History of Essex and Hudson counties, New Jersey, Vol. I, Part 13

Author: Shaw, William H
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: [United States :]
Number of Pages: 840

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USA > New Jersey > Hudson County > History of Essex and Hudson counties, New Jersey, Vol. I > Part 13

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and the similar conduct of the Jersey line, are thus referred to :

"Monday, 221, we received Information that the Jersey line had ful- lowed the example of Pennsylvania in suntinying, in consequences of which a detachment of artillery, consisting of three 3-pounder, to two communded by l'aptain Stewart, was ordered to prade immediately. I wus onlered to join the alnie detachment, vice Alling.

""th-This day the detachment marched to, South's Cove, and halte ! for the night.

grith-This day we marched to Ringwood and joined a detachment of Major-General Have.

Saturday, 27th-This day the above detachment marched at one o'clock, and at day light surrounded the Jepay encampment near Pompton, where the inutineers were quartered. No other terms were offered to them but to immediately parade without their arms. General Hluwe likewise sent them word by Lieutenant-Colonel Barber, that if they did not comply in five minutes, be would put them all to the sword ; rather than run the risk of which they surretulered. I'pou this the General ordered a tourt Martial in the fichl tu try mune of their lenders; three of whom, Grant, Tuttle and Gilmore, were sentenced to suffer death. Grant, from soule circumstance In his behavior, was pariloned. Tuttle and Gilmore were immediately executed. The mutineers returned to their duty and re- ceived n general purlon."

Again the Lieutenant turns his thought from sernes grave and gloomy to scenes gay and festive-from the fierce and tragie realities of military life, to the charming and delightful associations of a garrison en- tertainment. He records :

"February 8th-This afternoon an entertainment was given by Lie 1- tenant-t'olonel Stevens, of the Second Regiment, his excellency, General Washington, the Marquis de Lafayette and families, and the officers of the park of artillery. His Excellency and the Marquis left us at dark, upon which we immediately opened n ball, and spent the evening very agreeably, but Inmented the nteruce of the ladies of our acquaintance who would have grured the ball had they been there, and remlerrd the entertainment perfectly consummate. Mrs. Stevens was the only lady that graced the assembly."

For farther sketch see Early Courts, or Bench and Bar.

The Lieutenant was present, it is thought, at the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown, and left the service with the brevet rank of Captain. Upon the declaration of peace he carried on hatting and after- wards commercial business in Newark. He was of a very active turn of mind and took a deep interest in publie affairs, warmly espousing the political princi- ples of Thomas Jefferson, as did also his brother Samuel. On his tombstone was inscribed a Latin in- scription, which, translated, runs as follows :

This marhle is erected to the memory ef n man imbued with sacreil lore and no lem experienced in all human knowledge. From his earlies vonth he was dedicated to holiness-n strenuous advocate of the ibristian futh, and second to none in devotion. Of easy manners-humane in his conduct-an exemplar of every charity-adorned with a thousand vir- tues his modesty concealed.

OGDEN .- In the opening pages of this chapter, mention is made of the fact that neighbors were arrayed against neighbors, sons against parents, and brothers against brothers, upon the great questions then rocking the cradle of American Independence. The attitude of one Newark family in particular com- manded attention then, as it does now at our hands. This was the rich, powerful, influential and cultured Ogden family. Upon the question as to whether America should be for the Americans or for the Anglo-

HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

Guelphs, this distinguished New Jersey house was divided against itself. The head of the family was Judge David Ogden, son of Colonel Josiah Ogden, the chief founder of Trinity Episcopal Church. Judge Ogden was educated at Yale College, whence he graduated with high honors in 1728. He was a man of decided talent, and apart from his wealth, which, for those days, was quite large, commanded wide- spread influence in the Province. He had long been a member of his Majesty's Council and was also for many years a Justice of the Supreme Court. Just before the opening of the war with the Mother Coun- try he was chosen to succeed Chief Justice Smyth, as the chief magistrate of the highest Provincial bench. Like his judicial predecessor, but unlike Richard Stockton, his fellow-student, David Ogden espoused the cause of King George. What happened after the outbreak of hostilities is described by the Judge him- self in a document of rare interest, which has been placed at the author's disposal by the Judge's sole surviving grand-daughter, a venerable and most esti- mable Newark lady, who to this day proelaims her- self a British subjeet. This document explains itself and preserves to posterity some interesting data. It was printed in London from the Judge's manuscript, in 1784, and is entitled "The Claim of David Ogden, Esq., 1784." It opens as follows :

To the Honorable the Commissioners, oppointed by Act of Parliament, for en- quiring into the Losses and Services of the American Loyalists :

THE MEMORIAL OF DAVID OGDEN, ESQ., LATE OF NEW-ARK, IN THE CO- LONY OF JERSEY, IN AMERICA :

SHOWETH,

That your memorialist has, for abont twenty-five years past, heeu one of his Majesty's Council, and for several years one of the Justices of

the Supreme Court of Judicature for said Colony, and continued in the exercise of his said respective Others, until the commencement of the late Rebellion in America.

