USA > New Jersey > Morris County > Morristown > Historic Morristown, New Jersey : the story of its first century > Part 15
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"Mr. Johnson died on the twenty-fifth day of April, in the year 1780, and his funeral drew together a great concourse of people. The son to whom reference has been made remem- bers that in the long procession which followed the remains of his father to the Morristown graveyard, there was only one vehicle on wheels, and this was used for carrying the corpse. Dr. Johnes and the attending physician, each with a linen scarf around the shoulders, according to the custom of the times, led the procession on horseback. The simplicity of the scene stands in singular contrast with the pomp and circumstance of a funeral in our day."
Three sons of Henry Wick, the owner of the exten- sive Wick farm, situated on the Jockey Hollow road, are said by some writers of local history to have belonged to this now famous company of soldiery. A recent author, however, says that "the John, William and Moses Wick, who are mentioned as serving in the Light Horse, were probably relatives of the family, living in Hanover." It is a most interesting fact, apparently corroborative of the opinion expressed by this author, that in the issue of The New Jersey Gazette, of Oc- tober 28, in the year 1778, there appeared an adver- tisement offering for sale by "John and William Wick,"
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a "farm and cyder mill in Hanover." Moses Wick, according to a census of the freeholders, or property holders of Morris County, taken in the year 1776 was also a resident of Hanover Township at that time.
From the enlistment roll we have learned that the first captain of this independent company of "Light Horse" was Thomas Kinney, ex-sheriff of Morris County, who is no stranger to our readers.
While in command of the Light Horse Troop, Cap- tain Kinney with his company, escorted Governor Wil- liam Franklin, the notorious royalist, to Connecticut, where, in accordance with instructions, he deliv- ered him into the hands of Governor Trumbull for safe keeping. For this hazardous service Captain Kinney was suitably rewarded by the provincial au- thorities. The sum received was "105 pounds, one shilling and seven pence for himself and guard." After the resignation of Captain Kinney, which seems to have taken place soon after its organization, Jacob Arnold was appointed to the command of the Light Horse Troop, which thereafter became known as "Arnold's Light Horse Troop."
Besides other arms, each member of Arnold's Troop carried a spear, or pike (either term seems to be ap- plicable) similar to that once borne by English heavy armed troops. This spear was about five feet in length. It consisted of a steel spearhead about eight inches in length and two in width at the widest part, with a cut- ting edge on one end, and at the other end a pointed steel ferrule about four inches in length. The body
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of the spear consisted of a smooth round oak stick, about an inch and a quarter in diameter. This weapon was carried, when not in use in action, on the right side of the mounted trooper. The pointed ferrule at the lower end of the weapon rested in an iron socket, firmly attached to the stirrup strap, the upper end of the spear being supported by a strap, which passed around the right arm thus leaving this arm free for use in driving, or in handling other weapons. When used in close action this spear was a most effective weapon, and, wielded by young men, must have been greatly dreaded by the enemy. When about twenty years ago, the Arnold tavern was moved from its original site, on the northwest side of the Green, to make way for the erection of a more modern structure, (the Hoffman building), one of these spears was found in the cellar. It was subsequently loaned by the late Joseph R. Hoff- man, M. D., to the Washington Association, and is now in the highly valuable collection to be seen at the "Headquarters." Each member of Arnold's Light Horse Troop was required to furnish his own horse and equipments. The troop, as we are reliably in- formed, was seldom all together, but were usually di- vided into details of from two to twelve men, or even more sometimes, and were employed as videttes, or mounted sentinels, to watch the movements of the British forces, to convey intelligence of such movements to headquarters and to carry orders. Whenever the entire troop was together it was for the purposes of training and discipline; or, in case of alarm from the
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apprehended approach of the enemy in force. They were in continuous service during the Revolution. The State infantry, on the other hand, performed duty by what was known as "monthly turns." A portion at least of this troop performed service at different times at Millstone, Second River, on Raritan River, at Springfield, Connecticut Farms, Elizabethtown (fre- quently), Newark and Aquacknunk.
In the battles of Springfield and Monmouth, this ubiquitous troop seems to have been represented. A portion of it must also have been at Hackensack, since it is a matter of record that one of its members as he himself afterward declared, "had like to have been taken prisoner near a British fort" in the vicinity. In "Genealogical Notes, &c.," collected by Lewis Condict, M. D., now known as the "Condict Papers," is the fol- lowing entry : "In John Esler's witness for John Blow- ers, he says, John Canfield was with Blowers and Es- ler at New York and Amboy;" from which it is a fair. inference that a portion of Arnold's Light Horse Troop performed service at New York and Amboy, during the Revolution.
