USA > New Jersey > Monmouth County > Old times in old Monmouth > Part 29
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29
IS AN OYSTER A WILD ANIMAL OR A TAME ONE?
This question to many may appear ab surd but it has been broached in lawsuits in our state involving business enterprises to the amount of some thousands of dol- lars yearly. It originated in the question whether or not a man had an exclusive right to oysters which he had planted .- The first case carried up to the New Jersey Supreme Court relating to planted oysters began in old Shrewsbury township about seventy years ago. A man named Lever- son sued two men named Shepard and Layton for the larceny of 1,000 oysters which he had planted in North river, Shrewsbury township. The case came be- fore Esquire Tiebout who gave judgment for the plaintiff, three dollars. The de- fendants' appealed to the Monmouth Com- mon Pleas where the Justice's decision was confirmed. The case was then car- ried to the Supreme Court and tried in 1808. The decision, however, was con- fined to one point, that of planting where there is a natural growth : " Action does not lie for taking oysters claimed as plant- ed by him in a common navigable stream, in which others were found." The court seemed to consider the throwing of oyster plants where there is a natural growth, as an abandonment, and compared it to a man "who should take a deer in a forest and be simpleton enough to let it go again in the same forest, saying, ' this is my deer and no man shall touch it ;' it would never be asked by the next taker what was the intention of the simpleton ; the very act of letting it go was an abandonment."
The question of the right to planted oys- ters was again brought before the Supreme
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OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTHI.
Court in 1821, in the noted case of Arnold vs Mundy, on an appeal in a case from Perth Amboy; but this suit hinged mainly on title to lands under water, the plaintiff having purchased from the East Jersey Proprietors some forty odd acres of land under water on which was the oyster bed.
Just fifty years after the laws relating to planted oysters had been first discussed in Monmouth, the subject was finally and clearly settled by the Supreme Court. On an appeal from Cape May, tried in 1858, it was charged that Thomas Taylor had sto- len oysters to the value of eighteen dollars from George Hildreth. This time the ques- tion of the right to oysters planted where there was no natural growth was reached and decided. As regards the question whether an oyster is a wild animal or a tame one the inference from the trial is that an oyster from a natural growth bed is a wild animal and one from a bed plant- ed where there was no natural growth, is a tame one ! The counsel for the defend- ant (Taylor) plead that " oysters being an- imals feræe naturæ (of a wild nature-wild animals) there can be no property in them unless they be dead or reclaimed or tamed or in the actual power or possession of the claimant."
The Chief Justice in giving the opinion of the Court said :
" The principle (advanced by defend- ant's counsel) as applied to animals fera naturæ is not questioned. But oysters, though usually included in that descrip tion of animals, do not come within the reason or operation of the rule. The own- er has the same absolute property in them that he has in inanimate things or domes- tic animals. Like don estic animals they continue perpetually in his occupation and will not stray from his house or per- son. Unlike animals ferce naturæ, they do not require to be reclaimed and made tame by art, industry or education, nor to be confined in order to be within the imme. diate power of the owner. If at liberty, they have neither the inclination nor power to escape. For the purposes of the present inquiry they are obviously more nearly aliied to tame animals than to wild ones, and perhaps more nearly allied to in- animate objects than to animals of either description. The indictment could not aver that the oysters were dead, for they would then be of no value ; nor that they were reclaimed or tamed for in this sense they were never wild and were not capa-
ble of domestication ; nor that they were confined for that would be absurd."
It was the decision of the court that
" The owner has the same absolute prop- erty in oysters that he has in inanimate things or domestic animals, and the rule that applies to animals fera naturæ does not apply to them," and that an indict- ment would lie for stealing oysters plant- ed in a public or navigable river where oysters do not grow naturally, and the spot designated by stakes or otherwise.
ALLEGED INFRINGEMENTS OF OYSTER LAWS.
