The history of Camden county, New Jersey, Part 28

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

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In August, 1870, another company was organized at Atlantic City and added to the battalion, thus creating a necessity for a reg- imental organization, and, accordingly, the

Sixth Regiment was organized, and Colonel James M. Scovel, Lieutenant-Colonel Wil- liam H. Hemsing and Major Richard H. Lee were elected field officers. The command- ants of the regiment have been Colonel Wil- liam J. Sewell, elected 1873, and Colonel E. Burd Grubb, 1877. The field officers elected in 1882 were : Colonel, William H. Cooper ; Lieutenant-Colonel, J. C. Lee; and Major, G. W. Smith. The regiment was called ont in August, 1877, to suppress the labor riots at Phillipsburg, N. J., and continued on duty seventeen days. Company K, of Vineland, became a part of this regiment March 14, 1876, and Company E, of Woodbury, March 22, 1880.

The headquarters of the regiment is the Sixth Regiment Armory, corner of West Street and Mickle, formerly the opera-house of Camden, which was bought by the regi- ment June 9, 1883, and for which they paid thirty-five thousand dollars. All of the apartments of the armory are complete, neat- ly arranged and handsomely furnished. The field and staff officers appointed when the regiment was first formed, in 1870, were as follows :

Field Officers .- Colonel, James M. Scovel ; Lieu- tenant-Colonel, William H. Hemsing ; Major, Richard H. Lee.

Staff Officers .- Adjutant, Daniel B. Murphy ; Quartermaster, William M. Palmer ; Paymaster, William B. Sexton ; Surgeon, H. Genet Taylor, M.D .; Assistant Surgeon, J. Orlando White, M.D .; Chaplain, Rev. William H. Jefferys.

The field and staff officers for 1886 are,-

Field Officers .- Colonel, William H. Cooper ; Lieutenant-Colonel, George W. Smith; Major, Wil- liam H. Stansbury.

Staff Officers .- Adjutant, George S. Counter; Quartermaster, George G. Felton; Paymaster, Na- than Haines ; Surgeon, E. L. B. Godfrey, M.D .; Assistant Surgeon, George T. Robinson, M.D .; Chaplain, Clarence A. Adams; Judge Advocate, Franklin C. Woolman; Rifle-Practice Inspector, De Lancey G. Walker.

The line officers of the three companies of Camden are,-

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THE ERECTION OF CAMDEN COUNTY.

Company B .- Captain, Robert M. Hillman ; First Lieutenant, Jesse H. Carey ; Second Lieu- tenant, William P. Mockett.

Company C .- Captain, W. B. E. Miller; First Lieutenant, Charles C. Walz; Second Lieuten- ant, John Miller.

Company D .- Captain, Charles S. Barnard ; First Lieutenant, George C. Randall; Second Lieuten- ant, Charles H. Turner.

GATLING GUN COMPANY B, of Camden, was organized in 1878 under the new law pro- viding for the organization of two companies of infantry to be drilled in the use of Gatling guns. Captain E. D. French was the prime mover in its organization and the first com- mandant. The membership was recruited principally from old Battery B. The artil- lery uniform was worn, and in addition to the Gatlings, the company was armed with rifles and sabres.

John H. Platt was elected first lieutenant on July 24, 1879, and the first conspicuous public display made by the new company was at Grant's reception in Philadelphia, December 16, 1879. In 1880 the company participated in the State G. A. R. encamp- ment at Bonaparte Park, Bordentown, and took a prominent part in the sham battle with their Gatling guns. Captain French resigned on April 17, 1880, and Mr. Platt was elected captain and John J. Brown first lientenant, George C. Randall having been elected sec- ond lieutenant on Jannary 18th. Mr. Ran- dall resigned in June, 1881, and Charles Shivers, Jr., was elected to his position Oc- tober 13th. Two weeks after this the com- pany turned out in the Bi-Centennial mili- tary parade with its Gatlings.

This command is attached to the Second Brigade under General William J. Sewell as the brigade commander. In September, 1883, Lieutenant Brown resigned and on October 1st, Captain Platt and Lieutenant Shivers also resigned. Lieutenant-Colonel D. B. Murphy was placed in command until December 28, 1883, when its present efficient commandant, Captain Robert R. Eckendorf,

was elected. The company was then recruit- ed up to the legal standard.

Gattling Gun Company B occupies quar- ters in the new armory adjoining the Cam- den Battalion.

