USA > New Jersey > The history of New Jersey : from its earliest settlement to the present time : including a brief historical account of the first discoveries and settlement of the country, Vol. II > Part 4
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" Governor Livingston made the most strenuous exertions with the Assembly and the people to have the militia in the field to oppose the invading force. But it was not practicable to con- trol the panic which had seized upon the mass of the population. The barefooted and almost naked Continental army, retreating before the well-appointed battalions of the enemy, impaired the confidence of the people, not less in the Commander-in-Chief than in their own resources. The defenceless Legislature, with the Governor at their head, removed from Princeton to Burling- ton, where they adjourned on the 2d of December, each man retiring to his home, to take charge of his peculiar interests, . there scarcely remained a vestige of the lately constituted gov- ernment, or any who owed it allegiance; and until the battle of Trenton (December 26th), New Jersey might have been con- sidered a conquered country."*
The Americans having been driven from Canada by the strong force of General Carleton, had retired to Crown Point, in Essex County, New York, on the western shore of Lake Champlain, and having encamped on the southern end of that lake, Carleton, for want of vessels, was unable to follow them. But by incredible exertions he soon built and equipped a fleet. General Schuyler strenuously endeavored to strengthen his little fleet, in order to preserve the command of the lakes ; but being
* The case of Samuel Tucker strongly illustrates the panic which prevailed among some of the Whigs on the invasion of the British. President of the Convention which formed the Constitution of the State; Chairman of the Committee of Safety; Treasurer, and subsequently Judge of the Supreme Court, he took a protection of the British, and thus renounced allegiance to the State, and vacated his offices .- Gordon's History, page 237. Journal of Assembly, December 17th, 1777, and votes passim. Sedgwick's Livingston, page 209, etc.
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unable to obtain artillery, and materials for ship-building, or workmen, his force was in consequence inferior to that of the enemy, and from other causes, such as the ravages of the small- pox, still prevailing in the army, rendering it necessary to stop · many recruits on their march to join the army ; with mortality from this and other causes, he was compelled to evacuate Crown Point, and to concentrate his forces at Ticonderoga, a strong point twelve miles distant. By the first of October the British had upon the lake a fleet of more than a hundred guns, and seven hundred experienced sailors conducted by Captain Pringle, among whom was General Carleton himself. General Benedict Arnold being in command of the post, on the 11th an attack was made upon him ; the wind favoring the Americans, Arnold was enabled to keep up the engagement for several hours, during which his best schooner was burnt, and another vessel sunk, with- out loss to the enemy. Arnold finding it impossible to renew the action with hope of success, made his escape in the night, and the next morning found shelter under the guns of Fort Ticonderoga. But at noon the enemy came up with him, and he was compelled, after a spirited resistance of two hours, and the loss of another ship, to run the greater part of his vessels on shore, a few leagues from Crown Point, where he landed his men in safety. A portion of his squadron passed Crown Point in safety, and escaped to Ticonderoga, while those run on shore were burned, to prevent their capture by the enemy.
General Carleton seized Crown Point, and advanced part of his fleet into Lake George, within view of Ticonderoga, and his army approached that place as if to lay siege to it. But after reconnoitering the works, and observing the garrison, which consisted of between eight and nine thousand men, he concluded it was too late in the season to invest it, and returned to Canada, where he placed his. troops into winter quarters, and made the Isle aux Noix his most advanced post. This retreat relieved the · apprehensions of the Americans, and enabled General Gates to march with a detachment of the Northern army to aid the Com- mander-in-Chief on the Delaware. While Philadelphia was sup- posed to be in imminent danger, the militia of New England in considerable numbers had been ordered to the Delaware. The
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army in New Jersey, with the detachment to Rhode Island, had greatly reduced the British force in the City of New York. In the neighborhood of King's Bridge there were about two thousand of the enemy's troops, and all the other troops on Manhattan Island were not estimated at a greater number. On Long Island there was only De Lancy's brigade of American loyalists, num- bering less than a thousand men. Under these circumstances it was presumed that the New York and New Jersey militia might form a respectable army, with which General Heath might alarm, and perhaps more than alarm that important post. His instructions were to approach King's Bridge, carry off the forage and provisions with which the enemy were supplied, and if cir- cumstances should justify, attack the forts which guarded the entrance into the island. In such an event, it was anticipated that fears for the City of New York would induce General Howe either to abandon New Jersey entirely, as his troops would suffer extremely through the winter for fuel, forage, and provisions, or so to weaken his posts at New Brunswick and Amboy as to per- mit General Washington to attack them with advantage.
