USA > New Jersey > Union County > Elizabeth > History of Elizabeth, New Jersey : including the early history of Union County > Part 40
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* Sparks' Washington, IV. 204, 5. t Ibid., p. 205. Gordon's Am. Rev., II. 129. # Irving's Washington, 11. 446.
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In these circumstances, it is scarcely to be wondered at, that the artifice of Lord Howe and his brother met with very con- siderable success, as intimated in Gen. Williamson's letter. Dr. Ashbel Green observes,-
I heard a man of some shrewdness once say, that when the British troops overran the State of New Jersey, in the closing part of the year 1776, the whole population could have been bought for eighteen pence a head .*
The main body of the British army was pushed forward beyond the Raritan towards the Delaware. But a consider- able detachment remained to occupy this post, and to guard against any surprise from the militia of the interior. Gen. Charles Lee, with reinforcements for Washington, reached Chatham, from Peekskill, on the 8th of December, and on the 11th, from Morris Town, wrote to Gen. Heath, on his way from Peekskill, that, at Springfield, seven miles west of Elizabeth Town, ... "about one thousand Militia are collect- ed to watch the motions of the enemy." These were Col. Ford's troops. They were stationed at the Short Hills, just back of Springfield, from which point every movement of the enemy on the plains below could readily be seen. An eighteen-pounder was planted, subsequently, on the heights near the residence (in after days) of Bishop Hobart, to give the alarm in case of the enemy's approach. A tar-barrel was fixed at the top of a lofty pole near by, to be set on fire when the alarm-gun was discharged. These could be heard and seen over a great extent of country.}
The Rev. Mr. Caldwell had found an asylum for himself and family at Turkey [New Providence], where he soon put himself in communication with Col. Ford. His experience, the previous summer and autumn, at the North, as Chaplain of Col. Dayton's regiment, enabled him now to be of great . service to his country. Hearing of the arrival of Gen. Lee, he wrote him on the 12th, as follows :
Dear Sir : I thank you for your favour from Baskingridge, of this morn- ing, and intended to do myself the honour to wait upon you, and set out
* Jones' Life of Rev. Dr. Ashbel Green, p. 122.
t Am. Archives, 5th Ser., III. 1167. Jones' Life of Dr. Green, p. 96.
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for the purpose, but found my horse would not perform the journey with sufficient expedition, and cannot procure another horse. And indeed I find this the best place to observe the enemy's motions. From sundry persons who have been upon the road, between Brunswick and Princeton, I learn the Army has very generally marched forward ; indeed, all except guards of the several posts. Yesterday they sent a reinforcement to Elizabeth Town from Amboy, of near one thousand. Some say the whole at Elizabeth Town are about one thousand; others say fifteen hundred. They are carrying off the hay from Elizabeth Town to New York .. . . I be- lieve Elizabeth Town is their strongest post, as they were afraid of our Militia, who have taken off many of the most active Tories, made some prisoners, and among others shot their English Foragemaster, so that he is mortally or very illy wounded. A company of our Militia went last night to Woodbridge, and brought off the drove of stock the enemy had collected there, consisting of about four hundred cattle and two hundred sheep. Most of these cattle are only fit for stock. ... They are driven up . the country to be out of the enemy's way.
At a Council of the Field Officers this morning, a majority of them advised to remove the brigade of Militia back again to Chatham, for which they assign these reasons. Many of the Militia, rather fond of plunder and adventure, kept a continual scouting, which kept out so many detach- ed parties, that the body was weakened; and the enemy being now stronger at Elizabeth Town than they are, they thought they would better serve the cause by lying at Chatham till the expected army ap- proaches for their support .*
The next morning, 13th, Gen. Lee was captured by a sur- prise-party of the enemy.t
General Heath, having reached Hackensack, wrote to Washington, on the 15th, in respect to the enemy, "Several thousands landed at Elizabeth Town on yesterday or the day before." The movement of the troops under Lee and Heath, and the posting of the militia under Ford, at the Short Hills had not escaped the eye of Cornwallis. A portion of his forces, as appears from the following correspondence, were ordered to retrace their steps, and look after these Americans. In the night of the 17th, Ford writes from Chatham to Heatlı, by express, and says,
.
We have since sunset had a brush with the enemy, four miles below this, in which we have suffered, and our Militia much disheartened They are all retreated to this place and will in all probability be attacked by day- break. The enemy, we have reason to believe, are double our numbers.
* Am. Archives, 5th Ser., III. 1189
1 Irving's Washington, II. 159-63.
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If in your wisdom you can assist us, we may possibly beat them yet; but without your aid we can't stand. They are encamped (say one thousand British troops) at Springfield, and will be joined by four hundred and fifty Waldeckers from Elizabeth-Town, by the next morning's light.