The Newark Evening Courier of Decem- ber 21st, 1874, contained an interesting article relating to the oyster trade of New- ark Bay, Staten Island Sound, Perth and South Amboy, &c., during the year 1874, from which we extract the following :
" The great beds at the mouth of the Raritan river, now retained and staked by private individuals for their own use, are Que mile and a half long and one mile wide. They were what is termed a natural bed up to forty years ago, and were first taken possession of by a company from Perth Amboy. They were held by this company without color of law for about five years, when the people interested in the oyster business compelled this monopoly to relin- quish their claims on the beds, but in re- turn they severally staked them off for their own use, and still retain them to the exclusion of citizens of their own and oth- er counties without the least shadow of law. It is thought that this question, to- gether with a law looking to the better preservation of oysters in the beds, will re- ceive the attention of the Legislature." -
We should suppose the law in this case had been clearly settled by the Supreme Court, which those interested can find stated at length in 1st Halsted, case of Ar- nold vs Mundy, and 3d Dutcher, State vs Thomas Taylor.
COLONEL MONCKTON AND THE ROYAL GRENADIERS AT THE BATTLE OF MONMOUTH.
Lieutenant Colonel Honorable H. Monck- ton, generally called Colonel Monckton, according to both written and traditionary accounts was one of the most honorable of- ficers in the service of the British-accom- plished, brave, of splendid personal appear- ance and of irreproachable moral charac ter. He was in the battle of Long Island
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OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTH.
in August 1776, when he was shot through the body and lay for many weeks at the point of death. He recovered and for his gallantry on that occasion was promoted from the 5th Company, 2d Grenadiers, to be Lieutenant Colonel and was in com- mand of the battalion at the battle of Mon- mouth, in which the 1st, and 2nd Royal Grenadiers bore a conspicuous part and in a charge, the heroic Monckton and the greater part of the officers of the genadiers, the flower of the British army, fell from a terrible fire from the Americans under General Wayne. The spot where Colonel Monckton was killed is said to be about eight rods north-east of the old parsonage and he was buried about six feet from the west end of the church. About thirty years ago a board was set up to mark his grave by William R. Wilson, a native of Scotland, who will long and favorably be remem bered by hundreds of citizens of Monmouth and Ocean as a successful teacher and for his many good qualities of head and heart. He died at Forked River, in Ocean county, about nineteen years ago, and the respect retained for him by his old scholars near the battle ground, and elsewhere in Mon- mouth, was evidenced by the fact of their sending for his body and giving it a suita- ble final resting place in the vicinity of his first labors in this county. Mr. Wilson, or " Dominie Wilson " as he was familiarly called on account of his once having been a clergyman, deserves a more extended no- tlce than we have space for in the present article.
On the board prepared and set up by Mr. Wilson was inscribed
HIC JACET COL. MONKTON KILLED 28 June 1778
W. R. W.
Mr. W. may have been induced to put up the board by noticing that in the rem- iniscences of the battle published by Hen- ry Howe, who visited the ground in 1842, attention was called to the fact that no monument marked the grave.
In 1850, Benson J. Lossing visited the battle ground and made a sketch of the head board which was given in his valua- ble work, the Field Book of the Revolu- tion, and it is also given in a late number of the American Historical Record Mr. Lossing says that when he visited the grave " the only monument that marked the spot was a plain board painted red, much weath-
er worn, on which was drawn in black let- ters the inscription seen in the picture giv. en. The board had been set up some years before by a Scotch school master named William Wilson, who taught the young people in the school house upon the green near the old Meeting House," In speaking of Col. Monckton he says : " At the head of his grenadiers on the field of Monmouth, he kept them silent until they were with- in a few rods of the Americans. when wav- ing his sword he shouted " Forward to the charge !" Our General Wayne was on his front. At the same moment " Mad Antho- ny " gave a signal to fire. A terrible volley poured destruction upon Monckton's gren- adiers and almost every British officer fell. Amongst them was their brave leader .- Over his body the combatants fought des- perately until the Americans secured it and bore it to the rear."
CAPTAIN WILSON AND DOMINIE WILSON. THE GRENADIER FLAG.
