History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 11

Author: Snell, James P; Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1170

USA > New Jersey > Somerset County > History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 11
USA > New Jersey > Hunterdon County > History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 11

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At this session a great amount of business was transacted, a large proportion of which was included in the measures taken for raising, organizing, and forwarding troops. These measures will not be noticed in detail here, but the most important of them will be mentioned incidentally in succeeding pages, in connection with the military events of which the year 1776 was so fruitful. But the most notable action taken at this session was that which transformed New Jersey from a colony into an independent State by the adoption of a State constitution on the 2d of July. And it is worthy of note that when the vote was taken upon the immediate adoption and confirma-

* Iu a letter addressed by Lord Stirling to the president of Congress, dated New York, Feb. 19, 1776, he saye,-

"SIR,-On the 14th instant 1 informed you of having received Gen. Lee's orders to march with my regiment to this place. I accordingly marched the next morning with four companies from Elizabethtown, and arrived here the next day, as soon as the ice permitted ne to cross Hudson's River. The other four companies followed the next day."- Collections of the New Jersey Historical Society, vol. ii. p. 120.

+ February 28th.

HUNTERDON AND SOMERSET COUNTIES IN THE REVOLUTION.

tion of this constitution, John Mchelm, who voted for, and William Paterson, who voted against, that prop- osition, were the only members of the Hunterdon and Somerset delegations who answered the roll-call of deputies.

On the 17th of July the Congress ratified the Dec- laration of Independence by the adoption of this resolution,-viz. :

"Whereas, The Honorable Continental Congress have declared the United Colonies Free and Independent States : We, the Depaties of Now Jersey in l'rovincint Congress assembled, do resolve und declare that we will support the freedom and independence of the said States with our lives and fortunes, and with the whole force of New Jersey."

And on the following day it was by the same body

" Resolred, That this, House from henceforth, Instead of the style and title of the Provincial Congress of New Jersey, do adopt and assume the stylo und title of the Convention of the State of New Jersey."

On the same day (July 18th) an ordinance was passed defining the crime of treason against the State of New Jersey, and making it punishable "in like manner as by the ancient laws of this State," -- that is, by the infliction of the penalty of death.

The old colonial Legislature of New Jersey had held its sessions and (nominally) exercised its functions in 1775 until the 6th of December in that year, when Governor Franklin prorogned the House, and this proved to be its dissolution. The Governor, who was notoriously inimical to the American cause, issued his proclamation in the following May, calling a ses- sion on June 20th, but this was met by prompt action on the part of the Provincial Congress, which, on the 14th of June,

" Resolved, That in the opinion of this Congress the Proclamation of William Franklin, Inte Governer of New Jersey, benring date on the thirtieth day of May last, In the name of the King of Grent Britain, appointing a meeting of the General Assembly to be held on the twen- tieth dny of this instant June, ought not to be obeyed."

This action had the desired effect; the colonial Legislature never reassembled. On the 16th of June the Congress

" Resolved, That in the opinion of this Congress the said William Franklin, Esquire, by such proclamation, hus arted in direct contempt and violation of the resolve of the Continental Congress of the fifteenth of May last. That in the opinion of this Congress the said William Franklin, Esquire, has discovered himself to be an enemy to the liberties of this country ; and that measures ought to be Immediately taken for securing the person of the sald William Franklin, Esquire,"

On the same day orders were issued to Col. Na- thaniel Heard, of the First Battalion of Middlesex militia, to wait on the Governor, to offer him a parole, by which he was to agree to remain quietly at l'rince- ton, Bordentown, or on his farm at Rancoeus (which- ever he might elect), and, in case of his refusal to sign this parole, to arrest him. On the 17th, Col. Heard and Maj. Deare proceeded to Amboy, waited on the Governor, offered him the parole, and, upon his refusal to sign it, surrounded his house with a guard of sixty men to hold him prisoner until further orders were received from Congress. The orders came to remove the Governor to Burlington, and he was accordingly taken there. Upon examination be 4

was adjudged a violent enemy to his country and a dangerous person, and he was then placed in custody of Lieut .- Col. Bowes Read to await orders from the Continental Congress. On the 25th of June orders were received to send him, under guard, to Governor Trumbull, of Connecticut, who was requested, in case of Franklin's refusal to sign a parole, to treat him as a prisoner, agreeably to the resolutions of Congress applying to such cases. He was accordingly sent to Connecticut, placed in custody of Governor Trum- bull, and never returned to this State. This was the end of the civil authority of King George in New Jersey.

