History of Union and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey with Biographical Sketches of many of their Pioneers and Prominent Men, Part 14

Author: W. Woodford Clayton, Ed.
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia: Everts
Number of Pages: 1224

USA > New Jersey > Middlesex County > History of Union and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey with Biographical Sketches of many of their Pioneers and Prominent Men > Part 14
USA > New Jersey > Union County > History of Union and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey with Biographical Sketches of many of their Pioneers and Prominent Men > Part 14

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" An Answer to a Bill in the Chancery of New Jersey. At the Suit of John Earl of Stair, and others, commonly called Proprietors of the East- ern Division of New Jersey, Against Benjamin Bond, and others claior- ing under the original Proprietors and Associates of Elizabeth-Town. To which is added; Nothing either of The Publications of the Council of Proprietors of East New-Jersey, or of The Pretences of the Rioters, and their Seducers ; Except so far As the Persons meant by Reuters, pretend Title Again-t The Parties to the above Answer; But a great Deal of the Controversy, Though much less of the History and Constitution of New- Jersey, than the said B Il. Audi alteram partem. Published by Sub- scription. New York : Printed and Sold by James Parker, at the New P. inting-Office, in Beaver-Street. 1752."

It professes to be "The joint and several Answer" of four hundred and forty-nine freeholders and in- habitants of Elizabeth Town, recorded in alphabeti- cal order.

The town committee, on whom was devolved the responsibility of conducting the defense, were, for 1750, Messrs. John Crane, Andrew Craige, Williamn Miller, John Halsted, Stephen Crane, Thomas Clarke, and John Chandler.

At the time of the preparation and the filing of the bill in chancery Lewis Morris was Governor of the province. He had long been conversant with the matters in litigation, and was deeply interested in the

issue of this most important case, holding, as he did, a large part of his property in New Jersey by pro- prietary rights. Governor Morris had presumed, without, as was alleged, due authority, to erect a Court of Chancery, and to exercise the prerogatives of chancellor. It was feared from the well-known proclivities of Governor Morris that as chancellor he would be likely to give judgment upon the bill in favor of the plaintiffs. But that apprehension was removed by the death of Governor Morris in May, 1746, and matters took a favorable turn for the de- fendants by the accession of Jonathan Belcher, who was a New Englander, and in hearty sympathy, both in his civil and religious principles, with the people of the town. He entered upon his office as Governor of New Jersey in August, 1747. Before the answer to the bill was printed Governor Belcher became a resident of Elizabeth Town, and immediately identi- fied himself with the religious and social interests of the place, joining the church of which most of the defendants scattered over the township were members, -the Presbyterian Church,-and thus bringing him- self into a closer bond ofsympathy with them. For this reason, probably, among others, Governor Belcher did not adjudicate the case. Alexander, who had the principal management of the bill, died April 2, 1756 ; Murray died April 2, 1757, before the death of Gov- ernor Belcher ; the French war succeeded ; then came the Stamp Act excitement, followed by the Revolu- tion. No place was found for the Elizabeth Town bill. It died from neglect, until it was too late for a resuscitation. Such was the end of this famous strug- gle, continued for a whole century, and resulting in the vindication, together with the triumph, of popu- lar rights throughout the colonies, of the original purchasers of the soil and the defeat of their oppo- nents.

CHAPTER XI.

BEGINNING OF THE REVOLUTIONARY STRUGGLE.

THE territory embraced in the present county of Union was the theatre of stirring events both pre- ceding and during the war of the Revolution. These events began to develop themselves at Eliza- beth Town immediately upon the passage of the Stamp Act in 1765, or as soon as intelligence of that oppres- sive measure of Parliament had reached the province.

The General Assembly, being in session at Burling- ton, received on the 20th of June a communication from the General Court of Massachusetts, recommend- ing them, together with the representative bodies of the other colonies, to send delegates to a General Congress to convene in New York on the first Tues- day in October following. Robert Ogden, of Eliza- beth Town, was Speaker of the House. It was the last day of the session, some members having left,

1 Anal. Index, p. 205. " 1500 acres of riglits had been sold to bear the expense of Elizabethtown snit."-1b., p. 289.

BEGINNING OF THE REVOLUTIONARY STRUGGLE.

