USA > New Jersey > The history of New Jersey, from its discovery by Europeans, to the adoption of the federal Constitution > Part 2
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CHAPTER XV.
Campaign of 1778. I. Condition of the Army at the Valley Forge and at the commencement of the Campaign. II. British foraging excursions in New Jersey. III. Fortunate escape of an advance party under La Fayette. IV. Effect of the American successes abroad-Efforts of American Agents. V. Measures for Foreign Alliances-Duplicity of France-Treaties with
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her. VI. War between Great Britain and France. VII. Opinions in Great Britain-Ministerial measures. VIII. Reception of those incasures in America. IX. Arrival of a French Minister Plenipotentiary. X. The British Army evacuates Philadelphia-March through Jersey. XI. Battle of Monmouth-British Army regains New York. XII. Arrival of the French Fleet-proceeds to Rhode Island. XIII. Attempt on Newport- Appearance of the English Fleet-French and English Fleets put to Sea -dispersed by Storm. XIV. British Incursions in Connecticut. XV. Disposition of the American Army. XVI. British Incursions into New Jersey. XVII. Movements of the adverse Fleets-Detachinent against the Southern States. XVIII. American Army retires to winter quarters -Its improved condition. XIX. Indian devastations-Massacre at Wyo- ming. XX. Operations against the Indians. XXI. Discontent in the Jersey line. XXII. March of General Sullivan to the Indian country- Events there. XXIII. Expedition under Colonel Broadhead by the Alle- gheny River. XXIV. Expedition against the Cherokees under General Pickens. XXV. Unprovoked Slaughter of the Indians at Muskingum .
CHAPTER XVI.
Comprising a View of the War in the South. I. Inert state of the Country in 1779. II. The British Government adopts views of partial Conquest. III. Georgia overrun-and Charleston threatened-Unsuccessful Siege of Savanualı. IV. Sir Henry Clinton subdues South Carolina. V. His measures induce Revolt. VI. General Gates assumes command of the Southern Army-Battle of Camden. VII. Battle of King's Mountain. VIII. Cornwallis reinforced. IX. General Greene appointed to the Southern Department-Battle of the Cowpens-Retreat to Virginia. X. Cornwallis retires, is pursued-Battle of Guilford Court House. XI. Cornwallis marches for Petersburg-Greene for South Carolina-Expedi- tion of Arnold against Virginia-Preparations against him-Defence of Virginia entrusted to La Fayette-Cornwallis takes conimand of the Bri- tish Forces in Virginia. XII. Progress of Greene in recovering the South- ern States. XIII. Sufferings of the Inhabitants
CHAPTER XVII.
1. Condition of the Armies in the North. II. British Expedition against the Forts on the North River. III. Expedition under Tryon, against Connicc- ticut. IV. Capture of Stony Point, by Wayne. V. Attack of the Bri- tish Post, on Penobscot river .- VI. Major Lee assaults Paules Hook. VII. Effects of the System of Paper Currency. VIII. Spain declares War against England. IX. Prospects of the Campaign of 1780. X. The American Army retires into winter quarters. XI. Marauding Partics of the Enemy in New Jersey. XUI. The Ariny at Morristown supplied by forced levies of Provisions. XIII. Washington attempts the British Post at Staten Island XIV. Difficulties arising from thic want of political power in Congress. XV. Discontents of the Army-Mutiny of the Con- necticut troops. XVI. Knyphausen invades New Jersey-Murder of Mrs. Caldwell, and of her Husband. XVII. Battle of Springfield .- XVIII. La Fayette returns to the United States. XIX. Renewed efforts for the Defence of the Country. XX. Arrival of the French Fleet and Army-Plans consequent thereon. XXI. Treason of Arnold. XXII. American Army retires into winter quarters. XXIII. European combina- tions against Great Britain. XXIV. Revolt of the Pennsylvania line-of the Jersey linc-Discontent of the Inhabitants of New Jersey. XXV. Gloomy Prospect for the year 1781. XXVI. Combined Operations of the French Fleet and Allied Armics, against Cornwallis-His Capture .- XXVII. New London taken and burned by Arnold. XXVIII. Condition of the Country for the Campaign of 1782-Resolutions of the Britishi Par- liament in favour of Peace. XXIX. Malignity of the Tories-Murder of Captain Huddy. XXX. Cessation of' Hostilities-Treaty of Peace. XXXI. Disbanding of the Army. XXXII. Public Entry of Washington to New York-takes leave of' his Officers-Surrenders his Commission to Congress
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CHAPTER XVIII.
