History of Monmouth county, New Jersey, Part 38

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Swan, Norma Lippincott. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia, R. T. Peck & co.
Number of Pages: 1148

USA > New Jersey > Monmouth County > History of Monmouth county, New Jersey > Part 38

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Monmouth, actuated solely by the principles of self- preservation, being of opinion that the measure will be strictly justifiable on the common principles of war, and being encouraged thereto by an unanimous resolve of the honorable the Congress, passed the 30th of October, 1778, wherein they, in the most solemn manner, declare that through every change of fortune they will retaliate, do hereby solemnly associate for the purpose of retaliation, and do obligate ourselves, our heirs, executors and administrators, and every of them, jointly and severally, to all and every of the sub- scribers and their heirs, etc., to warrant and defend such persons as may be appointed to assist this asso- ciation in the execution thereof; and that we will abide by, and adhere to, such rules and regulations for the purpose of making restitution to such friends of their country as may hereafter have their houses burned or broke to pieces, their property wantonly destroyed or pluudered, their persons made prisoners of while peaceably at their own habitations, about their lawful business, not under arms, as shall here- after be determined on by a committee of nine men duly elected by the associates at large out of their number, which rules and regulations shall be founded on the following principles, viz. :

" First-For every good subject of this State, residing within the county, that shall become an associator, and shall be taken or admitted to parole by any party or parties of Refugees as aforesaid, that shall come on the errand of plundering or man-stealing, the good sub- ject not actually under or taken in arms, there shall be taken an equal number of the most disaffected and influential residing and having property in the county, and them confine in the Provost jail, and treat them with British rigor until the good subjects of this State, taken as aforesaid, shall be fully liber- ated.

" Second-For every house that shall be burned or destroyed, the property of a good subject that enters with this association, there shall be made full retalia- tion upon or out of the property of the disaffected, as aforesaid.

" Third-That for every article of property taken as aforesaid from any of the associators, being good subjects, the value thereof shall be replaced out of the property of the disaffected, as aforesaid. We do also further associate for the purpose of defending the frontiers of this county, and engage, each man for himself that is a subject of the militia, that we will turn out at all times when the county is invaded, and at other times will do our proportionate part towards the defence thereof. We, the associators, do hereby direct that a copy of this association be, as soon as the signing is completed, transmitted to the printer of the New Jersey Gazette for publication, and that the original be lodged in the clerk's office. Also, we do request that the associators will meet at the court- house on Saturday, the first of July, at one o'clock in

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the afternoon, for the purpose of electing nine men, able to bring off Mr. Hutchinson was charged, as before-mentioned, to carry the said association into : effect."

whilst Moody brought up the rear with his six- I teen men, to defend them. They were, as they In the First Battalion of Skinner's Royal had expected, soon pursued by double their Greens was a lieutenant named James Moody, number and soon overtaken. Moody kept up who was one of the bravest and most efficient | a smart fire on his assailants, checking and re-

officers in the Refugee organization, and was for that reason often entrusted with the command of their marauding expeditions in the north- eastern part of New Jersey. An account of one of these raids into Monmouth County, led by this Moody, is found in Collins' Gazette of June. 1779, viz. :

" A party of about fifty Refugees recently landed in Monmouth and marched undiscovered to Tinton Falls, where they surprised and ear- ried off Colonel Hendrickson, Colonel Wikoff, Captain Chadwick and Captain MeKnight, and drove off sheep and horned cattle. About thirty of our militia hastily collected and made some resistance, but were repulsed with the loss of " By this time all their ammunition, amount- ing to eighty rounds, was exhausted, and ten men, only three of whom were unwounded, were Hendrickson ; and it was said by those present ! in any capacity to follow a charge. The bayo- net was Moody's only resource, and this the en- two men killed and ten wounded." The two killed were Captain Chadwick and Lieutenant that Moody having taken them prisoners, had placed them in between his party and the militia ' emy could not withstand ; they fled, leaving to screen the former, and that they were shot by him to prevent their escaping. The account of fortunately for Moody, his small but gallant the affair, which was given by Moody himself in a pamphlet 1 published by him in England about the close of the war, was as follows :

