The history of Camden county, New Jersey, Part 11

Author: Prowell, George Reeser, 1849-1928
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : Richards
Number of Pages: 1220

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"Davis, on being informed of what had hap- pened, told Bates to try again the next night. Accordingly the next night he went to the same house. While in the act of opening the door he heard the click of a musket-cock behind a large tree within a few feet of him. He dropped on his knees, and the ball cut the rim of his hat. Giber- son started to run, but before he had got many rods Bates gave him a load of buck-shot, which broke his leg. He was well guarded until he could be removed, with Lane, to Burlington gaol, fromn which, however, he soon made his escape and went to New York."

The same writer, who is borne out by the Historical Collections in this matter, states that Elijah Clark and Richard Westcott built, at their own expense, a small fort at the Fox Burrows, on Chestnut Neck, " near the port of Little Egg Harbor," and bought for it a number of cannon for the defense of the port. While the Revolutionary Legisla- ture was in session at Haddonfield, in Sep- tember, 1777, the two branches passed a resolution for paying Clark and Westcott four hundred and thirty pounds for this fort, which at one time was defended by fifteen hundred of the shore men, who evac- uated it upon the enemy ascending the river in great force in barges.

After the retreat of the British to New York, as a result of the battle of Monmouth, Gloucester County was free from the pres- ence of the enemy during the remainder of the war, except as it was traversed by the

THE WAR OF THE REVOLUTION.

refugees and escaping prisoners first spoken of. Her ardent patriots welcomed with extreme joy the alliance concluded with France on February 6, 1778, which stimu- lated recruiting for the depleted ranks of the regiments of the Line. They maintained un- broken their good reputation except when, in the middle of January, 1781, a portion of the brigade, then stationed at Pompton, revolted and marched to Chatham, in Middlesex County. They were suffering from the extremity of want. They had enlisted for the term of three years or during the war. The officers contended that the meaning of the argument was that they should serve until the war closed ; the men claimed that they could not be held after the three years had elapsed. Washington immediately dis- patched General Robert Howe with five hundred regulars to march against the mutineers and subdue them by force. They were taken by surprise and yielded at once. Twelve of the principal offenders were com- pelled to select two of the ringleaders, who, were promptly executed and order was com- pletely restored.

THE COUNCIL OF SAFETY AT HADDON- FIELD .- Messrs. Barber and Howe, in pre- paring the New Jersey " Historical Collec- tions " in 1843, vouched for the truth of the allegation that the Continental Congress " sat for several weeks in Haddonfield dur- ing the war, in the house built by Matthias Aspden, and boarded about among the in- habitants." This is one of the legends of the town, and these authors seem to have accepted it without seeking for verification. Mickle, two years later, was more careful, and, as a result of his inquiry, intimates that Barber and Howe coufounded the Provincial Congress of New Jersey with the Continen- tal Congress. The minutes of the latter do not show any session at Haddonfield, al- though some State papers of 1778 are dated at the town. Captain James B. Cooper, a contemporary witness, who was not likely to

be ignorant of any incident of the Revolu- tion occurring in that neighborhood, was exceedingly skeptical regarding the assertion so confidently made by the writers of the "Collections," bnt had a perfect recollection of the brief session of the Provincial Congress at Haddonfield.

A body, however, which did sit at Had- donfield, and there performed some of its functions of the first importance in strength- ening the hands of the patriot government in New Jersey, was the Council of Safety of 1777. It met in the old tavern-house now occupied by George W. Stillwell, as a tem- perance hotel, convening for its first session on March 18th. The members, who were appointed by the Legislature, were John Cleves Symmes, William Patterson, Na- thaniel Scudder, Theophilus Elmer, Silas Condict, John Hart, John Mehelm, Samuel Dick, John Combe, Caleb Camp, Edmnud Wetherby and John Manning. These men were selected carefully for the discharge of the arduous and delicate duties imposed upon them. Entrusted specially with power to arrest, try and punish persons suspected of Toryism, their authority was almost withont limit. The Council was the representative of the Legislature during the recesses of the latter, and it was clothed also with judicial, executive and quasi-military functions. . More- over, it could appropriate such sums of money from the State treasury as were needed to carry on its operations, and could also make appointments of officers in the military con- tingent of the State and issue commissions to its appointees. A strong detail of Arnold's men attended all its movements, and it was entitled to call out the militia to enforce its decrees. While it sat at Haddonfield it kept two guard-houses1 well filled with its prisoners, and every patriot was in some

1 One still stands opposite to the place of their delib- erations, now occupied by Zebedee Tompkins, and the other was recently owned and occupied by Dr. I. W. Heulings .- Clement's Revolutionary Reminiscences.

