USA > New Jersey > Morris County > Morristown > Historic Morristown, New Jersey : the story of its first century > Part 28
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1779 6 Bushels Wheat £I 16
Dec'r I Bushel Corn
4
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4
2 4
JOHN DAY.
From the Morris County Chronicle, of the year 1899, the following extract is presented :
"The old, musty papers *
*
* are records of more than a hundred years ago. Apart from their historic value, they are instructive as giving glimpses of the mode of life of those who preceded us by many generations in the march of life. They afford ideas of the values of articles used in every day life. The names of those who are now with us enjoying our respect and confidence, will be found here, and among them will be recognized some who are remembered with respect and veneration."
Soon after the commencement of the Revolution, there removed to Morristown a man who subsequent- ly became prominent in county, State and national af- fairs, and who, in the struggle for freedom, rendered most excellent service. John Cleves Symmes was his name. So remarkable was the career of this man, that the following sketch, based upon data gathered from
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what are probably reliable sources of information, is presented: He was born in the town of Riverhead, Suffolk County, New York, on the twenty-first day of July, of the year 1742. In early life he engaged in school teaching and surveying. For his first wife he married Miss Tuttle, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Tuttle, of Southold, in the county and State above mentioned. About the year 1770, Mr. Symmes removed with his young bride to Sussex County, New Jersey. They seem to have settled in Flatbrook; and here, on the twenty-fifth day of July of the year 1775, a daughter was born to them, whom the parents named Anna. As previously stated, Mr. Symmes removed to Morristown soon after the com- mencement of the Revolution-it may have been in the spring of the year 1776. On his removal to the county seat of Morris he selected as his home what has since been known as "Solitude," situated on the left of the road now called Sussex Avenue, about a mile and a half north from the Morristown Green, as one goes toward Mt. Freedom. Whether the house occupied by Mr. Symmes was built prior to his remov- al to Morristown, or erected by him after his settle- ment here, the writer is unable at present to say. The situation of his residence was called "Solitude" partly, no doubt, because of its remoteness from the Morris- town village, but chiefly because of its thickly wooded environment.
When the infant daughter, Anna Symmes, was about one year of age, her mother died-this was
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probably in the latter part of the month of July, of the year 1776; while the parents were living at "Solitude."
In his "Washington in Morris County, New Jer- sey," the Rev. Dr. Joseph F. Tuttle, says, that in the first battle of Springfield, fought as our readers have seen, on the fourteenth day of December, of the year 1776, "the celebrated John Cleves Symmes * participated, with a detachment of militia from Sus- sex County." In "Officers and Men of New Jersey in the Revolutionary War," by William S. Stryker, Adjutant-General, which is unquestioned authority, as far at least as it goes, may be seen the following rec- ord concerning Mr. Symmes: "Colonel, Third Battal- ion, Sussex, resigned May 23d, 1777, to accept ap- pointment as Justice of the Supreme Court of New Jersey." From this statement it may reasonably be inferred, that in the first battle of Springfield, Mr. Symmes was a colonel in command of the "detach- ment of militia from Sussex County." By another apparently reliable author the statement is made that "as colonel of a New Jersey regiment he participated in many important battles." It is said, also, in "Ohio Historical Collections," by Howe, that Mr. Symmes participated in the battle of Saratoga, which occurred on the seventh day of October, of the year 1777. But in view of the official statement that he resigned his colonelcy on the twenty-third day of May, of the same year as that above mentioned, to accept a civil ap- pointment, it is quite improbable that Colonel Symmes was a participant in the battle of Saratoga. There is
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however, a possibility that in the interval between his resignation from the militia service, and the assump- tion of his duties as a justice of the New Jersey Su- preme Court, he may have in some capacity taken part in the battle specified.
It was while Mr. Symmes was a Justice of the Su- preme Court of New Jersey, that the trial of "Parson Caldwell's" murderer occurred; and the writer has seen the statement that during this famous trial, Jus- tice Symmes presided over the court.