The constitution adopted on the 2d of July, 1776, vested the government of the State in a Governor,* Legislative Council, and General Assembly, the mem- bers of the Council and Assembly to be chosen for the first time on the second Tuesday in the following August, and afterwards, annually, on the second Tuesday in October. The members elected in 1776, in conformity to these provisions, met in October of that year, and organized as the first Legislature of New Jersey under the State constitution, succeeding to the powers and functions of the Provincial Con- gress and the Convention of the State of New Jersey, and continuing to exercise those powers as a perma- nent body.

Although New Jersey had been actively engaged in military preparations from the time when the war- like news from Lexington sped across her hills and streams, it was not until the winter and spring of 1776-the time when Washington sent his warning that the British commander in Boston was probably contemplating the movement of his forces to New York-that the people of this province began to realize the immediate danger of actual invasion, and that the lapse of a few weeks might whiten their valleys and highlands with the tents of a hostile army.

It has already been mentioned that when the de- signs of Gen. Howe became apparent the battalion of New Jersey Continental troops under Lord Stirling was moved from Elizabethtown to New York, and that a regiment of minute-men under Col. Charles Stewart was ordered to march "with all possible expedition" to the same place, but was prevented from doing so by lack of the necessary arms. On the 1st of March, 1776, the Continental Congress com- missioned Lord Stirling a brigadier-general, and im- mediately afterwards he assumed command of all the troops at New York, Gen. Lee having been or- dered to other duty. On the 20th of March the force under Stirling's commandt comprised his own New

. The constitution provided that the Governor should be elected anno- ally by the Church and Assembly In joint ballot.

t In the evening of the 20th the command was assumed by Lonl Stir- ling's senior, Brig.Gen. Thompson, who had then Just arrived from Philadelphia. A few days later, however, he was orderel to Canada, and the commuml ngnin devolved on Lord Stirling.

HUNTERDON AND SOMERSET COUNTIES, NEW JERSEY.

Jersey battalion (about five hundred men, sick and well), five hundred minute-men from Dutchess and Westchester Cos., N. Y., about two hundred New Jersey militia,* and two Connecticut regiments, under Cols. Ward and Waterbury, numbering in the aggre- gate about one thousand men, whose term of service was then within a few days of its expiration. All of this force, except the necessary guards, was at that time employed in the erection of defensive works in and around New York and on Long Island, "assisted by about one thousand of the inhabitants of the city, who turned out on this occasion with great alacrity, the inhabitants and negroes taking their tour of duty regularly." The force was immediately afterwards augmented by two other regiments from Connecticut, under Cols. Dyar and Williams.

For eight months following the time when Gen. Washington assumed commandt of the American forces his army lay in fortified camps encircling the British post in Boston, which place he was fully de- termined to occupy, though he preferred to do so by forcing the enemy to evacuate rather than to risk the chances of battle. At first the British commander felt secure and confident of his ability to continue his occupation of the city, but, in the winter of 1775- 76, Washington discovered strong indications of an intention on the part of the enemy to withdraw, and he so notified the Continental Congress. He relaxed none of his vigilance, however, but pushed his military preparations with energy. The final movement which compelled the evacuation was the occupation and for- tifying of Dorchester Heights during the night of the 4th and 5th of March. The morning of the 5th re- vealed to the astonished eyes of Gen. Howe a formida- ble line of earthworks upon the crest, with cannon mounted on the ramparts commanding his position ; and from that moment he resolved on an immediate evacuation of the city. He prepared for a real or feigned attack, however, by ordering Earl Percy with a corps of two thousand four hundred men to cross in transports to Dorchester Point and make a night as- sault on the rebel works. Washington was fully pre- pared to receive him, but there arose a furious gale of wind, which rendered it impracticable for the British troops to cross. The storm continued with unabated violence through all the next day, and the attack was finally abandoned.

On the 7th, Howe called a council of war, at which it was decided to evacuate the place without delay. He had threatened to burn the town if his army was molested in its departure, and the terrified inhabitants (largely composed of loyalists) waited on him, im- ploring him to spare it. The result was a promise on the part of the British commander to leave the town unmolested if Washington would allow him to depart in quiet. The American general, not unwilling to

avoid bloodshed and the destruction of the place, tacitly consented ; and so, on the morning of Sunday, March 17th, the British troops marched to the wharves and, embarking, took their final departure. The fleet dropped down the bay to Nantasket Roads, where it lay at anchor for ten days, and then put to sea.

