USA > New Jersey > Documents relating to the revolutionary history of the state of New Jersey, Vol. IV > Part 39
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thirty acres more is sowed with grass seed, and will be fit to mow the ensuing year; eighty acres is covered with fine white oak timber; the remainder is good arable land, fit for raising all kind of grain; the whole under complete fence, chiefly new rails, and in small enclosures and well watered. There is on said farm, a good dwelling- house, two stories high, almost new; a large and com- modious new kitchen, with a well of good water by the door; a large Dutch barn, a new cider works complete, smoak-house, barracks, cow-sheds, &c. a large apple orchard in full growth, a young apple orchard containing near three hundred trees of the best grafted fruit, a number of peach trees, and a peach nursery that will be fit to plant out next spring; the purchaser may be accomodated with an ample quantity of all kinds of farming utensils, horses, cattle, sheep, hogs, &c. grain and roots for a family, and forage for the stock.
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N. B. On this farm there is more good wood cut into proper lengths and piled up than will serve for fuel for two years.
The other farm joins this, and contains one hundred and sixty-three acres, above one-third of which is well timbered wood land, fifteen acres of it mowing ground, the rest good arable land; there is on it a good farm- house, one and a half story high, has three rooms on a floor, a good kitchen, with a well of good water by the door; a shop, and a good English barn; two fine apple orchards which annually produce a large quantity of cider; a number of peach, cherry and pear trees. This farm was rented in February 1778 for seven years at fifty pounds per year, and the proprietor to have half the fruit that the orchards produce every year; the ten- ant is bound to have the whole farm inclosed at the ex- piration of the lease, under a fence of eight rails high, with stakes and riders, and the cleared land divided into seven fields, and under fence of seven rails, with stakes and riders. Both farms are at sixteen miles distance from Brunswick-landing, and twenty-two miles from Elizabeth Town. For terms apply to Mr. Alexander Stewart, merchant, in Philadelphia, or the owner.
. JOHN SHAW. Bernard's Town, New-Jersey,
Somerset county, July 25, 1780.
A S the partnership of STEVENSON and CANFIELD is dis- solved, all persons that have any demands against them are requested to bring in their accounts that they may be settled; and all that are indebted to said partnership are requested to make speedy payment, or they will be proceeded against as the law directs.
Morris Town, July 18, 1780.
34
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TO BE SOLD
A LIKELY Negro man, about twenty-five years old; understands every branch of the farming business. Enquire of the Printer.
C AME to the plantation of the subscriber, at New- Providence, on Thursday the 13th inst. a RED COW, gives milk, has some white spots about her head, marked with a half-penny under each ear; she is three years old. The owner is desired to come, prove property, pay charges, and take her away.
July 18, 1780. WILLIAM BAKER.
S TRAYED away from the subscriber the latter end of last May, a brown yearling mare colt, with a small star in her forehead, a natural trotter, and pretty likely. Whoever takes up said colt, and secures or de- livers her to the owner, shall be handsomely rewarded for their trouble, and all reasonable charges paid, by JOSEPH CLISBE. ยท Lyon's Farms, July 18, 1780.
TO BE SOLD,
A Strong, handsome, NEGRO WENCH, nineteen years old, with a beautiful female child, six months old, both very healthy ;- the wench has been used to cook for a genteel family, can sew, spin, and do all kind of house-work; has had the smallpox and measles, is very honest and sober. The purchaser will have a satisfactory assurance of her character, and that she is sold for no
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fault, but merely for want of employ. The lowest price 1001. York currency, or an equivalent. Enquire of the Printer.
July 18, 1780.
-The New-Jersey Journal, Vol. II., Numb. LXXV, July 26, 1780.
To the PRINTER of the NEW-JERSEY GAZETTE.
