History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 7

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 7
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 7

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The first of this series of local meetings was held by " the Frecholders and Inhabitants of Lower Free- hold, in the county of Monmouth, in New Jersey, on Monday, the 6th day of June, 1774, after due notice given of the time, place, and occasion of this meet- ing." The next meeting was in Essex County, held at the court-house in Newark, on Saturday, June 11th. This was followed by meetings held in Bergen County on the 25th, and in Morris County on the 27th of the same month. It is known that the people of Som- erset County were convened in the same manner, at about the same time, and for the same purposes, but neither the exact date nor any minutes of the pro- veedings of the meeting have been found. The rec- ord of the Hunterdon County meeting has been preserved, and is as follows :

" The Frecholders and Inhabitants of Hunterdon County, In the Province of New Jersey, convened by advertisement ist the house of John Ringo, In Amwell, in sald county, on Friday, the 8th July, 1774, Samuel Tucker, Esq., in the chair, came into the following Resolutions without a dissenting voice,-viz. :

" 1. We do most expressly dorlure, recognize, and neknowledge TilN Mnjosty King George the Third to be the Inwful und rightful King of Great Britain nud of all other his Dominlone, and that it is the imis-

. Vide Minutes of the Provincial Congress and Connell of Safety, 1775 -76, p. 4.

+ In a letter addressed by Governor Franklin to the Earl of Dartmouth dated Burlington, June 18, 1774, he said, "I have likewho had an up- pHention made to me by some of the members of the House of Repre- sentatives to call a meeting of the General Assembly In August neal, with which I have not nor shall not comply, as there Is no putchi . busi- ness of the province which can make such a meeting necessary."

pensable duty of this Colony, under the enjoyment of our constitutional privileges and immunities, ns being a part of His Majesty's Dominions, always to bear faithful and true allegianco to IHis Majesty, and him to defend to the utanest of our power against all attempts upon his person, crown, and dignity.

"2. That It Is the undoubted hereditary right of an English subject to givo and grant what is absolutely his own, either by himself or his Rep- resentatives; and that the only Inwful Representatives of the freemon of this Colony are the persons they elect to serve as members of the Gonoral Assembly thereof.

"3. That any Act of Partiament for the apprehending and carrying of persons jato another Colony or to Great Britidn to bo tried for any crime alleged to be committed within this Colony, or subjecting them to bo triod by Commissioners, or nuy Court constituted by Act of ParHament or otherwise, within this Colony, In a summary way without a jury of this vicinago, Is unconstitutional and subversive of the rights nud Ilbor- ties of the free subjects of this Colony.

"4. That it is our indispensable duty, which we owe to our King, our country, ourselves, and our posterity, by all Jawfal ways and means in our power, to maintain, defend, and preserve our loyalty, rights, nad liberties, and to transmit them inviolato to the latest generations ; nad tlust it is onr fixed, determined, and unniterablo resolution faithfully to discharge this our bounden duty.

"5. That it is our unanimous opinion that it would conduce to the restoration of the liberties of America should the Colonies enter into n joint agreement not to purchase or use any articles of British manufac- ture, nor any commodities imported from the East Indies, under such restrictions as may be agreed on by n general Congress of Delegates from all the Colonies, hereafter to be appointed.

"n. That as the town of Boston is now suffering in the common cause of American freedom, It is the opinion of this meeting that subscriptions bo hereufter opened in every town In this county, and the money sub- acribed to be applied towards the relief of the suffering poor in sabl town of Boston until they may be relieved by being restored to their just rights and privileges.

"7. That this county will nppolut n Committee to meet the Committees of the severní counties of this Colony at such timo and placo as niny bo agreed on in order to elect and appoint Delegates to represent this Col- ony nt the general Congress, whose resolutions we will most strictly ad- hero to and alddo by. And we do hereby unanimously request the fol- lowing gentlemen to necept of that trust, and do accordingly appoint them our Committee for the purpose aforesail,-viz, Sammel Tucker, John Mchela, John Hart, Isaac Smith, Charles Coxe, Joachim Grigg», Ilenjamin Brearly, Abraham Hunt, and John Emley.

" As we apprehend New Brunswick is not so convenient to the mem- bers of the Juwer counties, and that all the countles will hardly havo sufficient time to appoint their Committees by the 21st of July, with submission we would propose Princeton as most contral to be the place, and Thursday, tho Ilth of August the time, of meeting of the sovoral Committees,

" THOMAS SHELTON,

" Committee Clerk."