That your memorialist, by reason of his loyalty to his Majesty, end his attachment to the British government, becatne obnoxious to the Rebels anıl was obliged for his personal safety to abandon his property in New Jersey, and go, in the beginning of the year 1777, into the City of New York, to be nuder the protection of his Majesty's Army.

That your memorialist had his salary, as one of the Justices of the Supreme Court, taken from him iu tha year 1776, and on the 6th day of January, 1777, the day after, he went to New York, a regiment of Con- tinental troops came to his dwelling house, who, after enquiring for your memorialist, and not finding him at home, plundered and destroyed a great part of his most valuable effecta; and some time afterwards, all his real and the remainder of his personal property was seized, confiscated and sold by the Commissioners appointed for that purpose, in virtne of laws, mede and enacted in New Jersey, excepting euch parts thereof as are mentioned in the estimate and schedule herennto annexed, in which, your memorialist bas, as far as lays in his power, particularly and accu- rately described and valued, the property he has lest and the services ha has been deprived of.

Your memorialist therefore prays, that his case may be taken into your consideration, in order that your memorialist may be enabled, nuder your report, to receive such aid and relief as his losses and services may be found to require.

Rathbone-Place, No. 5. March 18, 1781.

DAVID OGDEN.

The Arcousr and ESTIMATE of the real estate of the Hon. David Ogden, Esq. ; late one of his Majesty's council for the Province of New Jersey, and one of the Justices of the Supreme Court of said Province : who abandoned his estate in said Province, in consequence of his loyalty to his Majesty, and attachment to the British Government, and his obedi- ence to various Proclamations issued by his Majesty's Commissioners, Generals, etc. And joined his Majesty's Army, in the city of New York, on the 5th day of January, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hun- dred and seventy-seven. The whole of which estate has been confiscated by virtue of a law of the Legislature of the State of New Jersey ; some parts thereof since the said confiscation have been sold, and some part yet remains nusold as in particularly hereinafter mentioned, viz. :

Confiscated, sold, and now held under the State of New Jersey.

Number of Acres of Land, and Improvements thereon.

Where situate.

Value New York Currency.

Sterling.

No. 1 One mansion house, out houses, garden, coach house, harnes, granaries, stables, and about three acres of Jand.

No. 2 One other smaller stone house, forty feet by twenty feet, and one-quarter of an acre of land.

No. 3 One lot of land of eight acres in high cultivation, with some orchards thereon, und a large barn.

No. 4 One other lot of land called Crane's Lut, in high cultivation, containing nine acres, besides the naual ellewance, no buildings thereon.

No. 6 One other lot of Innd called Hedden's Lot, In high cultivation, with some orchard thereon, containing seventeen acres besides the usnal allowance. No buildings thereon.

No. 6 One other lot of land, called Camp's Lot, of improved npland and meadow in gram, containing nine aeres and eighty-nine hundredthe of an acre of land, be- siles the usual allowance. No buildings thereon.

At New Ark, in Essex County, and Province of New Jersey, in the main street, between the church and Prea- byteriun meeting-house.

200)

1125 0 0

Adjoining to the above mentioned Jet.

350

196 17 6

At New Ark aforesaid, in the same street, neorly oppo- site to the County Court House.

830

478 2 6

At New Ark aforesaid, in a back street about one-quarter of a mile from the said County Court House.

340

191 5 0

At New Ark aforesaid in a hack street about one-quarter of a mile from the church and as far from the said Court House.

1050

690 12 6

At New Ark oferesaid to the Eastward of tha Court Honse, and within abont half a mile of the same.

150

270 0 0

[Then follow descriptions of twelve other lots of land, Improved and unimproved, in and around Newark, sonie "at a place called Over the Swamp," some "on the road leading from New-ark to Boonton," some "at Horseneck, thirteen miles from Newark," some "en the road lending to New York, " some "on Passaick River, New Ark Bay end in the great meadows," also two lots "confiscated but not sold," making eighteen lota in all, the whole valued at]

£27,078 0 0 15,231 7 6

£. 8. d.

