History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 18

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 18
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 18

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

# The forces encountered by Lord Stirling on this occasion were com- posed of three regiments of Hessian grenadiers, one regiment of British grenadiers, one British regiment of light infantry, the llessian chusseurs, and the Queen's Rangers. Stirling also knew that the heavier column, under Howe, was close in the rear and would soon reinforce Cornwallis; in which event his (Stirling's) command must have been cut to pieces lnul he attempted to hold his ground.

+ " The enemy," said Howe in his report, " was pursued as far as West- field with little effect, the day proving so intensely hot that the soldiers could with difficulty continue their march thither. In the mean tione it gave opportunity for those flying to escape by skulking in the thick woods until night favored their retreat to the mountain. The army lay that night at Westfield, roturned the next day to Rahway, and the day following to Amboy. On the 30th, at ten o'clock in the forenoon, the troops began to cross over to Staten Island, and the rear-guard, under the command of Lord Cornwallis, passed at two in the afternoon without the least appearance of an enemy."

HUNTERDON AND SOMERSET COUNTIES IN THE REVOLUTION.

the bold bluff now so well known as 'Washington's Rock,' he was able to distinguish any important man- œuvre the foe might choose to make. It was three o'clock on Friday afternoon [June 27th] that the English generals, seeing Washington's impregnable position, took up their line of march from Westfield to Amboy, assaulted flank and rear by Scott's Light- Horse and Morgan's Rangers. They encamped that night at Spanktown [ Rahway]. The next day, har- assed as before, they resumed their retreat and arrived at Amboy, from which, on the last day of June, they departed, leaving New Jersey in possession of the American army. During the remainder of the war the latter held Amboy, and the State was never again so completely overrun with marauders and British troops, although many parties entered it for pillage from hostile camps in adjoining States."*

When the last of the British troops had left Amboy and crossed to Staten Island, with the evident inten- tion of embarking on the ships of the fleet, Gen. Washington was in great doubt, and felt no little anxiety as to their destination,-whether it was Howe's intention to take the route by sea and the Delaware Bay to Philadelphia, or to proceed up the Hudson to co-operate with Burgoyne in his southward advance down the upper valley of that river. As the latter seemed rather the more probable, the American army soon after evacuated its position at Middlebrook and moved northward to Pompton Plains, where, and at other points between there and the Hudson, it was stationed until it was ascertained, about two weeks later, that the British fleet, with the armyt on board, had actually gone to sea with the apparent intention of making a movement against Philadelphia. There- upon the American army was again put in motion, and proceeded by casy marchest across the State, through the counties of Somerset and Hunterdon, to the Delaware River, which was reached by the heads of his columns at three different points (Trenton, Coryell's and Howell's Ferries; on the 28th of July. The commander-in-chief moved with the centre col- umn to Coryell's ( Lambertville), from which place he wrote to the president of Congress as follows:

" CORYEL'S FERRY, JERSEY, July 30, 1777.

" SIR,-I do myself the honour to inform you that I arrived here ou the twenty-eighth, at night, with Gen. Greene's division, une brigade of which passed the river that evening, that the whole might encamp tho

* Dally'a Woodbridge and Vicinity.

+ The British Heet left New York Bay, "having on bound Gion. Howe and thirty-six British and Howsinn battalions, including light infantry and grenadiers, with a powerful artillery, a New York corps called tho Queen's Rangers, and n regiment of light-horse. The reshlue of the army was divhled betwoon New York nmt Rhode Island."-Gordon, P. 245.

I Washington did not move towards the Delaware by forced marches, for he still had a stapleton that lowe's going to son was morely a feint, and that his real intention was to return and proceed up the Hudson, in which cuao the American army would bo compelled to march back ngalu, nud, In any event, Washington knew that he had more than anfficient tino to reach Philadelphia in advance of Hone, when it should become certain that the latter was really moving against that city.

more commodlonely. Gen. Stephen, with his own and Lincoln's division, also arrived n little time after nt llowell's Ferry, four miles alove this.

" I have thought proper to halt the whole army at these two places nuul at Trenton till our knowledge of the enemy's destination becomes more certain. If the Delaware Is their object, wo are now within two dnyN' eusy march of Philadelphia, and can be there In time, I trust, to make every necessary disposition for opposing them. On the other hand, If Gen. Ilowe, by this expedition to sen, only means a deep feint, and whouhl turn his attention agalo to the North River, we can from heuce reinforce Gen, l'uteam's army more expeditiously than if wo wero farther advanced.

