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©X«D TIMSI
OLD MONMOUTH.
HISTORICAL REMINISCENCES OF
OLD MOETMOUTH COUNTY NEW JERSEY.
Being a series of Historical Sketches relating to Old Monmouth County,
Now Monmouth and Ocean Counties, originally published in
the Monmouth Democrat, Freehold, N. J.
EDWIN SALTER.
Printed at the office of the Monmouth Democrat,
Freehold, N. J.
1874.
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oilmTD a?xiv££3]s;
IN
VI
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t
THE MONMOUTH PATENT.
As tills noted instrument, though famil- iar to those who have made the early his- tory of our State a special study, is not readily accessible to some of our readers, we copy it lu-re for convenient re'"eren('d to all interested in the history of Old Mon- mouth :
"To all whom these jiresents shall ceme: T Richard Nicolis Esq, Oovernor under his Royal Highness the Duke of York of all his Territories in America, send greeting.
•' Whereas there i« a certain tract or par- cel of land within this government, lying and being near Sandy Point, upon the Main ; which said parcel of land hath been with my consent and approbation bought by some of the inhabitants of Giaves«nd upon Long Island of the Sachems (chief proprietors thereof) who before me liav«» acknowledged to have re ceived satisfaction tor the same, to the end that the said land may be planted, mauuie'l and inhabited, and for divers other good causes and consideia lions. 1 have tluHightfit to giv« confirm and grant and by the>.e pr«sents do give confirm and grant unto William Glrlding, Samiei,
SiMCER, RiCIIARU GrlHBONS,/ RiCHARD SxOfT, .1 AMES GrOVER, JOIIV BowX, .loUN TlLTON, NaTHAMEI. SVl.VESTER, Wl!,I,IA.\I ReaI'E,
Walter Clarke, Nicholas Davis, Obadiah Holmes, patentees, and their associates, thpir heirs, successors and assigns, all that tract and part of the main land, beginning at a certain place commonly called or known by the name of Sandy Point and so running along the bay West North West, till it comes to the mouth of the Raritan River, from thence going alon^ the said river to th# wt-stermostpart of the certain marsh land, which divides the river into two parts, and from that part to run in a direct Southwest line into the woods twelve miles, and thence to turn away south east and by south, until it falls into the main ocean; together with all lands, soils, rivers, creeks, harbors, mines, min- erals (Rejal mines e:xcepted) quarries, woods, meadows, pastures marshes, wat- ers, lakes, fishings, hawkings, huntings and fowling, and all other profits, commo- dities and hereditaments to the said lands and premises belonging and appertaining, with their and every of their appurtenances and ofevery part and parcel thereof, to have axd to hold all and singular the said lands, hereditaments and premises with their and every of their appurtenances herebv given and granted, or herein before men- tioned to be given and granted to the only proper use and behoof of the said paten- tees and their associates, their heirs successors and assigns forever, upon such ternts and conditions as here- after are expressed, that is to say,
OLD TfMKS TX OLD MONMorTif.
that the said patentees and their as- sociates, their heirs or assigns slmll within the space of three years, beginning from the day of tlie date hereof, manure and plant the aforesaid land and premises and settle there one. hundred families at the least; in consideration whereof I do promise and grant that the said patentees and their associates, their heirs, succt-ssors and assigns, shall enjoy the said land and premises, with their a[)i)urtenanees, for the term of seven years next to come .iftor the date of these presents, free from payment of any rents, customs, excise, tax or lery ' whatsoever. But after the expiration of tlie said term of seven years, the persons wlio shall be in possession thereof, shall pay after, the same rate which others witliin this his Royal Highness' territories shall be obliged unto. And the said patentees and their associates, their heiis successors and assigns sliall have free leave and liberty to erect and budd tlieir towns and villages in such places, as they in their discretionsshall think most convenient, provided that they associate themselves, and that the hjuses of their towns and villages be not too far distant and scattering one from another; and also that they make such fortifica- tions for their defence against an enemy as may be needful.
'' And I do likewise grant unto the said patentees and their associates, their heirs successors and assigns, and unto any and all other persons, who shall plant and in- habit in any of the land aforesaid that they shall have free liberty of conscience, without any molestation or disturbance whatsoever in their way of worship.
"And I do further grant unto tlie afore- said patentees, their heirs, successors and assigns, that they shall iiav3 liberty to elect l)y the vote of the major part ol' the inhabitants, five or seven other persons of the ablest and discreetest of the said in- habitants, or a greater number of them ( if the patentees, their heirs, successors or as- signs shall s«e cause ) to join with them, and they together, oi- the major part of them, shall have full power and authority, to makesuch peculiar and ))rudentiul laws and constitutions amongst tlie inhabitants for the belter and more orderly governing of them, as to them shall seem meet ; pro- vi(h^d they be not rej)ugnant to the public •aws of tlie government; and they shall also have liberty to try all causes and ac tions of debts and trespasses arising amongst themselves to the valu« of /.en pnuyirf.'i. without apnea], but tlipy mny I'c-
rait the hearing of all criminal matters to the assizes of New York.
'•And furthermore 1 do pi'oinise and grant unto the said patentees and, their associates aforementioned their hfirs, suc- cessors and assigns that tliey shall in all things have equal privileges, freedom and immunitit^s with any of his majesty's sub- jects within this government, these paten tees and tlu-ir associates, tlieir heirs, suc- cessors and assigns rendering and paying such dutii's and acknovrledgments ;is now ar^, or hereafter shall be constituted and established f)y the laws of this government, under obedience of his iioyal Highnoss. his heiri! iind success irs, provided they do ni> way enfringe tlie jjrivileges above specified.
"Given under my hand and seal at Fort James in New York in Manhattan Island the 8th day of April, in the 17th year of the reign of our sovereign lord Charles the Second by tlie grace of God, of Eng- land, Scotlantl, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith &c., and in the year of our Lord dad 106.").
Richard Nicolls.
^'Entered in the o/'/ice of record in New York, the day and year above written.
M.\TTiiiAs NicoM.s, Secretary.'"
About seven years after the date of the above instrument, the following confirma- tions to portions of it were agreed 'o by Governor Cartertt and Council:
Nkw Jersev May liSth 1672.
rjpon the addres.s of James Grover, John Bowne, Richard Hartshorne, Jonathan Flolmes, patentees, and James Ashon and John Hanse, a.%sociates, imj^owerea by 'the patentees and a-ssociates of the towns of Middlctown and Shrewsbuiy, unto the Governor and Council for confirmation of certain jirivileges granted unto them by Colonel Richard Nicolls, as by patent un- der his hand and seal bearing date the SUi (Uiy of April Anno Domini (3ne thousand si.v hundred sixty five, th" Governor and Council do confirm unto thes:ud patentees and associates, these particulars tollowing, being their rights, contained in the afore said patent, viz :
Imprimis: That the said patentees and associates have full power, license and au- thority to dispose of the said lands ex- pressed in the said patent, as to them shall seem meet.
11. That no ministerial power or cler- gyman shall he imposed on among the in- habitants of the said laiul. so as to enforce any that are contrary mindi'il to (•(nitribtile to their nnuntenance.
OLD TJMKS [.V OLD MONMOUTH.
ill. That all realises whatsoever ( crimi- nals excepted ) sh-rfll first have a liearing wiiiiin their cu^nizance, arxl that no ap- jieals unto higher eourts where sentence has been passed amongst them under tiie value of ten pounds be admitted.
JV. That all crirninnls ,ind appeals above the value of ten pounds, which are to be referred unto the afore.'said iiighei' courts, shall receive th«ir fletin-minalion upon appeals to his Majesty, iioi to be hindered. ' V. That for all eomniission officers both civil and militaiy, the iiateutees, as sociates and Freeholders, hav« liljerty to present two for each office to the Governor when they shall think fit, one of which the (iovf-rnor is to (kimrimt^ionule to execute the said office, and that they have liberty to make peculiar prudential laws and consti- tuti(tns amongst themselves according to the tenor of the said patent.
Pii. Carteret. .Tolm Kenney, Lordue Andress, 8amuel Kdsall, Jolin Pike, John Biahop, Council.
The causes which induced the following veiy material modification in the grants ;iu<l privileges to the Monmouth patentees and their associates will be referred to hereafter.