Although it was announced that the British fleet, with Howe's army on board, was bound for Halifax, there to await reinforcements from England, Gen. Washington suspected that its real destination was New York, and, leaving a sufficient force to occupy Boston, he put his army in motion for the former city, and arrived there in person on the 14th of April. He at once commenced active preparations for repelling the expected enemy by strengthening the defensive works already erected by Lee and Lord Stirling, by constructing additional fortifications at several points, by a thorough reorganization of his forces, and by laying before Congress the urgent necessity of provid- ing reinforcements.

On the 3d of June the Continental Congress re- solved "That a flying camp be immediately estab- lished in the middle colonies, and that it consist of ten thousand men, .. . " to be made, up of militia furnished by Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware; and on the same day " Resolved, That thirteen thou- sand eight hundred militia be employed to reinforce the army at New York," of which number the quota assigned to New Jersey was three thousand three hundred men. On the 14th of June the Congress of New Jersey passed an ordinance direeting that this number of men, in forty companies, to compose five battalions, all to form one brigade, to be "imme- diately got in readiness and marched to New York under the command of a brigadier-general," the bat- talions to be raised by voluntary enlistment, to con- tinue in service till the 1st of December following, unless sooner discharged. The quotas assigned to each of the counties, and the field-officers appointed to the command of the several battalions, were as fol- lows :

One battalion to be made up of three companies from each of the counties of Bergen and Essex, and two companies from Burlington. Officers : Philip Van Cortland, Colonel; David Brearly, Lieutenant- Colonel ; Richard Dey, Major.

One battalion of four companies from each of the counties of Middlesex and Monmouth. Officers : Na- thaniel Heard, Colonel; David Forman, Lieutenant- Colonel ; Thomas Henderson, Major.

One battalion of four companies each from Morris and Sussex. Officers : Ephraim Martin, Colonel ; John Munson, Lieutenant-Colonel; Cornelius Lud- low, Major.

One battalion composed of two companies from each of the counties of Burlington, Cumberland, Gloucester, and Salem. Officers: Silas Newcomb, Colonel; Bowes Reed, Lieutenant-Colonel ; Major.

* Collections of the New Jersey Historical Society, vol. ii. pp. 151, 152. + At Cambridge, July 12, 1775.

HUNTERDON AND SOMERSET COUNTIES IN THE REVOLUTION.

One battalion composed of three companies from Somerset and five companies from Hunterdon County. Officers: Stephen Ilunt, Colonel; Philip Johnston, Lieutenant-Colonel; Joseph Phillips, Major. Dr. Cornelius Baldwin was appointed surgeon of this battalion.

Joseph Reed was appointed brigadier-general and assigned to the brigade formed of these five battalions, but for some cause which does not appear he did not assume the command, and on the 21st of June the Congress " Ordered, That the President write to Gen- eral Livingston and inform him that it is the desire of Congress that he would take the command of the militia destined for New York." He declined to ac- cept it, however, and on the 25th of the same month Col. Nathaniel Heard, of Middlesex, was appointed brigadier-general and placed in command of the brigade, which, under him, was soon after marched to reinforce the army at New York. But on the 24th of July a letter addressed by Gen. Washington to the Convention of New Jersey* was read before that body, informing them " that the brigade under Gen- eral Heard was far from being complete, and urging the necessity of raising and forwarding the new levies destined to reinforce the army at New York" ; where- upon it was by the Convention "Ordered, That a letter be written to General Washington informing that several companies were on their way to join the brigade; and that this Convention will use its utmost efforts to furnish its quota, and to give ITis Excellency such other aid as the weal of the United States may require and the condition of this State will admit."

When the British commander, Gen. Howe, evacu- ated Boston, in March, 1776, he sailed with his forees to Halifax, as had been announced, with the inten- tion of awaiting there the arrival of reinforcements from England. But, as these did not arrive at or near the time when they were expected, he became wearied by the delay, and on the 10th of June set sail from that port with the troops of his command, bound for Sandy Hook, where a part of the force arrived on the 25th of the same month, and were soon followed by others, including the commanding general, who disembarked his army on Staten Island to await the arrival of the squadron from England, under command of his brother, AAdmiral Lord Howe, who entered the bay with part of his fleet on the 12th of July ; but it was not until the middle of AAugust that the last of the reinforcements arrived.

The appearance of Howe's forces on Staten Island caused great consternation throughout New Jersey, +

* Minutes of the Provincial Congres and Commeil of Safety, 1773-76. p. 618.