and others being anxious to return to their homes. It was, therefore, upon a hurried conference, deemed advisable to take no immediate action upon the com- munication, and the Assembly adjourned. Mr. Ogden, who had been a member of the House by consecutive elections since 1751, and Speaker since 1763, was made to bear the chief responsibility for this action. He shortly after called a meeting of the representatives at Amboy, who proceeded to elect the delegates to the Congress at New York. Hendrick Fisher, of Somerset, Joseph Borden, of Burlington, and himself were chosen. It was in this body that Mr. Ogden gave offense to his countrymen, not by any act that in the least impaired the sterling integ- rity and patriotism of which he had always been a conspicuous example, but by a mere difference of opinion as to methods, which it seemed difficult for the people in that moment of excitement to tolerate, or ever after wholly to overlook. " A Declaration of Rights and Grievances" had been drawn up, with an address to the king and a petition to each of the Houses of Parliament, all admirably and skillfully prepared, and well calculated, it was thought, to pro- cure the repeal of the obnoxious law. All the members voted for sending the documents immedi- ately to the Court of England, with the sanction ouly of the body whence it emanated, except Timothy Ruggles, of Massachusetts, the presiding officer of Congress, and Mr. Ogden. " These gentlemen main- tained that the proceedings should be submitted to the Assemblies of the respective colonies, and, if sanctioned by them, forwarded as their own acts," a position very reasonable certainly, since emanating from the regularly-constituted Legislature rather than from a body unknown to the English govern- ment, the petitions would have been much more likely to be favorably received and to accomplish their object. This was probably the view taken by Mr. Ogden and his associate, the president of Congress, who were both undoubtedly conscientious in inain- taining their position, but popular feeling was too much excited to do them even this justice. So high did it run in New Jersey that Mr. Ogden was burnt in effigy. Feeling the indignity and injury very sensibly, he resigned his position and membership in the Legislature, Nov. 27, 1765. The people of his town, however, still honored him with their confi- dence, and when the time came for earnest action in 1776 he was made chairman of the Elizabeth Town Committee of Safety.

In the election to fill the vacancy in the Assembly Stephen Crane was chosen, and became Speaker of the House in 1771.

The manner in which the Stamp Act was treated in this locality may be inferred from the following notice, which appeared in a New York newspaper Feb. 27, 1766 :

" A large gallows was erected in Elizabeth Town, last Week, with a Rope rendly fixed thereto, and the Inhabitants there vow and declare that

the first person that either distributes or takes out a Stamped Paper shall be hung thereon without Judge or Jury."

A very summary process, but probably never called into requisition. At the same date the editor says, ---

" We have certain Intelligence from Elizabeth Town, in New Jersey, that the Magistrates and Lawyers carry on their Business in the Law as usual without Stamps."1

With the repeal of the Stamp Act, March 18, 1766, much of the excitement and alarm of the people came to an end. A series of measures was subsequently adopted, however, well fitted to excite the fears and provoke the resentment of the colonists.

The non-importation agreements were renewed, and all trade with the mother-country was brought to a stand. The people of this town and vicinity entered with all their heart into the measures of the day.

The colony of New Jersey broke ont in a simultaneous blaze of in- dignation from Sussex to C'ape May, and immedi ste measures were taken to organ ze the various counties into a combination of the friends of liberty which should secure promptitude and unity of action throughout the province.

As early as June 1, 1774, a "General Committee of Correspondence" had been formed, which was self-constituting inderd, inasmuch as it did not derive its existeure or its powers directly from the people; but, nevertheless, it was actively rugaged in consultation and correspondence with influential men in all the counties, with a view to a concerted plan of action. This committee, which consisted of nine members, met at New Brunswick June 1, 1774, and the meeting is thus described in a letter dated Jne 2, 1774, which has been preserved, and which was written by one of the members of the House of Assembly, who was also one of the committe: "I returned yesterday trum New- Brunswick, where six of our committee met. We answered the Boston letters, in- forming them that we look on New-Jersey as eventually in the same predicament with Boston, and that we will do everything which may be generally agreed on. We have signed a request to the Governur to call the General Assembly, to meet at such time as his Excellency may think proper before the first of August.2 Our committee is well dispo-ed in the cause of American freedomn."-Am. Archives, vol. i., 380.

Immediately after the meeting of this committee at New Brunswick, and undoubtedly inspired by it, a series of meetings of the people of the several coun- ties was called by prominent men therein, to take steps for the more perfect organization of the friends of freedom in the colony, and more particularly to provide for the selection of deputies to represent the province in the Continental Congress in September following.

On the 7th of June the following call was posted in various public places in the county of Es-ex, and was also published in one of the New York papers:

"ESSEX COUNTY, N. J., 7th June, 1774.