The next day, he again writes to Heath :-
I have certain intelligence that the troops we engaged last night were General Leslie's brigade, who marched some few days since from Eliza- beth Town to the southard. They received an order to counter-march to the same place. The brigade is from twelve to thirteen hundred strong and the Waldeckers upwards of four hundred. At Spanktown [Rahway], six miles to the southard of Elizabeth Town, there is five hundred British troops. This is all the enemy you have to combat in this country at pres- ent. We are not certain whether the enemy who attacked us have or have not yet returned to Elizabeth-Town .*
Col. Syinmes, in a sketch of Col. Oliver Spencer, of this town, gives a much more detailed account of this transaction :
On the approach of Gen, Lesley's troops towards Springfield they were discovered by Maj. Spencer's videts stationed on the western road. Maj. Spencer instantly despatched a light horseman on full speed four miles to Chatham, to notify the Colonel commandant, that the enemy, in con- siderable force, were within two miles of Springfield. The brigade were already under arms, and were ordered instantly to march towards Spring- field to sustain Maj. Spencer; mean time the Major prudently abandoned Springfield and retreated towards Chatham-he met the brigade at Briant's tavern. After Major Spencer had communicated, to the Colonel commandant, the position of the enemy then occupying Springfield, the brigade advanced to the attack. Capt. Brookfield, who commanded the flanking party on the left, made the first onset on the right of the enemy extending from the Church up the Vauxhall road. Capt. Seely, who · commanded the flanking party on the right, made a warm attack upon the left of the enemy spread along the Westfield road. The centre of the enemy occupied the gronnd in front of, and the meadow behind, Wood- ruff's tavern. The Colonel commandant of the militia supported by Col. Lindsly on the left and Maj. Spencer, who now commanded the Essex regiment, on the right, brought the centre of the brigade, retaining their fire until within pistol-shot of the enemy-the conflict continued about an hour, when the darkness forbade a longer contest at that time, and the firing seemed mutually to cease on both sides. On this occasion Major Spencer displayed by his conduct, the calm but intrepid soldier ; his horse was shot under him, when, with a smile on his countenance, and a pistol in each hand, he came up to the Colonel commandant, to inform him that
* Am. Archives, 5th Ser., III. 1235, 1260-1, 1277.
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ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.
he had been dismounted by the death of his horse. The brigade fell back that evening only one mile to Briant's tavern-struck up fires and lay all night on their arms; intending to make a second attack in the morning. But in the morning the enemy was not to be found ; he had withdrawn in the night with all possible silence, taking off his dead and wounded in wagons. The militia pursued him to Westfield, but could not come up with him. This was the first instance in the State of New Jersey, when the British troops turned their backs and fled from those they called rebels ; and this success, small as the affair was, taught the Jersey militia that the foe was not invincible .*
Leslie's brigade entered Newark on the morning after the " brush." Col. Ford, four days afterwards, found his forces so much scattered, that only about two hundred remained. Previous to this affair he had done good service, harassing the enemy, " surprising their guards, and taking their wagons, stores," &c. Ford was so much exposed and exhausted by this short campaign, that soon after he was seized with peri- pneumony, and died on the 11th, at Morris Town, in the 40th year of his age-eight days before his father, Col. Jacob Ford, Sent.t
Washington, learning that " about eight hundred militia had collected " near Morristown, sent, on the 20th of De- cember, Gen. Maxwell, " to take the command of them, and, if to be done, to harass and annoy the enemy in their quar- ters, and cut off their convoys." Gen. McDougall was, also, detailed for the same purpose. The state of affairs, the same day, at Elizabeth Town is thus reported from Chatham :-
John Halstead left Elizabeth Town this morning at eight o'clock. . Says there is no troops in Elizabeth Town but Waldeckers, the same that has been there for two weeks past. Says the drums beat this morning, about day-break, and he understood they were to have marched; but that they did not, and the reason why, as he understood, was the badness or the weather. Knows not which way they were to march, but it is said they were to have a little march out o' town; that he thinks six or seven hundred British troops went through town the day before yesterday, near twelve o'clock towards Newark, and that they have not as yet returned .;
On the morning of Thursday, the 26th of December,
* N. J. Journal, No. 4636.
t Am. Archives, 5th Ser., III. 1299, 1365, 1419. Morris Town Bill of Mortality, p. 29.