Similar meetings for the choice of committees were held in the other counties, and on Thursday, July 21, 1774, "a general meeting of the Committees of the several counties in the Province of New Jersey" was convened ut New Brunswick, and continued its ses- sions until the following Saturday. Seventy-two members were in attendance. Stephen Crane, Esq., of Essex, was called to the chair, and Jonathan D. Sergeant, of Somerset County, was chosen clerk. The record # of the proceedings of the convention is as fullows :

" The Committees, taking into their serions consideration the danger- ous and destructive nature of aundry Acts of the British Parliament with respect to the fundamental Bberties of the American cel nies, con- ceive ft their indispensable duty to bear their open tratin my against them, and to concur with the other colonies in presenting all legal

* Minutes of the Provincial Congress and Connell of Safety, 1793-76,

HUNTERDON AND SOMERSET COUNTIES, NEW JERSEY.

and necessary measures for obtaining their speedy repeal. Therefore we unanimously agree in the following sentiments and resolutions:

"1st. We think it necessary to declare that the inhabitants of thie Province (and we are confident the people of America in general) are, and ever have been, firm and unshaken in their loyalty to His Majesty King George the Third ; fast friends to the Revolution settlement; and that they detest all thoughts of an independence of the Crown of Great Britain. Accordingly we do, in the most sincere and solemn manner, recognize and acknowledge His Majesty King George the Third to be our lawful and rightful Sovereign, to whom, under his royal protec- tion in our fundamental rights and privileges, we owe, and will ren- der, all due faith and allegiance.

" 2d. We think ourselves warranted, from the principles of our excel- lent Constitution, to affirm that the claim of the British Parliament (in which we neither are nor can be represented) to make laws which ehall be binding on the King's American subjects 'in all cases whatsoever,' and particularly for imposing taxes for the purpose of raising a revenue in America, ie unconstitutional and oppressive, and which we think our- selves bound, in duty to ourselves and our posterity, by all constitutional means in our power to oppose.

" 3d. We think the several late Acts of Parliament for shutting up the port of Boston, invading the Charter rights of the Province of Massachusetts Bay, and subjecting supposed offendere to be sent for trial to other colonies, or to Great Britain, the sending over an armed force to carry the same into effect, and thereby reducing many thousands of innocent and loyal inhabitants to poverty and distress, are not only subversive of the undoubted rights of His Majesty'e American eubjects, but aleo repugnant to the common principles of humanity and justice. These proceedings, so violent iu themselves, and so truly alarm- ing to the other coloniee (many of which are equally exposed to Minis- terial vengeance), render it the indispensable duty of all heartily to unite in the most proper measures to procure redress for their oppressed countrymen, now suffering in the common cause; and for the re-estab- lishment of the constitutional rights of America on a solid and perma- nent foundation.

"4th. To effect this important purpose, we conceive the most eligible' method is to appoint a General Congress of Commissioners of the re- spective Coloniee, who shall be empowered mutually to pledge, each to the rest, the publick honour and faith of their constituent Colonies, firmly and inviolably to adhere to the determinatione of the said Con- gress.

"'5th. Resolved, That we do earnestly recommend a general non-in- portation and non-consumption agreement to be entered into at ench time, and regulated in such maoner, as to the Congress shall seem most advisable.

"6th. Resolved, That it appears to ue to be a duty incumbent on the good people of this Province to afford come immediate relief to the many suffering inhabitante of the town of Boston.

" Therefore the several county committees do now engage to set on foot and promote collections without delay, either by subscriptions or otherwise, throughout their respective Counties; and that they will remit the moneys arising from the said euhscriptions, or any other bene- factions that may be voluntarily made by the inhabitants, either to Bos- ton, or into the hands of Jamies Neilson, Jolin Dennis, William Oake, Abraham IIunt, Samuel Tucker, Dr. Isaac Smith, Grant Gibbon, Thomas Sinnicke, and Jolin Carey, whom we do hereby appoint a Committee for forwarding the same to Boston, in such way and manner as they shall be advised will best answer the benevolent purpose designed.

" 7th. Resolved, That the grateful acknowledgments of this body are dne to the noble and worthy patrone of constitutional liberty in the British Senate for their landable efforts to avert the storm they behold impending over a much injured Colony, and in support of the just righte of the King's subjects in America.

