USA > New Jersey > Union County > Elizabeth > History of Elizabeth, New Jersey : including the early history of Union County > Part 43
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The destruction of these buildings is, by common consent, attributed to Cornelius Hatfield, Jr., whose venerable parents, Col. Cornelius and Abigail, were among the most excellent and honored members of the Presbyterian church, and most thoroughly patriotic. The father had been a trustee, and was then an elder of the church. The mother died, on the 27th of April, in the year following, in the 70th year of her age, greatly lamented. The renegade son was a man of great energy of character, and of commanding influence among the refugees. During the previous two years he had resided on Staten Island, continually watching opportunities to molest and capture his former friends and neighbors.}
As the son had destroyed their church edifice, so the father opened the doors of a large " Red Store House," that belong- ed to him, which was fitted up for the purpose, and used, thenceforward, as a meeting-house. It was on the other and most populous side of the creek, on the east side of Cherry
* Sparks' Washington, VI. 452, 3.
t Passages in the History of E. T., No. III. Murray's Notes, p. 46.
# N. J. Journal, No. 115.
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st., near West Water st., and nearly opposite Capt. De Hart's house. It was afterwards removed to the opposite side of the road, rebuilt and occupied by Mr. Edward Price .*
As soon as Washington heard of the affair, he dispatched Maj .- Gen. Arthur St. Clair, Jan. 27th, to investigate the causes of the disaster, to guard against future inroads of the kind, and to ascertain the practicability of a retaliation ;- at the same time to take command of all the forces below the Hills. On Friday, the 28th, St. Clair reports, from Crane's Mill, as follows :-
I arrived at Col. Hazen's Quarters, the night before last, and yesterday, with him, visited the several posts, which I found to be Rahway, Crane's Mills, Connecticut Farms, Elizabeth Town and Newark. Elizabeth Town and Newark are occupied by small detachments only, and guards are posted at De Hart's and Halstead Points. A small guard is also kept at the New Blazing Star from the post at Rahway. . . In Elizabeth Town I find a four days' guard, consisting of one hundred men with a Field Officer. This I reduced to a Captain and fifty to be relieved daily. . . The guards at De Hart's and Halstead Points are certainly much ex- posed.
Notwithstanding these precautions, another foray was made on Sunday evening, 30th of January, which is thus described in a tory paper :-
Last Sunday evening a party consisting of thirteen mounted refugees went from Staten Island, and [at Rahway] in the vicinity of Elizabeth Town, New Jersey, surprised Mr. Wynantz, a lieutenant of the rebel militia, and eight private men of Colonel Jacques' regiment, [that had been on a party of pleasure with some young ladies]. Few republicans on this continent are more remarkable for their implacable opposition to his Majesty's government than some of these prisoners; they were all the same evening securely lodged on Staten Island. They were found at a fandango, or merry-making, with a party of lasses, who became planet struck at the sudden separation from their Damons. The further trophies of this successful excursion are three handsome sleighs with ten good horses, all of which were yesterday driven to New York over the ice from Staten Island, an enterprise never yet attempted since the first settlement of this country.t
* Passages in the History of E. T., No. II.
t Rivington's Gazette, No. 340. Gaines' Mercury, No. 1177. Moore's Diary II. 257 -S. N. J. Gazette, No. 111.
V
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The ice-blockade continuing, the tories took another ride into Jersey on the 10th of February with similar results :-
On Thursday night last the enemy, under the command of Generals Stirling and Skinner, visited Elizabeth Town, entirely upon a plundering party. Among other houses, they plundered Doctor Barnet's, Messrs. William P. Smith, William Herriman, Matthias Halsted and Doctor Wynantz; the two former in a most barbarous manner. The house of Mr. Smith they searched throughout for Mr. Elisha Boudinot, who they thought was concealed there; but fortunately both he and Mr. Smith lodged out of town. After terrifying the women and children, they heroically marched off with their plunder and five or six prisoners .*
The horrors of that dreadful winter could not be forgotten by that generation. The condition of the people, in their almost defenceless exposure to the barbarian incursions of the rapacious foe, was deplorable in the extreme. But the more they suffered for their country's cause, the more fixed and deep-rooted was their determination never again to sub- mit to the now more than ever hated rule of the cruel and haughty Briton.