"On the 10th of June, 1779, Lieutenant James Moody requested a Tory friend named Hutchinson, with six men and some guides, to join him in a raid into Monmouth. Moody had, besides, sixteen men. They started from Sandy Hook for Shrewsbury, and managed to elude the Rebel guard, and gained a place called the Falls [Tinton]. There they surprised and took prisoners one colonel, one lieutenant-colonel, one major and two captains, with several other prisoners of lesser note, and without injury to private property, destroying a considerable magazine of powder and arms. With these prisoners and such publick stores as they were

tarding them till Hutchinson with his booty had got ahead to a considerable distance. He then also advanced for the next advantageous posi- tion, and thus proceeded from one good spot to another, still covering the prisoners, till they gained a situation on the shore at Black Point where the enemy could not flank him. But just at this time the enemy was reinforced by ten men, so they were near forty strong. Hutchin- son with one man crossed the Inlet, behind which he had taken shelter, and came to Moody's assistance; and now a warm engage- ment ensued, which lasted three-quarters of an hour.

eleven of their number killed or wounded. Un- party could not follow up the blow, being, in a manner, utterly exhausted by a long, harassed march in hot weather. They found the Rebel captain dead and their lieutenant also expiring on the field. There was something peculiarly shocking and awful in the death of the rebel captain. He was shot by Moody whilst, with the most bitter oaths and threats of vengeance, after having missed fire once, he was again level- ling his piece at him. Soon after the engagement one of the rebels came forward with a handker- chief on a stick and demanded a parley. His signal was returned and a truce agreed on, the conditions of which were that they should have leave to take care of their dead and wounded, while Moody and his party were permitted to return unmolested to the British lines. None of Moody's men were mortally wounded. The publick stores which they brought away, besides those destroyed, sold for upwards of £500, every shilling of which was given by Moody to his

1 " Lieutenant James Moody's Narrative of his Exertions and Sufferings in the Cause of the Government since the year 1776. Authenticated by Proper Certificate. London, 1783."

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men as a reward for meritorious service and be- persons, among whom were Captain James haviour." Green and Ensign John Morris, of the mili- tia."

Afterwards (July 21, 1780) Moody was taken prisoner by troops of Wayne's command. He There was also present in the house at the time of this occurrence old Mr. Russell's son, John, who was a soldier in the Continental ser- vice, but then at home on furlough to visit his parents and wife. He was wounded by the Refugees, but recovered, and after the Revohi- tion removed to Cedar Creek, in the present was first sent to "the Slote," then to Stony Point, then to West Point, thence to Esopus, and thence back to West Point, where Arnold was in command, and at that time preparing to execute his scheme of treason. Arnold treated Moody with great severity (even with barbarity), placing him in a rock dungeon, the bottom of county of Ocean, where he lived to an advanced age, always carrying the scars of the wounds he received in his father's house on that mem- orable night, the events of which he often related, in substance as follows :

which was covered with water ankle-deep. He was fettered hand and foot, and compelled to sleep on an old door raised on four stones slightly above the water and filth, while the irons on his wrists, being ragged on the inside, gave him intense and continual suffering. His

The attacking party consisted of seven Refu- gees, among whom were Richard Lippincott, case finally came to the notice of Washington, Philip White, a man named Gilian and the who ordered him removed to a better place of notorious Farnham, who was afterwards hanged confinement, took off his irons and treated him humanely. He was soon after brought to trial by court-martial for the killing of Captain Chadwick at Black Point (a> before related), he wished to fire at them, telling his father he contrary to the rules and usages of war. He was found guilty and would have been hanged ; but, knowing the certainty of his doom, he took a desperate chance to effect his escape, and ae- complished it (September 17, 1780) by breaking the bolt of his handcuffs, knocking down a sentinel, seizing his musket and taking his post as sentinel, where he remained undiscovered until he found an opportunity in the excitement to slip away from the provost-gnard, and after wandering several days in the woods and once coming very near being recaptured, he reached Paulus Hook (Jersey City) in safety. at Freehold. Young Russell saw them through the window as they approached the house, and at one time they were clustered together so that was sure they could kill four of them and that if they did so, the three others would run away. His father told him to wait and fire on them as they broke into the house. They did so, and the father fired first, but missed his aim and was then fired on and killed by the Refugee Gilian, who, in another moment, fell dead by a bullet from John Russell's gun. Immediately after- ward- John was shot in the side and fell on the floor, pretending to be dead. The Refugees then plundered the house. The mother and wife of John Russell were in bed with the child, who was awakened by the noise of the firing, and cried out in alarm, " Grandmother, what's the matter ?" Thereupon one of the Refugees pointed his musket at the bed and fired, saying, "That's what's the matter." Whether he intended to kill the child or only to frighten it is uncertain. The child was badly wounded, but eventually recovered. As the Refugees were preparing to leave the house one of them pointed his musket at John Russell as he lay upon the floor, and was about to fire, saying he did not believe he was dead, but the piece was knocked up by another (Richard Lippincott), who said

