USA > New Jersey > Monmouth County > Old times in old Monmouth > Part 17
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By far the most brilliant of all Tom Bell's achievements vas unquestionably that out of which grew the muietment of Rev. William Tennent for perjury. It so happened that Bell bore a striking re- semolance to the Rev. Mr. Rowland, a popular preacher of the day, and a friend and associate of Whufield and the Ten- nents.
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OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTH.
One evening Ball made hi- appearance | one at which Tom Bell proposed to officiate. at a tavern in Princeton dressed in a dark As soon as they returned Mr. howladd was charged with the robbery of the horse. At the next term of Oyer and Terminer for Hunterdon county an indictment was pre- ferred against him. grey coat. lle there met John Stockton, E-q., father of Richard Stockton, a signer of The Declaration of Independence, who coming up to him at one accosted bim as the Rev. Mr. Rowland and invited him to Great was the excitement produced by this event, owing in part to the peculiar state of the Colony at the time. Through the labors of Mr. Whitfield and his as- sociates, among whom were Messrs. Ten- nent and Rowland, a great revival of re- ligion had taken place in the Provinces. But there was a party in the Colony who were very hostile to this religious move- ment, who den ounced its authors as fanat- ics and enthusiasts, and some of whom did not hesitate to brand them as hypocrites and imposters. Conspicuons among this party was the Chief Justice, Robert H. Morris, who whatever claim he may have had to resp ct, was certainly not distin. guished either for religion or morality. To such men this charge against Mr. Row- land. one of the preachers who were turn- my everything upside down, was of course occasion of great triumph and rejoicing, and the most strenuous efforts made to procure his conviction. The grand jury at first refused to find a bill against him, but they were reproved by the Court and sent out again. They again returned with- out an indictment but the Court sent them ont a second time with threats of punish- ment if they persisted in their refusal, and then they consented to find a true bill. his h use. Bell assured hun that he was mistaken-that his name was not Row- land. Mr. Stockton acknowledged his error and told him it pr ceeded from the very close resemblance he bore to that gentleman. This link was enough for Tom Bell. It at once occurred to him that here was a chance for playing one of his tricks. The very next day he went into what was then the county of llunterdon and stopped at a place where the Rev. Mr. Rowland had oec sionally preached, but where he was not well known. Here he introduced himself as Mr. Row'and, was invited to the house of a gentleman in the neighbor hood, and asked to preach on the follow- ing Sabbath. He corrented to do so, and notice to that effect was accordingly given. When the day arrived he accompanied the ladies to church in the funny way on while the master rode alongside, on a very fine horse. As they app wachet the church, Bell suddenly discovered that he had tell his notes behind him and propo ed riding back after them on the fine horse. This was at once agreed to and B I mounted the horse, rode back to the house, riffed the desk of his host nd took his depart- ure, leaving the assembled congregation to wonder what had become of the Rev. Mr. Rowland.
We may imagine the satisfaction which Bell must have derived from this exploit. Mr. Rowland was a noted pre scher of great pungency and power, and thundered the terrors of the law against all impenitent sinners. He was called by the professed wi s of the day " Hell Fire Rowland." He was literally a terror to evil doers, and therefore it may be presumed an object of t they were in company with Mr. Rowland peculiar aversion to Tom Bell. The idea at some place in Pennsylvania or May- land, and heard him, preach. An alibi being thus clearly proved, the jury with- out hesitation acquitted him. then of bringing such a man into disgrace and at the same time of pursuing his fa- vorite occupation must have been doubly pleasing to him.
Thus Mi. Rowland was subjected to the ignominy of a trial. A clear case was made out on the part of the prosecution. A large number of witnesses swore pos- itively that he was the identical person who had committed the robbery. On the other hand, the defendants called as wit- nesses, Messrs. Tennent, Anderson and Stevens, who testified that on the very , ay on which the robbery was committed
But still the public mind was not satis- fien. The person whose horse had been stolen and whose house had been robbed was so convinced that Mr. Rowland was the robber, and so many individuals had, as they supposed, seen him in possession of the horse that it was resolved not to let the matier drop. Messrs. Tennent, An-
Rev. Mr. Rowland was at this time ab- sent from New Jersey. He had gone for the purpose of preaching in Pennsylvania or Maryland in company with Rev. Win. Tennent and two pious laymen of the county of Hunterdon by the names of Joshua Ander-on and Benjamin Stevens, members of a church comignous to the derson and Stevens were therefore arraign-
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OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTH.
ed before the Court of Quarter Sessions, of Hunterdon, upon the charge of having sworn falsely upon the trial of Mr. Row- land, and indictments were found against each of them for perjury. These indict- ments were all removed to the Supreme Court. Anderson, conscious of his inno- cence and unwilling to be under the im- putation of such a crime, demanded his trial at the next term of Oyer and Termi- ner. What evidence he offered in his de- fence does not appear, but he was con- victed and condenmed to stand one hour on the Court House steps with a paper on his breast whereon was written in large letters, " This is for wilful and corrupt per- jury." The trials of Tennent and Stevens were postponed.