It is surprising, that any of the people should have con- tinued, in these circumstances, to reside on the borders of the Sound, especially when it was every where frozen over, and could be crossed in perfect safety by the refugee marauders. So long as this natural bridge lasted, these incursions con- tinned. The following statement, made, on Wednesday, March 29th, shows what was now of not infrequent occur- rence :-
Last Friday night [24th] some villains from Staten Island came over to Elizabeth Town, and carried off Matthias Halstead, Esq., a worthy citizen.t
Even after the departure of the ice, these forays were re- peated. On the 26th of April, a record is made as fol- lows :-
A party of the enemy from Staten Island, consisting of about thirty men, attempted to surprize, last Sunday night [23d] a small guard at Hal- stead's Point, but through the alertness of the centinels (one of which
* N. J. Gazette, No. 112. Mr. Smith's house was the former residence of Gov. Belcher ; Mr. Boudinot was the son-in-law of Mr. Smith. + N. J. Journal, No. 59.
·
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they killed) their plan was effectually marred. They plundered Mr. Hal- stead of beds and bedding, the family's wearing apparel, and seven or eight head of creatures .*
Thus passed, in alarm and terror, the ever-memorable win- ter of 1779-80-memorable for the severity of the season, and for the devastation made by the merciless foe.
* N. J. Journal, No. 03.
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1
CHAPTER XXII.
A. D. 1780-1783.
Knyphausen invades E. T. in force -Passage of the Brit. Army through the town - Uprising of the Militia -Skirmishes -Severe Fight near Spring- field - Wife of Rev. J. Caldwell murdered - Village of Ct. Farms burned down - Retreat of the British to the Point -Thunder-Storm - Skirmishes at the Point -Second Advance of the British Army - Battle of Springfield - Village burned - Retreat of the Foe to S. Island - Bravery of the Militia - Partisan Warfare- Capture of Col. Ogden and Capt. Dayton - Raids of Refugees - Cowboys -Night Patrols - Marauding Parties -Surrender of Cornwallis -Exchange of Prisoners -Desperadoes -Forays -Predatory Raids - Maj. Crane's Exploits - PEACE.
THE campaign of 1780 opened late. The frost had pene- trated the earth to an unusual depth, and the roads, at the breaking up of winter, were, for a considerable period, al- most impassable. On the 18th of May, Governor Robertson of New York, in one of his despatches, speaks of the "late- ness of the season, there not yet being a blade of grass." Robertson and Knyphausen, the general in chief of the Brit- ish forces in and about New York, were concocting meas- ures to capture, or expel from New Jersey, the patriot army.
Confident of speedy victory, Knyphausen made vigorous preparations for an invasion of East Jersey. The time chosen was the 6th of June-the very day, when, as afterwards ap- peared, a vast body of rioters were, and during the next day continued to be, pillaging and burning the metropolis of the Empire, and were masters of London. Of the inception of the invasion, Gov. Robertson reports to Lord Germain as follows :
On the 6th of June we sail'd with as many troops as could safely be spared from the defence of this Province-6000-to Staten Island ;
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ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.
from thence we landed our advanced guard the same night at Elizabeth Town, where they waited the landing of a second embarkation by the return of the boats-these Bodys moved on, with orders to try to sur- prize Maxwell's Brigade of Jersey Troops, stationed near to the road we marched by, to endeavor to get possession of the strong post at Short hills, to wait there the arrival of the third embarkation of the army-from whence if our intelligence should show circumstances favorable, it was intended to march directly with the whole against Washington, who had been sending his stores from Morristown, but was still incumbered there with a great many. *
The Coldstream Guards, under the command of Gen. Ed- ward Mathew, sailing down the bay, disembarked at Staten Island, where they were joined by other troops, regulars and provincials. Here they were formed into three divisions ; the first under command of Brig .- Gen. Stirling; the second, under Brig .- Gen. Mathew; the third, comprising the Cold- stream Guards, and others, under Maj .- Gen. Tryon: the whole, under the general command of Maj .- Gen. Knyphausen. As soon as formed, they marched forward to the landing op- posite E. Town Point, arriving in the night, and unobserved. The first division crossed the Sound in flat-boats, and landed on the meadows, near the Point ; where they halted until, in like manner, the second and third, with the light artillery, had crossed, before day. Early on Wednesday morning, the whole force were in motion. Stirling, being the youngest General, led the advance.