I. Peculiar sufferings of the State of New Jersey from the War. II. Laws in New Jersey relative to the Militia. III. Council of Safety. IV. Mili- tary efforts of New Jersey. V. State Representatives in Congress. VI. Establishment of the New Jersey Gazette. VII. Unhappy Condition of the States after the return of Peace. VIII. Inefficiency of the Articles of Confederation-Part of New Jersey in their Adoption. IX. Measures pro- posed in Congress for maintaining Public Credit-Efforts of New Jersey upon this subject. X. She resorts to Paper Currency and Loan Office for Relief. XI. Difficulties with Great Britain relative to the Execution of the Treaty. XII. Measures for regulating the Trade of the Union-Re- sult in a Proposition for Revision of the Articles of Confederation. XIII. Adoption of the New Constitution-Ratified by New Jersey
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CHAPTER I.
Comprising Events from the Discovery by Europeans, to the Grant from Charles I. to James Duke of York .- I. Ancient and Modern Principles of' Colonization .- II. Voyages of the Spaniards and Portuguese upon the East Coast of North Ame- rica .- III. Voyages of the Italians. Verrazano and the Cabots .- IV. First Eng- lish Attempts at Discovery .- V. Efforts of Raleigh to establish a Colony .- VI. Gosnold opens a new Road-London and Plymouth Companies created .- VII. Voyages and Discoveries of Hudson .- VIII. Intercourse of the Dutch Fast In- dia Company with America, and Formation of the Amsterdam Licensed Trading West India Company .- IX. Settlement of the Puritans at Plymouth .- X. For. mation of the Great West India Company in Holland .- X1. Voyage and l'ro- ceedings of Cornelius Jacobse Mey .- XII. Measures of the Company to promote Emigration; Purchases of large Tracts of Land from the Indians .- XIII. Voy- ages of De Vries; Colony planted-The Delaware abandoned by the Dutch .- XIV. Minisink Settlements on the Delaware .- XV. Settlements of the Swedes on the Delaware-first Project of a Colony-first Colony-increase of Settlers .- XVI. Colonial Government established-Colonel Printz first Governor .- XVII. English Settlements upon the Delaware-prostrated by a united Force of Dutch and Swedes .- XVIII. Swedish Government under Printz and his Successors .- XIX. Swedish Colony subjected by the Dutch .- XX. Dutch Colonial Govern- .' ment on the Delaware-Possessions on the East of New Jersey .- XXI. Account of the English Settlements upon the Delaware previous to 1664-under Patent from Lord Baltimore-under Grant to Sir Edward Ploeyden-by Traders from New Haven .- XXII. Plans of New England Settlers for Conquest of the Dutch Colonies .- XXIII. Duke of York's Charter from the Crown and Grant to Berkeley and Carteret .- XXIV. Conquest of New Netherlands, by Colonel Nicholls .- XXV. English Government established on the Delaware .- XXVI. Condition of New Netherlandts at the time of the Surrender.
I. A distinction has frequently been taken between ancient and modern colonization; ascribing the former to military, and the latter to commercial principles. But this classification does not embrace the various species of colonies, in present or past time. A more happy division of the subject would seem to be, into colonies founded by individuals, in their search of' happiness; and colonies planted by states, with a view to military or com- mercial purposes. By the first, our race was originally spread over the face of the globe. It has prevailed at all times, as well among the Egyptians, Athenians, and other ancient people, as among the moderns, who instituted the communities of the North American confederacy. The carly Greek colonies, generally, sprung from the desire of the citizens to ameliorate their condition ; and the immediate impulse was, excess of population, the ambition of chiefs, the love of liberty, or contagious and frequent maladies. The bouds of filiation connected the colony with the parent state; and the en- dearing names of daughter, sister and mother, sanctioned and preserved the alliances between them. But in the Grecian colonies of latter date, we trace commercial and political views. The Carthaginians, also, seem to have established colonies upon commercial principles; and two treaties, recorded
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HISTORY OF NEW JERSEY.
by Polybius,* between them and the Romans, are in the true spirit of mo- dern colonial policy. On the other hand, the Roman colonies were military establishments, designed to maintain or extend their conquests; and their agrarian allotments, to disbanded veterans and discontented and clamorous citizens, partook of the same character. Commercial motives seem rarely to have blended with the policy of these haughty conquerors. Such, also, in more recent days were the colonies of the Normans, in England, France, and the south of Europe; of the English, in Ireland and Indostan; of the Portuguese and Dutch in either India; and of a portion of the Spanish settle- ments in the New World.