The following are its officers and mem- bers : Captain, R. R. Eckendorf; First Lieutenant, John R. Jones; Second Lieu- tenant, G. Walter Garton ; First Sergeant, Owen B. Jones; Second Sergeant, James Duffy ; Third Sergeant, Harry M. Dey ; Fourth Sergeant, Harry Nichnals ; Fifth Sergeant, Samuel Grovier ; First Corporal, Louis B. Harris ; Second Corporal, Harry Tobin ; Third Corporal, Ulie J. Lee ; Musi- cians, David Mead, Charles Mead ; Privates, Charles M. Baldwin, Harry F. Campbell, Alonzo W. Powers, John J. Chambers, Wil- liam Grover, David Ewan, Earnest Haines, Leander Hyatt, George H. Beard, Thomas F. Mingen, Samuel C. Grover, John Mul- holland, Harry G. Rathgeb, Charles Enger, Jacob Haines, Edwin Hillman, Webster M.c- Clellan, Charles A. Fowler, James J. Duffy, Charles H. Jefferies, Frederick W. Kalt, Harry D. Nichuals, William Lawler, Dal- gren Albertson, George Middleton, John E. Shannon, John Nixon, George H. Snowhill, William H. Adams, J. R. Smyth, Ralph Bond, Archie S. Royal, G. Parker Johnson, Frank Smith, D. Harry Condit, M. A. Cole, Frank T. Hayes, Charles P. Householder, Samuel Donaldson.

CHAPTER XI.

THE ERECTION OF CAMDEN COUNTY.

THE first official meeting of citizens in the county of Gloucester having for its object the division of that county was held at the house of John M. Johnson, in the city of Camden, on the 16th day of February, 1837. The object of this meeting was to consider the propriety of petitioning the Legislature

180

HISTORY OF CAMDEN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

to authorize the erection of a new county to be composed of the townships of Waterford, Camden, Newton, Union and Gloucester and to be called " Delaware." The deliberations of this meeting did not result in anything effectual, but that agitation on the subject for which it met was kept up, is evident from the decided stand shown in the resolutions passed at a similar meeting held seven years later, on the 11th day of January, 1844, at the Friends' school-house in Haddonfield, where a large number of the citizens con- vened in response to a notice. John Clement, Sr., was chosen chairman at this meeting and Thomas Redman, Jr., secretary. Rich- ard W. Snowden, Jacob L. Rowand, and David Roe were appointed a committee to draft a series of resolutions, which were adopted and read as follows :

"Resolved, that in the opinion of this meeting the contemplated division of the county is alto- gether nseless and unnecessary and would be highly oppressive, subjecting the inhabitants to a heavy taxation on the one hand without any bene- ficial advantages on the other, the county being at present of a convenient size and form and the public buildings already erected and in the centre of population adequate to public accommodation."

The meeting, in another resolution, recom- mended a county convention to be held at the Woodbury court-house on Jannary 22, 1844. Notice was given to that effect and a convention was held on the day appointed, John Clement, Sr., of Haddonfield, presid- ing. A series of resolutions and a memorial deprecating the division were presented and adopted and a number of persons were ap- pointed to attend the Legislature at Trenton to present and support them.

The movement for a division had its friends, who were not members of the convention held, and who were endeavoring to accom- plish the end desired. A bill was presented to the Legislature, asking for the division of Gloucester County by the erection of the townships of Camden, Waterford, Newton, Union, Delaware, Gloucester and Washing-

ton into a county to be called "Camden." On the 6th of March, 1844, seventeen petitions signed by three hundred and forty-two per- sons and twenty remonstrances, signed by one thousand four hundred and sixty-seven persons, were presented, but the bill finally passed both Honses and was approved by the Governor March 13, 1844, and Camden County took its place with the counties of the State of New Jersey. In November, 1845, an effort was made, without success, to return the townships of Washington and Gloucester to Gloucester County. Later, however, Washington (then including the present township of Monroe) was returned to Gloucester County. In December of the year 1845 an ineffectual attempt was made to re-annex all of Camden County, except the township of Camden and part of Delaware, to Gloucester County, and in September, 1846, to erect the townships of Franklin, Washington, Gloucester and Winslow into a county to be called "Washington." It will thus be seen that the erection of the new county of Camden caused considerable agitation and discussion.