"Directions, instructions and ord"rs made by the late L )rds Proprietors of the prov ince of East New Jersey, to be observed by the Governor, Council and inhabit.nls of the said province, bearing date the 31st day of July, Anno Domini, 1674, amonjjst which there is as followeth, viz: as to in- habitants of Nevisinks, considering tbeir failhfulne.ss to thf Lords Pro[)rietors that upon their petition, their tovrnshij) shall be surveyed and shall be incorporated, and to have equal privileges with other the inhabitants of the Province, and that such of them who were the pretemled patentees and laid out money in purchasing 1 md from the Indians, i^hall have in considera- tion thereof five hundred acres of land to each of tliem to be alloted by the Gov«r nor and Council, in such places that it may not 1)6 prejudicial to the rest of the inhab- itants, and because there is much barren land, after s n-vev taken, the Governor and Council may give t'lem allowance."
OLD MONMOU'i'H DESCRIBED BY AN ANCIENT WRITEIl.
.MlIJI)l,ET0W\, SlIRKH-SIil-RY AND I'RERHOI.D
I.N' 1708. — New Jersev a Paraui.«;e.
We copy the following from the cele- brated but quite rare work ofOldmixon, published in 1708. The Capitals, orthog- raphy and italics are aI>out as in the origi- nal.
After dosciibing Midillesex county, he says : "We cross over the river fi'om Mid- ddlesex into
Monmouth County ; Where we first meet with Middleton a pretty Good Town con- sisting of 100 Families and 30,000 Acres of Ground on what they call here Out Plan- tations. 'Tis about 10 or 12 miles over Land, to the Northward of Shrewsbury and 20 miles to the .Southward of Piscat- tavvay. Not far off, theShoar winds itself about like a TTook and being ?andy gives N«me to all the Bay.
Shrewshury IS i\\e mo.st Southern Town of the Province and reckon'd the chief Town -of the Shire. It contains about IGO Fami lies and 30.000 Acres of OmC Plantations, belonging to its Division. 'Tis situated on the Side of a fresh Water Stream, thence Cidled Shrewsbury River, not far from its Mouth. Between this Town and Mid- dleton is an Iron Work but we flo not un- derstand it has been any great Benefit to the Proprietors. Col. Morris is building a Church at the Falls. There's a new town in the County called
Freehold, which has notbeenlaid outand inhabited lo.,g. It does not contain as yet abWvw 40 Families and as to its Om/! Planta- tions we suppose they are much the ."iame in nnmbei- with the rest and may count it about .30,000 acres.
We have not <Iivided the counties into Parishes and that for a good reason, there l)eing none, nor indeed a Church in the whole Province worth that Name. But there are several Congrejrations of Church of Kuf/land men as at Shrewsbury, Amhoy, Elizabeth Town and Freehotd whose Minis- ter is Mr. John Beak ; his Income is 6.51. a year ; and a Church is building at Salem.
In another place Oldmixon in speaking of the first settlers of New Jersey says :
" We must note that most of the first English Inhabitants in this country (East
OLD TIMES I^^ OLD MONMOUTH.
and West Jersey) were Dessenters, and most of them Quakers an<l Anabaptists. These people are generally industrious ; Be their Ifypocrisy to th«mselves it" they are Hypocrites; but we must do them the .Justice to own tliat they are the fittest to inhabit a n«w discovered Country, as po- { scssinji Industry, and shunning those pub- , lick Vices which beget Idleness an<l Want. Their enemies drove great numbers of th«m out of England, and the Jerseys had their share of them. The People here are for this l\eason Dissenters to this Day. their being but two Church of England Ministers in both Provinces ; and this may be one reason why there are no Parish Churches, which the Inhabitants may be afraid to build, least it might be a temjitation for more Orthodox Divines to come among them.
"A gentleman asking one of theProprie- taries ' If there were no Lawyers in the Jer- seys^ ' Was answered ' No.'' And then ' If there were no Physicians f The Propri- etor replied 'iVo' '■ Nor Parsdnaf adds the Gentleman. ' No,' says the Proprie- tor. Upon which the other crv'd ' What a huppy placf ymist tJiis be and how loorthy the name of Paradice !'' We do not perhaps differ more from this gentleman than we' agree with him."
Oldmixon derived his information of New Jersey from two of the Proi)rietors as will be seen by the following extract from his preface :
" Mr Dockwra and Dr Cox were both so kind as to inform him fully of the Jeiisevs and Mr. Pen did him the same Favor for Pennsylvania ; these three Gentlemen do- ing him the Honor to admit him into their Friendship."
OLD MONMOUTH UNDER THE DUTCH.
Governor Parker, in his valuable address before the New Jersey Historical Society, produced the old town book of Middle- town township, which gives the history of this .section of East Jersey from 1667, to 1702. After tlie Dutch conqicest in 1673, it was stated that little or nothing is recorded in the town book during Ihoir biiof rule of less than a year.
Your readers may remember tiiat the Dutch had the sui)remacy in New York and New Jorsev until 1664. when tlio
English conquered the Dutch. In 1673, a war having agnin broken out between England and Holland, a small Dutch squadron was sent over and arrived at Staten Island, July 30th. Captain Man ning, the English officer temjiorarily in command at New York, surrendered at once without any effort to defend the place and the Dutch again resumed sway over New York, New Jersey and settle- ments along the Delaware. They retained it however only a few months, as by a treaty made in February following, these places were ceded back to England, though the English appear not to have taken formal possession until November following. During this short time while the Dutch were again in authority, em- bracing the time that Governor Parker says the Middletown township book records but little or nothing, the following items relating to Old Monmouth, are found among the official records of the Dutch at New York. The first is an order issued shortly after their arrival ; the orthography is given as we find it :
" The inhabitants of Middletovrn and Shrewsbury, are hereby charged and re- quired to senxl their deputies unto us on Tuestlay morning next, for to tnat with us upon articles of surrendering their said towns under the obedience of their High and Mighty Lords, the States General of tlie saitl United Provinces, and his serene Highness, the Prince of Orange, or by re- fusall we shall be necetsitated to subdue the placos thereunto by force of arms.
" Dated at New Orange this 12th day of August. A. D. 1673.
"CORNELIS EVERTSF, Ir" " J AC015 BeNCKES."
In compliance with the above order, deputies from Shreivsbury. Middletown and other places in East Jt-rsey, apjieareil in court on tht» ISth of August, and upon their verbal request the same privileges were granted to them as to Dutch citizens.
" August 19th 1673. Mi<ldletown, Shrews- bury and otiier towns in Achter Cod. to name two deputies Ciich, who shall nunii- nate three persons for .Schout and three for Secretarys, ou» of whice said nominat- ed per-ons l)y us shall be elected fur fach town, three migestrates and for ilie six towns, one .Schout, and une Secretary. ".lACor. Bknckes."
''CORN'EI.IS EVF.KTSE, Jr."
Achter Coll above mentioned, is said to mean " beyond the hills," that is, beyond Bergen Hiils. The [)utrl! in New York it
OLD TIMES IN OLD MOl^; MOUTH.
is stated sometimes called Old Monmouth and other parts of East Jersey, beyond Bergen Hills, by this name.
" August 23d, 1673. Middletown and Shrewsbury, reported that they had nomi- nated double the number of magistrates.
"August 24th, from the nominations made by the inhabitants, the following were selected and sworn, viz :
"John Hanoe (Hance?), Eliakim War- del, Hugh Dyckman.
" Sept. 6th, 1673. Captain Knyff and Captain Snell were sent to administer the oath of allegiance to the citizens of the various towns in East .Jersey to tlie Dutch.
•' 14th of 7 ber, Captain KnyfF and Li«ut. Snell having returned yesterday from Aghter Coll, report that, pursuant to their commission, they have administered the oath of allegiance in the form herein before set forth, under date of to the inhabi- tants of the undersigned towns, who are found to number as in the lists delivered to Council.
" Elizabethtown 80 men ; 76 took o.ath, rest absent.
Newark 86 " 75 " "
Woodbridge 54'" , 53 "
Piscataway 43 " 43 " "
Middletowu 60 " 52 •' , "
Shrewsbury 68 " 38 '• 18 Quaker)'
promised allegiance, the rest absent."
The following officers of the militia, elected, were sworn in by Captain Knylf and Lieut. Snell, by order of the Council of War, viz :
Middletown, Jonathan Hulmes. Cap- tain ; Jolin Smith, Lieutenant ; Thomas Whitlock, Ensign.