E. B. d.

ESSEX COUNTY IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR.

Tus. MANslos Blot sk, orr Hotars. A. . and about three acresof Land. Part of the Lot David tagden purchased of his father Col. Josch Ogden, drewand almost forty your past-oldained a deed for the same which is taken from his papers or mislaid-bnalt his Inte Dwelling House on part Thereof and had the same in his u tual Possesion nutil the 5th of Jan- Hary, 1777. Ter other part of the same but he purchased from John aguar The remaining part be purchased from the law and devias of Thrones Curry, decared, as by Thed No. 1. It will appear

In the schedule of proofs, No. I is referred to as staying there, went to Nova Scotia, and obtained a lucrative position under the British government. After his father's death he came back and took pos- session of the property at Whitestone left him by the Judge. He appears to have indulged the vain hope that he would also be able to recover his father's con- fiscated property in Newark. His wife is said to have frequently remarked that "had they known they would not get back their own, they would never have left Nova Scotia, and, particularly, would never have returned to Newark"-which they did. Nicholas died here in 1812, and was buried in Trinity church- yard. Farah, the Judge's only daughter, became the wife of Judge Hoffman, of New York, and is repre- sented to this day by many cultured, talented and in- Huential descendants. Upon their flight from Newark to New York, in January, 1777, the loval Oglens were accompanied, as already stated, by Rev. Isaac Browne, rector of Trinity Church, and father-in-law of I-aae Ogden. Like his warmly attached friend the Judge, and like many of the Episcopal dergy of the period, Rector Browne was a staunch Royalist. His infirm wife went with him. Such was the precipi- tanev of their flight from Newark, that they left all their furniture and effects behind. New York, the Royalist stronghohl, was their city of refuge. This was in the latter part of 1776. After peace was proclaimed, Mr. Browne moved to AAnnapolis, reaching there after "a very tempestuous voyage." The unfortunate clergyman died there in 1787, surrounded with poverty and affliction.

An estimate of the total value of Judge Ogden's losses, made by Mr. Richard Kemble and Major Philip Van Courtland, and embodied in the claim, foots up a total of $32,939 15 $ (New York currency), or £18,529 120} (sterling). His loss of salary as Justice of the Supreme Court, for seven and a half years, from June 1, 1776, to December 1, 1783, at El50 per annum, the Judge puts down at £1200) (New York currency ), £675 (sterling). His fees and perquisites for the same period he estimates at $540 sterling, and the grand total of his real and personal Josses because of his loyalty to the King, at £20,265 8 41. His " rents, profits and issues" from his property in Newark and elsewhere, he places at $500 per annum. When, in January, 1777. he Hed to New York, he was accompanied by one of his sons ; also, by Rev. Mr. Isaac Browne, the pastor of Trinity Church, and the father of Mary, who married Isaac Ogden, a son of David. Subsequently, after running in debt about €700 in New York for his support, before he "had an allowance from the government," the Judge sailed for England. le mocked at the idea of America's sue- cessfully holding out against England, and, during his exile, had so little belief in the permanence of American Independence, that he devised what he conceived to be the probable constitution of America after her submission to Great Britain, "which he deemed certain to happen if proper measures were not neglected ;" a scheme which established "a Lord Lieutenant. and Lords and Commons of the British Colonies in North America," as is now realized in the Dominion of Canada. After peace was proclaimed between Great Britain and the new-born Republic, Judge Ogden returned to this country with his son Peter. For obvious reasons be avoided his birth- place, and, with the money he received from the British government-very considerably less than his claim-he acquired property at Whitestone. Long Island. There, in 1802, at the full age of ninety-two years, he died. David tigden bad five sons and one daughter -Isaac, Nicholas, Abraham, Samuel, Peter and Sarah. Isaac, Nicholas, and Peter clung to royalty with their father, while Abraham and Samuel joined cause with America. Isaac went to Canada and there achieved merited distinction at the bar and on the bench. His home was in Montreal. During a visit to England he died there. At the time the British evacuated New York. Nicholas, who had been 4