Tennent, we are told, being entirely un- used to legal matters and knowing no per- son by whom he could prove his inno- cence, had no other resource but to sub- mit himself to Divine will, and thinking it not unlikely that he might be convicted, had prepared a sermon to preach from the pillory. True he employed Mr. John Coxe, an eminent lawyer of the Province to assist, and when he arrived at Trenton he found that William Smith one of the most distinguished members of the New York bar, who had voluntarily attended on his behalf; and Mr. Tennent's brother Gilbert who was then pastor, of a church in Philadelphia, had brought with him Mr. John Kinsey, an eminent lawyer of that. city, to aid in his defence. But what could they do without evidence ? When Mr. Teunent was desired by his counsel to call on his witnesses that they might examine them before going into Court, he declared he knew no witnesses but God and his conscience. Ilis counsel assured him, that however well founded this confidence might be, and however important before a heavenly tribunal, it would not avail him in an earthly court. And they therefore urged that an application should be made to postnone the trial. But this be would by no means consent to. They then in- formed him they had discovered a flaw in the indictment and proposed that advan- tage should be taken of it. (Mr. Stevens took advantage of this flaw and was clear ed.) Mr. Tennent resisted with great ve- hemence saying it was another snare of the devil, and before he would consent to it he would suffer death. In the mean- time the bell summoned them to the Court. While on the way to the Court Ilouse Mr. Tennent is said to have met a man and
his wife who stopped and asked if his name was Tennent. He said it was and begged to know if they had any business with him. They replied " You know best." They then informed him that they re. sided in a certain place in Pennsylvania or Maryland, and that upon one occasion he in company with Rowland, Anderson and Stevens, had lodged at their house ; that on the following day they had heard him and Rowland preach ; that some nights before they left home, they had each of them dreamed that Mr. Tennent was at Trenton in the greatest possible distress, and that it was in their power, and in theirs alone to relieve him ; that ilus dream was twice repeated and in preci-ely the same manner to each of them, and that it made so deep an impression on their minds that they had at once set off upon a journey to Trenton, and were there to know of him what they were to do. Mr. Tennent hand- ed them over to lus counsel, who to their astonishment found that their testimony was entirely satisfactory. Soon after, Mr. John Stockton, who mistook Tom Bell for Rev. Mr. Rowland, also appeared and was examined as a witness for Mr. Tennent. In short the evidence was so clear and con- clusive, that notwithstanding the most strenuous exertion of the Attorney Gen- eral to procure a conviction, the jury with- out hesitation acquitted Mr. Tennent.
MEMBERS OF THE NEW JERSEY PROVINCIAL ASSEMBLY FROM MONMOUTH COUNTY.
FROM THEIR FIRST SESSION BEGAN NOVEMBER 10th, 1703, AT PERTH AMBOY, TO THE REVOLUTION.
In the list of members of the Assembly, or " House of Representatives of the Prov- ince of Nova Cesarea or New Jersey," from 1703 to 1709, during which time there were four sessions, the names of the coun- ties to which they severally belonged are not given. The records simply mention that they are from East or West JJersey as the case may be. Among the members from East Jersey it is probable that the following are from Monmouth County :
Ist Assembly, 1703, Obadiah Bowne, Rich'd Hartshorne,
2d
1704, § Richard Hartshorne, John Bowne.
Richard Salter, Obadiah Bowne.
J John Bowne, William Lawrence,
3d 1707, 1 Lewis Morris.
4th 1708-9, Gershom Mott, Elisha Lawrence.
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OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTH.
After this session the names of the counties to which the members belonged are given.
5th Assembly, 1709, Elisha Lawrence, Gershom Mott. '
6th
1710, Gershom Mott, William Lawrence.
7th . 1716, William Lawrence, Elisha Lawrence.
Stlı 1721, William Lawrence, Garret Schenck.'
9th 1727, John Eaton, James Grover. .
10thı . 66 1730, John Eaton, James Grover.
11th 1738, John Eaton, Cornelius Vandervere.
