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 56
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whom they saw writhing under the severity of their wounds, and thus destroyed more than two thirds of all who were within that house.
It was currently reported, and that report believed to be true, that a negro man, who went by the name of Nicholson's Frank, and a man from Gloucester co., called Jonathan Ballanger, were the two persons who attended this murdering expedition as pilots.
Ballanger came to the house of John Steward, (a farmer, near Hancock's Bridge,) armed, that very same night, some time before day. Steward said, " that he soon dis- covered, from the looks and conversation of Ballanger, that some evil was about to be done." With some persuasion, he prevailed upon him to go into the room and lie down. When he went in, he turned the key in the door, nor did he open it until about daylight . in the morning. When Ballanger came out of the room he stayed but a few minutes, and went away, carrying with him his musket. " A short time after he had left the house, the report of a gun was heard in the direction in which Ballanger had walked, and by the side of the fence along which he had gone but a few minutes before, was found Reu- ben Sayres, mortally wounded, being a distance of not more than one-fourth of a mile from Steward's house."
Ballanger was not seen by any person after he left Steward's, until several years after- ward. The suspicion of the murder of Sayres could be fixed upon no one but him. Im- mediately after the massacre of the picket and private citizens, the refugees returned to Salem over the bridge, the draw of which they laid. Ballanger and the negro, no doubt, returned by water with the boatmen. It could have been none of the refugees who were at Hancock's. The circumstantial evidence against Ballanger was most assuredly of the very strongest kind, amounting pretty near to positive. Public opinion was decidedly against him, for he was known to be a rank tory, and from the very hotbed of toryism- of those who secretly traded with the British while they occupied Philadelphia. It was but a short mile from Hancock's Bridge to where Sayres was found weltering in his blood ; he had escaped thus far towards the woods or marshes, in his flight from the murdering refugees. Not a single individual of the enemy was seen anywhere near to the field where Sayres was found. The murderer was always believed to be none other than Jonathan Ballanger .*
A few names of some of those desperate villains, the refugees, which I here mention, ought never to be forgotten. One fellow, who usually bore the name of Proud Harry, a plasterer by trade, an insolent, swaggering scoundrel, a braggadocio ; another, by name Jo. Daniels ; another, if possible, worse than Satan himself,-his name was John Hanks. This fellow was brought up from a boy in the family of Morris Beesley. The son of Morris, whose name was Walker, belonged to that company of militia. Hanks, with another villain, rushed upon young Beesley to kill him. He begged of Hanks, in the most pitiable manner, to protect him, and spare his life ; he urged upon him their friend. ship and intimacy ; their having grown up from boys together. All his entreaties were in vain ; the murderer heard his pleas, and then very sternly told him, that for their former intimacy alone he was determined to kill him, and then stabbed him and left him. The poor youth lived long enough to tell this tale of wo to those people who came to take care of the dead and wounded.
Another instance I will mention, of a militia-man whose name was Darius Dailey, who, escaping from the house, was pursued by two of the refugees ; while running, he saw an English soldier ; he made towards him as fast as he could, calling out to him at the same time to save him ; crying out, " Oh, save me, save me, soldier-I am your countryman ! Save me, save me-I am a Scotchman-I am your countryman !" The very name of countryman, even coming from the mouth of an enemy, and in the midst of slaughter, struck the tender fibres of the stern soldier's heart. He immediately put himself in an attitude of defence, and stopped the pursuing refugees, and told them that he should protect the man at all hazards-that he had surrendered himself to him, and that he was his prisoner. When his flurry had in some measure subsided, Dailey gave
* The following amusing anecdote was communicated to the compilers by Thomas Gordon, Esq., of Trenton :- Some years after this, a son of Sayres, master of a small vessel navigating the Delaware river, in bringing his vessel up to a wharf below Phila. delphia, in a very dark evening, being a little intoxicated, accidentally fell overboard, but was humanely rescued by a person who happened to be on the wharf. As soon as he had sufficiently recovered, he discovered in the face of his deliverer a son of Ballanger, the murderer of his father. He swore he would not owe his life to such a d-d rascal, im- mediately threw himself into the river, and it was with no little difficulty and risk that his life was, a second time, saved from a watery grave.
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his name to the soldier-the soldier his name to Dailey. They were both almost struck speechless with astonishment ; they now found that they had been bosom friends and schoolmates together, when boys, in Scotland. Dailey was conducted a prisoner, with a few others, to Salem, whose lives had been spared by the English soldiers.
The names of the officers of that unfortunate company of militia, who were so dread. fully cut to pieces on that dreadful night, were Carleton Sheppard, captain-Benjamin Curlis, Ist lieutenant-Andrew Lowder, 2d lieutenant-William Bresbey, ensign.