Shrewsbury, William Newman, Cajitain, John Williamson, Lieutenant ; Nicies Brown, Ensign.
''29th, 7 ber, 1673, Notice is this day sent to the Magistrates of the towns, situated at the Nevesin^s, near the sea coast, which tiiey are ordered to publish to their inhabitants, that on the first arrival of any ship from sea, they shall give the Governor the earliest possible information thereof.
"Sept. 7th, 1673, Whereas, the late chosen Magistrates of Shoursbury, are found to be Persons whoes religion Will NotiSufter them to take on any oath, or administer the same to others, whereof th«>y Can Not be tit Persons for tliiit office, I have therefore though fit to order that by ye sd inhabi- tants of ye sd towne a New Nomination, shall be made of four persons of true Pro-
testant Christian religion, oiit of which I shall Elect two, and Continue one of ye former for Magestrates off ye sd towne."
" Dated att ffort William hendrick, this 29th, 7 ber, 1673. A. Colve."
The date 7th ber, in the above extracts, means September, and the persons in Shoursbury [Shrewsbury] who could not take the oath were Quakers.)
"March 8th, 1674, In council At fort Wil- liam Hendrick :
" Read and considered the petition ot Bartholomew Appelgadt, Thomas Appel- gadt and Richard Saddler, requesting in substance that they be allowed to purcliase from the Indians, a tract of land, situated about two lea!*nes on this side of Middle- town, near the Nevesings, fit for settlement of 6 or 8 families &c. Wherefore it was ordered :
"The Petitionees request is allowed anil granted on condition, that after the land be purchased, they take out patents in form for it and actually settle it within the space of two years,' after having effect- ed the purchase, on pain of forfeiture.
"April 18th, 1674, John Bound (Bowne?), and Richard Hartshoorne, residing at Middletown, both for themselves and partners give notice that the land granted to Bartholomew Applegadt, Tho. Apple- gadt and Richard Sadler, in their petition is included in tueir, the Petitioners patent, requesting therefore that the said land may be again denied to said Appelgadt.
" Ordered, That the petitioners shall within six weeks fr®m this date, prove, that the said land is inclu<led within their patent, when further order shall be made in the premises.
" April 19th, 1674, A certain proclama- tion being delivered into Ueuncil from the Magestrates of the Toune of Middletoune, prohibiting all inhabitants from depart- ing out of said toune, unless they give bail to retui-n as soon as their business will have been performed, or they be em- ployed in public service &c., r^qtiesting the Governers approval of the same, which being read and considered, it is resolved and ordered by the Governer General and Council, that no inhabitant can be hinder- ei changing his domicile, within the Province unless arrested foi' lawful cause ; however ordered that no one shall depart from the toune of Middletoune, unless he previously notifies the Magestrates of his intention."'
OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTIL
RANDOM REMINISCENCES
OF THE
EARLY HISTORY OF 01,1) MuNMuUTll.
The Whites Entering Sandy Hook.
The earli(^st accounts vve have of the whites being in the vicinity of Monmouth countv is contained in a letter of John de Verazzano to Francis 1st, King of France. Verazzano entered Sandy Hook -p 'he spring of 1524 in the ship Dolphin. Un his return to Europe, h« wrote a letter dated July 8th, 1524, to the King, giving an account of his voyage from Carolina to New Foundl^nd. From this letter is ex- tracted the following :
"After proceeding a hundred leagues, we found a very pleasaUt situation among some steep hills, tlirough which a very large river, deep at its mouth, forces its way to the sea; from the sea to the estua- ry of the river any ship heavily laden might pass with the helj^ of the tide, which rises eight feet. But as we were riding at good berth we would not ventuie up in our vessel without a knowledge of its mouth; therefore we took a b(iat, and en- tering the river we found the country on its banks well peopled, the inhabitants not differing much from the others, being drei^sed out with featliers of birds of vari ous colors. They caite towards us with evident delight, raising loud shouts of ad mira'ion and showing us where we could most securely land with our boat. We passed up this river about half a league when we found it formed a ra(»st beautiful lake thrc'! leagues in circuit, upon which they were rowing thirty or more of their small l)oat« fr'^m one shore to the otner, filled with multitudes who came to see us. • All of a sudden, as is wont to hit|)p?n in navigation, a violent contrary wind blew in from th;- sea and forced us to return to our ship, greatlv regretting to leave this region which seemed so commodious an<l delightful, and which we i»upp«>sed must ahso contain great riches, as the hills show- ed many indication? of minerals.'
fli.^torians generally concede that the furpgoiui; is the first notice we have of the whitfs entering Sandy Hook, visiting the harbor of New Y rk or ln'ing in the vicin- ity of ohl Monmouth.
ARRIVAL OF .SIR HENRY HUDSON.
In the year 1609, Sir Henry Hudson vi-sited our coast in the yacht or ship Half Moon, a vessel of about eighty tons bur- then. About the last of August he enter- ed the Delaware Bay, but finding th« nav- igation dangerous he soon "left without going ashote. After getiing out to sea ho stood northeastwardly and after awhile liauled in, atjd mads the land probably not tar distant from Great Egg Harbor. — T.'e journal or log book of this vessel was kept by the mate, Alfred Juet. nnd as it contains the first notices of Monmouth county by the whites, remarks about the coun ry, its inhabitants and productions, first binding, ard other interesting matter, an extract is herewith given, commencing with September 2nd. 1609, when the Halt Moon made land near Egg Harbor. The same day, it will be seer, the ship passed Barnegat Iiilel, and at nijiht anchored near the beach within sight of the High- lands.
Their first impres-^^ion of old Monmouth, it will lie seen, was ^' that it is a very gnnd land to full in with, and a pleasant land to i'e'cy" an opinion which in the minds of our peo- ple at the present day show thai good sense and correr t judgment were not lack-^ ing in Sir llen'v Hudson and his fellow- voyagers ! Extract from the Li-g-Bork of the Half Moon.
Sept. 2nd, 1609. — When the sun arose we steered nor h again and saw land from the west by north lo the northwest, all alike, broken islands, and our soundings were eleven fathoms and ten fathoms. — T"ie course along the land we found to be north east. l)v norili. From tiie land wjiich we fiist had sight of until we came to si great ^ake of waier, as vve could judge it to be, {Barnegat Bay,) being drowned land which mude il rise, Ike island'^, which was in length tvn lengues. The m aith of the lake [Ba ncgat Inlet) had mapy sh->als, and the sea breaks upon them as il is cast out of the mouMi of it. And f'om ihnl lHk<' or bay the land lies north by e>;st, and vve had a great stream out of the bay ; and from t^^enc- our sounilings ^-as t<;.i fatii- oms two leagues fVom land, .^t five o'clock we anchored, being light wind, and rode 'in eight fathoms water ; the night wasfnir. This night 1 found the land to haul the com])ass eight degrees. Far to the north- ward of lis we saw high hilLs (Highland f) ;
OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTH.
for the day befoio we found not above two degrees of variation.
This is a very good land to fall in uiili, and a pleasant land to see.
Sept. 3d — The morning misty until ten o'clock ; then it cleared and the wind came to the south southeast, so we weigh- ed and stoo'd northward. 'I'he land is very pleasant and high and bold to fall withal. At three o'clock in the afternoon we cuine to tin ee great rivers \ Narrows., Bockaway Inlet and the Bariian ); so we stood along the northward [Rockaway Inlet,) thintiing to have gone in, but we I'ound it to have a very sho'-il bar before it for we had but ten feet water. Then we cast about to the souihward and found two fathoms, thre* fathoms and three and a quarter, till we came to the so'iihein sideof theni; then we had five and six fathoms and returned in an hour and a half. 80 we . weighed and \yenl in and rode in five fathoms, ooze ground, and saw many salmons and mul- lets and ra\K ve y iri-eat. The hei^jht is 40° 30^ {Latitude.) First Landing tif the Whites in Old Monmouth.
