History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 6

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 6
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 6

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Soon after his arrival Rudyard selected as his con- selors Col. Lewis Morris, Capt. John Berry, Capt. John Palmer, Capt. William Sandford, Lawrence Andress, and Benjamin Price, before whom he was sworn into office ( Dec. 20, 1682) as deputy-governor. The previous " Concessions " were confirmed, and the Assembly called by Rudyard, which held three ses- sions during the year 1683 at Elizabethtown, " passed several acts of importance tending to the well-being

* Grahame, Il., p. 2ND; New Jersey Laws, 183-4-35. p. 175. Copies of the lense and release to the twelve are in the Secretary of State's office, Tron- ton, presented by descendants of Clement P'Innistend, one of the grantees. + Enst Jersey under the Proprietors, pp. 100-103.

Į Ibid., p. 118. Gordon gives, as the additional twelve, thirteen namen, among them Sir George Mackenzie, Robert Buruet, Petor Sonmans, Thomas Cox, and William Dockwra, who were all subsequent pur- chasers, Robert Turner ho calls Guicen Turner, and Thomas Warne, Thomas Nairne,-possibly clerical or typographienl errors. ¿ Wyune's British Empire, I., p. 206.

| Seo Allibone's " Dictionary of Authors" for a full sketch of his life and writings.

of the province." Among these were acts remodeling the criminal and penal codes, ete., and " An Act di- viding the province into four counties, and appointing a high-sheriff for each." The county of Bergen in- cluded all the settlements between the Hudson and Hackensack Rivers, and extended to the northern bounds of the province; Essex, all the country north of the dividing-line between Woodbridge and Eliza- bethtown and west of the Hackensack ; Middlesex, all from the Woodbridge line on the north to Cheese- quake Harbor on the southeast, and back southwest and northwest to the province bounds; and Mon- mouth comprised the residue. A point of variance between the deputy-governor and Groom, the sur- veyor-general, led to Barclay's supersedure by Gawen Lawrie, a London merchant and a proprietary, who was already deeply interested in West Jersey.

Although most of the proprietaries resided in Great Britain, still emigration and transfers of proprietary rights soon brought to East Jersey many persons who were directly interested in the soil,-resident prop- erty-holders,-who Aug. 1, 1684, established a " Board of Proprietors," composed of "all the proprietaries that might be from time to time in the province," and was designed " to act with the deputy-governor in the temporary approval of laws passed by the Assembly, the settlement of all disputes with the planters," etc. This board continuned to have prominent control within the province "of those concerns which were connected with the proprietary titles to the govern- ment and soil."{ Great pains was taken by the pro- prietary government to avoid a collision with the province of New York, whose Governor, Dongan, re- frained from any open act of hostility until 1685, when William Dyre was appointed collector of the customs.

The Duke of York was now (1685), by the death of Charles H., raised to the throne as James II., and, notwithstanding he had thrice conveyed and con- firmed to others all the rights, powers, and privileges he had in New Jersey, he resolved to extend his royal prerogative over it in order to increase his revenues. The proprietaries in England were not silent under this arbitrary action of the sovereign. In a petition to the king in couneil they specified some of the en- eroachments of Dongan, in relation to the seizure of vessels trading to New Jersey, as calculated to " over- throw one of the most hopeful colonies in America." In a remonstrance subsequently presented to the king they reminded him that they had not received the province as a gratuity, but had expended for it twelve thousand pounds ; that under his own confirmation of their title and assurance of protection they had sent thither several hundreds of people from Scotland, but as yet had received no returns ; and that, notwithstand- ing all these guarantees, their rights had been violated by the Governor of New York. They signified their

East Jersey under the Proprietors, p. 141.

HUNTERDON AND SOMERSET COUNTIES, NEW JERSEY.

willingness to submit to an imposition of the same customs that were levied in New York, and among other prayers requested that a customs officer might be appointed at Perth Amboy .* The last request was the only one granted, as it promised additional rev- enue and did not conflict with the designs he then had in view.

