USA > New Jersey > Monmouth County > Old times in old Monmouth > Part 4
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Daniel Randolph, who then resided at Toms River, was well known throughout old Monmouth. A tory witness on the trial of Captain Richard Lippencott, in New York, testified that " Esquire Daniel Randolph, was a man of prominence and influence among the Whigs." He was soon afterwards exchanged for Captain Clayton Tilton.
Captain Ephraim Jenkins was in com- mand of a militia company during the war. After the fight at the Block House, his family was scattered and his children cared for by strangers.
Abiel Aikens suffered severely during the war. In his old age (1808), the Legis- lature passed a law for his relief. He was the earliest friend of Methodism in that vicinity.
TOMS RIVER DURING THE REVO- LUTION.
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Toms River during the Revolution was a place of considerable importance owing chieffly to the fact that old Cranberry In- let, nearly opposite, was then open and perhaps the best inlet on our coast, except Little Egg Harbor. On this account it was a favorite base of operations for Ameri. can privateers on the lookout for British merchant vessels carrying supplies to the enemy at New York. In another chapter are given some extracts from ancient authorities, showing that Toms River and vicinity was the scene of many stirring incidents during the war. The village was occupied by the Americans as a mili- tary post probably during the greater part of the Revolution. The soldiers state- tioned here were sometimes twelve months men, commanded by different officers, among whom it is supposed were Captains Bigelow. Ephraim Jenkins, James Mott, John Stout and Joshua Huddy. The duties of the militia stationed at Toms River, appear to have been to guard the inhabitants against depredations from the refugees; to check contraband trade by way of Cranberry Inlet to New York, and to aid our privateers who brought vessels into old Cranberry Inlet.
A TERRIBLE DAY FOR THE REF- UGEES.
Peace Declared-How the news was re- ceived by the friends of the "Lost Cause "-Confiscation, Banishment, Des- pair.
Civil wars have ever been noted for being more terrible than those where one na- tion was against another; as in the last named case stranger meets stranger on the battle field, while in civil wars oftimes, neighbor is arrayed against neighbor, father against son, brother against brother. In the war of the Revolution it was the lot of our ancestors to be compelled to un- dergo the hardships of both at the same time. They had not only to face the armies which England landed upon our soil but also thousands of native born Americans, who from what they thought a sense of duty, or for plunder or revenge,
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rallied to the cause of King and crown .- The number of Loyalists, that is, Ameri- cans who aided the British, was much larger than is generally supposed. Sabine in his history of the Loyalists estimates the number who took up arms to aid the enemy at 25,000. The Loyalists them- selves, in an address to the King, 1779, claimed that "the Americans then in his Majesty's service exceeded in number the troops enlisted by Congress to oppose them, exclusive of those who were in private ships of war." In 1782 they stated that there were many more Loyalists in the King's service than troops in the Continental army. At the close of the war they claimed that their losses were £7,046,178, besides debts to the amount of £2,354,135. Of their claims the British Government in 1788 had liquidated about £2,000,000.
Old Monmouth suffered during the war to an extent hardly equalled, certainly not surpassed by any other section of the coun- try, and when the welcome news of peace was announced the patriots of this as well of every other section of the Union were overjoyed beyond expression. But the news which brought gladness to their hearts, was a terrible blow to the Refugees. It was not only the announcement to them that the cause for which they had so long fought was irretrievably lost, but also that they must forsake the land of their birth and seek homes elsewhere, that there property here would be confiscated and that without money or friends they must commence life anew on the cold shores of Nova Scotia or elsewhere. The following from an ancient authority, de- scribes how the news of peace was received by the Refugees in New York :
" When the news of peace was known, the city of New York presented a scene of distress not easily described; adherents to the Crown who were in the army tore the lappels from their coats and stamped them under their feet and exclaimed that they were ruined ; others cried out that they had sacrificed everything to prove their loyalty and were now left to shift for themselves without the friendship of their King or country."
In September, previous to the final evacuation of New York by the British, upwards of 12,000 men, women and chil- dren embarked at the city and at Long and Staten Islands for Nova Scotia and the Bahamas.
that they were bound to a lovely country where there are nine months winter and three months cold weather every year ! While others in their desperation would have torn down their houses, and had they not been prevented would have carried off the bricks of which they were built.