" All the inhabitants of the County of Essex, in New Jersey, friends to the Constitution, the liberties and properties of America, are hereby notified and desired to meet at the court-house, in Newark, un Saturday, the 11th of June, instant, at two of the clock in the afternoon. to con- salt and deliberate, and firmly resolve up on the most prudent and sain- tary measures to secure and maintain the constitutional rights of his Majesty's sithjects in America. It is, therefore, hoped that frota the im- portance of the subject the meeting will be general.

" Signed by order, at a meeting of a number of the freeholders of the County of Essex, the 7th day of June, 1774.

4. JOHN DEHART,

" ISAAC OODEN."

1 Holt's N. Y. Journal, No. 1208.

2 This request Governor Franklin refused to comply with, for the rensun, as assigned in a letter to the Earl of Dartmouth, dated June 18, 1774, " that there is no publ e business of the province which can make ' wnch a meeting necessary."-Force's Am. Archices, vol. i., 428, 429.

HISTORY OF UNION AND MIDDLESEX COUNTIES, NEW JERSEY.

At the time and place designated in this call a The several county committees also " agreed to pro- meeting was held, of which the following is the | mote collections in their respective counties for the record : relief of such of the unhappy inhabitants of the town " At a Meeting of the Freeholders and Inhabitants of the County of Essex, in the Province of New Jersey, at Newark, in the said county, . on Saturday, the 11th day of June, 1774. of Boston as may be now reduced to extremity and want." On the 28th of July, William Peartree Smith, as chairman of the Committee of Correspondence, ad- dressed a letter of sympathy to the Boston Committee of Correspondence, asking them also to advise in what way their necessities could best be answered.1

" This meeting taking into serions consideration some late alarming measures adopted by the British Parliament for depriving his Majesty's - American antjects of their undoubted and constitutional rights and prin- ciples; and particularly the Act for klockading the port of Boston, which apprais to them pregnant with the most dangerous consequences to all his Majesty's Dominions in America, do unanimously resolve and agree:

" 1. That under the enjoyment of our constitutional privilegrs and inimmunities we will ever cheerfully render all due obedience to the Crown of Great Britain, as well as inll faith and allegiance to his most gracions Majesty, King Gevige the Third, and do estrem » firm depend- enre on the mother country essential to our political security aud happiness.

"2. That the late Act of Parliament relative to Boston, which so ab- solutely destroys every idea of salety and confidence, appears to us big versive of that very dependence which we should earnestly wish to cou- tiuwe as our best su aguard and protection : And that we concrive avery well-wisher to Great Britain and her Colonies is now loudly called upon to exert his utmust abilities in promoting every legal and prudential measure towards obtaining a repeal of the said Act of Parliament; and all others anbversive of the undoubted rights and liberties of his Majesty's American subjects.

"3. That it is our unanimons opinion that it would conduce to the restoration of the liberties of America should the Colonias enter into a joint agreement not to purchase or use any articles of British mannfac- ture, and expecially any commodities imported from the East Indies, under such restrictions as may be agreed upon by a general Congress of the said Colonies hereafter to be appointed.

"4. That this county will most readlily and cheerfully join their breth- ren of the other counties in this Province in promoting such Congress of Deputies to be sent from each of the Colonies, in order to form a gen- eral plan of union, so that the measures to be pursued for the important enda in view may be uniform and firm ; to which plan, when concluded upon, we do agree faithfully to alhere. And do now declare ourselves randy to send a committee to meet with those from the other counties, at Auch time and place as by them may be agreed upon, in order to elect proper persons to represent this Province in the said general Congress.

"5. That the freeluders and inbab tants of the other counties in this Proviure be requested speedily to convene themselves together to con- sider the present distres-ing state of our public affairs, and to correspond and consult with such other committees as may be appointed, as well as with our committes, who are hereby directed to correspond and consult with such other committees, as also with those of any other province, particularly to meet with the said County Committees, in order to noti- untrand appoint Depnt'es to represent this Province in general Congress.

"6. W. do hereby unanimously request the following gentlemen to accept of the trust, and accordingly do appoint them onr committee for the purposes nfure-Hid, viz : Stephen Crane, Henry Garrit-e, Joseph Riggs, Will am Livingston, William P. Smith, John Dellart, John Chet- wool, Isaac Ogden, and Elias Bondinot, Esquires."-Ain. Arch., vol. i., 403, 404.

Of this committee, Mr. Garritse was of Acquacka- nonck, Messrs. Riggs and Ogden were of Newark, and the remainder, two thirds, of Elizabeth Town.