On the 6th of April, 1686, the Assembly met for the first time at the new seat of government, Perth Amboy. Lawrie was succeeded by Lord Neill Camp- bell, in the same year. His council was composed of Gawen Lawrie, Maj. John Berry, of Bergen, Isaac Kingsland, of New Barbadoes, Capt. Andrew Hamil- ton, of Amboy, Richard Townley, of Elizabethtown, Samuel Winder, of Cheesequakes, David Mudie and John Johnston, of Amboy, and Thomas Codrington, of Raritan. In 1687, Lord Campbell returned to Scotland, leaving Andrew Hamilton as his substitute, Under the operations of the writ of quo warranto, is- sued in 1686 against the proprietors by the order of King James, the king's pliant tool, Andros, commis- sioned as Governor over all New England, proceeded to extend his sway not only over that country, but over New Jersey, and, finding the king immovable in this determination, " the proprietaries of East Jersey considered it advisable to abandon the hopeless con- test for their previously-conceded privileges, and by facilitating the king's design obtain his guarantee to respect their right to the soil. They consequently made a formal surrender of their patent on this con- dition in April, 1688." The quo warranto process was stayed so far as affected East Jersey ; and, as the pro- prietaries of West Jersey also entered into the ar- rangement, a new commission was directed to Andros, annexing both provinces to his government, together with New York,-Governor Dongan being thus su- perseded,-with Francis Nicholson as his lieutenant. This made but little if any change in the government of East Jersey, as Andros wisely continued all their officers in their places.

In August, 1689, Hamilton left for Europe, and the people of East Jersey were left to the guardianship of their county and town officers from that time until 1692. "These, however, possessed ample powers to meet all common emergencies, and without any pres- sure from abroad, or attempted exercise of any dis- puted prerogative within the province by the agents of the proprietaries, the authority of these local mag- istrates appears to have been respected and the peace of the community preserved."+ Bancroft asserts that during this period East Jersey had no government whatever; but this is disputed by Whitehead and others, whose opinions are supported by a reference to the various charters and local regulations.

After the death of Governor Barclay, in 1690, the proprietaries appointed John Latham, and, in 1691,

Col. Joseph Dudley, as Governor, but the people "scrupled to obey both," although the reason is not given. Perth Amboy, the new capital, had grown to be an important village, and from thence the new set- tlers spread westward, entering upon the unbroken interior and establishing themselves on the banks of the Raritan, soon becoming sufficiently numerous to call for the erection of a new county ; hence Som- erset was set off from Middlesex in 1688, with a some- what larger territory than it has at present.

In September, 1692, Andrew Hamilton, who had been appointed Governor, arrived in Jersey, "and was received in a manner that removed every impedi- ment to the re-establishment of the proprietary gov- ernment."¿ He appointed John Barclay receiver- and surveyor-general, and Thomas Gordon resident secretary. On the 14th of the month he selected as his council Capt. Isaac Kingsland, Capt. Andrew Bowne, John Inians, of Raritan River, David Mudie,¿ James Dundas, John Royce, of Roycefield, Samuel Dennis, John Bishop, and Lewis Morris. September 28th a General Assembly convened at Perth Amboy, at which the laws passed subsequent to 1682 were, with a few exceptions, re-enacted and others amended. An act was also passed authorizing a special tax of four hundred pounds to lighten the burden of New York in the war between England and France, the frontier settlements being much exposed to expedi- tions from Canada. This action must have been prompted by a sense of duty, as East Jersey had no . danger to apprehend from the French, and certainly at this time had no nnusual regard for the interests of New York. In 1696 similar projects for the relief of New York found little favor. |

From 1692 to 1696 a more quiet condition of affairs prevailed than had existed for years, but dissensions were not yet at an end. Considerable agitation pre- vailed concerning the payment of quit-rents, but no adjustment of the matter was arrived at. The first judicial decision respecting land-titles was obtained in 1695, the judgment being in favor of the party claiming under the proprietary grants. This was ren- dered of non-effect by the reversal of the king in council on account of a technical informality in the proceedings.

In 1697 the proprietaries in England appointed Jeremiah Basse to succeed Governor Hamilton, and much dissatisfaction was felt and expressed in both Jerseys when it was found he had not received the royal approbation, but only the support of the pro- prietors. For that reason he postponed calling the Assembly together, but rather sought to make friends from among the opponents of that body. It was not until Feb. 21, 1699, that he convened the Assembly. Basse's first court was held in May, 1698, the record of which bears this entry :

" East Jersey under the Proprietaries, pp. 141-146.

+ Ibll., p. 184.

į Ibid., p. 188.

¿ Richard Hartshorne succeeded Mudie in 1695.

| Whitehead : Eust Jersey under the Proprietaries, p. 191.

