History of Essex and Hudson counties, New Jersey, Vol. II, Part 70

Author: Shaw, William H
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: [United States :]
Number of Pages: 830

USA > New Jersey > Hudson County > History of Essex and Hudson counties, New Jersey, Vol. II > Part 70
USA > New Jersey > Essex County > History of Essex and Hudson counties, New Jersey, Vol. II > Part 70

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So accurately had the colonel noticed the locality and calculated the position of the sentinels that be was able to lead his men between those two unsus- perting individuals at the moment when they were farthest apart, and he was almost upon the sleeping picket before a man of it began to stir. When at a distance of ten yards, Burr was challenged by a sen- tinel, whom he shot dead, and then gave the word of attack. One officer, a sergeant, a corporal and twenty- seven privates fell into his hands on this occasion. Only one of the pickets besides the sentinel made any resistance, and he was overpowered after he had re- ceived two bayonet wounds. He attempted to march with his fellow-prisoners, but after going a short dis- tance, was compelled to lie down, exhausted and fainting from loss of blood.

"tio a little farther, my good fellow," said Burr, "and we will get a surgeon for you." "Ah!" gasped the dying Briton; "all the doctors in America can do The no service, for I am a dying man; but it grieves que sore to the heart that I have served my king up- wards of twenty years, and at length must die with a charged musket in my hand."S

('ol. Burr immediately sent off' an express to Para- mus to order all the troops to move, and to rally the country. His exploit had so encouraged the inhabit- ants that they turned out with great alacrity, and put

1 Irving'a " Washington, 'ii. 367.

2 Americans Archives, ath serics, il. 494,

" Ja " b Hion's Mill, Hear the Point of Rocks. - W'infeld.

4 Amor Arch, oth Series, 11. 867

$ Routeyn, from Parton . " Life of Auron Burr, " 10)

954

IHISTORY OF HUDSON COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

themselves under his con mand. But the enemy, probably alarmed by these threatening appearances, retreated the next day, leaving behind them the greater part of the plunder which they had captured on their raid.1

Clinton's Raid.2-In September, 1777, Sir Henry Clinton, then in command at New York, planned a raid into New Jersey. He divided his forces into four columns. The general point of rendezvous was at the new bridge above Hackensack. One column, under Gen. Campbell, entered New Jersey by the way of Elizabethtown; one, under Capt. Drummond, by way of Schuyler's Ferry ; one, under Gen. Vaughn, by way of Fort Lee; and the other, under Lient .- Col. Campbell, by way of Tappan. On the 12th the ex- pedition set out. Clinton himself followed, passing up Newark Bay to Schuyler's Landing, on the Hack- ensack (Dow's Ferry). From this point he marched over the Belleville turnpike to Schuyler's house, where he found Capt. Drummond, with two hundred and fifty men. During the night Gen. Campbell ar- rived with his detachment and the cattle he had col- lected en route. The different columns met, as de- signed, on the 15th. On the following day Gen. Campbell marched his forces from English Neigh- borhood to Bergen Point, whence he passed over to Staten Island. The result of the raid was the cap- ture of four hundred cattle, four hundred sheep, and a few horses, taken from the people of Essex and Bergen. In exchange, they had eight men killed, cighteen wounded, ten missing, and five taken pris- oners.

As an offset to this raid, we find the following ac- count in the New York Mercury of Aug. 3, 1778:

" A party of rebel light-horse came down as far us Bergen Point lust Tuesilas night Inly 28th , and returned next morning towards lacken- mark. They visited theback on their way and carried off a great mun- leer of rattle from the infecbitantes."

Other Items of Interest .- The following interest- ing items are from "Winfield's History of Hudson County :"

"This afternoon a party of our horse brought in two rebel privates from Powles Hook. One of them is very intelligent and communicative : but the other is the most whimsical Tory I ever have seen. Wherever be goed he carries with him a large gray rat, which he says came into the rebel camp, on the night after the battle of Frerhold Meeting-House, and which he tiret lim svered lapping a spot of dry blood on his sleeve, an he lay on his arms, experting another dash at the British. His affertion for the cat is wonderful, as hors is for him, for they are inseparable. He says if we don't allow him extra rations for his cat, la shall la obliged tu allow them out of his own."-Smyth's Diary, Nuv 8th.