" The Importance of my receiving the earliest intelligence of the fleet's arrival is apparent ; and Congress, I am certain, will direct proper meas- ures for obtaining it, and also for transmitting it to me in the nivet speedy manner. If authentie advice should be had of the fleet's coming into Delaware at the same time that it is communicated to me, it will be proper that an express should be sent to bord stirling or the command- Ing officer ot Trenton, to advance with all the troops from thence. Should this not be done, the marching of the troops there will be con- sidernbly delayed.

" I have the honor to be, etc., " G. W."

The next day he sent the following message :

" CORYEL's, July 31, ten o'clock A.M.

"SIR, -- I am this moment honoured with yours of five o'clock this moru- ing, and have accordingly set the army in motion. Ono division had crossed the Delaware the day before yesterday ; and I am in hopes tho whole of the troops now hero will be able to reach Philadelphia to-mor- row evening. Lord Stirling's division lies just in my rear, and will move on with us. I propose setting off for your city as soon as I can get the chief part of the army over.

"I nm, with the greatest respect, etc., " G. W."¿

The main body of the army struck the river at Coryell's and Howell's Ferries, the division of Lord Stirling forming the column which crossed at Tren- ton. Anticipating this movement, Washington had requested President Wharton to have accurate drafts made of the river and its approaches. This had been done, and boats for the passage of the army across the stream had been collected at New Hope and points above. Having crossed the river to the Pennsylvania shore on the 29th and 30th at Coryell's and Howell's, the main body of the army were put in march down the York road in the morning of the 31st of July, Gen. Washington starting at the same time for Phila- delphia, where he arrived on the 2d of August. Two or three days later he rode out from the city to fier- mantown, where he found the main body of the army. At about that time information was received which led to the belief that Ilowe had returned to Sandy Hook, and upon this the army was put in motion to retrace its steps towards Coryell's, but only reached Hartsville, Bucks C'o., Pa., when it was halted by reason of an express having arrived with dispatches from Congress contradicting the report of Howe's re- turn to New York. The forces then remained en- ramped along the Neshaminy Hills for thirteen days, when, un the morning of the 23d, on receipt of posi- tive intelligence that the British fleet had appeared at the head of the Chesapeake, and that the forces had landed, or were about landing, at the head of navi-

¿ " Omrinl Letters of Washington to the American Congres" vol. il. pp. 123, 1211, Boston, 1796, copied by special permission from the original papers preserved in the office of the Secretary of State, Philadelphia.

HUNTERDON AND SOMERSET COUNTIES, NEW JERSEY.

gation on the Elk River, the army was again put in motion, and, passing through Philadelphia and across the Schuylkill on the 24th, moved southward. The movement resulted, on the 11th of September, in the disastrous battle of the Brandywine, in which conflict the commands of Lord Stirling and Gen. Maxwell (containing a large number of Hunterdon and Somer- set County men) took a prominent part.

The battle of Brandywine was followed by the ad- journment of Congress to Lancaster, Pa., the British occupation of Philadelphia (September 26th), and by the battle of Germantown (October 4th), which re- sulted in disaster to the American army, and in which, as at Brandywine, the New Jersey troops under Stir- ling and Maxwell fought gallantly. After that un- fortunate battle Washington took up a position at Whitemarsh, from which point it was his original in- tention to advance on Philadelphia; but this enter- prise was abandoned, aud he soon after moved his forces to Valley Forge, where they went into winter quarters.

