USA > New Jersey > Union County > Elizabeth > History of Elizabeth, New Jersey : including the early history of Union County > Part 44
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The Tories were so sure of the enemy's succeeding, that they sent word to their friends in Elizabeth Town that they should pay them a visit the day after the enemy came over. t
It is safe to say, that the visit was not paid. It is quite certain that the town, " the day after," was not a very agree- able place for men that could glory in Knyphausen and his deeds.
The scouts that followed after the retreating foe, on their return, reported, that they had passed over to Staten Island, all but about five hundred men left behind to entrench them- selves at the Point. They encamped between the Old Point and De Hart's house. Lord Stirling, the senior in command below the Hills, is reported to have said, thereupon, to Gen- eral Hand,-" Take your brigade, Hand, and the two bri- ,gades of militia, and go down and bring up those fellows at the Point." The columns, numbering about fifteen hundred, were soon put in marching order, to rendezvous at Elizabeth Town. Here the troops were marshaled for the attack. The Continentals under Gen. Hand, had the centre, with a mili- tia brigade on the right and left. They advanced in three columns, designing to assault the enemy in as many points at once.
The advance corps of the left brigade cut off and captured the picket guard of the enemy. This brigade were much ex- posed before reaching their point of attack, in crossing a
* Historical Magazine. I. 104, 5.
t Barber's N. J. Hist. Col !. , p. 192.
.
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meadow, and drew forth so heavy a fire of artillery from the enemy, as to show that they were in full force. Hand con- trived, therefore, to give the attack the appearance of a feint, and drew off his troops so deliberately as to make the enemy believe, that he was simply executing a manœuvre, designed to draw them from their fortifications. He succeeded in ef- fecting his retreat to the town without being pursued. The cannonade, at one time, was very heavy, and would have done fearful execution, had their aim been lower, nearly all the balls passing over the heads of the troops on their ad- vance. *
The account, given of this affair, by the other side, is as follows :--
On Thursday the eighth instant, the rebels advanced in some force to Elizabeth Town, and made an attack upon the twenty-second regiment, which was posted some little distance in front of the line. This regiment was ordered to fall back, and the rebels conceiving it was the rear guard of the army, they advanced with some rapidity, but were soon checked, and retired with precipitation. t
The ground occupied by the contending forces on this oc- casion is now covered by the factories, warehouses, and resi- dences of Elizabeth Port-the First Ward of the City of Elizabethı.
The British army continued in the occupation of this post, during the next fortnight, behind the fortifications thrown up by the Americans more than four years before, continual skirmishes taking place between the lines. Lieut. Mathew says,-
During our stay here we erected three small works by the landing to cover our retreat, and made a bridge over the creek [Sound]. The bridge was the best of the kind I ever saw. There were very large planks laid across sloops, and wide enough for five or six men to march abreast. The whole time we lay here, the rebels were continually firing on our pickets and advanced posts; by which means they wounded and killed some Yagers who were advanced, and also wounded Mr. Hill of the Engineers, and other officers ; and if they could not fire on our men they would fire on the horses. #
* Jones' Life of Dr. Green, pp. 111-4. t Rivington's Gazette, No. 389. # list. Mag., I. 105.
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The situation of the town during this period was any thing but enviable. Almost daily they were visited by portions of one army or the other-placed between two fires.