"On Friday night, April 2, 1779, Lieut. Poul, of fol. shroe's Regi- ment, with twelve privatos, were captured on Bergen Serk by a detach- ment of the 6th Regiment, which Iny at Powles Hook."-Riemnylon's Goutte, March 17, 1779.

"On Saturday, April 17, 1779, two of the Bergen County Militia, who, with others, had been out reconnuitering, suspecting from the conduct of a boy they saw running In great haste towanie a house on the bank of the Hink n River, about a mile above Wishawk, that suor of the in- fanou gang of robbers that have for some tune infested this and neigh- boring parts of the State of New York were r mrealed there, advanced

as fast as possible to the house ; one of them entered immediately and discovered tive or six men in the house, several of whom had arms, and with adnurable presence of uriud calling aloud to his companions, as though n large party bad accompanied him, discharged his musket and killed the chief of the gang on the spot. Retiring to reload his musket, the rest of the villains took to their heels.' -New Jersey Gazette, April 28, 1779.

"On Saturday night, 28th iust., a party of ubont thirty men belonging to Lient .- Col. Van Buskirk's form of Tories and embodied Refugees stationed at Horbuck, in the County of Bergen, were out as far us Closter on a horse stealing and theiving expedition."-Ind.

" Last Wednesday, January 13th, n Mr. Allen, Ensign in the Rebel Army, with three Jersey militiamen, were apprehended on Bergen Point by a party from Capt. Anstruther's Company of the 26th Regiment."- livington's Gusette, Jan. 20, 1779.

"Imust Saturday four privates of the Rebel Army were brought to Hochuck by a detachment of Cul. Van Buskirk's Regiment. They con- sistul of one ut Bayler's Light-Horse, one Continental, and two militia- men."-Rivington's Gazette, March 31, 1779.

" A party of three or four hundred Rebels, returning to New England from Morristown to Capt. Kennedy's house at Newark, plundered it. "- New York Mercury, Jan. 20, 1777.

" The Rebels catne down to Secaucus Inst Wednesday, and carried away all the grain, horses, cows, and sheep they could get together, which they were obliged to swim over Hackensack river, for want of boats, "- Ibid .. April 7, 1777.

"On Monday, May 12th, 300 British, under command of Cols. Barton anıl Dougan, marched from Bergen Town via Paramus to attack Mohlo Rebels under den. Heard at Pompton."-Ibid., May 19, 1777.

" A party of about forty Rebels came down to Col. Bayard's Mille last Friday morning near Hoebuck Ferry and curried off some cattle, but being pursued by a few of the 57th Regiment now stationed at Powles Houk, they took to their heels and made off."-Ibid., June 30, 1777.

" T'ho Rebels were as low down in Bergen last Friday night as Mir. Van Ripen's, the blacksmith, and carried off from there some horses. "- Ibid., Nov. 21, 1777.

"On Thursday afternoon, Captain John Richards, of New Barbaloes Neck, on his way to see some member of his tamily who was sick of the small pox, was captured on the road between "Three Pigeons' and Ber- gun by two professed patriots, and was shot dead by une Brouwer, as he was preventing the other (Luzier) robbing bim of his watch."-lid., Feb. 2, 1778.

"On Sunday, the 22d of March, 1778, a party of Robels cume as near Powles Hook as Prior's Mill, and attempted to carry off some cattle. They are under command of one Johnson, and act on their own book." Ibid., March 30, 1778.

"On Sunday night, May 10th, u small party of Rebels were as fur down as Prior's Mills, and carried off two oegro men who were coming to market with eggs and butter. '-Ibid .. Muy Ix, 1778.