A writer in the American Historical Rec- ord, June, 1874, referring to the above no- tice says it reminds him " of the relics of the Royal Grenadiers and of their gallant Colonel which are still in existence ; and I was struck with the coincidence in name of the Scotch schoolmaster, William Wil- son, who set up the board that marks the Colonel's grave, with that of the Irish Cap- tain, William Wilson, by the rifles of whose company Monckton fell. On the parlor ta- ble of Captain William Wilson Potter, of Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, a great grandson of General James Potter, of the Revolu- tion, may be seen any day for the asking, the flag of the Royal Grenadiers, captured on the field of Monmouth, by his (maternel) grandfather, the late Judge William Wil- son, of Chillisquaque Mills, Northumber- land county, l'ennsylvania. The ground or , main surface is lemon or light-yellow heavy corded silk, five feet four inches by four feet eight inches. The device at the upper right corner is twenty inches square, and is that of the English Union which dis. tinguishes the Royal s.andard of Great Britain. It is composed of the cross of St. George, to denote England, and St. An- drews cross in the form of an X to denote Scotland. The field of the device is blue, the central stripes (cross of St. George) red, the margnial ones white. The flag has the appearance of having bien wrenched from its staff, and has a few blood stams on the device, otherwise it looks as bright and new as if it had just come from the gentle
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OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTH.
fingers that made it, although ninety-six years have rolled away since its golden folds drooped in the sultry air of that June day battle."
The following is an account of that part of the engagement relating to
THE CHARGE OF THE GRENADIERS.
After General LEE's retreat was checked by General WASHINGTON in person, the lat- ter formed a new line for his advanced troops, and put LEE again in command General WASHINGTON then rode back to the main army and formed it on an eminence, with a road in the rear and a morass in front. The left was commanded by Lord STIRLING with a detachment of artillery ; LAFAYETTE with WAYNE was posted in the centre, partly in an orchard and partly sheltered by a barn ; General GREENE was on the right with his artillery under Gen- eral Knox, pos ed on commanding ground. General LEE maintained his advanced po- sition as long as he could, himself coming off with his rear across a road which trav- ersed the morass in front of STIRLING'S troops. The British followed sharp, and meeting with a warm reception, endeav ored to turn the left flank but were driven back ; they then tried the right, but were met by General GREENE's forces and heavy discharges from KNox's artillery, which not only checked them but raked the whole length of the columns in front of the left wing. Then came a determined effort to break the centre maintained by General WAYNE and the Pennsylvania regiment ; ; and the Royal Grenadiers, the flower of the British army, were ordered to do it. They advanced several times, cross- ing a hedge-row in front of the morass and were driven back. Col. MONCTON, their commander, then made a speech to his men (the troops at the parsonage and those in the orchard heard his ringing voice above the storm of battle), and forming the Grenadiers in solid col- umn, advanced to the charge like troops on parade; the men marching with such precision that a ball from Combs Hill enfilsding a platoon isarmed every man.
WAYNE ordered his men to reserve their fire, and the British came on in silence within a few rods, when MONCTON waved his sword above his head and ordered his grenadiers to charge. Simultaneously WAYNE ordered his men to fire and a ter- rible volley laid low the first ranks and most of the officers, The colors were in
advance to the right with the Colonel and they went down with him. Captain WIL- LIAM WILSON and his company who were on the right of the 1st Pennsylvania regi- ment, (Colonel JAMES CHAMBERS) made a rush for the colors and the body of the Colonel. The Grenadiers fought desper- ately and a hand to hand struggle ensued, but the Pennsylvanians secured his body and the colors; the Grenadiers gave way, and the whole British army fell back to LEE's position in the morning. They de- camped so quietly in the night that Gen- eral POOR, who lay near them with orders to recommence the battle in the morning, was not aware of their departure.
The following reminiscences, published by HOWE were mainly derived from the late venerable Dr. SAMUEL FORMAN, who was on the battle field the day after the action.
