USA > New Jersey > Passaic County > Paterson > History of Paterson and its environs (the silk city); historical- genealogical - biographical > Part 29
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Pompton not only commanded these several roads towards Morristown, but was important on account of the iron furnaces and forges, and the shops where cannon balls were made for the American army, in a long, low build- ing almost directly opposite the present Norton House. These munitions of war were carted by a circuitous route through the Ramapo valley or Para-
P-15
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PATERSON AND ITS ENVIRONS
mus, and hence locally known to this day as "the Cannon Ball road." Gen. Heard kept a sharp lookout for Tories and British soldiers on every hand, but in view of the arrival, June 2, of additional mercenaries from Hesse- Cassel, etc., and threatened advances of the enemy, Washington directed him, May 24, to "move down part of his militia towards Aquackanoc." We have no account of this march, but on June 25 Gen. Washington requested Gen. Philemon Dickinson, in command of the New Jersey militia, to "send up Gen. Heard with about 500 men to Pompton, to take his old station." Under the orders of the ever-vigilant commander-in-chief, detachments of his armies frequently marched to and fro through Pompton, as the exigencies of the situation demanded.
A very difficult old wood-road leads on top of the mountain directly north of the Pompton Lakes railroad station northerly to Ringwood, and local tradition says that this was used during the Revolution by the Ryersons, great iron-masters, for the secret transportation of cannon balls to the Brit- ish. In answer to this it may be noted that while this section of five or six miles of road might serve for secret transportation, there would remain twenty miles or more of open country through which to cart the cannon balls. Second, the Ryersons did not own the iron mines during the Revolu- tion. Thirdly, the story had its origin during the War of 1812. In 1821 Jacob M. Ryerson, who then owned the mining property, traced the report to two well known citizens, and compelled them to acknowledge, in a Newark newspaper of the day, over their own signatures, that they did not believe there was any basis for the rumor. When the late Jacob S. Rogers, by the erection of a dam, increased the area of Rotten pond from eight acres to 102 acres, he rebuilt a part of the Cannon-Ball road. After his death, in 1901, his successor in the ownership of the property induced the authorities to vacate a large part of the road ; the latter, with the exception of such part as had been rebuilt by Rogers, at that time was difficult to define, for it was overgrown with brush and even with trees two or three inches in diameter ; yet it was a public road and its vacation was desirable in order to insure privacy at Rotten pond, or LeGrand Lake, as it was then called; the vacation of the Cannon-Ball road cut off all public access to the pond.
Colonel William Beatty tells how he rejoined his regiment "at Lincoln's Gap, the 29th June. In two or 3 days after Our Division March'd towards Pumpton Smith's Cove [Clove] & newbern [ Newburgh]." Washington took the same route a few days later, with 4,500 men and four cannon, being at Pompton Plains on July 12, at the Clove on the 15th, and Ramapo the 25th, whence he hastened back to the Delaware a day or two after. The Maryland troops, with others, being ordered to return to New Jersey at the same time, arrived at Paramus on July 29. Capt. Beatty's narrative from this point has a special local interest :
Wednesday 30th We began our march very early this morning & made a halt about 10 o'clock at the Pasayac river about a Mile below the falls. Curiosity led me to see them they are a curiou Worth Seeing the Water Some Small distance before it falls passes between two rocks about six feet from
227
THE NATION'S WARS
each Other then falls about 30 feet & passes between the same rocks for about 30 yards Which Widen gradually till they are near 30 feet apart at the end of these rocks the Water makes a very large pond, What makes the place of halting this day more remarkable happining in a House near Whare the troops Halted, the owners of which had a child they said 23 years of age ; the Head of this Child Was Larger than a Half Bushell ; the body about the Size of a Child 7 or 8 years Old its Hands & Feet Were useless to it the Skin as White as Milk notwithstanding it had Never been able to Walk Or set its Parents have taut it to read & it Would answer almost any Scriptural Quotations that Were askt it. The neighbours told me that the Father & Mother Were fonder of this child than any they had, altho they had Several beside that were not Deform'd. About 2 o'clock We proceeded On Our march about 3 Miles below acquackanack Bridge on the 2d river. The Whole of this days March Was about 19 miles, Thursday 31st This morning about the time the troops began to March One of the Inhabitants Were taken up for assisting some of our Deserters over the Second River about a mile after passing through New-Ark the troops Halted a Court Martial being imme- diately Ordered for the tryal of the Tory taken in the Morning, The Court passed Sentence of Death on him which Genl Debore Ordered to be put in Execution by Hanging the poor fellow On the limb a Sycamore Bush close on the side of the 10ad.