Abont this time (1777) the sufferings of troops for want of clothing were very severe, and created much comment. Among the suggestions for relief was the following from Governor Livingston, which, while it points out a novel store-house of relief for the Valley Forge sufferers, also incidentally describes an old- time custom among the women in this vicinity at that period :

"I am afraid that while we are employed in furnishing our battalione with clothing, we forget the County of Bergen, which alone is sufficient umply to provide them with winter waistconts and breeches, from the redundance and superfluity of certain wonlen habits which are at present apphed to no kind of use whatsoever. It is well known that the rural hulies in that part of New Jersey pride themselves in an incredible num- ber of petticoats, which, like house furniture, are displayed hy way of ostentation for many years before they are decreed to invest the fair bodies of the proprietors, Till that period they are never worn, but neatly piled up on each sule of an immense escritoire, the top of which le decorated with a most capacious brass-clasped Bible, seldom road. What I would, therefore, hambly progres to our superior Is to make prize of there future female habiliments, and, after proper transformation, imme- diately apply them to serien from the inclemency of the weather those gallant males who are now Oghting for the liberties of their country. And to clear this measure from every Imputation of Injustice, I have

) New Jersey Historical Colle tinns, 81.

1 . Ilistory Bergen and Passaic Cunntion, p. 53.

055

SURPRISE AND CAPTURE OF PAULU'S HOECK.

mly to observe that the generality of the women in that counts having for alove a century wore the breeches, it is highly reasonable that the

CHAPTER XV.

SURPRISE AND CAPTURE OF PAPLUS HORCR .!

Ix 1779 Panlus Hoeck proper was a eirenlar piece of upland, composed of sand bills, containing about sixty-five neres. It was owned by Cornelius Van Vorst, popularly known as " Faddy." From it to the other side of the Hindson a publi ferry had been es- tablished in June, 1761 as part of the recently erected stage route between New York and Philadel- phia. Between this terry, then at the foot of Grand street, and the road leading to Prior's mill from the uplands of Ahasimus a road over the sand-hills and a causeway across the march had been in use many years .?

In 1766 this became a public road, when a thorough- fare was laid out between Paulus Hoeck and Bergen Point; but the causeway between Warren and Hen- derson streets was to be "eleared and maintained " by the owner of the ferry." Among these sand-hills, in 1769, Van Vorst established a race-course. It was one mile in length, and upon it, for the first time, on the 9th of October, 1769, appeared the fleet-touted steeds of some of the solid New Yorkers of that day, such as De Laneey, Rutgers and Morris, But " Faddy " was too liberal to give up the course exclusively to aristocratie blood. Now and then the native stock of Bergen, Ahasimus and Communipaw met in honest competition, and the hammering of their heavy hoofs was heard among the bills.

When the ferry was established for public travel two periaugers were placed thereon for the trans- portation of passengers and teams.4 The landing place was called a " ferry stairs." Down these stairs passengers clambered as the condition of the tide re- required, while horses and wagons were lifted or pushed in. Abraham Mesier, who owned the land-

By Hon, Charles H. Winf I, of Jersey City.

" In a survey of the West India Company - farm, made for Evan Drum mand, Feb. 26, 1721, a map of the survey of the causeway aring the mash between what is now Henderson and Warren Streets, Jerry t'ity.

. Winthell's " History of Hudson County, " 350,

These bats seems to have been converted into armed ve for the protection of the posts shortly after Lee's surpris of Paulus Hoech, in appears by the following order to Mufor Bruen.

"NEW York, Oct. 5, 1779.

" Major-dineral Pattison judging it necereus to have two Armed Vos. mln for the Further protection of the Post at Paulis Hook, and Captain Land having recommended the two Pettianger which attend there should be fitted up for this purpose, . you will give orders for their being furnished with Dare and An velstocke. I'aptain Land will take the trouble of giving directions for theu being properly fitted .\ " Hot Soc. (W. 1875 p 277.

place on the New York side, and Micha 1 Corneli- son were its founders and managers. Then came Cornelison to Paulus Hoeck and erected a tavern ju t east of the old Hudson House, afterwards creered on lots 6 and 8 Grand Street, between Greene and Ind- son & This tavern was the starting point of all the stages that left the Hoeck for PF Iadelphia and other points. It must have been well patronized, for pas- sengers intending to take the stage in the morning were obliged to come over the river the night before. The perils of navigation across the raging Undson would not pernat the running of " perlangers" be- tween sundown and subrise The manager of the ferry and "mine host" bring the same worthy per- sons, it is impossible to say how much the pence of the passengers had to do with the suspension of the ferry nt sundown.

