USA > New Jersey > Monmouth County > History of Monmouth County, New Jersey. Pt. 1 > Part 28
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selves for the preservation of their country, their lives, liberties and property." It was under this order that Gen. Heard moved his command in haste to New York, as before noticed.
1 On the 4th of July, 1776, General Washington wrote to the President of Congress with reference to the Flying Camp, as follows :
"The Camp will be in the neighborhood of Amboy . . The disaffection of the people of that place and others not far distant is exceedingly great, and unless it be checked and overawed, it may become more general and very alarming. The arrival of the enemy will encourage it. They, or at least a part of them, are already landed on Staten Island, which is quite contiguous ; and about four thousand were marching about it yesterday as I have been advised, and are leaving no arts unassayed to gain the in- habitants to their side, who seem but too favourably dis- posed. It is not unlikely that in a little time they may at- tempt to cross to the Jersey side, and induce many to join them, either from motives of interest or fear, unless there is a force to oppose them."
passed a resolution requesting a levy of two thousand of the militia of New Jersey, to sup- ply the places of an equal number of men sent from the Flying Camp to General Washington. This resolution was read on the 17th of July in the Provincial Congress, and on the following day an ordinance was passed by the Conven- tion 2 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 incursions of the British troops, and to strengthen the army of the United States : Resolved, therefore, unanimously, 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. The quota of Monmouth was em- braced in the following : "One battalion to con- sist of three companies from the county of Middlesex, three companies from the county of Monmouth (whereof Captain Stillwell's com- pany is to be one) and two companies from the county of Salem," George Taylor, of Mon- mouth, to be colonel of this battalion.
Again, on the 22d of July, the Continental Congress, in view of the imminent danger of invasion, resolved to further increase the Flying Camp, and for this purpose desired the State of New Jersey " to augment its quota with three battalions of militia, in addition to those for- merly desired by Congress, and send them with all possible dispatch to join the flying camp." Upon being notified of this action, the Conven- tion of New Jersey informed Congress that two thousand men had already been ordered de- tached from the militia of the State for the
2 The name of that body having been changed on that day from "The Provincial Congress of New Jersey" to " The Convention of the State of New Jersey," as before mentioned.
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purpose mentioned ; but beyond this it took no further action at that time.
The feeling of alarm, however, rapidly in- creased, and on the 7th of August the Conven- tion received notice of a resolve of Congress " recommending to the State of New Jersey to order their militia immediately to march and join General Mercer." This had the effect to cause the Convention to pass (August 11th) an ordinance reciting that "the Convention, view- ing with serious concern the present alarming situation of this and their sister-States, that on a prudent use of the present moment depend their lives, their liberty and happiness, think it their indispensable 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 re- lieved by the other monthly," and ordering that all able-bodied men in the State between the ages of sixteen and fifty, without exception, be immediately enrolled 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 bat- talions, made up of men drawn from the militia organizations of the several counties of the State ; that containing Monmouth County men to be made up "from the battalions whereof George Taylor, David Brearly and Daniel Hen- drickson, Esquires, are colonels." The best arms in the possession of all the militia 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.
The ordinance closed by a most stirring ap- peal to the people of New Jersey by the mem- bers of the Convention. They said,-
"In this interesting situation,-viewing, on the one hand, an active, inveterate and implacable enemy, increasing fast in strength, daily receiving large reinforcements, and industriously preparing to ยท strike some decisive blow; on the other, a consider-
able part of the inhabitants supinely slumbering on the brink of ruin,-and moved with affecting appre- hensions, the Convention think it incumbent upon them to warn their constituents of the impending danger. On you, our friends and brethren, it de- pends, this day, to determine whether you, your wives, your children and millions of your descend- ants yet unborn, shall wear the galling, the ignomin- ious yoke of slavery, or nobly inherit the generous, the inestimable blessings of freedom. The alterna- tive is before you ! Can you hesitate in your choice ? Can you doubt which to prefer ? .. . Happily, we know we can anticipate your virtuous choice. With con- fident satisfaction we are assured that not a moment will delay your important decision ; that you cannot feel hesitation, whether you will tamely and degener- ately bend your necks to the irretrievable wretched- ness of slavery, or by your instant and animated ex- ertions enjoy the fair inheritance of heaven-born freedom, and transmit it, unimpaired, to your posterity."
This language indicates clearly the intensity of the alarm which then pervaded the public mind ; and the facts above noticed show what preparations had been made by the people of New Jersey to meet the impending danger at the time when the neighboring hillsides of Staten Island were dotted with the camps of Howe's army, and its shores encircled by the black hulls and menacing batteries of the Brit- ish fleet.
