USA > New Jersey > Union County > Elizabeth > History of Elizabeth, New Jersey : including the early history of Union County > Part 37
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In his retirement among the hills of Connecticut, he heard the cry of Lexington, and immediately wrote to Ogden to come on and accompany him to the tented field. Ogden caught the infection, and rested not, until he obtained his father's leave to go. He was then in his twenty-first year, and Burr a little more than nineteen. They were boys in years, but men in spirit-types of numerous others-their townsmen and associates, who panted to join the patriot army, and fight their country's battles. Nothing could ex- ceed the martial ardor that pervaded all classes of the com-
* Davis' Life of Burr, I. 25-6, 46-7. Parton's Life of Burr, pp. 50-3. Miss Jones' Stock- bridge, pp. 160, 263.
Three of President Edwards' children married here; Timothy, his eldest son, as noticed above; Eunice was married here, Jan. 1764, to Thomas Pollock, and after his death, abont 1780 to Robert IIunt of this place; Pierpont married, May, 1769, Frances, the eldest daughter of Moses and Mary (Cozzens) Ogden, and sister of Nancy, the second and surviving wife of Col. Francis Barber, all of this town.
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munity. It was not safe to breathe a word against the patriot cause .*
The Continental Congress were to meet at Philadelphia, May 10, 1775. As the delegates from Massachusetts, joined on their way by their brethren from Connecticut, drew near to New York, on Saturday, May 6th, they were met, three miles from the city, by a vast concourse of military and citizens, and escorted to their lodgings with ringing of bells, and loud huzzas. On Monday, with a part of the Delegation from New York, they were escorted to Newark, where they dined ; thence they "were escorted to Elizabeth Town and on their way were met by the gentlemen and militia of that place." Such was the enthusiasm of the people.t
The Provincial Congress of New Jersey met at Trenton, May 23d. This town was represented by William Peartree Smith, John Stites, John Chetwood, Abraham Clark and Elias Boudinot. Smith and Boudinot were sent to Philadel- phia, on the 25th, to confer with Congress, on some joint plan of action, and returned on the 30th.
The combat thickened. British reinforcements arrived at Boston. The cry-"To Arms ! "-had brought together con- siderable numbers of patriot soldiers. Congress was loudly summoned to create an army. They assumed the charge of the New England recruits, and chose George Washington, June 15, as General in Chief of the Continental Army. The effect of these measures was electric. Hope was invigorated, confidence inspired. The battle of Bunker Hill followed two days after, June 17th. That Americans would fight was no longer doubtful. That British regulars were not in- vincible was certain. The yeomanry took heart at once. The people everywhere flew to arms. Even cowards were brave.
Ammunition was greatly needed. But for this, Bunker Hill would have been a greater triumph. Powder was in demand, in the army and everywhere. The Committee of this town deeply interested themselves in procuring and fur-
* Davis' Life of Burr, I. 58. t N. Y. Mercury, No. 1231. Holt's N. T. Jour- nal, May 11. Moore's Diary, I. 76.
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ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.
nishing the needed supply. On the 17th of July, they for- warded, by way of Dobbs' Ferry, fifty-two quarter casks just received from Philadelphia. On the same day, they
Resolved, That this Committee, for every hundred weight of Saltpetre made within this Town for the first three months after this day, will pay the sum of twenty pounds, proclamation money of New Jersey, on the delivery thereof to this Committee, and fifteen pounds of same currency, for the like quantity of Saltpetre, made and delivered as aforesaid, within the next three months thereafter .*
The whole stock of powder, at Washington's command, August 13th, for the use of the army around Boston, was about ninety barrels only-" not more than nine rounds a man ; " they had "but thirty-two barrels in store." The destitution continued "a fortnight or more, till the Jersey Committee of Elizabethtown, upon receiving the alarming news, sent on a few tons, which they were obliged to do with the greatest privacy, lest the fears of their own people, had it been known, should have stopt it for their own use, in case of an emergency." On the 20th of August, Washington acknowledges the receipt of " six tons and a half of powder from the southward." +
At the same meeting of the Committee, July 17th, the following action was taken :
The Chairman of this Committee having received a letter from Mr. Richard Lawrence, a Delegate of Richmond County for the Provincial Congress of the Colony of New York, informing that the inhabitants of said County had, in general, signed the Association recommended by the Committee of New York, this Committee are therefore of opinion that the inhabitants of said County be restored to their commercial privileges with the inhabitants of this Town.#
The martial spirit that prevailed in the town may be seen from the following item :
Elizabeth Town, October 4, 1775. Yesterday sixteen Companies of Foot, and one of Horse, belonging to this Borough, were reviewed on the Parade, went through their Military Exercises with Alertness and Reg- ularity, and made a very handsome Appearance.§
* N. Y. Mercury, No. 1241.