Sept. 4th. — In the morning as soon as the day was liglit, we saw that it was good ri'iing farther up; so we .«<ent our boat to sound, and foui.d that it was a very good Ir-irbor and four or five fathoms, two cable lengths from the shore. Then we weighed and went in with our shij). Then our boui went on land with our net to fish, and caught ten gr«'at mullers of a foot and a h:df long, a pla.ioe and a ray as great as four men could liaul into the ship. 80 we ti'inimed < ui' bo it and rode still all day. — At night the wind ble-w hard ai the nortii- west, and our anclior came home, and we drove on sliore, but took no hurt, and thank God, foi- the ground iss'iftsand and ooze. 'I'liis day the people of tlie country came aboard of us and seemed very glad of our coming, and brought gre<-'n tobacco leaves and gave us of it for knives and beads. They go in deer skins, loose and well dressed. They have yellow copper. They desire clothes and are very civi! — Ttiey have a, great store of maize or Indian wheat, whereof 'hey make good bread. — The country is full of great and tall o»ks.
Sept. .5ih. — In the morning, as soon as the day was light, tlie wind ceased and the ■flo.^d came, "^o we heaved off the shij:) again into five fathoms .'uid sent our boat to sound the bay, and we found that there was three fathoms hard by the southern shore. Our men went on land then and saw a great store of men, women and chil-
dren, who gave them tobacco at their com- ing on lai d. So they went up into the woods and saw a great store of very goodly oaks and some curraVits, ( prohahly huckle- berries). For one of them came on board antl brought some dried, and gave me some, which were sweet and good. This day many of the people came on board, some in mantles of feathers, and some in skins of divers sorls of good fur.s. Some women also came with hemp. 'They had red coi> per tobacco pipes, and other things of cop- per they did wear about their necks. At night they went on land again, so we rode very quiet but durst not trust them. TIte First White Man Killed.
Sunday, Sept. 6th.— In the morning was fair weather, and our master sent John Colman, with four other men, in uur boat over to the North side to sound the other river ( AWj-om-'s ), being four leagues from us. They found by the way shoal water, being two ;athonis ; but at the north of the river, eighteen and twenty fathoms, and very good riding for ships, and a very narrow river to the westward between two islnnds ^ Staten Islaiul and Bergen Point.) — T.ie land they told us, was as pleasant with grass and flowers anil goodly trees as ever they iiad seen, and here very sweet smells came from them. So they went in two leagues and saw an open sea ( Neivark Bag), and returned, and as they came back they ♦vere set upon by two canoes, the one hav- ing twelve men and the other fourteen men. The night cume on and if began to rain, so that their match went out; and they had one man slain in the fight, which was an EngMshman named John Colman. with an arrow shot in his throat, and two more hurt. It grew so dark that they could not find the ship that night, but la- bored ^o and fro on their oars. They had so great a strain that their grapnel would not liold them.
Sept. 7th. — Was fair, and by ten o'clock they returned aboard the ship and brought, our dead m-^n with them, whom we carried on land and buried and named the point after liis name, C'olman's Point Then we hois' ed in oitr boat and raised her side with Waist boards, for defence of our men. So we rode still all night, having good re- gard for our watch.
Sept. 8th. — Was very fair weather; we rode still ver\ quietly. The people came aboard of us and brought tobacco and In- dian wheat, to exchange for knives and beads and offered us no violence. So we fitting up our boat did mark them to see
OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTH.
if they would make any show of the death of our man, which they did not.'
Sept. 9th. — Fair weather. In the morn- ing two great canoes came aboard full of men ; the one with their bows and arrows, and the other in show of buying knives, to betray us; but we perceived their intent. We took two of them to have kept them, and put red coats on them, and would not suffer the others to come near us. So they went on land and iwo ■others came aboard in a canoe ; we took tne one and let the other go : but he which we had taken got up and leaped overboard. Then we weigh- ed and went off nito the chanriftl of the river and aLchored there all night.
The foregoing is all of the log-book of Juet that relates to Monmouth county. — The next morning the Half Moon proceed- ed up the North River, and on her return passed out to sea without stopping.
In the extract given above, the words in italics are not of course in the original, but are underscored as explanatory
THE COMING OF THE WHITE MAN.
What the Indians thought of the Whites and their ships. — The Natives Astonish- ed.— The Man in Red and the Red Man. — Fire Water and its F'irst Indian Vic- tim.—The First In<lians Drunk, &c. Af er Sir Henry Hudson's departure from til* shores of Monmouth he j)ioceed- ed towards Manhattan Island and thence up the river now bearing his name. The following traditionary account, the coming of the Whites according to Heckwelder. was handed down among both Delaware and Iroquois Indians. It is not often we meet in fact or fiction a more interesting story than 'his plain, simple Indian tradi- tion. After explaining that ihe Indian chief:^ of old Monmouth County, notifiea the chiefs on York or Manhattan Island, and that the cniefs of the surrounding country finally gathered at tlie last named place to give a I'ormal reception, the tradi- tion says :
A long time ago oetore men with a white skin had ever been seen, some Indians fishing iit a place wh>-re the sea widens, espied something at a distance moving upon the water. They hurried ashore, colle(!led their neighbors, who togetlier returned and viewed intently this aston- ishing phenomenon. What it could be
baflHed conjecture. Some supposed it to be a large fish or other animal, others that it was a large house floating upon the se-\. Perceiving it moving towards the land, the spectators concluded that it would be proper to send runners in different direc- tions t* carry the news to their scattered chiefs, that ihey might send off for the im- mediate attendance of their wariiors. — These arrived in numbers to beiiold the sight, and perceivinti that it was actually moving towards them, that it was coming into the river or bay, ttiey conjectured that It must be a remarkably large house in which the ManiU& or Great Spirit was coming to visit them. They were much al'raid and yet under no apprehen?ion that the Great Spirit would injure them. They worshipped him. The chiefs now assem- bled at New York Island and consulted in what rrumuei' they should receive their Manitto; meat was prepared (or a sncri lice. The women were directed to prepare their best victtials. Idols or images were examined and put in order. A grand dan.-e they thought would be pleasing, and in addition to the sacrifice might ap- pease him if hungry. The conjuror.s were also set t'M work to determine what this phenomenon portended and what the result would be. To tlie conjurors, men, women and children looked lor protection. Ut- terly at a loss what to do, and distracted alternately between hope and ftar, in the confusion a grand dance commerced. — Meantime fresh runners arrived, declaring it to be a great house of various colors and 'uU of living creatures. It now appeared tliat It was their Manitto, probably bring- ing some new kind of game. Others ar- riving df-chired ii positively full of people of different color and dress from theirs, ami that one appeared altogether in red. ( This was sujiposed to be Sir Henry Hud- son.) This then must be the Manitto. — They were lost in admiration, could not imagine what the vessel was, whence it came, or what all tliis portended. They are now hailed from the vessel in a Ian guage they could not understand. They answered by a shout or yell in their way. The house or large canoe as some call it, stojas. A smaller cai1>oe comes on shore with the red man in it; some stay by the canoe to guard it. The thief and wise men form a circb into which the red man and two attendants enter. He salutes them with friendly countenance, and they return the salute nfier their manner. — They are amazed at their color and dress,
()ldtimp:s in old monmoutii.
paiticuhu'ly with him, who glitteiing in I'ed wore Bomething, perhaps lace and but- tons, they could not comprehend. He must be the great Manittu, they thought, but why should he have a white skin ?
A large elegant Hockhack ( gourd, i. e. l)ot(le, decanter, &c.,) is brought by one of the supposed Manitlo's servants, from which a substance is placed into smaller cups or glasses and handed to tlie Manitto. Me drinks, lias the irlasses refilled and handed to the chief near him. He takes it, smells it, and passes it to the next, who does the same. The glass in this manner is p.Tssed around the ciiMe and is about to be returned to the red clothes man, when one of the Indians, a great warrior, har- angues them on ihe impropriety of return- ing the cup unemptied. It was handed to them, he said, by the Manitto, to drink out of as he had. To follow his example would please him — to reject might provoke his wrath; and if no one else would he would drink it himself, let what would fol- low, for it were better tor one man to die, than a whole nation to be destroyed. He then took the glass, smelled it, again ad- dressed them, bidding adieu, and drank its contents. All eyes are now fixed upon tlie first Indian in New York, who had "tasted the poison, which has since effected so signal a revolution in the condition of the native Americans He soon began to stag- ger. Thfl women cried, supposing him in fits. He rolled on the ground ; they be- moan his f-ile ; they thought him dying; he fell asleep ; they at first thought he had expired, but soon perceived he still breath- ed ; he awoke, jumped up, and <leclared he never felt more liappy. He asked for more, and the whole assemljly imitating him became intoxicated. While this m- toxication lasted, the whites confaned themselves to their vessels ; after it ceased, the man with the red clothes returned and distributed beads, axes, hoes and stockings. They soon became familiar, and conversed by sii/ns. The whites made them understand that they would now return home, but the next year they would visit them again with presents, and stay with them awhile; but as that they could not live without eating, they should then want a little land to sow seeds, in order to raise herbs to put in their broth.