12th
1740, John Eaton, Cornelius Vandervere. .
13th
1743, John Eaton, Robert Lawrence. 1
14th
66 1744, John Eaton, Robert Lawrence.
15th - 1745, John Eaton, Robert Lawrence. ")
66 : 1746, John Faton, Robert Lawrence.
16th 1
17th 66 1749, John Eaton, Robert Lawrence. - 1751, Robert Lawrence, James Holmes.
18th
19tl:
1 1 1754, Robert Lawrence, James Holmes.
20th 1761, James Holmef,* Richard Lawrence.
21st 1769, Robert Hartshorne, Edward Taylor.
23d. 1772, Edward Taylor; Richard Lawrence.
Robert Lawrence was speaker of the As. sembly in 1746-7, and again from 1754- 1758.
THE PROVINCIAL CONGRESS OF NEW JERSEY.
The delegates appointed by the several. counties to take action in regard to, the. tyrannical acts of Great Britain, assembled at New Brunswick, July 21st, 1774, and continued in session tlnee days. Seventy- two delegates were present, The following had been elected from Monmouth county by a meeting held at, Freehold Court House, Jury 19th, viz :
Edward Taylor, John Anderson, John Taylor.
James Grover, John Lawrence, Dr. Nath'l Scudder: Jolin Burrowes, Joseph Holmes, Josiah Holmes Edward Willlams. 1
Edward Tayler was appointed chairman of the delegation. The Provincial Con- gress elected Stephen Crane, of Essex, Chairman, and Jonathan D. Sargent, of Somerset, clerk. . Resolutions were passed similar in character to those adopted by the Monmouth meeting, recently publish- ed.
* James Holmes died and John: Arder son was chosen in his place. >
'}
WASHINGTON AND LEE AT THE BATTLE OF MONMOUTHI.
In the-battle of Monmouth when Ma- jor General Charle's Lee had very nearly lost the day by ordering a retreat, it is're lated by Irving" that Washington "1" gal loped forward to stop the retreat. his in- dignation kindling as he rode." "The commander-in-chief soon encountered, Lee approaching with the body of his con- mand in full retreat .?? "By this time " says Irving he was thoroughly exaspera- ted.
" What is the meaning of this sir ?' de- 1. manded he, m the sternest and even fiércest tone as Lee rode up to him. Lee, stung by the manner more than by the words of demand, made an angry reply and provoked still sharper expressions which are variously reported. ) . 7!
The "variously reported " expressions are the swearing, concerning the quality of which all the great historians inclu; ding Irving are silent.
11 WHAT LAFAYETTE SAID
1.
But the Marquis, de Lafayette, when re- lating the circumstance to Governor Tomp-/ kins, of New York, in 1824, said that " this was the only time I ever heard General Washington, swear, .He called Lee a damned poltroon, and iwas, in a towering, rage. Another witness, said that Washing -. ton cried to Lee " In the devil's name, sir, go back to the, front, or go to hell."j. :
A' PROFANE VIRGINIAN'S VERSION.
The late General Charles Scott, of, Vir- ginia, who had himself a most inveterate habit of swearing, being asked, after the Revolutionary war, whether it was possi- ble that the beloved and admired Wash- ington ever swore, replied in ihis inimita- 1 ble way .:
" Yes sir, he did.once. It was at Mon- mouth and on a day that t would have. made any man swear. Yes sir, he swore that day Till the leaves shook in the trees, !! charming, delightful. | Never have I enjoyed such swearing before or since., Sir, on that memorable day he swore like an and ! gel from heaven.l"' - 1. .
The foregoing would seem to justify General Lee's statement on his Court Mar- tial trial, that. he was ," disconcerted, as .. tonished and confounded " by . Washing- ton's wordsand manner.
WEEMS" ACCOUNT OF THE AFFAIR. 1 1111: 1
Says Weems, in his life of Washington : ' Ås' Washington was advancing, to; his infinite astonishment he met Lee retreat,' ing and the enemy pursuing.
For God's sake, General Lee,' said Wash-1 ington, in great warmth, what is the cause of this ill timed prudence ?' " ...
'No man sir,' repliedl Lee, (can boast a larger portion of that rascally virtue than your Excellency.'
Darting along like a madman, Washing- ton rode up to his .troops, who at sight of him rent the air with "God save great Washington."
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OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTH.
" My brave fellows can you fight ?" said he.
They answered with three cheers.
"Then face about, my heroes, and charge !"
This order was executed with infinite spirit.
REV. C. W. UPHAM'S ACCOUNT.