+ lu the " Minutes of the Provincial Congress and Council of safety," under duto June, 1776, is found the following. " Cingress received a letter from Tel. Taylor, of Monmonth, dated la Schek in the forclown of this day, informing that nineteen call of the enemy's feet meaning the ships of Gen. Nowe from Halifax, and not the men-of-war under Admiral Howo] lies at the Hook, and forty-five In sight; read and re-

particularly in the eastern portion of the State, and this alarm was greatly increased and intensified when the bay and all the adjacent waters became black with the almost innumerable ships of the British fleet. The Tory element, too, which was by no means inconsid- erable in numbers, became at once rampant, and was especially aggressive in the counties of Monmouth and Hunterdon. With reference to the Tory bands in the former county, the Provincial Congress, on the 26th of June, ordered that Col. Charles Read, with two companies of Burlington militia, proceed to cap- ture them, taking also for the purpose all the militia of Monmouth County if found necessary. And, with regard to Hunterdon, the Convention, on the same day, took action as follows:

" Whereas, it appears, from authentick information, that certain disaf- fected persons in the County of Hunterdon have confederated for the purpose of oppwing the measures of the Continental and Provincial Congresses, and have even proceeded to acts of open and daring violence ; have plundered and robbed the house of Captain Jones ; have beaten, wounded, and otherwise nbused the friends of freedom in said Conuty, and now publickly declare that they will take up arms and engage jo behalf of the King of Great Britain, the avowed and implacable enemy of the United Colonica ; In order to put an effortual stop to a combina- tion so hostile and dangerous, It is resolved unanimously, That Lienton- aut-Colonel Ten Eick and Major Berry take to their nid such a number of the militia, properly officered and armed, of the Counties of Hunter- don and Somerset, as they may think necessary, and proceed without delay to the said County of Hunterdon, in order to apprehend such in- surgents and disaffected persons as this Congress shall direct."

Under the above resolution, Col. Ten Eyck received the following instructions, signed by the president of the Congress :

"COT .. ABRAHAM TEN EICK,-You are hereby ordered to apprehend John Vanght, Joseph Lee, Thomas Swindle, George Cyphers, Jr., Peter Cyphers, John Day, William Hont, Jr., Jonathan Hunt, Jobo Hunt, Job Sval, Jr., Herman Millhnm, Christopher Vaught, James MacCord, George Casner, Thomas Buskirk, Frederick Frittz, Peter Algar, Daulel Hunt, George U'julike,; John Horpence, Phihp Forker, Christopher Dilt-, Bartholomew Thatcher, Samuel Shuter, Edward Taylor, and John Taylor, all of whomi yon nre to keep under strong guant, and to bring before this Congress, or Committee of Safety during their recess; to de- liver them to the keuper of the common guol of Trenton, who is bereby commanded to keep them in close nud safe confinement until this Con- gress, or Committee of Safety, shall take further orders therein."

filed. Ordered, That the President write to the Continental Congress in- closing a copy of the above letter, aml requesting a supply of powder." And in the proceedings of the wine day is the following : "Certain ad- vico bwing received of the arrival of tienerul Howy nt Sandy Hook: Ordered, That all officers who have enlisted men properly armed, under the late ordinance for ruising three thousand three hundred men within this Colony, proceed immediately with such numbers as they have col- Ircted, or enn collect, without delay to New York, aslgoing a due pro- portion of officers to the men, that they may be ready, and leaving other villeers, as occasion may require, to collect the remainder. AH officers, Paymentera, and others are required to be diligent in their respective sta- tions; and all the friends of Liberty throughout the Colony are most earnestly entreated now to exert themselves for the preservation of their country, their lives, liberties, and property."

It was under this order that tien. Heard moved his command in haste to New York, As before noticed. On the Ist of August it was by the Congress " Ordered, That Philly Johnston, Esq., bo Colonel, Joseph Phil- lige, Hogy, Houstonant-Colonel, and Piatt Bayles Major of the battalion mise In the counties of Huntenten and Some vet, in the brigade under the command of General Heard, destined to melsforce the army at Now York."

: Among the charges made against some of these men was that of " opposition in the draught in Capt. Groendy k'se mpany." in the two- slap of hing woud.

HUNTERDON AND SOMERSET COUNTIES, NEW JERSEY.