Meanwhile, during the part of the year which suc- ceeded the departure of the armies of Washington and Howe from New Jersey, the State, though freed from the presence of large bodies of troops, was still the theatre of some minor military operations. When Howe embarked his army for Philadelphia he left on Staten Island between two and three thousand men, of whom about sixteen hundred were European troops and nearly one thousand were loyal provincials. This provincial force made frequent raids into New Jersey, doing much damage, but always making a short stay, and retreating rapidly back to the island, where they were under the protection of the European troops. On one of these occasions they had penetrated to Woodbridge, and taken captive twelve persons strongly attached to the patriot cause. On account of these incursions, Gen. Sullivan projected an expedition to Staten Island for the purpose of capturing this pro- vincial force, whose camping-places were at different points along the island shore, opposite the Jersey coast, and so far distant from the camp of their Eu- ropean allies that it was believed they might be taken without alarming the foreign troops. The force de- tailed by Sullivan, and accompanied by him in per- son, was composed of the select troops of his division, with a body of militia, the latter under command of Col. Frederick Frelinghuysen. The expedition, how- ever, met with quite as much of disaster as of success ; for, having effected a crossing before daylight unper- ceived by the enemy, it was afterwards misled by the guides, which caused such an interference with the preconcerted plan of attack that one entire battalion of the enemy made its escape, and, although a num- ber of officers and men of the other commands were taken, the alarm was given to the British regulars, a part of whom, under Gen. Campbell, advanced to attack Sullivan, who thereupon retreated to his boats,

but was compelled to leave his rear-guard as prisoners of war in the hands of the British. According to his report to the commander-in-chief, he brought off eleven officers and one hundred and thirty privates prisoners, aud killed and wounded a considerable number of the enemy ; while his own loss was stated at three officers and ten privates killed and fifteen wounded, and nine officers and one huudred and twenty-seven privates taken prisoners; so that the losses on each side appear to have been about equal.

The following letter was written by Col. Freling- huysen* to Governor Livingston immediately after the return of the Staten Island expedition. It is given here, not on account of any especial mention of that affair found in it, but because it was written by a distinguished soldier and citizen of Somerset County, and because it has reference to some of the public matters of that time :

" RARITAN, Aug. 25, 1777. . "DEAR SIR,-I expected yesterday to find Your Excellency at Morris- town, and am extremely sorry that Your Excellency left the place be- fore I arrived. I have so much to communicate, and so much to com- plain of, that I am extremely anxious to see you, but conceive it my duty to repair again to my station before night, which I could not reach should I first go to Princeton. I am, besides, so much fatigued by losing my rest for two nights past that I must necessarily choose the shortest road.

" Col. Middah waits upon you, and will represent to Your Excellency several things concerning which I have not time to write. In par- ticular, the colonel will acquaint you with the circumstances of the affair on Staten Island ; for I suppose my letter on that subject, having been sent to Morris, is not received. The principal matter on which I am so desirous of conversing with Your Excellency is the unhappy con- dition of our State. The Continental troops are to march towarde Phila- delphia. The militia who have turned out are a trifling number, the enemy are encouraged and irritated. The consequences, I fear, will be fatal to tlint county,-nay, I have reason to believe the enemy will not lay idle after the removal of the Continental troops. Is it not in Your Excellency'e power to prevail upon Gen. Sullivan to leave one of the Jersey regiments ? If so, it is the only means, I believe, which can be used for the salvation of that county [Monmouth]. I must certainly fall a prey to the enemy with my little party if the enemy choose to come down and we attempt to drive them back. I fear much the loss of character, but I am most concerned for the poor inhabitants and their property. I am, however, determined to exert my ntmost abilities for the defense of this State, and I trust I shall not be blamed for any of my futuro conduct by those who are unacquainted with my situation. I must inform Your Excellency that I have four prisoners who were taken up as spies, having been with the enemy all winter, and are now making their appearance among us; I shall send them on with the two before upprehonded. Your Excellency's directions respecting euch meas- ures as Col. Middah will mention I hope will be immediately forwarded, especially with reference to the procuring of ammunition, I must not forget to congratulate Your Excellency on the great loyalty of Hunter- don County.

"On Saturday arrived at Elizabethtown Liont .- Col. Houghton, with one private, n baggage-wagon, and two horses.f The colonel says it is occasioned by a report having been industriously spread among the in- habitants that Gen, Dickinson advised them by no means to go, there being no need of nuy militia; that their being called upon wne solely owing to a whimsical notion of Gen. Hinds. Something, doubtless, must be done immediately upon my arrival at Elizabethtown. I shall order Col. Houghton to return and wait upon Your Excellency. I dare

* New Jersey Rev. Correspondence, p. 94.

+ The inference is that all the rest of the regiment or battalion had deserted. Perhaps this is the incident referred to by Gen. Putnam when, in mentioning the desertions occurring during the summer succeeding the battle of Princeton, he said that the militia deserted in bodies, and that in one case an entire command ran away, except one officer and a lame man.