In accordance with those views, in June, 1776, General Heath marched towards West Chester, on Long Island Sound, and summoned Fort Independence to surrender ; but the garrison refusing, he did not venture an assault with militia, and learn- ing that the British army had embarked from Rhode Island, and might, by entering the Sound, land in his rear, he was compelled to withdraw into the Highlands ; not, however, without acquir- ing considerable quantities of forage and cattle.
Constant skirmishes on the lines increased the distress of the enemy, and gave confidence to the Americans in regard to themselves. The British found it unsafe to forage unless they were protected by large covering parties, as the Americans were constantly attacking them, in nearly all of which they proved successful, and their horses, cattle, and other booty were fre- quently taken from them ; many prisoners were taken ; the papers throughout America were filled with accounts of their successes, and the people throughout the entire country were reanimated to new exertions, with every prospect of success, and with a full determination to drive the enemy to their ships for protection,
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as soon as the season would permit the armies to successfully operate in the field. Although at this juncture the situation of Washington was extremely critical, yet he managed with such adroitness as to conceal from the enemy as well as his own countrymen the situation in which he was placed, and his own weak condition to.resist the enemy should they bring any force to bear upon him. His army was being constantly crippled, and sometimes almost depleted, by the terms of service of the militia expiring, who would leave before their places could be filled by others, which would materially weaken his army and leave his positions exposed to imminent hazard. The soldiers would carry off with them arms and blankets which had been delivered to them to be used in camp, thereby wasting the military stores which should have been retained for the campaign which was intended to be opened in the spring .*
While the Commander-in-Chief was thus embarrassed and inconvenienced by these circumstances by which he was sur- rounded, and not knowing which way to turn in order to pro- tect himself and his little army; he learned that reinforcements were arriving from Rhode Island, and that the movements of General. Heath had not produced the effect he had expected ; and fearing that the enemy might capture Philadelphia, he or- dered the New England troops, except those who were deemed necessary to guard the Highlands, immediately to join him. He also made heavy requisitions on the militia of New Jersey, as well as the neighboring States. But he was agreeably disap- pointed as regarded the movements of the enemy, as they were not made, and the skirmishing on the Jersey side of the Dela- ware was continued throughout the winter. With the force the enemy had at New Brunswick and Amboy, they could at any time have crushed our little army. During the winter the loss of the enemy was considerably more than the American army had sustained both at Trenton and Princeton; and from the scarcity of forage, hopes were entertained that neither their cavalry nor draught horses would be in condition to take the field when the campaign should open in the spring.
* Marshall's Washington.
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His desire was, however, to so cripple the enemy during the winter, that the ensuing summer would accomplish their com- plete overthrow. But in this he was compelled to submit to disappointment. In England the war was urged with vigor, and they were supported by increased majorities in Parliament, and the nation itself determined to reannex to the empire the revolted colonies.
Having learned these facts, the Commander-in-Chief deter- mined to destroy or at least cripple their present army before it could be reinforced, to accomplish which he made the most strenuous exertions to promote the recruiting service, and to collect recruits in such numbers as would enable him to attack the enemy either in Rhode Island, New York, or New Jersey. Congress, at his instance, passed such resolutions as were calcu- lated to second his views. Thus the civil and military powers worked in entire unison together. They authorized him to draw the Eastern troops from Peekskill, and required their places to be filled by the militia of New York ; the Executive of New Jersey was required to order out the whole militia of this State, and place them in condition for active service ; and the Executive of Pennsylvania was required to properly arm and equip for active service such part of its militia as lay contiguous to the neighboring and besieged State of New Jersey.