Gen. Wm. Irvine, from the " Camp Short Hills, June 18th," wrote to his wife at Carlisle, Pa., as follows :
The Enemy lie still at Elizabethtown Point, about ten miles from here. We have small parties down near them every day, but there is but little damage done on either side. We have taken at different times some forty prisoners. ... We have been now thirteen days at this place without Tents or Baggage. No covering except boughs of Trees and bark, which, how- ever, is cool and pleasant in the heat of the day, and serves to keep out a good deal of rain. Notwithstanding these privations, we have not had a man sick, since we have taken the field. One consolation we have, the Enemy are worse off than we are. They have no Tents and are hemed in a narrow neck of land, whilst we have a wide extent of country. You may think your situation happy indeed my love when compared with that of the poor people of this part of our country. It grieves me be- yond expression to see their distressed situation-particularly that of the women and children. Murder and Rapine await them wherever these barbarians come. Were it possible, I would suffer a thousand deaths rather than see you in the situation, some poor gentlemen here are forced to see their wives and daughters left in. *
The attempt to penetrate to Washington's Camp, by the way of the Short Hills, was renewed a few days later, Sir Henry Clinton taking the oversight of the affair. The Brit- ish left their camp at the Point, before day, on Friday, the 23d, and marched forward-an imposing force of about five thousand men, besides dragoons, and fifteen or twenty pieces of artillery, superior to any force that Washington could oppose to them. Having driven in the American pickets, they pressed on without obstruction to Connecticut Farms, which they reached about sunrise. From this point, they proceeded, in two compact columns; the right taking the more circuitous road, on the north, that leads through Headley Town, Vauxhall, and Milburn, and unites with the main road just below the principal pass of the Short Hills, back of Springfield; the left, taking the road that leads directly from " the Farms," over the Rahway river to Spring-
,
* Hist. Mag., VII. 81.
.
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field, with which route they had become painfully familiar, on their previous expedition.
As soon as the enemy were seen, from the signal station on Prospect Hill, the 18-pounder and the tar-barrel were again fired. The militia began immediately to collect from every quarter; the troops, that were guarding the several passes over the Hills, were hastily called in, and posted, so as at once to resist the advancing foe, protect the American flanks, and secure a retreat, if needed. Major Lee, with the horse, and the pickets, under Capt. Walker, took post at Little's Bridge, on the Vauxhall road, supported by Col. Og- den's command. The defence of the village, against the left column of the enemy, was entrusted to Col. Dayton's regi- ment of the Jersey brigade. Stark's brigade, and the re- mainder of Maxwell's, were drawn up on the heights near the mill in the rear of the village, with the militia on the flanks.
In the disposal of his regiment, Col. Dayton stationed Col. Angell of Rhode Island, with about two hundred men and a piece of artillery, at the first bridge over the principal stream, on the main road, in front of the town ; and Col. Shreve, with a detachment, at the second bridge, over a smaller stream, on the same road, behind the town, so as to cover the retreat of Col. Angell's forces. The planks of the bridges in front had been removed.
As the van of the enemy approached the first bridge, they began to manœuvre, in such a way, and so long-nearly two hours-as to convince Gen. Greene, that they were moving on his flanks. In the meantime, the right column of the enemy advanced, along the Vauxhall road, to the bridge de- fended by Major Lee and Captain Walker. Here they met with a stout resistance from the dragoons and pickets ; but, having forded the river higher up, and gained the point of the hill near by, Lee and Walker were compelled to retire.
As soon as it was known, that the right column had reached the bridge in front of Lee, the left column advanced in force against Col. Angell at the lower bridge, and after a hotly- contested struggle of forty minutes, compelled him to retire,
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behind the second bridge, in good order, carrying off his wounded. Col. Shreve, in like manner, was compelled to give way, after covering Angell's retreat, when both com- mands fell back, and joined Maxwell and Stark, on the high ground in the rear. Two regiments, Col. Webb's (under Lt .- Col. Huntington's command), and Col. Jackson's, with one piece of artillery, were posted on the Vauxhall road to the left, so as to cover Lee's retreat, and oppose the advance of the enemy's right column, while the main body were posted on the first range of hills in the rear of Byram's tavern.