SIR,
I FIND that some notice has been taken in your paper of the barbarous murder of Mrs. Caldwell, near
Elizabeth-Town, by the British soldiers. This is not the first nor a singular instance of their brutality ; yet from several circumstances it is no wonder that it drew the at- tention of the public: She was an amiable woman-the wife of a clergyman-the mother of nine young children- and in her disposition one of the most meek and inoffensive persons in the country. The murder was committed not only without immediate provocation, but by a piece of deliberate and refined malice; it was projected and exe- cuted to be revenged on the husband for espousing the cause of his country: I add, that the malice was pure as well as refined, for there was no policy in the measure at all. Had they carried his wife off a prisoner and kept her in their hands, it might have been expected that this would prove a restraint upon his activity against them, but to put her to death was an act of unmixed malignity, for all the effect it could be supposed to have was to kindle resentment in his breast. I hope however ' it will not be in one breast only that this resentment will be kindled, but that the whole country, holding in detesta- tion this savage barbarity, will exert themselve with un- remitted vigour to expel the murderers from our coast. Sometimes, as Montesquieu observes, a single instance of cruelty that is somewhat remarkable sets fire to the in- dignation of a people which had been long ripening, tho'
-
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silently, under repeated acts of oppression. Thus Lu- cretia's misfortune occasioned the expulsion of the Tar- quins from Rome, and the still more melancholy fate of Virginia, killed by her own father to save her from the lust of Appius one of the Decemvirs, occasioned the de- position of that whole body of tyrants. These were both ladies; and it would seem that among a brave and free people virtue and honour are kindled into a fiercer rage by an injury done to one of the weaker sex than to a man, be the circumstances in other respects ever so striking.
I am for my own part, Mr. Printer, a theoretical or speculative whig; that is to say, I embraced that cause more from principle than from passion; more from a deliberate judgment on the rights of mankind and the future benefit to the public in general that must arise from independence, than from any oppression I had myself suffered before, or any good I expected to receive after the successful issue of the contest: Therefore I have been accustomed to make many general, political, and moral observations on the state and conduct of the quarrel from time to time. Among others, as soon as I clearly perceived that the public mind was on the side of liberty, that the great body of the people, as General Burgoyne expresses it, was with the Congress in principle and in zeal, I concluded that whatever vicissitudes there might be in the military operations, the final settlement must be in favour of America. The nature of things is on her side. All who have extensive views of the course of human affairs, and the causes of political revolutions, must be of that opinion. Accordingly it is said that the celebrated historian, Dr. Robertson, observed very early to some of the great men in office, that if they did not suppress this rebellion the first year, they never would be able to effect it.
The final success of America then appeared to me to be certain, whatever measures her enemies had pursued ; but by the peculiar order of Divine Providence Lord
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North, or whoever had the supreme direction of affairs in England, in every step they took contributed to ascer- tain, promote, and accelerate the separation. We have now done talking and writing about the Acts of Parlia- ment passed at the first appearance of American resist- ance, but posterity will wonder at them in two respects:
1. At the cruelty ; and, 2. At the ill policy that appears in them.
1. They will wonder that a body of men representing a great nation should be found so unfeeling and bar- barous as to pass what the people here very justly called the murder act. This act ordained even before the separa- tion, that persons charged with murdering Americans, then their subjects, should not be tried in that country, but brought over to England, that is to say, as every body understood it, should not be punished but rewarded. Who did not perceive at one glance that a candid trial in such cases was not to be expected, and indeed that in most cases of the kind any trial at all was wholly impossible. Could this barbarity be exceeded ? Yes: It was exceeded by that act which ordered Americans taken at sea, to be turned before the mast, and obliged to kill their relations and friends. Some of the English writers have told us that they had a right to put us all to death, and therefore to inflict this punishment which was less than death ; on which I shall only say, what hearts must these persons have who do not perceive that this was fifty times worse than any death they could inflict. Acts of cruelty in the field committed by single ruffians vanish in a manner entirely in the eye of reason when compared with acts of a numerous assembly, which are intended to have a gen- eral and perpetual operation, which must be thrice gravely read before they are passed, and then deliberately as- sented to, i. e. approved and enforced by a most gracious sovereign. Well, is there anything still worse than this, or more wonderful behind ? Yes: That in the King's speeches from the throne, and in the preambles to the Acts
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of Parliament you will find them extolling their own lenity even when every act they passed filled this whole continent with resentment and horror. Posterity will wonder at all this, but circumstanced as we are we have no reason to be surprized that mercenary soldiers should breathe the spirit of him who employs them, or execute the cruel purposes of the Parliament which pays them.
