and lot, of Stephen Skinner: One lot of salt meadow, late of Stephen Skinner, lying in Wood- bridge: One lot of salt meadow, late of Alexander Wat- son, in Woodbridge: One house and lot, of land, late of David Gosling, in Amboy: A house and two lots of land, late of Isaac Bonnel, in Amboy : A house and lot of land, late of Michael Kearny, in Amboy: A farm, late of Fran- cis Kearny, near Amboy : A house and lot of land, late of John Thompson, boatman, in Amboy : A lot of land, late of William Wright, in Woodbridge: A lot of land adjoin- ing said Wright's, late of Stephen Skinner: A house and lot of land in Woodbridge, late of Freeman Smith: A house and lot of land of Benjamin Marsh : A lot of land on the Sand Hills, late Nathaniel Harned's, in Wood- bridge; and the house and lands late of Peter, Andrew and Oliver Barberie, in Amboy and elsewhere. The ven- due will be continued by adjournments from day to day till all are sold. Attendance will be given, and conditions made known by
EBENEZER FORD, Commis- WM. MANNING, sioners.
Middlesex county, April 6, 1780.
-
304
NEW JERSEY IN THE REVOLUTION. [1780
To the PUBLICK.
W HEREAS I understand that Francis Lock hath pro- posed to lease or sell a certain plantation in Beth- lehem township, Hunterdon county; therefore I the under-written subscriber take this method to inform the publick that the said plantation was leased in the year 1774 by the aforesaid Francis Lock to his son Francis Lock, jun. for and during the life of him the said Francis Lock, sen. and also at the same time the said Francis Lock, sen. made and delivered unto his son Francis Lock, jun. a deed, whereby the aforesaid plantation, at the death of the said Francis Lock, sen. was to be solely the property of the aforesaid Francis Lock, jun. his heirs and assigns forever ; and as the said Francis Lock, jun. being since dead, and his widow having administered on said estate, and I the subscriber being married to the said widow, am deter- mined to defend the claim of the heirs of the said Francis Lock, jun. to said land, and do forewarn all manner of persons from leasing or purchasing the same from the said Francis Lock, sen. or from any other person or persons pre- tending to dispose of said plantation by any authority from the said Francis Lock, senior.
March 25, 1780. GEORGE NEWTON. -N. J. Gazette, Vol. III. No. 120, Apr. 12, 1780.
NEW-YORK, April 17.
There is a List come in of the Inhabitants of Harring- ton Township, in Bergen County, with their various MONTHLY Assessments, under the Tyranny of New- Jersey Usurpers. Harrington is on this side of Tapaan, or Orange-Town.
-The New-York Gazette: and the Weekly Mercury, April 17, 1780. No. 1487.
305
NEWSPAPER EXTRACTS.
1780]
Whereas Isaiah Yard, of Trenton, has maliciously in- serted in the Pennsylvania Packet of March 28, a caution to the public, with a view (no doubt) to prevent the sale of a Plantation advertised by me in the said Packet. I do hereby inform the public that I can prove, by the very best authority, that neither the aforesaid Isaiah Yard, his father, nor grandfather, nor either of them, have or ever had right or title in said tract of land; and also that my right has been regularly derived from an indisputable title made by the then Sheriff on a legal sale, as appears by the record .- "But it seems his father's administrators were told that they must wait till he, the heir, should become of age before a deed could be obtained; and, now, being of full age is determined to defend his title." I readily agree with my friend Isaiah that he is not only "now of full age," but was twenty-one, six or seven years ago; and fur- ther that his father's administrators and himself have been resident in and about this place before and ever since he became of full age, and yet without being able to obtain any kind of title notwithstanding his perseverance in a pretended claim. I would further add, that my prede- cessors and myself have been in full and quiet possession of said tract of land for more than twenty years past, occu- pying and disposing of the same at pleasure, in the most uninterrupted manner .- Whoever will choose to become the purchaser may depend on receiving from me a suffi- cient title, and I will warrant and defend the same against any pretended claim or claimants.
BERNARD HANLON.
Trenton, March, 1780.
To be SOLD at Vendue.
On Saturday the 22d day of April, at William Cooper's Ferry, in the State of New Jersey, at ten o'clock in the forenoon.
20
306
NEW JERSEY IN THE REVOLUTION. [1780
Will consist of a large and general assortment of ladies and gentlemans best quilted saddles, a neat assortment of chair harnessing, waggon and cart gears, collars, blind- halters, an assortment of all kinds of bridles, an assort- ment of chair harness compleat: A neat phaeton and har- ness and sulkey, and a variety of other goods too tedious to mention. N. B. Those who please to favour him with their commands, will oblige their humble servant
JOHN ROSS. -- The Pennsylvania Packet April 18, 1780.