The tragic incident just described is thus reported in James Rivington's Royalist paper, the New York Gazette and Weekly Mercury, of August II, 1777:
New-York, August II. A poor Farmer, named Andrew Innis, was the Week before last, hanged by order of one of the rebel Generals, near his own Home at Second River, on Suspicion of being privy to the Desertion of some of the Soldiers, as they passed that Way, on their Rout to the Southard.
There is a local tradition to the effect that Innis (or Ennis) was charged with having guided the British army through the ford at Lyndhurst. There is no reason to believe that any army ever forded the Passaic at that point. Another version is that he was hanged by the British. The account given above, by Beatty and the New York Gasette, is undoubtedly the correct one. Local tradition, however, differs from Beatty's narrative and agrees with the New York paper in saying that Ennis was hanged on a hill near his own house. This was probably near the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western rail- road bridge, two or three miles north of Second River.
In July and August, 1777, Capt. William Chambers, of the Third Bat- talion, Sussex militia, was stationed at Pompton.
The most important military operation in this vicinity, in 1777, was the sudden and well-planned invasion of New Jersey from New York, under the command of Sir Henry Clinton, on the night of September II, this object being partly to create a diversion in favor of the British army at Philadelphia, partly to surprise and carry off any stray body of American troops, but mainly to strip the country of cattle. The invaders were divided into four columns. The first, under Brig .- Gen. John Campbell, made up of the 7th, 26th and 52d Regiments, the Ansbach and Waldeck (German) Grenadiers, and
228
PATERSON AND ITS ENVIRONS
300 of the Provincials (New Jersey Loyalists), landed at Elizabethtown Point at 4 o'clock in the morning of September 12. The second column was commanded by Sir Henry Clinton in person, and consisted of two pieces of cannon, 250 recruits of the 7Ist regiment, Bayard's corps, some convalescents, and a battalion of the New Jersey Volunteers (Loyalists), 250 strong, the whole detachment being led by Capt. Robert Drummond, the erstwhile patriot merchant of Acquackanonk. This column sailed up the Hackensack river on the morning of September 12, to Schuyler's Ferry, and thence marched across the Neck to Schuyler's, at the Passaic, opposite Second River, where they found Capt. Sutherland, with 250 men, who had been there some time. The cannon were put in position on the Schuyler heights, back from the river, so as to command the road on the Second River side of the stream. The third column, led by Maj. Gen. Vaughan, and comprising Capt. Emmerich's chasseurs, five companies of grenadiers and light infantry, the 57th, 63d and Prince Charles's regiments, and five pieces of very light artillery, effected a landing at Fort Lee, and marched to New Bridge, where a battalion with two pieces of cannon remained, to cover that important pass; the rest of the corps proceeded to Hackensack, leaving a post there, while the main body marched down to Slooterdam, to receive and cooperate with the two columns which had landed at Elizabethtown Point and at Schuyler's Ferry, and which were to advance from those points to Acquackanonk. The fourth column, under Lieut. Col. Campbell, crossed at Tappan, there being 200 Provincials and 40 marines in this party ; he was to remain at Tappan, but being pressed fell down to New Bridges.