It may here be stated, and without being out of place, that the State of New Jersey, lying hemmed in between the great States of New York and Pennsylvania, and being a better State for forage and to obtain provisions than either, the enemy had an object to continue the war here as long as they could do so, and consequently the most important battles and skirmishes were fought in this State.
Upon the approach of the season for active operations, Gene- ral Howe ordered the destruction of the scanty resources pre- pared by the Americans for the campaign, during the spring and summer.
When General Heath was recalled to Boston, the command devolved on General McDougall. At Boston a large amount of stores had been collected, and the British general supposing
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them to be of great value and slightly defended, despatched Colonel Bird against the post, on the 23d of March, 1777, with five hundred men, under convoy of a frigate and some smaller vessels.
General McDougall, with about two hundred and fifty men, labored hard to remove the magazines and stores, but before it could be effected, the enemy coming upon him, he was com- pelled to retire, before doing which, however, he set fire to his storehouses and barracks. Colonel Bird completed the destruc- tion, and returned to New York.
The Commander-in-Chief not knowing what course the enemy intended to pursue, whether the British would endeavor to take Ticonderoga, and penetrate the Hudson, or join the grand army by sea, or whether General Howe would endeavor, by moving up the North River, to possess himself of the forts and high grounds at present occupied by the Americans, or would attempt to take Philadelphia, and being uncertain as to which of these courses he intended to pursue, he determined to keep the high grounds of New Jersey, north of the road leading from Trenton to New Brunswick, watch the movements of the enemy, and if possible frustrate him in any attempt he might make. While . the enemy were encamped here they would cover New Jersey, and be at a convenient point to move either for the protection of Philadelphia, on the west, or the Highlands, on the east. To more effectually accomplish his purpose, the northern troops, including those of New York, were divided between Ticonde- roga, on Lake George, and Peekskill, on the Hudson, while those from New Jersey, to the South, including North Carolina, were directed to assemble in New Jersey. In case the army of Canada should join that of New York, by sea, the troops at Peekskill and those in New Jersey could be readily united, either for defence of the Highlands or of Philadelphia, and in case Burgoyne attempted Ticonderoga, by way of the lakes, the force at Peekskill would afford aid to the army opposed to him.
When these arrangements were completed, the camp at Mor- ristown was broken up, and the army removed to Middlebrook, a village adjoining Boundbrook, in Somerset County, lying on the Raritan River, about ten miles from New Brunswick. Here
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they occupied a position behind a ridge of strong and command- ing hills. On the 28th of May General Washington repaired hither in person to watch the enemy.
These heights in front of the camp commanded the course of the Raritan, the road leading to Philadelphia, the hills about New Brunswick, as well as a considerable portion of the country between that place and Amboy ; affording a full view of the most interesting and important movements of the enemy. Thus, from his commanding position, the Commander-in-Chief was enabled to watch all their movements, which gave him great advantage over his former location.
On the 21st of May the entire army in New Jersey, exclusive of the cavalry and artillery, amounted to but eight thousand three hundred and seventy-eight men, and of these, more than two thousand, nearly one-fourth of the entire force, were sick, leaving the effective rank and file only about six thousand men. In this was not included the troops of North Carolina, who had not at that time joined the army, and also about five hundred New Jersey militia were omitted.
To prevent a movement of the enemy by land towards Phila- delphia, Washington placed an army of militia, with a few Con- tinental troops, under an experienced officer, on the western bank of the Delaware, to defend the passage of that river.
General Sullivan's Continental army at Princeton was increas- ing in numbers by recruits from the South, as well as New Jersey militia.
He was also directed to hold himself in readiness, so that in case of an attack he could move his baggage and stores to places . less exposed, and to be ready to move at any moment to a place of greater security, that he might harass the flanks of the enemy, on a march, and preserve a communication with the army at Middlebrook ; but by no means to risk a general action, but to act entirely as a surprise to the enemy, and carry on a desultory warfare.