An account of a murdering raid in Monmouth County by the Refugees in 1780 is given as below, in Collins' Gacette of May in that year : "On the 30th ult., a party of negroes and Refugees from Sandy Hook landed at Shrews- bury in order to plunder. During their ex- cursion a Mr. Russell, who attempted some resistance to their depredations, was killed, and his grandchild had five balls shot through him, but is yet living. Captain Warner, of the privateer brig . Elizabeth,' was made prisoner by these ruffians, but was released by giving them two joes. This banditti also took off several | it was a shame to fire upon a dying man, and the

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ball went into the ceiling. After the Refugees had gone, John got up and said to his wife, "Ducky, bring me a glass of whiskey; I'll come out all right yet." His wound was dressed and found to be less serious than was supposed, and in due time he recovered, and before the war was ended he aided in visiting merited retribution on some of the gang who killed his father. He was one of the three guards who had charge of Philip White at the time when the latter was killed in attempting to escape from them as they were taking him from Long Branch to the jail at Freehold, March 30, 1782, as mentioned elsewhere.

In June, 1780, a part or all of the First Bat- talion of Monmouth militia, Colonel Asher ! the groin. This last wound brought him to the Holmes, was on duty on the bay shore, near ground, and the cowardly wretches then repeat- edly drove their bayonets through hi- body, though with his last breath the fearless patriot grimly defied his murderers. He was buried a little east of the Middletown Baptist Church, with the brief inseription on his headstone: " Died in the service of his country." One of the Highlands, for the purpose of preventing communication between the British vessels in the bay and the Tories and Refugees in Mon- mouth County. On the morning of the 8th of that month Joseph Murray, of the com- pany of Lieutenant Garret Hendrickson, in the First, having been on picket duty through the his sons, William Murray, was a contractor preceding night, obtained leave to visit his for the masonry of the court-house erected in family, and proceeded to his home, in the town- Freehold in 1808, and his son, William W. ship of Middletown,1 where, soon after his , Murray (grandson of the murdered patriot, arrival, he was murdered by three prowling . Joseph), was for a long time engaged in mer- Refugees. Murray was a farmer, and one of cantile business in Middletown, and was its post- the boldest and most active of the Monmouth master for many years. From him, his home- County patriots in the Revolution. He had stead in the village passed to his son, George C. Murray. detected and prevented several attempts to sup- ply the British fleet in Sandy Hook Bay with An incursion made in the same month (June, 1780) is thus mentioned in a communication of that time: " The noted Colonel Tye. a mulatto, and formerly a slave [of John Corlies] in Mou- mouth County, with his motley company of about twenty blacks and whites, carried off prisoners Captain Barnes Smock and Gilbert Van Mater, spiked an iron cannon and took four horses. Their rendezvous is at Sandy Hook." provisions. He had also caused the arrest of one or two of the leading Tories of Middletown for communicating with the enemy, and like- wise had seized their horses for the use of the cavalrymen of the American army. Thus he had aroused the fear and hatred of the Tories. and it was strongly suspected that some of the leading loyalists of Middletown had instigated or hired the Refugees to waylay and murder him.

They had concealed themselves in tall In- dian grass adjoining the field he was about to harrow,-for he had a family and was obliged

to work for their support a- he could find time. On his return from his night duty on the bay shore he had hitched his horse to the harrow, and after placing his musket against a tree, started to harrow across the field. When he had reached the opposite side, near the In- dian grass, he turned and started back, when two of the Refugees rose from their hiding- place, fired on him, wounding him slightly, and then rushed on him with their bayonets. Murray, being a very strong and active man, succeeded in wrenching the musket from the hands of one of his assailants and was making a desperate defense, when the third murderer came up with his loaded piece and shot him in

1 severe fight took place in Shrewsbury township, May 24, 1781, between a party of Refugees and a militia company commanded by Captain Thomas Chadwick. AAmong the wounded on the American side was Francis Jeffer -. On the 21st of June following, Cap- tain Samuel Carhart's company was engaged

