USA > New Jersey > Salem County > History of the counties of Gloucester, Salem, and Cumberland New Jersey, with biographical sketches of their prominent citizens, vol. 1 > Part 7
USA > New Jersey > Gloucester County > History of the counties of Gloucester, Salem, and Cumberland New Jersey, with biographical sketches of their prominent citizens, vol. 1 > Part 7
USA > New Jersey > Cumberland County > History of the counties of Gloucester, Salem, and Cumberland New Jersey, with biographical sketches of their prominent citizens, vol. 1 > Part 7
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It was therefore enacted that these boundaries should stand as fixed, " firm and inviolable from
I Leaming and Spicer, p 510.
2 1bid., p. 513.
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GENERAL HISTORY.
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'(ucvforth and forever." This act was repealed at , dispensed with on assuming the duties of office, and : r next session of the Assembly.
Another tenth, extending from Timber Creek to " iman's Creek, had by this time been taken up, and May, 1686, a convention was held at Gloucester, ' A 1 another county, that of Gloucester, was erected a. i -ubdivided into townships, and courts were con- +: tuted. It inelnded the territory from the Pen- agkin to Oldman's Creek.
a declaration of fidelity and a profession of Christian faith was substituted.
The administration of Governor Hamilton in West New Jersey was successful, but in 1697 it was brought to a close, and Jeremiah Basse was appointed by the concurrent action of the Proprietors in East and West New Jersey. Hamilton was in like manner reap- pointed in 1699.
Confusion, conflict of interest, and threatened con- a x nations and transfers, the Proprietors had become | flict of authority in both the Jerseys made the Pro- :- ) numerous to conduct their business in their for- : or democratic manner, and accordingly a Proprie- fary Council was selected, on the fourteenth of Feb- ruary in that year, to manage all matters relating to Located lands. This Council, the ghost of the once sutent Proprietary government of West Jersey, has survived two revolutions, though there has long been iut little real necessity for its continuance."
prietors and the people quite willing to surrender the government of both provinces to the crown, and ne- gotiations for that purpose were entered into. Pend- ing these negotiations, and when they were near their consummation, King William died. The matter was resumed and perfected, however, soon after the ae- cession of Queen Anne, and on the 15th of April, 1702. the Proprietors of East and West Jersey sur- rendered,
"and by these presents do surrender and yield up to our Sovereign Lady Anne, by the grace of God Queen of England, Scotland, and Ire- land, defender of the faith, all the power, authorities, and privileges of or concerning the provinces aforesaid."
This surrender was, of course, made on sneh con- ditions as secured the civil interests and property of the Proprietors and people.
This change was followed by but little alteration in A constitution for the united province was pre- seribed in the instructions to Lord Cornbury, the first Governor. Of the government thus established, Mul- ford says, "The former Proprietary bodies had lost a claim to authority which they had been scarcely able, if greatly desirous, to retain and enforce; but they were now to be secured, under royal assurance and direction, in the enjoyment of property. The people generally gained nothing whatever, but were losers in many particulars. The government was far less fa- vorable to popular interests and rights than those which had previously existed. The representative body, in regard to their meetings and sittings. were made wholly dependent upon the will of the Gov- ernor. The establishment of courts, and the deter- mination of their respective powers, with the salaries and fees of the officers, were to be regulated by the Governor and Council ; the people or their representa- tives were allowed scarcely any part or power in the the administration of affairs. The same officers and laws were continued. On the 30th of March, the goth of April, and the 16th of May, 1688, Coxe made purchases from the Indians of lands including the present counties of Cumberland and Cape May, and these purchases received the sanction of the Council of Proprietors. The Proprietary government, after a time, was resumed, as was the case in East New Jer- wey. After the revolution in England Coxe claimed full governmental authority, but the people had be- come accustomed to exercise the right of self-govern- ment to a large extent. Coxe either became disheart- «ned or was tempted by an offer, and in 1691 sold his entire interest in the province to the " West Jersey Society," which was a company of forty-eight per- +ons. This society assumed the government of the province, and caused the appointment of Andrew Hamilton as Governor, and in this arrangement the Trople acquiesced. In 1692 the Assembly convened, , institution and control of the judiciary department and at this session the acts of the people in the cs- tablishment of counties was confirmed, with some alterations of limits, and the county of Cape May was +Tected.
of government. The public revenues were to be raised and disposed of under striet accountability to the Governor and the authorities in England ; the independent action of the popular representatives in matters of revenue extended little further than to fix and determine the amount of grants. The complete religious freedom formerly enjoyed was reduced to an imperfect toleration. Papists were wholly ex- cepted from the grant of liberty of conscience, and the influence and patronage of government was to be given in favor of a particular church.