In pursuance of these instructions, Col. Ten Eyck proceeded to apprehend the persons named, and their cases were afterwards acted on according to the judg- ment of the Convention. Persons of Tory proclivi- ties were also numerous in Somerset County, but it does not appear that they became, at this time, so defiant and dangerous as those of Monmouth and Hunterdon.

The troops of the "Flying Camp," composed of men from Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware, and under command of Gen. Hugh Mercer, were stationed at Perth Amboy, and at points north of that place, opposite the west shore of Staten Island. The nominal strength of this corps was ten thousand men, but it had never actually reached that figure, and now it had been materially reduced by detachments, amounting to two thousand men, sent to Gen. Wash- ington, at New York ; so that at this critical time, when this portion of the New Jersey frontier was peculiarly liable to invasion by the army of Howe, the guarding-force became wholly insufficient. In view of this imminent danger, the Continental Congress passed a resolution requesting a levy of two thousand of the militia of New Jersey, to supply the places of an equal number of men sent from the Flying Camp to Gen. Washington. This resolution was read on the 17th of July in the Pro- vincial Congress, and on the following day an ordi- nance was passed by the Convention,* to the effect that "whereas the situation of New York, the vicinity of New Jersey to the enemy, and, above all, the arrival of Lord Howe, who, it is probable, will speedily make some decisive movement, render it absolutely necessary that the most immediate and effectual steps be taken to guard against the incur- sions of the British troops, and to strengthen the army of the United States: Resolved, therefore, unani- mously, that two thousand of the militia of this State be immediately detached to supply the place of the like number taken from the flying camp in New Jersey and ordered to New York." The force was to be composed of four battalions, an aggregate of thirty companies of sixty-four men each, besides officers, the whole to compose a brigade, under command of a brigadier-general, and to be in the Continental service. To the counties of Hunterdon, Somerset, and Sussex was assigned the raising of one battalion, of which Mark Thompson was appointed colonel, Abraham Bonnell lieutenant-colonel, Enos Kelsey major, and Dr. Jacob Jennings surgeon. Any of the men of this brigade while in service were permitted to enlist in the brigade under command of Gen. Heard, and ou doing so were entitled, each man, to receive a bounty of three pounds, voted by the Continental Congress.

Again, on the 22d of July, the Continental Con- gress, in view of the imminent danger of invasion, re-

solved to further increase the Flying Camp, and for this purpose desired the State of New Jersey "to aug- ment its quota with three battalions of militia, in ad- dition to those formerly desired by Congress, and send them with all possible dispatch to join the flying camp." Upon being notified of this action, the Con- vention of New Jersey informed Congress that two thousand men had already been ordered detached from the militia of the State for the purpose men- tioned ; but beyond this it took no further action at that time.

The feeling of alarm, however, rapidly increased, and on the 7th of August the Convention received notice of a resolve of Congress "recommending to the State of New Jersey to order their militia imme- diately to march and join Gen. Mercer." This had the effect to cause the Convention to pass (August 11th) an ordinance reciting that "the Convention, viewing with serious concern the present alarming situation of this and their sister-States, that on a pru- dent use of the present moment depend their lives, their liberty and happiness, think it their indispensa- ble duty to put the militia on such a footing that their whole force may be most advantageously exerted; and to call out the one-half into immediate service, to be relieved by the other monthly," and ordering that all able-bodied men in the State between the ages of six- teen and fifty, without exception, be immediately en- rolled in companies and formed into two divisions, and " that the first division be immediately equipped with arms and every necessary accoutrement that can be obtained, and four days' provision, and march with all dispatch to join the flying camp in this State." This division consisted of thirteen battalions, made up of men drawn from the militia organizations of the several counties of the State, those containing Hun- terdon and Somerset County men being one battalion formed from the two regiments, and one battalion commanded respectively by Cols. Mark Thompson, Ephraim Martin, and John Cleves Symmes, in Hun- terdon and Sussex; another battalion from the bat- talions of Cols. Stephen Hunt and Abraham Quick, in Somerset ; another battalion from the battalions of Cols. Isaac Smith and David Chambers, in Hunter- don; and a fourth battalion from the battalions of Cols. Joseph Beavers and John Mehelm, in Hunter- don. The best arms in the possession of all the mili- tia of the State were taken to arm this First Division, and they were to be turned over to the Second Division when it should relieve the First, at the end of one month from the time when the latter was reported for duty with the Flying Camp.

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History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 11

Author: Snell, James P; Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885 Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Peck Number of Pages: 1170

Author: Snell, James P; Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1170