During the heat of the contest with Dayton's regiment, it is related of his chaplain, Mr. Caldwell, that he showed the utmost ardor in the fight, as if he would avenge himself for the murder of his beloved wife. To supply the men with wadding for their fire-locks, he galloped to the church, near by, and brought back an arm-full of psalm-books, and as he handed them around, he shouted-"Now put Watts into them, boys ! "
Having gained possession of the village, and observed how every post in front was occupied by the continentals, and the militia whose numbers were continually increasing, the en- emy showed no disposition to press forward. Fearing, too, as they learned from their scouts of the approach of the brigade sent out by Washington, that their retreat might be cut off, they determined to proceed no farther, but to retrace their steps as before. The work of plunder now began, and house after house was rifled of its valuables, fired and burned to the ground. Nineteen dwelling-houses and the Presbyte- rian church were thus destroyed. Only four dwelling-houses were spared, being occupied by their wounded. Foiled com- pletely in their object, now as before, they once more took up their backward line of march, and disappeared as rapidly as they came, pursued and galled, by a detachment of 120 regulars under Capt. Davis, and a large body of militia, who fell upon their rear and flanks, and pursued them almost to their fortifications at the Point. The sight of the burning dwellings almost maddened the militia, who eagerly sought
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ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.
to take off the red-coated marauders. Maj. Lee, with his dragoons, also, fell upon their rear, and captured some of the refugees that accompanied the army, and some of the tories who had joined them and welcomed their coming.
The enemy, crest-fallen, and severely punished for their audacity, entered Elizabeth Town, on their return, about sun- set, closely pursned by Stark's brigade, which, in their eager- ness to escape, they effectually distanced by their precipitate flight. Having reached, before dark, the cover of their for- tifications, they rested until midnight, when they crossed the Sound on their bridge of boats, which, of course, they took up and removed, as their rear-guard passed over. Gen. Dickinson marched the militia to the Point the next day, and effectually demolished the works which the enemy had constructed, and then dismissed the brave yeomanry, with great reputation, to their homes.
The loss of the Americans, in the several contests of the day, as reported by L .- Col .- Barber, Deputy Adj. Gen., was, 13 killed and 49 wounded. The militia had none killed, only twelve wounded, and nine missing. Only one officer was slain, First Lieut. Thompson, of the artillery. The loss of the enemy is not recorded. It must have been very con- siderable. Lient. Mathew says, that "in this expedition to the Jerseys, ... there were not less than five hundred killed, wounded and missing, besides Officers," among whom was Brig. Gen. Stirling .*
Thus ended, so far as this town is concerned, the most memorable campaign of the war. The whole of these ex- ploits, from the 7th to the 23d of June, occurred within the territorial limits of the Old Borough. That, on both these occasions, so powerful and well organized a force should have been held at bay, and then driven back, by so small a body of continentals, aided by the militia from their farms
* N. J. Journal, No. 72. N. J. Gazette, Nos. 181, 2. Gordon's Rev. War, III. 60. Thach- er's Journal, pp. 196-7. Marshall's Washington, IV. 234-6. Gordon's N. J., p. 306. Bar- ber's N. J. Hist. Coll., pp. 193-5. Sparks' Washington, VII. S5-7, 506-9. Sedgwick's Livings- ton, pp. 351-5. Duer's Stirling, pp. 207-S. Irving's Washington, IV. 67-72. Jones' Life of Green, pp. 115-21. Tomes' Battles of America, II. 233-5. N. Y. Col. Docmts., VIII. 791. Moore's Diary, II. 291-2.
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and workshops,-not more than a thousand, on the 23d, hav- ing, at any one time, been brought into action,-reflects great credit on both the patriotism and bravery of the people. Washington was delighted with their services; June 25th, he thus writes :-
The militia deserve everything that can be said on both occasions. They flew to arms universally and acted with a spirit equal to any thing I have seen in the course of the war. *
From this time forward, the people were mostly permitted to remain at home, in the cultivation of their fields, and in the pursuits of trade. The harvests were gathered without interruption, and the wastes of the war were in part repaired. As the enemy, however, still continued in force on Staten Island, it became necessary to guard against a repetition of these outrages. In consequence of the exposed condition of the post, no more military stores were to be kept here-thus removing one of the strong temptations to these marauding expeditions.