"The institution of slavery, which, though for-
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Mickle says, " In 1687, on account of frequent
22 13. ei t.
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In 1687, Byllinge died, and Dr. Daniel Coxe, al- ready a Proprietor, purchased from his heirs his entire interest. He assumed the title and powers of Gov- ernor, but in April, 1688, the government was surren- Bored to the crown, on condition that the rights of property should be nndisturbed, and the whole of New Jersey, with New York and New England, came under the authority of Edmund Andross.
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3- 1. 8
In 1694 further enactments were made relative to the boundaries of the counties, the election of repre- wentatives in the Assembly was directed to be by counties instead of tenths, as before, and the number in each county was prescribed. County officers, in- cluding justices, clerk and recorder, attorney, sheriff, and coroner, were appointed by the Legislature. Oaths for those having conscientious scruples were
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HISTORY OF GLOUCESTER, SALEM, AND CUMBERLAND COUNTIES.
merly existing, had not been fostered, was now urged upon the province by royal recommendation. As a still more decisive mark of the character and temper of the government a direction was given that, foras- much as great inconveniencies may arise by the lib- erty of printing in our said province, you are to pro- vide by all necessary orders that no per-on keep any press for printing, nor that any book, pamphlet, or other matters whatsoever be printed without your especial leave and license first obtained."
Lord Cornbury was the Governor at the same time of the provinces of New York and New Jersey. It was soon found that in his administration the rights and welfare of the people were disregarded, and the rights and interests of the Proprietaries were adroitly attacked ; and in 1704 the Proprietaries of the western division addressed a memorial to the lords commis- sioners of trade, setting forth their grievances. The Council of Proprietors for the western division con- tinued to meet and transact their business. but in 1706 the Governor interfered to prohibit them from further grants of lands.
In the Assembly of 1707 Samuel Jennings took an active part in opposing the action of the Governor, and was appointed to read to him the firm remon- strance of the Assembly against his oppressive acts. During the entire administration of this tyrannical and selfish Governor the antagonism between him and the people grew more intense, till, in 1709, his commission was superseded by the queen, and he was at once thrown into prison for debt. He was succeeded by John, Lord Lovelace, who entered on his duties in 1708, and Ingold-by, the Lieutenant- Governor under Cornbury, was continued in office. His conciliatory course aroused high hopes of pros- perity and quiet under his administration, which were suddenly terminated by his death. He was succeeded for a time by Ingold-by, who was de- servedly unpopular, and he for a short period by William Pinhorne, a member of the Council, who was equally so. In June, 1710, Col. Robert Hunter became Governor of New York and New Jersey. The administration of Governor Hunter was popular, but the harmony of the province was disturbed by the corrupt Council. In Western New Jersey the Quakers were in the majority of the population, and an act was passed by the Assembly to enable them to serve on juries, with a declaration or affirmation in- stead of an oath. Another more general act embrac- ing this provision was passed, but both were defeated by the Council. Measures were initiated by the As- sembly which resulted in the removal of the obnox- ious members of the Council. On the death of Queen Anne, in 1741, Governor Hunter was recom- missioned by George I., and continued in the exer- cise of his functions till 1719. He was a popular officer, and his administration was successful.
upholding the authority of the king himself, and op- position to every measure for the exten-ion of popular privileges. He left in 1727, and was succeeded in 1728 by John Montgomerie, Esq. He died in July, 1731. and Lewis Morris, president of the Council. was acting Governor till August, 1732, when Wilham Cosby, Esq., became Governor. His administration continued till his death, in 1736, when the govern- ment devolved on John Anderson. president of the Conneil. He died soon afterwards, and John Hamil- ton, Esq., next in order of seniority, became acting Governor, and continued nearly two years.