It proved to be the design of the British commander not to invade the territory of New Jersey, but to seize and occupy the western end of Long Island ; and he made no delay, after the arrival of the last of his reinforcements, in putting this design into execution. His army, consisting of British regulars and German mercenaries, amounted to about twenty-five thousand men, and with about ten thousand of them he crossed from Staten Island on the 22d of August and effected a landing between the settlements of New Utrecht and Gravesend. The American forces in and about New York numbered, nominally, about twenty-seven thou- sand men,1 and, though they had offered no opposition to the landing of the enemy's col- umns, it was clear that a conflict between the
1 Nearly one-third of this number, however, were unfit for duty, by reason of sickness and other canses.
1
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two armies was inevitable, and could not long be delayed.
Five days were spent in preparation on both sides. On the 25th of August, General Put- nam succeeded General Sullivan in the com- mand of the American forces at Brooklyn, which had been reinforced by six regiments. On the same day the German general De | point opposite Fort Washington. Heister landed two brigades of Hessians on the island, and on the 26th took possession at Flat- bush, which Lord Cornwallis had occupied with his division three days before. Thus the American and British forces stood on the even- ing of the 26th, confronting each other, and within striking distance.
Before dawn, in the morning of the 27th of August, the British columns, under Clinton, Percy and Grant, were put in motion in the direction of the American lines, and it was not long after daylight when their advance became warmly engaged with the troops under General Sullivan ; and then followed the general en- Long Island, which raged until past noon of the day and resulted in the defeat of General Washington's army and the capture of Lord Stirling with his entire command, who were surrounded and made prisoners. Generals Sul- livan and Woodhull were also among those taken by the enemy. The loss of the Ameri- cans was heavy, being admitted by General Washington to exceed one thousand, and esti- mated by General Howe to be more than three times that number, including about eleven hun- dred prisoners.
After this disastrous engagement the Ameri- can forces remained in a fortified position con- fronting the enemy until the night of the 28th, when they were withdrawn and transported in safety across the East River to New York, tak- ing with them nearly all their military stores, and all their artillery except a few of the heavier pieces. The public stores were removed to Dobbs' Ferry, on the Hudson, while the thousand men, was marched to King's Bridge and there encamped. A force of between four and five thousand men was left in the city to keep up a show of defense, but not with the 10
intention of holding it against any determined attack of the enemy in force. On the 12th of September, General Washington, by the advice of a council of war, decided on the abandon- ment of the city, and General Mercer, com- manding the Flying Camp, on the New Jersey side, was ordered to move up the river to a
On the 15th of September, while the city was still partially occupied by the American troops, General Howe commenced crossing the East River with his army under cover of a heavy fire from the men-of-war. Some of Washington's troops who occupied a fortified position near the place of landing fled in terror before the advance of the British and the can- nonade of their ships, and in their panic threw into confusion two brigades which were march- ing to their support. The result was a disor- derly and disgraceful retreat to the main body. No resistance was made, except a temporary stand and slight skirmish at Bloomingdale, and gagement known in history as the battle of all the heavy artillery, with a large part of the
military stores and provisions, fell into the hands of the enemy. General Howe occupied the city with a comparatively small force, and moved the main part of his army northward and established his lines, stretching from Bloomingdale across the island to the East River.
After the defeat on Long Island and the re- treat to King's Bridge the American army was reduced to a state of most discouraging demor- alization. In reference to its condition, General Washington, in a letter addressed to Congress in September, 1776, used this language :
"Our situation is truly distressing. The check to our detachment on the 27th ultimo has dispirited too great a proportion of our troops and filled their minds with apprehension and despair. The militia, instead of calling forth their utmost efforts to a brave and manly opposition, in order to repair our losses, are dismayed, intractable and impatient to return. Great numbers of them have gone off,-in some in- stances almost by whole regiments, in many by half main part of the army, some ten or twelve ones and by companies, at a time. This circumstance of itself, independent of others, when fronted by a well-appointed enemy, superior in number to our whole collected force, would be sufficiently disagree- able, but when it is added that their example has in- fected another part of the army, that their want of
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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.
discipline and refusal of almost every kind of restraint and government have rendered a like conduct but too common in the whole, and have produced an entire disregard of that order and subordination necessary for the well-doing of an army, and which had been before inculcated as well as the nature of our military establishment would admit, our condition is still This view of the case was urged upon the council by General Greene, but was disapproved of and warmly opposed by General Lee, who had then just returned to this army from a suc- cessful campaign in the South. But, unfortu- nately, his advice was overruled in the council, and a force was left to hold the fort.
more alarming; and with the deepest concern I am obliged to confess my want of confidence in the gen- erality of the troops."
