USA > New Jersey > Mercer County > Trenton > History of the city of Trenton, New Jersey : embracing a period of nearly two hundred years, commencing in 1676, the first settlement of the town, and extending up to the present time, with official records of the population, extent of the town at different periods, its manufactories, church history, and fire department > Part 14
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HISTORY OF TRENTON.
of holding two services a day, they were held in the Sunday- school room connected with that church.
The locality being unfavorable, on the 15th of May, 1870, they removed to the Mercer County Court-house, where they have continued to worship ever since, holding morning and afternoon services, and at present two sessions of the Sunday- school.
The church attendance at first was quite small, there being not more than twelve persons present the first Sunday Mr. Bartholo- mew took charge. The first Sunday after the organization there were about twenty-five persons present ; on which occasion he preached from Luke, chap. xiv., 21, 23 verses, on the extended call to the Great Supper.
Since `their removal to the court-house the attendance has been larger and more regular. The church is still small and struggling hard against many discouragements to establish itself more permanently, and to secure a place of worship of its own. The present membership of regular communicants is forty-five.
The Trenton Messiah's Church is a branch of the Messiah's Church of Morrisville, Pennsylvania. Early in the year 1863, at the beginning of the labors of Rev. D. I. Robinson with that church, public services were commenced in Trenton, where a number of the members resided. These services were held every Sabbath evening in the lower saloon of Temperance Hall. After about a year, the interest demanding it, at a meeting held February 15th, 1864, the Trenton membership was organized as Messiah's Church of Trenton, New Jersey. The communicants numbered at the time of organization seventeen, and the services of Rev. D. I. Robinson as pastor, were secured. Public worship was continued at Temperance Hall, while an effort was at once made to erect a house of worship. During the year a small chapel was built in Clay street, near Market street, which was dedicated 'in October, 1864. The dedication sermon was preached by Rev. L. Osler, pastor of the Evangelical Advent Church of Providence, Rhode Island.
The chapel was built of Trenton brown stone, thirty feet front by forty feet deep, and cost about two thousand two hundred
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dollars. It contains forty-six pews, and will seat about one hundred and eighty persons, and is still used by the church.
Rev. D. I. Robinson officiated as pastor from the time of the organization until March Ist, 1865. Rev. D. Elwell, the pres- ent pastor, succeeded Mr. Robinson. The present number of communicants is sixty-five.
The Sabbath-school held in connection with the church is under the superintendence of the pastor, and numbers fifteen teachers and about one hundred scholars. The uniform lesson system has been in use for two years. The library contains three hundred and eighty-six volumes.
The church government is of the Independent or Congrega- tional order, the Trenton Church being associated with the Pennsylvania Conference of Messiah's Church.
Public worship is sustained entirely by voluntary contributions. " Messiah's Church" is a denominational name. They were formerly known as "Adventists" or "Second Adventists"-and that name expresses their denominational position-holding and prominently presenting the doctrine of the speedy second. advent of Christ.
But as there have been widely proclaimed doctrines under the name of Adventism, which they believe to be erroneous, and with which they do not desire to be identified, they have organized under a different name.
The doctrines to which I more particularly refer, are those of Materialism and Unitarianism, so that in many sections Material- ism and Adventism are identical. They have, therefore, taken the name of Messiah's Church, or Evangelical Adventists, the latter name being in use in the eastern states, and the former throughout Pennsylvania.
The building in Montgomery street, above Academy street, purchased and fitted up by the Hebrew congregation of this. city, was dedicated to worship March 23d, 1866, with appro- priate ceremonies.
The room was well filled with members of the congregation, and a number of other citizens, among whom were clergymen of the different denominations of this city. Rev. D. Frankel, of
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Philadelphia, officiated, assisted by Rev. Mr. Getz and Rev. Mr. Strauss.
The hymns during the exercises were chanted by a choir con- nected with Mr. Frankel's synagogue in Philadelphia.
Judge Naar delivered the dedicatory address, and was followed by Rev. Isaac Leser, of Philadelphia.
The exercises were closed by the choir chanting the one hun- dred and fiftieth psalm.
There are two Friends' meeting-houses. That on the corner of Hanover and Montgomery streets was built in 1739, being the oldest house of worship in Trenton, and the one in Mercer street was built in 1858. The latter congregation worshipped at. the corner of Academy and Greene streets until their new place of worship in Mercer street was built.