Upham in his life of Washington says :
"When General Washington met Lee retreating at the battle of Monmouth he was so exasperated as to lose control of his feelings for a moment and in his an- ger and indignation burst forth in violent expressions of language and manner .- Very harsh words were exchanged he- tween him and Lee and a sharp corres pondence ensued, which resulted in Wash- ington's putting Lee under arrest. He was tried by Court Martial, convicted of disobedience of orders, of misbehavior be- fore the enemy in making an unnecessa- ry and disorderly retreat, and of disrespect to the Commander-in-Chief in the letters subsequently addressed to him and sen- tenced to be suspended for one year,"
AN OLD CITIZEN OF MONMOUTH TELLS THE STORY.
The"late Dr. Samuel Forman, whose father, David Forman and Peter Wikoff, acted as guides to General Washington, gave in 1842 the following version of what transpired on this memorable occasion.
" The action commenced in the morn- ing after breakfast, in the vicinity of Briar Hill, distant a half or three quarters of a mile beyond the Court House. From theuce the Americans under Lee slowly retreated before the enemy ab ut three miles to the vicinity of the Parsonage, where a final stand was made and the principal action fought. Here Washing- ton met Lee in the field immediately north of the dwelling, and riding up to him, with astonishment asked "What is the meaning of this ?" Lee being some- what confused and not distinctly under- standing the question, roplied : " Sir ! sir !" Washington the second time said " What is atl that confusion for and retreat ?"- Lee replied " He saw no confusion but arose from his orders -not being properly obeyed." Washington mentioned that " he had certain information that it was but a strong covering party of the enemy." Lee replied that " It might be so, but they were rather stronger than he was and that he did not think it proper to risk so muoh, " or words to that effect. Washing-
ton said " You should not have underta- ken it," and passed by him. Shortly after Washington again met him and asked "if he would take command there ; if not, he (Washington) would; if General Lee would take comniand there. he would re- turn to the main army and arrange it."- Lee replied that " his Exellency had be- fore given him the command there."- Washington told him he expected he would take proper measures for checking the enemy there. Lee replied that his or- ders should be obeyed and that he would not be the first to leave the field ; and Washington then rode away. Immediate- ly after this General Hamilton, in a great heat, rode up to Lee and said “ I will stay here with you, my dear General, and die with you ; let us all die here rather than retreat."
OTHER HISTORIANS.
Marshall, Bancroft and Sparks in their lives of Washington merely state in sub- stance that " Washington spoke in terms of warmth, implying disapprobation of Lee's conduct."
Mr. George H. Moore, librarian of the New York Historical Society published in 1860 a small volume entitled " The Trea- son of Charles Lee, &c " which gives some important facts in General Lee's career to which we shall endeavor to refer hereaft- er, but his work stops snort of the battle of Monmouth.
Gen. Washington rarely used profane language, but there is no doubt that he did on this occasion, being exasperated at Lee's conduct, which gave suspicion of treachery. The charge of treason against Lee we shall endeavor to examine here- after.
Our older readers remember the story of the College Divinity Professor who al- ways held up Washington as a model for his pupiis in all things. One day he was laboring to convince his scholars of the wickedness of profanity when one of them rose uv and said ; " Professor you told us to take Washington as an example in all things and you know he swore terribly at the battle of Monmouth." The Professor was nonplussed, but finally stammered ·· Ahem? ah, well-if ever any body did have an excuse for swearing it was Wash- ington at the battle of Monmouth !
GENERAL LEE'S OWN VERSION.
General Lee, in his defence before the Court Martial, said :
" When I arrived first in hi- ( Washing- ton's) presence, conscious of having done
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OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTH.
nothing which could draw on me the least censure, but rather flattering myself with his congratulation and applause, I confess I was disconcerted, astonished and con- founded by the words and manner in which his Exellency accosted me. It was so novel and unexpected from a man whose discretion, humanity and decorum I had from the first of our acquaintance stood in admiration of, that I was for some time unable to make any coherent answer to questions so abrupt and in a great meas- ure unintelligible. The terms I think were these : 'I desire to know, sir, what is the reason whence arises this disorder and confusion ?" The manner in which he expressed them was much stronger and more severe than the expressions them- selves. When I recovered myself suffi- ciently I answered that I saw or knew of no confusion but which naturally arose from disobedience of orders, contradictory intelligence and the impertinence and pre- sumption of individuals who were invest- ed with no authority, intruding themselves in matters above their sphere ; That the re- treat in the first instance u as contrary to my or- ders and wishes.
