USA > New Jersey > Cape May County > The history of Cape May County, New Jersey : from the aboriginal times to the present day > Part 14
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Some Notes taken by the Dept. Secretary on the Examina- tion of John Hatton, Esqr before the Governor & Coun- cil, Febr. 23, 1771.
"John Hatton Esqr being examined by the Governor in Council says :
"That he resides in Cold Spring in the County of Cape May 50, or 60 miles or more from Salem,-that he does not "know how far it is from Cohansie,-does not know where "Cohansie is,-believes it is in Cumberland County-it is not in Cape May. Does not know any Place called Cohansie, but knows a Creek or River of that Name.
"Saw Inspector Williams, who was down at Cape May aatwice; saw him there but once being from Home the other
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HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY.
-
Time he came down. Mr. Williams borrowed Hatton's: Book of Letters and returned it to him. Know a Person of the name of Murch who is a Gentleman,-believes he was a Merchant,-was acquainted with him,-received several Letters from him, but never sent any one of his Letters to. the Commissioners. Does not recollect receiving any re- markable Letter from Murch characterizing the People of this Province. Does not know that he, Murch, was ever taken up by a Magistrate or committed to Prison. Since Murch went to England has recd a Letter from him (last Fall or Summer) requesting he would procure him a Cer- tificate of the safe landing of some Tea he had to Philadel- phia consigned to one Mr. Boyd to sell. Is very clear he- never sent a Copy of a Letter from Murch, to the Com- missioners."
Some Notes taken by the Depy. Secretary on the Examina -. tion of John Hatton junr Febr 23d 1771.
"John Hatton junr examined by the Governor & Coun -- cil, on Oath says:
"His Father resides at Cold Spring in the County of Cape- May,-knows Salen,-has been there, but does not know the Distance they are apart,-never travelled that Road, --- it is above 5 miles,-not 100,-nor 80,-has heard it is about 60, or 70 Miles. Remembers Mr Murch, an Englishman, Christian Name John he thinks,-does not know his Occu- pation,-heard he intended to purchase Lands, but that he did not purchase any,-has seen him at his Father's House, -Mr. Murch wrote several Letters to his Father, one of which he remembers characterises the People, but does not remember what Character it gave,-believes he may have copied this Letter-(Objects to answering such questions. as reveal his Father's Secrets) Afterwards says, his Father did transmit a Copy of the Letter to the Commissioners; this Letter declared Murch did not choose to purchase Lands in such a Country. Remembers there was some- thing about the Governor in it,-is certain it was wrote by- Murch,-does not know how the Letter came to the House,. but saw it after it came.
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JOHN HATTON, THE TORY.
"Never was at Cohansie,-does not know how far it is . from his Father's House."
Copy of a Letter from the Commissioners of the Customs, . to Governor Franklin.
F
"His Excellency Governor Franklin,
"Sir: Mr. Hatton Collector of Salem & Cohensy having represented to us that in the month of November last a large Ship called the Prince of Wales, Captain Crawford, arrived in Delaware Bay either from London or Liverpool which Ship was met by Several Pilot Boats (and as he had been informed) were employed to receive sundry Contraband. Goods from on board said Vessel, that he attempted to go. on board of her, but that they manned their Sides with Guns &c and threatened to Murder him, that he had made Seiz- ures of one of the Pilot Boats, having some of those Goods on board, which was afterwards rescued out of his Hands by a number of Persons in a Barge belonging to the Ship, upon which occasion, he, his Son and a Negro Servant, were treated in a most barbarous manner, greatly wounded: and with great difficulty got on Shore. That his Son was,. afterwards met by a number of Sailors in Philadelphia, tarr'd and feathered, put in the Pillory, dragged by a Rope through the Water, and left in such a Condition that his life was despaired of-We thought it necessary to transmit Copies of the several Papers, laid before us, for the informa- tion of the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Trcas- ury. We have since received further Accounts from Mr. Hatton complaining of the Conduct of the Magistrates, & of Distresses & Embarrassments which have appeared to . us to be most extraordinary and in some Instances improb- able, but as he informs us that your Excellency has issued your Proclamation and that the matter was to be heard be- fore your Excellency and your Council on the 21st of Feb- ruary, We should be glad you would be pleased to acquaint us with the Result of this Enquiry, that we may be able to> form a true Judgment of the Conduct of our Officer .-
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HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY.
"We are with great Regard Sir Your Excellency's Most Obedient Humble Servants,
HEN. HULTON, WM. BURCH, BENJ. HATTOWELL.