For his second wife, Mr. Symmes married a daugh- ter of Governor Livingston, of New Jersey; this may have been about the year 1778. The marriage cere- mony was probably performed at "Solitude;" and there are some glimmerings of evidence in favor of the spacious front hallway of this interesting house having been the place where he gave a practical exem- plification of his belief in the teaching of the eminent English philosopher, who says: Were a man not to marry a second time, it might be concluded that his first wife had given him a disgust to marriage; but by taking a second wife, he pays the highest compliment to the first, by showing that she made him so happy as a married man, that he wishes to be so a second time." Governor Livingston was probably present at the marriage of his daughter to Justice Symmes; and it is said he was afterward a frequent visitor at "Soli- tude." The capture of both Governor Livingston and Justice Symmes was devoutly wished by the British authorities and during a visit of the Governor to Mr.
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Symmes, a party of Tories are said to have secreted themselves in a swamp near the house, intending ir the night time to carry them away as prisoners into the enemies lines. For some reason, however, now unknown, the plot miscarried.
When Anna Symmes was four years of age it was concluded to place her in the home of her grandpar- ents, Mr. and Mrs. Tuttle, at Southold, New York. To reach Southold, more than a hundred miles distant from Morristown, it was of course, necessary to pass s through the enemy's lines. Disguising himself, there -. fore, as a British officer, Mr. Symmes boldly set out t on horseback for Southold. Anna sat on the saddle in 1 front of her father. They reached the home of Mr. and Mrs. Tuttle, and little Anna was left there, Mr. Symmes returning to Morristown.
Justice Symmes and his daughter did not meet again until the year 1783. Anna, who was then about eight years of age, was soon afterward placed in a young ladies' seminary.
During the year 1785 Mr. Symmes served the State as a member of the Council, the members of this body then being elected annually. In the years 1785-86 he was a member of the Continental Congress. It was in the year 1787 that an ordinance was passed by Con- gress, making provision for the establishment of a territorial government northwest of the Ohio River. In anticipation of this action of Congress (in which an- ticipation Mr. Symmes, by reason of his service in that body the two previous years, doubtless shared) lands
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in that region were sold by the general government.
An association called the "Ohio Company," pur- chased 5,000,000 acres of land lying between the Mus- kingum and Scioto rivers, fronting on the Ohio River. About this time, the exact date of which seems to be unascertainable, Mr. Symmes and a few others pur- chased 2,000,000 acres of land in the rich and beautiful region on the Ohio River, between the Great and Lit- tle Miami rivers. His purchase included the site of the present city of Cincinnati. Mr. Symmes' associates in this extensive purchase were chiefly composed of the officers of the New Jersey line who had served in the Revolution; among whom were General Jonathan Dayton and Rev. Elias Boudinot, D. D. It could not have been long after his extensive land purchase in Ohio, that Mr. Symmes removed from New Jersey to the West; which was thereafter his home. On the twenty-third day of October, of the year 1787, he was appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court of Ohio. He settled, with his family, at the North Bend of the Ohio River, and there he proposed to found the capital of the future State. This was frustrated by the choice of the site of Cincinnati for a blockhouse around whose protecting cannon emigrants to the wilderness pre- ferred to settle. There Fort Washington was after- ward built;" and in the year 1795 Captain William Henry Harrison was stationed in command of the gar- rison. Judge Symmes erected a blockhouse and a commodious dwelling at NorthBend. It was during the year 1795, that Anna Symmes, then about twenty
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years of age, once more became a member of the household. She was "a remarkably beautiful girl," and "traces of that beauty lingered in her face at the time of her death, when she was almost ninety years of age."
At Lexington, Kentucky, in the home of Mrs. Pey- ton Short, Anna Symmes' older sister, Anna, is said to have first met Captain William Henry Harrison. An acquaintance was then and there begun which cul- minated into mutual and life-long attachment. After a brief courtship the two became engaged. Judge Symmes gave his consent to the marriage; but when certain slanderous reports against Captain Harrison reached him, he withdrew his consent. Anna, how- ever, had confidence in the young captain, and re- solved to marry him.
"On the morning of the day fixed for that event Judge Symmes rode to Cincinnati, unsuspicious of any such doings. He was offended. He did not meet Harrison until several weeks afterward, when he met him at a dinner-party given by General Wilkinson, at Fort Washington. 'Well, sir,' said the Judge sternly to Captain Harrison, 'I understand you have married Anna.' 'Yes, sir,' answered the Captain. 'How do you expect to support her ?' inquired the father. 'By my sword and my right arm,' quickly answered the young officer. The Judge was pleased with the spirit of the reply, and he became at once reconciled. He lived to be proud of his son-in-law."
