USA > New Jersey > Historical collections of the state of New Jersey : containing a general collection of the most interesting facts, traditions, biographical sketches, anecdotes, etc. relating to its history and antiquities, with geographical desciptions of every township in the state. > Part 28
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Fort Mercer is on the Delaware, within the limits of this town- ship, and Fort Mifflin on an island in the river ; distant a little over 1 mile. These fortresses were scenes of important military operations in the fall of 1777, just after the British troops had ta- ken possession of Philadelphia.
The fortification at Red Bank was little more than an embank
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ment of earth and a ditch filled with brush and sharpened timber. We annex the account of the attack on Fort Mercer, given by the Marquis de Chastellux in his "Travels in North America." This
PLAN
Of Fort Mercer, at Red Bank, N. J .* -
REFERENCES.
A End of the fort at which the Hessians entered.
B Small ditch, cross embankment and lo- cation of the masked battery.
C Remains of the hickory-tree used during the battle as a flag-staff.
D Ruins of a brick wall in the middle of the artificial bank .- Gateway.
E Count Donop's grave.
F Louis Whitall's house.
G Monument, erected in 1829.
H Pleasure-house.
I Marks of the trenches in which the slain were deposited.
K Road the Hessians marched to the at. tack .- Reeve's old road.
L Tenant house.
M Road to Woodbury.
N Direction of Fort Mifflin
Farm road.
0 NOTE .- The works represented extend about 350 yards in a right line.
DELAWARE
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Works
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Out
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Main Fort
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gentleman was a major-general in the army of Count Rochambeau. He visited the place in company with Lafayette and M. du Plessis Mauduit. His very interesting narration of the action is related with military perspicuity.
Our conductor was M. du Plessis Mauduit, who, in the double capacity of engineer and officer of artillery, had the charge of arranging and defending this post, under the · orders of Col. Greene.
We had not gone a hundred yards before we came to a small elevation, on which a stone was vertically placed, with this short epitaph : " Here lies buried Col. Donop."t M. de Mauduit could not refrain from expressing his regret for this brave man, who died in his arms two days after the action. He assured us that we could not make a step without treading on the remains of some Hessians,-for near 300 were buried in the front of the ditch.
* The compilers are indebted to Messrs. T. S. & E. Saunders, of Woodbury, for the plan of Fort Mercer, made by them from actual survey, for this work, in April, 1842.
t Count Donop's remains have lately been disinterred and scattered abroad as relics,
to gratify an uncommendable curiosity .- Compilers His. Coll. of N. J.
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The fort of Redbank was designed, as I have said above, to support the left of the chevaux-de-frize. The bank of the Delaware, at this place, is steep ; but even this steepness allowed the enemy to approach the fort under cover, and without being exposed to the fire of the batteries. To reinedy this inconvenience, several galleys, armed with cannon, and destined to defend the chevaux-de-frize, were posted the whole length of the escarpement, and took it in reverse. The Americans, little praetised in the art of forti- fications, and always disposed to take works beyond their strength, had made those of Redbank too extensive. When M. de Mauduit obtained permission to be sent thither with Col. Greene, he immediately set about redueing the fortifieations, by intersecting them from east to west,-which transformed them into a sort of large redoubt, nearly of a pentagonal forin. A good earthen rampart raised to the height of the eordon, a fossé, and an abattis in front of the fosse, constituted the whole strength of this post,- in which were placed three hundred men,* and fourteen pieces of eannon. The 22d of October, in the morning, they received intelligence that a detachment of 2,500 Hessians were advaneing .- who were soon after perceived on the edge of a wood to the north of Redbank, nearly within cannon shot. Preparations were making for the defence, when a Hessian officer advaneed, preceded by a drum. He was suffered to approach ; but his harangue was so insolent, that it only served to irritate the garrison, and inspire them with more resolution. "The King of England," said he, "orders his rebellious sub- jects to lay down their arms; and they are warned, that if they stand the battle, no quarters whatever will be given." The answer was, that they accepted the challenge, and that there should be no quarter on either side. At 4 o'clock in the afternoon, the Hessians made a very brisk fire from a battery of cannon ; and soon after, they opened, and marehed to the first intrenehment,-from which (finding it abandoned but not de- stroyed) they imagined they had driven the Americans. They then shouted victoria, waved their hats in the air, and advanced towards the redoubt. The same drummer who a few hours before had come to summon the garrison, and had appeared as insolent as his officer, was at their head, beating the mareh. Both he and that officer were knocked on the head by the first fire, The Hessians, however, still kept advaneing within the first intrenehment, leaving the river on their right. They had already reached the abattis, and were endeavoring to tear up or eut away the branches, when they were overwhelmed with a shower of musket shot, which took them in front and in flank ; for, as chanee would have it, a part of the courtine of the old intrenehment, which had not been destroyed, formed a projection at this very part of the intersection. M. de Mauduit had contrived to forin it into a sort of cuponiere, (or treneh with loop-holes,) into which he threw some men, who flanked the enemy's left, and fired on them at elose shot. Of- fieers were seen every moment rallying their me.i, marching baek to the abattis, and fall- ing amidst the branches they were endeavoring to cut. Col. Donop was particularly distinguished by the marks of the order he wore, by his handsome figure, and by his courage. He was also seen to fall like the rest. The Hessians, repulsed by the fire of the redoubt, attempted to secure themselves from it by attacking on the side of the es- carpement ; but the fire from the galleys sent them baek, with a great loss of men. At length they relinquished the attack, and regained the wood in disorder.