NEW-YORK, April 19. The following is published from good Authority.
Upon Saturday last the 15th inst. a cavalry detachment of about 120 men, composed of the 17th dragoons, Queen's Ranger Hussars, Diemar's Hussars, and Lieut. Stuart's volunteers, drawn from Staten Island, with a body of 312 infantry, composed of 12 Jagers, 150 men of the regiment of Bose, 100 men of the regiment Mirbach, and 50 men of the Loyal American Regiment, drawn from York Island ; the whole under the command of Major Du Buy of the regiment of Bose, were landed in the Jersies, the cavalry near the extremity of Bergen Neck, the infantry near Fort Lee, forming a junction in the English Neighbour- hood, the whole detachment proceeded to the New Bridge upon Hackinsac, which they reached between 2 and three o'clock in the morning of the 16th, having fallen in with a rebel patrole at that place, under the command of an officer who was taken prisoner with three of his men, the others making their escape; continuing their march to Paramus, Major Du Buy came in sight of the church a little after day-break, and finding the rebels had fallen back to Hopper's-town ; he kept on his march 'till discov- ered by a picket posted at the bridge upon Saddle Creek, who giving their fire, were instantly charged by the ad-
307
NEWSPAPER EXTRACTS.
1780]
vanced guard of cavalry, and the greatest part of them either killed or taken prisoners.
The cavalry were immediately directed to push for- wards to Hopper's, which they soon reached and spiritedly attacking a superior body of infantry in connected canton- ments, carried several houses, before the infantry, who made every possible exertion, could reach the place of action, at which however they arrived in time to complete the object of the incursion.
In retiring, small parties of militia, with a few of their troops, who had been upon out duties, kept hovering round the detachment in different directions, and altho' unable to make any impression, they incommoded the march of the troops by a constant scattered fire from different quar- ters, but with little effect, altho' they continued their attempts to the place of embarkation viz Fort Lee, at which the infantry arrived between 3 and 4 o'clock in the after- noon, the cavalry taking the same route by which they advanced; eight deserters with their arms joined the de- tachment early in the morning.
Encomiums upon the behaviour of the troops are not necessary, altho' merited; it is sufficient to observe, that the incursion was well conducted, and executed as may ever be expected from good troops, led by officers of know- ledge and experience.
Return of the killed, wounded and missing of the troops
at the affair at Hopper's-town the 16th inst. 17th light-dragoons,
1 horse killed, 3 rank and file wounded, 1 horse wounded.
Queen's Ranger Hussars, 3 rank and file killed, 3 horses killed, one rank and file wounded, two horses wounded.
Diemar's hussars, 2 rank and file wounded, one horse wounded.
Staten Island volunteers, 2 rank and file wounded Jag- ers, 1 wounded. Mirbach 1 killed, 11 rank and file wounded .- Bose, 2 killed, 1 serjeant wounded 5 rank and file wounded.
308
NEW JERSEY IN THE REVOLUTION. [1780
Loyal Americans, 1 killed, 5 wounded.
Total 7 rank and file killed, 4 horses killed, two ser- jeants wounded 29 rank and file wounded, four horses wounded.
Two wounded men left behind are included in the above return, many of the wounded are doing their duty.
Return of the killed, wounded and prisoners of the rebel
detachment at Hopper's town upon the 16th Instant. Killed 40, wounded, left behind, believed about 10, taken prisoners, of whom many are wounded 51. Exclu- sive of the officers, of whom one was killed upon the spot; the major who commanded and another officer left badly wounded; two captains, two lieutenants and two ensigns taken prisoners.
Last Saturday a Rebel Brig Privateer of 8 guns and 52 men, was driven on shore about half a mile from the Light- House at Sandy Hook, by his Majesty's Ship Galatea, Capt. Reed, the crew are prisoners, and the vessel will probably be saved-the same day was driven on shore at Deal Beach, 12 miles off the Hook, another rebel privateer brig, by his Majesty's ship Vulture, Capt. Sutherland; the above are from Rhode Island, one called the Rattle Snake, and the other the Black Snake, they sailed in company with two privateer sloops.
Last Saturday morning the 15th instant, a Rebel Priva- teer Brig was driven on shore near Sandy-Hook, by the Galatea. The crew consisting of six officers and forty-five seamen, quitted their vessel and attempted to escape into the country; but being observed by the Officer command- ing at the Light-House, a detachment was immediately sent in pursuit of them under the command of Lieut. Leonard, by whose address and gallant behaviour, the whole were made prisoners: They arrived in this city upon Sunday evening.