"8th. Resolved, That James Kinsey, William Livingston, Jolın De Hart, Stephen Crane, and Richard Smith, Esquires, or such of thein ae shall attend, be the Delegates to represent this Province in the General Continental Congress to be held at the City of Philadelphia on or about the first of September next, to meet, consult, and advise with the Depu- ties from the other Colonles, and to determine upon all such prudent and lawful measures as may be judged most expedient for the Colonies im- mediately and unitedly to adopt, In order to obtain relief for an oppressed people and the redress of our general grievances.

" Signed by order,

" JONATHAN D. SERGEANT, " Clerk."

A new general Standing Committee of Correspond-

ence and. Inquiry was also appointed, consisting of William Peartree Smith, John Chetwood, Isaac Og- den, Joseph Borden, Robert Field, Isaac Pierson, Isaac Smith,* Samuel Tucker,* Abraham Hunt,* and Hendrick Fisher.+ It is noticeable, in the proceed- ings of this Convention, that, although they evinced an unmistakable spirit of opposition and resistance to the oppressive measures of the British Parliament and ministry, they were profuse in expressions of un- measured loyalty to the king, and resolutions of sim- ilar import had been passed in all the preliminary meetings in the several counties of this province.

The Congress of Delegates from the several prov- inces assembled at Carpenters' Hall, in the city of Philadelphia, on the 4th of September in the same year, and organized on the following day, with Peyton Randolph, of Virginia, as President. Among the business transacted during the somewhat protracted session which followed was the adoption of resolutions prohibiting the importation, purchase, or use of goods from Great Britain, Ireland, or any of the British de- pendencies after Dec. 1, 1774, and also directing that (unless the grievances of the American colonies should in the mean time be redressed) all exportations hence to Great Britain, Ireland, and the British West Indies should cease on and after Sept. 10, 1775. An associa- tion in accordance with the requirements of these resolutions was then formed, and was signed by all the members present. Article XI. of this Association (adopted Oct. 20, 1774) provided :

" That a committee be chosen in every county, city, and town, by those who are qualified to vote for Representatives in the Legislature, whose business it shall be attentively to observe the conduct of all persons touching thie Association ; and when it shall be made to appear to the satisfaction of a majority of any such committee that any person within the limite of their appointment has violated this Association, that euch majority do forthwith cause the truth of the case to be published, ... to the end that all euch foes to the rights of British America may be pub- lickly known and universally contemned as the enemies of American Liberty ; and thenceforth we respectively will break off all dealings with him or her."

On the 11th of January, 1775, the New Jersey members of the Continental Congress reported its proceedings to the Assembly of their province, which body unanimously signified its approval of the said proceedings,¿ and resolved that the same delegates should represent New Jersey in the next Congress, in which they should propose and vote for every reason- able and constitutional measure for a settlement of the differences between the colonies and Great Britain, and should again report the proceedings of the Con- gress to the Assembly of the province.

A great majority of the people in all parts of the province of New Jersey approved the objects of the Association adopted by the Continental Congress, and

* Of Hunterdon County.

+ Of Somerset County.

#"Such membere as were Quakers excepting only to such parts as seemed to wear an appearance or might have a tendency to force, as inconsistent with their religious principles."-Gordon's History of New Jersey, p. 157.

HUNTERDON AND SOMERSET COUNTIES IN THE REVOLUTION.

meetings numerously attended were held in the differ- ent counties, and in many of the townships, for the purpose of organizing to carry its measures into effect. Some of the means proposed to be adopted to accom- plish the objeets desired are shown by the following extracts from the minutes of several of these meet- ings : " A General Meeting of the Inhabitants of the Township of Woodbridge, in the County of Middlesex in New Jersey," held on Saturday, Jan. 7, 1775, after approving and adopting the Association entered into and recommended by the Congress, and after choosing a Committee of Observation of twenty-one members,

" Resolved, unanimously, That it is the desire of the people now met that the said Committee do execute the trust reposed in them with firin- ness and fidelity, and in every respect follow the directions of the A8so- cintion, as much as if it was a law of this Province; and they be upoo onth for the conscientious discharge of their duty."

At a meeting held in Hanover township, Morris County, Feb. 15, 1775, it was, by the Committee of Observation, of which Matthias Burnet was chairman, resolved unanimously, as follows :

" Ist. Thet they will discourage all unlawful, tumultuous, and disor- derly meetings of the people within their Districts, and upon all ocen- sions exert themselves to the ntmost of their power, and oppose and prevent any violonce offered to the person or property of any one.