HUNTERDON AND SOMERSET COUNTIES IN THE REVOLUTION.

" Lewis Morris, Esq., camo in open Court and demanded by what au- thoritio they kept Court. The Court declared by ye Kings Authoritie. Ile denied It & being asked, Who was dissatisfied besldes himself, he said Ono and all. The court commanding ye said Morris to be taken in ens- tody, Cel. Richard Townley, Andrew Hampton, both of Elizabethtown, & three or four moro, cried one and all, and ye said Lewis Morris said he would faln soe who durst lay held on him-and when a Constable by order of ye Court laid hold on him, ho, in ye face of ye Court, resisted."#

Soon after (1699) followed the passage of a bill by the Assembly excluding from that body "any pro- prietor or representative of one." This was the out- come of the opposition of George Willockst to a bill before the Assembly, which was passed, and a writ issued by the Governor for the election of a member of Assembly in his stead. Thus were the proprietary interests endangered. The unjust action and harass- ing proceedings of New York in relation to the trade of the province formed another source of trouble. Governor Bellamont, of New York, tried to obstruct the foreign trade of East Jersey, and even forbade the printing in New York of proclamations which Gov- ernor Basse was anxious to distribute, making known the establishment of the ports of Perth Amboy and Burlington. Bellamont also published a proclama- tion, based upon an order he had obtained from the Crown, denying the right of the proprietors of East and West Jersey to the privilege of ports. Governor Basse resisted with much spirit. He put a cargo on board the ship " Hester," lying at Perth Amboy, and it was about to sail, when Bellamont sent down an armed force, seized the vessel and brought her to the city ; and, as Basse refused to have her cleared from New York, she was condemned in the Court of Ad- miralty. These difficulties continued until 1700, when Basse's claim for damages enme before the Court of King's Bench, resulting in an award to Basse and the thorough establishment of the right of East Jersey to the privileges of a port.

If Governor Basse met with opposition from the people at first, he found it greatly increased as months passed. Indeed, there were serious apprehensions of an insurrection under the leadership of Willocks and Morris. Nor were matters improved by the action of the citizens of Perth Amboy in returning Lewis Morris to the seat in the Assembly declared vacant by the dismissal of Willocks. Although both were cited to appear before the court at its October term, -which citation they refused to obey,-and although both the Council and Assembly became involved in this vox- atious issue, it does not appear that they were tried, for every month brought greater anarchy, until Basse's government was openly defied. Aug. 19, 1699, Gover- nor Hamilton was reinstated, notwithstanding Basse's efforts to prevent it; but he did not arrive in the province until December, prior to which time Basse had sailed for England. Hamilton's course being one

of pacifieation,# his authority was at first generally submitted to ; but this was not to last long, for there was still a numerous party who held a deep-rooted aversion to the proprietary government, no matter by whom represented. The majority of the Assembly were of this class, and when Hamilton dissolved the Assembly, May 31st, the day after it first convened, "the validity of his commission was for the first time openly called in question. Tumultuous and seditious meetings were subsequently held, the justices ap- pointed by him were assaulted while sitting in open court by bodies of armed men, the sheriff's were at- tacked and wounded when in the discharge of their duties, and every exertion made to seduce those peace- ably disposed from their allegiance to the government ; so that this period became known in after-years as 'the Revolution.'"} Of this critical time Whitehead says,-

" A crisis had evidently arrived in the affairs of the province which the proprietors were not prepared to encounter successfully. As a body they had become so numerous, so scattered,-somio lu England, some lu Scotland, and somo in America, -- and so divided In interests, that noan- Imity in council could scarcely be expected; and yet the inhabitants wero puraning such a system of measures as required the utmost wisdom to project, with equal firmness and union to administer, such remedies as could alone lead to the ro-establishment of peace and regularity : without these necessary qualities to control their opponents, but one result conkl be anticipated."1

Full soon came the end. The surrender of the government by the proprietaries was perfected on paper April 15, 1702, and, on the 25th of July, Queen Anne selected Edward Hyde, Lord Viscount Corn- bury, as Governor of the to-be-united provinces.

CHAPTER V.

HUNTERDON AND SOMERSET COUNTIES IN THE REVOLUTION.