The public buildings of the county at Gloucester (now Gloncester City), having been destroyed by fire, an election was had and the seat of justice was removed to Woodbury in 1787. Public buildings erec- ted at Woodbury, which, abont 1819-20, having become somewhat dilapidated, the question of a change of location of the county-seat to Gloucester again was agi- tated among the people. Meetings were held in the townships and in Woodbury at different times. A petition was pre- sented to the Legislature having this change in view, whereupon a large meeting of citizens convened at Woodbury January 17, 1820, at which remonstrances signed by over one thousand six hundred persons were read, and James Matlack, Joseph V. Clark, Joseph Rogers, Isaac Pine and John M. White were chosen to visit the Legislature,

181

THE ERECTION OF CAMDEN COUNTY.

present remonstrances and take measures to prevent the passage of the bill. An influence was brought to bear upon the projectors of the bill and they asked permission to with- draw their petition, which was granted, the agi- tation ceased, two buildings for county offices were erected at Woodbury, and necessary repairs made upon court-house and jail. Had this change of county-seat then been made it is probable Camden County would not have been erected.

The act under which the county of Cam- den was formed provided that after one year from date of erection the location of county buildings should be decided by a vote of qualified electors in the county at such time and places as the Board of Freeholders should appoint. In accordance with this act, the freeholders, on April 7, 1845, set apart August 12, 1845, as the day of election. Prior to that time a county meeting was held at White Horse Tavern, in Glouces- ter township, for the purpose of selecting and agreeing upon some town most suitable in which to erect the public buildings. Richard Stafford was chosen president of the meeting ; Evan C. Smith, of Delaware, Richard Thomas, of Camden, Richard W. Snowden, of Newton, Joshua Peacock, of Waterford, Joseph Budd, of Union, John Albertson, of Winslow, John North, of Gloucester, and Joel Steelman, of Washing- ton, vice-presidents ; Jacob L. Rowand and James D. Dotterer, secretaries. In accor- dance with a resolution, five persons were chosen from each township as a committee and each township to cast one vote. This joint committee was empowered to select the most desirable town for the location of the proposed buildings. The result of the vote was nineteen for Haddonfield, ten for Long-a-coming, and fewer votes for certain other places. The meeting adjourned to July 31st, of which meeting no account has been obtained.

COUNTY BUILDINGS .- The act establish-

ing the county provided that the courts of the county should be held at Woodbury for a year, and that a seat of justice should be chosen by a vote of the people on the 12th of August, 1845, and required a majority of the total vote to establish the site. The election was held with this result: Camden, 1062 ; Gloucester, 822; Haddonfield, 422; Mount Ephraim, 33. There was no choice, and then began a series of contests in the Board of Chosen Freeholders almost without parallel in the history of municipal bodies, extending over a period of seven years, and requiring the assistance of four elections by the people, two legislative bodies and three courts to bring it to a final result. There were seven townships and one city, each with two representatives in the board. December 2, 1845, the board appointed Joseph Kay, Joseph Porter and Charles Kaighn a com- mittee to obtain an act of the Legislature to authorize the holding of another election. This was done and the act called for two elec- tions, at the first of which a majority was requisite, and, that failing, at the second a plurality would suffice.

The first was held April 28, 1846, with the following vote: Camden, 963; Mount Ephraim, 427; White Horse, 330; Chews Landing, 93 ; Haddonfield, 46. Thescatter- ing vote was sufficient to exceed Camden's lead, and there heing no choice, the second election was held June 2d, with this result: Camden, 1434 ; Long-a-Coming, 1498. This, it was thought, would settle the controversy, but Abraham Browning and Captain John W. Mickle were members of the board, while Thomas H. Dudley was clerk, and they were fertile in expedients. The board met at Long-a-Coming, June 15th, and at once took steps to provide the necessary build- ings at that place. A committee was ap- pointed, and at once reported plans for build- ings, and a site on lands of Jacob Leach. The plans were,-a court-house of stone, forty-five by sixty-five feet, with offices on

182

HISTORY OF CAMDEN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

the first floor and court-room on the second floor ; the jail, also of stone, forty-two by forty-five fect, with five apartments or cells. The cost of both estimated at seventeen thousand dollars.

As they were about to adopt the plans and advertise for proposals, a writ of certiorari was served answerable to the Supreme Court. The decision of the court favored Long-a- Coming, but the proceedings caused delay, and it was March 8, 1847, before further action was taken. At that meeting, held at Long-a-Coming, a committee had been ap- pointed with instructions to purchase the Leach property, and to advertise for propo- sals for the construction of the buildings on the plans already adopted, when a prelimi- nary injunction, from the chancellor, issued at the instance of Richard Fetters and Dr. Isaac S. Mulford, was served. The majority appointed a committee to inquire into frauds at the elections and to sne for damages, the authors of the vexatious suits; but as the injunction was dissolved, no further steps were taken in that direction. Frequent meetings were held in out-of-the-way places: Ellisburg, Chews Landing, Cross Keys and Blue Anchor, but seldom at Camden. Auother meeting was held at Long-a-Coming February 12, 1848, when bids for the erec- tion of the buildings at that place were open- ed as follows : Rush, $17,540; Joseph H. Collins, $16,500; John K. Inskeep, $13,500 and the latter accepted. It seemed inevitable that Long-a-Coming would become the county- seat, but the alert friends of Camden had procured an act from the Legislature calling for another election by the people, contain- ing this clause :

" That if at such election, no one City, Village or Cross-roads shall have a majority of all the votes polled, then Long-a-Coming shall be the seat of justice."