The advanced corps of Americans under WAYNE was on high ground close by a barn about twelve rods back of the parsonage, while a park of artillery were on Combs Hill, a height commanding that of the enemy. The British grenadiers several times crossed the fence and advanced toward the barn, but were as often driven back by the fire of the troops stationed there and the artillery from Combs Hill. At length C'ol. MONCTON made to them a spirited address which was distinctly heard by the Americans at the barn and parsonage, distant only twenty or thirty rods. They then advanced in beautiful order as though on parade. As they appeared within a few rods of the barn, WAYNE ordered his men to pick off the officers. * * * The spot near where Col. MONKTON was killed is (1842) marked by an oak stump about eight rods northeast of the parsonage. * * *
The most desperate part of the conflict was in the vicinity of where MONKTON fell. There the British grenadiers lay in heaps like sheaves on a harvest field. Our informant states that they dragged the corpses by the heels to shallow pits dug for the purpose and slightly covered them with earth ; he saw thirteen buried in one hole. For many years after, their graves were indicated by the luxuriance of the vegeta- tion. Among the enemy's dead was a sergeant of the grenadiers, designated as the "high sergeant." He was the tallest man in the British army, measuring seven teet four inches in height.
The day was unusually hot even for the season and both armies suffered severely ;
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the British more than the Americans, be- cause of their woollen uniforms and bur- dened with their knapsacks and accoutre- ments, while the latter where divested of their packs and superfluous clothing. The tongues of great numbers were so swollen as to render them incapable of speaking. Many of both armies perished solely from heat and after the battle were seen dead upon the field, without mark or wound, under trees and beside the rivulet, where they had crawled for shade and water. The countenances of the dead became so blackened as to render it impossible to re- cognize individuals. Several houses in Freehold were filled with the wounded of the enemy, left on their retreat in care of their surgeons and nurses. Every room in the Court House was filled. They lay on the floor on straw, and the supplication of the wounded and the moans of the dying presented a scene of woe. As fast as they died, their corpses were promiscuously thrown into a pit on the site of the present (1842) residence of Dr. THROCKMORTON, and slightly covered with earth.
In addition to the above statements of Dr. FORMAN regarding the heat of the day, we remember on our first visit to the bat- tle ground forty odd years ago being told by an old gentleman residing in the vicin- ity, while describing the battle, that both the British and Americans were so over- come by the heat, and were suffering so much from thirst, that as they approached the stream, the troops of both armies, re- gardless of discipline, broke from their ranks and rushed to the brook to quench their thirst at the same time, and but a little distance apart. Many were unable to resume their places in the ranks and were found dead as above related. Of the British it is stated that fifty nine perished from the heat.
VISITORS AT THE BATTLE GROUND.
" If there's a hole in all your coats I rede you tent it ;
A chield's among you taking notes, And faith he'll prent it."
So said the poet Burns in reference to Captain Grose, noted for his peregrinations through Scotland collecting antiquities of the kingdom, and we have been forcibly reminded of his lines in reading various comments made by visitors to the Mon- month battle ground. These comments are in the main very favorable to the citi-
zens of old Monmouth, but occasionally we meet with an unpalatable note.
The author of the Field Book of the Revolution says :
"I visited the battle ground of Mon- mouth toward the close of September, 1850, and had the good fortune to be favored with the company of Doctor John Wood- hull, of Freehold, in my ramble over that interesting locality. Dr. Woodhull is the son of the beloved minister of that name who succeeded Rev. William Tennent in the pastoral care of the congregation that worshipped in the Freehold meeting house, and who, for forty-six consecutive years, preached and prayed in that venerated chapel. Dr. Woodhull was born in the parsonage yet upon the battle ground, and is so familiar with every localitv and event connected with the conflict, that I felt as if traversing the battle field with an actor in the scene."
Mr. Lossing next speaks of a heavy storm which compelled him to take shelter in the old Tennent church ; resting his port- folio on the bigh back of an old pew he sketched a picture of the neat monument erected to the memory of Rev. John Woed- hull, D. D., who died Nov. 22nd, 1924, aged 80 years. He next refers to Rev. William Tennent who was pastor of that flock for forty-three years, and gives an outline of his life, and then says :
" When the storm abated we left the church and proceeded to the battle ground. The old parsonage is in the present pos- session of Mr. William T. Sutphen, who has allowed the parlor and study of Ten- nent and Woodhull to be used as a depos itory of grain and of agricultural imple- ments ! The careless neglect which per- mits a mansion so hallowed by religion and patriotic events to fall into ruin, is ac- tual desecration and much to be repre- hended and deplored. The windows are destroyed, the roof is falling into the chambers ; and in a few years not a ves- tige will be left of that venerable memen- to of the field of Monmouth.