ELSINBOROUGH.
This is the smallest township in the county, being but 7 m. long, and 3 m. wide. It is bounded N. by Salem and Lower Penn's Neck, S. and E. by Lower Alloway's Creek, and W. by the Dela- ware. It has 2 schools, 85 scholars. Pop. 526.
A fort was anciently erected by the Swedish governor, Printz, at Fort Point, on the eastern bank of Salem river, near its mouth, somewhere between the years 1642 and 1652. This fortress was called by them Helsingborg, from which the name of the township is derived. The Indian name of the place was Wootsessungsing. The fortification commanded the Delaware, and enabled the Swedes to compel the Dutch to strike the flag from the masts of their ves- sels. It became untenable, from the great multitude of musquitoes, and was nicknamed Myggenborg, or Musquito Fort.
Col. Mawhood, the British commander, after his failure of in- timidating the militia of this county, in March, 1778, and chagrined by his want of success, sent a party of soldiers from Salem on an excursion into this township. They went to the farm of Col. Holmes, about 4 miles from Salem, drove his wife and family out of doors, pillaged his property, and set his dwelling on fire. This gentleman was a strong and influential whig, and so dreaded by the enemy, that Lord Howe offered £100 for him, dead or alive.
MANNINGTON.
Mannington was originally named East Fenwick, and afterward changed to its present appellation, from the Indian word Maneto. It has an average length of about 8 m., and an average width of 5 m. It is bounded N. by Upper Penn's Neck and - Pilesgrove, S. by Salem, S. and E. by Upper Alloways Creek, and W. by Lower Penn's Neck. In Mannington is an excellent nursery of fruit, be- longing to Samuel Reeve, Esq., which contains about 20.000 fruit trees, of every variety. The township is one of the most fertile in this part of the state. It has 7 schools, 169 scholars. Pop. 2,064.
Mannington Hill is situated on a slight elevation in the central part of the township, and contains 6 or 8 dwellings. During the American revolution, a small party of the enemy, at night, broke into a house occupied by a Mr. Ambler in this village. The family consisted of the old gentleman and wife, and two girls. The party
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on entering, threatened to murder them if they lifted their heads from under the bed-clothing. After rifling the rooms of the valua- bles, they decamped. This dwelling has been rebuilt, and is now occupied by Mr. Joseph Shepard.
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UPPER PENN'S NECK.
This is the northernmost township of the county. Its extreme length is about 9 m., with a width of 7 m. It is bounded NW. by the Delaware river, NE. by Woolwich, Gloucester co., S. by Manning- ton and Lower Penn's Neck, and SE. by Pilesgrove. The soil is light, and produces large quantities of vegetables for the Philadel- phia market, which is the main source of the wealth of the town- ship. It has & schools, !Mi scholars. Pop. 1,854.
Pedrictown, on Oldman's creek, 3 miles in a direct line from the Delaware river, has about 50 dwellings, a Friends meeting-house, and near it a Methodist church. Sculltown, originally named Lock- erton, from a Mr. Lock, is at the head of navigation on Oldman's creek, 18 miles from its mouth, and on the line of Gloucester co. It contains 2 stores, about 40 dwellings, and a Methodist church. It is a thriving village, and large quantities of lumber and grain are exported. Penn's Grove, a landing on the Delaware for steamers, is a flourishing village which has sprung into existence within a few years ; it contains about 25 dwellings.
LOWER PENN'S NECK.
This township is 8 miles long, with an average width of 3} miles. It is bounded N. by Upper Penn's Neck ; E. and S. by Salem river, which divides it from Mannington, Salem, and Elsinborough ; and S. and W. by the Delaware river. Large quantities of vegetables are raised for the Philadelphia market. The soil is rich, and on the margin of the Delaware and Salem rivers are large strips of meadow. On the bank of the Delaware, 7 miles NE. of Salem, is a small settlement called Kinseyville, where there is a ferry to New Castle, two miles distant, on the opposite side of the river. It has 5 schools, 185 scholars. Pop. 1,219. Fort Delaware is an island opposite this township, which was formed by the sinking of a New England vessel on a sand-bar.
The Swedes built a fort at Finn's Point in this township. Fen- wick, among other unexecuted projects, conceived the plan of laying out a town at this spot, to be called "Finnstown Point." Lasse Hendricks, Stephen Yearnans, Matthias Spackleson, and Erick Yearnans were Swedes, at that time living there, from whom Fenwick purchased 1,000 acres, called Pumpians Hook, opposite Delaware. Erick Yearnans he appointed bailiff over the bailiwick of West Fenwick, now Penn's Neck. Another
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town was to have been laid out at the cove, in Upper Penn's Neck, to have been named " Bout-town Finns."