HISTORY OF CAMDEN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

manner an amateur detective, who reported to the Council his neighbors supposed to entertain hostility to the cause of indepen- dence.

Wielding such formidable weapons, the Council was the terror of the American friends of England. Governor Livingston sat at its deliberations and usually presided. There was the single appeal from the deci- sions of a majority of the Councillors that an accused person could enter bail and carry his case to court; but if he refused to give security or take the oath of loyalty, he was peremptorily imprisoned and held at their pleasure. At their first meeting they disposed of the cases of fourteen alleged Tories ; and it was not uncommon for them to try from twenty to thirty in a day. They sat at Haddonfield on March 18th and 19th, then adjourning to Bordentown, and the subjoined extracts from the minutes of the 19th are a fair sample of their work and also their manner of execut- ing it :

"The Board entered upon the examination of the prisoners sent to Haddonfield some time since by General Putnam. Abraham Briton, Jonathan Forman and Robert Barns, having been examined, took and subscribed the oaths of abjuration and allegiance, as by law appointed, and were dis- charged.

"Anthony Woodward, son of William, having been examined, being one of the people called Quakers, took affirmations to the effect of the oaths above mentioned, and entered into recog- nizance with David Hurley, his surety, in £300 each, before Mr. Justice Symmes, for his appear- ance at the next Court of Oyer and Terminer, to be held in the County of Monmouth, and in the meantime to be of good behavior, and was there- upon dismissed. Moses Ivins, being examined, acknowledged that he had given bond to the late convention in £500 conditional for his good be- havior towards the State, and having entered into recognizance with Abraham Briton, his surety, in £300 each to appear, etc., as in the case of An- thony Woodward, was dismissed.

" Ordered, That the prisoners lately ordered to be brought from Frederick Town in Maryland and lodged in the gaol of the County of Salem, be con-

dueted under guard to Bordentown, so as to be there by Wednesday next, or as soon thereafter as may be convenient ; and that Col. Dick be desired to detach so many of the militia of his battalion as may be necessary to carry this order into exe- cution.

"An account of Capt. Elisha Walton for sub- sisting a guard and six prisoners belonging to Pennsylvania at and from Haddonfield to Phila- delphia on the 18th and 19th instants, amounting to £4 7s. 6d., was laid before the Board. Ordered that the same be paid."

The Council opened its second session at Haddonfield on May 10, 1777, and from thence until June 9th met there nearly every day, and such was the press of labor upon it that it frequently held two and sometimes three meetings daily. Its time was largely taken up with the proceedings against John Henchman, the owner of a very large and valuable estate in the township, and the descendant of the settler of the same name a century previous. Henchman came under suspicion as a Loyalist, and among the wit- nesses against him in the preliminary pro- ceedings were Capt. Samuel Hugg, Joseph Hugg, Samuel Harrison, Capt. William Harrison, William Norton and John Estaugh Hopkins. The grounds of the charges ap- pear in the record of Capt. Hugg's testi- mony, in which it is stated that he "can give some account of the said Henchman's pro- ducing his former commission under the crown to some British officers at the Black Horse as a pass and of his inviting some British officers to his sister's house at Mount Holly."

The minutes of June 5th continue the case thus :

"John Henchman, Esq., appears before the Board pursuant to citation, and the charges against him being read, he was permitted to offer any- thing In his power by way of palliation, and after being heard was ordered to withdraw.

" The Council taking Mr. Henchman's case into their consideration, and being of the opinion that the charges against him did not fully indicate a malicious intention, but that the said charges did

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THE WAR OF THE REVOLUTION.

fix him under a strong suspicion of disaffection to the United States.

" Agreed, therefore, that Mr. Henchman be again called into Council, and that the oaths of abjura- tion and allegiance be tendered to him according to law.

"Mr. Henchman appeared accordingly, and the said oaths were tendered him in Council, which he refused to take and subscribe, but was willing tobe bound with surety for his appearance at the next Court of General Quarter Sessions; and the said John Henchman did accordingly enter into recog- nizance with Jacob Clement in the sum of £300 each, before the Governor and Council of Safety for his appearance at the next Court of General Quarter Sessions of the peace of the County of Gloucester, there to answer to such charges as shall be exhibited against him on behalf of the State; and, in the meantime, be of the peace and of the good behavior, and was thereupon dismissed."