Gen. Campbell met with much success at Elizabethtown Point and vicin- ity, and marched northward to Newark and thence to Second River, which he reached in the night of Friday, September 12, with large droves of cattle, gathered on the way. By direction of Sir Henry Clinton he halted there until morning. On Saturday, September 13, the Americans had rallied in considerable force, and had three pieces of artillery in position on the heights west of the river. There was a brisk skirmish during the day, between Col. Van Buskirk's battalion of New Jersey Volunteers, and the patriot militia, comprising part of Col. Philip Van Cortlandt's regiment and other com- panies, under command of Gen. William Winds, of Morris county. The country was becoming so thoroughly aroused that Clinton deemed it pru- dent to move on, and at daybreak of Sunday, September 14, the invaders started northward, proceeding through the Third River neighborhood and Acquackanonk to Slooterdam, where Gen. Vaughan was in waiting. Need- less to say, the whole country was scoured for cattle and plunder of every kind. Having assembled his little army and the cattle, Clinton directed Gen. Vaughan to march to New Bridge, and Gen. Campbell towards Hackensack, and thence to New Bridge, where both columns assembled on Monday, Sep- tember 15th, and thence retired, (September 16) to New York, having lost eight men killed, eighteen wounded, ten missing, and five taken prisoners They carried off 400 cattle, 400 sheep, and a few horses.
229
THE NATION'S WARS
Peter Garritse, on the Wesel road, lost by this raid "2 Yoke of Oxen, £50; I Negro Man, 25 Years old, £80; I Large Gun, £3."
Henry Garritse, on the Wesel road, was despoiled of "I Bay Horse 15 hands high 4 Years old, £35; 2 Waggon Horses, 8 Years old, £40; I Mare 5 Years old & Colt, £25; I Do 15 hands high 10 years old, £ 15; 2 Horses, £25; I Saddle & Saddle bags, bridle & Whip, £5; I Gun & bayonet, £3; I Barrel of beer, 30s .; 1/2 Gross bottles, £1, 15s .; 2 Fat Cows at £7."
James Linkfoot, of the Third River neighborhood, lost on this occasion "I Horse Saddle & bridle, £12; I Broad Cloth Coat, £3; Waistcoat & breeches Velvet, £4; I Musket, 20s .; Quadrant & Scale, £2; Feather Bed, bolster & Pillows, £6; I Gold diamond Ring, £2; I Silk Handkerchief, 8s .; I Castor hat, £1, 12S." Total, £ 32.
From Michael Vreeland they took "I Yoke of Oxen, £ 18; 2 Fat Cows, £ 12; I Horse 14 hands 3 Inches 3 Years old, £25."
John Vreeland, also on the Wesel road, was robbed of "3 Horses at £ 10 each ; 4 Fat Cows at £6; 150 Chestnut rails at 40s. pr hun'd ; 30 Posts at 8d., £I."
Dr. Nicholas Roche, who seems to have lived on the Wesel road, near Paul Powleson (now the Richard Kip farm), had his premises thoroughly pillaged in this September raid. The list of his losses indicates the style in which he was wont to dress, and the character of his professional equipment in the way of instruments :
I Teakettle 24S.
I
4
0
I Scarlet short Cloak 30s. & 8 Fine linen sheets 9
IO
0
12 Pair of Pillow Cases
3
12 0
3 Bags 9s. 3 Silk Handkerchiefs 18s.
I
7
0
I Gun £3 8 Shifts & Shirts £4.
7
O
5 Pair of Stockings.
2
O
0
Case of Amputating & trepanning instruments of the best quality 24
6
8
0
Suit of Superfine Broad Cloath Clothes
7
IO 0
Superfine White Broad Cloth Waistcoat with Sil- ver lace
3
0
0
Medicines of all sorts
30
0
0
I Large trunk
I
4
0
I Medicine Chest
I
12
0
7 Ruffled Shirts of fine linen.
7
O
0
4 Cambric Stocks 17s. 6d.
O
I7
6
6 Pair of Worsted & linen Stockings
2
8
0
I Superfine Broad Cloth Coat.
3
IO
0
I Silver Mounted Sword
5
0
0
24 Geese at 2s. 6d.
3
0
0
£119
IO
2
Attested to by Ann Roche & Paul Powelson.