HUNTERDON AND SOMERSET COUNTIES IN THE REVOLUTION.

Bny the account of Gen. Sullivan's conduct in the affair of Staten Island will caudo some unensy sensations. I wish I may be wrong in my opinion, but I seriously believe that, upon mqniry, nothing but the mont unpardonable neglect will be found the cause of our loes, I sond by Col. M. three letters which I received last night.

" I am Your Excelloney's most obedient and most honorable servant. " FREDK. FRELINORCYSEN.

"1HB EXCELLENCY GOV. LIVINGSTON."

About three weeks after the affair at Staten Island the disaster on the Brandywine made it necessary that the Jersey militia, as well as the militia of other States, should be sent to reinforce Gen. Washington's army. The request of Congress to this effect was transmitted by its president, John Hancock, on the 12th of Sep- tember, to Governor Livingston, who immediately ordered the militia forward under command of Gen. Armstrong. The number asked for by Congress was four thousand from New Jersey, and, although the entire quota was not filled, all the militia companies which were available at the time (less than a thousand men) crossed the Delaware and joined Washington in Pennsylvania. At the same time a column of American troops which had been stationed at Peeks- kill-on-the-Hudson, moving from that point, entered and crossed the State of New Jersey, marching through Somerset and Hunterdon Counties, and reported to Washington about the Ist of October.

Soon after the battle of Germantown the New Jer- sey militia were sent back to their own State, where their presence was thought to be necessary on account of the threatening attitude of Sir Henry Clinton, the British commander in New York, who early in Sep- tember had invaded the State with three thousand men in two columns, one moving by way of Eliza- bethtown Point and the other by Fort Lee, and unit- ing at New Bridge, above Hackensack. He remained in the State but a few days, but his presence and his threatening attitude after his withdrawal created a general alarm, which continued through the fall and succeeding winter. In this connection the following extract from the Minutes of the Council of Safety of New Jersey is given,-viz. :

" MONDAY, 17th Nov., 1777.

"The Council met at Princeton. . . . Ilis Excellency produced to the Board a letter from the Rovd Mr Caldwell to Mujr Gent Dickinson dated the 22 October last, containing his report to Gen1 Dickinson who had been requested by the Board to Inform of the most proper place to fix beacons, and appoint alarm posts, by which It appears to this Board most expe- dient to remove the piece of Cannon" now lying at Princeton to the mountain thut nearly divides the space between Elizabeth and Morris- town, to bo put undor Guard of the Man who lives where the said Can- non Is to be fixed, and a few of his neighbors, who ought to be exempted from Military Duty. That it would further be proper to ereet a pile on the Hill where We MeGre formerly livod, whenco the Grand from the said Mountain may soo the fire or smoke, and by that means know that the Guns fred at Elizabeth Town are intended for an aların & upon that xigual fire the Cannon on the Mountain. The Council hereupon agreed

* Probably the cannon which Count Donop had mounted on his carth- work at Princeton, captured by Washington on the 3d of January, and afterwards loft there by the British on their withdrawal from the place, -supposed to be the same gun which is still in existenro on the college campus in that town, having been brought back there many years after being used as above indicated.

That Mr Caldwell be desired to carry the alive Plan into execution, and to transmit to the Board an account of the expenses attending the slune."

About the 18th of October the welcome intelligence was received in New Jersey of the surrender of Bur- guyne to Gen. Gates at Saratoga.t When the news came to Gen. Washington he at once issued orders to all outlying detachments to stop all stragglers from making their way to the enemy, who then had pos- session of Philadelphia. An official dispatch from Burgoyne to Gen. Hlowe had come as far as Basking Ridge, in Somerset County, where (as it was feared it might be captured by the Americans if it proceeded any farther in charge of the male messenger) it was intrusted to a woman,-doubtless the wife of one of the Tories of that vicinity,-who took it and pro- ceeded on horseback towards Philadelphia ; but she had not passed over a great part of the distance when she was halted by Capt. Craig, of the American army, and on taking off her bonnet (which operation she resisted most energetically ) the dispatch was dis- covered ; but after an examination of its contents she was remounted, the dispatch given back to her, and she was allowed to proceed on her journey towards Gen. Howe's headquarters, the captain bidding her godspeed with the remark that "if she had such news to take to the British commander, she might be off as soon as she pleased."#