The editor of the West Jersey Mail, Philip J. Grey, Esq., visited the town of Long-a- Coming with the Board of Freeholders, and

in the next issue of his paper said : "Our trip to Long-a-Coming on Monday, under the favorable auspices of pleasant weather, good roads and agreeable company, was not ' bad to take,' notwithstanding when we got back in the evening we found a resting-place quite as acceptable. This may be called the sunny side of the picture, not to be looked upon in a trip during either the November or February term of the court. Indeed, we cannot but think that our fine little county has been 'knocked into a cocked hat' by this extraordinary freak of the popular will, the bitterest fruits of which are yet to be tasted."

The election was ordered for April 11th, and the result was thus tabulated and re- ported to the board by County Clerk Thom- as B. Wood, at the meeting held May 10th,-

For Camden. Haddonfield. Long-a-Coming.

Camden, North Ward, 144

Middle “ 673

South

442

Delaware Township,

199

185

Monroe

139

149

Gloucester

102

104

137

Washington

143

Waterford

172

Winslow

233

Newton

242

....

2444

795

705

Abraham Browning offered a resolution to appoint a committee to " select a site in the City of Camden," but it was voted down, and, instead, one was appointed to investigate frauds. This committee had a baffling expe- rience. July 7th they reported that their counsel, James B. Dayton, advised them to go to the Legislature for redress, and, March 19, 1849, they reported that the Legislature advised them to seek redress in the Supreme Court ; and again, December 3d, they ad- vised " that the inhabitants of Camden Coun- ty petition the Legislature to select a site for the public buildings, in some suitable place, at least five miles from the city of Camden."

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THE ERECTION OF CAMDEN COUNTY.

The majority resolved, if possible, to pre- vent the location of the public buildings in Camden, and nothing definite was done until May 14, 1851, when Abraham Browning's oft-repeated motion to " appoint a committee to select a suitable site in Camden" was voted down by the usual majority,-yeas, five; nays, eleven, -whereupon Sheriff Garrett served a writ of alternate mandamus, requiring them to show cause why they did not provide build- ings for the use of the county, and in Cam- den, as directed by the election of 1848. They answered the writ of the Supreme Court by an adjournment. Meetings were held, but nothing was done in this matter until December 1st, when Abrahamn Brown- ing's motion was backed by a peremptory mandamns and was adopted. This ended the long struggle, with the exception of the effort of John W. Mickle to locate the court-house at the Woodlands, instead of Sixth Street and Market, and the work of providing the necessary buildings went on.

FIRST COURT-HOUSE .- At the meeting of May 3, 1852, plans prepared by Samuel Sloan were adopted, and, May 12th, proposals for the construction of the building were opened. They were: Charles Wilson, $35,- 000; Roberts & Reeves, $26,950 ; Daniel A. Hall, $26,800. The latter was accepted, with Henry Allen, Samnel D. Elfreth and Joseph Weatherly as bondsmen.

A plot of ground one hundred and ninety- eight feet on Market, one hundred and eleven · feet on Federal, three hundred and fifty- eight feet on Sixth Street and four hundred and twenty-five on Broadway was purchased of Abigail Cooper, for five thousand dollars, and the building located midway between Market and Federal, so that neither ferry should reap undue advantage. Abraham Browning, Samuel Norcross, John Wilkins, John J. Githens, Joseph B. Tatem, Cooper P. Browning, Benjamin Horner and Edmond Brewer were the building committee, and, March 19, 1855, they reported, " Little re-

mains to be done except the planting of trees in and around the yard, and the paving of the walks from the streets to the building, the bricks for that purpose being on the ground."

The final statement of their operations was very full and clear, and gives the cost of the building complete at $40,970.79, leaving cash in their hands $187.03. The building, however, was completed many months be- fore the first court was held in it, being the October Term, 1853, and the first case tried in it was that of William Hope, the famous ferryman, charged with assault and battery, and in which Thomas H. Dudley appeared for the State, having been deputized to act as prosecutor of the pleas.