# Spark's Washington, IV. 239, 249. Am. Archives, 5th Ser., III. 1316.
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: Washington surprised and captured 918 Hessians at Trenton, parts of Anspach's, Rahl's, and Kniphausen's regiments, with the loss of only four wounded. This brilliant manœuvre completely turned the tide of affairs. The British, who be- lieved themselves masters of the country, and scouted the idea of any opposition, were painfully roused from their rev- eries, and began to be alarmed for their safety. The Amer- icans, on the other hand, were electrified with delight, and inspired with new life.
On the 30th, at Trenton, Washington wrote to Maxwell, to collect as large a force as possible at Chatham, " and, after gaining the proper intelligence, endeavour to strike a stroke upon Elizabeth Town or that neighborhood," instructions that Maxwell prepared at once to carry out.
Following up his advantages, Washington once more crossed the Delaware, passed around the British at Trenton, marched forward by night, surprised and captured Princeton on the morning of January 3d, 1777, and then took post for two or three days, at Pluckemin, in Somerset Co., a few miles below Baskingridge ; thus compelling the British com- mander to evacuate all his posts beyond New Brunswick, and provide, by a concentration of his forces, for the safety of his stores, at the latter place. On Monday, the 6th, Washington removed to Morris Town, to give his wearied troops some rest, and to watch the panic-stricken foe .*
Gen. Sir Wm. Howe writes, from New York, Jan. 5, 1777, that "Lord Cornwallis returned with his whole force to Brunswick, and the troops at the right being assembled at Elizabeth Town, Major General Vaughan has that com- mand.t
Taking advantage of the consternation of the enemy, and the advance of the American army, Gen. Maxwell, with the militia under his command, came down from the Short Hills, compelled the British to evacuate Newark, had a brush with them at Springfield, drove them out of Elizabeth Town, and fought them at Spauk Town [Rahway] a couple of hours.
* Irving's Washington, II. 500-18. Dr. Tomes' Battles of Am., I. 428-88.
t Parliamentary Register, XI. 376.
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ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.
Of these movements, a meagre record only is preserved. Washington writes to Congress, on the 7th, from Morris Town,-
There have been two or three little skirmishes between their parties and some detachments of the militia, in which the latter have been success- ful and made a few prisoners. The most considerable was on Sunday morning [5th] when eight or ten Waldeckers were killed and wounded, and the remainder of the party, thirty nine or forty, made prisoners, with the officers, by a force not superior in number and without receiv- ing the least damage .*
This was at Springfield. The troops were led by Maj. Oliver Spencer, and for his bravery on this occasion he was presently after promoted to a colonelcy. Three days later, (Sth), our forces recovered possession of this post :-
Philadelphia, Jan. 16, 1777. Our army marched from Pluckemin and arrived at Morris Town on the sixth. Gen. Maxwell with a considerable body of Continental troops and militia, having marched towards Elizabeth Town, sent back for a reinforcement, which having joined him, he ad- vanced and took possession of the town, and made prisoners fifty Wal- deckers and forty Highlanders, who were quartered there, and made prize of a schooner with baggage and some blankets on board. About the same time one thousand bushels of salt were secured by our troops at a place called Spank Town, about five miles from Woodbridge, where a party of our men attacked the enemy at that place, they sent for a reinforcement to Woodbridge, but the Hessians absolutely refused to march, having heard we were very numerous in that quarter. The English troops at Elizabeth Town would not suffer the Waldeckers to stand centry at the outposts, several of them having deserted and come over to us.
Another account, dated, Trenton, January 9th, says,-
A regiment of British troops at Spank Town, six miles below Eliza- beth Town, was attacked on Sunday by a party of Jersey militia; the encounter continued about two hours. Two regiments marched up from Woodbridge and Amboy to reinforce the enemy ; and thus saved them.t
Still another account says, Jan. 9th,-
The enemy have abandoned Elizabeth Town. Our people have entered it and taken thirty Waldeckers and fifty Highlanders, and about thirty bag- gage waggons fully loaded. The enemy who had all the Jerseys, are now only in possession of Amboy and Brunswick.#
* Sparks' Washington, IV. 264. Gordon's N. J., p. 233.
+ Almon's Remembrancer, V. 70, 1, 2-4.