1 The place now (or recently, occupied by John ltedilen, near the deep railroad cut in Middletown township.

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with a body of Refugees at Pleasant Valley, serviees were of great value to the patriot Monmonth County ; several were wounded, cause, and it was often remarked by his life- among them Walter Ilyer, of the Monmouth militia. long friend, the Rev. John Woodhull, that David Forman alone was worth more to Mon-

On the 15th of October, 1781, a party of mouth County than a force of five hundred Refugees from Sandy Hook landed at Shrews- men without his leadership. His inveterate bury and marched undiscovered to Colt's Neck, enemies, the Refugees, called him " Devil David," and thirsted for his blood with the ferocity of tigers. On the morning of October 16, 1781, while standing on the bank of Shark River, near Shrewsbury, conversing with his companion-in-arms, Colonel Nathaniel Seudder, a shot from a party of these miscreants who were ambushed on the opposite side of the stream missed him, but killed the brave Colo- nel Scudder. In relating this circumstance, General Forman attributed his narrow escape to an involuntary step backward, which he said was the most fortunate step for himself which he ever took, but fatal to his friend and com- patriot. where they took six prisoners. The alarmı reached the court-house in the afternoon, and a number of people, among whom was Colonel Nathaniel Scudder (M.D.), of Freehold, went in pursuit. They rode to Black Point to try to recapture the prisoner- from the enemy, and while they were firing from the bank Dr. Scudder was killed. General Forman was by his side when he was shot. Dr. Scudder was colonel of the First Regiment Monmouth militia, and one of the most prominent, active and fearless patriots of the county. He was buried at Freehold with the honors of war, in pursuance of General Forman's special order to that effert, the original of which order, directed to Captain Walton, was presented by Mrs. Forman to the New Jersey Historical Society in May, 1847.

BRIGADIER-GENERAL DAVID FORMAN Was born at Monmouth Court-House, November 3, 1745. He was the fourth son of Joseph and Eliza- beth (Lee) Forman. He was a first or second consin of Sheriff David Forman, of Monmouth County, from which latter he was distinguished by the sobriquet of " Black David," given him on account of his swarthy complexion. Their common aneestor was John Forman, who, having | terminated in paralysis of his left side. In this been imprisoned in Scotland, and afterwards sen- teneed to banishment on account of his re- ligion, eame over with other Seotch settlers about 1685, and found a safe asylum and home in Monmouth County.

Entering New Jersey College at the usual age, David Forman must have left it before the graduation of his class, as his name is not found on the centennial catalogue of that in- stitution. Early in the Revolution he was de- tailed on special duty in Monmouth, to rid the county of the lawless desperadoes-Tories, Refugees and "Pine Robbers "-who infested it more than any other county of New Jersey. On this, as on other duties assigned him, his

David Forman became a member of the Coun- cil of State, and was a judge of the Common Pleas for many years. When nearly fifty years of age he removed from Freehold, which had been his home1 during the trying period of the Revolution, to Chestertown, Md. On the 10th of September, 1796, he left Chestertown and journeyed to Natehez, Miss., to attend to a large estate which he owned there. On the 19th of the following March, at Natchez, he had a fit of apoplexy, from which he remained in a state of complete insensibility for three days, and which condition he remained until the 12th of August following, when, finding his health and strength considerably improved, he went to New Orleans to take passage by sea for New York, hoping to reach his home. He sailed from New Orleans on the 20th of August, but the vessel on which he had taken passage was captured in the Gulf by a British privateer, and sent to New Provi- dence, in the Bahamas. As soon as the vessel was taken, General Forman gave up all hope of ever again seeing his family, knowing that he should not be able, in his enfeebled condition, to

1 His home in Freehold is now the property of Henry Brinckerhoff, Esq.

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survive the delay and privations which were " when they were asleep, killing the leader, Cap- then inevitable. This despondeney and anxiety tain Steelman and a private named Reuben proved too much for his strength, and on the Soper, and wounding the lieutenant, as also 12th of September, 1797, he died, at the age of more than half the men of the company. fifty-two years.