Those who went north landed at Port Roseway (now Shelburne) Nova Scotia and at St. Johns, where many, utterly destitute, were supplied with food at public charge and were obliged to live in huts built of bark and rough boards. Among the ban. ished ones were persons whose hearts and hopes had been as true as Washington's, for in the division of families, which every where occurred and which formed one of the most distressing circumstances of the conflict, their wives and daughters, who although bound by the holiest ties to Loy- alists, had given their sympathy to the right from the beginning, and who now in the triumph of the cause which had their prayers, went meekly-as woman ever meets a sorrowful lot-in hopeless, inter- minable exile.
GEORGE KEITH, THE FOUNDER OF FREEHOLD.
The following outline of the life of Rev. George Keith is by William A. Whitehead Esq. author of the History of East Jersey
Among those selected by the Proprieta- ries in England to serve them in East Jer- sey was George Keith, a native of Aber. deen, an eminent Quaker, although origi- nally a Scotch Presbyterian ; and among all whose names subsequently became widely known, his was one of those which obtained the greatest renown. Those who first welcomed him to the province as a fellow helper in subduing the wilderness could hardly have prefigured for him the course which events opened to him in this and the adjoining province of Pennsylva- nia. The circumstances which probably led to his acquaintance with the leading Scotch Proprietaries was his having under his charge in 1683 at a school which he taught in Theobalds, a son of Robert Bar- clay, He was appointed Surveyor General on the 31st of July, 1684, but did not reach the province until the spring of the follow- ing year. On the 9th of April he present- ed his credentials to the Council of Pro- prietors, but as the office to which he was
Some of these victims to civil war tried to make merry at their doom by saying | appointed was already filled by William
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Haige, under a commission emanating from Deputy Governor Rudyard, they found themselves delicately situated, and postponed the consideration of Mr. Keith's commission until their next meet- ing. It wasunanimously agreed, however, that he should have one of their houses as directed by the Proprietors. (Thomas Warne was directed to "clear out " the one he inhabited to make room for him.)
The Council at the appointed time were urged by Keith to deci le in his favor, and they finally desired both of the applicants to appear before them on the 12th of June, when the office, in consequence of the ab- sence of Mr. Haige and the inability, from some cause of his deputy, Miles Forster, was declared vacant and Mr. Keith au- thorized to take the oaths and assume the duties.
Besides performing the general duties of his office, for which he was well qualified, being " an excellent surveyor," he ran the division line between East and West Jer- sey in 1687 ; but in 1689 he left the pro- vince for Pennsylvania. Then residing at Freehold, of which settlement he was the founder, and where at the time of his re- moval he had " a fine plantation," he was induced by the solicitations of the Qua- kers of Philadelphia to accept the super- intendence of a school in that city for fifty pounds, a house for his family, and what- ever profits might accrue, with the prom- ise of an increase to one hundred and twenty pounds after the first year, the poor to be taught gratis. This is the first and only allusion to his family I have noticed. He did not remain long in this humble situation (vacating it the next year) and we are warranted in attributing its acceptance to other inducements more likely to affect a man of his character than the pecuniary remuneration named. Having been eminent as a preacher and writer among the Quakers for several years, he became a public speaker in their religious assemblies in Philadelphia. Possessing quick natural talents, improved by considerable literary attainments, he was acute in argument and able in logical disputations and discussions of nice dis tinction in theological matters ; but hav- ing great confidence in his own superior capacity he was apt to indulge in an over- bearing disposition, not altogether in ac- cordance with christian moderation and charity.
These peculiarities of mind and temper- ament naturally impelled him to assume
the part of a leader, and he soon, through his talents and energy, gathered a party inculcating plainness ofgarb and language and other points of discipline ; there be- ing in his opinion " too great slackness therein." Connected with these religious tenets were the political doctrines of the abandonment of all forcible measures to uphold secular or worldly government and the emancipation of the negroes after a reasonable term of service.