# Moore's Diary of Am. Rev., I. 073.
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General Sir Win. Howe writes, on the 17th, from New York,-
The enemy still continuing in force at Morris Town, and in that neigh- borhood, and receiving daily reinforcements from the eastern militia, Major General Vaughan, with the corps he had at Elizabeth Town, is removed to Amboy .*
In Congress, March 23, 1778, it was "Ordered, That a warrant issue on the treasurer in favour of James Norris, for 1527§0 dollars, in full payment of his capture from the ene- my on the 9th of Jan. 1777, at Elizabeth-town, in N. Jersey, which was disposed of to the army of the United States." +
At this time, occurred the following : It is related of Capt. Eliakim Littell, of this town, "a partisan of great merit," and of "remarkably fine and imposing personal appear- ance : "-
On the day that the British force abandoned Newark, which they had occupied as a garrison, and marched to Elizabeth Town, a company of Waldeckers was dispatched on some particular service towards the Con- ecticut Farms. Littell and his followers speedily discovered and fol- lowed them. Dividing his small force into two bodies he placed one ambush in the rear, and, appearing in front with the other, demanded an immediate surrender. The Germans wished to retrograde, but, meeting with the party expressly concealed to impede their retreat, and briskly assailed in front, surrendered without firing a gun. The British general, exasperated by their capture, ordered out a body of Hessians to revenge the affront; but the superior knowledge of Littell and his associates enabling them to goad the enemy at various points with spirited attacks, without any great degree of exposure, they were also driven into a swamp and compelled to surrender to inferior numbers. Mortified beyond meas- ure at this second discomfiture, a troop of horse were ordered out; but they in turn were routed, and were only more fortunate than those that preceded them, by being able, by the rapid movement of their horses, to escape pursuit. A tory, to whom a considerable reward was offered for the performance of the service, now led 300 men to the house of Capt. Littell, who, believing he was securely pent up within, commenced a heavy discharge of musketry upon it from all sides. The Captain, how- ever, was not to be so easily entrapped, and while they were making preparations to storm the deserted dwelling, they were attacked in the rear, being previously joined by another body of volunteers, and driven with precipitation from the field. Littell in the interim, with a part of
* Parliamentary Register, XI. 376.
t Journals, IV. 122.
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ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.
his force, had formed an ambuscade along a fence side, and perceiving the enemy slowly approaching, leveled and discharged his piece, and the commander fell. The British, unable, from the darkness of the night, to make any calculation with regard to the number of their opposers, were intimidated, and sought safety in flight .*
Some allowance should be made for rhetorical embellish- ments in these statements. The numbers, it is quite likely, are somewhat exaggerated. Yet this may be taken as a specimen of the kind of warfare, that for several months, at this period, was prosecuted by the militia of this town and vicinity. At this period, it will be borne in mind, the town included nearly the whole of the present Union County-the towns of Union, Springfield, New Providence, Westfield, Plainfield, Rahway, Linden, and Clark, having since been organized out of the ancient territorial domain of Elizabeth Town.
When Mr. Caldwell and his people returned to their homes the second week of January, 1777, from their exile of six weeks, they found everything in ruins-their houses plun- dered, their fences broken down and consumed, their gardens laid waste, their fields an open common, and their records, both private and public, destroyed. The ontrages committed by the ruthless foe, British and Hessian both, during this short occupation, were a disgrace to human nature. Fore- most among those, who wreaked their vengeance upon the patriots, were their former tory neighbors. Many of these had, a twelve-month before, consulted their own safety by taking refuge on Staten Island, and subsequently at New York. When the town was occupied, Nov. 30th, by the British army, the most of these tories returned to their old homes, and took every opportunity to assert their importance, to retaliate upon the opposite party the injuries that they had endured, and to single out the Whigs as marks of brutal in- dignities and violence.t
It was the deep sense of these grievous wrongs, that roused the whole population against their brutal invaders ; so that,
* Garden's Anecdotes of the Rev. War, 2d Ser., p. 210. Barber's N. J. ITis. Coll., pp. 184-5. t Barber's His. Coll. of N. J., pp. 183-4. See, also, Remembrancer, IV. 307; V. 77, 154, 253-7. Am. Museum, (Carey's) IV. 236. Sparks' Washington, IV. 273.