Several other citizens of Gloucester were under examination by the Council at this time. George Rapalje was committed on May 21st, to jail,-

"For advisedly and willingly by speech, writing, open deed and act, maintaining and defending the authority, jurisdiction and power of the King of Great Britain as heretofore claimed within this State."

On May 31st, Richard Snowdon refused to take the oath of allegiance or to give bail for conrt and was placed in the sheriff's custody. How numerous were the offences of which men might be accused was instanced in the case of Thomas Woodward, a Friend, son of Anthony, for whom a warrant of arrest was issued, charging him " with maliciously and advisedly saying and doing things encourag- ing disaffection, and with maliciously and advisedly spreading such false rumors con- cerning the American forces and the forces of the enemy as tend to alienate the affec- tions of the people from the government and to terrify and discourage the good subjects of this State, and to dispose them to favour the pretensions of the enemies of this State."

After a short sitting at Morristown the Council returned to Haddonfield on Septem- ber 12th. Changes had been made in the

personnel, the members then being Silas Condict, Wm. Patterson, Nathaniel Scudder, Thomas Elmer, John Hart, Benjamin Man- ning, Peter Tallmann, John Mehelm, Caleb Camp, Jacob Drake, Jonathan Bowen, John Combs, John Buck, Wm. Peartree Smith, Fred'k Frelinghuysen and Edward Flem- ing. Little of importance was accomplished at this session, Gloucester County having been restored to comparative quiet, and the most of the guard was sent to Burlington, where the jail was overcrowded with Tory suspects. Thomas Hooton, of Gloucester, was arrested, but released upon swearing to his loyalty, and John Carty was sent into the enemy's lines, this being oue of the methods of getting rid of disaffected persons whom it was not deemed politic to imprison. A sample order of the kind was that issued regarding Richard Waln, who was a land-holder in Gloucester County,-

"October 7th .- Richard Waln (one of the peo- ple called Quakers) being concerned before the Board, and affirmations to the effect of the Oaths of Abjuration and allegiance, being. tendered to him pursuant to law, he refused to take them, but being willing to go with his family into the ene- my's lines, and he appearing to the Board too dan- gerous to remain in the State, the Council agreed that the said Richard Waln have leave to go with his family into the enemy's lines on Staten Island in five days from the date hereof."

The exchange of prisoners was another mat- ter within the jurisdiction of the Council, and early in its proceedings it made the rule of giving a soldier for a soldier, a civilian for a civilian. Through this system numerous Tories were handed over to the British, while valuable patriots whom the enemy had incarcerated were reclaimed to the national service. A reserve of prisoners was occa- sionally held with a view to such a transfer, and there are quite a number of cases like that of Joseph King, who, being "too dan- gerous a person to be suffered to be at large," was ordered " taken and kept in safe custody in order to be exchanged."

HISTORY OF CAMDEN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

Quitting Haddonfield on September 26th, the Council fled to Princeton and then to Pittstown, to be safely out of the way of British raiders. While at the latter place, on October 18th, it appointed commissioners to raise recruits and apprehend deserters, those for Gloucester County being Joseph Estell, William Price, Colonel Josiah Hil- man and James Tallman, who were com- manded to rendezvous at Woodbury. The following minute appears of December 12th :

" Application was made to the Board for the payment of money due to the militia in the county of Gloucester, under the command of Colonel Ellis.

" Agreed that Colonel Ellis be informed by letter that the Legislature have directed the delegates to obtain from Congress the sum of £120,000 for discharging the debt due to the militia of this State, and that the proportion of $16,000, when obtained, will be paid into the hands of Thomas Carpenter for the payment of the militia of Gloucester and Salem."

The Hessian marauders were scouring Southern New Jersey for better food than King George's rations, and Colonel Ellis, commandant of the Gloucester militia, was authorized to remove any cattle, sheep and hogs (excepting milch cows) from any places where he thought them in danger of falling into the enemy's hands to places of greater security, and upon the owners refusing to do so, after first giving notice to the owners, who may take care of them at their expense. This measure not proving extreme enough, Colonel Ellis was directed to remove all the horned cattle, sheep, hogs and all cows which do not give milk from the vicinity of the Jersey shore, in the counties of Burling- ton, Gloucester and Salem, that may be within the reach of the enemy's foraging parties, except such as might be really neces- sary for the inhabitants (the owners refusing to do it on notice given to them for that purpose), and that the general (Washington) be informed that the powers lodged in the Council of Safety are inadequate to the

requisition of having the forage removed, and that it be recommended to him to exer- cise his own authority in having it effected. This stripping of the conntry of provender in order that the enemy might not obtain it speaks eloquently of the straits to which this section of the State was reduced.