While this was passing on the north side, another column made an attack on the south, and, more fortunate than the other, passed the abattis, traversed the fossé, and mounted the berin ; but they were stopped by the fraises, and M. de Mauduit running to this post as soon as he saw the first assailants give way, the others were obliged to follow their example. They still did not dare, however, to stir out of the fort, fearing a sur- prise ; but M. de Mauduit wishing to replace some palisades which had been torn up, he sallied out with a few men, and was surprised to find about twenty Hessians standing on the berm, and stuck up against the shelving of the parapet. These soldiers, who had been bold enough to advance thus far,-sensible that there was more risk in returning, and not thinking proper to expose themselves,-were taken and brought into the fort. M. de Mauduit, after fixing the palisades, employed himself in repairing the abattis. He again sallied out with a detachment ; and it was then he beheld the deplorable spectacle of the dead and dying, heaped one upon another. A voice arose from amidst these car- cases, and said, in English, " Whoever you are, draw me hence." It was the voice of Col. Donop. M. de Mauduit made the soldiers lift him up, and carry him into the fort,
* This corps were from Rhode Island, and were under the command of Col. Christo- pher Greene. A great portion of them were negroes and mulattoes, and the whole in a ragged, destitute condition ; but the fire of patriotism glowing within, rendered them com- paratively indifferent to their personal sufferings .- Compilers His. Coll. of N. J.
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where he was soon known. He had his hip broken ; but whether they did not consider his wound as mortal, or that they were heated by the battle, and still irritated at the menaces thrown out against them a few hours before, the Americans could not help say- ing, aloud, " Well ! is it determined to give no quarter ?" "I am in your hands," re- plied the colonel : "you may revenge yourselves." M. de Mauduit had no difficulty in imposing silence, and employed himself only in taking care of the wounded officer. The latter, perceiving he spoke bad English, said to him,-" You appear to me a foreigner, sir : who are you ?" " A French officer," replied the other. " Je suis content," said Donop, making use of our language : " je meurs entre les mains de l'honneur même." [I am content : I die in the hands of honor itself.] The next day he was removed to the Quaker's house, where he lived three days, during which he conversed frequently with M. de Mauduit. He told him that he had been long in friendship with M. de Saint Germain ; that he wished, in dying, to recommend to him his vanquisher and benefactor. He asked for paper, and wrote a letter, which he delivered to M. de Mauduit,-requiring of him, as the last favor, to acquaint him when he was about to die. The latter was soon under the necessity of acquitting himself of this sad duty. " It is finishing a noble career early," said the colonel ; " but I die the victim of my ambition, and of the avarice of my sovereign."
Fifteen wounded officers were found, like him, upon the field of battle. M. de Mau · duit had the satisfaction to conduct them himself to Philadelphia, where he was very well received by Gen. Howe.
Red Bank, from the Delaware River.
An eye-witness, who the next day saw the Americans burying. the bodies of Donop's men, testifies that some of them were perfo- rated with wads, and others literally blown to pieces with shot-so near were they to the fatal muzzles. Many of the wounded Hes- sians were carried to the Whitall house, and those that died buried in the vicinity.
The bravery of the men, in this action, was equalled by the hero- ism of Mrs. Whitall. This lady, it is said, sat a spinning in the first house below the battle-ground during the conflict, until a can- non-ball, whistling through the entry, induced her to take her wheel into the cellar, where she continued to spin undisturbedly through the whole engagement, although the dwelling was struck several times by the shot from the British fleet playing on Fort Mercer.