The Conflict Commonces-Governor Franklin's Opposition-The Com- mittoo of Correspondonce and Inquiry-Meetings in Huntordon and Sonierset-First Provincial Congress-Township Meetings-The Mili- tla and " Minate-Men" -- The "Committee of Safety"-Scarcity of Arms and Amumuition-The Hunterdon and Somerset Troops ordered to March-The Colony of New Jersey transformed into an Indepen- dent Stato-The Flying-Camp-Retreat of the American Army-The Enomy's Advance through New Jersey-Capture of Gen. Lee-Crowing the Delaware-The Fights at Trenton and Awanpink-Battle of Princeton-Washington at Plnckumin-Captain LesHo-The Army gees Into Winter Quarters at Morristown.

FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE STRUGGLE TO THE BATTLE OF PRINCETON.

THE stories of the part taken by the counties of Ilunterdon and Somerset in the war of the Revolu- tion, and of what the people of these counties did and suffered and sacrificed in the great struggle for national independence, do not necessarily, nor in- deed properly, include a detailed account of all the long and bloody conflict between the colonies and the mother-country, but only of such of its military and

* Knut Jersey Records, For this contempt the court fined him fifty pounds, and ordered bit " to be committed to prison till judd."-New Jersey Colonial Documents.

t He was agent for the proprietors to collect quit-rents and arrearages, and also a member of Assembly.

: He wisely restored Morris to the Council.

¿ Bill In Chancery ; East Jersey under tho Proprietaries.

[ East Jersey under the Proprietaries, p. 21%.

HUNTERDON AND SOMERSET COUNTIES, NEW JERSEY.

civil events as occurred within or in the near vicinity of the territory of the two counties, and of such parts of the Revolutionary drama as, being enacted else- where, were yet participated in by men of Hunterdon and Somerset as prominent actors.

The causes which drove the American colonies into the conflict which finally resulted in their separation from Great Britain have been too frequently enumer- ated and too fully set forth in general history to need a recital here. These causes first began to operate between the years 1760 and 1765, when measures were proposed in the British Parliament looking to the taxation of the American subjects of the English king to raise a revenue for the support of the home government. The general feeling of discontent awakened among the colonists by the inauguration of these measures was intensified by the subsequent passage of the odions "Stamp Act," the imposition of a duty on tea, and other similar schemes of taxa- tion ; so that, when intelligence was received of the passage of the "Boston Port Bill," on the 31st of March, 1774, there arose an almost universal murmur of indignant remonstrance against a policy which was stigmatized as unendurable tyranny. The measure last named had been directed especially against the chief port of New England, but all the other colonies were in sympathy with that of Massachusetts Bay and made her cause their own, as well they might, for it was clear to the understanding of all intelligent persons that if such acts of oppression were submitted to in Boston, they would ere long be enforced in all the colonies, from New Hampshire to Georgia.

This conviction produced among the people a feel- ing, not of indignation alone, but of alarm at the dangerous invasion of their rights ; and, although as yet there had been awakened no general sentiment of disloyalty to King George, there were not a few among the more clear-sighted of the colonists who even then foresaw that they might, and probably would, be finally driven to the dread alternative of armed resist- ance. "Nothing could have been devised" by the wit of man more effective for the speedy education and enlightenment of the people of the colonies than these obnoxious measures. The colony of New Jer- sey broke out in a simultaneous blaze of indignation from Sussex to Cape May, and immediate measures were taken to organize the various counties into a combination of the friends of liberty which should secure promptitude and unity of action throughout the province."

It was not the passage of the Port Bill, however, which first led the friends of liberty in this province to combine for mutual safety, for it is found that more than seven weeks before the passage of that act, and three monthst before the announcement had reached

the shores of America, a general " Committee of Cor- respondence and Inquiry" had been constituted here, having for its object consultation with the most prom- inent men in the New Jersey counties, and corre- spondence with similar committees in other colonies. The particulars of the formation of this committee, its composition, and the duties with which it was charged are shown by the following extract from the Minutes of the House of Assembly of New Jersey, dated New Brunswick, Tuesday, February 8, 1774,-viz. :

" The House resumed the consideration of the several Letters and Resolutions of the other Houses of Assembly on the subject-matter of the common Rights and Liberties of the Coloniee ; and the House re- solved itself into a Committee of the whole House upon Matters afore- said ; and after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the Chair, and Mr. Crane, Chairman of the Committee (by order of the House), reported the Resolutions of the Committee, ae follows, viz. :

" I. Resolved, That it is the opinion of this Committee that the House should heartily accept of the Invitationt to a mutual Correspondence and Intercourse with our Sister-Colonies ; to which the House agreed Nemine Contradicente.