Th s tavern, the stables and ont-buildings connected with it, were the only buildings on the Hoeck at the breaking out of the war The outbuildings were in the rear of the tavern on the westerly side of the road. Between the tavern and the river, the road turned to- words Grand Street, and then by a short turn, to the terry stairs. Here was a circular plot or park, around which the stages turned on their way back to the rond, after receiving or discharging passengers. This park, or its successor when the terry slip was moved nearer York Street and Paulus Hoeck became a set- tlement, was the seat of justice ; and here petty of- fenders, while yet there was no lawyer to save found the lash, toll off to the required number upon his bare back by the stalwart constable, a very disagree- able, but impartial and beneficent minister of ju -- tice.

These sand-hills were an attractive place of resort in the early days of the New Netherlands, when they we're occupied by tobaren planters. 6 In 1699 they were added by purchase to the already many acres of the Van Vorst family, and were thenceforth in part cultivated as farm land. But the newly ore ted ferry had made the Hoeck a starting-point of travel to the South, and the war which soon followed was destined to give it a prominent and enduring place in the an- nals of the country.

As soon as it was discovered that the British under Lord Howe were about to abandon Baston with the supposed intention of making a descent upon New York, Lord Stirling, who was in the immediate com- mand of that city and vieinity, following the sugges- tion of Washington, took measures to erect works for its protection. In such a proceeding, l'anlus Hoeck was too important a point to be overlooked. Its situ- ation, dirretly opposite to Manhattan Island, and jut- ting far out into the river, in fnet, itself an island. sug- gusted its fortification. Mais passing up the river would necessarily come within easy range of its guns. For the location and design of such worky as would

s l'ade Margin a map of Powles Hook, ninde 10 124

Winlletd's " History of Hudson County, " 32.

956

HISTORY OF HUDSON COUNTY. NEW JERSEY.

aid in the defense of the city Lord Stirling personally examined Panlus Hoeck on the 22d of March, 1776, and proposed their immediate construction by the militia of the counties of Bergen, Essex and Middle- sex. He promised to be over again in a few days and bring with him some assistant engineers to lay out the works. 1 Nothing. however, was done toward their construction, for as late as the 21st of May, Washing- ton wrote to General Putnam that if new works could be carried on without detriment to the old (for want of tools), he would have that intended for Paulus Hoeck set about immediately, as he conceived it to be of importance .? The work could not have been delayed many days after this, for the fortifications were ready for use when the time eame. As their de- sign was to prevent the enemy's shipping from pass- ing up the river, they consisted of three earth works thrown up along the front, one above and two below the ferry. The lower one was constructed so as to command Communipaw Cove as well as the river. The central one of these works was mounted with guns, the number and calibre of which have not been ascertained, and was probably the one known during the British occupancy as the round redoubt.

On the 29th of June, 1776, the British entered the lower bay and shortly afterward took possession of Staten Island. Gen. Mercer, who was now in com- mand in New Jersey, and had his flying eamp at Bergen, placed a guard of five hundred men on Bergen Neck to prevent the enemy's approach by that pass, and made arrangements for the proper disposition of the Pennsylvania militia as they arrived at Paulus Hoeck. But the British quietly lay upon the island awaiting reinforcements. By the 12th of July their forces amounted to thirty thousand men, and the har- bor was filled with their shipping. On the afternoon of that day they opened the game for the possession of New York. The "Phoenix," carrying forty guns, under command of Capt. Parker, and the " Rose," carry- ing twenty guns, under command of Capt. Wallace, with their decks protected by sand-bags, and aecom- panied by three tenders, came sweeping up the river, having the advantage of both wind and tide.3 Then for the first time the god of war thundered among the sand-hills of Paulus Hoeck. The battery opened a lively fire upon the ships, which i turned it with broadsides as they sailed harmlessly by. It does not appear that damage came to either side in this ex- change of salutations.