When General Charles Lee was captured in White's tavern at Basking Ridge, the Arnold Troop lay at Morristown, in a body. The messenger who brought the intelligence of Lee's capture to the county seat rode a horse which, it was ascertained, had been stolen from a member of Arnold's Troop while it lay at Parsippany, and to his delight he recovered the lost animal. It is no ordinary pleasure, as the writer conceives, to
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be permitted to look upon and handle the watch carried by Colonel Jacob Arnold during the Rev- olution, and while in command of his famous Light Horse Troop; and the next best thing to seeing and handling the watch, is the pleasure of look- ing upon a photographic representation of it. This pleasure is given the readers of this volume. The watch, like its owner during the Revolutionary period, has a history, which should not be hidden "under a bushel." It originally belonged to Samuel Arnold, the father of the redoubtable colonel. From Samuel Arnold the watch, at his decease, descended to his son Jacob; from Jacob it descended to his son Edward, and naturally would have descended next in order to Isaac G. Arnold, recently deceased.
But one day, during his brief illness, Edward Ar- nold gave explicit instructions to have the watch given to Howard Baylies Arnold, the only son of Isaac G., whose property it now is. The seal, a representation of a rattlesnake, is symbolic of the motto, never to strike till warning has been duly given. The works in this watch are of English make, the escapement being known as the "verge," both of which facts the writer ascertained from a Morristown jeweler. The chain is of steel, and from long usage some of its links are nearly worn through, necessitating careful handling.
At the session of the Provincial Congress, which on the twenty-third day of May, in the year 1775, con- vened at Trenton, the Morris county delegatess were present of whom William DeHart, Silas Tuttle, Peter
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Dickerson and Jonathan Stiles, were from Morristown. Assuming by common consent the powers of legisla- tion, the Provincial Congress supplanted the former Legislature, continuing its session through the months of June and August. On the third day of June, in the year 1775, the Provincial Congress passed an Act for the regulation of the militia, one of the provisions of which was, that the muster roll to be signed by re- cruits, should contain only the promise "to obey our officers in such service as they shall appoint us, agree- able to the rules and orders of the Provincial Con- gress." Two regiments and one battalion of militia were, according to the Act above mentioned, to be re- cruited in Morris County, the two former of which were to be designated as the "eastern" and "western battalions." That these bodies of militia were promptly recruited, and organized, is a most natural inference.
Of the eastern battalion, Jacob Ford, Jr., of Morris- town, then about thirty-seven years of age, was ap- pointed colonel. For this battalion Morristown fur- nished, at different times during the continuance of its organization, the following officers : Eleazer Lindsley, thirty-eight years of age, major and afterward lieu- tenant-colonel; Benoni Hathaway, thirty-two years of age, captain and afterward lieutenant-colonel ; Richard Johnson, twenty-seven years of age, major ; Henry Ax- tell (sometimes spelled Axtil), thirty-seven years of age, major ; Joseph Lindsley, forty years of age, major ; John Doughty, twenty-four years of age, adjutant; Frederick King, thirty-seven years of age, quarter-
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master, and Timothy Johnes, twenty-seven years of age, surgeon. Jacob Arnold, twenty-six years of age, and Jonathan Stiles, Jr., twenty years of age, and both of Morristown, served in the militia as paymasters; and Barnabas Budd, thirty-seven years of age, of the same place, was a surgeon in the same arm of the service. In the same battalion to which the above-named officers were attached, as well also as in the Second Battalion, many other Morristown residents served as commis- sioned officers during the Revolution.
The Act of the Provincial Congress, regulating the militia, passed on the sixteenth day of August, in the year 1775, also recommended that minute men be raised in all the counties of the province. Morris County was to have six companies of minute men. They were to furnish themselves with "a good musket or firelock and bayonet, sword or tomahawk, a steel ramrod, worm, priming wire and brush fitted thereto, a car- touch box to contain 23 rounds of cartridges, twelve flints and a knapsack." Each man was to keep one pound of powder and three pounds of lead at his house. As the term "minute men" suggests, they were to hold themselves in constant readiness to march, on the short- est notice, to any point where their services might be needed.