During the month of September in that year two distinguished Tories of Pennsylvania, Messrs, Penn and Chew, respectively the royalist Governor and chief justice of that State, were removed thence by the Continental authorities and placed under surveil- lance in Hunterdon County. The dissatisfaction cre- ated in New Jersey by this proceeding is shown by the proceedings of the Council of Safety and by a let- ter from the Executive, given below. The following is from the Minutes of the council :

" SATURDAY, 4th October, 1777. " Presont Ilis Excellency We Livingston, Mr. Condict, Mr. Scodder, M' Paterson, M' Camp, Mir. Elmer. . .. It being represented to the President & Council of Safety : That the late Goyr Penn, of Pennsylvania, and Henje ('how, Esqt, late C'. Justice of the same State, have been per- mitted by the Honthe Board of War to reside at or near the Union .¿ In the Ce of Hunterdon : Agreed, That a lottor be written to the Honble Congress, informing them of the Impropriety of suffering disaffected per-

+ In a letter written by William Paterson to Governor Livingston, dated Morristown, Oct. 18, 1777, is found the following : " ... Glorious news ! Glorious news! Gon. Burgoyne has surrendered himself and his whole army prisoners of war to Gen. Gates. I believe this intelligence may be depended upon ; It comes quite direct. The bearer will Inform Your Excellency more particularly."-New Jersey Revolutionary Corre- spondence, p. 109.

Philadelphia Bulletin.

¿ " This I'nion was the iron-works within a few miles of the home of Cols, Stewart und Joboston. Near the furnaces was the house occupied by Mr. Taylor, the superintendent. He was a patriot. In this bonse, which now forms a part of the residence of Lewis HI. Taylor [at High Bridge], Penn and the attorney-general, Chew, were confined six months As prisoners of war, itt charge of Mr. Taylor. Tradition reports that they brought their servants with them, and an Indian fiddler to begule the hours of their captivity. Governor Penn presented Mr. Taylor with a copy of Dalrymple's ' Memoirs,' with his autograph njuin the title-page." - Molt's Hunterdon County.

HUNTERDON AND SOMERSET COUNTIES, NEW JERSEY.

sons to remain on parole iu this State, as it is nearly encircled by the Enemy; or if it be suffered, That the above persons be removed from their present situation to some more secure & better affected part of the State; and that the Executive Departut of this State have the disposal of them, so far as respects the place of their residence."

In conformity to this resolution of the council, Governor Livingston wrote the President of Congress as follows :

" PRINCETON, October 4, 1777.

"SIR,-The council a few days ago was informed, but not officially 60, that Mr. Penn, late Governor, and Mr. Chew, late chief justice, of Penn- sylvania, with some others, had been removed to the Union, in the county of Hunterdon, by order of the Hon. Board of War. We are extremely sorry that persons of their political caste and rank in life should have been seut into this State, which is nearly encircled by the enemy, to say nothing of our domestic foes. Wherever the enemy go, they never fail to make friends and abettors, or at least to call up ench into active life in their favor as during their absence remained in a sort of inactivity. We have suffered extremely from persons noder parole. A course of experi- ence has fully convinced us that they have always tinctured the neigh- borhood in which they have been fixed with Toryism and disaffection. There is hardly a county in this State which is not at present exposed to the iocursions of the enemy ; and therefore we submit it, whether it be proper to send any suspected persons into it. They have an impercepti- ble and baleful influence even upon the well [affected. We request, therefore, that the above gentlemen may be removed ioto some other State as soon as possible. Of all Jersey, the spot in which they are at present is the very spot in which they ought not to be .* It has always been considerably disaffected, and still continues so not- withstanding all our efforts, owing, we imagine, in part, to the inter- este, connections, and influence of Mr. John Allen, brother-in-law of Mr. Penn, who is now with the enemy. Of this the Board of War must have been entirely ignorant, otherwise they would not have made such an order of removal. And we are willing to ascribe it to the hurry and multiplicity of their business that either the honorable the Congress or the Board of War should have selected any part of New Jersey as a prison for malcontents without first notifying the same to the executive power of the State. Nor can we persuade ourselves that they will have any objection against onr removing the before-mentioned prisoners out of this State to ench other parts of the country as Congress may think most fit for their Safety ; or, if they must remain in this State, to leave it to our direction io wbat particular locality they are likely to do the least mischief.t

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 18

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