Washington replied all this might be true but he ought not have undertaken the enterprise unless he intended to go through with it."
EPISCOPALIANISM IN OLD MON. MOUTH.
Freehold. Middletown, Shrewsbury, Staf ford, &c. Missionary Efforts from 1745 to to 1751. Freehold Presbyterians and Episcopalians-Strife in Good Works .- Heathens (?) in the Pines. Rogerine Baptists, &c.
The following account of the missionary efforts of Rev. Thomas Thompson in old Monmouth, some century and a quarter ago is worthy of preservation by all inter- ested in the early religious history of the county. We have seen it stated that but two copies of Mr. Thompson's work were to be found in America, one in the Con- necticut Historical library and the other in the Astor library at New York. In our visits to the latter library in past years we have been surprised to see the value placed upon this little old fashioned book by peo- ple versed in the history of olden times in America, and it is almost as well known among them as Gabriel Thomas' History of West Jersey, &c., published 1698, of which the only known copy of the original
edition is in the Franklin Library, Phila- delphia, a copy of which we hope to find room for, before concluding these sketches. Lately another copy of Mr. Thompson's little book was discovered in an Episcopal library in South Carolina, and placed in the Congressional Library, at Washing- ton.
In Mr. Thompson's account of his visit it will be noticed that he speaks disparag ingly of the early settlers in the lower part of the county. His zeal for the tenets of this society by which he was employed, seems to have led him to make animadver- sions against the people there, which it would appear were not entirely deserved according to the testimony of ministers of other denominations, which we may give hereafter in sketches of the early history of other societies. It will be noticed that while he accuses them of great ignorance, yet he acknowledges having many con- ferences and disputes on religious topics with them, which shows that they were considerably posted in scriptural matters, but undoubtedly opposed to the Church of England.
Mr. Thompson's little work gives an ac- count of his visit to Monmouth and also to Africa. We give all that relates to Old Monmonth. His remarks about heathen- ism in the pines is rather severe, when it is remembered that it was made after his visit to the negroes in Guinea, Africa. The society he terms "Culvers" were Rogerine Baptists, who were located some eleven years at Waretown, Ocean county, and then left and went to Schooley's Moun- tains.
An Account of the Missionary Voyages by the Appointment of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in foreign parts. The one to New Jersey in North America, and then from Amer ica, to the coast of Guiney. BY REV. THOMAS THOMPSON, A. M., VICAR OF RECULVER, IN KENT.
London ; printed for Benj. Dod at the Bible and Key, in Ave Mary Lane, near St. Pauls. MDCCLVIII.
In the spring ot the year 1745 I embarked for America, being appointed Missionary of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts upon recommen- dation of my Reverend Tutor Dr. Thomas Cartwright, late Archdeacon of Colchester
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OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTH.
and a member of the Society, myself then a Fellow of Christ's College Cambridge. I went in a ship called the Albany, belong- ing to New York which sailed from Graves- end on the 8th day of May and providen. tially escaping some instant dangers on the passage, arrived at New York on the 29th of August. The Sunday following I preach- ed both Morning and Afternoon at the Episcopal Church in that city. whereof the Reverend Mr. Commissary Vesey had then been rector more than forty years. On the next Sunday I passed over to Elizabeth- town in New Jersey on my journey to Monmouth County in the Eastern Division where I was appointed to reside and have the care of Churches in that county, being also licensed thereto by the Right Rev- erend the late Lord Bishop of London.
Being come to the place of my mission I presented my credentials and was kindly received and took the first opportunity of waiting upon the governor Lewis Morris Esq., at his seat at Kingsburg which is in the Western Division, and took the oath of allegiance and supremacy and also the abjuration oath and subscribed the Declara- tion in presence of his Excellency.
Upon making inquiry into the state of the churches within my District, I found that the members were much disturbed and in a very unsettled state, insomuch, that some of them had thoughts of leaving our communion and turning to the Dis senters. The particular occasion of this I forbear to mention.
As I came to gather more information, it presented to me, that many of those who frequented the Church worship never had been baptized ; some heads of families and several others of adult age, besides a num- ber of young children and Infants.
I perceived that it was not altogether neglect, but there was something of princi ple in the cause, that so many persons had not received the sacred ordinance of bap tism and others did not procure it to their children. That part of the country abonnd- ing in Quakers and Anabaptists, the inter- course with these sects was of so bad in- fluence, as had produced among the Church people thus conforming with their tenets and example. However the main fault was rather carelessness of the baptism and a great deal was owing to prejudice res- pecting the matter of god fathers and god mothers.
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