At a meeting of the Morris County delegates held at the Dickerson tavern on the fourteenth day of Sep- tember, in the year 1775, it having been ascertained that the full number of minute men, required of the county had been enlisted, it was recommended to the Provin-
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cial Congress that a number of officers be commissioned for the command of these soldiers. Among the names recommended were those of the following residents of Morristown: Timothy Johnes, (son of "Parson Johnes"), for surgeon ; Silas Howell, for captain ; Jos- eph Lindsley, for first lieutenant; Richard Johnston, for second lieutenant; Ebenezer Condict, for captain ; Benoni Hathaway, for first lieutenant; Moses Prudden, for second lieutenant ; Joseph Beach, for ensign.
At a late hour on the same day a meeting of the of- ficers of the battalion, about twenty-five in number, was held at some place in Morristown not now ascertain- able. At this meeting nearly a score of the battalion officers were present. William DeHart was the mod- erator, and Jacob Drum the clerk of this meeting. The officers present were: William DeHart, Captain Ebenezer Condict, Lieutenant Moses Prudden, En- sign Caleb Horton, Ensign Richard Johnston, Ensign Samuel Day, Lieutenant Noadiah Wade, Captain Sam- uel Ball, Lieutenant Moses Keepore (probably meant for Kitchel), Captain Jacob Drum, Lieutenant Josiah Hall, Lieutenant Daniel Baldwin, Lieutenant Joseph Lindsley, Captain Silas Howell, Ensign David Tuttle, Lieutenant Benoni Hathaway. It was unanimously voted to recommend to the Provincial Congress, or Committee of Safety of New Jersey, the following gen- tlemen for field officers: Colonel, William Winds ; lieutenant-colonel, William DeHart; major, David Bates, and adjutant, Joseph Morris. Faithful service to these field officers, should they be commissioned,
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was pledged by the officers recommending them. The meeting was then adjourned.
The first call of the Continental Congress upon New Jersey for troops, was made on the ninth day of Oc- tober, in the year 1775. Two battalions, consisting of eight companies each, each company to have sixty-eight privates, one captain, one lieutenant, one ensign, four sergeants and four corporals, was the quota recom- mended to the Provincial Congress, then in session at Trenton, to be furnished by New Jersey. The privates were to be enlisted for the period of one year, liable however, to be discharged in the meantime. They were to receive $5 per month, and if discharged before the expiration of the year, were to be allowed one month's pay extra. One felt hat, one pair of yarn stockings and a pair of shoes were to be allowed the men, instead of a bounty. Each man was to furnish his own arms.
The officers were to receive, until further orders, the same pay as the officers of the Continental army then in service, and any increase in favor of the latter, should apply also to the former. The recommendations of the Continental Congress having on the thirteenth day of October, of the year 1775, been received and adopted by the Provincial Congress, the latter body on the twenty-sixth day of the month above mentioned, provided for the issuance of warrants to suitable per- sons to recruit the two battalions called for by the Con- tinental army. Mustering officers were also appointed, whose duty it should be to review the companies to be recruited.
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"I -, have this day voluntarily enlisted myself as a soldier in the American Continental army for one year, unless sooner discharged, and do bind myself to conform in all instances to such rules and regulations as are or shall be established for the government of the said army."
Such was the form of enlistment under which these men were to be recruited. These battalions were promptly raised and mustered. The officers were ap- pointed by the Provincial Congress, and the appoint- ments thus made were subsequently confirmed by the Continental Congress. Of the two battalions desig- nated as the "eastern" and "western," the eastern was raised largely in Morris County. Morristown fur- nished the following officers for the eastern battalion: William DeHart, major; Silas Howell, captain, and Richard Johnson, second lieutenant.
Again on January 10, in the year 1776, the Contin- ental Congress called for another battalion from New Jersey; and in accordance with the recommendation of the Provincial Congress this command was organized at once. Of one of the companies of this battalion, Peter Dickerson, of Morristown, was the captain; and of the privates Morristown seems to have furnished the following: Luke De Voir (sometimes spelled De- vour), Jeremiah Guard (or Gard), Thomas Hatha- way, John Hill and Timothy Losey.