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although Washington, at Morris Town, found great difficulty in gathering an enlisted army, the British, on the Raritan, were so hemmed in, that they could obtain forage for their horses and cattle, and supplies for their army, only at the point of the bayonet. Every foraging party, venturing but a few miles into the country on either side of their lines, was sure to be attacked by some partisan leader, like Capt. Littell, and his band, or by the brave Maxwell with his militia, and seldom returned to camp without loss. Washington says, Jan. 20th,-" Within a month past, in several engagements with the enemy, we have killed, wounded, and taken prison- ers between two and three thousand men." *
The timid souls, who had taken protections from the British General, now found themselves in a position of great diffi- culty. General Maxwell, the post commandant, in accord- ance with Gen. Washington's proclamation, required all who would not take the oath of allegiance, to take themselves and their families off immediately to the enemy. They demanded the privilege of remaining till the thirty days were expired. Maxwell wrote for further instructions. Washington replied, on the 12th of February as follows :
These fellows at Elizabeth Town, as well as all others, who wish to remain with us, till the expiration of the thirty days, for no other purpose than to convey intelligence to the enemy, and poison our people's minds, must and shall be compelled to withdraw immediately within the enemy's lines ; others, who are hesitating which side to take, and behave friendly to us till they determine, must be treated with lenity. Such as go over. to the enemy are not to take with them any thing but their clothing and furniture. Their horses, cattle and forage must be left behind. Such as incline to share our fate are to have every assistance afforded them, that can be granted with safety. Neither wagons nor horses must be too much hazarded in doing this business. The effects of all persons in arms against us must be seized and secured.t
The lines were now effectually drawn, and every man was compelled to show his colors. The young men, or " fellows," as Washington calls them, most probably went over to the enemy, and became partisan soldiers of the most malignant
* Sparks' Washington, IV. 287. Hall's Civil War in America, pp. 269-71.
f Sparks' Washington, IV. 297-8, 319-21.
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ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.
type, spies, scouts, and guides to the British, inflicting sub- sequently no small injury upon their kindred and former friends. It was a hard case; as the line ran, in some instan- ces, between parents and their children, as well as between brothers and sisters .*
The enemy had been driven out of the town on the Sth of January, but they remained still in the neighborhood. They occupied Perth Amboy, and ranged at will over the greater part of Woodbridge, separated from this town only by the Rahway River. The situation of the inhabitants, therefore, during the first half of the year 1777, was exciting enough. They lived continually in the midst of alarms. Gen. Sullivan was in command below the range of hills on the West, while Maxwell held the town. Their troops were continually moving from Chatham and Springfield, or from Westfield and Scotch Plains, watching for opportunities to cut off the foraging parties, or pick up the scouts of the enemy. Skir- mishes, more or less severe, were of almost daily occurrence.
Several actions took place in January, February and March, just beyond the southern line of this town, a few miles only to the south; and, in the most of them, the soldiers of this post participated. The people here had their full share, during this period, of " the pomp and circum- stance of war," and were not without considerable appre- hension constantly of having the war brought once more to their very doors.t
The following notices are copied from a tory journal :-
Last Thursday Week (Feb. 27th), Major Tympany crossed from Staten Island to Elizabeth Town, with about sixty men, when he was attacked by a Body of the Rebels, two or three of whom were killed on the spot, and four or five taken Prisoners. The Major returned safe, without hav- ing a Man hurt, and brought with him ten Head of Cattle.
Last Friday (June 13th) a Party of about twelve Men went from Staten- Island to Elizabeth Town Point, when they were fired upon by the Rebels, but they soon put them to flight, killed one and wounded three more, and brought off a new flat-bottomed Boat sufficient to hold a hundred men ;
* Sparks' Washington, IV. 298-9. N. J. Rev. Correspondence, p. 26.
t Remembrancer, V. 79, 80, 89, 99, 136, 177-8, 221, 260-1. Hall's Civil War in America p. 274. Whitehead's Amboy, pp. 340, 1, 3, 4.
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By one of our People's Pieces going off through Carelessness, Peter Kings- land was shot in the Head, of which wound he died immediately .*
The campaign in East Jersey was brought to a close on the 30th of June. The British evacuated New Bruswick, on Sun- day, the 22d of June, retiring to Perth Amboy. On Thurs- day morning, 26th, they advanced in force, from Amboy, as far as Westfield, under the command of Sir William Howe, and Lord Cornwallis. On the way, the advance of the latter fell in with Col. Daniel Morgan's Corps of Rangers, at Wood- bridge, with whom a hot contest was kept up for half an hour, at the expense of a considerable number of men. At Scotch Plains, a severe engagement ensued with the troops under Lord Stirling, who were obliged, being greatly inferior in numbers, to fall back to the heights in the rear, with the loss of a few men and three cannon. . At Westfield, perceiving the passes on the left of Washington's Camp to be strongly guarded, and no prospect of getting into his rear, as was con- templated, the enemy encamped for the night, after a burn- ing hot day. Here they remained until 3 o'clock P. M. of Friday, when they marched to Rahway, closely followed, and assailed, in the rear and on the flanks, by Scott's light horse, and Morgan's rangers. The next day they returned to Am- boy, still followed as on the previous day. Here they rested on the Sabbath, and the next day, Monday, June 30th, they left, a part crossing over to Staten Island on a bridge of boats ; and another part embarking on board of 270 transports, which filled the harbor, and sailed away on the 23d of July.t
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