" We visited the spot where Monckton fell; the place of the causeway across the morass (now a small bridge upon the main road); and after taking a general view of the whole ground of conflict and sketch- ing a picture, returned to Freehold.
" It had been to me a day of rarest inter- est and pleasure, notwithstanding the m- clement weather ; for no battle field in our country has stronger claims to the rever-
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ence of the American heart than that of the plains of Monmouth. * * *
" The men and women of the Revolution but a few years since, numerous in the neighborhood of Freehold, have passed away, but the narrative of their trials dur- ing the war have left abiding records of patriotism upon the hearts of their de scendants. I listened to many tales con- cerning the Pine Robbers and other des- peradoes of the time, who kept the people of Monmouth county in a state of contin- ual alarm. Many noble deeds of daring were achieved by the tillers of the soil, and their mothers, wives and sisters ; and while the field of Monmouth attested the bravery and endurance of American sol- diers, the inhabitants whose households were disturbed on that memorable Sabbath morning by the bugle and the cannon peal, exhibited in their daily course the loftiest patriotism and manly courage. We. will leave the task of recording the acts of 'their heroism to the pen of the local his torian."
The following item we find published in a magazine over a year ago : "Attention has lately been called to the condition of the grave of Col Monckton, in the burial ground of the Freehold Meeting House in Monmouth Co., N. J. It should be prop- erly cared for, for Monckton, though a foeman to the Americans when he fell mortally wounded at the battle of Mon- month, was a gallant officer, and a man of irreproachable moral character."
OUR GOOD LOOKING GRAND- MOTHERS.
WHY JERSEY LADIES ARE SO ATTRACTIVE.
All histories of Revolutionary times con- cede that in patriotism our forefathers were not excelled by the people of any other state. From the following extracts it will be seen that during the last century the women also of New Jersey were held in high repute by people in other states .- - Jerseymen of the present day very well know that the ladies of our state now are hard to excel in beauty, intelligence, amia- bility, industry and other deservable qual- ities. And it is gratifying to know that their maternal ancestors obtained such marked commendation from competent judges in other states.
Guthrie's Geography, published by the celebrated Matthew Carey in 1795, says :
" There is at least as great a number of industrious, discreet, amiable, genteel and handsome women in New Jersey in pro- portion to the number of its inhabitants as in any one of the thirteen states."
Winterbottom's Geography, published in New York the following year, quotes the above extract, but the author thinking such compliments unusual in such a work prefaces his quotation with the remark that " It is not the business of the geogra- pher to compliment the ladies, nor would we be thought to do so when we say that there are in New Jersey as great a number of industrious, discreet, &c."
Morse's Geography, published in New York by the father of the celebrated Pro- fessore Morse, quotes and endorses the re- marks of both of the above writers, and adds that " the ladies of New Jersey are as well educated and intelligent as the la- dies of any other state." We will take the liberty here of expressing our gratifi- cation that Morse quoted the most of his complimentary remarks from other writ- ers ; had he expressed them in his own language we might reasonably fear as bungling work as he made in describing Albany and its inhabitants. In an early edition of his geography, which we found in the library of the New York Geographi- cal and Statistical Society, he says :
"There are over six hundred houses in Albany. and the population is over ten thousand mostly of the gothic style of architecture with their gable ends turned to the streets."
Ten thousand people of the gothic style of architecture with their gable ends turned to the street would have presented a remarkable spectacle. He probably meant this description to apply to the houses and not the people.