These stern Councillors were obliged to be no respectors of the sex. The wives and daughters of Tories were as inimical to the republic as their husbands and fathers, aud when the men had gone into the British service the women left behind frequently be- came adroit and successful spies upon the movements of the patriots. Hence the Conncil applied to them the extreme rigors of the treason law and either sent them after their male protectors into the British lines, locked them up in jail or held them in heavy bonds for their good behavior. Those to be sent into the enemy's camp were usually assembled at Elizabeth, from whence it was an easy task to transfer them under a flag of truce to the headquarters on Staten Island. While sitting at Trenton, on March 27, 1778, the Council had to deal with a squad of suspects who had been brought in from Gloucester County, and passed the following orders regarding theni :

" That William and Thomas Jones be committed to gaol for trial.

"That Jacob Shoulder, Jacob Mouse, Isaac Zane and Samnel Hewling have five days to de- termine whether they will enlist into the Conti- nental service during the war or be committed for their trial for going into the enemy's lines and returning into this State contrary to law.

"That Jacob Jones, Gunrod Shoemaker, Wil- liam Davenport, Thomas Smith and a negro man belonging to John Cox be discharged, the former four on taking the oath to government prescribed by law.

" And that Daniel Murray and Blakey Hurltey, suspected of being spies from the enemy, and also for endeavoring to pass counterfeit money found upon them, be sent to headquarters."

On June 5th, John Kirby, Benjamin Allen, Urich West and Jesse Sirran, all of

THE WAR OF THE REVOLUTION.

Gloucester County, were examined " for join- ing the enemy," but there were also held in reserve against them accusations of mis- prision of treason and of counterfeiting the State currency, which later was a very com- mon offence until the bills of credit which did duty as a circulating medium became so depreciated in value that the labors of the counterfeiter were profitless. On August 4th, the Council being then at Morristown, it com- mitted to the Gloucester County jail Isaac Lloyd, Samuel Lippincott, Joseph Myers, Lawrence Cox, David Carter, Jacob Justine, William Kennack and Jesse Sirran, who were believed to have given aid and comfort to the enemy.

The final records of the Council are dated at Princeton, October 8, 1778. Its member- ship had then been increased to twenty. Mr. Frelinghuysen and Mr. Combs had retired, and Messrs. Cooper, Imlay, Linn, Crane, Fennemore, Cook and Keasby had been brought in. The last proceedings having connection with Gloucester County affairs were the passage of a resolution for the re- payment to Conncillor Camp of fourteen pounds, " by him advanced to Isaac Coxe, ser- geant of the guard at Haddonfield, in part pay for the said guard."

THE WEST JERSEY COMMANDS .- Men- tion has already been made of the formation of the battalions commanded by Lord Stir- ling and Colonel Maxwell. These were the first organizations of the "Jersey Line." The privates were enlisted for one year, at five dollars per month, and were allowed, in place of bounty, "a felt hat, a pair of yarn stockings and a pair of shoes," but were to furnish their own arms. On January 8, 1776, the West Jersey (Maxwell's) battalion was ordered to report to General Schuyler, at Albany. Authority for the formation of a third battalion, of which Elias Dayton was made colonel, was given by Congress Janu- ary 10, 1776. All these commands were reorganized under the act of the Continental

Congress of September 16, 1776. It pro- vided for the enlistment of eighty-eight bat- talions to serve during the war, and of these the "New Jersey Line " consisted of four. Twenty dollars was offered as a bounty to each non-commissioned officer and private, and bounty lands at the close of the war to each officer and man, or to his heirs in case of his death, as follows : Five hundred acres to each colonel, four hundred and fifty acres to each lieutenant-colonel, four hundred to each major, three hundred to each captain, two hundred to each lieutenant, one hundred and fifty to each ensign, and to each private and non-commissioned officer one hundred. The men in the ranks were to be furnished with an outfit annually, that for the first year to be two linen hunting-shirts, two pair of overalls, a leathern or woolen waistcoat with sleeves, one pair of breeches, a hat or leathern cap, two shirts, two pair of hose and two pair of shoes. They could commute these things into money at a valuation of twenty dollars, if they chose to equip themselves.