Time softens, mellows and subdnes all things. Surely, it is due to the memory of these distinguished "American Loyalists," of whom we have been treat- ing, to recollect that the motives which prompted their course were beyond a doubt anything but low, were the very opposite of mean. 1- they appear to us through the true historie microscope of a century, they represent an honorable, high-toned and exalted sentiment. It is due the Ogdens and the Brownes to say that their training, education and positions should at least be intelligently considered and judi- cially weighed before they are forever embalmed in history as traitors to liberty and to America. Judge Ogden was a born Royalist. So was Mr. Browne. Ax a member of the King's Council, and a member of the Supreme Court, Ogden's associations would naturally incline him to the established order of things, As a minister of the Church of England, bound to the Crown by a most s demn declaration, Mr. Browne did not see the American cause as it was seen by others of his Episcopalian brethren, notably the illustrious Bishop White, who was one of the first chaplains to the Continental Congress, and has been styled " the father of his church." Whatever may be thought of the political views of Judge Ogden and Parson Browne, and of the class they represente l, there can be no question as to the purity of their motives and character. They risked all they po-

HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

sessed, even their lives, for what they considered to be right. For conscience and opinion's sake they suffered much, sacrificed much. Who, indeed did any more? The Maewhorters and the d'aldwells on the American side had their counterparts in sacrifice and suffering on the other side.

The Ogden blood told on both sides of the Revolu- tionary struggle, as we have intimated. Strictly speaking, neither Matthias nor Aaron Ogden was a Newarker, but, like Caldwell, they were closely re- lated to the Newark Ogdens. They were grandsons of Jonathan Ogden, one of the original associates of the Elizabethtown Purchase, grand-nephews of David Ogden, who removed from Elizabethtown to Newark, about the year 1676, and nephews of Judge David Ogden. As already stated, at the breaking out of hostilities they expoused the American cause. Matthias, as early as December, 1775, was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel of the first regiment of the Jer- sey line, and, with AAaron Burr, was with Montgomery at the storming of Quebec. There he was wounded. Throughout the war he displayed great bravery and military capacity, and became colonel of his regiment and brigadier-general by brevet. The epitaph on his tombstone, in the First Presbyterian church-yard of Elizabeth, reads as follows :

Sacred to the memory of General MATTHIAS OGDEN who died on the 31st day of March 1791, aged 36 years, In him were uunited those various virtues of the soldier, the patriot, and the friend, which endear men to society. Distress failed not to find relief in his bounty ; unfortunate men, a refuge in his generosity.

If manly sense, and dignity of mind, If social virtues, liberal and refined, Nipp'd in their bloom deserve compassion's tear, Then, reader, weep ; for Ogden's dust lies here.

W'red his grave clean, ye men of grains, for he was your kinsman ! Tread lightly on his ashes, ye men of feeling, for he was your brother !

ber's grammar school, the pupils of which included William Livingston and the brilliant but ill-fated Alexander Hamilton. Early in 1777, teachers and pupils joined the Continental army. Ogden became lieutenant and paymaster in the first regiment, and continued throughout the war as aid-de-camp, rap- tain, and brigade-major and inspector. Previous to this, in the winter of 1775-6, he joined a volunteer company organized at Elizabethtown, which took part in several dashing and successful exploits. He was present at the battles of Brandywine, Monmouth and Springfield, behaving in cach, and particularly the last named engagement, with great gallantry. Ile was also with Lafayette, in Virginia, when Cornwallis made his ineffectual attempt "to catch the boy," as he sneeringly termed the youthful hero-marquis, At Yorktown his conduct was such as to win the per-

sonal commendation of General Washington. Upon being mustered out of the army at Newburg, in 1783, he returned to Elizabethtown and began the study of law. He was called to the bar in due time, and in 1787 married Elizabeth Chetwood. While suffering from a bayonet wound received during the war Miss Chetwood had nursed him. The fair girl healed him in one sense, but wounded him afresh in another, with a shaft from Cupid's quiver.

Like Pennington he entered the political arena, but, unlike Pennington, became a leading Federalist. In 1801, he was chosen by Legislature a Senator of the United States to fill an unexpired term made vacant by the resignation of Senator Schureman. At the time of his election he held the position of Clerk of Essex County. In 1812 he was chosen Governor by the Legislature in joint meeting, his opponent being William S. Pennington. He had thirty votes to Pennington's twenty-two. The year following the vote was reversed and Pennington was chosen in- stead of Ogden. In 1797, when a provisional army was raised, in consequence of the belligerent attitude of the French, Ogden was appointed Colonel of the Fifteenth Regiment-a title he ever afterwards re- tained. During the war of 1812, he was commis. sioned by President Madison a Major-General, the object being to send him to operate against Canada. The emergency requiring his presence there did not arise, however. Princeton College complimented him with the honorary degree of LL. D. It appears that instead of devoting himself to the practice of law, he entered into a steamboat speculation and lost his fortune through unscrupulous opposition and ruinous litigation. The late Cornelius Vanderbilt was once employed by Colonel Ogden as captain of one of his boats. The loss of his fortune broke the Colonel's spirit. He died in 1839, aged eighty-three, holding at the time of his death, under President Andrew Jackson, the position of collector of customs, at Jersey City. As a patriot, a statesman and a pro-

