History of Morris County, New Jersey, Part 12

Author: Halsey, Edmund Drake, 1840-1896; Aikman, Robert; Axtell, Samuel Beach, 1809-1891; Brewster, James F; Green, R. S. (Rufus Smith), 1848-1925; Howell, Monroe; Kanouse, John L; Megie, Burtis C; Neighbour, James H; Stoddard, E. W. (Elijah Woodward), 1820-1913
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: New York : W.W. Munsell & co.
Number of Pages: 540

USA > New Jersey > Morris County > History of Morris County, New Jersey > Part 12

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

Colonel Stephen Moylan, to whom this letter was ad- dressed, was an Irishman, a brave patriot in the Revo- lutionary army, at Cambridge aide de camp of Washing- ton, made commissary general in March 1776, but soon resigned for want of exact business habits, and re-entered the line as a volunteer. He saw much service and was brevetted brigadier general. He died in Philadelphia, April 11th 1811.

Under date of November 14th 1776 Mr. Hoff writes to Colonel Knox (chief of artillery under Washington): "I wrote you a few days past that in consequence of your letter of 10th ult. we had got everything in readiness and had cast several tons of the shot, but that it was alto- gether out of my power to get them carted. We have now upwards of 35 tons made, and as the furnace is doing no other business shall, I hope [be able] to complete the order. Every preparation of moulds, flasks &c. for the grape shot is now finished, and we shall soon have a good assortment of each kind."

The next letter is from Charles Hoff, is dated July 27th 1777 and is directed to Governor Livingston, beg- ging him to give Colonel John Munson-who had charge of the militia for that part of the county and was about to levy a draft for the army-such orders as would ex- empt his workmen. He speaks of a former exemption given by General Washington, and says, "We made the last year for public service upwards of one hundred and twenty tons of shot of different kinds." October 7th 1777 an act was passed in the Legislature exempting 25 men from draft at Hibernia. March 4th 1778, Charles Hoff writes to Lord Stirling: " The pig metal I have sold, some for £12, some for £15, some for £20 and some for £30 per ton. The stipulated price according to the act is £20; please inform me how I must act in that case. The forges in this part of the country many of 'em are turned from the blooming to refining, and pig metal of course in great demand. There is also a great demand for hollow ware of all kinds, also salt pans, forge plates &c."

March 20th 1778 Hoff wrote to Lord Stirling in regard to going into blast, thinking it better to put it off, owing think, as the blast is not likely to continue so long as usual, to put off blooming till the pasture become good, so that the teams can get their living in the woods, with- out being at the expense of feeding them ?" He also says, " If ye lordship could send us some of the regular and Hessian deserters that don't choose [to enlist] into the continental service and depend on working in the country, to amount to 30 or 40, I would do my endeavor to make 'em serviceable."

The next letter in regard to the employment of de- serters and Hessians gives the reason why quite a large number of Hessians were sent to Morris county. There are descendants of these " hated foreign mercenaries " still living in the vicinity of the iron works to which their ancestors were brought to work a hundred years ago.

"William Winds, Esq., Briadier-General.

" Being in possession of a furnace as manager thereof, commonly called and known by the name of the Hibernia Furnace, belonging to the Right. Hon. William Earl of Stirling, Major-General in the service of the United States of America, situate in the county of Morris and State of New Jersey, which is employed for the continent in cast- ing all sorts of military stores, which we have engaged to furnish with as speedily as possible, I find it therefore es- sentialy necessary to employ a number of workmen for that purpose; and, as I am informed that a good many deserters both of the British troops and Hessians are come in and sent to Philadelphia, I have sent the bearer -my brother John Hoff-on purpose and given him full power hereby to engage as many men as he thinks proper, such as are used to cut wood in the winter season and can assist in the coaling business during the summer season. and a few other tradesmen; where they shall meet with the best encouragement and treatment, provided they make good several enagagements to which they will be called. And whatever agreements and promises the said John Hoff does make the same shall be punctually fulfilled by me the subscriber,

" CHARLES HOFF Jun. " Hibernia Iron Works, July 4th 1778."

In the written instructions which were sent with Ber- nard Smith, who represented Mr. Faesch, and with John Hoff it is said that they wanted for Hibernia from fifteen to twenty-five men used to wood-cutting, coaling and labor suitable for iron works, a good blacksmith, a good wheelwright, one or two good carpenters and one or two good masons, as many as possible to be Englishmen or those who could speak that tongue.