As the commanding officer of the eastern battalion of militia, comprising about 800 officers and men, Jacob Ford, Jr., had doubtless awakened to the realization of the need of gunpowder as an indispensable means
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to its efficiency as a fighting force. Hence, early in the year 1776, he caused to be erected a mill for the manu- facture of this necessity. In this enterprise he seems to have been assisted by his father; indeed, such is the statement of Silas B. Condict, in a series of articles on the "Genealogical History of the Ford Family of Mor- ris County." Mr. Condict's words are: "Col. Jacob Ford Jun. took a very active part with his father, and we find them engaged in building a powder mill on the Whippany river near Morristown." That reli- ance is to be placed upon this statement the writer does not for a moment question.
Major Joseph Lindsley seems to have supervised the erection of this building, and, inasmuch as this officer was subsequently spoken of as the "Blind Major," it is the opinion of some students of local history, that in consequence of having assisted in the manufacture of gunpowder in Ford's mill, his eyesight had been im- paired. Ford's powder mill, as it came to be known, was erected on the Whippanong River, in the rear of what is now the residence of Augustus Crane, which is situated on the left of the road leading from Morris- town to Whippany, and nearly opposite the commence- ment of the road leading to Columbia, formerly Afton. Or, with reference to the "Headquarters," the Crane residence is about the fifth or sixth house beyond, in the direction of Whippany, and on the same side of the road. The path leading to Ford's powder mill was through an almost impenetrable thicket, and was so completely surrounded by trees as to render it very
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difficult of discovery by the enemy; indeed, a more isolated spot could scarcely have been chosen. Through the courtesy of Philip H. Hoffman, of Morristown, a picture of this interesting building is to be seen in this volume. The sketch from which the picture here- in published is made, was drawn under the supervision of Mr. Hoffman, from a description furnished in- directly by persons who had themselves seen the build- ing before its removal, and it may, therefore, be relied upon as a practically accurate representation of the mill where saltpeter, sulphur and charcoal, mixed and afterward granulated, were chemically transformed into gunpowder under the supervision of Colonel Jacob Ford, Jr.
The provincial authorities, having ascertained that Colonel Ford was engaged in the manufacture of gunpowder, were desirous of having him increase the output of his mill. As an inducement to him to accede to their wishes, they offered to loan him £2,000, without interest, on condition of his giving good security for the loan. They also offered to receive the payment of the loan in gunpowder, at the rate of one ton each month, until the entire amount should be paid. This offer was accepted by Colonel Ford, and the loan was in due course of time paid as per agreement.
The writer has somewhere seen the statement that most of the gunpowder used in the Revolution was made in this mill, hidden away so completely among the trees and thicket on the banks of the placid Whip- panong, that the eyes of no redcoat ever had the pleas-
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ure of looking upon it. It may, however, be more in ac- cordance with the facts in the case, to say that most of the gunpowder used in New Jersey during the Revolu- tion, was manufactured in Ford's mill. This old mill was removed about a hundred feet from its original site, in the year 1815, and made into a dwelling. About this time Joseph M. Lindsley, a son of Major Joseph Lindsley, of Revolutionary fame, secured a piece of one of the timbers of the mill, about two inches in thick- ness, twelve inches in length and ten inches in width. It was highly polished, and on one side an ex- cellent representation of the old mill of Revolutionary days was made. It is now to be seen at the "Head- quarters."
Colonel Benoni Hathaway had personal charge of the Ford Powder Mill, and supervised the removal of the powder from the isolated manufactory on the Whip- panong, to the magazine in the vicinity of the Green, where it was stored for future use. There is an appar- ently well-founded tradition to the effect, that when the output of the mill ran low, the resourceful colonel was wont to substitute sand for gunpowder, and with barrels well filled with this substitute for the genuine article, would transport it with special demonstrations of sufficiency, from mill to magazine. Not a few Brit- ish spies and resident Tories were deceived as to the actual output of the mill by this ingenious ruse of the resourceful colonel.
The writer paid a visit a few weeks since to the Rev- olutionary residence of Colonel Benoni Hathaway, still
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standing in Morristown, and by his escort, the present owner of the building, had his attention directed to sev- eral ground depressions in the rear of the house. It is the opinion of the owner, who for many years has been familiar with the premises, that these depressions mark the former resting place of small cannon, placed there by Colonel Hathaway during the Revolution, for the purpose of commanding the approach to the Ford Powder Mill, situated about half a mile to the east- ward. This theory has no little support in the fact that several cannon balls have been found near the Hathaway house, some of which the writer has seen ; and by the more significant fact that a few years since what seemed to be the remains of a gun carriage wheel, was also found on the premises.