In general, the civil colonies of the ancients were independent of the au- thority of the parent state; though, necessarily, influenced by the ties of cha- rity which connected them with her. But, modern history, we believe, furnishes no instance of a colony independent in its inception; unless the short-lived religious communities of the Jesuits, in America, and of the Mo- ravians in the northern parts of both continents, be so considered. The co- lonies of the western hemisphere were, generally, commenced under the sanc- tion of, and in dependence upon. some European state. Even the ascetic Brownists, in their torpid settlement of New Plymouth, began their labours under the auspices of James I. of England: and though for some years, they were unnoticed by the crown, they claimed and enjoyed the protection due to English subjects.
The colonization of America was prompted and directed by various pas- sions. The Spaniards and Portuguese were inspired by visions of sudden wealth, by the love of that fame which chivalric adventure gave, and by an apostolic desire of spreading their religious faith among the heathen. The founders of states in the northern continent, were actuated by more sober, but not dissimilar views. Raleigh and his associates sought wealth and reputation, by extending the power and faune of their mistress and their country; and the provincial proprietaries, holders of large grants from the crown, were excited by ambition and avarice; which in Calvert and Penn, at least, were blended with a noble philanthropy, delighting to assure reli- gious and civil liberty to their associates and their successors. The sub- grantees and settlers who subdued the wilderness, came with great diversity of purpose. Many fled from religions, some, from political persecution ; but, the larger portion was induced by that well founded hope of ameliorating the condition of themselves and their posterity, which flowed from the unrestrict- ed possession of a rich and virgin soil. in whose fruits they were protected, against lawful and lawless violence. The religious instruction of the savage is a condition of every royal grant ; and afforded to the grantor, doubtless, a full extenuation of the injustice of invasion. The extensive grant of Charles II. to his brother, of York, was moved by political causes, and designed, probably, also, to reward the services of others, which he could not, in a different manner, acknowledge. The immediate grantees of the Duke, were wise enough to see, that their interest lay in the adoption of the most libe- ral principles of political association, which cireninstances would permit; and these circumstances were most favorable, to civil and religious liberty.
The period in which the foundations of the Anglo- American colonies were laid, was rife with events, which sowed the indestructible seeds, and reared into strength the scions of human liberty. The integrity and infallibility of clerical power, had been shaken to pieces by Luther and Calvin; and the divinity of kings had expired with the unhappy Charles. The religious contests, and the transition of power from one religious sect to another,
* Lib. ili. c. 22.
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HISTORY OF NEW JERSEY.
had taught to Catholic and Protestant, the advantages, if not the necessity, of religious toleration. Letters, the cause and power of religious freedom, had been equally serviceable to civil liberty; and the great truth which, for ages, had laid buried in the ruins of civilization, beneath sacerdotal palaces and prisons, and the gothic gorgeousness of the feudal system,-the great truth, that political power belonged. to, and was made for, the people, had been rediscovered-was proclaimed abroad, and had become generally understood among men-among Englishmen. That truth had wrenched the sceptre from the grasp of an obstinate and bigoted despot, and borne him to the block-had overthrown a monarchy and created a republic ; and because of the abuse of republican forms, had again established a throne. Religious and political freedom were in England terms as familiar as house- hold words, and enforced, even from the hate. of her princes, the most pro- found respect.
It was vain, therefore, to think of the formation of new political societies, without adverting to, and securing these great essentials. Kings and pro- prietaries, who would establish colonies, were compelled to stipulate for religious toleration, and legislative power in the people. Hence, the first Charles, who abominated a parliament, required the proprietary, Calvert, to obtain all subsidies, by the assent of the people-hence, the second Charles introduced the same principle, in the grant of Pennsylvania-hence, they, and the Carterets, and the Berkeleys, and the minor Proprietaries, were compelled to their liberal charters. All were results of improvement in the moral condition of our species, which individuals might promote, but could scarce retard. We are guilty, therefore, of the worst species of idola- try-of man-worship, when we give to individuals the praise of creating measures, of which they could only be the servants. Our plaudits for their concurrence in the good work, are, however, due; and should be frankly and fully paid, as the just incentive to virtuous actions.