" Only 32 Americans were killed, and many of these by the bursting of one of their cannon .* A sword was voted by Congress to Col. Greene, as a testimonial of his valor,-which, after the war, was presented to his family, when he was no longer living to receive
. This piece is now in the vicinity, within one third of a mile of the fort.
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it. He was, some time in the war, basely murdered by a band of refugees. Attacked in his quarters, his single arm laid several dead at his feet, when, overpowered by numbers, and having fought until the flesh was literally hacked from his bones, he fell a victim to their barbarity."
In commemoration of the battle of Red Bank, a handsome monu- ment of gray marble has been erected just N. of the pleasure-house, bearing the following inscription :
THIS MONUMENT was erected on the 22d October, 1829, to transmit to posterity a grateful remembrance of the patriot- ism and gallantry of Lieut. Col. Christopher Greene, who, with 400 men, conquered the Hessian army of 2,000 troops, then in the British service, at the Red Bank, on the 22d Oct., 1777. Among the wounded was found their commander, COUNT DONOP, who died of his wounds, and whose body is interred near the spot where he fell. A number of the New Jersey and Pennsylvania volunteers, being desirous to per- petuate the memory of the distinguished officers and soldiers who fought and bled in the glorious struggle for American Independence, have erected this monument on the 22d day of October, Anno Domini 1829.
" Fort Mifflin," says a late traveller,* " is still garrisoned with U. S. troops. The line of the embankment at Fort Mercer is yet plainly seen ; and the place is now, as in the hour of our country's peril, covered with a gloomy pine forest. Towards the close of a fine afternoon I visited the battle-ground. Here and there a sail dotted the Delaware, which lay calmly before me. A few solitary fishermen were pursuing their accustomed avocations upon the shore below the bank, and it seemed as though this secluded spot had ever been the abode of peace. I lingered until the shades of evening began to darken the distant landscape and enshroud the forest in gloom. The fishermen had gathered their nets, and re- tired to their humble homes ; and I was left alone, with no com- panions but my thoughts, and nothing to disturb save the gentle rippling of the waves upon the smooth pebbly beach. With reflec- tions suggested by the occasion, I was slowly departing, when the distant roll of a drum from Fort Mifflin, summoning the soldiers to evening parade, was borne on the still air across the intervening waters, reminding me that war's dreadful trade was not over,- that the time had not come ' when the lion and the lamb should lie down together,' and all nations dwell in peace."
FRANKLIN. -
Franklin was formed from Woolwich and Greenwich in 1820. It is 15 miles long, 6} wide ; bounded NE. by Washington, SE. by
* From " Historical and Descriptive Letters on New Jersey," by the junior com- piler of this work.
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Hamilton, Atlantic co., SW. by Pittsgrove, Salem co., and Millville, Cumberland co., and NW. by Woolwich and Greenwich. Its sur- face is level ; soil light, and a greater part of the township is cov- ered with pines. There are in the township 4 glass-houses, 5 stores, 2 grist-m., 8 saw-m .; cap. in manufac. $82,000; 7 schools, 535 scholars. Pop. 2,077.
Glassboro is about ten miles SE. of Woodbury, in the NW. cor- ner of the township, in a pine country. This village was settled during the American revolution, by Stangeer & Co., seven brothers. who built some log dwellings, and established a glass factory, which stood about fifty rods E. of the site of the present tavern. They were originally from Germany, and had just previously been em- ployed in Wistar's glass-house in Salem co., the first of the kind es- tablished in North America. Glassboro is an improving place, and land has trebled in value within a few years by the use of marl, lime, and ashes. It contains extensive glass-works now in opera- tion, and owned by Thomas H. Whitney, Esq .; 2 Methodist and 1 Episcopal church, an academy, 2 stores, 100 dwellings, and about 600 inhabitants. Franklinville, formerly Little Ease, 6 miles SE. of Glassboro, contains a fine hotel, a saw-mill, a few mechanics, and about a dozen dwellings. Malaga, at the angle of Gloucester, Cumberland, and Salem counties, on the head-waters of Maurice river, contains a tavern, glass factory, saw-mill, Methodist church, and about 35 dwellings.
GLOUCESTER FOX-HUNTING CLUB. A famous club for the purposes of hunting in this county, bearing the above title, was established in 1776, and continued in existence until the year 1818. It ranked among its members some of the first gentlemen in this county and Philadelphia. The revolutionary war for a time put a stop to the affairs of the chase, when no less than twenty-two of its members associated and formed the " First Troop of Philadelphia City Cav- alry," its president, Samuel Morris, captain, nearly all of whom faithfully served in the troop in the memorable campaigns of '76 and '77. The war completely ended, the club was revived, after years of separation, to course again over the pines and plains of Gloucester county, in the exhilarating pleasures of the chase.