In the mean time, word was brought to Col. Dayton of the Jersey Brigade, that the British were at the Point. Having reconnoitred the position, he stationed a guard of twelve men at the eastern terminus of Water st. [now Elizabeth Avenue], where the two roads leading to the Old and New .Points diverge, with orders to arrest the advance of the foe as long as practicable, and then retire. Dayton hastened back to the town, and mustered his troops as quickly as possible, to be ready for the emergency, and fall back, if outnumbered.
As the enemy came marching forward, at the break of day, Gen. Stirling at the head of his division, the guards,
* N. Y. Col. Docmts, VIII. 793.
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at the forks of the road, allowed them to approach within musket shot, when they fired, and fled to town. One of the balls unhorsed Stirling, and fractured his thigh. The whole column was thus brought to a halt, until the wounded Gen- eral could be cared for. Knyphausen now placed himself at the head of the division, and just as the sun was rising upon the earth, the squadron in advance entered the town, passing up Water street [Elizabeth avenue] and so into Broad street.
*
An eye-witness of the passage of the troops through the village, de- scribes it as one of the most beautiful sights he ever beheld. In the van marched a squadron of dragoons, of Simcoe's regiment, known as the " Queen's Rangers," with drawn swords and glittering helms, mounted on very large and beautiful horses-then followed the infantry, composed of Hessians and English troops- the whole body amounting to nearly six thousand men, and every man, horseman and foot, clad in new uniforms, complete in panoply, and gorgeous with burnished brass and polished steel .*
Passing from Broad into Jersey st., the columns of the enemy, on their way to the Short Hills and Washington's Camp, were led by the guides along the most frequented way, known as the Galloping Hill road, which, leaving the Westfield Road, on the line of the present Central Rail Road, at the extreme west point of the town as now bounded, and running north-westerly, enters the village of Union or " Con- necticut Farms," south of the Presbyterian church. In passing through the town, the troops were kept in perfect order, committing no deeds of violence.
As soon as it was known that the foe had landed, word was sent as quickly as possible to Prospect Hill in the rear of Springfield, when the eighteen-pounder signal gun, and the tar-barrel on the signal pole, were fired, and the whole coun- try on both sides of the mountains was roused. Instantly the drums in the camp at Morristown beat to arms, and Washington and his troops marched with all speed to the post of danger. The militia, in every direction, seized their firelocks, swords, or whatever weapon was at hand, hasted to their respective mustering-places, and were soon proceed-
* De Hart's " Passages in the History of E. Town," No. I.
ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY. 489
ing by companies to the field of action. The whole town, from the Sound to the Passaic, with all its villages, from Springfield to Rahway, was thoroughly aroused, and pre- paring to resist and drive back the invading foe. Col. Day- ton, and that portion of the Jersey Brigade that was sta- tioned in and about the old town, made good their retreat from the superior numbers of the enemy, and effected a junction with the other portions of the brigade under Gen. Maxwell, at Connecticut Farms. On the way up, they were joined by militia men, and, with increasing numbers, kept up a continual skirmishing.
On the rising ground just beyond the West branch of Elizabeth River, and about a quarter of a mile south-east of the Farms' church, a stand was made by a party of the militia, about sixty in number, armed only with muskets, who succeeded in giving a temporary check to the column. Maxwell with his brigade, and some of the militia, took post on the high ground beyond the Farms' village, where they not only brought the enemy to a halt, but drove back their advance, a short distance, annoying them considerably by their firing.