The several county committees elected in accordance with these suggestions, and with a circular letter issued by the Essex committee, met at New Brunswick July 21, 1774, and appointed Stephen Crane to preside over their deliberations. They made choice of James Kin- sey, William Livingston, John DeHart, Stephen Crane, and Richard Smith delegates to a General Congress. A standing Committee of Correspondence, ten in num- ber (of whom two, William Peartree Smith, chairman, and John Chetwood were of Elizabeth Town), was appointed to look after the interests of the country.

The results of the deliberations of the General Con- gress that met at Philadelphia in September and Oc- tober being published, new energy was imparted to the people in their determination to resist the oppres- sive measures of the British ministry. The Essex County Committee of Correspondence issued a call for town-meetings to organize the respective towns for the more vigorous prosecution of the measures recommended by Congress. In compliance with this call, the freeholders of Elizabeth Town met at the court-house on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 1774, Stephen Crane, Esq., in the chair, when a large committee was chosen for the above-mentioned purpose. viz. : Jonathan Hampton, Matthias Williamson, Elias Dayton, Isaac Woodruff, William Barnett, William Herriman, Oliver Spencer, George Ross, Edward Thomas, Cor- nelius Hetfield, John Blanchard, Ephraim Tyrrel, Abraham Clarke, Robert Ogden, Jr., Jeremiah Smith, Richard Townley, Jr., Samuel Shotwell, David Miller, Thomas Woodruff, John Clawson, Jonathan Dayton, Ephraim Marsh, Recompense Stanbury, Jedediah Swan, William Parsons, Samuel Potter, William Bott, Jonathan Williams, Christopher Marsh, Isaac Wynants, Daniel Halsey.

Stephen Crane, John De Hart, William Livingston, William P. Smith, Elias Boudinot, and John Chet- wood, Esqs., were unanimously re-elected for the borough of Elizabeth on the Essex County Com- mittee of Correspondence. It was then

" Voted, That two certain Pamphlets lately published, the ons entitled 'A Friendly Ad tress,' etc., and the other uuder the signature of 'A Farmer,' na containing many notorious falsehoods, evidently calculated to sow the Needs of disunion among the good people of Amor ca, grossly misrepresenting the principles of the present opposition to Parliamentary taxations, val.fying the late Congr .ss, and intended to facilitate the scheme ot the British Ministry for enslaving the Colomes, be publickly burnt, in detentation and abhorrence of such infamous publications.

" And the snie were accordingly committed to the flames before the Court-House, with the universal approbation of a numerous concourse of people." 2

1 Ami. Archives, 4th S., i. 634. Gordon's N. J., p 156. Mulford's N. J., pp. 3×8, 389. Sedgwick's Livingston, pp. 168-72.

2 Am. Archives, 4th S., i 1009-1010, 1012-1013. The former of these pamphlets was entitled " A Friendly Address to all Reasonable Amer- icans, on the subject of uur political confusions. In which the neces- sary consequences of vindently opposing the king's troops and of a gen- eral non-importation, are fairly stated." Dr. Hawking attributes it to the Rev. Dr. T. B Chandler, of Elizabeth Town, N J., but erroneunisty. It was the production of the Rev. Myles Cooper, D. D., President of King's College, N. Y. Such was the popular indignation against him that his house was sacked, May In, 1775, and he, barely escaping the hands of the mob, took refuge on board a ship of war, and fled to England. His Majesty gave him a pension of £200 per year. The lutter pamphlet was entitled " Free thoughts on the proceedings of the Continental Congress

BEGINNING OF THE REVOLUTIONARY STRUGGLE.

The Committee of Observation thus appointed were | tion, till then exultant and defiant, were palsied with not idle. As the town had denounced the two pam- dismay. The die was cast. Nothing remained now but the sword, and he who would not gird it on in his country's need was a traitor worse than Judas." phlets just mentioned, they called the attention of the people, Dec. 19, 1774, to the dangerous character of Rivington's Royal Gazetteer, published at New York, declared their determination individually to patronize it no longer, and called upon all the people to follow their example and banish it from their habitations. The article was signed by "Jonathan Hampton, Chairman." 1

This was followed, Feb. 13, 1775, by the following interdict :

" Whereas the inhabitants of Staten Island hare manifested an un- friendly disposition towards the liberties of America, and among other things have neglected to join in the General Association proposed by the Continental Congress, and entered into by must of the Townships in Anırrica, and in no instance have acceded thereto. The Committee of Observation for this Town, taking the same into considerat on, are of opinion that the inhabitants of their District ought, and by the afure- Brill Association are bound, to break off all trade, conmerve, dealings, and intercourse whatsoever with the inhabitants of said Island, until they shall join in the General Association aforesaid; and do Resolve that all trale, conimerce, dealings, and intercourse whatsoever be sus- pended accordingly, which suspension is hereby notified and recom- mended to the inhabitants of this District to be by them universally observed and adopted.