Accordingly a vessel arrived the season following, when they were much rejoiced to see each other; but the whites laughed when they saw axes and hoes hanging as ornaments to their breasts, and the stock-
ings used as tobacco pouches. The whites now put handles in the axes and hoes and cut down trees before their eyes, dug the ground, and showed them the use of stock- ings. Here, say the Indians, a general laugh ensued — to think they had remain- ed ignorant of the use of these things, and had borne so long such heavy metals sus- pended around tlieir necks. Familiarity daily increasing between them and the whites — the latter prepared to stay with them — asking them only for so much land as the hide of a bullock spread before them would cover; they granted the, request. — The whites then took a knife, and, begin- ning at a plane on the hide, cut it up into a rope not thicker than the finger of a lit- tle child. They then took the rope and drew it gently along in a circular form, and took in a large piece of ground ; the Indians were surprised at their superior wit, but they did not contend with them for a little ground, as they had enough. — They lived contentedly together for a long time, but the new comers from time to time asked for more land, which was read- ily obtained, and thus gradually proceeded higher up the Makicannittuck [Hudson River), lantil they began to believe they would want all their country, which proved eventually to be the case.
The name which the Indians first gave to the whites was Woapsiel Lennape, which signified white people. But in process of time, when disagreeable events occurred between them, the Indians laid aside this name and called Lhem Sckwonnack — the salt people — because they came across the salt water ; and this name was always after apjilied to the whites.
The foregoing traditions are said to have been handed down among both Delaware and Iroquois. It has also been said that th^ Indian name for the Island upon which New York is situated ( Manhattan ) is de- rived from a word signifying '• the place where we all got drunk together." Home New York writers take umbrage in this statement, and say the drunken scene oc- curred up the river ; but the exact place where it occurred is immaterial. Perhaps ' some may think the city has since that time fairly earned that name ! Ancient writers testify that the first Indians who drank liquor generally became intoxicated by one drink, by two at most.
The Delawares owned and were spread over the whole country, from New York Island to the Potomac. They say they had a great many towns, among other
10
OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTH.
places a number on the Lennapewihittack or Delaware river, and a great many in Sheyichbi on that part of the country now named Jersey. That a place named Chi- cAoAacJ, now "Trenton, on the Lannape- wihittuck a large Indian town had been for many years together, where their great chief resided. The Delawares say Chick- ohacki is a place on the east side of the Delaware river above Pbdadelphia, at or near a great bend where the white people have since built a town which they call Trenton. Their old town was on a high bluff, which was always tumbling down, wherefore the town was called Chieho- hacki, which is lumbling banks, or falling banks.
When the Europeans first arrived at York Island'the Great Unami, chief of the : Turtle tribe, resided southward across a large stream or where Amboy now is. — That from this town a very long sand bar (Sandy Hook) extended far into the sea. That at Amboy and all the way up and down their large rivers and bays and on /?reat islands they had towns when the Europeans first arrived, and 'that it was their forefathers who first discovered the Europeans on their travel, and wlio met them on York Island after they landed.
SIR HENRY HUDSON'S VISIT 10 OLD MONMOUTH. ■
A celebrated historian, in speaking of Hudson's visit to Monmouth County and vicinity in September, 1609, says :
'* For a vreek Hudson lingered in (he U:)wer bay, admiring the goodly oaks wliich garnished the neighboring shores, and holding frequent intercourse with the native savaiies of Monmouth, N. J. The Half Moon visited in return by tiie wan- dering Indians, who flocked on board the strange vessel, clothed with niantles of feathers and robes of furs and adorned with rude copper necklaces. Meanwhik^. a boat's crew was sent to sound the river which opened to the northward. Passing through the Narrows they found a noble liarbor with very good riding for ships ; a little further on they came to the Kills between Staten Island and Bergen Neck — a narrow river to the westward between two islands. Thw lands on both sides were as pleasant with grass and flowers and goodly trees as ever they had seen.
and very sweet smells came from them. Six miles up the river they came' to an open sea, now known as Newark Bay. In the evening, as the boat was returning to the ship, the exploring party was set upon by two canoes full of savages, and one of the English sailors, named John Colman. was killed by an arrow shot into his throat. The next day Hudson buried, upon an adjacent beach, the comrade who had shared the dangers of his polar ad- ventures, to become the first European victim to an Indian weapon, in the placid waters he had now reached. To coru mem'orate the ev^nt, ■ Sandy Hook was ^ amed Colman's Point. The ship was soon visited by canoes full of native war- riors ; but Hudson, suspecting their good faith, took two savages, put red coats on them, while the rest were not suffered to approach.'"
In regard to the place where Colman was buried, most writers have taken it for granted that it was Sandy Hook, and one that it was Coney Island. But mere is much plausibility in tiie fallowing, from a paper published many years ago in the Proceedings of the New Jersey Historical Society :
" Dr. Strong, in his Histoi-y of Flalbusli. supposes Colman's Point to be Coney Island^ and t4iat Colman had been corrupted into Coney, but (in the opinion of the writer of this paper), it is a point about seven miles west ofS.»ndy Hook, called by the Indians Mones-conk. and on Gordon's map called Point Comfort. Hudson, on the fifihof September, removed from his anchorage in the Horse Shoe, not counting it safe to remain there. A strong northwest wind had the night previous brought home the anchor and driven them ashore In the morning, having got off without injury, he sent the boat to sound the bay and found three fathoms hard by the Southern shore. If, then, he left the Horse Shoe, as it is probaV)Ie, there is no such roadstead as that described, with three fathoms hard by the southern shore, untd we reach the bay between Point Comfort and Brown's Point, where the steaKiboatR now land. The waters and a part of the shore in thi^ vicinity were called by tlie Indians Chin- garora — pronounced Shingarora — a name which ought by all means to have distin- guished the flourishmg village .{idjaeent, instead of the uncouth name of Keyport."
The paper f'lom which the foregoing ex- tract was made, was furnished to the N. J. Historical Society by the Rev. Mr. Mar-
OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTH.
11
cellus. well known to the older citizens of Freehold, who took great interest in all matters j^iertaining to the early history of Old Monmouth, and whose decease was not only regretted by an extensive circle of person il friends, but by every peison interested in the early history of our state, cognizant of hi'' earnest efibrts to rescue from oblivion the fading records of the pioneers of Old Monmouth.
In commenting upon Hudson's first landing, Mr. Marcelius says :
" The firsr interview with Hudson and his crew presented an interestingspectacle —a grand subject for a painter. The Indians had never before seen a ship. The complexion of the men, their dress, language and manners, the sails nnd tack- ling of the ship — the vastness of the vessel itself — all was wonderful."
The fourth of September, 1609, is a memorable day in the annals of our state, as on that day, on the soil of Monmouth, occurred the first landing ofwhitesin New Jersey.
'i'vvo days before- this — that is, on Sep- tember 2nd — Sir Henry Hudson sailed near the inlet now known as Jiarnegat Inlet. The loy: book of his ship speaks of the sea breaking upon its 'shoals, and from this it derive'* its name. The first Dutch exjjlorers named it on their chart '■ Barende-gat," meani^ig " breakers inlet," or an inlet with breakers. Barende-gat was gradually corrupted to Barndegat, Bardegf't, and finally to Barnegat.
RANDOM REMINISCENCES
OE THE
EARLY HISTORY OP ObD MONMOUTH.
TRAVELLING TWO CENTURjES AGO.
Distinguished Quakers Visit Old Mon- mouth.
Crossing the State in Ancient Times — Per- ilous Travelling — Indian Hotels and Hospitalities — Singular Accident and Remarkable Recovery— Friends' Meet- ing, in Middletown and Shrewsbury — Purgatory in Old Monmouth — Where was it ? — Novel Life Preservers, &c.