The hunts, says the author of the memoirs of the club,* took place principally at Cooper's creek, at the Horseheads, Blackwood-town, Heston's glass-works, and some- times at Thompson's Point, on the Delaware, many miles to the south. The chase usu- ally lasted from one to five or six hours, and sometimes in hot pursuit has been made for eight or ten, after an old, straight-forward, fleet-running Red Jacket, consequently coursing over a vast extent of country. It is needless to note how many in such emer. gencies would give up the chase, or be lost sight of, and completely thrown out. In 1798, one of them carried the pack in full cry to Salem, forty miles distant. In olden times, good hunts were made to view on the sea-beach at Egg Harbor. This change of position had the advantage of novelty, and afforded fine shooting in variety and abun- dance. The increase of the mischievous crew of the Reynard family in Gloucester afforded plenty of sport. The stock-suffering farmer hailed the hounds and huntsmen as friends, free to enter his enclosures and traverse his fields and woods unmolested,
* Published at Philadelphia in 1830, an octavo of 56 pages.
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from the 10th of October until the 10th of April, at which period the fences were re- paired, and the ground tilled. Often have we seen him, on hearing the music of the dogs, hastily bridle his horse and mount him, frequently without a saddle, and gallop after and joyfully augment the merry hunting train. It sometimes occurred, that they were eminently useful aids; serving as guides through the intricate labyrinths of the woods and swamps, to ferret out Reynard's usual haunts and retreats, and when earthed, to procure of some obliging neighbor the necessary implements, of an axe, pick, and spade, accustomed to the use of which, they actively and efficiently assisted to dig for and capture the enemy in his den, generally excavated on the declivity of a hill with a southern exposure, for secure and comfortable winter-quarters.
Sometimes this intense fatigue-duty continued by spells for hours, and labor occa- sionally found ample reward ; not in the game she captured, but in peals of loud laugh- ter and mirth, especially at the last industrious diggers, on the taking of a skunk or a ground-hog; when this happened, there was no generous contention or rivalry for the brush ; the first-named personage, we are told, on a memorable occasion in 1805, freely offered the compliment of liis tail to all within shooting range, hunters and dogs, until he liberally and fairly exhausted the contents of his odoriferous sack or magazine.
Among the most valuable members of the club was Jonas Cattell. This extraordina- ry hunter was over six feet in height, and very athletic. Although always on foot, he appeared altogether tireless, when the riders' horses and hounds were jaded. He once beat an Indian runner in a trial of speed. On another occasion, on a wager, he went on foot from Woodbury to Cape Island, a distance of about 80 miles, in one day, deliv- ered a letter, and returned the next with an answer. Old Jonas is or was lately living in this county ; but the club, after an existence of over half a century, is no more.
GLOUCESTER.
Gloucester is 18 miles long, with an average width of 5 miles. It is bounded NE. by Waterford, SE. by Mullica and Hamilton, Atlantic co .; SW. by Washington and Deptford, and NW. by Union. The soil is light, and the surface generally covered with pines, excepting in the western part, where are some fine farms, productive in fruit and vegetables. There are 13 stores, 4 glass factories, 2 flouring-m., 3 grist-m., Il saw-m .; cap. in manufac. $77,650; 10 schools, 298 scholars. Pop. 2,837.
Chew's Landing, on a branch of Big Timber creek, 5 miles E. of Woodbury, at which place large quantities of cord-wood and timber are shipped, contains 1 Episcopal, 1 Methodist church, and about 40 dwellings. Long-a-coming, on the N. line of the township, 15 miles from Camden, is situated among the pines, and contains 2 hotels, 4 stores, a Methodist church, and about 40 dwellings. Blackwoodtown is a flourishing village on the south branch of Big Timber creek, 6 miles SE. of Woodbury. It contains 1 Presbyte- rian, 1 Methodist church, a grist and saw mill, 3 stores, and about 70 dwellings. Good Intent factory is an extensive woollen factory near this village. Windslow, is in the SE. corner of the township, on the Great Egg Harbor road, and contains a Methodist church, 3 glass factories, owned and conducted by William Coffin, Esq., and 50 or 60 dwellings. Clementon, in the W. part of the township, has a grist and saw mill, a tavern, and about 15 dwellings. At this place formerly were in operation glass-works for the manu- facture of hollow glass-ware. Seven Causeways, in the south part of the township, where seven roads meet, contains a meeting-
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house, a store, about 12 dwellings, and glass-works, now discontin- ued. New Freedom, Blue Anchor, and Tansboro, which are mark- ed on Gordon's map, contain one or more dwellings.