In this spirit, we adopt the expressions of a late writer upon colonial history :- " A North American may feel grateful exultation in avowing himself the native of no ignoble land-but of a land which has yielded as great an increase of glory to God, and happiness to man, as any other por- tion of the world, since the first syllable of recorded time, has had the honour of producing. A nobler model of human character could hardly be proposed to the inhabitants of the North American States, than that which their own early history supplies. It is, at once, their interest and their honour, to preserve with sacred care, a model so richly fraught, with the instructions of wisdom and the incitements of duty."*
No portion of the history of this great country is more filled with cause for this " grateful exultation," than the State of New Jersey-none can boxist greater purity in its origin-none more wisdom, more happiness in its growth. To develope her unpretending, but instructive story, is the object of the following pages; in which, however, we must, necessarily, blend a portion of that of the adjacent states, which for half a century were identi- fied with her.
II. Soon after the discovery of America, by Columbus, the Spaniards and Portuguese explored the northern Atlantic coast, as high as Labrador; to which, the latter gave its present name. As they approached by the West Indies, they may have visited the shores of the Delaware and Hudson rivers; but possessed of the fine climates, and richer countries of the south, they had no inducement to make permanent settlements in regions less attractive. Florida was occupied by the Spaniards, in 1512; and its boundaries, as
* Grahame's History of the American Colonies.
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HISTORY OF NEW JERSEY.
given by the charter of Philip II. to Menendez, extended from Newfoundland 1 to the 22d degree of northern latitude.
III. To the genius of the Italian navigators, the world is deeply indebted, as well for the early exploration, as for the discovery, of America. John de Verrazano, and the enterprising and skilful Cabots, were the worthy succes- sors of Columbus and Americus Vespucius. Verrazano, whilst in the ser- vice of Francis I. of France, visited, it is supposed, the bay of New York .* It is certain, that, in 1523, he coasted the American continent, from the 30th to the 50th degree of north latitude, landing and communicating with the natives in several places; and that by virtue of discoveries made by him, and some French navigators, Henry IV. gave to Des Monts, the lands lying between the 40th and 46th degrees of north latitude.t The loss of Verra- zano, with his vessel and crew, on a subsequent voyage, (1524) procrasti- nated, for ten years, the efforts of the French to establish colonies in Ame- rica. The voyages and discoveries of Quartier, in 1535, directed their atten- tion, particularly, to the shores of the bay and river of St. Lawrence.
IV. Under the patronage of Henry VII. of England, Sebastian Cabot dis- covered the islands of Newfoundland and St. Johns, and explored the coast of the continent, from the 3-th to the 67th degree of north latitude. But no fruit was, immediately, derived from his labours. During the reigns of the voluptuary, Henry VIII., of his son, Edward VI., and daughter, the bigoted Mary, no effort was made to prosecute these interesting discoveries. It was reserved for the maritime enterprise of Elizabeth's reign, to give to the English nation a fuller knowledge of the new world, and a proper sense of the advantages which might be drawn from it. Encouraged by the Earl of Warwick, Martin Frobisher, in three successive voyages, visited the shores of Labrador and Greenland.& Sir Humphrey Gilbert, in 1580, made two unsuccessful attempts to establish a colony in North America, in the last of which, he perished.
V. But the fate of Gilbert did not deter his half-brother, Sir Walter Raleigh, alike distinguished for his genius and courage, from pursuing the same object; which, indeed, had taken strong hold of the affections of the principal men of the kingdom. He formed a company, under a charter, obtained from the queen,|| granting them all the lands they should discover between the 33d and 40th degrees of north latitude. Two vessels despatch- ed by them, under captains Armidas and Barlow, ** visited Pamptico Sound, and Roanoke Bay; and on their return, reported so favourably of the beauty and fertility of the country, that the company were excited to new exertions; and Elizabeth gave, to the newly discovered region, the name of Virginia, as a memorial that it was discovered in the reign of a virgin queen. But the subsequent efforts of this company proved abortive. A colony was, indeed, plantrd at Roanoke, in 15-5; but, having been reduced to distress by the delay of supplies, they returned to Europe, in the following year, with Sir Francis Drake; wiro touched at their island on his way home, from a suc- cessful ernise against the Spaniards. Undiscouraged by this ill success, Raleigh despatched another colony to the same place, under the direction of captain John White, ft which perished by famine, or the sword of the natives ; having been deprived, by the preparations of the Spaniards, for invading England, of the succour which White had returned to seek.
. Dr. Miller's Discourse, 1 vol .-- N. Y. Historical Collection.
12 Hacklust's, 1. N. Y. Historical Collection. Williamson's History of North Carolina, vol. i. 15. Moulton's History of New York, vol. i. 134.