· Writing from the "Jersey Camp, near Springfield, 14th June, 1780," to Gov. Livingston, he says,
I thought Elizabeth Town would be an improper place for me. I there- fore retired toward Connecticut Farms, where Col. Dayton joined me with his regiment. I ordered a few small parties to defend the defile near the Farm Meeting-house, where they were joined and assisted in the defence by some small bodies of militia. The main body of the brigade had to watch the enemy on the road leading to the right and left toward Springfield, that they might not cut off our communication with his Ex- cellency General Washington. Our parties of Continental troops and militia at the defile performed wonders. After stopping the advance of the enemy near three hours, they crossed over the defile and drove them to the tavern that was Jeremiah Smith's, but the enemy were at that time reënforced with at least 1,500 men, and our people were driven in their turn over the defile, and obliged to quit it. I, with the whole bri- gade and militia, was formed to attack them, shortly after they had crossed the defile, but it was tho't imprudent, as the ground was not advantageous, and the enemy very numerous. We retired slowly towards the heights toward Springfield, harassing them on their right and left, till they came
2
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with their advance to David Meeker's house, where they thought proper to halt. Shortly after the whole brigade, with the militia, advanced their right, left and front with the greatest rapidity, and drove their advance to the main body: We were in our turn obliged to retire after the closest action I have seen this war. We were then pushed over the bridge at Springfield, [Rahway river], where we posted some troops, and with the assistance of a field-piece, commanded by the militia, the enemy were again driven back to their former station, and still further before night. Never did troops, either continental or militia, behave better than ours did. Every one that had an opportunity (which they mostly all had) vied with each other who could serve the country most. In the latter part of the day the militia flocked from all quarters and gave the enemy no respite till the day closed the scene .*
The fighting on this occasion took place mostly on the ris- ing ground, back of the Farms' village, and on the east side of the Rahway river :-
In the hope of preserving the Farms [village] Colonel Dayton, who at that time commanded the militia, determined not to halt in the settlement, but to take post at a narrow pass on the road leading to Springfield.t
Both parties, therefore, passed through the village, without damage to the dwelling-houses. Many, if not the most, of these houses were, at noon and in the afternoon, " filled with their wounded."
In the course of the afternoon, the British Commander " learned from Prisoners and Deserters, that Washington had got time to occupy with all his force the strong post of Short Hills." This information at once put an end to all thoughts of advance. A retrograde movement was, at the close of the day, determined upon, to be executed, however, only after night fall .;
Preparations, accordingly, were made for an encampment. Lieut. Mathew, of the Coldstream Guards, says,-
Finding that the night would come on before we reached Springfield, we retreated to a very commanding ground near a place or village called Connecticut Farms, which we burnt on our retreat afterwards. Here the army divided their ground, and sent out pickets, expecting to lay here the whole night. I was on a picket. I went on it about five o'clock in
* Hist. Magazine, III. 211. t Marshall's Washington, IV. 225.
# N. Y. Col. Docmts., VIII. 793.
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ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.
the evening. It was in the skirts of a wood; the rebels kept firing on it from the time I went on till dark .*
As soon as it was determined to advance no further, the soldiers seem to have commenced the work of plundering, which was most effectually prosecuted, Gov. Robertson himself sharing in the plunder. The village consisted of a house of worship belonging to the Presbyterian church, (a frame building), and eight or ten dwelling houses, besides stores, shops, and outhouses. The buildings were first given up to pillage-thoroughly ransacked, and every thing portable carried off. They were then fired and burnt down. The church-edifice shared the same fate. The houses on the road running east from the church, belonging respectively to Benjamin Thompson, Moses Thompson, John Wade, and Robert Wade, and the house belonging to Caleb Wade, at the foot of the hill on which the church stood, were thus destroyed.+
The parsonage was on the street, running north and south, that bounds the village on the west. It was on the eastern side of the street fronting west. The last pastor of the church, Rev. Benjamin Hait, had died, June 27, 1779. The Rev. Mr. Caldwell, of Elizabeth Town, by the advice of friends, had, shortly after Mr. Hait's decease, rented the vacant par- sonage, and occupied it with his family, having removed thither from Springfield. Mr. Caldwell had vainly endeav- ored, when the alarm was given in the morning, to induce his wife to seek, with him and the elder children, a place of greater security. She concluded to trust Providence and remain at home, "under the persuasion that her presence might serve to protect" the house "from pillage, and that her person could not possibly be endangered." #
Thacher, who was with Washington, on this occasion, says, in his Military Journal, that, " on the arrival of the royal troops Mrs. Caldwell entertained the officers with refresh- ments, and after they had retired she and a young woman, having Mrs. Caldwell's infant child in her arms, seated them-
* Ilist. Mag., I. 104.
t Barber's N. J. Hist. Coll., p. 196.