t Gordon's Am. Revolution, I. 380. Sparks' Washington, III. 65. Irving's Washington, II. 26. # N. Y. Mercury, No. 1241. § Ibid, No. 1252.
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The following pleasant incident occurred nearly two months later :
Dec. 4, 1775. Wednesday evening last [Nov. 29,] arrived at Newark, in their Way to the Provincial Camp at Cambridge, the Lady of his Excellency General Washington, the Lady of Adjutant General Gates, John Custis, Esq. and his Lady and Warren Lewis, Esq; They were escorted from Elizabeth Town, by the Company of Light Horse, and most of the principal Gentlemen of that Borough. On Thursday morn- ing they departed for Dobbs Ferry, escorted by a Party of the Elizabeth Town Light Horse, and a great Number of Gentlemen and Ladies from Newark.
Mrs. Washington accomplished the whole distance from Virginia to Cambridge, Mass., in her own conveyance, "a chariot and four, with black postillions in scarlet and white liveries," traveling by easy stages .*
At the close of November, by order of Congress, a recruit- ing agency was established here, and the town was made the headquarters of the first N. J. regiment of regulars, under the command of Win. Alexander, [titular] Earl of Stirling: He had been, for several years, a resident of Baskingridge, had recently been chosen Colonel of a Somer- set County militia regiment, and had carried many of them with him into the Continental service. He took care, that all vessels coming from foreign countries to New York, should (on account of restrictions laid on the commerce of that port by Capt. Hyde Parker, of the Phenix man-of- war in the harbor), enter at Amboy or Elizabeth Town, and at the latter place if possible. Apprehensive, therefore, of a visit from some of the armed boats of the Phenix, he urged Congress, Dec. 19, 1775, to furnish the town with "an imme- diate supply of ammunition, and, if possible, half a dozen field-pieces, with some round, grape and cannister shot ; " and soon after, Jan. 6, 1776, he wrote to the President of Congress,-
I have the pleasure to inform you that several vessels with valuable cargoes from foreign ports, have arrived in this Province; and, under the protection I have afforded them, have landed their cargoes. Among the rest, are some hundred barrels of gun powder.t
* N. Y. Mercury, No. 1260. Irving's Wash., II. 120, 1.
t Life of Stirling, pp. 116, 118.
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ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.
On the recommendation of Lord Stirling, William Barnet, Jr., was appointed, by Congress, Surgeon of the First Jersey Battalion, and Matthias Halstead, Quartermaster. Four companies of the Battalion were stationed here, such of them as could not be accommodated in the barracks, finding quar- ters among the people. Some weeks elapsed before they were fully equipped. *
An opportunity soon occurred for calling into requisition the martial ardor and energy of the town. The occurrence is related at length, by Robert Ogden, Esq., (who had now succeeded Jonathan Hampton, as Chairman of the Town Committee), in a letter to John Hancock, President of Con- gress, dated, E. Town, Feb. 10, 1776 :-
Sir, I am ordered by the Committee of Elizabeth Town to acquaint the Congress of the Capture and state of the ship Blue-Mountain-Valley, now lying at Elizabeth-Town Point, and to desire particular directions from the Congress what is to be done with the said ship, cargo, officers, and seamen.