The historian, Grahame, says of New Jersey in 1733, "Nothing could be more tranquil and pros- perous than the condition which New Jersey had now for many years enjoyed ; but, if we would ascertain the fruits and particulars of this silent prosperity, we must look forward to the year 1738. At the close of the preceding century New Jersey possessed about 15,000 inhabitants; in the year 1738 it contained 41,367, of whom 3981 were slaves. The manufac- tures established in the province remained nearly stationary, but its trade had considerably increased. With the view of still further improving their condi- tion, as well as from a sense of their increasing im- portance, the people were generally desirous of an alteration in the practice according to which the administration of their executive government was included in the commission of the Governor of New York ; and in the year 1728 the Assembly petitioned the king that a separate Governor might be appointed for New Jersey. They complained of the hardship of being obliged to contribute a salary to a Governor who spent it in New York, and undertook to make a liberal provision for any Governor whom his majesty might appoint exclusively for themselves. Their petition met with little attention till 1736, when the lords of trade presented a report in its favor to the privy council, and two years after Lewis Morris was appointed."
At the commencement of his administration ex- pectations were entertained by the people which were not realized. Like some of his predecessors, he seemed more disposed to maintain the arbitrary as- sumptions of the English crown than to defend the rights and interests of the colonists. He died in May, 1746, and was succeeded by John Hamilton, Esq., senior member of the Council. He died in 1747, and John Reading, Esq., next in order of seniority, be- came acting Governor ; but in a short time Jonathan Belcher, Esq., was commissioned Governor of the province. On the 19th of January, 1748, an act was passed erecting the county of Cumberland from the southern portion of Salein County. As usual in such cases, the choice of members of the Assembly from the new county was suspended till the pleasure of the king should be made known, the freeholders
He was succeeded by William Burnet, Esq. His : meantime continuing to vote with Salem. The new administration was characterized by strenuousness in . county was named by Governor Belcher in honor of
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GENERAL HISTORY.
the Duke of Cumberland. Governor Belcher died in August, 1757, and the government again devolved on John Reading. He was superseded in June, 1758, by Francis Bernard, Esq., and he. in 1760, by Thomas Boane. Both these Governors were transferred to other positions. In September, 1762, William Frank- iin. Esq., the son of Benjamin Franklin, was com- mi-sioned Governor.
A history of the causes which led to the French war, or a detail of events in that contest is not neces- ary here. In the prosecution of this war New Jer- -vy was called on, in 1746, for five hundred men. In response to this call six hundred and sixty offered themselves for enlistment. There are no available means for learning how many of these were citizens of Southern New Jersey. Again, in 1755, the Assem- bly resolved to raise and equip a battalion of five hundred men, and an excess presented themselves for enlistment.
When the Indians overran and devastated the country west of the Delaware, and refugees flocked to New Jersey, troops were dispatched from all parts of the province to defend the western frontier, and the expenses were defrayed by the contributions of wealthy citizens. Not only were troops raised by au- thority of the provincial government, but recruiting Parties from elsewhere enlisted men in New Jersey for defense against the savage foe. One thousand were sent from New Jersey after the surrender of Castle William, on the southern shore of Lake George, and three thousand more were put in readi- ne's to march, should occasion require. During the years 1758, 1759, and 1760, New Jersey kept her full complement of one thousand men in the field, and in 1761 and 1762, six hundred, besides a company of sixty-four for garrison duty during the latter year. The annual expense to the colony of maintaining these troops was forty thousand pounds. In furnish- ing these troops and defraying this expense the south- ern counties bore their full share, but this portion of the province was never as seriously threatened with invasion as that farther north. The precise share of the burden borne by this part of the colony cannot now be ascertained.
CHAPTER VII.
REVOLUTIONARY HISTORY OF SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY.
Battle of Red Bank .- The difficulties which led to the Revolutionary war, and the conduct of that war, are matters of history. In this sketch it is pro- posed to notice only those events which transpired in, or in the immediate vicinity of Southern New Jer- rey, and especially in the counties of Gloucester, Salem, and Cumberland. The following account of
the first important operations in this vicinity is taken mainly from Lossing's " Field-Book of the Revolu- tion."