-The Royal Gazette, No. 371, April 19, 1780.
a
309
NEWSPAPER EXTRACTS.
1780]
Mr. COLLINS.
M R. Honestus proceeds, and shews himself as lavisn of censure without reason, as of proof without foundation. He says, "Indeed could we suppose Congress wicked enough to make the experiment, &c." Who does not now see that all the arguments I have offered in support of the equity and justice of that plan, are effectually confuted by the bare, though bold, assertion of this master of algebraical reasoning? Who perhaps may suppose justice and equity wickedness et vice versa. Why has he not proved the charge in three words ?- Can it be possible that he charges wickedness upon giving the full value to a person for his money, and to secure him from future loss in it? If so, then I suppose robbing twenty to pay one twenty- fold the value of his money, must be his justice .- Or is it, exempting, as much as possible, the inoffensive and defenceless orphans, widows, and superannuated, in such a tax, and thereby restoring the money they may have preserved to its original value? If so, then I suppose the hastening progress of what will soon bring all such to lamentable beggary, must be his virtue .- Or is he harping upon the old cord, a breach of national faith? If so, why may a gentleman, who can prove the futility of regulation in three words, not have indulged me with the proofs I have repeatedly requested of such assertors? But let me be permitted to prosecute this favourite topick of some, a little farther. I humbly conceive Congress, the august representative body of the empire, to lay under the obligation of more than one kind of faith respecting the nation they represent. This nation has entrusted them with their purses for its defence. Do not the most solemn obligations demand their faith in the application of this money; and their most vigorous exertions in this defence? If then any future Congress should manage matters so, that the greater moiety of their constituents should become obliged, by the appreciation of this money, to launch out millions not for the government or defence of the nation, but to fill the purses of a herd of depreciating speculators, who have preyed upon our vitals in an hour of distress: Would this be consistent with the faith they owe their constituents ?- Or suppose they should be so intent and attached to this appreciation, that, for the sake of it, they should neglect the military operations for the defence of the nation, and destruction, in part or whole, should thence ensue; or they be constrained to consent to a disadvantageous and dishonourable peace : Would this be their faith to the nation ?- Would not all the distress, all the bloodshed, all the destruction, all the disadvantage and dis- honour all consequent on such neglect, be laid to their charge?
From the foregoing observations is appears how exceeding careful such bodies ought to be in pledging the national faith, lest the nation should be led into the dreadful dilemma of breaking its faith, or ruin- ing the greater part of the community. But let assertors of the pledged faith for the appreciation of this money shew whether it is pledged for the whole or part. If the whole, then Congress has been guilty of the most unparalleled profusion of the publick's money that
310
NEW JERSEY IN THE REVOLUTION. [1780
any government ever has been ; to spend, in the course of three years, for the support of a war no more extensive than ours, so many hun- dred millions of Spanish milled dollars: Then would the nation be under an absolute necessity of breaking this pledged faith, because there is a moral impossibility to fulfil it. If only in part, let them point out which part. The faces of the bills are all of the same import. I repeat the question; for which of these bills is this faith pledged ?- Perhaps some may alledge the resolves of Congress for the redemption of these bills, and thence infer, if the quantity is reduced the value must increase until it arrives to its original value. I frankly acknowledge, this faith is pledged for the redemption of the bills. And so it ought to be. But is there the least shadow of reason that it is therefore pledged for the consequence *?
They have resolved that the whole shall be sunk in eighteen years ; is it a breach of faith if it is done in one? The different Legislatures are to sink it by tax; has Congress pledged this faith that money shall not be taxed for sinking it? If then a tax on money its self is found just, and the least burdensome and ruinous to the com- munity at large, how can the redemption of the depreciated part, by such a tax, infringe this National faith? Yea, if the remaining value was established and secured the same as it originally was, would not this coincide with the spirit of the foregoing inference? Has not this money sunk and lost the half or two-thirds of its value since the time this plan was recommended? which, I am confident, would have been preserved, if such plan had been then adopted. And who knows where the sinking of its value will stop?
On a candid review of the foregoing observations, I am truly at a loss to find on what that gentleman founds his bold charge of wicked- ness.