GREENWICH.
Greenwich is about 12 miles long, 5 wide ; bounded NE. by- Deptford and Washington, SE. by Franklin, SW. by Woolwich, and NW. by the Delaware river. Its surface is level or undula- ting : soil light and fertile. There are in the township 12 stores, 4 ZIRGS factories, 2 nouring-m., 3 grist-m., 11 saw-m. ; cap. in manu- fac. $71,650 ; 0 schools, 292 scholars. Pop. 2,957.
Central View at Mullica Hill
Mullica Hill is situated on gentle eminences on both sides of Raccoon creek, partly in this and partly in Woolwich township, 8 miles SE. of Woodbury. It derives its name from Erick Mullica, a Swede, who emigrated when a young man, and purchased here a considerable tract of land. This was at an early period, when the whole country was an unbroken forest. He lived to the age of about 100 years. His dwelling stood on the N. side of the creek, in or near the orchard of Mr. Joseph Doran. Originally, the name of Mullica Hill was given only to that portion of the village N. of the creek. The other part was called Spicersville, from Jacob Spicer, an emigrant from East Jersey, who settled here, and built the first dwelling erected on the S. side of Raccoon creek. The an- nexed is a view in the southern, and by far the most populous, por- tion of the village, taken near Mrs. Wood's tavern, in the town- ship of Woolwich. On the extreme left is shown the Friends meeting-house ; and in the distance the principal stores, shops, etc., in the place. There are at Mullica Hill 2 taverns, several mechan- ic shops and stores, 1 grist-m., 1 woollen factory, a tannery, 1 Epis-
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copal, 1 Methodist church, a Friends meeting-house, an academy, about 60 dwellings, and upwards of 300 inhabitants. Large quantities of lime are burnt near this place : marl of an excellent quality abounds in the vicinity, and under its genial influence the land yields heavy crops.
The following villages are on or near the NE. line of the town- ship. Barnesboro contains 16 dwellings. Carpenter's Landing, named from Mr. Thomas Carpenter, now an aged resident, is on. Mantua creek, and has 4 stores, a Methodist church, and about 50 dwellings. From this place large quantities of lumber and wood are annually shipped to Philadelphia. Berkeley, or Sandtown, has a store, and about 12 dwellings. Paulsboro contains a store, a Methodist church, and about 20 dwellings. Billingsport, on the Delaware river, contains a few dwellings. It was named after Ed- ward Byllinge, the purchaser of Lord Berkeley's undivided moiety of the province. The remains of a fort are still to be seen, which was built by the Americans in the revolutionary war. It was con- structed, with other works on the river, for the purpose of prevent- ing the enemy's fleet from communicating with Philadelphia, then in possession of the British. This fort was evacuated by the Americans in the fall of 1777. The following particulars of this event are derived from Botta's History of the War.
The English well knew the importance of opening for themselves a free communi- cation with the sea, by means of the Delaware, since their operations could never be con- sidered secure, so long as the enemy should maintain themselves upon the banks of that river ; and accordingly they deliberated upon the means of reducing them. Immediate- ly after the success at Brandywine, Lord Howe, who commanded the whole fleet, had made sail for the mouth of the Delaware ; and several light vessels had already arrived in that river ; among others the Roebuck, commanded by Capt. Hammond. That offi- cer represented to Gen. Howe, that if sufficient forces were sent to attack the fort at Billings Point, on the Jersey shore, it might be taken without difficulty ; and that he would then take upon himself to open a passage through the chevaux-de-frise. The general approved this object, and sent two regiments, under Col. Stirling, to carry it into effect. The detachment having crossed the river from Chester, the moment they had set foot upon the Jersey shore, marched with all speed to attack the fort in rear. The Americans, not thinking themselves able to sustain the enemy's assault, immediately spiked their artillery, set fire to the barracks, and abandoned the place with precipitation. The English waited to destroy, or to render unserviceable, those parts of the works which fronted the river ; and this success, with the spirit and perseverance exhibited by the of- ficers and crews of the ships under his command, enabled Hammond, through great dif- ficulties, to carry the principal object of the expedition into effect, by cutting away and weighing up so much of the chevaux-de-frise as opened a narrow passage for the ship- ping through this lower barrier.
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