The partisan warfare, from which individuals had so se- verely suffered, was still continued. The refugees on Staten Island were specially malignant and troublesome. The fol- lowing notice, published, Nov. 8th, shows something of the danger to which the prominent friends of the country were continually exposed :--
On Saturday night last [4th] Smith Hetfield, Cornelius Hetfield, Elias Man, and some others, came over from Staten Island to Elizabeth Town, where they were informed that Col. [Matthias] Ogden of the first Jersey regiment, and Captain [Jonathan] Dayton, of the third, were to lodge that night at William Herd's at Connecticut Farms, to which place they hastèned, made them both prisoners, and carried them off unmolested to Staten Island,
Gaines, under date of Sep. 23d, represents that the people suffered, also, from the foraging parties of their own army :-
Last Week a Party of Moyland's Light Horse were at Elizabeth Town, collecting cattle for the Use of the Rebel Army. They took a pair of fat Oxen out of a Team on the Road, and gave the Driver a receipt for them ; They then proceeded to the Point Meadows, and took away every Hoof
* N. J. Gazette, No. 132.
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from them, but were opposed on the Way by the Militia and the Com- missioners of the Place, who obliged them to relinquish their Booty.
Under date of Dec. 18, 1780, Gaines says,-
On Thursday evening last [14th] Mr. Elias Mann and a Party of Men under his command, attacked the Rebel Picket at Elizabeth Town ; they killed two, and took six of the Rebels, one only escaped. The prisoners were brought in here on Saturday last, with two other Rebels taken by the same enterprising Party a few days before .*
The same authority, Nov. 25th, says,-
Yesterday Captain Cornelius Hetfield, with adventure, peculiar to him- self, after an incursion upon the Jonathans in Jersey, brought off a lieute- nant and five or six others. t
This daring partisan seems constantly to have been plot- ting against his former friends and neighbors, with an ambi- tion and courage worthy of a better cause. On the 25th of January, 1781, he and four other refugees, all formerly from this town, arrested, on Staten Island, Stephen Ball, a London trader from Rahway, (a son of David Ball), and took him first to Gen. Patterson, and then to Gen. Skinner, both of whom refused to proceed against him, on the charge that he had aided in the execution, in 1779, of Thomas Long, a New Jersey refugee ; when they took him over to Bergen Point, and, without judge or jury, hung him, as a spy, by the neck, until he was dead .¿
On Friday, the 23d of February, the same party came by night to Elizabeth Town, and captured Captain Craig, of the State Regiment, and four other inhabitants. The next week, Thursday, March 1st, they found their way by night to Rahway, and carried off John Clawson, Esq., one of the Com- missioners for selling the confiscated estates-against whom, therefore, they had a peculiar grudge.§
The year 1781 was noted in this neighborhood for the fre- quency with which the nocturnal incursions of the "Cow- boys " and other plunderers, from Staten Island, disturbed
* Gaines' Mercury, Nos. 1510, 1522. Rivington's Gazette, No. 417. t Ibid, No. 434. Gaines' Mercury, No. 1519.
# Rivington's Gazette, No. 454. N. J. Journal, No. 105. New York Gazetteer, No. 96. § N. J. Journal, Nos. 106, 7. Rivington, No. 461. Gaines, Nos. 1532. 3.
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the peace and comfort of the border population. The fol- lowing notices may serve to show, to some extent, in what a state of excitement and serious alarm, the people of this town, who still remained in the occupation of their dwelling houses, must have lived. The N. J. Journal of the 28th of March, says,-
Last Wednesday night [21st] a party of refugees from Staten Island was over at Rahway, plundering and kidnapping every one they came across. They carried off, we hear, near a dozen of the inhabitants prisoners.