It is dovibtful if any more ancient ac- counts of travelling across New Jersey can be found than the following, extracted from the journals of John Burnyeate and George Fox, distinguished members of the Society of Friends ; in company with them were Robert Withers, George Patison and others, some of whoHi returned by the same route a few months afterwards. — These noted Quaker preachers left Mary- land in the latter part of February, 1672, and arrived at New Castle, Delaware, about the first of March. From thence Burnyeate gives the following account of their journey across the State to Middle- town : .
" We staid there (New Castle) that night, and the next day we got over the river (Delaware). When we got over we could not get an Indian for a guide, and the Dutchman we had hired would not go without an Indian, so we were forced to stay there that day. The next day we rode about to seek an Indian, but could get none to go ; but late in the evening there came some from the other side ol the town, and we hired one, and so began our journeying early the next morning to travel through the country, which is now called New Jersey ; and we travelled we supposed nearly forty miles. In the even- ing we got to a few Indian wigwams, which are their houses ; we saw no man nor wo man, house nor dwelling, that day, for there^welt no English in that country then.
'' We lodged that night in an Indian wigwam, and lay upon the ground as the Indians themselves did, and the next day we travelled through several of their towns, and they were kind to use, and helped us over the creeks with their canoes ; we made our horses swim at the sides of the canoes, and so travelled on. Towards evening we got to an Indian town, and when we had put our horses out to grass we went to the Indian King's house, who received us kindly, and showed us very civil respect. But alas ! he was so poorly provided, having got so little that day, that most of us coi^ld neither get to eat or drink "in his wigwam ; but it was because he had it not — so we lay as well as he, up- on the ground — only a mat under us, and a piece of wood or any such thing under our heads. Next morning early we jtook
12
OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTH.
horse and trav*llefl through several Indian towns, and that night we lodged in the woods ; and the next morning go^ to an English plantation, a town called Middletown. in East Jersey, where there was a plantation of English and several Friends, and we came down with a Friend to his house near the water-side, and he carried us over in his boat and our horses *.o Long Island.'"
Though Burnyeate says " there dw*lt no English in that country then " it must hot be inferreoi that the Europeans at this time had no settlements in* West Jersey. The settlements there were near the Del- aware river ; Btirnyeate, Fox and their companions had to travel inland some dis- tance from the Delaware so as to be able the more easily to cross the head of streams which empty into that river.
These Friends were travelling in great haste to get to a half yearly meeting at Oyst«r Bay, L. I., " to settle som» difficul- ties there, which was the cause of our hard travelling." Crossing the State then in three or four days was considered fast travelling.
GEORGE FOX VISITS MIDDLETOWN AND SHREW«r,URY.
The following is George Fox's account of the same journey and also of his return trip.
" We departed thence from New Castle, Del., and got over ttie river not without great danger of some of our lives. <iVhen we were got over we were troubled to pro cure guides ; which were hard to get and very changeable. Then had we that wilderi\ess to pass through since called West Jersey not then inhabited by Eng- lish ; so that we have travelled a whole d<»y together without seeing man or wo- man, house or dwelling place. Sometirnes we lay in the woods by a fire and some- t;me in the Indians' wigwams or houses. We came one night to an Indian town and lay at the king's house, who was a very pretty man. Both he and his wife received us very lovingly and liis attend- ants (such as they were) were very respect- ful to us. They laid us mats to lie on ; but provision was very short with them, having caught but little that day. At another Indian town where we staid the king came to us and he could speak some English. I spoke to him much and als >
to his people, and they were very loving to us. At length we came to Middletown, an En^rlish plantation in East Jeisey, and there were friend^ there, but we could not stay to have a meotinL' at that time, being so earnestly pres'-ed in our spirits to get to the half yearly meeting of Friends of Oyster Bay, Long Island, which was near at hand. We went with a friend, Richard Hartshorne, brother t -> Hugh Hartshorne. the tipholster in Tondon, who received us gladly to his liouse, where we refreshed ourselves and then he carried us and our horses in h'r- own boat over a great water, which held us most part of the d.iy in get- ting over, and set us upon Long Island.'"
From thence Fox proceedt-d to Graves- end, L. I. In -lune tollr»wing he returned to New Jersey. Of his return tri]> he writes as follows :
" Being clear of this place we hired a sloop and the wind serving set out for the new country now called Jersey. Passing down the bay by Conny Island, Naton Is- land and Stratton Ish'.nd we came to Richard Hartshornu at Middleton harbor about bi-eak of day on the 27ih of sixth month. Next day ve rode abo;it 'hirty miles into that country tlirougli the woods and over very l>ad bogs, on« worse than all the rest, the descent into which wa- so steep that we were fain to slide down with our horses and then let th»m lie and breathe themselves before thev go on.^ — This place, the people of the place called Purgatory. We got at length to Shrews- bury in East Jer.5ey, and on First day had a precious meeting there, to whi(;h Friends and other people came far, and the bles>ed presence of the Lord was with us. The same week we had a men and women's meeting out of most parts of New Jersey. They are building a m<'eting place in the midst <'f them, and there is a monthly and a general raeeti..g set up, which will be of great service in those parts, in keeping up the gospel order and government of Christ Jesus, of the increase of which thf^re is no end, that they who are faithful may see that all who profess the holy truth liv<^ in pure religion and walk as hecometh the gospel. While we were at .Shrewsbury an accident befel which for a time was a great exercise to us.
John Jay, a friend of Barbadoes who came with us from Rhode Island and in- tended to accompany us through the woods to Maryland, being to try a horse, got upon his back and the horse fell a run- ning, cast him down upon his head and
OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTH.
13
broke his neck as the peaple said. Those that were near him took him up as dead, carried him a good way and hiid him on a tree. I got to him as soon I could and feel- ing liim, concluded he was dead. As I stood pitying him and his family I took hold of his hair and his head turned any way, his neck was so limber. Whereupon I took his head in both my hands and setting my knees against the tree I raised his head and perceived there was nothing out or broken that way. Then I j^ut one hand under his chin and the other behiud hio head and raised his head two or three times with all my strength and brought it in. I soon perceived his neck began to i;row stiff again and then he began to rattle in his throat an ■ quietlj' after to breathe. The people were amazed hui I bade them have a .jood heart, be of good faith and carry him into the house. They did so and set him by the fire. I bid them get tiim something warm to drink and put him to bed. After he\had been in the linuse a while he begifn to speak, but di i not know where he had been. The next day we passed away and he with us, pretty well, about sixteen miles to a meeting at Middletown through woods and' bogs and over a river wliere we swam our houses and got over ourselves upon a hollow tree. Many hundred miles did lie travel with us after this.
To this meeting came most of tb© people of the town. A glorious meeting we had and the truth was over all, blessed be the gret Lord God forever. After the meeting we went to Middletown harbor about five miles, in order to take our long journey next morning through the woods towards Maryland, having hired Indians for our guides. I determined to pass through the woods on the other side of the Delaware that we might head the creeks and rivers ;is much as possible. The ninth of seventh month we set forward, passed through many Indian towns and over some rivers and bogs. When we had rid over forty miis we made a fire at night and lay by it. As we came among the Inians we declared the day of the Lord to them. Next day we travelled fifty miles as we computed, and at night finding an old house, which the Indians had forced th^ people to leave, we raad« a fire and lay there at the head of Delaware bay. The , ext day we swam our horses over a river about a mile, at twice, first to an Island called Upper Dini- dock and thence to the main land, having
hired Indians to help us over in their canoes."
The island called by Fox Upper Dmi- denk is now known as Burlington Island; it was formerly called Matinicunk, which name Fox has misunderstood. He also calls the Delaware river here Delaware bay as he does in other places. By his journal it would seem no whites at that time lived at Burlington though a few whites had lived there and in the vicinity many years before.
It is impossible to read the accounts of travelling at this early period without being forcibly reminded of the contrast in travelling ih«n and now. Many of the Quaker preachers speak of crossing streams in frail Indian canoes, with their horses swimming by their side ; and one, the fearless, zealous John Richardson, (so noted among among other things for his controversies with " the apostaie George Keith") in substance recommends, in travelling across New Jersey, " for safety, travellers' horses should have long tails." The reason for this singular suggestion was that in crossing streams the frail canoes were often capsized, and if the traveller could not swim, he might prob- ably preserve his life by grasping his horse's taik Mr. Richardson describes how one man's life was preserved by this novel life preserver ; in this case the life- preserver being the long tail of Mr. R.'s own horse ; and in commenting upon it he quaintly observes " that he always ap- proved horses' tails being long in crossing rivers."