Although his opinions and views met the approval of a large number of Friends, occasioning a serious division in that be- fore united body-father and son, husband and wife, friends and relatives who had usually worshiped together, though still professors of the same faith in the main, being seen going to different places of wor- ship, " heats and bitterness " being engen- dered, occasioning "many labors and watch- ing, great circumspection and patience;" yet as they did not meet with the general ac- ceptation he expected, Keith became cap- tious and indulged in censure and re- proach, accusing some of the most es- teemed and approved ministers with pro- mulgating false doctrines-although it is said the points he now condemned had been strongly advocated in his writings- and declaring those only who were asso- ciated with him true Quakers.
He was charged with exercisingan over- bearing temper and an unchristian dispo- sition of mind in disparaging many of the society, and at a meeting of ministers in Philadelphia in June, 1692, "a declaration or testimony of denial " was drawn up, in which both he and his conduct were pub- licly denounced.
From this decision Keith appealed to the general meeting of Friends, at Bur- lington, and in the meanwhile wrote an address to the Quakers in which, as on different occasions verbally, he spoke in. such disparaging, if not calumnious man- ner of the Deputy Governor and other functionaries, as to bring upon him the ire of the civil magistrates (themselves Quakers) and he was in consequence pro- claimed in the market place, by the com- mon crier, a seditious person and an ene- my to the King and Queen's government. The general meeting confirming the declaration of the ministers, the separa- tion became complete, but Keith continu- ed preaching and writing in support of his views and for the establishment of his fol- lowers until early in 1694, when he appeal- ed to the yearly meeting in London and
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appeared there in person ; but his behav- ior was such as led to the approval of the proceedings against him and his authority and influence were at an end.
This controversy occasioned much dis- turbance in the province of Pennsylvania and many of the pamphlets to which it gave birth are yet extant.
Excited it would seem by the opposi- tion he had met with, although for a time he retained a considerable number of ad- herents in England, and disgusted with the society from which he had received so little sympathy while aiming for its ad- vancement in what he conceived the es- sentials of true religion, Keith abjured the doctrines of the Quakers and became a zealous clergyman of the established Church of England.
He officiated for some time in his mother country, and in 1702 returned to America as a Missionary of the "Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts ; sent out to travel through the different provinces for the purpose of in- quiring into their true condition, their wants in regard to their spiritual interests and to arouse in the people a sense of the duties of religion."
His labors are said to have been very successful, particularly in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York to which he devoted niore of his time than he did to the other provinces-from his previous acquaintance with the people. In the first two especially a large number of those Quakers who had adopted his views in the dissensions of 1691 and 1692, be- came converts to the doctrines and disci- pline of the Church of England.
He returned to England by way of Vir- ginia and received a benefice in Sussex, worth one hundred and twenty pounds per annum, where he continued until his death to write against the doctrines of the Quakers. Prund's History of Pennsyl- vania says from well authenticated ac- count it is asserted that he thus expressed himself on his death bed : " I wish I had died when I was a Quaker for then I am sure it would have been well for my soul."
SINGULAR INDIAN CLAIMS.
About the last remnant of Indians re- maìning in our state, sold their lands to the whites about 1801, and the year fol- lojiung removed to New Stockbridge, near Ontida Lake, New York, from whence, about 1824, they removed to Michigan,
where they purchased a tract of land of the Menomonie indians, on both sides of the Fox river near Green Bay.
In 1832, the New Jersey tribe, reduced to less than forty souls, delegated one of their number named Bartholomew S. Cal- vin, to visit Trenton and apply to our Leg- islature for remuneration for hunting and fishing privileges on unenclosed lands, which they alleged had not been sold with the land. Calvin was an aged man who had been educated at Princeton, where he was at the breaking out of the Revolution when he joined the American army. The claim, so unusual, was met in a spirit of kindness by our Legislature, who directed the State Treasurer to pay to the agent of the Indians, the sum of two thousand dol- lars, thus satisfactorily and honorably ex- tinguishing the last claim the Indians brought against our state. Hon. Samuel L. Southard, at the close of a speech made at the time, said: " It was a proud fact in the history of New Jersey, that every foot of her soil had been obtained from the Indians by fair and voluntary purchase and transfer, a fact that no other state of the Union, not even the land which bears the name of Penn, can boast."