But if this gentleman could suppose Congress wicked enough to make the experiment, he dubiously infers, "happily they would find it
* The argument, that as the quantity decreases, the value must increase, .I humbly conceive not to be conclusive in this case; because this defi- ciency may be supplied by specie or barter. It is manifest that the whole now is about equal in value to what four millions was three years ago: Then if thirty millions is a necessary medium, this falls short twenty-six millions. Why then does not this deficiency appreciate the money? Why does it continue depreciating? It appears to me, that the nature of trade will operate as powerfully against the appreciation as speculation does now in favour of the depreciation: For, in that case, the trader must sell for less than he gave, in hopes of gaining in value what he lost in quantity. But are the generality of traders inclined to such hazards? Will such hazard serve their present purposes? It is also evident that such money will afford the greatest profits by being laid up, which will unavoidably destroy commerce, or force another medium. In the latter this money will become useless; and the different Legislatures fall under an absolute necessity to collect taxes for sinking this money, in the medium which shall circulate at a certain value, and then fix the course of exchange ; which cannot be high for a thing that had become useless. If then from such natural causes the money shall never appreciate, will this violate the pledged faith of the nation?
311
NEWSPAPER EXTRACTS.
1780]
impracticable."-Towards the conclusion of my sixth number I have said, "should the plan I have recommended, or any similar one, appear to our Legislature or our representatives in Congress, proper to be pursued, prudence will dictate to them not to undertake so uncommon and bold a step, without being previously assured that you (my fellow- citizens) will cordially support them in the execution, when resolved upon." I feel confident there would not have been a thousandth part of the hazard to make the experiment in this manner, there will be in attempting to appreciate this money by law or taxes on real prop- erty, nor of danger there is to the whole empire in pursuing the same line of conduct, hitherto done with respect to this money.
But says Honestus, "indeed it is not easy to conceive how the mere alteration of certain characters, &c. could relieve us of any part of the burden which the support of the war necessarily brings upon us." I say, an alteration of mere characters in new emissions on some such foundation as I have before mentioned, would greatly alleviate our burdens. This I attempt to prove by the following arguments :
1. Multitudes of the yeomanry of America, the bulwark of our safety, look on our enormous nominal debt for which, as Congress tells them, their estates stand mortgaged, with concern and dread. This is a consideration which evidently tends ;- To discourage them ;- To cause them to fret at their rulers ;- To suspect government ;- To pay taxes with reluctance ; for say they, what does it avail to pay taxes? The debt still increases manifold upon us. Now, such change of figures would at once relieve us from this burden. Though our true national debt amounts in fact to a trifle, yet the nominal obligation is rose to an enormous sum .- Just like a man's having obtained and obligation from me by mere dint of extortion and fraud, conditioned for the payment of four or five thousand pounds for what was worth no more than an hundred. The just debt I could easily pay ; the other would reduce me to beggary. And I was in justice bound to pay only the hundred pounds, I ask whether the mere alteration of these char- acters from four or five thousand to one hundred in that obligation, would probably relieve me of any part of my burden? And whether I would not pay the hundred pounds with a thousand times the cher- fulness I could give ten pounds in part payment of the other sum?
2. The changable value of the present money, makes the burden of the war fall exceeding unequal. The man who must pay his tax this year with money he has procured twelve or eighteen months ago, must evidently pay three, four, or five times as much in value to him, as one who has procured his within the two or three months last past, though they both pay an equal nominal sum .- This part of our burden would manifestly be removed if money was brought to the fixed value I have before mentioned.
3. As the standard value of our present money is destroyed by the depreciation, I presume it will be found exceeding difficult to fix any other contrary to what is read in the face of the bill. But new emis- sions, on the foundation before proposed, would not, and be attended with this additional advantage, that the National debt would not be its
312
NEW JERSEY IN THE REVOLUTION. [1780
only fund, as the present, but also real property. For the elucidation of which, let me suppose I took a bond three years ago for a thousand Spanish milled dollars, which now is paid me in continental; I may tell my debtor, this sum amounts only to a fortieth or fiftieth of what I gave you ; and he reply, see the face of the bills. To whom am I to apply for those Spanish milled dollars which the bills were intended to represent, and received for value to that amount? Evidently to no one. In the other, the debtor's real property would be the fund to me, as much as a bank for its notes; for I then would be entitled to apply to him for the real value, which the Spanish milled dollars were made to represent in the contract. Is it not manifest that such alteration of characters would prevent thousands from being loaded with burdens under which many, according to the present course of money, will probably groan, as in the pangs of death?
4. It is incontestible, that a sufficiency of the circulating medium is of the last importance for the support of war. Let us suppose that our present military operations require an annual supply of eight millions, and but four millions in circulation ; then, if we consider how unequally this money is always divided, and how much of it is required to carry on the necessary trade, the impossibility of raising the requisite supplies from this money is evident to a demonstration .- It is also evident, that the depreciation of the present money has all along vastly exceeded the quantity ; let then ever so much be emitted, at such a rate, the quantity of the medium must inevitably remain vastly deficient. But the fixed value of the other would afford gov- ernment an opportunity of emitting a sufficiency, and thereby enable the nation to raise the annual supplies by taxes and loans.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.