Custom House Boston 26th March 1771.
Hatton, it will be noted by a careful perusal of the fore- going correspondence, was a man whose word seemed to be doubted. It is said of him that all through the Revolu- tion he made himself particularly offensive, and was a Tory of the strictest kind. He was probably the only pronounced one in Cape May county. He lived on his plantation at Cold Spring, which was owned by the late Daniel B. Hughes, and this property was the only Tory's property confiscated in the county, of which notice is made further on in this history. Were it not for the leniency of the neighborhood, Hatton would have had more of a rough ex- perience during the Revolution than he did.
CHAPTER XIII. PREPARATIONS FOR WAR.
On April 29, 1771, the following military commissions were issued for Cape May county :
Thomas Hand. Colonel; John Mackey, Lieutenant-Col- "onel; Joseph Savage, Major; Downs Edmunds, Adjutant.
For the Lower Precinct: Silas Swain, Captain; Seth Whil- den, Lieutenant; Levi Eldridge, Ensign.
For the Middle Precinct: Jacob Hand, Captain; Philip Cressey, Lieutenant; Jonathan Jenkins, Ensign.
For the Upper Precinct: Nicholas Stillwell, Captain; Enoch Stillwell, Lieutenant; Joseph Edwards, Ensign.
On November 7, 1770, Eli Eldredge was commissioned Sheriff of the county, and he served from 1771 to 1774. Eli Eldredge was born about 1730, and was the son of Samuel Eldredge. In the Revolutionary War he was First Major of Militia from August, 1775, to June, 1776. He was a member of the Legislature from 1773 to 1779, and was Clerk of Cape May county from 1779 to 1802.
On December 21, 1771, the following were chosen the "Commissioners of the Peace" for the county: William Smith, Thomas Leaming, James Whilden, Joseph Corson, Jacob Hand, Daniel Swain, Henry Hand, Reuben Ludlam, James Godfrey, John Mackey, Joseph Savage.
This letter of Aaron Leaming, who was about attending the Assembly at New Brunswick, which he had written to his constituents, is interesting, but when perusing it the reader should use his imagination in recalling expectant events at home :
"To the Freeholders of the County of Cape May: "Gentlemen :---
"Whereas there is a great Probability of a war, and the kking having ordered an augmentation of his Forces; and
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HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY.
Inlisting Officers are soon expected to Raise recruits in this: province as appears by the Governor's Proclamation I have- lately received; and the ships of war having received orders to Rendevouze at Jamaica; and the militia of this Province. are to be properly Regimented; and the Assembly being to, meet the 17th Instant:
"From all these Indications I expect that an Expedition is to be carried on against some of the Spanish Settlements. in the West Indies; and that the Governor will demand men and money from this Colony. As in such case I shall be greatly at a Loss to know what part to act; I desire my con- stituents, or so many of them as can spare the time to meet at the court house the 13th instant at 12 of the clock, pre- pared to give me their advice whether I am to vote for the- raising either men or money.
"As from the present circumstances between Britain and America, this is a matter of very great importance, which I shall endeavor to explain at this time. I hope the Gentle- men of this county will not think the meeting improper.
"Their compliance will greatly oblige themselves and also- their most obedient, Faithful Servant,
"April 4, 1771."
AARON LEAMING."
In 1772 a change was made in the apportionment of As- semblymen, but Cape May's number of representatives was not changed from two, which it had had for about thirty years.
On July 1, 1772, a census was taken for the year ending at that date, in which the development of Cape May county was truthfully portrayed. The number of dwelling houses was 275, while there were 1648 people living in the county, divided into the following classes: Males under sixteen, 468 ;. males between sixteen and fifty, 374; males from fifty to eighty, 42; males over eighty, 2; total males, 886. Females. under sixteen, 384; females sixteen to fifty, 339; females fifty to eighty, 37; females eighty and over, 2; total females, 762. During the year there had been eleven marriages and eigh- teen deaths.
A majority of these dwellings were owned by their occu- pants, and were of that nature peculiar to those good, old.