The colored population have now two churches. Mount Zion Methodist Episcopal Church, Perry street, was built in 1819, and rebuilt in 1858. Their present pastor is Rev. Joshua Woodlin.
They have also a meeting-house in Allen street, called Saint John's Wesleyan Methodist Episcopal Church, built in 1844, which is at present without a regular pastor, although services are occasionally held there.
The following statistics show the church membership, number of Sunday-school scholars, and estimated valuation of church property in the city :
First Presbyterian-membership, three hundred and twenty- four ; scholars, three hundred and fifty ; property, one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars.
Second Presbyterian-membership, two hundred and thirty- eight ; scholars, two hundred ; property, thirty thousand dollars.
Third Presbyterian-membership, three hundred ; scholars, five hundred ; property, fifty thousand dollars.
Fourth Presbyterian-membership, two hundred and seven- teen ; scholars, two hundred ; property, seventy-five thousand dollars.
Saint Michael's Episcopal-communicants, two hundred and fifty-six ; scholars, two hundred and seventy-five ; property, forty thousand dollars.
N*
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Saint Paul's Episcopal-communicants, one hundred ; scholars, three hundred ; property, twelve thousand dollars.
Trinity Episcopal-communicants, one hundred and twenty- five ; scholars, seventy ; property, twenty-six thousand dollars.
Greene Street Methodist Episcopal-membership, five hundred and fifty ; scholars, five hundred and sixty-one ; property, fifty thousand dollars.
Trinity Methodist Episcopal-membership, three hundred and seventy-five ; scholars, four hundred and fifty ; property, forty- five thousand dollars.
Union Street Methodist Episcopal-membership, seventy- eight ; scholars, one hundred and thirty ; property, six thou- sand dollars.
State Street Methodist Episcopal-membership, two hundred and eighty-four ; scholars, three hundred and seventy ; property, fifty thousand dollars.
Warren Street Methodist Episcopal-membership, one hundred and twenty-four ; scholars, two hundred and four ; property, five thousand dollars.
Central Methodist Episcopal-membership, three hundred ; scholars, five hundred and twenty-five ; property, fifty thousand dollars.
First Baptist-membership, seven hundred and sixty-one ; scholars, one thousand one hundred and ten ; property, forty- four thousand five hundred dollars.
Central Baptist-membership, three hundred and fifty-eight ; scholars, six hundred ; property, thirty thousand dollars.
Trinity Lutheran-membership, one hundred and twenty-five ; scholars, three hundred and fifty; property, thirty thousand dollars.
Saint John's Catholic-membership, three thousand ; scholars, four hundred ; property, seventy-five thousand dollars.
Saint Francis' Catholic-membership, one thousand ; scholars, one hundred ; property, twenty thousand dollars.
Saint Mary's Catholic-membership, two thousand five hun- dred ; scholars, three hundred ; property, one hundred and six thousand dollars.
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HISTORY OF TRENTON.
Messiah's-membership, sixty-five; scholars, one hundred ; property, two thousand two hundred dollars.
Evangelical Lutheran-membership, forty-five.
Total valuation of church property, eight hundred and sev- enty-one thousand seven hundred dollars.
Total church membership, eleven thousand one hundred and thirty-three.
Total number of scholars attending Sabbath-schools, seven thousand and ninety-five.
CHAPTER X.
Trenton in 1776-Extent of the town-Queen street-Front street -Second street-King street-Route taken by the American army-Generals Washington, Greene, Sullivan, Dickinson, Ewing, Sterling, Mercer, Stevens, Cadwalader, Mifflin-Colo- nels Baylor and Brearley-Captains William Washington, Forrest, and Morris-Lord Cornwallis, British commander-in- chief-Colonel Rahl, Hessian commander-Crossing the Dela- ware-Washington's guides to the city-Commencement of the battle-Lieutenant Monroe-Bravery of Mrs. Clarke-Council of war-Retreat of the American army by the Sandtown road across Quaker bridge to Stony Brook-Death of General Mercer.