John Cleves Symmes died on the twenty-sixth day of Feb- ruary, of the year 1814, at Cincinnati. "About 30 rods (we quote from 'Ohio Historical Collections,' by Howe) in a westerly direction from the tomb of Harrison (9th President
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U. S.) on an adjacent hill, in a family cemetery, is the grave of Judge Symmes. * On it is the following inscrip- tion: 'Here rest the remains of John Cleves Symmes, who, at the foot of these hills, made the first settlement between the Miami rivers. Born on Long Island, State of New York, July 2Ist, A. D. 1772. Died at Cincinnati, February 26, A. D. 1814.'"
Apparently, about the year 1781, there removed to Morristown one Walter Mould and his family. He seems to have come from New York City, where, it is said, he was engaged in business at No. 23 William street. Mould, who is spoken of as a man "of stand- ing and responsibility," is said to have been an Eng- lishman, and to have been employed as an artisan in some of the shops of Birmingham, one of the great manufacturing towns of his native country. It is even recorded that Mr. Mould brought across the Atlantic with him the tools and implements of his trade, which seems to have been that of a machinist.
At the close of the Revolution, coin of any sort was very scarce; of copper coin this was especially true. Under the articles of confederation the United States could exercise no power over the currency, nor sup- ply in any way the existing deficiency; hence, no nat- ional mint had been established. By legislative au- thority a few of the States established State mints. At Rupert, Vermont; at New Haven, Connecticut; in Massachusetts and in New Jersey such mints were es- tablished, and coin was issued by them for the trans- action of reviving business.
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The mint at Rupert, Vermont, was in operation as early as the year 1785, and the copper cents issued by this mint bore on one side a plow, and a sun rising from behind hills; and on the other side a radiated eye surrounded by thirteen stars. A small supply of half cents were also issued by the mint at Rupert. The Connecticut coins had on one side the figure of a human head and on the other that of a young woman holding an olive branch. The mint at New Haven, established also in the year 1785, contin- ued in operation for a period of about three years. In the year 1786 a mint (or mints, for there seems to have been two in the State) was established in New Jersey. The history of its origin was as follows:
After his removal to Morristown, Walter Mould, knowing of the scarcity of coin, and doubtless of the establishment of mints in other States, suggested to some of the residents of the county seat of Morris, among them the Hon. Silas Condict, "his next door neighbor," that he understood the art of coinage, and that he was willing to engage in the business, pro- vided legislative permission was granted him. Mr. Condict was at the time a member of the State Legis- lature, and, acting upon his advice, Mould applied to the Legislature, then in session, for authority to coin copper pennies. This was in the year 1786. On the first day of June, of the year last mentioned, an Act was passed by the Legislature of New Jersey authoriz- ing Walter Mould, Thomas Goadsby and Albian Cox, whom the former had associated with him, to coin
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copper pennies to the value of £10,000. These men were required to give bonds in the sum of £10,000, with sufficient security, that they would faithfully and honestly perform their contract. This they did.
The coinage of copper cents was soon after com- menced, according to local tradition, at "Solitude," in a room set apart for the purpose. It is said that Mould with his family, occupied "Solitude" as a residence. Another mint seems to have been later established at Elizabethtown, perhaps by Robert Ogden, Jr., but un- der the auspices, however, of Colonel Matthias Og- den. Mould may have been connected in some capac- ity with the Elizabethtown mint.
The coins minted at Morristown bore upon one side, the representation of a heart-shaped shield, with stripes running perpendicularly, with the inscription "E Pluribus Unum," and on the other side a plow, above which was the representation of a horse's head (a substitute for the head of Queen Anne of English contemporaneous pennies), with the inscription, "Nova Caesarea," and the date of issue. These coin are now known as the "horse-head" pennies. They were coined for three successive years only-1786, 1787 and 1788. A national mint was established in the year 1792. From a well known Northern New Jersey antiquarian the writer learns, that he has within a few years past, paid as high as $1.00 each for some of the famous "horsehead pennies."