July 10th 1778 Mr. Hoff writes to Lord Stirling that " Mr. Taylor of Durham furnace, in Pennsylvania, wrote Mr. Faesch and me he had a complete set of moulds for hollow ware to dispose of reasonable. Mr. Faesch recommended it much to me to buy 'em, in partnership with him, for the works. We have done so and brought them from Pennsylvania; the price was £200, and at this time we are sensible they would not be made under £600; there is from a 2-ounce grapeshot to a 32-1b. shot, moulds from I gall. pots to 40 or 50 gallons, 4 different stove moulds and moulds of every other kind."

In the same letter he complains that he cannot get

HISTORY OF MORRIS COUNTY.

supplied with flour and horse feed within 40 or 50 miles, and thinks, considering the public benefit of his work, that the quartermaster-general might supply him.

The letters of the Hoffs end here, but it is well known that the furnace continued in operation throughout the war and manufactured war material for the army. The most notable event which happened in this period was the robbery of the Hoffs in the spring of 1781. A gang of robbers entered the house while the family were at supper and stole silver, jewelry, linen and clothing. They took horses also and got away safely with their plunder; but one at least, James Babcock, was afterward taken and hung. The county was infested with gangs of tories and lawless men, and others besides the Hoffs suffered from their visits. Robert Ogden, of Sparta, in Sussex county, was robbed in a similar way.

It is supposed the same gang who robbed the Hoffs attempted to rob Colonel John Seward, but failed. It is said that the colonel fortified himself in a block-house, and that on one cold night at about midnight a man rode up to his door and hailed, desiring to see the colonel, who instead of opening the door caught up his rifle and opened a hole through which he could look out. He discovered a man mounted on a fine horse, without a saddle and with rope stirrups. He at once knew his man, and, placing his rifle without noise in the hole be- tween the logs, fired. Instantly all was still. The horse being frightened left the door, but was found the next morning eating at the colonel's haystack, with a dead man fastened in his rope stirrups under his feet. The horse proved to be a stolen one. How many other ras- cals accompanied the one killed was not known; but the colonel was avoided by the gang ever after.

The history of the works at Hibernia for the twenty years succeeding the Revolution is involved in ob- scurity. Lord Stirling's affairs after his death were found to be so much involved that his property was publicly sold by the sheriff. In 1774 he had applied to the board of proprietors for the purchase of the large tract surround- ing his works at Hibernia, extending as far as Copperas Mountain and Greenville and known as the Hibernia tract. The board had consented to the sale and directed a survey to be made. April 15th 1785 Mr. Parker laid before the board a letter from Colonel Benjamin Thomp- son, which he received on the Monday previous, inform- ing him that he had purchased the Hibernia iron works of Messrs. Murray, Sanson & Co .; that he had been in- formed that the purchase money of 3,000 acres agreed for with Lord Stirling had never been paid, and that he was willing to purchase the same agreeably to the original contract. September 13th 1787 a report was made to the board that the surveys for Thompson were not yet completed; but April 10th 1788 there was a report of a survey made by Lemuel Cobb of 4,365.43 acres, subject to deductions, to be conveyed to Benjamin Thompson and his associates at £20 per 100 acres.

April 14th 1791 an agreement was made by Mr. Ruther- ford, president of the board, and Mr. Parker to sell to John Murray and John Stotesbury lands surveyed by

Lemuel Cobb, to accommodate Hibernia iron works with coal and wood, at £20 per 100 acres, with interest from May Ist 1788. The tract had been returned to John Stevens, late president of the board, in trust to convey it to Murray & Stotesbury, and a deed had to be made from his heirs-at-law to Mr. Rutherford, then the presi- dent of the board, to carry out the agreement. The re- turn included 5,222.44 acres, but after deducting 866.86 acres of prior locations included therein there were left 4,355.58 acres.

Prudden Alling, sheriff of Morris county, on an execu- tion on a judgment obtained at the April term of 1768, by Waddell Cunningham and others against Lord Stirling, sold to Lemuel Cobb, by deed dated February 16th 1791, the several tracts which made up the Hibernia tract for £30. It was probably to complete the title about to be made to Murray or Stotesbury.