" GEORGE Ross, Clerk." 2

A day or two afterwards an oyster-boat belonging to James Johnson, of Staten Island, came up the creek to the stone bridge, and the owner endeavored to make sale of his freight. But a pair of horses were speedily attached to the boat by the indignant people, and the poor craft was hanled up the street to the court-house. Johnson was advised by James Arnet to seek redress from Jonathan Hampton, chairman of the Committee of Observation, who was also a magistrate. Hampton was found in conference with Joseph Tooker at Samuel Smith's tavern, next to the court-house. Hampton gave him a protection, al- lowed him to sell his oysters, and in the evening, with his skiff, to return to the island.

Effect of the Battle of Lexington .- The first blood of the war was shed at Lexington, Mass., on Wednesday, April 19, 1775. News of the event reached New York on Sunday, the 23d, and the city rose in its strength to sustain the common cause. The Continental Congress were to meet at Phila- delphia, May 10, 1775. As the delegates from Massa- chusetts, joined on their way by their brethren from Connecticut, drew near to New York, on Saturday, May 6th, they were met three miles from the city by a vast concourse of military and citizens, and escorted to their lodgings with ringing of bells and lond Indeed, the whole country was aroused within a very few days, as the tidings spread from East to West, and soon became known in every habitation through- out the colonies. This act put an end to all hope of fur- ther pacification. "It roused the sleepers ; it fired the populace; it united the people as one man to resist unto blood the tyranny of the Lords and Commons of | huzzas. On Monday, with a part of the delegation Britain. Loyalty was at a discount. The Tory fac- from New York, they were escorted to Newark, where

held at Phila., 5 Sept. 1774, by A Farmer." It was written by Inanc Wil- kins, subsequently the Rev. Dr. Wilkins, of Westchester County, N. Y. He wrote also "The Congress Canvassed; or an Examination into the Conduct of the Delegates." It may have been this last to which the vote of censure referx. He too fled to England, in May, 1775, but returned the next year. N. Y. Cul. Docmts., viii. 297, 569, 581. Sabine's Loyal- ists, Ixt Ed., pp. 692-705.

I Am. Archives, 4th Ser., i. 1051, 1052.

2 Ibid., 1234, 1235.

The excitement of the time, of course, took a deep hold in this locality, where there were many veteran patriots nurtured in conflict with oppression, and . many a young man who saw that his hour had come for action.

Aaron Burr in his childhood was an Elizabeth Town boy. His mother's brother, Timothy, the eldest son of the Rev. Jonathan Edwards, had married, Sept. 25, 1760, Rhoda, daughter of Robert Ogden, Esq., and granddaughter of Matthias Hatfield, Esq., of this town, " and made a home in Elizabeth Town for the family." Mr. Edwards resided here, highly respected and in- fluential, from 1760 to 1771. Burr and his sister, left orphans in 1758, were received into their uncle Ed- wards' family, the former in his fifth year. Here the lad grew up, and was fitted for Princeton College under the instruction of Tapping Reeve, teacher of the grammar school, who soon after married Burr's sister. Mrs. Edwards was the sister of Matthias and Aaron Ogden, the latter being of Burr's age, and the former nearly two years older. They grew up together as children of the same family, and Matthias became Burr's bosom companion. In 1772 young Burr grad- uated, and in 1774 began to study law with his brother-in-law at Litchfield, Conn.3

In his retirement among the hills of Connecticut he heard the cry of Lexington, and immediately wrote to Ogden to come on and accompany him to the tented field. Ogden caught the infection, and rested not until he obtained his father's leave to go. He was then in his twenty-first year, and Burr a little more than nineteen. They were hoys in years, but men in spirit, types of numerous others, their towns- men and associates, who panted to join the patriot. army and fight their country's battles. Nothing could exceed the martial ardor that pervaded all classes of the community. It was not safe to breathe a word against the patriot cause.+

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History of Union and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey with Biographical Sketches of many of their Pioneers and Prominent Men, Part 14

Author: W. Woodford Clayton, Ed. Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Philadelphia: Everts Number of Pages: 1224

Author: W. Woodford Clayton, Ed.
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia: Everts
Number of Pages: 1224