And he added in effect that all these facts but confirmed his previous opinion that no de- pendence could be placed in militia, or in any troops other than those enlisted for a long term, and that in his belief the American cause was in great danger of being lost if its defense was intrusted to any but a permanent army. Upon this representation Congress adopted measures for the immediate raising and organization of such a permanent army, to consist of eighty- eight battalions of seven hundred and fifty men each, to be furnished by the several States. Four of these battalions were assigned to New Jersey as her quota.
From the time when General Howe moved his forces across the East River from Long Island to New York, the two opposing armies remained on the east side of the Hudson for about two months, during which time there occurred a great amount of skirmishing (fre- quently resulting favorably for the Americans) and a series of minor engagements, sometimes called the battle of White Plains,1 resulting from an attempt on the part of the British commander to flank the American position. This attempt finally proved successful, and the American army was thus placed in great peril, having its line of retreat cut off; so that, in the event of a general engagement, it must proba- bly have been destroyed. In this state of affairs, a council, of war was held (November 6th), at which it was decided that the army should be moved across the Hudson into New Jersey, those of the forces which were raised on the west side of that river to cross first, and afterwards the others, with more or less rapidity, as necessity might require. A small force,
however, was to be left at Fort Washington to hold that work, which, in conjunction with Fort Lee, on the opposite side of the river, was expected to be able to prevent the free passage of the British ships up and down the river.
.
The crossing of the Hudson River by the greater part of the army was effected on the 12th and 13th of November, Washington him- self crossing on the latter day. General Lee was left on the east side with about three thou- sand men,2 with orders to join Washington in New Jersey if the enemy should show indica- tions of moving in that direction.
Fort Washington had been reinforced by de- tachments from General Mercer's Flying Camp, augmenting its defending force from twelve hundred to about three thousand men. It was almost completely surrounded by the enemy, who had determined on its capture.
On the 15th of November, Howe sent a summons to Colonel Magaw, the commander at the fort, to surrender, threatening to give no quarter if refused. The summons, however, was disregarded, and on the 16th heavy masses of British and Hessian troops moved to the as- sault of the work, which, after several hours of fighting, was surrendered, with two thousand six hundred3 men as prisoners of war.
Washington, on crossing the river into Jersey, had established his headquarters at Hackensack, five miles in the rear of Fort Lee, and at the same place were the headquarters of General Greene, who was in command of the troops
" The term of service of a large part of Lee's men was then about expiring, and, as they could not be induced to re-enlist, this force was soon afterwards greatly reduced by their return to their homes.
3 This number, given by Howe in his report, included about two thousand regular troops and five or six hundred militia and stragglers. Washington stated the number cap- tured to be two thousand, in which he probably only in- cluded the Continental troops.
1 October 26-29, 1776.
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which had crossed in that vicinity. On the 18th of November, two days after the fall of Fort Washington, the first actual invasion of the State of New Jersey by British troops was commenced by Lord Cornwallis, whose division, six thousand strong, crossed the river to Closter Landing, and, marching thence down the river, proceeded to the attack of Fort Lee, the garri- son of which evacuated the work in haste1 and retreated to the main body of the American army, at Hackensack, leaving their baggage and the military stores at the fort in the hands of the enemy.
The army which General Washington then had,with him in New Jersey amounted to no more than three thousand effective men, exclu- sive of the Flying Camp, which was stationed in the neighborhood of Bergen, and still under command of General Mercer. The troops of this last-mentioned corps had only been enlisted for a term to close on the 1st of December, which was then but a few days distant ; and not only was there very little probability that any considerable number would remain after that time, but a great many of them had al- ready left and returned to their homes. Nearly the same was true of the forces with which Washington had crossed the Hudson, which was daily growing less as the general feeling of despondency increased. The commander-in- chief sent orders to General Lee, who was still east of the Hudson, to cross that river into New Jersey and hold his command in readiness to give assistance in case the enemy should-as it was now nearly certain he would-advance to the interior of the State. Orders were also sent to General Schuyler to move his troops- among whom were those under command of General Maxwell,2 including a number of men from Monmouth County-from Lake Cham-
plain to New Jersey to the aid of Washington ; but these succors were distant, and it must be long before they could arrive at the point of danger. General Washington wrote to Gover- nor Livingston, of New Jersey, setting forth his pressing need of reinforcements, and asking that every endeavor might be used to send men to him in the least possible time; but there was very little probability that any new troops could then be raised.