"2d. That they will take notice of all Horse Racing, Cock-Fighting, and every kind of Gaming whatsoever, and cause the offenders to be prosecuted according to law; and discourage every species of extrava- gant entertainments and amusements whatsoever, ngrecable to the eighth article of the Association of the Continental Congress.

"3d. That this Committee will, after the first day of March next, esteem It n violution of the seventh articlo of the said Association if nuy person or persons should kill any Sheep until it is four years old, or sell any such Sheep to any person whom he or they inny have cause to sus- pect will kill them or carry them to market; and, further, that they will esteem it n breach of said article if any iohabitant of this Township should sell any Sheep of any kind whatsoever to any person dwelling out of this County, or to any person who they may have cause to suspect will carry them out of this County, without leave first obtained of this Committoe.

"4th. That we do recommend to the inhabitants of this Township the cultivation, of Flax and Hemp, to the greatest extent that their lands und circumstances will admit of.

"5th. That from several Pamphlets and Publications printed by James Rivington, of New York, Printer, we osteem him as on Incendiary, ent- ployed byn wicked Ministry to disunite and divide us ; and therefore we will not, for ourselves, have nny connection ordenlings with him, and do recommend the same conduct towards him to every person of this Town- ship; and we will discountenance any Post-Rider, Singe-Driver, or Car- rier who shall bring his Pamphlets or Papers into this County.

"Oth. That if nny manufacturer of nny article made for home con- enmption, or any Vonder of Goods or Merchandises, shall take advantage of the necessities of his country by selling at an unusual price, mich person shall be considered an enemy to his country ; and do recommend it to the inhaldtanta of this Township to remember that after the first day of March next no East Indian Ten is to be used in any case whateu- over.

"7th. That we will in ali casos whatsoever, and at all events, use our utmost endeavours to comply with and enforce every article of the Area- cintion of the General Continental Congress."

These resolutions, being nearly identical in their import with those passed by meetings of freehohlers and committees in nearly all the other counties, are reproduced here at length as showing the remarkable earnestness with which the people indorsed and prom- ised "to comply with and enforce every article of the Association." The condemnation of Rivington and

his publications, so strongly expressed in these resolu- tions, was enunciated still more foreibly in the procced- ings of many of the county meetings, by which he was denounced as "a vile Ministerial hireling, employed to disunite the colonies and calumniate all their measures entered into for the public good"; as an enemy to his country and a person to be hated, shunned, and discountenanced by all friends of American liberty.

The records of the meetings held at this time, and in reference to this matter, by the people and com- mittee of Somerset have not been found, but it is cer- tain that this county stood second to none in the province of New Jersey in the patriotism of its in- habitants or in the alacrity and earnestness with which they adopted and enforeed the measures recom- mended by the Continental Congress in its Articles of Association. In Hunterdon County committees were promptly chosen and organized, and the report of the joint action of these committees at their first meeting is as follows :*

" At n meeting of the several Township Committees in the County of Hunterdon and Province of Now Jersey, held at John Ringo's, the 18th duy of January, 1775: Present, sixty members. John Hart, Esq., Chair- man.

" The Committee, taking into consideration the Proceedings of the late Congress, highly approve thereof, and the Association entered into, do recommend, and will aldde by, and thank the Delegates for their firm nad steady conduct.

" The Committee then taking into their consideration the method of choosing Delegates for this Province to attend nt Philadelphin the 10th day of May next, or sooner if necessary, in Continental Congress, ngreed to adopt the measure pursued by the several County Committees of this Province the 21st of July last, and do recommend that the several County Committees meet at Trenton on Wednesday, the 29th of March next, un- fesa some other time and place should be agreed on by a majority of the Counties In this Province, to choose Delegates for the purpose aforesaid ; and we do hereby nppoint Samuel Tucker, John Mchelm, John Hart, Daniel Hunt, Jasper Smith, Charles Coxe, Richard Stevens, Sanmel John- son, Esquires, Messrs. Thomas Jones and Thomas Stout, n County Com- mittee for the purpose aforesuid, who, or any three of them, aro also appointed n Committee of Correspondence, and a majority of the whole Committee to have power to call Committres of the several townships together, at such times and places us they may judge necessary.