"In the summer of 1777, Sir William Howe. the British commander-in-chief, sailed from New York with a large land foree, and with a naval armament under his brother Richard, Earl Howe, and landing at the head of Chesapeake Bay commenced a vieto- rions march towards Philadelphia. Washington, in- formed of the movement, went out from Philadelphia to meet him, and had proceeded beyond the Brandy- wine, in the neighborhood of Wilmington, when the van of the enemy appeared at Kennet Square. The battle of Brandywine occurred soon afterward, in which the Americans were defeated and driven back towards Philadelphia. The enemy pushed steadily forward, and entered the city in triumph. In antici- pation of the possibility of such an event the Amer- icans had applied themselves diligently to the erection of obstruetions in the Delaware to prevent the ascent of the British fleet, and also in rearing batteries upon the shores to cover them. Upon isolated marshes or low islands of mud, made green by reeds, a little below the mouth of the Schuylkill, they erected a strong redoubt, with quite extensive outworks, and called it Fort Mifflin. These islands were called Great and Little Mnd I-lands. The former, on which the redoubt and main works were erected, has been called Fort Island ever since that time. On the opposite shore of New Jersey a strong redoubt, called Fort Mercer, was also erected and well supplied with artillery. In the deep channels of the river, between and under cover of these batteries, they sunk ranges of strong frames with iron-pointed wooden spikes, called chevaux-de-frise, which formed almost invul- nerable stockadoes. Three miles further down the river, at Billing's Point (now Billingsport), was a re- doubt with extensive outworks covering strong stocka- does, which were sunken there in the navigable chan- nel of the river between the main and Billing's Island. In addition to these works several armed galleys and floating batteries were stationed in the river, all form- ing strong barriers against the fleet of the enemy. This circumstance troubled the British general, for he foresaw the consequences of having his supplies by water ent off, and the danger to which his army would be exposed in Philadelphia if unsupported by the fleet."
To be secure in the possession of the city, and to be able to provide for the comfort of his army, he found it necessary to acquire the free navigation of the river which was thus impeded.
' "Immediately after the battle at Brandywine Earl Howe sailed down the Chesapeake, and entered the lower Delaware with several light vessels, among which was the 'Roebuck,' commanded by Capt. Hammond. That officer represented to Gen. Howe that if a sufficient force could be sent to reduce the fortifications at Billingsport, he would take upon
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HISTORY OF GLOUCESTER, SALEM, AND CUMBERLAND COUNTIES.
himself the task of opening a passage for the vessels lently prochained, 'The King of England orders hr rebellious subjects to lay down their arms, and the. are warned that if they stand the battle no quarter. whatever will be given.' 'We ask no quarters, 1: . will we give any,' was the prompt reply of Co Greene. The Hessian and the drummer rode has !! . back to Donop, and the assailants began at once . ... erection of a battery within half cannon shot of t .- ontworks of Fort Mercer. All was activity at eagerness for combat within the fort. The outwork- were unfinished, but the redoubt was a citadel upon. which the garrison placed much reliance. skill an- bravery were called to combat fierceness, discipline and overwhelming numbers. through the cheraur-de-frise, or stockadoes at that point. Howe readily consented to attempt the im- portant measure. Two regiments, under Col. Stir- ling, were dispatched from Chester, in Pennsylvania, for that purpose. They crossed the river a little be- low Billingsport, marched in the rear of the untin- ished works, and made a furious assault upon the garrison. The Americans were di-mayed at this un- expected attack, and, believing themselves incompe- tent to make a snecessful defense, they spiked their cannons, set fire to the barracks, and fled. The Eng- lish remained long enough to demolish the works on the river front, when Hammond, by the great exer- tions of his men, made a passage way seven feet wide in the chevaux-de-frise, and with six vessels sailed through and anchored near Hog Island. Stirling re- turned to Chester, and with another detachment pro- ' attack on the north part of the fort, near a mor ... ceeded to camp as an escort of provisions, bearing to Gen. Howe the intelligence of his success.
"It was four o'clock in the afternoon when a brit cannonade was opened from the Hessian battery, and at a quarter before five a battalion advanced to the that covered it. Finding the first advanced post and the outworks abandoned, but not destroyed, the enemy imagined that they had frightened the American-
" Howe now determined to make a general sweep of all the American works on the Delaware, and pre- . away. Filled with this idea they raised the shout o: paratory thereto he ealled in his outposts, and con- centrated his whole army near to and within Phila- delphia. Two Rhode Island regiments, belonging to Gen. Varnum's brigade, under Col. Christopher Greene, garrisoned the fort at Red Bank, and about the same number of the Maryland line, under Lieut .- Col. Samuel Smith, occupied Fort Mittlin, on Mud Island. The American fleet in the river, consisting chiefly of galleys and floating batteries, was com- manded by Com. Hazelwood. It was quite as im- portant to the Americans to maintain these forts, and defend the river obstructions, as it was to the British to destroy them. It was, therefore, deter- mined to hold them to the last extremity, for it was evident that such continued possession would force Howe to evacuate Philadelphia.