Long before Fox and Burnyeate crossed the state the whites, part'cularly the Dutch, frequently crossed our state by In- dian paths, in going to and fro between the settlements on the Delaware and New Amsterdam (New York), though they have left but meagre accounts of their journeyings, and their are strontr probabili- ties that the Dutch from New Amsterdam, after furs and searching for minerals, crossed the state as far as Burlington Is- land, Trenton, and points far up the Dela- ware from forty to fifty years before the trip of these Quaker preachers.
That their journeyings were not always safe, is shown in the following extract of a letter written by Jacob Alricks, Septem- ber 20th, 1669 :
" The Indians have again killed three or four Dutchmen, and no person can go through ; one messenger who was eight
14
OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTH.
days out returned without accomplishing his purpose."
The next day he writes :
I have sent off messenger after messen- ger to the Manhattans overland, but no one can get through, as the Indians there have again killed four Dutchmen.
At the time of writing these letters Alricks resided in Delaware, and they were addressed to the Dutch authorities at New York.
CONFISCATION IN THE REVOLUTION.
Loyalists of Frebhold, Middletown,
Shrewsbury, Upper Freehold and
Dover.
The sales of property in New Jersey ad- judged to be confiscated during the war, appear to have been in accordance witli the act of the Legislature, April 18th, 1778, entitled '' An Act for taking charge of or leasing the real estates and for forfeiting the persona! estates of certain fugitives and offenders, <fec."
We give below a copy of an official ad vertisement of property to l.s sold in old Monmouth under this act. While among the names are found some who were quite noted for their services inider the British, of whom mention is made in another chap- ter, yet there are probably several, who, because of conscientious scruples against war and to avoid being drafted, left the county and sought refuge in the British lines on Long Island or New York. This was probably the case in the township of Shrewsbury where Quakers were quite nu- merous. How the Quakers fared who stayed at home and risked drafting may be inferred from an extract, which we pro- pose to give hereafter, describing drafting in Burlington county.
During the course of the war it would seem that almost every man in the county capable of bearing arms, except Quakers, took an active part in the fearful strife on one side or the other.
As an evidence of how not only neigh- bor was arrayed against neighbor but rela- tive against relative, it is only necessary to compare the names in this advertisement, with the names given in the list of the Monmouth militia. Not only are old fami-
lies represented on both sides, but in some cases persons of the same name are promi- nent on both sides ; for instance, Elisha Laurence, mentioned below, was a Colonel in the Loyalists, while anothei' Elisha Law- rence, was a Lieutenant Colonel on the American side.
Most of the persons mentioned below were of the most honorable class of tories, or loyalists, as they called themselves — persons of education, wealth and standing, and for that very reason their activities in and advocacy of the British cause was very injurious to the Americans, so much so that it is said that at one time in the early part of the war the Refugees gained the ascendancy and had possession of Freehold village for about a week or ten days and we find that about Nov., 1776, General Washington "found it necessary to detach Colonel Forman of the New Jersey militia to suppress an insurrection which threat, ened to break out in Monmouth county, where great numbers were well disposed to the Royal cause."
'^Monmouth Cou7ity,ss: Whereas inqui- sition havf been found and final judgment entered thereon in favor of the State of New Jersey against persons herein men- tioned— Notice is hereby given that the real and personal estates belonginu' to Sam- uel Osburn, Thomas Leonard, Hendrick Van Mater, John Throckmorton, Daniel Van Mater, Jo'm Longstreet jr, Alexander' Clark, Joseph Clayton, Israel Britton, John Oweson, John Thompson, Thomas Bills and Benzeor Hinkson, all of thf' township of Freehold, will be sold at ^"ree- hold Court House, beginning on Wednes- day the 17th day of March next and con- tinue from day to day until all are sold.
"ThomHs Crowel, George Taylor jr, James Stillvell, John Mount, boatman. Conrad Hendricks, Joseph Baley, John Cottrell, Richard Cole, Samuel Smith, John Bown, James Pew, Thomas Thorne, Ezekiel Tilton, Joseph Taylor, John Til- ton, of Middletown and William Smith of Middlesex having lands in said 'own, will be sold at public vendue, beginning on Monday tin* 22nd day of March next at the house of Cornelius Swart and continue from dav to day until sold.
'* John Taylor and William Walton at New York but having property in Shrews bury, John Williams, Christopher Talman, John Wartiell, Michael Price, James Mount, John Williams, Jr., John Pintard, Clayton Tilton, Samuel Cook, James Boggs, James Curlis, Asael Chandler,
OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTH.
16
John Morris, William Price, Robert Mor- ris, Peter Vannote, James Price, John and Morford Taylor, John Hankinson, Timo- thy Scobey, William Laurence, Peter War- del, Oliver Talman, Richard Lippencott, Josiah White, Benjamin WooUey, Eben- ezer Wardell, Robert Stout, Nathaniel Parker, John Hampton, Samuel Layton, Jacob Harber, Samuel Layton, Jacob Em mons, Britton White, Tobias Kiker and Daniel Lafetter, (Lafetra?), late of the township of Shrewsbury, and Garnadus Beekman of New York, having property in said township, will be sold at public vendue, beginning on Monday the 29th of March at Tinton Falls and continue from day to day until ail are sold.
'* John Leonard, Grisbert Giberson, Sam- uel Stillweli, Barzilla, Joseph, Thomas, William and SamuelGrover, John Horner, Fuller Horner, John Perine, William Gi- berson, Jr., Mallakeath Giberson, John Polhemus, Jr.. Benjamin Giberson, Sam- uel Oakerson, EHsha Laurence and /Jotin Laurence sons of John, late of Upper Frei-hold and Isaac Allen late of Trenton, will be sold at public vendue beginning on Monday the 5th day of April next at Walls Mills and continue until all are soil.
" John Irons and David Smith, of the township of Dover, will be sold ai Free- hold Court House at the time of sales there.
"The two emissions called in and bank notes will be taken in pay. No.credit will be given. The sale will begin at 9 o'clock each day. Also deeds made to the pur- cliasers agreeable to act of Assembly by " Samuj^l Forman " Joseph Laurence " Kenneth Hankinson
" Commissioners.
" February 17th. 1779."
CAPTAIN WILLIAM CUNNINGHAM.
How American prisoners were treated by the British at New York. H(>rrible con- fession by the British Provost Marshal. The following is copied from the Ameri- can Apollo, February 17th, 1792. In it will be found some startling confessions, show- ing how hellish wag the treatment of our ancestors who were confined as prisoners in New York during the Revolution by this fiend in human shape. It furnishes
another reason why our forefathers so de- tested the British. It will amply repay perusal. Captain Joshua Huddy, and many other old Monmouth patriots, were for a time in this villain's charge : " The life, confession, and last dying words of Captain William Cunningham, former- ly British provost marshal in the city of New York, who was executed in London the lOth of August, 1791. " I, William Cunningham, was born in Dublin barracks in the year 1738. My father was trumpeter to the Blue Dragoons, and at the age of 8 years I was placed with an officer as his servant, in which station I continued until I was 16, and being a great proficient in horsemanship, was tak- en as an assistant to the riding master of the troop, and in the year 1761 was made sergeant of dragoons, but the peace com- ing the year following, I was disbanded. — Being bred to no profession, I took up with a woman who kept a gin shop in a blind alley near the Coal Quay ; but the iiouse being searched for stolen goods and my doxy taken to Newgate, I thought it most prudent to decamp ; accordingly set off for the North and arrived at Drogheda, where in a few months <?fter 1 married the daughter of an exciseman by whom 1 had three sons.