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times of which we delight to read. The farm house was a story and a half structure, with sealing boards on the sides of the rooms and on the ceilings, which served the purpose for which plaster is used to-day. The floor, if the owners were exceedingly wealthy, had rag carpet on the floor; and, if not, sand of the white, clean kind, which is found on Cape May's superb beach was the principal covering. Others had nothing on at all, and the tidy housewife kept her pine floor boards shining as the result of her daily diligent scrub- bing. There were no stoves, and coal was not then known. The big open fireplace served the purpose, and the wood pile was made large in the fall, and during the cold weather, when little else could be done, the sturdy farmer chopped his wood and heightened his "pile" for spring and summer use. The old-fashioned tallow candles served the lighting for evening when necessary, but these were only used when extraordinary occasion required it. The glowing pine knots and big chunks of oak wood in the fireplace gave most of the light for the evening. Because the people at that day were "early to bed and early to rise." Candle light in the morning gave the illumination for breakfast, and before sun- rise it was over, and the master with his slaves, for there were some in Cape May county, and the "hired man" were off to the fields to do their day's work. The people worked hard the six days of the week allotted for the purpose, but on the Sabbath they were devoted to their religion. The spirit which prevailed in New England prevailed to a great degree in Cape May. The sturdy Presbyterian, the hardy Baptist and the spirit-moving Quakers were the only de- nominations which had constituents here at the time.
Their principal holidays and sport days were court days, during which time the games of quoits, running, jumping, hurdling and of like nature were the leading diversions. There was always feasting on these occasions. At the same time public matters were discussed and all the prominent men of the county knew each other, by their regular attend- ance upon the court sessions.
The manner of conducting public meetings and elec- tions of those days is interesting, from the fact that all who favored one candidate walked to one side of the room, while
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HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY.
those opposed took the opposite side. Then the persons. were counted for the result. In the same manner public questions were decided, and nearly every meeting and elec- tion were conducted on these lines. The ballot was seldom resorted to, and so fair were elections and the people trusted their neighbors so thoroughly that at times a very few voted. At one time only eight votes are recorded for members of the Legislature in the county, while it was known to con- tain nearly three hundred who had a right to the elective franchise.
Reading matter in Cape May was scarce at this time, and while but hardly a dozen, if that many, newspapers of Phila- delphia came to Cape May, it was marvelous. There were some magazine readers in the county, but the number was. confined to about a half dozen persons. Aaron Leaming was agent for a magazine at the time, and he had, as his ac- counts show, collected subscriptions from five persons. Most of the knowledge obtained, therefore, was from the word of the neighbor.
The sons usually followed in the footsteps of their fathers, adopting the same trade, while the daughters went out to service, and were not looked down upon as now for so doing.
There were no matches in those days, and the flint was struck to make the sparks from which the fire was started. The dishes were pewter, and glassware was indeed scarce. The men's clothing was a pair of leather breeches, a checked shirt, a flannel jacket, and a hat with its brim cocked up into three corners. The women spun their yarn, and wove their dress goods. Their life, while primitive, was as happy as the people of to-day, and while they had not the advan- tages, they knew not of them, and were not compelled to worry as to how thy might secure them.
On March 18, 1773. William Smith, Nathaniel Foster, Thomas Leaming. James Whilden, John Townsend, John Leonard, Joseph Corson, Jacob Hand, Daniel Swain, Henry Hand. Reuben Ludlam, Joseph Godfrey, John Mackey, Joseph Savage were made Justices of the Court of Over and Terminer for the county.
In 1774 the county jail, which had been built ten years
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previous, was consumed by fire, and the Freeholders were authorized by the Assembly to rebuild the same, on or near the former site. The court house was also rebuilt at this time. An act was also passed to "suspend the prosecution of the County Collector of Cape May for a limited Time." What he had been doing is not known, but evidently the Legislature was not satisfied with him, and were trying to reprimand him, without convicting him of crime.
This year a new oyster law was passed to prohibit the taking of oysters from the beds from April 10 to September I. Closely following this, on February 11, 1775. the last oyster act of the New Jersey Assembly, as the rulers over a colony of Great Britain, was passed. Under it no one was to take oysters from May I to September 1. Forty shill- ings was the forfeit, recoverable by action for debt, of which 26 shillings and 8 pence were to go to the informer. Burn- ing the shells for lime was an offence, for which there was a penalty of three pounds. The last whaling record before the Revolution was the leasing by Aaron Leaming of Seven- Mile Beach on February 28, 1775, to whalemen for thirty days.