2. It will also be matter of wonder in future times that they should imagine barbarity was the way either to recon- cile or to subdue a numerous and brave people, inhabiting so extensive and so distant a country. Probably somebody will say with astonishment, If there were no politicians, were there also no philosophers in England at that time ? Was there nobody that understood human nature? Was there nobody acquainted with the history of their own or other countries ? Did persecution ever extinguish a religious sect ? or did cruelty ever establish a secure and permanent authority ? Suffer me to put my country- men in mind of what happened in the close of the year 1776. When General Washington's army melted away almost to nothing by the expiration of the times of the soldiers enlistments, the English army over ran a great part of New-Jersey, and took up their posts in a line from Hudson's to Delaware river. From the suddenness of the interruption the people were confounded, and as was natural enough, their own country being possessed by the enemy, there were not wanting many who thought the cause was hopeless. If in these circumstances the English had behaved with gentleness or with justice; if they had protected every person in his property, and made no enquiry what part any man had formerly acted, it seems probable to me that most of those who could not remove their property and effects, would have remained very quiet for that season. I am far from thinking that this would have gained their cause itself, yet would it have made their interest stronger by much in the country than ever it has been since. But happily for the general good,
.
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they were vain enough to think that, as some of them ex- pressed it, the whole affair would be over in two or three weeks, and therefore began to act as conquerors, giving us a fair earnest of what they would do if ever they should be really so. They oppressed the country in general by the most arbitrary orders and exactions, and treated every friend of liberty with insult, injustice, and cruelty, as may be seen in the publication by Congress of that time from the most authentic testimonies. If any expostu- lated, some of the proud underlings who traiterously as- sisted in plundering and peeling their neighbours would say, Remember your former conduct,-whigs must ex- pect to suffer,-you was out a tory-hunting but the other day.
What was the consequence? The body of the people no longer able to bear to see their effects plundered by two or three marauding soldiers, sometimes by a single horseman, twenty miles from their quarters, betook them- sleves to arms ; and the militia, with very little assistance from the continental army, drove them from all their other posts, and confined them to Brunswick and Amboy. This resolution was taken and began to be executed even before the taking of the Hessians at Trenton, and the battle of Princeton. These happy and glorious events providentially occurring, gave great spirit to the country, and brought the efforts of the voluntary insurgents under the direction of the Commander in Chief. But I must always attribute the extraordinary efforts of the New- Jersey militia ever since that time, which have been con- fessed and applauded by every state on the continent, in a great measure to the barbarity of the English while they possessed a great part of their country. I would not willingly derogate from the valour of my countrymen, which was spoken of with so much honour last war, but I am confident none of them will deny that a just in- dignation against false-hearted traiters and unfeeling ravagers added strength to their arm, and made their ex-
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ertions at once more vigorous and more virtuous. What was the reason that when General Washington called for the militia in November 1776, to assist in stopping the enemy's inroad into the country the time was thought too short, and nothing effectual was done? But when he called for assistance in the June following, to hinder them from penetrating the country a second time, within twenty-four hours after firing the beacons there assembled at Princeton alone. upwards of 5000 men. We owed that to Gen. Howe's possessing Princeton twenty-six days in December, 1776; and many may remember it was usual to say in the spring, 1777, that where Congress had made one whig, Gen. Howe had made ten.
The mention of that gentleman's name leads me to in- troduce a fact which has always appeared to me the most complete and undeniable proof, and indeed superior to every other of the vindictive and implacable spirit by which our enemies are actuated. We are assured, and I believe upon good evidence, that Gen. Howe is now in disgrace at the Court of Britain, and one of the charges against him is his too great lenity in his treatment of the Americans. Hear, O ye inhabitants of New-Jersey, will you not do justice even to an enemy, and vindicate him from so groundless an aspersion ? Let your empty houses and plundered country tell the lenity of General Howe- let the prisons of New-York, and the vast numbers starved with hunger or suffocated with stench, tell the lenity of General Howe-let the gastly spectres who by a miracle escaped death in their hands, and passed through this country after their exchange, tell the lenity of General Howe. I speak of things universally known, and there- fore shall not enlarge .- But what must be the hearts of that King and Ministry who were not satisfied with the horrible carnage.