One of the many desperate acts committed by John Bacon during his bloody career was

On the 8th of February, 1782. a party of the killing, at old Cranberry Inlet, of Joshua about forty Refugees, under command of Lieu- Studson, of Tom's River, who had been a lieu- tenant Steelman, made a raid on Pleasant Val-' tenant in the Monmouth militia, and on the ley. They took twenty horses and five sleigh>, which they loaded with plunder ; and they also captured a number of prisoners, viz. : Peter Cov- enhoven, Esq. (who had been taken prisoner by the Tories in 1779), Garret Hendrickson, Samuel Bowne and his son, and Jacques Denise. At Garret Hendrickson's house a young man named William Thompson slipped away from them, and went with all possible speed to carry the information to Captain John Schenck, of Colonel Asher Holmes' regiment. Captain Schenck promptly collected his men and started in pursuit. They overtook and attacked the Refugees, and in the fight which ensued the young man Thompson was killed and William Cottrell wounded. Twelve of the Tories (three of them wounded) were taken prisoners, but in re- turning, Sehenek's men unexpectedly came upon a detachment of sixteen Refugees, commanded by one Stevenson, and a sharp fight resulted, in which eight of the prisoners escaped ; but Schenek finally captured the entire Tory party (making in all twenty-one prisoners), together with nine- teen horse> and some sheep, which had been taken from some of the inhabitants.

Captain John Bacon was one of the most noted and desperate of the Tory bandits who in- - John Bacon made his appearance and insisted

fested Monmouth County during the later years of the Revolution, his field of operations being mostly in that part of Monmouth which is now Ocean County, though he at times carried his depredations northward to the Shrewsbury and Navesink Rivers. In April, 1780. he, with his gang, robbed the house of John Holmes (L'p- per Freehold) and also the houses of John and William Price. Afterwards, at Manahawkin, they attacked a party of patriots, killing Linus Pangborn and Sylvester Tilton, of Colt's Neck. At Long Beach, near Barnegat, Bacon and his men attacked a company of twenty-five militia

14th of June, 1780, was appointed lieutenant of Captain Ephraim Jenkins' company, Colonel Asher Holmes' battalion, State troops. Six months after receiving the latter appointment he was killed by Bacon under the following circumstances : Three men, named, respectively, Collins, Webster and Woodmansee, then liv- ing in Dover township, Monmouth County, having heard that all kinds of farmers' produce could be sold, at high prices in silver money, to the British in New York. concluded to try the venture of loading a whale-boat with "truck" and taking it to the British post for sale. They were not Refugees, nor were they active Tories even. but they were avaricious men, undertak- ing the expedition purely for gain, and would, doubtless, have preferred to sell their boat-load to General Washington's officers if they could have done so at as remunerative prices as they expected to realize by taking it to the enemy at New York. Under these circumstances and with these intentions they loaded their boat in Tom's River, passed out through old Cranberry Inlet, reached New York in safety, sold their produce at satisfactory prices, and were about setting out on their return voyage when Captain that they should take him as a passenger to Tom's River, which they consented to do, though much against their inclination, for they knew that if they should be overhauled by any patriot craft, his presence in their boat would tell heavily against them

Leaving New York, with Bacon on board, they reached the mouth of ( 'ranberry Inlet in safety, but dared not attempt to go in by day- light. In the mean time the patriotic citizens of Tom's River (there was not a Tory allowed to live there), having heard of the voyage of these men and of their return, and being determined

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to stop the contraband trade between their river and New York, had notified the American com- mander of the post, who thereupon sent a small party to capture them. The party, which was under command of Lieutenant Studson, took a boat, erossed the bay and concealed themselves behind a point just inside the month of the inlet. After dark the whale-boat came in, but no sooner had it rounded the point than, to the consternation of its crew, they saw themselves confronted by the boat containing the American militia, apparently determined on their capture. Lieutenant Stud-on stood up in his boat and demanded their surrender. The terrified huck- sters, being unarmed (and cowardly, too), were disposed to yield without parley, but Bacon, well knowing what his fate would be if taken, refused to submit, and promptly fired into the crew of the other boat with so true an aim that the brave Lieutenant Studson fell dead. The sudden and unexpected shot of Bacon and the death of Studson threw his men into a momen- tary eonfusion, and before they could recover and decide what to do the whale-boat had escaped in the darkness. The militiamen re- turned to Tom's River the same night and delivered the body of their leader to his sorrow- stricken wife.

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History of Monmouth county, New Jersey, Part 38

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Swan, Norma Lippincott. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1885 Publisher: Philadelphia, R. T. Peck & co. Number of Pages: 1148

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Swan, Norma Lippincott. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia, R. T. Peck & co.
Number of Pages: 1148