The reorganization and re-enlistment of the First Battalion, Colonel Silas Newcomb, was completed in December, 1776 ; the Sec- ond, Colonel Israel Shreve (of Gloucester), February, 1777 ; the Fourth, Colonel Eph- raim Martin, during the same month ; and the Third, Colonel Elias Dayton, in April of that year. Colonel Maxwell was promoted to brigadier-general in October, 1776, and assigned to the command of these battalions, which, as " Maxwell's Brigade," won laurels on many a bloody field. In the May follow- ing they were placed in General Stephens' division and encamped at Elizabethtown, Bound Brook and Spanktown (Rahway). Stephens, in the summer of 1777, marched through Pennsylvania and Delaware, and a small portion of the "New Jersey Line " opened the battle of Brandywine on the morning of September 11th. They contin- ued actively engaged through the fight and

HISTORY OF CAMDEN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

afterwards skirmished with the enemy before reaching their camp at Germantown, where, in the battle of October 4th, they formed the left wing and reserve of Washington's army. They were conspicuous for their gallantry in this action, and Newcomb's battalion was an especially heavy loser of officers and men.

The Jerseymen passed the winter of 1777- 78 with the remainder of the army in gloom and suffering at Valley Forge. When the British evacuated Philadelphia, in June, 1778, Maxwell's brigade constituted the main portion of the column placed under the command of Lafayette to hang upon General Clinton's flanks and rear, with the objeet of striking him a blow whenever the opportunity permitted. They were highly successful in making the enemy suffer severely on the mareh through Jersey. On June 28th the Line, as well as the militia, which was under the command of Major- General Philemon Diekinson, took part in the battle of Monmouth. Most of the win- ter of 1778-79 was spent by the brigade at Elizabethtown, but a detachment of Shreve's Gloucester troops was encamped at Newark. In May, 1779, the whole brigade took part in General Sullivan's expedition, which marched up the Susquehanna Valley and in- flicted punishment on the Seneca Indians, returning to New Jersey in October.

Another reorganization was carried into effeet in compliance with the acts of Congress of May 27, 1778, and Mareh 9, 1779. The battalions of the Line, reduced in numbers by losses in battle and the other calamities of war, were consolidated into three, and a bounty of two hundred dollars each was offered for three hundred and sixty-five vol- unteers. Sixteen hundred and twenty more were called for on February 9, 1780, the in- ducement to enlist was inereased to one thousand dollars, and recruiting officers, or " Muster Masters," were appointed, Colonel Joseph Ellis filling the office in Gloucester County. In June, 1781, another draft was

made, and John Davis undertook to fill Gloucester's quota of fifty-one men. The bounty paid under this requisition was twelve pounds in gold or silver to each man, and the three colonels -Matthias Ogden, Isaae Shreve and Elias Dayton-succeeded in filling out their regiments to six companies each. Maxwell continued in command of the brigade nntil his resignation, in July, 1780, when he was sueceeded by the senior colonel, Dayton, who served until the close of the war. In September, 1781, the three regi- ments were ordered to Virginia, where they participated in the Yorktown campaign and were present at the surrender of Lord Corn- wallis. The news of the cessation of hostili- ties was announced in the camp of the brigade April 19, 1783, and the Jersey Line was mustered out on the succeeding 3d of November.

STATE TROOPS .- Besides the troops who served continuously in the regular army, New Jersey had occasion at various times during the war to eall out volunteers from the militia for protection against the incur- sions of the British and the raids of Royalists and Indians. These commands were held subject to duty in this and adjoining States, and were known as " New Jersey Levies," " Five Months' Levies," or more generally as "State Troops." The artillery companies of Frelinghuysen and Hugg, already alluded to, the earliest of these organizations, were created under the act of the Provincial Con- gress of February 13, 1776. November 27, 1776, the first act was passed for the organi- zation of the infantry branch of the State troops, and four battalions of eight com- panies each were raised by voluntary enlist- ment. One battalion was recruited in the eounties of Gloucester, Salem and Cumber- land, three companies coming from the former eounty. Of this battalion, David Potter was appointed colonel, Whitton Cripps lieutenant-colonel, and Anthony Sharp major. Capt. Simon Lucas commanded another

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The history of Camden county, New Jersey, Part 11

Author: Prowell, George Reeser, 1849-1928 Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Philadelphia : Richards Number of Pages: 1220

Author: Prowell, George Reeser, 1849-1928
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : Richards
Number of Pages: 1220