# Barber's N. J. Ilist. Coll., p. 196. Brown's Life of Rev. Dr. Finley, pp. 240, 1.
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selves on the bed." Another account, published seven days after the occurrence, says,-
Mrs. Caldwell retired into a back room which was so situated that she was entirely secured against transient shot from either party, should they dispute the ground near the house, which happened not to be the case. The babe [Maria] was in the arms of the housekeeper [Catharine Bernard, or a small girl, named Abigail Lemington]; the other child the mother held by the hand, all sitting upon the side of the bed, when one of the barbarians advancing round the house, took the advantage of a small space, through which the room was accessible, and fired two balls into that amiable lady, so well directed that they ended her life in a moment .*
The circumstances of her death are variously related. The most particular, and the most plausible statement is the following :-
The maid, who had accompanied her to this secluded apartment and had charge of the other small children, on looking out of a window into the back yard, observed to Mrs. Caldwell, that 'a red-coat soldier had jumped over the fence, and was coming up to the window with a gun.' Her youngest son, [Elias Boudinot], nearly two years old, playing upon the floor, on hearing what the maid said, called out-' Let me see! Let me see! ' and ran that way. Mrs. Caldwell rose from sitting on a bed very near; and at this moment, the soldier fired his musket at her through the window. It was loaded with two balls, which both passed through her body.t
Thacher says, that, at the sight of the soldier, Mrs. Cald- well exclaimed-"Don't attempt to scare me!" when the soldier fired, shooting her through the breast, and she instant- ly expired .¿
That it was a British soldier that killed her is fully estab- lished ; and that it was not a random shot, is also clear. But that she was known to the murderer, or that he was seeking to gratify a personal malice, is not evident. It was, at all events, an act of fiendish barbarity, that made the British name still more execrable, not only by her townsmen, but by the whole American people.
Conflicting statements, also, are made as to the disposal of the corpse. Thacher says, that "a British officer soon after
* N. J. Journal, No. 70. Catharine Bernard was married, the next year, to John Spicer, of Turkey.
t Brown's Life of Finley, p. 241.
# Thacher's Journal, p. 193.
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ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.
came and throwing his cloak over the corpse, carried it to the next house." A correspondent of the New Jersey Gazette, under date of June 13th, says, "I saw her corpse and was informed by the neighbors, it was with infinite pains they obtained leave to bring her body from the house before they set fire to it." *
The house to which the body was conveyed belonged to Capt. Henry Wade. It was a small building, on the opposite side of the street [the site of which has of late been occupied by the family of Mr. Phineas Crilley], one of the only two dwelling-houses in the village that escaped the flames. There Mr. Caldwell found it the next morning, and thence, the same day, it was, with appropriate ceremonies, carried to the grave. Three months after he published a most af- fecting appeal on the subject, that made a deep impression on the public mind. +
The expedition proved a miserable failure. This great array of disciplined troops, horse and foot, and flying artil- lery, so confident, in the morning, of reaching the American camp at Morris Town, and breaking up the rebellion, were held at bay by a few hastily-gathered militia, driven back, and, after the inglorious destruction by fire of the little ham- let at Connecticut Farms, compelled, the same night, in the midst of drenching rain, and through mud and marsh, to re- treat to the point of departure. Says Lieut. Mathew,-
About ten o'clock the whole army got in motion and moved off. It was so exceedingly dark, and there was such strict silence observed, that one regiment could not perceive the adjoining regiment going off. . . . It was the darkest night I can remember in my life, with the most heavy rain, thunder and lightning known in this country for many years. . . . It rained, I think, harder than I ever knew, and thundered and lightened so se- verely as to frighten the horses, and once or twice the whole army halted, being deprived of sight for a time. General Knyphausen's horse started so as to throw the general.
We continued our march until we reached the bank of the creek [Sound] which we had crossed in the morning. Nothing more awful than this retreat can be imagined. The rain, with the terrible thunder and
* N. J. Gazette, No. 130. N. J. Journal, No. 70, 73.
t Barber's N. J. Hist. Coll., p. 197. N. J. Journal, No. S1. For further particulars, sec Mrs. Ellet's " Women of the Revolution," II. 108-113, 73.
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lightning, the darkness of the night, the houses at Connecticut Farms, which we had set fire to, in a blaze, the dead bodies which the light of the fire or the lightning showed you now and then on the road, and the dread of an enemy, completed the scene of horror .... We halted at the side of the creek, and took up our ground and the whole army encamped. *
As the result of the day's encounter, Gen. Maxwell re- ported one ensign [Moses Ogden, of E. Town, æt. 19] killed, and three lieutenants wounded, seven privates killed, twenty eight wounded, and five missing. The militia, also, lost several and had a number wounded. The enemy lost three times the number. Gen. Stirling died of his wound, nearly a year later.
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