Measures were also set to work to put the militia of New Jersey in perfect order to take the field as soon as offensive operations should commence.
The intention of General Howe was the acquisition of Phila-
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delphia, by marching through New Jersey, and intending to cross the Delaware by means of a portable bridge constructed during the winter. But in consequence of the delay in the arri- val of tents and camp equipage from Europe, as well as the early organization and favorable position of the American army, this plan was frustrated, and he was compelled to devise another, which was to attempt the capture of Philadelphia, by way of the Delaware or Chesapeake Bay. He accordingly made a demon- stration by land.
General Washington called to his assistance the Continental corps at Peekskill, except one thousand effectives. He also formed a select corps of riflemen, under Colonel Morgan, which was posted at Van Vechten's Bridge, on the Raritan, just above its confluence with the Millstone River, for the purpose of watching the left flank of the British army. He was, on any movement of the enemy, to seize every opportunity to fall on their flank, and to trouble them as much as possible, but not to permit himself to be surrounded, or to allow his retreat to the army to be cut off. General Sullivan was directed to change his position, and occupy the high grounds of Rocky Hill as a place of greater security.
General Howe left two thousand men at New Brunswick under command of General Mathews, and on the morning of the 14th of June he advanced in two columns towards the Delaware, in order to induce Washington to quit his fortified camp and ap- proach that river, that he might bring on a general engagement on ground more advantageous to himself. The first column, under command of Lord Cornwallis, reached Somerset Court-house by break of day, and about the same time the second, under General de Heister, arrived at Middlebush, between Somerville and New Brunswick, on a road cast of that taken by Cornwallis. The feint was unsuccessful, for Washington having his entire army in readiness, upon the first intelligence of their approach posted his whole army with great advantage in order of battle on the heights in front of his camp. He maintained this position during the day, and at night the troops slept on their arms on the ground, in order to prevent surprise. At this juncture the militia of New Jersey, with an alacrity heretofore unexampled
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in the State, took the field in great numbers, principally joining General Sullivan, who had retired behind the Sourland hills, towards Flemington, where a considerable army was forming.
Finding that the American army could not be drawn from its position, General Howe determined to waste no more time in threatening Philadelphia by land, but to withdraw his army from New Jersey, and to embark from the Chesapeake or the Delaware. On the night of the 19th he returned to New Bruns- wick, and on the 22d to Amboy, where he threw over the chan- nel which separates the latter from Staten Island the bridge designed for the Delaware, over which he passed his heavy bag- gage and a few troops to that island, from whence the embarka- tion of his army was to be made.
This retreat was conducted with precipitation, and on their route they burned many of the farmhouses.
General Washington having anticipated the movement from New Brunswick, had made his arrangements to derive some advantages from it. . He detached General Greene with three brigades to fall on the enemy's rear, and to annoy them. Gen- eral Sullivan was ordered to move his division to cooperate with Greene, and Maxwell to fall on the flank of. the enemy. The main army paraded on the heights of Middlebrook and held themselves in readiness to act as circumstances might require. General Morgan, about sunrise, made an attack on the enemy and drove in their picket guard ; the enemy threw themselves into some redoubts, but these they evacuated on the approach of Generals Wayne and Morgan, and commenced their march for Amboy. There was some sharp skirmishing between them and Morgan's regiment, in which the latter acted to the entire satisfaction of their General, but he was disappointed in his hope of gaining any advantage of importance. Sullivan having been unable to come up in time, in consequence of the distance he had to travel, as well as the lateness of the hour at which he received his orders, and the express sent to Maxwell having either been taken or deserted to the enemy, and the rear of the enemy having been stronger than was expected, the force on the lines were unable to make any impression on it, and in conse- quence the retreat to Amboy was accomplished without any
0
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considerable loss. General Washington then advanced six or seven miles from his strong camp at Middlebrook, to Quibble- town, on the road to Amboy. Lord Stirling's division pro- ceeded a few miles further to the neighborhood of Metuchin. General Howe now determined to bring on an engagement, and in the hope of turning the left of the American army and gaining the heights behind them, he recalled the troops which had passed over to Staten Island on the night of the 25th, and early next morning made a rapid movement in two columns towards West- field. Lord Cornwallis, in command of the right, took the route by Woodbridge to Scotch Plains ; Sir William Howe, who accompanied the left in person, marched by Metuchin meeting- house into the rear of the right column. The intention was that the left should take a different route, to attack the left flank of the American army at Quibbletown, while Cornwallis should gain the heights on the left of the camp at Middlebrook. Four battalions, with six pieces of cannon, were detached to take post at Bonhamptown, about five miles from New Brunswick.