" This Committee to continue till the Proceedings of the next Conti- nontal Congress be published, or a new Committee chosen.

" SAMUEL CORWINE, " Clerk."

On the morning of Wednesday, the 19th of April, 1775, a detachment of British regular troops that had been sent out from Boston to the town of Concord met and fired upon a body of armed but unorganized and undisciplined farmers and mechanics who had collected at Lexington Common. The volley of the regulars told with an effect fatal to some of the pro- vincials, and this was the first blood shed in the war of the Revolution. It has been called the battle of Lexington. Before the crack of the yeomen's rifles had ceased to sound along the road from Lexington to Boston, the Committee of Safety of the town of Watertown had sent out express-riders to carry the news south and west. The dispatch destined for New

. Minutes of the Provincial C'ongress and Council of Safety , 1775-76, pp. 49, 50.

HUNTERDON AND SOMERSET COUNTIES, NEW JERSEY.

York and Philadelphia passed on through Worcester, Norwich, New London, Lyme, Saybrook, Guildford, Brandford, New Haven, and Fairfield (being succes- sively forwarded by relays by the committees of these places), and reached the chamber of the New York committee at 4 o'clock P.M. on Sunday, the 23d of April. From New York* the dispatch was forwarded with all haste to New Brunswick and Princeton, from which places the momentous tidings spread like wild- fire up the valley of the Raritan and across the Sour- land hills into Somerset and Hunterdon Counties, while the messengers with the committee's dispatch sped on to Trenton and Philadelphia.

Upon the receipt of the alarming news from Lex- ington the Committee of Correspondence for the province was summoned by its chairman, Hendrick Fisher, of Somerset County, to convene for delibera- tion and to take such action as might seem necessary. The committee accordingly met, and the following is the recordt of its proceedings on that occasion, --- viz. :

" At a meeting of the New Jersey Provincial Committee of Corre- spondence (appointed by the Provincial Congress) at the City of New Brunswick, on Tuesday, the second day of May, Anno Domini 1775, agreeable to summons of Hendrick Fisher, Esq., Chairman.

" Present, Hendrick Fisher, Samuel Tucker, Joseph Borden, Joseph Riggs, Isaac Pearson, John Chetwood, Lewis Ogden, Isaac Ogden, Abra- ham Hunt, and Elias Boudinot, Esquires.

" The Committee, having seriously taken into consideration as well the present alarming and very extraordinary conduct of the British Ministry, for carrying into execution sundry Acts of Parliament for the express purpose of raising a revenne in America, and other unconstitutional meas- ures therein mentioned; and also the several acts of hostility that they have actually commenced for this purpose by the Regular Forces under General Gage against our brethren of the Colony of Massachusetts Bay in New England, and not knowing how soon this Province may be in a state of confusion and disorder if there are not soore effectual measures epeedily taken to prevent the same; this Committee are unanimously of opinion, and do hereby advise and direct, that the Chairman do immedi- ately call a Provincial Congress to meet at Trenton on Tuesday, thie twenty-third day of this instant, in order to consider and detormine such matters as may then and there come before them ; and the several Coun- ties are hereby desired to nominate and appoint their respective Deputies for the same, as speedily as may be, with full and ample powers for such purposes as may be thought necessary for the peculiar exigeucies of this Province.

" The Committee do also direct their Chairman to forward true copies of the above miaute to the several County Committees of this Province without delay.

" HENDRICK FISHER, " Chairman."

In accordance with this call of the committee, del-

At Now York the dispatch was thus indorsed by the committee : " Reed the within Account by express, and forwarded by express to Now Brunswick, with Directions to stop at Elizabeth Town and acquaint the committee there with the following Particulars. By order of the Com- mittee, Isaac Low, Chairman. The committee at New Brunswick are requested to forward this to Phila." Tho other indorsements mnade on the dispatch In its passage through New Jersey were as follows: " New Brunswick, Ap. 24, 1775, 2 o'clock in the morning, reed the above expres, and forwarded to Princeton, Win. Oako, Jus, Neilson, Az. Dunhams, Come"; " Princeton, Monday, Apt 24, 6 o'clock, and forwd to Trenton, Tho, Wiggings, Jon. Baldwin, Com. members": "Trenton, Monday, Apl 24, 9 o'clock in the morning, reed the above per express, and forwarded the same to the Committee of l'hiladelphia, Sam. Tucker, Isaac Smith,

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History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 7

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