I intended to have concluded this letter by a cool and critical examination of an assertion of several of the writers in Rivington's and other New-York papers; for
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the King of Great-Britain has officers who can write as well as fight, perhaps better. The assertion I mean is, That. humanity is the characteristick of the English nation. But having already taken up too much room in your paper, I defer it to another opportunity.
And am, Sir, &c.
ARISTIDES.
CHATHAM, July 19.
On Monday the 10th inst. Mons. de Ternay arrived at Newport, Rhode-Island, with a very formidable fleet of ships and a large body of land forces, sent to the relief of these United States by his Most Christian Majesty, with whose assistance we hope very soon to extirpate from our territories those invaders of our rights, the apostate Britons.
Last Thursday Thomas Graves, Rear Admiral of the Blue, arrived at Sandy-Hook from England, with five ships of the line. We are told they are very badly manned.
On Sunday last three of the enemy's dragoons swam their horses, with their accoutrements, from Staten-Island, and came over to our people at Elizabeth-Town.
. . We are informed that the spirit of desertion is very. prevalent among the enemy. No less than 15 of their light horsemen deserted in a body on the 6th instant, with their horses, arms, and accoutrements; six of them came into Fredericksburgh, and nine to Gen. Howe's head-quarters; and that scarcely a day elapses without more or less coming off to some of our posts on the east side of Hudson's river.
Night before last five or six of the refugees came over to Newark and carried off Major Hayes, Justice Can- field and son, and Zophar Lyon.
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PHILADELPHIA, July 19.
Extract of a letter from Freehold (New-Jersey) dated July 17, 1780.
"There remains no longer a doubt about the six large ships that my former letter mentioned to have come to off Long-Island on this day afternoon-they are Admiral Graves' fleet; I presume some of them 80 guns, none under 60. I rode down to Shrewsbury yesterday, but the weather was too foggy to make any critical observa- tions. I observe that Arbuthnot had augmented Graves' fleet to 13 ships, ten of them appear to be 60 and up- wards, three of them large frigates. Arbuthnot's ship and others form the west line, immediately to cover the entrance into Sandy-Hook.
"From my own observation, and variety of accounts, I am of opinion that the British now have 18 ships of 40 guns and upwards at New-York, besides small frigates, sloops, cutters, &c. Accounts from New-York, on Saturday, say, Admiral Graves has fallen in with Admiral Ternay, and that Graves had lost a 74 gun ship sunk; that Ad- miral Ternay had arrived at Rhode-Island in a shattered condition ; that they were exerting themselves amazingly at New-York to complete their complement of men on board their ships of war. Every volunteer that will enter on board for this exigency shall be discharged from all duty by land or sea for three years."
TRENTON, JULY 26.
We hear that on Friday morning last the Pennsylvania line, under the command of General Wayne, made an unsuccessful attack against a block-house the enemy erected some time ago at Closter, in Bergen county. Our
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failure it is said was owing to the lightness of our artil- lery, and the enemy's metal being much heavier than was expected. Our troops however recovered several hundred head of quadrupeds, consisting of horses, horned cattle, sheep, and hogs, which the banditti that infest that neigh- bourhood had plundered from the inhabitants. Our loss on this occasion is said to be several killed and wounded.
The French armament which arrived at Rhode-Island the 12th instant, is said to consist of 8 ships of the line, 5 frigates, 2 bomb-ketches, and about 100 transports with upwards of 5000 troops. M. le Count de Rochambeau commands the French troops, and M. le Chevalier de Ternay that of the fleet.
We learn that a large body of the militia of the state of New-York will shortly be ordered out, and that His Ex- cellency Governor Clinton will command them in person.
We also hear that one thousand of the militia of this state are ordered to join the continental army; and that a large number of the Pennsylvania militia are directed to hold themselves in readiness to march on a short notice, to camp.