The Episcopal church in this township was originally a Swedish church of the Lutheran order. Abraham Lidenius was appointed the first pastor over this church in 1714. He returned to Sweden in 1724, and two years after Petrus Tranberg and Andreas Windrufwa, in 1726, divided their services between this church and Raccoon, now Swedesboro. Two years later Windrufwa dicd, and Tranberg officiated alone until his death, in 1748. The same year Jolin Sandin succeeded, and died in a few months. He was succeeded by John Lidenius, the son of the first pastor. In 1759 Andreas Borell was sent from Sweden as Provost of the American Swedish churches. John Wicksell officiated from 1763 to about 1764, when he returned to Sweden. His suc. cessor, the venerable Nicholas Collin, D. D., was the last of the Swedish ministers, and officiated until about the close of the American revolution. He was succceded by Samuel Grey, and he by the Rev. Mr. Higby. In 1789, under the Rev. John Wade, a vestry was chosen, and the church organized as a Protestant Episcopal church. In 1808 the present substantial brick church was erected in place of a wooden one fast de- caying.
Like the Swedish churches in America, this mission was supported by the Swedish king, and a glebe attached to each station. The glebe attached to this church was a farm in Piles Grove. The following is a list of the Swedes dwelling in Penn's Neck previous to 1680, who, it is supposed, belonged to this church : Erickson Yearneans, two brothers Hendricks, Spackleson, Nielson, Giljeanson, Cornelius, Pederson, Oulson, Senexson, Picters, Jacquette, Wooleyson, Barkleson, Jacobson.
The Presbyterian church of Penn's Neck was founded about 1748. In 1778 the Rev. Samuel Eakin, the first minister of whom we have any record, took charge. The families composing the congregation were the Nevils, Philpots, Lippincotts, Lambsons, Dunns, Wrights, Stanleys, Burdens, Healys, Congletons, and others.
Eakin continued until the close of the American revolution. They were then occa- sionally supplied until the Rev. Nathaniel Harris took the oversight in 1797, who con- tinued until he removed to Trenton, in 1800. He was succeeded by the Rev. David . Edwards, who remained until 1805. Since then the meeting-house has gone to decay. There is a Methodist church in the township.
The Rev. Samuel Eakin, the pastor of the Presbyterian church in the American revolution, was an extraordinary man, and con- sidered scarcely inferior to the celebrated Whitefield. He was a strong whig, and the idol of the soldiers. Wherever there were military trainings, or an order issued for the soldiers to march, he was, if in his power, always there to address them, and by his elo- quence would excite their emotions of patriotism to the highest pitch.
PILESGROVE.
This township derived its name from James Piles, anciently a large landholder here. It is 8 miles long, 5 broad, and is bounded NE. by Woolwich, Gloucester co .; SW. by Mannington, and Upper Alloways creek ; SE. by Pittsgrove, and NW. by Upper Penn's Neck. The surface is level, and soil clay and loam, and produc- tive in wheat, rye, oats, and corn. Pop. in 1830, 2,150 ; in 1840, 2,477.
Woodstown derives its name from Jackanias Wood, an early settler. It is on the north bank of Salem river, 9 miles NE. of Salem. It contains about 100 dwellings, 6 stores, 2 Friends meet- ing-houses, 1 Baptist, 1 Methodist, and 1 African Methodist church. The lands in this region have been much improved within the last
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12 years by the use of marl, which abounds here. In the marl-pits, near the village, sharks' teeth and the bones of the fossil crocodile are found. The public building shown on the left of the engraving is the Friends' meeting-house, a substantial brick edifice. The large tree in the road, fronting the dwelling beyond, now going to decay, was standing in the American revolution. According to
Central View in Woodstown.
tradition, a party of British soldiers once stacked their arms against its trunk. The township was principally settled by Friends. In 1726 a meeting was established at Woodstown by David Davis, and others. Sharptown, on Salem river, 2} miles west of Woods- town, has a Methodist church and about 50 dwellings. Eldridge's Hill, 1 mile NE. of Woodstown, contains a few dwellings.
PITTSGROVE.