Among more ancient writers who de. scribed the people of New Jersey was Ga- briel Thomas, who published a work in 1698, describing Pennsylvania and West Jersey, but one copy of which is known to be in existence. From this copy, in the Philadelphia Franklin Library, we extract the following, relating to the inhabitants of Pennsylvania and New Jersey :
" The men are all industrious and healthy, the children born here are beau- tiful, without spot or blemish, and every married lady has a baby in her lap, or one _" Ahem ! well, these old writers have sometimes such a blunt way of expressing themselves, that a bashful man feels rather dubious about the propriety of quoting ex-
.
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OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTH.
actly the conclusion of the sentence, but it substantially means " that they present ex- ternal evidence of soon being able to have one to tend."
From the foregoing it will be seen that it is perfectly natural that Jersey ladies should be fascinating; they take after their mothers and female ancestors; like them they are "industrious, discreet, amiable, genteel, handsome and intelligent." But these complimentary expressions are left out of modern geographies, not because they are inappropriate, but doubtless out of respect to ladies of other states and to the men of this ; for if they were now pub- lished in our text books, men from other states might flock here for partners to the aggravation of the girls they left behind them, and of the young men of New Jer- sey, who would naturally object to such in- roads for such a purpose.
OUR ANCESTORS OF ENGLISH ORIGIN .- THE BEST BLOOD OF NEW ENGLAND.
The following complimentary remarks about our first white settlers of English or- igin are from Watson's Annals ot Philadel- phia :
"The vicinity of Philadelphia to New Jersey has had the effect to contribute a great deal of Jersey population to the city and a good race of citizens they make .- They may be considered as a people much formed from the best Yankee blood. All along the seaboard, the first settlers there, is their names show, came from New Eng land in colonial times. In the Revolution the Governor of Pennsylvania (Reed) was from New Jersey ; so too Attorney General Sargent and Commissary General Boudi- nit. Not long since, all the officers of the Mayor's Court, Mayor, Recorder, prosecut- ing officers and even the crier were Jersey born."
THE FIRST WHITE OPINION OF OLD MON- MOUTII.
On the 2nd day of September, 1609, Sır Henry Hudson in the ship Half Moon, cruised along the shore of the county, and at night anchored not far from Long Branch. His journal or log book was kept by his mate, Alfred Just. After describ- ing the coast, &c., at the close of the day's record, he says :
" This is a very good land to fall in with, and a pleasant land to see."
This is the most ancient opinion of the county to be found expressed by a white person, and one in which all its citizens
will agree as correct and applicable at the present day.
CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTA- TIVES.
By an act of Congress approved June, 1842, all members of Congress were re quired to be elected by Congressional Dis- tricts. Under that law the following per- sons have been elected to Congress to rep- resent the districts to which Monmouth has belonged.
SECOND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.
28th Congress 1843-4 George Sykes of Burlington Co. 29 .. 1845-6 66
30
1847-8 William A. Newell Monmouth 46
31 1849-50
"
32 1851-2 Charles Skelton
1853-4 =
1855-6 George R. Pobbins
66
66 1859-60 J. L. N. Stratton, Burlington 66
38
1863-4 William A. Newell, Monmouth "
39
1865-6 George Middleton 66
40
66 1867-8 Charles Haight
41
= 1869-70
"
42
= 1871-2 Samuel C. Forker, Burlington ‘
THIRD CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.
43 44 1875-6 Miles Ross
1873-4 Amos Clark, Jr., Middlesex
It is a coincidence that since the Dis- trict law of Congress passed, the Demo- crats have elected nine members and their opponents just nine including Samuel G. Wright elected, but who died before tak- ing his seat.
CONGRESSIONAL MEMORANDA.
Among those who were natives of, or have represented Old Monmouth in the National councils, may be mentioned the following :
DR. NATHANIEL SCUDDER.
Dr. Scudder was a delegate to the Con. tinental Congress from New Jersey from 1777 to 1779, and was one of the signers of the articles of Confederation. He was the son of Col. Jacob Scudder of Monmouth Court House, born May 10th, 1733. After graduating at Princeton College in 1751, he gave his attention to the practice of medicine. At the outbreak of the Revo- lution he was commissioned Lieutenant Colonel, First Regiment ; Colonel same regiment Nov. 28th. 1776. Delegate to Congress 1777-9. He was killed by the Refugees, Oct 16th, 1781, at Black Point (Shark River ?) He was at the time en- gaged in conversation with General David Forman and it is supposed the shot was aimed at the latter. General Forman at-
Mercer
33 34
1857-8
35 36 37
1861-2 66
162
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OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTH.
tributed his marvelous escape to an invol- untary step backward which became " the most fortunate step in all his life."