The British Government, being unable to obtain any revenue from duties on the tea shipped to America, in 1773 resolved to accomplish by policy what was found to be im- practicable from restraint. It effected an arrangement with the East India Company, whose warehouses were over- stocked with that article for want of a market, by which shipments of tea could be sold to the colonists at prices with the duties less than had been charged before duties were imposed. The colonists adhered to their principles, and would take the tea at no price. Ship loads were sent to Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Charleston. From New York and Philadelphia it was shipped back. In the port of Boston the tea was thrown overboard by the colo- nists disguised as Indians, and the news of this action spread through the colonies and caused a great deal of argument. As was natural, there were some Tories in every province, and there were some in Cape May as well as anywhere else. Parliament closed the port of Boston on June 1, 1774. On the same day people assembled in all the colonies to pro-
,
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HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY.
test against the action of Parliament. On the approach of the tea ships to Philadelphia, the pilots who lived at Cape May, and operated on the Delaware, were warned not to conduct them into harbor. The Cape May pilots needed only a small excuse for refusing, and they let these mer- chantmen find their own way up the river. The Commit- tee of Safety of Pennsylvania on October 16, 1775, paid Michael Dawson £9 for carrying like instructions to the Cape May pilots.
The necessity of a general Congress was now perceived throughout the colonies. On the 4th of September dele- gates from eleven colonies met in Philadelphia and organ- ized into a Congress. They sent a petition of grievance to the colony agents in London to present to Parliament and the King. In the meantime British troops were arriving in America, mostly at Boston. Toward the close of the year news arrived of a proclamation of the King prohibiting the exportation of arms to America. Several of the colo- nies then began to prepare for their own defense by gather- ing up what cannon and ammunition they could get. Ben- jamin Franklin, who was Deputy Postmaster-General for America, was dismissed by Parliament for his sympathy with the colonists. His son, William Franklin, Governor of New Jersey, however, was a devout Royalist, and kept the New Jersey residents and Legislators in a quarrel with him the balance of his official life. In this State the Assen- bly appointed a committee of correspondence, which met in New Brunswick on May 2, 1775, and called a second provisional convention to meet at Trenton on the 23d of the same month. The British Government continued its coercive measures, and acts restricting trade with all the colonies were passed by Parliament.
On the IIth of January, 1775, the New Jersey General Assembly met at Perth Amboy, and was attended by Jona- than Hand and Eli Eldredge as the members from Cape May. They voted for the presentation to the King of a communication stating grievances in which New Jersey was particularly interested. The Assembly met at Burlington on May 15th, and both the Cape May members were pres- ent. They voted with a bare majority of the members to
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reduce the salaries of the State officers, who were adherents of the King. . New Jersey became a foremost State in re- sisting the organization of British tyranny. The second Provisional Congress met at Trenton on May 23, according
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to call. In the meantime important events had happened in Massachusetts and in New York. The battle of Lexing- ton had been fought only a month before, and the news was just about getting to the distant parts of the colony. Thir- teen days before Generals Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold
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HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY.
had captured Ticonderoga, and Crown Point was about" being taken by the Americans. On the same day that Ticonderoga was taken the second Continental Congress . met in Philadelphia, and the news from there that they had. voted that 20,000 men should take the field and that George- Washington should be commander, reached New Jersey before the knowledge of Arnold's and Allen's conquest .. The second New Jersey Provisional Convention was at- tended by Jesse Hand as delegate from Cape May. The convention directed that one or more companies of eighty - men should be formed in each township or corporation; and. imposed a tax of £10.000 on the State to support these or -- ganizations. The Congress re-assembled on August 5, and directed that fifty-four companies of sixty-four minute men each should be organized. The counties of Cumberland and Cape May were to have independent light infantry and rangers. There were about 2000 inhabitants in the county at this time. On August 16 the county's quota was raised to one battalion and one company of minute men. The" Jersey companies were appointed by recommendation of" the Continental Congress. The Cape May county bat- talion, which was raised in accordance with this call, was not officered until September 21, when the county election took place at the court house. The following were se- lected by the people :
John Mackey, Esqr., Colonel; Henry Hand. Esqr., Lieu- - tenant-Colonel: Eli Eldredge, Major; Thomas Leaming,. Jr., Adjutant.
Aaron Leaming, in his diary, from which these facts are. gathered, said that besides those elected, there were then. the following officers:
"Nicholas Stillwell.
"Enoch Stillwell.
"Salanthiel Foster.
"Captains James Willits, Jr., Jonathan Jenkins.
"Frederic Otto, First Lieutenant; Joseph Edwards, Na- thaniel Jenkins, John Newton, Second Lieutenants; Chris- topher Ludlam, Richard Matthews"-(here page is torn off).