"2. Resolved, That it is the opinion of this committee that a Standing Committee of Correspondence and Inquiry be appointed, to consist of the following persons, to wit: James Kinsey, Stephen Crane, Hendrick Fisher,¿ Samuel Tucker, | John Wetherill, Robert Friend Price, John Hinchman, John Mehelm| and Edward Taylor, Esquires, or any five of them, whose business it shall be to obtain the most early and authentick intelligence of all Acts and Resolutions of the Parliament of Great Britain, or the Proceedings of Administration that may have any Rela- tion to, or may affect the Liberties and Privileges of His Majesty's Sub- jects in the British Colonies in America, and to keep up and maintain a Correspondence and Communication with our Sister-Colonies respecting these important considerations ; and that they do occasionally lay their Proceedings before the House ; to which the House agreed Nemine Con- tradicente.

"3. Resolved, That it is the opinion of this Committee that the said Committee of Correspondence do write Letters to the several Speakers of the Assemblies on the Continent of America, inclosing these Resolu- tions, and requesting them to lay the same before their respective As- semblies; and that they do return the Thanks of the House to the Bur- gesses of Virginia for their early Attention to the Liberties of America; to which the House agreed Nemine Contradicente."

The Governor, William Franklin (son of Dr. Ben- jamin Franklin, but, unlike his father, a man of strong royalist proclivities), was opposed to the for- mation of such a committee, and in a letter written by him to the Earl of Dartmouth, on the 31st of May, 1774, expressed his opinion as follows :

"The Virginia Assembly some time ago appointed a Committee of Correspondence, to correspond with all the other Assemblies on the Con- tinent, which example has been followed by every other House of Rep- resentatives. I was in hopes that the Assembly of this Province would not have gone into the measure; for though they met on the 10th of No- vember, yet they avoided taking the matter into consideration, though frequently urged by some of the mombers, until the 8th of February, and then I believe they would not have gone into it but that the Assem- bly of New York had just before resolved to appoint such a committee, and they did not choose to appear singular."

On the 1st of June, the day next following the date of Governor Franklin's letter, a meeting (probably the first one) of the Committee of Correspondence and Inquiry was held at New Brunswick, and a brief

% The language of Mr. Charles D. Deshler in a paper read by him before the New Brunswick Historical Club at its fifth anniversary, Dec. 16, 1875. + The news of the passage of the Port Act was received in Boston on the 10th of May.

# The "invitation" referred to was a proposition made by the House of Burgesses of the colony of Virginia to the Assembly of New Jersey to appoint from its members a Standing Committee of Correspondence for the objects referred to above.

¿ Of Somerset County.

„ of llunterdon County.

HUNTERDON AND SOMERSET COUNTIES IN THE REVOLUTION.

mention of it is found*'in a letter written by one of the members of the committee, under date of July 2, 1774, from which the following is extracted,-viz. :

" I returned yesterday from New Brunswick, where six of our Com- mitteo met. Wo unsworod the Boston letters, informing them that wo look on Now Jersoy as eventually in the samo predicament with Boston, and that wo will do ovorything which may be generally agreed on. We have signed a request to the Governor to call the General Assemblyt to meet nt auch time as His Excellency may think proper before the first of August next. Our Committee is woll disposed in the cuuso of American freedom."

Of the nine members of this first Committee of Correspondence for the colony of New Jersey, three were furnished by Hunterdon and Somerset,-namely, Samuel Tucker and John Mchelm of the former, and Hendrick Fisher of the latter county.

The meeting of the committee at New Brunswick was immediately followed by gatherings of the people in nearly all of the counties in New Jersey. The ub- jeet of these meetings (which were convened at the call of prominent and influential citizens of the sey- eral counties) was to perfect, as far as possible, a gen- eral organization of citizens opposed to encroach- ments on the rights of the colonies by the home government, and especially to provide for the selec- tion of persons to represent them in a general Con- gress of Deputies from the several colonies, proposed by the Burgesses of Virginia, to be held for the pur- pose of forming a plan of union, and, in general, to devise measures for the public welfare.

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History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 6

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