: 119 -. A Mr. Hare is said to have followed Cabot, and to have brought to Henry VIII, some Indians from North America.
§ In 1526, 1577, 1578. || 26th March, 1584. Sailed, 27th April, returned, 15th September, 1554. tt March, 1590.
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HISTORY OF NEW JERSEY.
VI. Between the years 1590 and 1603, the English do not appear to have made any voyage for the purpose of settlement. In the latter year, Bartho- lomew Gosnold, abandoning the circuitous route hitherto pursued by all navi- gators, discovered, by steering due west, a more direct course to the northern continent. He visited, and gave names to Cape Cod, and the islands of' Elizabeth, and Martha's Vineyard; and taught his countrymen, that there were many attractions, far north of the lands they had attempted to colonize. His favourable reports, at first disbelieved, were confirmed by persons who sailed, thither, in the service of some merchants of Bristol, the Earl of South- ampton, and Lord Arundel, of Wardour. By the zeal of Richard Hackluyt, prebendary of Westminster, to whom England was more indebted than to any man of his age, for her American possessions, an association, em- bracing men of rank and men of business, was formed, with a view to colonization .*
To this company, James I., on the 10th of April, 1606, granted letters patent, dividing that portion of the continent which stretches from the 34th to the 46th degrees of north latitude, into two, nearly equal, districts. The one, called the first, or south colony of Virginia, was allotted to Sir Thomas Gates, Richard Hackluyt, and their associates, mostly residents of London ; the other, to sundry knights, gentlemen and merchants, of Bristol, Plymouth, and other parts of the west of England. Each company was empowered to appropriate to itself, fifty miles each way, along the coast, from the point of its settlement, and one hundred miles of interior extent. From the places at which the colonial councils were respectively established, were derived the titles of the London and Plymouth Colonies.t
Under this and another charter, to the Plymouth company, given in 1620, whose provisions were not the most friendly to political freedom, nor the best adapted to promote the objects for which they were designed, the per- manent settlement of Virginia and New England was commenced and pro- secuted. It forms, however, no part of our present plan, to trace the various fortune which attended their growth, from weak and sickly plants, to deep- rooted and umbrageous trees.
VII. The hope of discovering a north-west passage from Europe to Asia, which no disappointment seems to have power to extinguish, was the motive of several voyages made by Henry Hudson, a distinguished English mariner. In his third voyage, failing to open a northern route, he explored the eastern coast of America, with the view of determining, whether a passage, to the Pacific Ocean, might not be found through the continent .¿ He ran down the coast, from Newfoundland, to 35° 41', northern latitude; and returning by the same course, entered the Delaware bay, on the 28th of August, 1609,- but finding the water shoal, and the channel impeded by bars of sand, he did not venture to explore it. Following the eastern shore of New Jersey, he anchored his ship, the Half-Moon, on the 3d of September, within Sandy Hook. He spent a week in examining the neighbouring shores, and in communication with the natives ; during which, one of his seamen, named John Coleman, was killed. The boat in which he and several others had passed the Kills, between Bergen Neck and Staten Island, being attacked by two canoes, carrying twenty-six Indians, the unfortunate sailor was shot, by an arrow, through the throat. Thus it would seem, that in the intercourse
. 2 Purchas, 5. Belknap's American Biography .- N. A. R., (new series) vol. vi. p. 36.
1 Modern Universal History, vol. xxx. Hazard's State Papers, 1. Stith, Beverly, Robertson.
# Voyages undertaken by the Dutch East India Company. Hudson's Journal. Purchas, 1-N. Y. Hist. Col. 81, 162.
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HISTORY OF NEW JERSEY.
between the European and Indian, in this part of America, the Indian committed the first homicide. The shores of the Delaware and Raritan bays were, probably, the first lands of the middle States trodden by Eu- ropean feet.
On the 12th of September, Hudson entered New York Bay, through the Narrows. He spent the time between that day and the 19th of the same month, in exploring the North river .* He ascended, with his ship, as high as the spot where the city of Albany now stands; and his boat proceeded to the sites of Waterford and Lansingburg. The decreasing volume of the stream, and the shoals which obstructed his further way, depriving him of all hope of reaching the Pacific Ocean by this route, he prepared to retrace his steps. Commencing his return on the 22d of September, he slowly de- scended the river, and on the 4th day of October, put to sea. He reached England on the 7th of November, 1609. His vessel, and part of the crew, returned to Holland; but the jealousy of the king, James the First, forbade him, and his English sailors, to revisit that country.t
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