This township was formed from Pilesgrove, and named after Sir William Pitt. It is 12 miles long, 6} broad ; and is bounded N. by Franklin and Woolwich, (Gloucester co.,) S. by Deerfield, (Cum- berland co.,) and U. Alloway's creek, E. by Millville, (Cumberland co .. ) and N. by Pilesgrove. It is centrally distant from Salem 16 miles. Large quantities of sumach-leaves are annually gathered in this township, dried, pulverized, and sent to market. Land for- merly considered nearly valueless, and thrown out in common, has become, within the last few years, among the best, by the use of marl of an excellent quality. There are in the township 6 stores, 1 woollen fac., 5 grist-m., 3 saw-m. ; 7 schools, 270 scholars. Pop. 2,390.
Pittstown, Centreville, and Daretown are small villages in this township. The Presbyterian church was the first established in the township. "It was organized 30th of April, 1741. Their pastor
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SALEM COUNTY.
was the Rev. David Evans, a native of Wales. The covenant was signed by the following members, believed to have been heads of families :
Isaac Vanmeter, Francis Tully,
Richard Sparks,
Henry Vanmeter,
Jeremiah Garrison,
John Craig,
Cornelius Newkirk,
Eleazer Smith,
William Miller,
Abraham Newkirk, William Alderman,
Peter Haws,
Barnet Dubois,
Hugh Moore,
James Dunlap,
Lewis Dubois,
John Rose,
Jacob Dubois, jr. .
Nathaniel Tarbel,
Simon Sparks,
Joshua Garrison,
Garrell Dubois,
Thomas Sparks,
Joast Miller.
John Miller,
The successors to the Rev. David Evans were Nehemiah Garri son, William Schenck, - Glassbrook, Isaac Foster, - Lay cock, - Carll, - Clark, Geo. W. Janvier." A Baptist church " was founded about the year 1743, by several families, who emi- grated from New England : such were the Reeds, Elwells, Cheese- mans, Paullins, and Wallaces. The Rev. Mr. Kelsey took the over- sight of the congregation. After Mr. Kelsey left, Mr. Sutton, and other ministers, afforded occasional supplies. Rev. William Worth then took the charge, and the congregation increased considerably under his ministration, until he became deeply engaged in land speculations, in the back country ; and, the opinion becoming cur- rent that he had become tinctured with Universalism, the congre- gation dwindled away almost to nothing. The constituents were John Mayhew, Esq., Jacob Elwell, John Dickinson, Cornelius Aus- tin, Samuel Brick, and their families."
SALEM.
Salem, the seat of justice for the county, is on the east bank of Salem river, 3} miles from its mouth, 65 miles S. of Trenton, and 34 SE. of Philadelphia. The township is level, in form nearly cir- cular, and about 2 miles in diameter. It is bounded on the N. and E. by Mannington, S. by Elsinborough, and W. by Elsinborough and Lower Penn's Neck.
On the right of the engraving is the jail, a plain stuccoed build- ing. The brick edifice, with a cupola, is the courthouse ; and the small building, partially seen in the distance, is the clerk's office. There are 8 houses for divine worship in the town, viz : 2 Friends, 1 Episcopal, 1 Presbyterian, 1 Baptist, 1 Methodist, and 2 African Methodist. A large Gothic structure, formerly used as a masonic hall, stands in the central part of the village. There are also in the town the Salem Bank, a market, 2 fire-engines, 2 public libra- ries, a lyceum, an academy, a newspaper printing-office, 17 stores, 3 hotels, and about 250 dwellings. Population, in 1830, was 1,570; in 1840, 2,006. Salem is well built, the houses neat, the streets
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SALEM COUNTY.
beautified with trees, and its general appearance thriving and pleasant. Considerable business is done here, and a daily commu nication had, by steamers and stages, with Philadelphia.
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View of the County Buildings, Salem.
Although the first successful settlement made in the state, by the English, was in Elizabethtown, in 1665, yet the first attempt at settlement by them was made in this vicinity. In 1641, some Eng- lish families, (probably emigrants from New Haven, Conn.,) em- bracing about 60 persons, settled on Ferken's creek, (now Salem.) About this.period, the Swedes bought of the Indians the whole dis- trict from Cape May to Raccoon creek ; and, in order to unite these English with the Swedes, the Swedish governor, Printz, who ar- rived from Sweden the year after, (1642,) was to "act kindly and faithfully toward them; and as these English expected soon, by further arrivals, to increase their numbers to several hundreds, and seemed also willing to be subjects of the Swedish government, he was to receive them under allegiance, though not without endeavoring to effect their removal." In 1654, the Swedes were compelled to yield their possessions on the Delaware to the Dutch, and they in turn submitted to the English, soon after the reduction of New Amster- dam, (New York,) in 1664.