The right column of the British having fallen in with some parties detached to watch their motions, near Woodbridge, notice was at once sent to General Washington, through which he discerned his danger, the consequence of which was, the whole army was at once put in motion, and having regained the camp at Middlebrook, they took possession of the heights on the left to prevent their seizure by the enemy. Lord Cornwallis on his route encountered Lord Stirling, between whom a brisk skirmish ensued, the latter being driven from his ground with the loss of three field-pieces and a few men. He retired to the hills about Scotch Plains, and was pursued as far as Westfield, where Cornwallis halted and gave up the pursuit, upon finding the passes in the mountain on the left of the American camp guarded, and in consequence he could not attain his object ; he therefore returned to Amboy through Rahway, and on the 30th of June the whole army crossed over to Staten Island.
When the British army retired from Westfield they were watched by the brigades of Scott and Conway, and the former entered Amboy immediately upon its being evacuated by the enemy, but no opportunity was given during the retreat of attack- ing it to advantage.
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Although Burgoyne had advanced his army towards Ticonde- roga, Washington still thought that the enemy would renew the attempt to cross the Delaware, and in order to be in readiness in case such an attempt should be made, he remained in his camp at Middlebrook; he sent two brigades to Peekskill, and de- spatched Parson's and Varnum's brigades to occupy the post vacated by Burgoyne. The enemy having at length removed from the coast opposite Amboy, relieved his mind from the ap- prehension of a sudden attack on Philadelphia, and he therefore determined upon a change in his position, and removed the main body of the army to Morristown, advancing General Sulli- van as far as Pompton Plains.
Sullivan was next ordered to Peekskill, to prevent Howe from forming a junction with Burgoyne on the Hudson River, and Washington himself proceeded to Pompton Plains, and on the 16th of July to the Clove, where he determined to remain until the objects of the enemy should be fully disclosed. He then ordered the North Carolina troops to stop at Trenton, and directed General Sullivan not to cross the Hudson.
Having learned that the British fleet had put to sea, having on board General Howe and thirty-six battalions of British and Hessians, the fears for the safety of Philadelphia were again aroused in the mind of the Commander-in-Chief, and in July, 1777, he again commenced his march to the Delaware to protect that city, and on the 30th of July the fleet of the enemy appear- ing off the Capes of Delaware, Washington gave orders to con- centrate the forces at Philadelphia ; but the enemy did not stop there, but proceeded eastwardly. Washington having examined the country around Philadelphia, as well as the works below the city, came to the conclusion that the defence of the river should be confined to the fort on Mud Island, and Red Bank, a piece of high ground on the Jersey shore opposite the island. He then determined to march to Coryell's ferry,* in order that he might be sufficiently near Philadelphia, and also that he might readily regain the Hudson River, should it be necessary.
"On the 11th of September, 1777, the third year of the war, was fought the battle of Brandywine, in which the American
* New Hope.
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forces, after a brave resistance, were obliged to yield to superior numbers and discipline, with the loss of about twelve hundred men. In this action the Marquis de Lafayette, a French, and Count Pulaski, a Polish nobleman, both fought on the American side. Lafayette was slightly wounded. General Washington being obliged to retreat, encamped about eighteen miles from Philadelphia; while General Howe took possession of that city."*
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