"Solitude," subsequent to its occupancy by Walter Mould, was an inn and tavern, and for many years was
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kept by Captain Benjamin Holloway, grandfather of Morristown's efficient chief of police, J. Frank Hollo- way. The traffic between Sussex and Warren coun- ties and the markets below was so great that the "Wheatsheaf Inn," as Captain Holloway's famous tav- ern came to be known, carried on a thriving business. In illustration of this statement it may be said that frequently so crowded was this hospitable inn that it was necessary for the "youngsters" of the household to sleep on the hay in the adjacent barn.
The "Wheatsheaf Tavern" as the writer is informed by a life-long Morristonian, was a two-story frame structure. At the western end of the building was a stone L, which was used as the kitchen; and under- neath the kitchen was a basement. The bar of this hos- telry was in the front right-hand corner of the spacious hallway, running from front to rear of the building. The partition shutting off the barroom from the hall- way was semi-circular in form, the lower part of it being of paneled boards, and the upper part of lattice work, running perpendicularly, and painted a light green color. The drinks were passed out to patrons through a small semi-circular opening, similar to that used by the teller in a commercial bank of the present day. A portion at least of the partition swung on hinges, thus constituting the means of ingress and egress to and from the barroom.
In front of the tavern were several large black cherry trees, which not a few grown-up boys recollect with keen pleasure. At the left of the en-
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trance to the premises from the main road, there stood for many years a harness shop; and here quite a busi- ness was carried on in the manufacture of saddles, the leather used being made from pig skins furnished by Mr. Holloway from his stock yard.
"Solitude," including many acres, is now the prop- erty of Gustav E. Kissell, a New York banker. He is now having constructed on another and more desira- ble promontory of his farm a new house, which, when completed, will rank with Morristown's most elegant residences.
Mr. Kissell's valuable property has been most ap- propriately named "Wheatsheaf Farm." In his pos- session is the interesting three-by-four-feet sign, which for many years swung in front of "Wheatsheaf Inn," after which, presumably, the farm of Mr. Kissell was named. Near the top of this old sign is a painted rep- resentation of a sheaf of wheat, and below is the name of the proprietor-"B. Holloway." Captain Holloway derived his title from service in the State militia after the Revolution.
Not only as the residence of Chief Justice Symmes, and as the locale of the mint where the famous "horse- head pennies" were coined, is "Solitude," now "Wheatsheaf Farm," noted, but it is said that a silver mine was once worked on this property. The late Hon. Augustus W. Cutler stated to persons now liv- ing that he had a silver shoe buckle made from silver mined on the "Symmes" land. It is a peculiarly sig- nificant fact in this connection that John Dickerson,
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the Morristown silversmith or jeweler of Revolution- ary days, of whom mention was made in a previous chapter, once advertised the theft of fifty ounces of silver from his shop, as well also as "buckles just cast." This seems to be corroborative of the state- ment of our late townsman, Mr. Cutler, whose interest in and knowledge of Morristown, traditional and his- torical, are well known.
"The Morristown Ghost; An account of the Begin- ning, Transactions and Discovery of Ransford Rogers who seduced many by pretended Hobgoblins and Ap- paritions, and thereby extorted money from their pockets. In the County of Morris and State of New Jersey, in the year 1788. Printed for every purchaser -1792."
Such was the title page of a 16mo pamphlet which made its appearance in New Jersey soon after the close of the Revolution; 1792 was the year. By some, it was thought to have been written by the Ransford Rogers named on its title page, as a means of pecun- iary profit to himself; and as a method, also, of pun- ishing the people of Morristown for the treatment he claimed to have received at their hands. To a printer in Elizabethtown, Sheppard Kollock by name, the publication of the pamphlet was at the time, by many persons attributed. So far as possible, the first edition of this remarkable pamphlet, which contained the names of many prominent persons in Morristown and vicinity, from whose pockets money was alleged to
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have been extorted by the "Morristown Ghost," is said to have been bought up and destroyed.