The same Journal of the 4th of April, says, --
On Monday night the 26th ult., a detachment of eight men from the state troops in Elizabeth Town, went over to Staten Island and brought off a Lieutenant and one private of the militia. They took two more, but the wind blowing fresh, and their boat small, incapacitated them so much, that they could not bring them over .*
Retaliation followed the next day, of which a statement is made by the same annalist, as follows :-
On Tuesday night, the 27th ult., about two hundred regulars and re- fugees from Staten Island, under the command of Major Beckwith, who had eluded, by circuitous routes, the vigilance of the different patroles, entered Elizabeth Town, in four divisions, where they captured ten of the inhabitants, 1 Lieut. and 3 privates of the State troops, and 2 con- tinental soldiers. They stayed about an hour and a-half in town, and then retreated, with the loss of one man killed and another taken prisoner. They plundered the house of Mr. Joseph Crane to a very considerable amount.t
It was a party of the 37th regiment, under command of Capt. Beckwith, according to the New York papers, that performed this exploit :-
Finding the rebels dispersed in the houses, he immediately went to their alarm post, where, by beating to arms, he drew a Lieutenant and many of his soldiers to him, whom he made prisoners.}
Among the most active of the partisans, on the American side, was Capt. Baker Hendricks, a cousin of the noted John Smith Hatfield, on the other side. Washington had employ- ed him, at an earlier period, as a spy ; in which capacity he
* N. J. Journal, Nos. 110, 111. t Ibid., No. 111.
# Gaines' Mercury, No. 1537. Rivington's Gazette, No. 470.
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had been allowed to trade with the enemy on Staten Island. Gov. Livingston had commissioned him, Sept. 19, 1780, to fit out two whale-boats, the " Flying Squirrel," and " Charming Betsey," as privateers, to prey on the enemy's vessels. He was, at this time about 24 years of age. The Journal of the 18th of April says,-
Last Monday night [16th] Capt. Baker Hendricks went from Elizabeth Town to Staten Island and brought off one Lieut. and a private of the Refugees, and one inhabitant .- Previous to the above, a party went over and brought off a Captain .*
The N. J. Gazette of the 9th of May says,-
On [Saturday] the 21st ult. a party of about seventy of the enemy came over to Elizabeth Town, from Staten Island. They landed at Halstead's Point, and were discovered between that place and the town by Capt. Hendricks, who was patroling with about ten or twelve men, and though so much inferior in number, he kept up a smart fire on them, which pre- vented them from penetrating farther into town than Doctor Winans's .- After collecting a few horses, &c., firing through the windows in the room where Mrs. Winans was sitting, by which a boy was wounded in the arm, and burning the house of Mr. Ephraim Marsh, they went off to their boats.t
A New York paper says, that the party was "a detach- ment of General Skinner's Corps, under his command," ac- companied, as usual, by Captain Cornelius Hatfield with some of his Refugees, as guides. It says further, that
Captain McMichael of the Refugee Post at Bergen Point, who had been taken out of a flag [boat] by the rebels, and held in irons, was upon this occasion relieved, and restored to his companions. We have only to regret the loss of Mr. Elias Mann, who has ever distinguished himself on all occasions since the rebellion, as a brave and active Loyalist. He was unfortunately killed by a shot from a skulking party, as the troops were reembarking. Captain Hetfield and one private were slightly wounded.+
A visit from the "Cowboys" of Bergen is mentioned in the Journal of the 9th of May :-
On Friday last [4th] a party of the enemy from the refugee post at Bergen Point came over to Elizabeth Town Point, and before our people were alarmed, collected about fifty head of cattle, which they drove on
* N. J. Gazette, No. 234. N. J. Journal, No. 113.
r .N. J. Gazette, No. 176. N. J. Journal, No. 114.