On Monday, the 22d of January, between eleven and twelve o'clock, Lord Stirling, with about thirty men of his regiment, being near all that were then armed at this place, the rest being at Long Island, t set out for Amboy, on a serious enterprise. In the evening of the same day, an ex- press arrived in this town, with a letter directed to Lord Stirling, and, in his absence, to the Chairman of the Committee of this place, informing that an armed vessel, with a detachment of marines and seamen, was sent off from New York that day from the ships of war in New York, and to the transport ship.
On the Chairman's receipt of this letter, he immediately called the Com- mittee, which met about six o'clock in the evening, and from the letter and express, collected and concluded, that Lord Stirling left this place with an intention to procure a vessel at Amboy, and go in quest of the transport-ship, which he then thought was in a defenceless condition, not knowing of the reinforcement sent from New York, and that if intelli- gence should reach him that night, he would not be able to procure ves- sels and assistance in season at Amboy to secure success, and might be repulsed with loss. On which the Committee resolved to send a detach- ment of one hundred volunteers in three or four boats, by the way of the Narrows, to take, or assist Lord Stirling to take, the armed vessel or transport, of which they immediately notified Lord Stirling by an express ;
* Am. Archives, 4th Ser., 1V. 165, 247, 354.
+ Scouring the country to disarm the Tories, and arrest the most dangerous of the Loyal- ists N. Y. Col. Docmts., VIII. 663, 7. Hildreth, III. 114-5
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and to encourage volunteers to enter, assured them they should share of the prize or prizes, according to the regulations that were or should be made by the Continental Congress. Volunteers were soon procured, and furnished by the Committee with ammunition, provision and what arms were wanting; of the townsmen, about eighty, and of the Continental troops, about thirty. The Committee also procured three boats, and fitted them in the best manner the night and hurry would admit of. Be- tween twelve and one o'clock at night, the armament was ready to sail, but on account of the tide and ice, * they could not proceed by the way of the Narrows; they, therefore, set out with a fair wind by the way of Am- boy, where they stopped, and called upon Lord Stirling, who, with a boat procured by him for the purpose, and about forty of his regiment, set out with them in quest of the ship and armed vessel. At sunrise, from the mast-head, they descried the ship at sea, stood for, met and boarded her, without opposition, at ten o'clock in the morning; they found her to be a transport from London, with coals, porter, potatoes, hogs, and horse-beans, designed for the Ministerial troops at Boston, commanded by John H. Dempster, brother to George Dempster, member of Parliament for Dundee, &c., in Scotland. But the armed vessel, by great good for- tune, saved herself by returning to New York, not having discovered the ship, to the great disappointment of our people. Lord Stirling gave the command of the ship to Mr. Rogers, a sea captain, with orders to proceed for this place, but being detained by tide and contrary winds on Wednes- day near Amboy, the Committee being apprehensive of an attempt by the man of war to retake her, on Wednesday evening sent a reinforcement of about eighty men, to secure her against any such attempt, and on Fri- day she arrived in safety, at Elizabeth-Town Point, where she remained under the command of Lord Stirling, guarded by some of the troops un- der his command, until Tuesday last, when he and his troops were ordered to New York, since which time she hath been, and now is, under the care of the Committee. By order of Lord Stirling, and the Committee, the porter and beans are stored, the sails and rigging are taken on shore. The potatoes which are chiefly rotten, and coal, remain on board the ship. The Captain and seamen remain prisoners at large in this town. The Committee expected Lord Stirling would have, before this time, pro- cured the particular directions of the Congress for the disposition of the ship and cargo, but in this they are disappointed, and every thing respect- ing the ship is in suspense. The hogs remaining, being only seven (out of eighty) and the remaining potatoes, they have concluded to sell. The coal is in great demand for making of arms, and is liable to be destroyed with the ship, by an armed force which may be dispatched privately in the night from New York, which is but about fourteen miles distance.