The building is of brick, rough-cast, fifty by one hundred and five feet in length and width. The first design included a dome, but this was omitted in the building. The jail, containing twelve cells, is in the basement, below the level of the streets. The county officers were on the first floor, the only ones remaining being the sheriff and county collector. The court-rooms are on the second floor, while the third floor comprised apartments for the sheriff and family, who formerly resided in the court-house. Here, also, is the celebrated iron cage, in which alleged murderers are safely kept, before and after trial.

THE NEW COURT-HOUSE .- The want of more jail room led to the erection, in 1875, of the one-story, fire-proof, brick building ou Market Street, at a cost of seventeen thousand dollars, and its use by the county clerk, surrogate and register of deeds.

The unhealthy location of the jail and its crowded condition caused protests and com- plaints, and the project of a work-house out- side the city was agitated. John H. Jones, while a member of the Board of Freeholders, gave the subject earnest attention. Nothing was done, however, until 1878.

The board, in 1881, considered the ques-

184

HISTORY OF CAMDEN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

tion of a work-house, but finally deci- ded to build a commodious jail, with all modern improvements, on Federal Street. Architect Gendell, of Philadelphia, prepared the plans, which embraced a group of sand- stone buildings, prison, court-house and county offices, covering the entire plot of ground owned by the county ; the several parts to be erected in detail as the demand arose ; and as a jail was an immediate neces- sity, that was to be built by a tax levy of

THE NEW COUNTY COURT-HOUSE.

forty thousand dollars for two years, the estimated cost being eighty thousand dollars. In May, 1882, the first levy of forty thou- sand dollars was made, and Edward S. King, John Day, Morris Hallock, Joseph L. Thackara and Thomas MeDowell were con- stituted the building committee. In 1883 the second levy of forty thousand dollars was made and the building was approaching

completition when there was a change in the Board of Chosen Freeholders, and with it a change of plans. It was determined to change the jail, upon which ninety thousand dollars had been spent, and make of it a court-house. Rudolph U. Birdsell, James Davis, Charles F. Adams, Wm. C. Clark, and Samuel Wood were appointed the building committee, and thirty thousand dollars were appropriated for the purpose. The altera- tions were made and the first court was held there in May, 1885. The final re- port of the committee was made May, 1886, and the entire cost of the build- ing was found to be $129,762.18.

The design is to convert the old court house into a jail.

THE COUNTY ALMSHOUSE .- The first mention found on record relating to the care of the poor of Gloucester County is in the minutes of the pro- ceedings of the justices and freehold- ers, June 10, 1765, when Wm. Hngg and Samuel Harrison were allowed £62 16s. 2d. for repairs to the house. In 1770 repairs were ordered, but no mention is made of the location and character of the building. In 1799 Samuel Cooper, James Hopkins and James Stratton were directed to look after a site, but failing to report, the Board of Freeholders, in August, 1800, appointed Samuel Cooper, Jas. Hurley, John Hider, Samuel W. Harrison, Amos Cooper, Wm. Ford, Jas. Stratton, John Collins, Richard Westcott and Elias Smith a com- mittee to purchase a site. The committee se- lected one hundred and twenty-five acres of land on the south side of Timber Creek, in Deptford township, belonging to Michael Fisher. The consideration was $3333 33} and the deed conveying the land to the Board of Chosen Freeholders of Gloucester County was dated December 12, 1800.

A building committee was appointed,-

Handel & Monção

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THE ERECTION OF CAMDEN COUNTY.

Samuel Cooper, Jacob Stokes, John Brick, Amos Cooper, Samuel P. Paul, Enoch Allen, Enoch Leeds, Thomas Somers, Elias Smith and Isaac Tomlinson,-who contracted with Edmund Brewer and John C. Morgan to erect the almshouse for five thousand six hundred dollars. In 1812 the freeholders purchased two hundred and forty-eight acres of woodland, near Williamstown, for the purpose of supplying the almshouse with fuel. When coal was substituted and no use of the woodland had been made for a number of years, the ownership was forgotten, until 1882, when Timothy J. Middleton, then clerk of the board, called attention to the fact. In 1822 the adjoining farm of Jedediah Morgan, about one hundred and sixty acres, was purchased. The almshouse was enlarged from time to time as necessity demanded. The small building for the insane was built in 1816.

Upon the erection of Camden County, in 1844, the two counties used the almshouse jointly under direction of a joint committee until 1861, when, under an act of the Legis- lature, the property was sold, and the present farm of one hundred and forty-four acres, containing the buildings, together with the woodland, was bought by Camden County for $19,802.

Timber Creek is the dividing line between the two counties, but an act of the Legislature rectified the line so as to place the almshouse farm in Camden County.

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The history of Camden county, New Jersey, Part 28

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