William Jackson stated that Ross & Bird carried on the Hibernia furnace until Stotesbury came into posses- session of it; but who they were or how long they had possession it is impossible to ascertain. John Stotes- bury, who appears to have come into possession in 1791, was of Irish descent, and is described as a high liver, of very genial habits and popular in the community. He was an officer in the continental army and had a brother in the British army, on Lord Howe's staff. He served at Trenton and Princeton, and was wounded at Brandy- wine. He owned a pew in the Rockaway church, where he attended with his family. He had two daughters, one of whom married Hon. Philemon Dickerson, of Paterson. Stotesbury introduced Irish employes at his works, sup- planting the Germans, who went over to Mt. Hope, ex- cepting those who found places in the mountains beyond. George Shawger, Charles Winters, William Barton, Pater Sanders and Jacob Bostedo were some of those who re- mained on their lands, and whose descendants continue to own and reside on them. Mr. Bostedo was a very good man, and was ordained by the Morris county pres- bytery to preach. Stotesbury failed in 1798 and died shortly afterward.

The title of the property was made to John Murray for the large tract surrounding the Hibernia property, by Walter Rutherford, December 8th 1792, and the several lots on which the furnace stood by William Shute and his wife, May 9th 1796. After Murray's death, August 15th 1809, his executors made an agreement to convey the whole property to Dr. Charles M. Graham, of New York. This gentleman was the owner of the "Copperas tract " near Green Pond, where Job Allen made copperas during the Revolutionary war, and he himself carried on the copperas manufacture very exten- sively during the war of 1812. He was of Scotch descent, a strong adherent of the Stuarts and a man of great enter- prise. Graham built up the furnace, and then assigned his agreement for a conveyance to Samuel Thompson, Peter Thompson and William Spencer, who received the deed dated January Ist 1815 from Murray's executors. The men who thus took possession of the property were. described by Hubbard S. Stickle as young men, who

MOUNT HOPE FURNACE-JOHN JACOB FAESCH.

undertook the business with spirit; but the times were against them and they soon failed. The furnace went down, and it has never been rebuilt. The mortgage given to Graham was foreclosed and the property bought by Benjamin Rogers in 1819. He sold off considerable of the land in lots, and May 18th 1821 conveyed the balance to Colonel William Scott, who built a forge upon the old furnace dam. A freshet swept the dam away and the forge was suffered to go to decay. On the death of Colonel Scott, in 1842, this property, with a large amount of other real estate which he had gathered to- gether in the course of his busy life, was divided among his children. The Hibernia mines so divided, and which included all of the vein except the lower mine (which be- longed to Benjamin Beach) and the old Ford mine, have since developed immense wealth and are still among the chief mines in the county.

MOUNT HOPE FURNACE.

The third furnace built within the limits of Morris county was at Mount Hope, and it was running more or less continuously for a period of fifty years. When the large survey was made of what is called the Mount Hope tract in 1772, of 6,271.06 acres, there were some twenty-two prior locations within its limits. The tract began on the mountain between Rockaway and Dover, ran down to near the old Dr. King place in Rockaway, thence almost parallel to the Morris Canal to near the westerly side of the Rockaway Presbyterian cemetery, thence to near White Meadow and from there, with many turns, to a point between Denmark and Middle forge; thence down to Mount Pleasant, and so across by the Baker & Richards mine to a point on Mount Hope avenue in the easterly suburbs of Dover, and so to the Rockaway River near the "point of the mountain," and thence back on the Rockaway Mountain to the place of beginning. Nearly all the lots excepted were in the neigh- borhood of Rockaway and Dover, and at the Mount Hope mines. The earliest location near the present vil- lage of Mount Hope was the lot returned to Samuel Gardiner in 1749, at the same time and recorded on the same page as the Osborn location of Middle forge. By Gardiner it was sold to Abner Beach, and by him to Jacob Ford. It was on the northwest side of Rockaway River, and on a small brook which runs into the north- west corner of the "Hunting Meadow," as the great meadow at Mount Hope was then called, and contained 26.26 acres. Probably after Jacob Ford had purchased this lot he proceeded to locate lands in its neighborhood, taking up in 1750, at the same time he took up the Burnt Meadow forge lot, 96.72 acres, "situate in the meadow well known as the Hunting Meadow," and 26.23 acres adjoining the Gardiner lot. In 1754 he located ten acres more to the east of the Gardiner lot, in 1757 142 acres more, and shortly afterward 58.80 acres on the Faesch is described as a very generous and large- road leading from " David Beman's to what is called the hearted man, but very aristocratic in his ideas. He gave liberally to the church, so much so that in a subscription made in 1781 a prominent man in the Rockaway congre- gation subscribed " as much as any in the parish except

Middle forge," and 10.41 acres "on both sides of the road leading from David Beman's iron works to the Burnt Meadow forge."