* The season had been very severe. Navigation about N. Y. had been much obstructed. N. Y. Col. Docmts., VIII. 667, 674.
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ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.
The seamen, who are boarded out by the Committee, are uneasy and soliciting the Committee for their wages which, they say, were promised by Lord Stirling. The Captain is anxious to know how long he is to be detained, and the Committee are desirous that he may be soon dismissed, and be at liberty to return home and inform his friends and countrymen of the usage he has received from the Americans. This, sir, is the state of affairs relating to the storeship called the Blue-Mountain-Valley and brought to this place.
Appended to this statement, is a list of the officers and crew, -- a Captain, 3 Mates, a Carpenter, a Boatswain, a Stewart, 7 Seamen, and 2 Apprentices. Their bill for wages was £123. 3. 7., of which £23. 6. 7. had been paid.
The Manifest is also given, dated Sept. 30, 1775, showing 1074 chaldrons of coal, 30 bundles of hoops, 100 butts of por- ter, branded-" Calvert," 225 bags of beans, 156 sacks of potatoes, 10 casks sour-krout, 80 live hogs, and 35 empty puncheons, for water ; shipped by Mure, Son, and Atkinson, of London, by order of the Right Hon. the Lords Comunis- sioners of his Majesty's Treasury. The vessel had sailed from London, Oct. 13, 1775.
An accompanying paper gives
A List of the Officers and Men, belonging to the Militia of Elizabeth- Town, who entered on board of the different shallops as Volunteers, in order to take the Ship Blue-Mountain-Valley, January 22, 1776, under the command of Elias Dayton, Colonel :
Elias Dayton, Colonel, Edward Thomas, Lieut. Col.,
Oliver Spencer, Captain, William Britton, Captain, Francis Barber, First Lieut., Aaron Hatfield, First Lieut., Thomas Morrel, Second Lieut., George Everson, Quartermaster, Smith Hetfield, Capt. of Boat, John Thomas, Capt. of Boat, John Trail, Capt. of Boat, William Barnet, Surgeon, William Higins, Sergeant, David Ross, Sergeant, Henry Baker, Sergeant,
Samuel Smith, Lewis Blanchard, Edmund Thomas, Thomas Elstone, Ephraim Marsh, Adam Lee, Thomas Quigley, -- Macarty,
Henry M. Munagal, Price Parcel, Barney Ogden. Timothy B. Stout, Joseph Meeker, Jun., George Weeks, Edward
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-- Beaty,
Samuel Lee,
David Stewart,
Thomas Hoyt, Lewis Woodruff
Thomas Lee,
Isaiah Gray,
Stephen Wheeler,
William Livingston, Jr., Brockholst Livingston,
Farrington Price,
Elijah Woodruff, Daniel Woodruff,
John Hendrix, Samuel Morehouse,
Aaron Ogden,
Jacob Carle,
Edward Jones,
Benjamin Woodruff,
William Clark,
Jonathan Woodruff,
Jonathan Clark,
Benjamin Hinds,
Jonathan Nichols,
John Gray, James Clenchy,
Samuel Mann, Silas Freeman,
John Miller,
William Meeker,
John Runyon,
Samuel Ogden,
Nicholas Deane,
Gabriel Meeker,
Moses Connel,
Jonathan Pierson,
Godfrey Blackney,
Elihu Parsons,
Timothy Burns,
Robert Spencer,
Richard Miller,
Samuel Sealey,
The above is a true list, to the best of my knowledge and belief. Elizabeth-Town, Feb. 9, 1776. Edward Thomas. *
Several of the men, whose names are included in this list, afterwards became decided loyalists, and some of them mna- lignant tories ; but the vast majority of them continued true to their country, and several of them became highly dis- tinguished for their military services. The names of a few are not familiar. These were of the Continentals, from the back country.