Near the Ford powder mill, and standing on the left of the road leading from Morristown to what, in Revo- lutionary times, was still known as Whippanong, was the Major Joseph Lindsley house. A large old-fash- ioned oven was attached to this house, in which the women of the family were accustomed to baking gener- ous quantities of bread for the American soldiers sta- tioned during the Revolution as guards about the Ford mansion, then the headquarters of Washington. The men of the household, at the period to which we are about to allude, were all absent in the army. Fears of a raid by the British were constantly entertained, not only by the women of the Lindsley household, but by the men employed in the powder mill nearby. Hearing one night the tramp of horses, the women were startled
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on looking out, at the sight of a company of horsemen in full uniform, near the house. The women were greatly relieved in mind when they ascertained that the soldiers were in search of the powder mill, and that they had been sent by Washington to guard the mill and house from an anticipated British raid. After some urging, one of the patriotic women consented to guide the horsemen to the powder mill, and, on foot, and go- ing ahead of them, she led the way through the dense thicket to the mill by the river. These horsemen, as was soon ascertained, were a portion of the Arnold Light Horse Troop, which were then acting as a body- guard to Washington.
Reference has already been made to the inhabitants of the village of Morris Town, and of the outlying country included in the township, at the opening of the Revolution. It is fortunate for the lovers of local his- tory, that a list of the freeholders of Morris Town en- titled to vote for deputies, or representatives, to the Provincial Congress which was to meet at Burlington, on the tenth day of June, in the year 1776, has been preserved. The election, it should be said, occurred in Morris Town, on the fourth Monday in May, 1776. This list is now to be presented. That it will be found of great interest there is no question. Following are the names of the freeholders :
"John Allen, Jacob Arnold, John Ayres, Moses Allen, Gilbert Allen, Nathaniel Bonnell, Daniel Bishop, James Brookfield, Joseph Beach, John Beach, Samuel Broadwell, Joseph Bruen, Epenetus Beach, James Bollen, Jabez Beach,
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John Brookfield, Augustine Bayles, Uriah Cutler, Enoch Conger, Jabez Condict, Wood Cammer, William Cherry, Philip Condict, William Connot, Edward Cornell, Jabez Campfields, Philemon Dickerson, David Dalglass, Jesse Dickerson, Jeduthum Day, George Day, Ezekiel Day, Ben- jamin Day, Stephen Easton, Daniel Freeman, Phineas Fair- child, Zopher Freeman, Stephen Funhill, Jacob Frazey, Seth Gregory, Josiah Goldsmith, Ezekiel Goble, Joshua Guerin, Benjamin Goble, Henry Gardner, William Gardner, Jonas Goble, Christopher Gardner, William Gray, John Gwinnup, Levi Holloway, Philip Hathaway, Silas Hallsey, John Hollo- way, William Hayware, (Hayward?) Daniel Hayward, Caleb Howell, Benoni Hathaway, Ichabod Johnson, Richard Johnson, Elisha Johnson, William Johnes, Joseph Kitchell, Frederick King, Abraham Ludlum, Daniel Layton, Joseph
Lewis, Joshua Lambert, Abraham Ludlum (Jr .? ), Daniel Lickamore, David Leonard, Matthias Lum, David Muir, Philip Minton, Samuel Miller, Wartshill Monson, Moses Morrison, Peter Mackie, John Masco, Timothy Mills, Jr., Jacob Morrell, Jedediah Mills, Robert McElee, Abraham Monson, Solomon Monson, Shadows Mahan, Stephen Moore, Samuel Oliver, Jonathan Ogden, David Ogden, Benjamin Pierson, Jr., Abraham Pierson, Jr., Joseph Prud- den, Moses Prudden, Peter Parsels, Isaac Pierson, Peter Pruden, Timothy Peck, Isaac Prudden, William Pierson, George Phillips, John Roberts, Jedediah Rodgers, Richard Runyon, Samuel Roberts, John Roberts, Jr., Robert Rolf, John Stewart, Daniel Smith, Joseph Stiles, Silas Stiles, Jona- than Stiles, Jr., Ezekiel Thoss, William Templeton, H. D. Tripp, Isaac Whitehead, David Ward, Jr., Isaac Whitehead (Jr .? ), Nathaniel Woodhull, Joseph Winger, Jonathan Wood, Robert Young."
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