John Wanshair had property taken and destroyed as follows :
I Horse 4 Years old quarter English, £25; I Mare 4 Years old, £25; I Do 5 Years old With foal, £17; I Stallion 4 Years old, £18; I Mare 3 Years old very likely, £20; 4 Working horses between 14 & 15 hands high
£ S
D
8 Coarse linen sheets
6
0 0
0
O
2 Cases of incission instruments
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PATERSON AND ITS ENVIRONS
& between 5 and 6 Years old, ££48; 12 Sheep at 15s., £9; 2 Calves at 12S, £ 1, 4s .; I Long Scarlet Cloak, £5; 2 Short Scarlet Cloaks at 30s. pr Clk ; I New Cloth Surtout £3 & Black Velvet Waist Coat, £4, Ios .; I Pair of Velvet breeches, 30s .; 17 Shirts of fine linen at 16s. pr Shirt, £13, 12S .; 2 Chintz Gowns, £4, 2s .; 2 Black Aprons, £2; 4 Lawn Aprons, £ 5; 4 Lawn Handkerchiefs, £3, 4s .; 6 Cambric Caps, 48s .; 6 New Sheets & 6 Pillow Cases, £5, 9s .; 2 Cotton Petticoats, £3; One Woollen Do, 20s .; I Pin Cushion with Silver chain & band, £1, 4s .; 10 Pair of Stockings, £3, IOS. ; I Pair Silver buckels, 25s .; Coverlet, 30s .; 5 Milk Cows, £30; I Yoke of Oxen 6 Years old, £20; 18 Young Cattle the Youngest 2 Years old, £ 54; 15 Sheep at 15s. pr sheep, £ II, 5s.
The plunder obtained from Marinus Gerritse on this raid consisted of "I Yoke of Oxen, £25; I Horse, £15; I New Coat & Scarlet Vest, £4, IOS. ; 6 Shirts at Ios. ; 3 Pair Stocking, 15s." Total, £48, 5s.
John Cadmus, of Slooterdam, lost 33 sheep and five horses, worth £ 140, 5s. From Thomas Van Rypen they took, on September 12, 6 horses, 10 sheep, a wagon, 4 calves, 250 panel of fence, silver teaspoons, knee-buckles, two gold ear-rings, a dozen silver buttons, a silver snuff-box, a side of upper- leather, a pair of shoes, 42 ells of linen, 6 shirts, 5 white handkerchiefs, 4 quilted petticoats, a dozen pewter plates, half a dozen pewter dishes, a silk handkerchief, a pair of buckskin breeches, a tea kettle, a negro man worth £85, another worth £77, and a negro wench worth £70. His house was badly damaged and windows broken, so that his total loss was estimated at £298.
Adrian Post, the miller, of Slooterdam, was again visited, September 12-15, and plundered of these articles : "103 Quarters of wheat flower, £ I, I2S .; 300 & a Half of Rye meal, £2, 2s .; A sorrel horse Saddle and Bridle, £28; an Extraordinary good gun, £3, IOS .; A Wagon But Little the worse for ware, £ 16; one good axe, 7s., 6d. ; one Neagro man About 34 years old, £85."
On September 15, Henry Van Houten, also of Slotterdam, was robbed of "one horse 7 years old 131/2 hands high, £ 12." Cornelius I. Van Houten subsequently swore that he had "seen the horse of Henry Van Houten in the Posistion of the Enemy." He himself had a horse worth £12 taken on September 13.
The theatre of military operations was now transferred to the neighbor- hood of Philadelphia, and both armies were hastened thither, the American troops from the North River marching via Pompton, Morristown, etc. Col. Aaron Burr took the same route with his regiment from Paramus. Gen. I. Varnum wrote him, October 1, 1777, that he feared the enemy intended marching via the Clove to Fort Montgomery, and he accordingly directed him to "keep a good lookout towards Newark, Elizabethtown, &c., or those places from whence they can march into Pumpton. Should you be in dan- ger of being interrupted there, throw your party across the river in Pumpton, and defend the bridge, if practicable."
231
THE NATION'S WARS
CHAPTER V.