In his "Life of Lord Sterling," Judge Duer gives the credit of this affair to Sterling, as having "planned and exe- cuted " the enterprise ; overlooking the fact, that the Town Committee undertook, of their own motion, without even a suggestion from Stirling, by far the heaviest part of the work. Lord Stirling's letter to Congress, also, dated, Jan. 24th, 1776, is given incorrectly. It should read,-
* Am. Archives, 4th Ser., IV. 987-9.
M
Daniel
Simon Simonson,
William Ramsden,
John Miller, 2d.
Daniel Craig,
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ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.
I immediately set out for Amboy, and there seized a Pilot-boat, and, with forty men, was just pushing out about two yesterday morning, when I was joined by three other boats from Elizabeth Town, with about forty men each, many of them gentlemen from Elizabeth Town, who volun- tarily came on this service, under the command of Col. Dayton, and Lieut. Col. Thomas.
He describes the vessel, as " a ship of about one hundred feet, from stem to stern, above, capable of making a ship of war of twenty six-pounders, and ten three-pounders." Of the captain, he says, Jan. 27,-" He is a sensible, genteel young man ; all his property (about one hundred pounds sterling) is on board." In bringing the vessel in, she grounded, on Thursday, in the Sound, near the Blazing Star ; but, being lightened, she was got off on Friday morning and brought to the Point. *
On the Monday following, 29th, Lord Stirling's letters hav- ing been read in Congress, it was
Resolved, That the alertness, activity, and good conduct of Lord Stir- ling, and the forwardness and spirit of the gentlemen and others from Elizabeth-Town, who voluntarily assisted him in taking the ship Blue- Mountain-Valley, were laudable and exemplary ; and that his Lordship be directed to secure the capture until the further order of Congress ; and that, in the meantime, he cause such part of the lading as would other- wise perish, to be disposed of by. sale. t
Lord Stirling received orders from Gen. Lee, Feb. 4, 1776, to transfer his regiment to New York; and, the next morn- ing, he marched, with the four companies, stationed here, to the North River, and, having been detained by the ice, on the following day arrived at New York. On the 9th, he received and transmitted from Congress the vote of thanks, and sent orders to Mr. John Blanchard to take charge of the cargo of the transport, with a request to Brig. Gen. Living- ston, and John DeHart, Esq., to aid him in the management of the affair. At the same time, he took the opportunity of requesting Mr. Ogden to give his best thanks to the Com- mittee of Elizabeth Town, for their readiness, at all times to assist him in carrying on the service under his direction, and
* Am. Archives, 4th Ser., IV. 837, 567-8, Duer's Life of Stirling, p. 125.
t Journal of Congress, for 1776. Duer's Stirling, p. 124.
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to the inhabitants in general for the many instances of confi- dence and friendship received from them .*
Finally, the Provincial Congress of New Jersey, ordered, March 2, 1776, the vessel and cargo to be confiscated, a com- mission to be appointed for the sale of the ship and its con- tents, and the proceeds to be distributed among the captors. John Blanchard excused himself, March 2d, from serving on the Committee, because he was so much occupied in building a powder-mill, and, on his recommendation, his son Cornelius was, March 8th, appointed in his place. +
Col. Stirling, having been appointed, March 1st, a Brigadier General, Robert Ogden wrote him, March 4th, a letter of congratulation, and took occasion to add,-
There are many fire-arms lost, or, at least, at present missing, that were lent (by the inhabitants of the town) to furnish Capt. Meeker and the parties under him, to assist your Lordship in taking the Ship Blue- Mountain-Valley. He has been applied to for the arms, but says he knows nothing about them, who had them, nor where to be found. His ignorance and high temper makes it difficult to treat with him.#
Sterling wrote, March 1st, to Blanchard, authorizing him to deliver 34 chaldrons of the coal to Moses Ogden, at the Market price, Ogden having a contract with the government for iron work. The remainder of the cargo, with the ship and its appurtenances, was sold at auction, by order of the Committee of E. Town, March 18th. A gratuity was allowed the seamen, who, with the officers, were set at liberty, and the proceeds of the sale were divided among the captors.