Aaron Ogden, the General's brother, was born at Elizabethtown, in the year 1756. Before he reached the age of seventeen he graduated from Princeton , fessional man, Aaron Ogden was an honor and a College and became assistant teacher in Francis Bar- ! credit to his name, his State and his country.

(IDJO .- Nor should the Revolutionary annals of Newark omit mention in this patriotic connection of yet another name worthy of local fame-that of Cudjo. ('udjo was a black man, a slave owned by Benjamin Coe. He entered the army as a substitute for his venerable master, and it is possible may have been one of the seven hundred black American patriots who imperilled their lives for their country at the battle of Monmouth-bravely fighting side by side with the whites. For his services in the field Cudjo was given, by Mr. L'oe, his freedom and nearly an acre of ground on High street, near Nesbitt. There was a something about the hearing of Cudjo which gave strength to the claim advanced by him that he was of royal African lineage.

WADE. CARTER AND MOOREHOUSE .- There were other bold and daring spirits besides Littell and his

ESSEX COUNTY IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR.

men, belonging to this neighborhood. Matthias Wade, Barnabas Carter and Mr. Moorehouse-names still familiar in the immediate vicinity of Newark- were the heroes of a gallant exploit at Lyons Farms. A house there had been taken possession of by a party of twenty-five Hessians. In it they rendezvoused. Wade, Carter and Moorehouse resolved to surprise and rout them. They agreed upon a night and a plan. Wade was to shoot down the sentinel, while the others raised a tremendous shout and dist harged their muskets through the windows, in among the Hessians. The plan was completely successful. The terrified soldiers, supposing that a large force surrounded the house, instantly took to fight, not stopping to pick up their arms or accoutre- ments.

HOLDEN .- While searching among the descendants of early settlers and Revolutionary patriots of Newark for material with which to garnish these pages, the author discovered a curious business memorial of Gen- eral Washington, which now sees the light of print for the first time, and which will serve here as the introduction to an interesting bit of Newark family history, possessing general interest. It is the dim, faded, almost worn-out remnant of a receipt given by Washington to Captain Levi Holden, of the General's life or body-guards. Time and neglect have eaten away the upper part, and all that remains is a scrap of dingy paper about the size of an ordinary human palm, bearing the following, in the neat. plain and well-known chirography of the Commander-in- chief:

5 Guil's yesterday

37-4

10 half John'na

32: 0: 0

2 Donblaues

. 16

5.16 0

2 Pistoles

2 1× 0

£5:0.0

4X: ROK WASHINGTON.

The possessor of the relie, though a grandson of Captain Holden's, could give no explanation of the receipt. On it is marked the date 1783, in characters drawn by some other hand than Washington's. That was the date of the disbandment of the American army at Newburg. It seems probable, therefore, that it is part of a receipt given the Captain in set- tling up his accounts. He may have become pos- sessed of the money receipted for through the muta- tions of war. Some royalist treasure may have been seized or captured, and a portion been placed in the official charge of Captain Holden. The money, it will be observed, is a curious mixture of Portuguese, Spanish and Dutch. These coinages were largely in circulation among the t'olonies prior to and at the time of the war. The guilder (Dutch) represents one shilling and eight pence sterling, or about forty cents American money ; the half Johannes (Portuguese) or " half Joes, ' as they were colonially called, about sixteen shillings, or four dollars; the pistoles (Span-

ish) about the same, and the doubloon- (pan- ish and Portuguese) about from fifteen to sixteen dollars of American money. Altogether, according to present standards, the whole amount of guiklers, half Johannes, doubloons and pistoles, in the Wash- ington-Holden paper, would represent only about eighty-one dollar- and a half, or less than sixteen pounds sterling. The pounds used by Washington in his computation were not sterling but t'olonial pounds.

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History of Essex and Hudson counties, New Jersey, Vol. I, Part 13

Author: Shaw, William H Publication date: 1884 Publisher: [United States :] Number of Pages: 840

Author: Shaw, William H
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: [United States :]
Number of Pages: 840