Lord Stirling at Acquackanonk-Another raid by enemy forces-Wash- ington at Ringwood-His first and second encampments at Preak- ness-The Dey house and its surroundings-Surgeon Thacher's journal-Lafayette's infantry at Haledon.
The enemy's incursions in September, 1777, having shown the need of some system of alarming the country, the New Jersey Council of Safety re- quested the Rev. James Caldwell to set up one or two beacons "to the North- ward of New Ark, and that he be requested to appoint proper persons to take the care of & attend them & that the person so provided, Shall be exempted, when known, from Military duty-" There is a somewhat vague local tradi- tion to the effect that one of these beacons was on that summit or peak of the First or Wesel mountain on the north side of the Great Notch. The character of these beacons is thus described : "Near Morris Town, a Beacon 40 Feet high has been erected in form of a Block House (with a 6 Pounder on the Top) filled with Dry Wood and other Combustible Stuff, for the Pur- pose of catching fire soon, in order to the more quick discharge of the Can- non, on the Report of which, and the Light from the Building, the Country is to take the Alarm."
When Washington broke camp on June 18, 1778, after the long and dreary sojourn at Valley Forge, it was his original intention to send the Ist, 3d and 5th Divisions, under Gen. Charles Lee, the Marquis Lafayette and Lord Stirling, respectively, via Morristown, Pompton Bridge, Sufferns, etc .. to Newburgh ; but the enemy's evacuation of Philadelphia, and retreat across Jersey, prompted him to pursue and engage the British, with the Battle of Monmouth, June 28, 1778, as the result. On Sunday, July 5, his army left Brunswick, to carry out his first plan of marching to the North River, pro- ceeding by easy stages : "Ist, to Scotch Plains ; 2d, Springfield ; 3d, Wardis- ton [Watsessing] ; 4th, Aquackanonk; 5th, Paramus; 6th, Cakaryatt [Ka- keat] ; 7th, King's Ferry, where the army crossed." The weather was exces- sively hot all the way from Monmouth Court House, July I, until July II, which made short marches advisable. Washington was at Newark on July 8, and had his headquarters at Acquackanonk on July 9. He probably marched the next day to Paramus, where he halted until the 15th, with two of his divisions, the court martial for the trial of Gen. Charles Lee (for his extraordinary behavior at Monmouth) meanwhile sitting in the Paramus church.
On September 22 a large body of the enemy came across the North River from New York, on an extensive foraging expedition, and marched to New Bridge, where they fortified, while sending out parties in all direc- tions for forage and fresh provisions. Another party came down to Polifly, where they also threw up entrenchments. A number of vessels were sent up the Hackensack and Passaic rivers at the same time, to facilitate the carry- ing away of the plunder. Gen. William Winds's brigade took post at Para-
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PATERSON AND ITS ENVIRONS
mus, convenient to the enemy's redoubt at New Bridge, but presently fell down to Acquackanonk, whence they marched to Hackensack on the morn- ing of September 27 with upwards of one thousand men, in high spirits. The fort at, Polifly was captured after a brief skirmish. Upon reaching Hackensack he found the enemy had retired to New Bridge, whither he fol- lowed, and offered them battle, which they declined. Having cleared the country of the invaders, Gen. Winds returned with his men in fine feather to Acquackanonk. He chased another party of the enemy down the road toward Second River, having a sharp encounter with them on the way.
In order the more readily to check other forays of this kind, Lord Stir- ling established his headquarters at Acquackanonk for some weeks, his troops being located at convenient intervals between Wesel and Second River. Some of his men were stationed on the farms of Henry Garritse, Peter Peterse, and others, along the west side of the Wesel road, near Clifton, be- tween that road and the present Erie railroad. The stone floors of their huts, and their rude bake-ovens, were plainly discernible thirty or forty years ago. The following order was issued at this time :
HEAD-QUARTERS AQUACKANONCK in NEW-JERSEY, October 11th, 1778.