In 1678, a somewhat similar claim was brought by the Indians, against Richard Hartshorne, an early settler of old Mon- mouth, who had previously bought of them Sandy Hook, and lands around the Highlands. In that year, to prevent their trespassing upon his lands, he had to pay them to relinquish their clauns to hunt, fish, fowl, and gather beach plums. The fol- lowing it a copy of the agreement :
" The 8th of August, 1678. Whereas the Indians pretend that formerly, when they sold all the land upon Sandy Hook, they did not sell, or did except liberty to plumbs, or to say the Indians should have liberty to go on Sandy Hook, to get get plumbs when they please, and to hunt upon the land, and fish, and to take dry trees that suited them for cannows. Now know all men by these presents, that I, Richard Hartshorne, of Portland, in the county of Monmouth, in East Jersey, for peace and quietness sake, and to the end there may be no cause of trouble with the Indians and that I may not for the future have any trouble with them as formerly I had, in their dogs killing my sheep, and their hunting on my lands, and their fish- ing, I have agreed as followeth :
"These presents witnesseth, that I, Vowavapon, Hendricks, the Indians sonn,
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having all the liberty and privileges of pluming on Sandy Hook, hunting, fishing, fowling, getting cannows &c., by these presents, give, grant, bargain, sell, unto Richard Hartshorne, his heirs and assigns forever, all the liberty and privilege of pluming, fishing, fowling, and hunting, and howsoever reserved and excepted by the Indians for bim, the said Richard Hartshorne, his heirs and assigns, to have hould, possess, and injoy forever, to say that no Indian, or Indians, shall or hath no pretense to lands or timber, or liberty. privileges on no pretense whatsoever on any part a parcell of land, belonging to the said Richard Hartshorne, to say Sandy Hook or land adjoining to it, in considera- tion the said Hartshorne, hath paid unto the said Vowavapon, thirteen shillings money; and I the said Vowavapon, do acknowledge to have received thirteen shillings by these presents. Witness my hand and seal.
" VOWAVAPON X his mark. "Tocus X his mark.
" Signed, sealed and delivered in the presence of JOHN STOUT."
THE RARITAN INDIANS.
An ancient work says that when the whites first came to this country, the Raritans lived on the south side of Raritan bay and river, but they were flooded out by a storm, previous to 1650, and then removed to the north side. They after- wards it is supposed mingled with the Sanhicans or Wapingas, who finally left the state and located on the east side of the Hudson river, in New York state, near Anthony's Nose.
AN INDIAN DINNER-A SAVORY DISH.
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BETIISHEBA, THE INDIAN QUEEN.
The last remnant of the Indians who frequented the lower part of old Mon- mouth, had their principal settlement at a place called Edgepelick or Edge Pillock. about three miles from Atsion in Burling- ton county, from whence they removed to Oneida Lake, New York, in 1802. Before their removal, members of this tribe with their families would visit the shore once a year and spend some time fishing, oyster-
ing, making baskets, &c. The most noted among the last Indians who regularly vis- ited the shore were Charles Moluss, his wife, and wife's sister, who bore the eu- phonious names of Bash and Suke, among the ancient residents of old Stafford town- ship, but in Little Egg Harbor, Burlington county, where they also were frequent vis- itors, Moluss' wife was known as Bathshe ba, and considered as a kind of Indian Queen, on account of the great respect shown to her by her people and by the Quakers of Burlington, because of her pos- sessing more intelligence, and having amore preposessing personal appearance than the rest of her tribe. At Tuckerton, when her company visited there and put up their tents, Bathsheba was generally invited to make her home with some one of the principal inhabitants of the place. At Barnegat, her company generally camped on the place now owned by Captain Timo- thy Falkinburgh, where they were on friendly terms with the whites and quite disposed to be hospitable, but Bathsheba. Indian Queen though she may have been, occasionally prepared Indian delicacies for the table which the whites seldom appre- ciated. Some twenty years ago Eli Collins, a well remembered aged citizen of Barne- gat, told the writer of this, that when he was a young man, one time he had been out from home all day, and on his way back, stopped at the hut of Moluss. His wife Bash, or Bathsheba, was boiling some- thing in a pot which sent forth a most de. lightful odor to a hungry man, and he was cordially invited to dine. As he had been without anything to eat all day he willing- ly accepted the invitation ; but he soon changed his determination when he found the savory smelling dish was hop toad soup!