On the night of the 14th inst. Sergeant Bainbridge, of the New-Levies, deserted from Staten-Island, and brought off Capt. Steward's wife, two privates, six horses, and a considerable sum of hard money.
We hear that the French squadron, M. de Ternay, came south about, in order to relieve Charlestown. Off the Capes of Virginia he fell in with Admiral Graves with six English line of battle ships, when a skirmish ensued, in which one of the enemy's ships in running down the line of the French, was so severely handled that the English Admiral thought it most prudent to sheer off, and made the best of his way to New-York, where the damaged ship is now repairing.
Admiral Graves, with ten sail of men of war, sailed from the Hook on Thursday or Friday last, but their desti- nation is not known.
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We also learn that on the 4th inst. a severe engagement happened in the West-Indies, between the combined fleets of France and Spain and that of the English, in which the French took two 74's and sunk one 64, beside doing the British other considerable damage.
This account is said to be published in a late New York paper, but we have not yet been able to obtain a sight of it.
The new crops of wheat and rye, in this quarter, are re- markably good ;. and there is as great a show for fruit of almost every kind as has been perhaps for many years back.
Extract of a letter from a capital mercantile house in Am- sterdam, (Holland) to a gentleman in this state, dated May 1, 1780.
"The friends of America in this country persevere in their attachment to the good cause, and their opponents still preserve their former sentiments; however upon the whole, the political sky, which at particular times has been much clouded over your country, is clearing up very fast -Ireland has already a volunteer army under the most approved whig leaders, who are of their own choice-The whigs of England are associating after the example of America-Great Britain has made herself odious to all the commercial nations of Europe by her arrogance in pretending to keep the sovereignty of the seas, and by her injustice in seizing and condemning neutral vessels, con- trary to treaty. The time is now come when those nations will insist on their right to a free trade, and are deter- mined to support the honour of their respective flags- There is already a negotiation on foot, and as good as con- cluded, between the Courts of Russia, Denmark, Sweden, Portugal, and this Republic (to which they were invited by the Empress of Russia) to make it a common cause, and
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to form a system for the protection of their commerce to every part of the world, and not suffer it to be interrupted by any nation whatever-She has already declared her design to the belligerent powers, and requested the concur- rence of our States; and tho' you know our motions are generally very slow, in this instance the Province of Hol- land resolved immediately not only to enter into the plan, but to confer with Prince Gallitzin, the Russian Ambas- sador, on the best and most effectual measures to accelerate the negotiation and to complete the plan. We believe that a Russian squadron will, for that purpose, soon be in the British Channel to act in conjunction with ours, as there is not a doubt of the other provinces following the example of that of Holland. The Court of Great Britain are in great jeopardy, and seem to act irresolutely desperate -.. About the middle of April last, when they found the Dutch would not at any rate grant them succours, but on the con- trary, were determined to assist in abridging their assumed sovereignty of the seas, to cover their chagrine and dis- appointment published a declaration charging the Republic with deserting their alliance, and have suspended, till fur- ther orders, all the particular privileges in commerce it has hitherto enjoyed-the very mention of privileges, which we never enjoyed but when they pleased, is affronting in the highest degree: Generally speaking, these would be called privileges with the same propriety as the British cruelties practiced in America may be called tender mer- cies-Finding we were not very uneasy in consequence of their threatenings, a great ministerial house in London has written that by properly appealing, the condemnation of our vessels, taken under Count Byland's convoy, would be reversed. A great patriotic character among us, whom you know, I believe to have been very instrumental in our present measures. --- Thus we may truly say, "auspice "tandem bona, causa
triumphat," tho' by the bye there have been great political struggles here. The effects of this triumph must extend to
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America; for if after the open declaration of two great powers in its favour, the other maritime ones should com- bine to preserve a neutrality, and at the same time to pro- tect and insist upon a free trade, England must stop her mad career or sink forever. I have therefore strong hopes that peace may at length be the issue of these proceedings ; especially if England could' have its intolerable pride humbled by a blow at sea.
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