As the militia were now pouring in for the protee- tion of New York, Gen. Mercer was kept busy in transferring them over to that eity, and as Paulns Ifoeck was in the line of passage, it grew in import- anee. Ile suggested to his superior the propriety of stationing a body of four hundred men, well aceoutred, from the Delaware counties at this place, and four

1 Duer's " Life of Lord Stirling," 157.

3 American Archives, Ith series, vol vi. 534

" Irving's " Life of Washington," if. 260.

hundred of the Jersey men for the flying camp at Bergen.4 On the 27th of August he received orders to march with his whole army to the Hoeck. His force at the time numbered eight thousand three hundred men.5 The battle of Long Island was being fought when he ordered the concentration. On the night of the 20th he had at Bergen, ready to pass to New York, between three and four thousand of the Pennsylvania and New Jersey militia, but, on learning of the retreat from Long Island, retained them on this side of the river, and strengthened the posts at l'anlus Hoeck and Bergen Neek to the complement of two thousand five hundred men.6

The British took possession of New York on the 15th of September. On the morning of that day three ships of war-the " Roebuck " and " Phoenix" each of forty guns, and the "Tartar " of twenty guns-stood up the Hudson, "causing a most tremendous firing."} The raw militia on Panlus Hoeck were little prepared for the peltings of such a pitiless storm. It was said by those who desired to make the troops believe that they had acted in a most becoming manner that the vessels "were roughly treated by the American battery at Paulus Hoeck." & But the old soldier, who had learned his lesson of war on the field of Culloden, took a different view of the deeds of these doughty heroes. He aceused them of having "behaved in a scandalous manner, running off from their posts (n the first eannonade from the ships of the enemy,"9 In consequence of such conduet he was obliged to send a detachment of the men enlisted for the flying camp to this post. During the firing two shots from the ships struck the tavern, then occupied by Verdine Elsworth.

It was manifest, after the occupancy of New York by the British, that Paulus Hoeck had lost its importance to the Americans. tien. Mercer made preparation for abandoning the post, being convinced that the enemy were determined to attack it by a stronger force than he could oppose. lle removed all the stores and useful cannon, so that nothing could fall into the enemy's hands but the guns that had been rendered unfit for further service.10 He kept at the post, however, for purposes of observation, a small guard, who had orders to evacuate the place at the first approach of the enemy " On the afternoon of the 23d of September the British came up and began a cannonade on the Iloeck, and after cannonading " for half an hour or a little more," they landed a party from the ships. This accomplished, they sent over from New York twenty boats and took possession of the abandoned post.

4 American Archives, 5th series, vol. i. 961.

5 Ibil., 1193.

6 Ibid., vol. ii. 158.

7 fbid., vol. 1. 1193.

& Freeman's Journal Ort. 5, 1976.

9 American Archives, 5th series, vol. ii. 367. These men were from

Delaware.

10 American Archives, 5th Sorios, vol. ii, 523. 11 Ibid., 404.

957

SURPRISE AND CAPTURE OF PAULUS HOECK.