Q UEEN (now Greene) street commenced at the north end of the town, and ran due south to the bridge over the Assanpink, at Trent's mills, now belonging to Henry McCall, Esq. Front street commenced in Queen, a few rods north of the Assanpink bridge in Greene street, and extended west to the Masonic lodge. Here the river road commenced and ran up Willow street to Potts' tan yard; thence west through Quarry street, by Rutherford's and Colonel Dickinson's places in a northwest course, and through Birmingham to the Bear tavern. Second street commenced at Chambers' corner, at Willow street, (now corner of State and Willow), and ran east through State street to the old iron works, crossing King and Queen streets. King (now Warren) street, commenced on the Pennington road, on the north point of Queen (now Greene) street, and ran in a southerly direction by the old court-house and jail, (now Tren- ton Bank), to Front street.
Perry street was not opened until the fall of 1813, and received
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its name in honor of Commodore Perry, who had in the previous May achieved so signal a victory on the lakes.
Between the residence of the late William Potts (corner of Warren and Perry streets), and Saint Michael's (Episcopal) Church, was what was then called Church alley, afterwards Still's alley, named by Pontius D. Still, who occupied the house late the residence of William Potts. This alley ran from King to Queen street. It was in King street, at the entrance of this alley, that Colonel Rahl, the Hessian commander, was shot, in endeavoring to pass through it, in order to rally his distracted troops. This alley was closed up by Mr. Still himself, though part of it still remains in Greene street next to the Madison house. The whole extent of Warren street at that time was from the Pennington road, taking a southwesterly direction by the old court-house, as far down as Front street. All below Front street belonged to the Bloomsbury farm. This part of Warren street was not opened as a street until 1801.
From the north end of King and Queen streets to the village of Maidenhead (now Lawrenceville), is six miles.
And from the above point the general course of the road is north to Pennington, about eight miles.
One mile from Trenton, on the Pennington road, the Scotch road branches off to the left, and for about two and a quarter miles its course is northwest, after which it bends to the north- east for a little distance, and thence its course is a little west of north.
The road which leads from McConkey's ferry (now Taylors- ville), runs northeast, and one and a quarter miles from the river it crossed the river road, at the Bear tavern, eight miles from Trenton; two miles further, it crosses the Scotch road, seven miles from Trenton.
From the Bear tavern, on the river road, to Birmingham was three and a half miles, and from Birmingham to Trenton, four and a half miles. From Birmingham across to the Scotch road, where it bends to the east (as mentioned above), is about one mile ; from this point to its junction with the Pennington road is two and a quarter miles; and from thence to Trenton, one mile.
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HISTORY OF TRENTON.
General Washington, with the division under General Greene, came the above-mentioned route from. Birmingham to Trenton. Part of the division went down King street, and the remainder down Queen street, extending into the field to the left, towards the Assanpink creek, the course of which is from the northeast for a mile or two, until it passes the iron works, (late the residence of G. Perdicaris), after which it bends to the west, and ran by Trent's mills, in Queen street, to the Delaware river.
The division under General Sullivan, on the river road, entered the town by Colonel Dickinson's and Rutherford's, through Second and Front streets.
So the enemy were hemmed in by the Assanpink on the south and east, and by the American army on the west and north.
On Wednesday, the 25th of December, 1776, General Wash- ington, with his army, was on the west bank of the Delaware river, encamped near Taylorsville (then McConkey's ferry), eight miles above Trenton. The troops under General Dickin- son were at Yardleyville, four miles above Trenton, and detach- ments were encamped still further up the river. The boats on the river had all been secured when General Washington had crossed with his army on the first of the month.
The Pennsylvania troops were in two bodies ; one at Bristol, ten miles below Trenton, and the other at Morrisville, opposite Trenton, under General Ewing .*
At this time the British, under General Howe, were stationed in detachments at Mount Holly, Black Horse, (now Columbus), Burlington, and Bordentown; and at Trenton there were three regiments of Hessians, amounting to about fifteen hundred men, and a troop of British light-horse. Divisions of the British army were also at Princeton and New Brunswick.
One part of the plan of Washington was to recross the Dela- ware with his army at McConkey's ferry, on the night of the 25th of December, and for General Ewing, with a part of the army under his command, to cross at or below Trenton-thus, both
* In Sparks' Life of Washington this officer is called Ewing; in Marshall's, Irwin; and in Wilkinson's, Irwing-all evidently meaning the same officer.
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might fall on the enemy at the same time, Ewing at the south, and General Washington at the north of the town.