WHEREAS it has been found that illicit and illegal uses have been made of Flags coming into various parts of this State. It is ordered that no Flag from the enemy shall be received at any post or place within this State, except at Elizabethtown-Point, without a special permission for that pur- pose from the Governor or Commanding Officer of the troops of the United States in New Jersey ; and all Officers within this State are to use their best endeavours to prevent their coming in, or being received at any other place. The Officer commanding at the said Point, is to see that the laws and usages of Flags are strictly observed in every instance.
By order of Major-General Lord Stirling, commanding the army in New-Jersey. W. BARBER, A. D. Camp.
Another raid of the British in October having been repulsed, Lord Stir- ling wrote from "Aquakanoc," October 13, ordering Col. Elias Dayton to move with two regiments from Second River to Elizabethtown; and he re- moved his own headquarters two days later to the latter town. Gen. Wood- ford's brigade marched from Paramus, October 16, to Newark, doubtless via Acquackanonk. On October 29 they left Newark again and "set out for Pompton, where they took quarters and detached parties to repair the road between Morristown and King's Ferry" on the Hudson. About the end of November the American army left the Hudson river on the way to winter quarters at Middlebrook. New Jersey. Washington set out for that place on November 28 and on December 3 reached Elizabethtown. He doubtless passed through Acquackanonk on December 2 or 3. In his narrative of this march, Surgeon James Thacher gives this pleasing picture of the people and the country :
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THE NATION'S WARS
December Ist and 2d, passed through Paramus and Aquackanock, twenty-six miles. These towns are inhabited chiefly by Dutch people; their churches and dwelling houses are built mostly of rough stone, one story high. There is a peculiar neatness in the appearance of their dwellings, hav- ing an airy piazza supported by pillars in front, and their kitchens connected at the ends in the form of wings. The land is remarkably level, and the soil fertile, and being generally advantageously cultivated, the people appear to enjoy ease and happy competency. The furniture in their houses is of the most ordinary kind, and such as might be supposed to accord with the fashion of the days of Queen Ann. They despise the superfluities of life, and are ambitious to appear always neat and cleanly, and never to complain of an empty purse.
On December 5 Washington made a hasty trip from Elizabethtown to Paramus, whence he returned in a few days to Middlebrook, where the army went into winter quarters. He undoubtedly passed through Acquackanonk on his way to Paramus, on December 5, and probably on December 8, also, on the return to Middlebrook, although the latter journey may have been taken via Pompton, Pacquanac and Morristown. The Pennsylvania Line, under Gen. Anthony Wayne, left Paramus on December 9, and doubtless camped that night at "Aquackanack Bridge," where they remained December IO and II. Perhaps it was from a desire to make a specially good impres- sion on the fair maidens of Totowa and Acquackanonk that before leaving Paramus this division was ordered out on parade "in the most Soldierly man- ner Possible, their arms and a Coutrements in the Best order. The Quarter- master will draw flour for the men to Clean their jacoots & Breches and to Powder their hair."
The American army having gone into winter quarters at Middlebrook, and the British forces being principally occupied in other parts of the land, this region had rest from war's alarms for nearly half a year.
It was not until May, 1779, that the march of hostile bands again dis- turbed the peace of Old Acquackanonk. On the 17th of that month a con- siderable body of British troops (a detachment of the 71st, and 100 men from the 17th and 57th regiments each), under Capt. Ferguson, crossed the Hudson river, intending to march to Paramus and cut off a party of Ameri- cans there, while the 63d and 64th regiments marched to New Bridge, to support the movement. The troops got separated in the night, however, and the expedition was unsuccessful. Some of the detachments appear to have taken the road below Paramus, which brought them into the present Paterson, probably by the ford at the foot of Park avenue. They followed this road to Vreeland avenue, where, at the corner, they picked up two horses of Abraham C. Vreeland, worth £ 18, on May 19. Going down Vree- land avenue to Twentieth avenue they carried off five horses of Michael Vreeland, worth £72. Taking the Wesel road, they relieved Elias Vreeland, the same day, of "One black Mare 15 hands high, 5 years old," worth £25, and Henry Garritse of two wagon horses, valued at £40.
On May 29 Washington's army broke camp at Middebrook and started with all speed for West Point, to check a British advance in that direction.
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