"Connt Donop, with four battalions consisting of twelve hundred picked Hessians, was sent by Howe to attack Fort Mercer at Red Bank. They crossed the Delaware and landed at Cooper's Ferry on the 21st of October, 1777. The same evening they marched to Ifaddonsfield, in New Jersey, a little above Gloucester. As they approached Timber Creek, on their way down the river, the Americans took up the bridge, and the enemy were obliged to march four miles up the stream to a shallow ford. They arrived at the edge of a wood, within cannon shot of Fort Mercer, on the morning of the 22d. Their ap- pearance, full armed for battle, was the first intima- tion the garrison had of their approach. Although informed that the number of Hessians was twenty- five bundred, the little garrison of four hundred men, in a feeble fort, and with only fourteen pieces of can- , are, draw me hence.' It was the voice of Count non, were not intimidated. They made immediate preparations for defense. While thus engaged a Hessian officer, who was permitted to approach the fort with a flag and a drummer, rode up and inso-
3 victory, and, with the drummer just mentioned beat- ing a lively march, rushed toward the redoubt where not a man was to be seen. They were about to a-cenu the rampart to plant the flag of conquest upon a mer- lon, when from the embrasures in front, and from :. half-masked battery npon their left flank, formed by an angle of an old embankment, a shower of grape- shot and musket balls poured upon them with. terri- ble effect, driving them back to the remote intrench- ments. Another division of the enemy, under the immediate command of the brave Donop, attacked the fort on the south side at the same time, pa-sed the abatis, traversed the fosse or ditch, and some ac- tually leaped the pickets and mounted the parapet v. the redoubt, but the fire of the Americans was heavy and continuons that they were soon forced back and driven out with great loss. They retreated pre- cipitately to Haddonfield, under Lient .- Col. Lin- sing (Donop and Mfingerode, his second in com- mand, being wounded;, leaving between three and four hundred of their comrades bebind. They were considerably galled, when first retreating, by the American galleys and floating batteries in the river. The conflict was short but severe. The precise lo- of the enemy is not known. Marshall estimate- it at four hundred in killed and wounded. Col. Donop, the commander of the expedition, fell mortally wounded at the first fire. After the engagement. while Manduit, the French engineer who directed the American artillery on the occasion. was out with a detachment fixing the palisades, he heard : a voice among the slain, saying, 'Whoever you بله Donop." Mandnit had him conveyed into the fort. Here the soldiers, remembering the threats of a few hours before, exclaimed, "Is it determined to give no quarter?" " I am in your hands," said the count.
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GENERAL HISTORY.
" You may revenge yourselves." M. de Manduit im- in a single prominent line. Some Jersey scoundrel posed silence, and eared for the wounded man. Dn- almost obliterated the word PENNSYLVANIA, and afterwards some Pennsylvania vandal, in the fierce- ness of his retaliatory zeal for the credit of his State, disgraced it so far as insignificance could do it by ob- literating the words NEW JERSEY. The whole line is destroyed, and that marble shaft perpetuates a remem- brance of barbarians as well as ot honored patriots. nop perceived that Manduit spoke bad English, and said, " You appear to me a foreigner, sir. Who are you?" "A French officer," replied Manduit. "Je suis content," said Donop, speaking in French. "Je meurs entre les mains de D'honneur meme" [I am con- tent; I die in the hands of honor itself]. He was removed to Whitall's honse, and three days later, when told that death was near, he said to Manduit. " It is finishing a noble career early" (he was thirty- seven), "but I die the victim of my ambition and of the avarice of my sovereign."
"The loss of the Americans within the fort was eight men killed, twenty-nine wounded, and a cap- tain taken prisoner while reeonnoitering. The number killed by the bursting of a cannon is not known. So elose was the combat at one time that several Ilessians were pierced by the gun-wads of the Americans.
"The conduet of Lieut .- Col. Greene on this occa- sion was highly applauded. and Congress ordered the board of war to present him with an elegant sword. This tribute was given to his family at the close of the contest, when Col. Greene was no longer living to receive it. He had been basely murdered in his quarters near Croton River, in Westehester County, in New York, by a band of Tories consisting of about one hundred and fifty dragoons, under Col. Delaney, who surprised his post. Col. Greene fell after his single arm had slain several of his assailants. They attempted to carry him off. but he died upon the road. Maj. Flagg, a meritorions officer, was killed at the same time ; also two subalterns and twenty- seven men were killed or wounded.
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