Colonel Ford no doubt purchased the property for its mines-which were then well known and which he needed to supply his forges-and for the meadow, which yielded abundant hay for his teams. In 1768, February 28th, he conveyed the whole property, including the seven lots so purchased or located by him, to his son Jacob Ford jr., who took up his residence there. In 1772, however, John Jacob Faesch, having severed his connection with the London Company, came to Mount Hope, and, taking a long lease of the lands owned by Ford, purchased fromn the proprietors the great Mount Hope tract surrounding them, already mentioned, and began the building of the furnace. He afterward purchased Middle forge and Rockaway forge, leased Mount Pleasant forge and the Boonton mills, and carried on the iron business on a large scale.

John Jacob Faesch, who thus became one of the most noted ironmasters of the county, was a man whose in- fluence was long and widely felt. He was born in the canton of Basle, Switzerland, in the year 1729, and came to America in 1764, under an arrangement made with Francis Casper Hasenclever on behalf of his brother, Peter Hasenclever, the general manager and superin- tendent of the London Company, as the manager of their iron works. The agreement was for seven years, and Hasenclever stipulated to pay Faesch's, his wife's and servants' passage and deliver them and their goods and effects safely in America, with the expenses of Faesch from New Wood, where he lived, to Remsheid, where the agreement was made; to pay him 2,500 guilders per an- num Rhenish, to begin on the first day of his journey; to give him a tenantable dwelling house, with meadow for pasturing two or four kine; that he might engage in other business, but not to the prejudice of the company's inter- ests; and that he was not to be under command of any one except the members of the company, but should have direction over all the forges, mines and iron works that were erected or occupied or should thereafter be undertaken. In fact, it was a very liberal agreement and proves how valuable his services were thought to be. In accordance with this agreement Faesch came to this county, and was first placed by Hasenclever at Ring- wood, where he resided and acted as manager. In 1768 the works at Charlotteburgh were placed in his charge, and afterward the works at Long Pond. Trouble arose, however, between Hasenclever and the other members of the company. He was considered too extravagant, and in other respects a bad manager. At all events Robert Erskine was appointed to succeed him, and arrived in this country June 5th 1771. Faesch resented the treat- ment of his friend Hasenclever, and left the service of the company in June 1772, his term of seven years having expired. He had already made arrangements to take the Mount Hope property.

HISTORY OF MORRIS COUNTY.

an active part in the politics of his day. He was a mem- ber of the convention to ratify the federal constitution, held December 11th 1787, and for many years was one of the county judges. Mr. Stickle described him as of medium stature, and said he had often seen him passing through Rockaway, his carriage driven by men in livery, with outriders also in livery. He always stopped at Bernard Smith's, who was a countryman and friend of his. His first wife was Elizabeth Brinckerhoff, sister of George Brinckerhoff, who was the father of the late Mrs. Dr. Fairchild, of Parsippany. Mrs. Elizabeth Faesch died February 23d 1788 at Morristown, where Faesch had resided since the war, in the powder magazine, which he changed into a house. The next month after his wife's death he moved to Old Boonton, where he lived till his death. His second wife was Mrs. Susan (Kearney) Lawrence, widow of a brother of Captain Lawrence, U. S. N.

The lease for Mount Hope was made by Colonel Jacob Ford, " of Pequanack," of the first part, and John Jacob Faesch and Daniel Wrisberg, of the same place, of the second part; was dated February 23d 1773, was to continue forty-two years from the first day of April then last past (1772), and reserved an annual rent of £400 at 8 shillings the ounce. The rent is indorsed as paid to January 11th 1777, the date of Colonel Ford's death. In after years Faeseh complained of the rent as burdensome and that the property was not as valuable as he had supposed. To this remonstrance Judge Gabriel Ford, son of Colonel Jacob Ford, made a written reply which fully sets forth the condition of the property when the lease was made. He says: "There was then a meadow of 100 tons of timothy a year and the pasturage of the same after it was mowed, 60 or 70 acres of upland, an orchard 400 best grafted trees, an elegant dwelling- house, cost £1,400, a fine pond of water, dams and troughs, complete, and a good grist-mill, rented for £40 per year;" that " Mr. Faesch was not ignorant of a con- stant confluence of water into it [the mine] while my father had it, inasmuch as a pump must be pretty con- stantly at work to leave the mines at liberty;" and while Mr. Faesch complained of spending £1,200 " in driving on a level to draw off the water," near £800 of it had been deducted from his annual rent; that if Mr. Faesch "had been as well skilled in farming as in the manage-