At this time the Americans were posted at the town of Bergen, with an advanced party in possession of Prior's mill, then situate on Mill Creek, at the Point of Rocks. This position they held until the 5th of October, when Washington found it necessary to col- lect lus forces preparatory to his retreat to the Dela- ware. Then Bergen was abandoned to the enemy They stationed a considerable body of troops at Paulus Horek and strengthened the defenses. They after- wards occupied the works on Bergen Neck, which they named Fost De Lancey, in honor of Oliver De Lancer, of Westchester." These two posts were gar- ris med principally by Tories, or "refu rees," as they called themselves. They were active and unscrupu- lou- in the cause of the King. Their zeal, however, exhibited itself more is plundering and murdering their old neighbors than in honorable warfare. Yet, though they were in possession of these posts and gen- erally of the surrounding country, their possesion was not one of undisturbed repose The "rebels," though cast down, were neither subdued nor discour- aged. In small Inst intrepid bands they hovered around the outposts of the enemy, swooping down upon na Tory and then a red-cost. In fact, from 1776 to 1780 the territory between the Liberty Pole' and the town of Bergen was a debatable land. It was overrun, and its inhabitants, with judicial impartiality, harried by scouting partes from both sides. A few ref- erences to the exploits of these parties, as described by either side, will show that, to the inhabitants, it must have been a matter of indifference as into w hose bands they fell. To them it was a matter of some difficulty to distinguish friend from foe, so far as present loss of personal possessions went, and from each it would not have been in appropriate to pray the good Lord for deliverance

But the efforts of these predatory bands were not confined exclusively to property. They and their friends were respectively liable to capture, and now and then cruelty and murder followed. The head- quarters of the British and their general starting-point in all these exenrsions was Paulus Hoeck. Among the other troops here stationed was a body of Tories, at whose head was Lient. Col. Abraham Van Buskirk, of Saddle River." He had formerly been friendly to the American cause, but when New York was cap- tured he made his peace with the King. With the zcal of a new convert, or repentant backsliler, he sought to atone for his past sins by sustaining those whom he formerly despised, and seeking the ruin of his former associates. Being well acquainted with

the people and this portion of the State, by night and by day he and his Tory followers prowled over the country as far north as Paramus. If he fu b. I to cap- ture a patriot, his ardent soul was satisfied with a few cattle. If he could not capture or dispense a rebel camp, his patriotic impulses to serve his King found consolation in a hen-roust.

It has been said that after the British captured Paulus Hoeck, they strengthened the works. As the Ameri- cans designed them, they were only to prevent the passage of the enemy's fleet But its new occupants, intending to make this an important and permanent post, and to hohl it, both as a defense to New York and a gateway into New Jersey, it was necessary to make the works more elaborate and thus render the place impregnable. The position was one ofimmense natural strength. It was bounded on the north by the cove of Ahasimus, on the east by Hudson's River, on the south by the cove of Communipaw, and on the west by a salt marsh several hundred feet in width, over which the tide ebbed and flowed. Fo low was this marsh that at ordinary flood tide boats could pass over it from cove to cove.' To overcome the difficulty of crossing this marsh for foot, an elevated walk was constructed east of and parallel to the road, and known as " Ilowe's Bridge." Winding through this marsh from the southeasterly corner of Morrisand Van Vorst Streets to the casterly side of Warren Street, and then westerly through York Street to a point near Van Vorst Street, then northerly until it crossed Newark Avenue, was a tide creck. This creek had been en- larged, and a ditch eut across an elbow of the creek from York Street to the centre of the block between Giraud and Sussex, one hundred and twenty-live fert west of Warren. The creek and ditch were about twenty feet in width and of sufficient depth for the passage of ordinary oyster boats. In addition to this, the hot- tom was oozy and of difficult passage even at low water. Jutting out from the upland into the cove of Abasimus was a peninsula, afterwards known as North Point, then in part salt marsh and in part rocky, but all covered by the flood tides. To render the place yet more difficult of access, the British cut a ditch about twenty feet in width through the marsh from a point on the river fifty feet north of Mercer and fifty fert west of fireque Street to the main ditels, north of War- ren Street.5 Over the ditch on the line of Newark Avenue was a drawbridge, and on the easterly side of the marsh, in the line ofthe abatis, was a strong barred gate. This was the only entrance to the Hoeck by land. Along the edge of the opland was a line of

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History of Essex and Hudson counties, New Jersey, Vol. II, Part 70

Author: Shaw, William H Publication date: 1884 Publisher: [United States :] Number of Pages: 830

Author: Shaw, William H
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: [United States :]
Number of Pages: 830