At dusk, the Continental troops, commanded by General Washington in person, amounting to two thousand four hun- dred men, with twenty pieces of artillery, began to cross at McConkey's ferry. The troops at Yardleyville and the stations above had that day assembled at this ferry. Among the promi- nent and active men who were employed ferrying over the troops . were Uriah Slack, William Green, and David Lanning.
It was between three and four o'clock in the morning before all the artillery and troops were over and ready to march.
Many of the men were very destitute as regarded clothing. The late Mr. George Muirheid, of Hopewell, said that he noticed one man whose pantaloons were ragged, and who had on neither shoes nor stockings.
The ground was covered with sleet and snow, which was fall- ing at that time, although the day before there was no snow, or only a little sprinkling of it, on the ground.
General Washington, (who had sat in silence on a bee-hive, wrapt in his cloak, while his troops were crossing), as they were about to march, enjoined upon them all profound silence during their march to Trenton, and said to them : " I hope you will all fight like men."
General Washington, with his army, halted at the house of Benjamin Moore, at Birmingham, (now occupied by Mr. John Temple), and ate a piece of mince-pie and drank a glass of cider. His men also partook of some refreshments before marching into Trenton.
The sun had just arisen as the tents of the enemy appeared in sight. Washington, rising in his stirrups, waved his sword and exclaimed, " There, my brave friends, are the enemies of your country ; and now, all I have to ask is, to remember what you are about to fight for. March !"'
General Washington wished to get twelve men who should be mounted on horseback, without arms or uniform, and in plain farmers' habit, to ride before the army to reconnoitre, and get what information they could with respect to the British army, their outguards, &c. There were but three who would volunteer
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HISTORY OF TRENTON.
for this service; these were David Lanning, of Trenton, and John Muirheid and John Guild, of Hopewell.
The following persons were also guides and marched with the army: Colonel Joseph Phillips, Captain Philip Phillips, and Adjutant Elias Phillips, of Maidenhead ; Joseph Inslee, Edon Burroughs, Stephen Burroughs, Ephraim Woolsey, and Henry Simmons, of Hopewell; and Captain John Mott, Amos Scudder, and William Green, of Trenton.
The army marched with a quick step, in a body, from the river up the cross road to the Bear tavern, about a mile from the river. The whole army marched down this road to the village of Birmingham, distant about three and a half miles. There they halted, examined their priming, and found it all wet. Captain Mott, notwithstanding he had taken the precaution to wrap his handkerchief around the lock of his gun, found the priming was wet. " Well," said General Sullivan, " we must fight them with the bayonet."
From Birmingham to Trenton, the distance by the river road and the Scotch road is nearly equal, being about four and half miles.
The troops were formed in two divisions. One of them, com- manded by General Sullivan, marched down the river road. The other, commanded by General Washington, accompanied by Generals Lord Sterling, Greene, Mercer, and Stevens, (with David Lanning and others for their guides), filed off to the left, crossed over to the Scotch road, and marched along till it enters the Pennington road, about one mile above Trenton.
Scarcely a word was spoken from the time the troops left the ferry, (except what passed between the officers and the guides), till they reached Trenton ; and with such stillness did the army move that they were not discovered until they came upon the outguards of the enemy, who were posted in the outskirts of the town, at or near the house of Colonel Brearley, afterwards known as the parsonage or Clay Hill farm,* when one of the sentries
* This was just after day-break, according to the testimony of several persons who lived in the town or neighborhood at the time. It has been stated that the Rev. Mr. Frazer lived there at that time, but his son informed me that this is a mistake, as he did not move here until 1791.
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called to Lanning,* (who was a little in advance of the troops), and asked, "Who is there?" Lanning replied, "A friend !" "A friend to whom?" "A friend to General Washington." At this the guard fired and retreated. t
The American troops returned their fire, and rushed upon them, driving them into town.
At the head of King street, Captain T. Forrest opened a six- gun battery, under the immediate orders of General Washing- ton, which commanded the street. Captain William Washing- ton and Lieutenant James Monroe (afterwards president of the United States), perceiving that the enemy were endeavoring to plant a battery in King street, near where the canal feeder now crosses Warren street, rushed forward with the advance guard, drove the artillerists from their guns, and took from them two pieces, which they were just in the act of firing. The same guns are now at the arsenal in this city. Captain Washington and Lieutenant Monroe were both wounded in this successful enter- prise. A part of this division marched down Queen (now Greene) street, and extended to the left, in order to cut off the retreat of the enemy towards Princeton.