considerably more and so stands at present." The reply

Esq. Faesch." It is said, however, that he supported religion only as a means of keeping the lower classes in concludes with an offer to abate £100 or £125 from subjection. He and one Jacob Hertel were naturalized| the annual rent. by a special act of the Legislature, in 1766. On the Who Daniel Wrisberg was or what became of him is breaking out of the war he was an ardent Whig, taking | not known. After 1773 there is no mention of him, and

the deed for the large traet was made to Faesch alone. There is a tradition that he died before the war and left £100 to the Rockaway church provided he should be buried under the pulpit, which was done. There is no record, however, confirming the story.

The furnace was built in 1772, under the eye of its experienced owner, and was in good working order when the Revolutionary war broke out. We have not a letter book giving the details of its operations, but from the frequent reference to Mr. Faesch in Hoff's letters from Hibernia, as well as from other sources, it is certain that large quantities of cannon, shot and iron utensils were manufactured there and that more men were employed than at Hibernia.

The tories made many attempts to rob the house of Faesch at Mount Hope and to destroy his property; but after the battle of Trenton and the capture of the Hes- sians, it is said, he made an arrangement with General Washington to keep thirty of the prisoners until the close of the war. These he kept employed in chopping wood, etc., keeping trusty men about him who were furnished with 30 stand of arms by the government, which were always kept in perfect order. These secured him from molestation. In the "instructions " to Bernard Smith on the part of Faesch and to John Hoff on the part of his brother, already spoken of, when they were sent to engage these prisoners, 25 or 30 men were asked for for Mount Hope, "such as are used to wood cutting, coaling and labor suitable for iron works, two good carpenters, one wheelwright, two blacksmiths, two masons; if you can meet with a young man or boy that can shave, dress hair, wait on table, take care of horses, etc., get him, if possi- ble an Englishman or one that talks both languages." " If any or all of 'em has guns advise them to bring them along; they'll be allowed a generous price here for 'em, and also all accoutrements in the military way." "It would also be advisable for you to inquire for Captain Dehauk and the rest of the gentlemen that were prison- ers at Mount Hope, as they'll be of infinite service to you." " Mr. Faesch wants a good beer-brewer and dis- tiller, that is a genteel, sober, honest and industrious man-if possible an Englishman-as he has good con- venienees for that business; he is willing if he can get a man he can confide in to take him into partnership."

October 7th 1777 an act was passed exempting fifty ment of iron works the disasters (as he terms the failure men at Mount Hope and twenty-five at Hibernia from military duty. In the preamble it is stated " that it is highly expedient that the army and navy should be fur- nished as speedily as possible with cannon, cannon shot, refined bar iron, shovels, axes and other implements of iron, which the furnaces at Mount Hope and Hibernia, with the forges at Brookland, Mount Pleasant, Longwood and Middle forge, so called from their local situation and

of the hay crop) would not have happened in so eminent a degree;" that " in order to accommodate him genteelly there was erected upon the premises an elegant dwelling- house, which . cost upwards of £1,400;" that "on the premises stood an exceedingly good hemp-mill and grist.mill, which together might have cost {800-these, being useless to Mr. Faesch, are demolished;" that "the prices of iron have been often double and sometimes other circumstances, are well adapted to supply; and

LATE MANAGERS OF MOUNT HOPE.

whereas John Jacob Faesch, Esq., the proprietor and con- ductor of Mount Hope iron works, and Charles Hoff jun., superintendent of the Hibernia furnace, by their memorial have set forth that the said works have been for some time past employed in providing the aforesaid articles for public use," the act provides that Faesch might enroll any number of men less than fifty to be employed in the iron works at Mount Hope, Brookland, Longwood, Mount Pleasant and Middle forge; and that Hoff might enroll twenty-five men to be employed at Hibernia fur- nace. These men were to be fully armed, equipped and disciplined by Faesch and Hoff, but were not to be obliged to attend musters or to leave the works unless the county should be invaded. This act was repealed in 1779-probably after the Hessians had been introduced. After Faesch removed to Morristown, and no longer personally superintended his furnace, etc., his business became less profitable and finally brought him in debt.

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