By order of the Provincial Congress, Feb. 2d, Edward Thomas and Isaac Woodruff, Barrack Masters, were author- ized to dispose of, at their estimated value, for the use of the Continental Troops, the blankets belonging to the E. Town barracks. On the 3d, Abraham Ogden was appointed Lieut. Col., and William Barnet, Major of the Regiment of Light Horse in the Eastern Division of the State. On the 23d, Edward Thomas was appointed Col., Jeremiah Smith, Lieut. Col., and Oliver Spencer, First Major of the First Regiment
* Am. Archives, 4th Ser., IV. 1199-1200.
t Ibid, p. 1606. Stirling Mss., N. Y. His. Soc.
# Am. Archives, 4th Ser., V. 56.
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ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.
of Essex Militia. On the 6th of March, Elias Dayton was appointed, by Congress, Col., and Francis Barber, Major, of the Third Battalion of N. Jersey Continentals. And, on the requisition of Lord Stirling at New York, six thousand cartridges were furnished him by the E. Town Committee. "
Gen. Clinton arrived at New York, from Boston, Feb. 4th, in the ship-of-war Mercury, in company with a transport brig, with 200 marines, on his way to the South. Shortly afterwards the vessels weighed anchor, and fell down to the watering place, near Staten Island. On the evening of Satur- day, 10th, word was brought to this town, that the marines were intending to make a raid on Staten Island and carry off the live stock. Gen. Livingston, who had been put in charge, on Stirling's transfer to New York, called out 300 of the militia, sent out a part to reconnoitre the south side of the Island, and marched with the troops at three in the morning. At Ward's, in sight of the Light House, they were joined by Capt. Blanchard and his company of light horse. Learning here that the vessels had left Sandy Hook the day before, a squad, under the command of Col. Edward Thomas, were left to guard the coast, for fear of a feint, and the remainder were ordered home. The militia were highly commended for the alacrity with which they responded to the call of their commander, on this occasion.t
Owing to the commotions of the times, and the close con- nection of the town with New York, the place was visited by many strangers, some of whom rendered themselves liable to suspicion, as unfriendly to the cause of the country. The Committee of the Town, therefore, represented the case, Feb. 12th, to the Provincial Congress, then in session, who passed an ordinance, requiring, among other things,
That all suspected persons removing into the colony; should be imme- diately returned to the place whence they came, unless their detention as delinquents should be proper ; or unless they produced certificates from the Committee of the precinct, from which they came, that they had signed the Association recommended by Congress, and had not subse- quently contravened it .;
* Am. Archives, 4th Ser., IV. 1550, 2, 9, 98, 1606. ! N. York Packot, Feb. 22.
# Am. Archives; 4th Ser., IV. 1559. Gordon's N. J., 173, 4. .
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Thus gradually, but surely, the lines of demarcation be- tween the patriots and the loyalists were becoming more and more distinct, and the people were compelled to show their colors, as friends or foes, to Congress and the country.
On the 14th, Wm. Livingston and John DeHart, of this town were re-elected, by the Provincial Congress of N. Jersey, members of the General Congress, which had continued in session till this time .*
Fears were entertained, that the British Army at Boston were about to be transferred to New York, of which Lord Stirling received intimation, March 13th, from Gen. Wash- ington. Stirling immediately called upon each of several adjacent Counties in New Jersey to send forward imme- diately three or four hundred men to aid in fortifying the City and harbor. Lewis Ogden, Chairman of the Newark Committee replied, on the 14th, that they would send 150 men : " We also sent a Deputation from our Board to the Committee at Elizabeth Town to inform them what we had done and request that they would furnish 150 more,-they have agreed to do it."
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