An interesting outline of Dr. Scudder's life was published in the MONMOUTH DEM- OCRAT, May 29th, 1873, by Anna Maria Woodhull.
JOHN ANDERSON SCUDDER, M. D.,
Was a representative in Congress from New Jersey for the unexpired term of James Cox who died in 1810. He was the eldest son of Dr. Nathaniel Scudder, above mentioned. He was born March 22nd, 1759 ; served as Surgeon's mate in the Rev. olutionary army ; was a member of the As- sembly for several years and finally re- moved to Kentucky.
' GENERAL JAMES COX.
James Cox was a native of Monmouth County, born in 1753 ; served several years as a member of the Legislature, and was Speaker of the Assembly ; commanded a company of militia in the Revolution and was at the battles of Germantown and Mon- mouth ; was subsequently a Brigadier Gen - eral of militia. Was a representative in Congress 1809-10. Died September 12th, 1810.
REV. BENJAMIN BENNETT.
Born in 1762, was a Baptist minister and a Representative in Congress from 1815 to 1819. He died at Middletown, N. J., Oc- tober 8th, 1840.
GARRET D. WALL
was born in Monmouth county, March 10th, 1783 ; licensed attorney in 1804 and as counsellor in 1807. Appointed clerk of the Supreme Court in 1812, holding the position for five years; command- ed a volunteer company at the defence of Sandy Hook in the war of 1812, and was Quarter Master General of the State from 1815 to 1827. In 1827 he was elected to the General Assembly ; in 1829 was ap- pointed United States District Attorney for New Jersey and the same year was elected Governor of the State by the Leg- islature but he declined the appointment. General Wall was elected a member of the United States Senate to serve from 1835 to 1841. In 1843 his health was impaired by a stroke of paralysis, but in 1848 he was
appointed Judge of the Court of Errors anG Appeals, which office he occupied un - til his death at Burlington, N. J., Nov. '22,1850.
His son, Colonel James W. Wall, born in Trenton, was elected Senator in 1863 to fill an unexpired term.
JOHN C. TEN EYCK,
was born at Freehold, March 12th, 1814 .- In 1839 was appointed Prosecutor of the Pleas for Burlington county, holding the position for ten years ; was a member of the Convention to frame a new state con- stitution in 1844, and was elected United States Senator in 1859 to serve six years.
DANIEL B. RYALL
was born at Trenton, Jan. 30th, 1798 .- Came to Freehold to practice law in 1820, where he remained in practice 35 years,- He was a member of the State Legislature for three years, and Speaker of the House for the same time. He was Representative in Congress from 1839 to 1841. He died at Freehold, Dec. 17th, 1864.
SAMUEL G. WRIGHT was elected a mem- ber of Congress in the fall of 1844 but died July 30, 1845, before taking his seat. He was born in 1787, and died near Allen- towu (at Harrison's Hill ?)
JAMES H. IMLAY was a representative in Congress from 1797 to 1801. We have found no record of his nativity but pre- sume he was from Monmouth. He grad- uated at Princeton in 1786, and was for a time a tutor in that college.
WILLIAM L DAYTON Was born at Basken- ridge, Somerset County, February 17th, 1807; graduated at Princeton in 1825, prac- ticed law in Freehold many years, was ap- pointed Judge of the Supreme Court in 1838 ; and appointed in 1842 to fill vacan- cy caused by death of Samuel L. Southard, and again in 1845 serving to 1851 United States Senator. In 1857 was Attorney General of the State; appointed Minister to France by President Lincoln in 1861, and died in Paris at Hotel de Louvre Dec. Ist, 1864. The most laudatory notice of him published in the Paris papers was written by John Slidell, the Rebel Com- missioner whom Judge Dayton for three years had earnestly opposed.
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