The American army was advantageously posted on the right bank of the Hackensack River, but, as its effective strength was scarcely more than one-half that of Cornwallis' corps alone (to say nothing of the other divisions of the British army), any attempt to hold the line of the Hackensack was evidently useless ; and so, when Cornwallis moved up from Fort Lee to confront him, General Washington immediately retired and set his columns in motion for New- ark, which he reached on the 22d of November, and remained there until the 28th of the same month, when, on the approach of Cornwallis' advance-guard, the patriot forces left the town and continued their retreat to New Brunswick, where Washington had hoped to make a stand. In this he was sorely disappointed, for with an active and energetic enemy pressing on his rear, it would require all his forces, to the last man, to enable him to dispute their advance with anything like a hope of success, and even then the odds against him would be discouraging. But he could not retain even the meagre force which he had brought with him thus far, for the terms of service of several of the commands (among them the brigades from Maryland and New Jersey3) had expired, and neither arguments nor threats could prevent the men composing them from disbanding themselves and returning to their homes. Without them it was imprac- ticable to oppose the enemy's advance ; and so,
1 General Washington had decided, immediately upon the fall of Fort Washington, to evacuate Fort Lee and re- move its stores to the interior of New Jersey, but the promptness of Cornwallis' movements prevented the exe- cution of the plan ; consequently, the stores and material were lost. As the evacuation had already been decided on, of course no defense was intended, and none was made.
" Colonel Maxwell had been appointed brigadier-general in the Continental army in the preceding October.
3 The Pennsylvania militia of the Flying Camp, whose term also expired on the 1st of December, had engaged to remain in service till the 1st of January ; notwithstanding which, they deserted in such numbers that it was found necessary to send guards to patrol the shores of the Delaware to intercept the fugitives on their way to their homes and bring them back to the army. Many of them, however, evaded the guards and made their way successfully into Pennsylvania.
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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.
on Sunday, the 1st of December,-the day on which their enlistments expired,-the remnant of the army left New Brunswick, and, crossing the Millstone River at Rocky Hill, made its way to Princeton, the advance arriving there the same evening. A stop of several days was made at this place.
At New Brunswick, Cornwallis had halted his columns in obedience to an order from Gen- eral Howe to procced no farther than that point until he should be reinforced by other com- mands of the British army. Washington, aware of this, left behind him in Princeton, when he moved thence to Trenton, a force consisting of the remnants of two brigades,-in all, twelve hundred men,-in order to make a show of de- fense, hoping thereby to delay the advance of the British general, and to give renewed confi- dence to the people of the surrounding country. This detached force was under command of Lord Stirling, who, taken prisoner by the en- emy at Long Island, as before mentioned, had been exchanged and returned to his com- mand in the American army a short time before it crossed the Hudson River into New Jersey.
River, and accordingly he turned the faces of his men once more towards that stream.
The main body of Cornwallis' troops marched rapidly and confidently from New Brunswick to Princeton, and on their approach Lord Stir- ling, knowing that an attempt at defense with his weak force would be useless, evacuated the town and marched rapidly towards Trenton, with the pursuing column of British and Hes- sians close in his rear,-so near, says Lossing, in his " Field-Book of the Revolution," that " often the music of the pursued and the pur- suers would be heard by each other ;" but this is doubtless drawn from the imagination, as there is little probability that the tattered, shoe- less and dispirited army of Washington, in its flight, moved to the sound of any music other than that of the howling of the winds of De- cember. On the 8th of that month the Amer- ican army was moved across the Delaware, the last man of Lord Stirling's rear-guard reaching the Pennsylvania shore in safety at about mid- night, just as the head of the Hessian column entered Trenton. The main body of the Brit- ish force halted a few miles before reaching the town.
Immediately after entering this State, General The American army which crossed the Dela- ware into Pennsylvania numbered about two thousand two hundred men, but two or three days later this force was further reduced by the departure of about five hundred whose terms of service had then expired. But even then Washington did not despair. General Gates at the North and General Heath at Peekskill had been ordered to join him with their troops with all possible dispatch, and expresses were sent out through Pennsylvania, Delaware and Mary- land urging the militia to march to him without delay ; and it was believed that by these means a sufficient force might be collected to enable him to resume offensive operations at no distant [ day. Probably he had already conceived the plan which he afterwards executed so success- fully at Trenton. Washington, in view of the rapid diminution of his army, had dispatched General Mifflin to Penn- sylvania to urge the hurrying forward of troops, and he had been so far successful that fifteen hundred men had been sent from Philadelphia, besides a German battalion ordered thence by Congress. These troops joined General Washing- ton on his arrival at Trenton, and, upon being thus strengthened, the commander-in-chief or- dered a large part of his force to march back on the road to Princeton, to further deceive the British by the appearance of a general advance to meet them. Before the column reached Princeton, however, he received word that Lord Cornwallis, having been strongly rein- forced from Howe's army, was already on the move from New Brunswick, and marching his troops rapidly by several roads with the evident The position of Washington on the Pennsyl- vania side of the Delaware was one of safety for his troops,-at least for a time. He made his intention of gaining the rear of the American army, and thus securing its destruction. This intelligence caused Washington to decide at dispositions at once by posting Generals Lord "once on a retreat to and across the Delaware Stirling, De Fermoy, Stephens and Mercer,
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