From two or three sources, however, the writer of this history has received communications during the few months past, suggestively offering him "an orig- inal copy of the 'Morristown Ghost,'" from which it is safe to infer that, notwithstanding the strenuous iconoclastic efforts of the fathers, alleged to have been duped by the Yankee schoolmaster, clad in ghostly apparel, at least "just one" copy of the obnox- ious pamphlet has survived. It may be that the sev- eral correspondents who have generously placed at his command "an original copy" of the devoutly-wished- for original "Morristown Ghost," have done so as a means of retaliation upon the Yankee preacher, for the alleged depredations of the Yankee pedagogue of "long ago" upon the county seat worthies who now lie in honored graves, of which the English poet so quaintly speaks in the lines :
"Here may thy storme-beth vessell safely ryde This is the port of rest from troublous toyle,
The worlde's sweet inn from paine and wearisome turmoyle."
But these epistolary offers of an "original copy" of the "Morristown Ghost" are not by any means the only attempts which have been made to "get even" with the Yankee preacher, who is "now writing books," which have added to his amusing experiences while writing the story of Morristown's first and
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famous century, as the following incident will illus- trate:
Accosted one day not long since by a well-known typo, whose perennial (we speak hyperbolically) per- ambulations among the printing establishments of northern New Jersey are proverbial (hyperbole again), the writer patiently listened while said typo remarked, in tones of ghostly accent not dissimilar, as said writer imagines, to those of the Yankee pedagogue when clad in the habiliments of the departed: "Mr. Sher- man, Mr. So- and-So has 'an original copy' (can it be possible there has been a retaliatory collusion on foot between correspondents and typo?) of the 'Morristown Ghost;' it is the only one in existence, all the other copies having been destroyed. So-and-So wouldn't take a thousand dollars for it (no, the writer is certain he would not, since for nothing, nothing can be received); it was presented to him by an old gentle- man, who assured him it was the 'last of the Mohicans.'"
"Of course, you will write up the 'Morristown Ghost,' Mr. Sherman, in connection with your admir- able story of Morristown's first century. Now, I can procure this 'original copy' for you, containing 'all the names,' on condition you will show it to no one, since if others saw it they might have a reprint made of it, with all the names of Rogers's dupes, and realize a fortune from the sale of the rare edition. This I propose doing myself soon, as I am now negotiating
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for the purchase of the facilities for a reprint; for I am certain 'there is money in it.'"
The promise, on the part of the writer, to preserve inviolate, so far as showing it to a third party was con- cerned, the "only copy of the 'Morristown Ghost" extant, was the work of a moment only; and the promise would have been sacredly kept had "the goods been delivered, since, to quote from an English author: "To tell our own secrets is generally folly, but that folly is without guilt; to communicate those with which we are entrusted is always treachery, and treachery for the most part combined with folly." But "the goods were never delivered," notwithstanding a several times repeated asseveration, on the part of the "perambulating typo," to leave them at the residence of the Yankee preacher. Is it to be inferred, or would the present writer so state, that said typo is wholly unlike George Washington, with "his little hatchet," who, as the story runs, could not tell a lie? Emphati- cally no! Or is it the case that the said typo could tell a lie but would not? or would he and couldn't he? Perhaps the following sequel to our little story will furnish the facts from which the reader may draw his own inference:
A few days after the aforementioned conversation between the "Yankee preacher-author" and the "per- ennial perambulating typo," the latter delivered to the writer a copy of a comparatively recent reprint of "The Morristown Ghost," made by local publishers, who, if gossip is to be relied upon, thought they saw
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"bar'ls of money" in it. By this publishing establish- ment the typo has not a few times been employed, and between the parties of the first part and the parties of the second part there still exists, it is sincerely to be hoped, a friendly feeling not of the common sort. Now, since the delivery of the wrong goods to the writer, by the aforesaid typo, the latter, as the former imagines, has frequently awoke from his slumbers only to see the immense pile of the reprint of "The Morristown Ghost," which has for several years encumbered the sagging shelves of said publishers, disappearing like autumn leaves before the equinoc- tial at $1 or less per copy, in consequence of the extensive advertisement given it by the writer in his story of Morristown's first century.
"The year previous to the publication of the book," 'The Morristown Ghost' (the writer now quotes from a very interesting letter recently received from Edwin A. Ely, a genuine Jersey antiquarian), "there appeared in the New Jersey Journal, Elizabethtown, October 19, 1797, the following advertisement:
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