In 1664, the Duke of York conveyed to John, Lord Berkeley, and Sir George Carteret, the province of New Jersey. The claim of Lord Berkeley was then an undivided half, subsequently known as West Jersey ; which was, in 1673, purchased for £1,000, by John Fenwick and Edward Byllinge, members of the society of Friends. The conveyance was executed to Fenwick, in trust for Byllinge. This tract was afterward divided into 100 parts, called tenths; nine of which belonged to the latter, and one to the former.
" In 1675," says Smith, "Fenwick set sail to visit the new pur- chase, in a ship, from London, called the Griffith. Arriving after a good passage, he landed at a pleasant, rich spot, situate near 55
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SALEM COUNTY.
Delaware, by him called Salem ; probably from the peaceable as- pect it then bore." "He brought over with him three daughters, Elizabeth, Anna, and Priscilla ; also John Adams, the husband to Elizabeth, with three children, Elizabeth, Fenwick, and Mary. Also Edward Chamneys, the husband of Priscilla, with two chil- dren, John and Mary ; with his ten servants, viz : Robert Turner, Gervas Bywater, William Wilkinson. Joseph Worth, Michael Eaton, Eleanor Geere, Ruth Geere, Zachariah Geere, Sarah Hutch- ins, and Ann Parsons. The servants of Edward Chamneys were Mark Recve, Edward Webb, and Elizabeth Waites."
Fenwick, well knowing that it would greatly advance his interest here if he could ef. fect a purchase in a friendly and peaceable manner with the natives, convened their chiefs, and a contract was entered into with them for the sale of all their right and title to the lands now known by the name of Salem and Cumberland counties.
The first purchase was for the lands included within Salem and Old-man's creeks,- which creeks were called by the Indians Mosacksa and Forcus. The grant to these ands was made by the chiefs Tospaminkey and Henaminkey.
The second purchase was for all the lands lying between Forcus creek, (or, as it was afterward called, Game creek, or Fenwick's river, and now Salem creek,) and the Can- ahockink creek, now called Cohansey ; and by some of the first settlers it was called Cohanzick, from a chief who resided on the south side thereof. This grant was from the chiefs whose names were Mahoppony, Allaways, Necomis and his mother Necosshehes- co, Myhoppony, and Shuccotery. Of all the water-courses within the county of Salem, only the names of six are recollected which at this day retain their primitive or Indian names : they are-1st,-the Allaways ; 2d,-the Necomis, the run at the side of which are the marl-pits now the property of John Dickenson, Esq., near Sharptown; 3d,-the Mahoppony-that branch of Pledger's creek opposite to Clayton Wistar's house, and on which there was formerly a tide-mill ; 4th,-the Mackinippuck, on which Richard See- ley's mill stands, 2 miles NW. of Greenwich ; 5th,-the Manimuska, the branch on .which is built the village of Port Elizabeth ; 6th,-a small branch of Morris river, called Menantico, situate about half way between Millville and Port Elizabeth.
The third purchase was from the Canahockink, now Cohansey, to the Wahatquenack, now Morris river. The grantors were, Mahawskey, Mohut, who styles himself the king, Newsego, Chechenaham, Torucho, and Shacanum. So far as information has been ob- tained, the tract of country included within the bounds of Old-man's creek and Morris river, was purchased from these chiefs for the following-described goods, viz : 4 guns, powder, and lead ; 10} ankers of rum, equal to about 336 gallons ; some shirts, shoes, and stockings ; 4 blankets ; 16 match-coats ; 1 piece of match coating, and other Eng- lish goods. This purchase was made in the years 1675 and '76.
Emigrants were now arriving, and Fenwick having become the chief proprietor of this large tract of country, which he called Fenwick's colony, sales were rapidly made of ·large as well as small tracts of land, and so continued until his death, which took place between the months of August, 1683, and April, 1684.
The following is extracted " From the First General Order, as agreed upon by Fenwick and the first purchasers :"
And as for the settling of the town of New Salem, it is likewise ordered that the town be divided by a street ; that the SE. side be for the purchasers, who are to take their lots of 16 acres as they come to take them up and plant them, as they happen to join to the lots of the purchasers resident, who are to hold their present plantations, and all of them to be accounted as part of their purchases ; and the other part, on the N. and by E. and by S., is to be disposed of by the chief proprietor for the encouragement of trade,-he also giving, for the good of the town in general, the field of marsh that lieth between the town and Goodchild's plantation ; and,
Lastly, we do leave all other things concerning the setting forth and surveying the said purchases, unto the chief proprietor, to order as he sees fit.
Signed accordingly, the 25th day of the 4th month, 1676. FENWICK.
Edward Wade, John Smith, Richard Noble, Saml. Nicholson, John Addams, Hypo- tite Lefevre, Edward Champnes, Richard Whitacar, William Malster, Robert Wade.
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