It is unfortunate for history that the old diary containing"
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PREPARATIONS FOR WAR.
such valuable information should be torn at such a place. But putting these scraps with the roster of Adjutant-General Stryker, of New Jersey, there is some light given on the subject what offices these men filled and of those to which they were promoted. General Stryker's roster says:
"John Mackey, Colonel.
"Nicholas Stiliwell, Captain, Lieutenant-Colonel, Colonel.
"Henry Hand, Lieutenant-Colonel.
"Enoch Stillwell. First Major, Lieutenant-Colonel.
"Eli Eldredge, First Major.
"John Hand. Second Major, First Major.
"Thomas Leaming, Adjutant.
"Nathan Hand. Quartermaster."
The uniform of the Cape May minute men were to be "hunting frocks to conform as near as may be to the uni- form of riflemen in the Continental service."
The minute men entered into the following engagement: "We, the subscribers, do voluntarily enlist ourselves a min- ute man in the company of -, in the county of Cape May, and do promise to hold ourselves in constant readi- ness, on the shortest notice, to march to any place where our assistance may be required for the defense of this and any neighbour colony; and also to pay due obedience to the commands of our officers agreeable to the rules and or- ders of the Continental Congress, or the Provincial Con- gress of New Jersey, or during its recess, of the Committee of Safety."
These men took precedence over other militia, and were entitled to be relieved at the end of four months, unless in actual service.
At this election at the court house, when the militiamen were chosen, Jesse Hand and Elijah Hughes were chosen as "delegates for the Congress," which was to assemble at Trenton. Leaming gives us the names of the "commit- tee," chosen on that day also, which, no doubt, was the County Committee of Safety. The following were selected as members of it:
Joseph Corson, John McKay, Jose. Badcock,
John Baker, Sylvanus Townsend, Jr., James Willits, Jr., +
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HISTORY OF CAPE MAY COUNTY.
Jos. Ludlam,
Joseph Hildreth,
Hugh Hartshorn,
Jonathan Leaming,
Elijah Townsend,
George Taylor,
Joseph Edwards,
Henry Hand, Esqr.,
Christopher Leaming,
Downs Edmunds,
Zebulon Swain,
- Aaron Eldredge,
Jesse Hand.
Abram Bennett.
Thos. Leaming, Jr.,
John Hand, Jr.,
Aaron Leaming,
James Whilldin, Esq.,
Jeremiah Ludlam,
Memucan Hughes,
Jonathan Jenkins,
John Newton,
Joseph Savage,
Elijah .Hughes.
One of the notes found in the papers of the Pennsylvania Committee of Safety, which was no doubt made the next year, shows that Aaron Leaming was the chairman of this Cape May Committee of Safety. It reads: "Memorandum. Hewes, a Committee man at the Cape, rows off pilots and others. Aaron Lemen presd't of Cape May Committee."
Mr. Leaming, in his diary, says, bearing on the loan question, which we here note before proceeding further on the acts of the county committee and delegates to Con- gress, that
"The Assembly having passed a Bill to strike £100,000 to let on Loan: and the same being returned with the King's approbation
"July 4, 1775-The Justices and Freeholders met to choose Two Loan Officers and unanimously chose Eli Eld- redge & myself, the commissioners."
At the session of Provincial Congress held on Monday, October 9, Jesse Hand was appointed one of "a committee to prepare an estimate of the expenses necessary to put this colony into a posture of defence at this time."
On the following Saturday, the 14th, a motion was made and it was "Ordered, That commissions do issue to the sev- eral field-officers of the regiment of militia of Cape May, whose names are mentioned in the certificate of the county committee," which were those elected on September 21st.
On Saturday, October 28, it was ordered that all persons between fifteen and fifty were considered as able to bear arms in defense of the colony, and all "whose religious prin-
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PREPARATIONS FOR WAR.
ciples will not suffer them to bear arms" were ordered to pay four shillings per month "for such their exemption." This measure made the Quakers, of which there were several in Cape May, help to support those whose principles did not interfere with their taking up arms against the British. At the same session Jesse Hand's committee reported that it "appears generally necessary, at this time of increasing dan- ger, that the inhabitants of this colony should be furnished with ammunition and other military stores, and that this colony should be put into some proper posture for defense." The Congress thereupon ordered bills of credit issued to the amount of £30,000 to provide necessary funds. To sink these bills it was ordered that £10,000 should be raised an- nually in the colony in the years 1784, 1785 and 1786. Cape May was to raise in each of these years £166 18d.
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