INDIAN PETER.
A TRADITION OE IMLAYSTOWN.
About a century ago an Indian named Peter, said to have been connected by re- lationship and in business with the noted Indian Tom, after whom some, we think erroneously, considered Toms River to be named, resided at Toms River, but owing to an unfortunate habit of pix- ing too much whisky with his water,e, he became unfortunate, and about the time of the war removed with his family to (the
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vicinity of Imlaystown, where he built a wigwam by a pond not far from the vil- lage.
Shortly after he located here his wife sickened and died. Peter dearly loved his squaw, and was almost heart-broken on account of the unlucky event. He could not bear the idea of parting with his wife, of putting her under ground out of sight. For a day or two he was inconsola- ble and knew not what to do ; at length a lucky idea occurred to him ; instead of burying her where he never more could see her, he would put a rope about her neck and place her in the pond and daily visit her. This idea he at once put into execution, and as he daily visited her, it somewhat assuaged his poignant grief .- On one of his melancholy visits to the de- parted partner of his bosom. he noticed in the water around her a large number of eels. To turn these eels to account was a matter of importance to Peter, for though he loved his wife yet he loved money too. So he caught the eels daily, and for a week or so visited the village regularly and found a ready sale for them among the villagers.
But at length the supply tailed-his novel eel trap gave out. A few days there- after he was in the village and numerous were the inquiries why he did not bring any more of those good eels.
" Ah," said Peter very innocently, draw- ing a long sigh, " me catch no more eels- me squaw all gone-boo-hoo !"
His grief and singular reply called for an explanation, and he, thinking nothing wrong, gave it.
The result was a general casting upof ac- counts among the villagers, terrible anath- emas upon the Indian, and a holy horror of eels among that generation of Imlays- town citizens, and even to this day it 18 said some of their descendants would as soon eat a snake as an eel.
(The above tradition we have no doubt is substantially correct ; we derived it from: Hon. Charles Parker, for many years State Treasurer, father of Gov. Parker, who some sixty years ago, while at Toms River, met with some of the disgusted pur- chasers of Indian Peter's eels.)
A BRAVE YOUTH.
One fine morning in May, 1780, as the family of David. Forman, Sheriff of Mon- mouth County, were at breakfast, a soldier
almost out of breath suddenly burst into the room and stated, that as he and anoth- er soldier were conducting to the Court House two men taken up on suspicion at Colt's Neck, they had knocked down his comrade, seized his musket and escaped. The Sheriff, on hearing this relation, im- mediately mounted his horse and galloped to the Court House to alarm the guard. - His son Tunis Forman, a lad of about 17, and small of his age, seized a musket load- ed only with small shot to kill blackbirds in the cornfields, and putting on a cart- ridge box, dispatched his brother Samuel (the late Dr. Samuel Forman of Freehold,) upstairs for a bayonet, and then without waiting for it, nurried off alone in the pur- suit.
After running in a westerly direction about a mile, he discovered the men sit- ting on a fence, who on perceiving him ran into a swamp. As the morning was warm, he hastily pulled off his coat and shoes and dashed in after them, keeping close upon them for over a mile, when they got cut of the swamp and each climb- ed into separate trees. As he came up they discharged at him the musket taken from the guard. The ball whistled over his head. He felt for his bayonet, and at that moment perceived that in his haste it was left behind. He then pointed his gun at the man with the musket, but deemed it imprudent to fire, reflecting even if he killed him, his comrade could easily master such a stripling as himself. He compelled the man to throw down his musket bv threatening him with death if he did not instantly comply. Then load- ing the prize from his cartridge he forced his prisoners down from the trees and armed with his two loaded muskets, he drove them toward the Court House, care- ful however, to keep them far apart, to prevent conversation. Passing by a spring they requested permission to drink.
" No" replied the intrepid boy, under- standing their design. "You can do as well without it as myself; you shall have some by and by."
Soon after, his father, at the head of a party of soldiers in the pursuit, galloped past in the road within a short distance .- Tunis hallooed, but the clattering of their horses hoofs drowned his voice. At length he reached the village, and lodged his prisoners in the county prison.
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