# Gaines' Mercury, No. 1541.
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the great meadows where they took them on board, under cover of a field piece and some armed vessels .*
A retaliatory visit to Staten Island soon followed, of which no account appears but in the N. York papers :-
On Tuesday night the 8th Instant, Captain Hendricks (a noted Rebel) from Elizabeth Town, with another Rebel Officer, a Serjeant, and eleven Privates, came on Staten Island, in order to take off the Patrole of the First Battalion New Jersey Volunteers, and to plunder the Inhabitants, but finding the Patrole, commanded by Ensign Barton, too alert for their Purpose, the Rebels concealed themselves in a Wood a short Distance from the House of one Salter, and as soon as they observed the Patrole leaving the Neighborhood, they immediately surrounded Salter's House .- The Patrole, though at a Distance, concluding they saw Rebels, turned back, attacked and soon put them to Flight, and notwithstanding their Agility two were made Prisoners; the Serjeant loosing himself was secured by the Militia; and had it not been for the Ardour of the Troops, which suffered no Loss, the whole Gang would have been taken. We hear that Hendricks received a slight Wound and that one of his Party was killed.t
This affair was served up in the tory papers, with con- siderable embellishment as usual. It would no doubt have appeared very different in one of the Jersey papers.
These excursions from either side of the border uniformly occurred by night, and generally, it is presumed, on moonless nights. It became necessary to use great vigilance in watch- ing every exposed point, and guarding every avenue of ap- proach. Sentinels were posted in the streets, and called the passer-by to account. On Saturday night, June 2d, David Woodruff and Philip McCrea were walking together along one of the streets in town, when they were hailed by the sentinel; but not answering, the sentinel fired, and killed McCrea on the spot. Sad scenes were of almost daily oc- currence.
That part of the town bordering on the Rahway river was frequently visited by these rapacious marauders. Rivington, with his wonted exaggerations, in his paper of June 30th, has the following account :-
* N. J. Journal, No. 116.
t Gaines' Mercury, No. 1543. Rivington's Gazette, No. 488.
# N. J. Journal, No. 120.
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ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.
Last night a detachment of the garrison, of about thirty-six men, in- cluding two serjeants, under the command of Lieutenant Hutchinson and Ensign Barton, First Battalion New Jersey Volunteers, with about thirty- four Refugees and militia, under the command of Captains Durham and Robins, landed at Trembly's Point, near the mouth of Raway river, and surrounded Tairil's tavern, in order to take three rebel light horse, whose business was to patrole down the Sound, and to give notice of any troops coming from Staten Island, but unfortunately those fellows were gone to Westfield. The troops then proceeded to one Captain Amos Morse's, who was surprized, and taken out of bed with four other rebels, after this they took between thirty and forty head of cattle, amongst which are six good oxen, and about eighty sheep, which were drove to Trembly's Point. The rebels collected to the amount of about forty harassing the rear as usual. Lieut. Hutchinson formed an ambuscade unperceived by the rebels, which had its desired effect, fifteen rebels past hollowing damn the Refugees, cut them down; up the troops arose from the place where they were secreted, the rebels observing this stood aghast, threw down their arms, others stood with arms in their hand, on this occasion ten were made prisoners ; some time after this, about twenty Rebels collected near the Point, on whom a charge was made, and some taken prisoners, the troops and the refugees then embarked with the greatest regularity and good order, with all their cattle and sheep, and came safe to Staten Island ; not one of the troops received the least injury, one of the refugees received a spent ball on his thigh, which had no other effect than leaving its mark. The troops and refugees behaved with the greatest bravery on this oeca- sion, twenty rebels are made prisoners, two of whom are wounded, some were killed, its not doubted but several were wounded, as several were heard to scream and hollow; the names of the prisoners follows :- Cap- tain Amos Morse, Isaac Marsh, John Everit, Hambleton Roberts, George Mitchel Deeds, Isaac Haynes, William Brant, Richard Lee, Jacob Brook- field, Gershom Brookfield, Jeremiah Bird, Isaac Drake, Asher Coddington, David Thorp, John Tucker, David Hetfield, Joseph Hynes, William Oliver, sen., Ebenezer Williams, and William Oliver, jun. The above Captain Morse is the notorious villain mentioned in a late hand bill giving an ac- count of the death and sufferings of that unfortunate victim, Mr. Thomas Long, who died by the hand of rebel cruelty, to which we beg leave to refer our readers .*
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