The division of the army which came down the river road, under the command of General Sullivan, fell upon the British
* This Lanning had a few days before been taken prisoner by a scouting party, in the Scudder neighborhood, near the Delaware river, carried to Tren- ton, and confined in a house on Tucker's corner, (now occupied by Joseph G. Brearley & Co., as a hardware store, on the corner of State and Greene streets), Watching an opportunity, when there was a little commotion among the guard, he slipped out of the back door, sprang over a high board fence, and escaped to the house of Stacy Potts, who took him in, and concealed him that night. The next morning Lanning, dressed in an old ragged coat and flapped hat, put an axe under his arm, and went with his head down, limping along, and so passed the enemy's sentries in safety, in the character of a wood-chopper; but when he got where the Pennington and Scotch roads meet, looking in every direction and seeing no person, he threw down his axe, and took to Dickin- son's swamp, and so escaped.
ยก At the commencement of the engagement, when Washington with his sword raised, was giving his orders, it is said a musket ball passed between his fingers, slightly grazing them. He only said " that has passed by."
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advance guard at Rutherford's place, adjoining Colonel Dickin- son's, near the southwestern part of the town, at about the same time that Washington entered it on the north.
Both divisions pushed forward, keeping up a running fire with small arms,* and meeting with but little opposition until the enemy were driven eastward in State street, near the Presbyterian Church, where there was some fighting, the enemy having made a momentary stand ; but finding themselves hemmed in and over- powered, they laid down their arms on the field northeast of the Presbyterian Church, and about due south of the Quaker meet- ing-house.
Colonel Rahl, the Hessian commander, whose headquarters were at the City tavern, corner of Warren and Bank streets, opposite Still's alley, was mortally wounded during the early part of the engagement, being shot from his horse while endeav- oring to form his dismayed and disordered troops.
When, supported by a file of sergeants, he presented his sword to General Washington, (whose countenance beamed with com- placency at the success of the day), he was pale and bleeding, and, in broken accents, seemed to implore those attentions which the victor was well disposed to bestow upon him. He was taken to his headquarters, where he died.
During the engagement, a ball passed through the window of Rahl's headquarters, leaving a round hole, and considerably shattering the glass.
The number of prisoners taken at that time was twenty-three officers and eight hundred and eighty-six privates. Four stands of colors, (two of which are now in the office of the secretary of state of Pennsylvania, at Harrisburg), twelve drums, six brass field-pieces, and a thousand stands of arms and accoutrements were the trophies of victory.
The British light-horse and four or five hundred Hessians
* When the firing commenced on the morning of the battle, a daughter of Mr. Stacy Potts was at Miss Coxe's, opposite the Episcopal Church, and as she was running to her father's house (the old frame tavern, corner of Warren and Bank streets), a musket ball struck the comb from her head, slightly in- juring her.
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DUNK, LONGACRE & CO.LITH PHILA
COL. RAHL'S HEAD-QUARTERS, 1776.
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escaped at the beginning of the battle over the bridge across the Assanpink, at Trent's mills, and fled to Bordentown.
If General Ewing, whose division of the army was opposite Trenton, had been able to cross the Delaware, as contemplated, and take possession of the bridge over the Assanpink at Greene street, all the enemy's troops who were in Trenton would have been captured. But there was so much ice on the shores of the river that it was impossible to get the artillery over.
The Hessians lost seven officers and twenty or thirty men. Twenty-four of these were buried in one pit, in the Presbyterian burying ground, by the American troops .*
Immediately after this victory-which greatly revived the drooping spirits of the army-General Washington commenced marching his prisoners up to the Eight-Mile-Ferry (McConkey's), and before night all were safely landed on the western shore of the Delaware. But General Washington would not let a man pass more than was necessary, until all the prisoners were over. The Americans had two privates killed, and two, it is said, were frozen to death.
The night after the taking of the Hessians, several of the American soldiers, who were worn down and poorly clad, took refuge at the house of Mr. Scudder, father of the late Mr. Rich- ard Scudder. Several of them became very sick in the night, and two or three died, and it is not at all unlikely that these were the persons mentioned in the history as having frozen to death.
Although the American army suffered great privations and underwent very many hardships, still it is extremely doubtful whether the two men above mentioned actually froze to death.
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