" About the year 1772 we removed to Newry where I commenced the profession of scowbanker, which is the enticing of mechanics and country people to ship themselves for America on promises of great advantage, and then artfully getting an indenture upon them ; in consequence of which, on their arrival in America, they are sold or obliged to serve a term of years for their passage. I embarked at Newry in the ship Needham, for New York, and arrived in that port the 4th day of August, 1774, with some indented servants I kid- napped in Ireland, but who were liberated in New York on account of the bad usage they received from me during the passage. In that city I used the profession ot break- ing horses and teaching ladies and gentle- men to ride, but rendering myself obnox- ious to the citizens in their infant struggles for freedom, I was obliged to fly on board the Asia man of war, and from thence to Boston, where my own opposition to the measures pursued by the Americans in suoport of their rights, was the first thing that recommended me to General Gage ; and when the war commenced I was ap- pointed provost marshal to the royal army^
16
OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTH.
which phxced me in a situation to w^reak my vengeance on the Americans. I shud- der to think of the murders I have been acces- sory to, both ivith and without orders from gov- ernment, especially while in New York, during which time there were more than two thousand prisoners starved in the difi'erent churches by stopping their rations, lohich I sold.
" There were also two hundred and sev- enty-five American prisoners and obnox- ious persons executed, out of which num- ber there w«re only about one dozen pub- lic «xecutions, which chiefly consisted of British and Hessian deserters. The mode of private executions was thus conducted : A guard was disp'atched from the provost about half after twelve at night to the Barrack street, and the neighborhood of the uj^per barracks, to order the people to shut their window shutters and put out their lights, forbidding them at the same time to i)resume to look out of their win- dows and doors on pain of death, aftc^r which, the unfortunate prisoners were con- ducted, gagged, just behind the upper bar- racks and hung without ceremony and there buried by the black pioneer of th@ provost.
'* At the end of the war I returned to England with the army and settled in Wales, as being a cheajier place of living than in any of the populous cities, but being at length persuaded to go to Lon don, I entered so warmly into thy dissipa- tion of the capital, that I soon found my circumstances much embarrassed, to relieve which I mortgaged my half pay to an army agent, but that being soon expended, I forged a draft for three hundred pounds sterling on the board of ordnance, but be- ing detected in presenting it for accept- ance, I was apprehended, tried and con- victed, and for that offence am here to suffer an ignominious death.
"I beg the prayers of all good christians, and also pardon and forgivness of God for the many horrid murders I have been ac- cessory to.
'' William Cunningham."
THE ATTACK ON TOMS RIVER.
Burning of the village. Capture of Cap- tain Joshua Huddy. A day of horrors. In giving an account of this affair we shall first coi)y a brief statement from Have's Collections, the editor of which
visited- the place in 1842 in search of his- torical information relating to oiden times in Old Monmouth:
" In the American Revolution, a rude fort or blockhouse was erected a short dis- tance north ol the bridge, at the village of Toms River, on a hill about a hundred yatds east of the road to Freehold, on land now belonging to the heir.s of Elijah Robbins, deceased. In the latter part of the war, this blockhouse was attacked by a superior force of the enemy. Its com- mander. Captain Joshua Huddy, most gal- lantly delended it until his ammunition was expended and no alternative but sur- render left After the little brave garrison was in their power, it is said they deliber- ately murdered^five men asking for quai- ters. From thence Captain Huddy, Jus- tice Randolph, and the remaining prison- ers were taken to New York, where, suffer- ing the various progressions of bai'barity inflicted upon those destined to a violent or lingering death, those two jzentlemen, with a Mr. Fleming, were put into the hold of a vessel. Captain Huddy was ironed hand and foot, and shortly after barbarously hanged on the shore of the Highlands of Nave'sink."
During the war of the Revolution the chief organ of the tories and Bfitish in America was "Rivington's Royal Gazette," published in New York, of which paper and its editor we may have occasion to speak hereafter. Quite complete filfP of tins paper are pr*'served in the librai'v of the New York Historictl Society. The following is its version of the attack on Toms River:
" The 'tuthentic account of the expedi- tion against the rebel past on 'i'oms River, New Jersey, undpr the Honorable Board of Associated Loyalists :
" On Wednesday the 20th inst ( March 1782,) Lieutenant Blanchard of the armed whale boats, and about eighty men belong- ing to them, with Captain Thomas and Lieutenant Roberts, both of the late Bucks county volunteers, and between thirty and forty other refugee loyalists, the whole und«r the command of Lieutenant Bianch- ard, proceeded to Sandy Hook under the convoy of Captain Stewart Ross, in the armed brig Arrogant, where they were de- tained by unfavorable winds until the 23d. About 12 o'clock on that nighl, the party landed near the mouth of Toms River and marched to the blockhouse at the town of Dover ( now Toms River ) and reached it ju.-it at daylight. On their way they were
OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTH.
17
challenged and fired upon, and when they came to th« works they found the rebels, consisting of twenty-five or twenty-six twelve months men and militia, apprized of their coming and prepared for defence.
" The post into which they had thrown themselves was six or seven feet high, made with large logs with loop holes be- tween and ft number of brass swivels on the top, which was entirely open, nor was there any way of entering but by climbing over. They had, besidf^s swivels, muskets with bayonets and long pikes for their de- fence. Lieutenant Blanchard summoned them to surrender, which they not only refused, but bid the party defiance ; on which he immediately ordered the place to be stormed, which was accordingly done, and though defended >with obstinacy, was soon carried. The rebels had nine men killed in the assault, and twelve made prisoners, two of whom are. wounded. The rest made their escape in the confusion. — Among the killed was a major of the mili ti^, two captains and one lieutenant. The captain of the twelve months men station- ed there, is amongst the prisoners, who are all brought safe to town. On our side, two were killed — Lieutenant Ire'iell of the armed boatmen and Lieutenant Inslee of the loyalists, both very brave officers, who distinguished themselves on the attack and whose loss is much lamented. Lieu- tenant Roberts and five others are wound- ed, but it is thought none of them are in a dangerous way. ,
'' The Town, as it is called, consisting of about a dozen houses, in which none but a piratical set of banditti resided, together w.th a grist and saw mill, wer«», with the blockhouse burned to the ground, and an iron canno:.i spiked and thrown into the river. A fine large barge (called Hyler's barge,) and another boat in which the rebels used to make their excursions on the coast, were brought off. Some other attempts were intended te have been made, but the appearance of bad weather, and the situation of the wounded, being without either surgeon or medicines, in- duced the party to return to New York, where they arrived on the twenty- fifth."
The attack on Toms River was made on Sunday morning, March 24th, 1782. Cap- tain Huddy received notice of the expect- ed attack on the previous evening, and at once notified the inhabitants ; sentinels were carefully stationed, and towards morning Captain Huddy sent a scouting party to reconnoitre. This party missed
the British ; it is probable they went down along the river, while the enemy, guided by a refugee named William Dillon, cam6_ up the road near where" the Court House now stands. The sentinels staiioned some distance outside of the fort, on the ene- my's approach, fired their guns to notify the little garrison. Before reaching the fort, the British were joined by a band of refugees under Dg^en port, whose stamping ground was in old Dover township; him- self and men had cabins and caves in the woods, by the he^id waters of Cedar Creek, Toms River and other streams. No Tory or Tory sympathizer was tolerated in the village of Toms River, which was the only reason that caused Rivington's Royal Ga- zette to call its people " banditti.''
Upon the apjjroach of the British, the Americans opened fire so effectually that the British account acknowledges that seven were killed or wounded, though the damage inflicted upon them must have been greater. A negro refugee killed, was 'eft by them outside of the fort for the Americans to bury. On the side of the Americans, among the casualities, were Major John Cook, John Farr and James Kinsley, killed ; Moses Robbins wounded in the face; John Wainwright fought un- til shot down with six or seven bullets in him. From circumstantial evidr-nce it is probable that Captain Ephraim Jenkins was among the killed. Among the pris- oners taken were Captain Joshua Huddy, Daniel Randolph, Esq., and Jacob Flem- ing. One of the guards named David im lay, escaped and hid in a swamp until the British left. Major Cooke ( at one time of the 2nd regiment, Monmouth militia ), it is said was killed outside the tort by a negro.
All the houses in the village were burned except two, one belonging to Aaron Buck and the other to Mrs. Studson. Aaron Buck was an active Whig, and one reason why his house was spared was owing, it is supposed, to the fact that his wife was a neice of William Dillen, the refugee guide. Mrs.Studson's husband, Lieutenant Joshua Studson, had been murdered by the ref- ugee Captain John Bacon, a short time before, and the Britisli probably thought injury enough had already been done to her. Among the houses burned was one belonging to Captain Ephraim Jenkins, and also one in which Abiel Aikens lived in which the first Methodist sermon at Toms River was preached, by Rev Benja- min Abbott, in 1778.
18
OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTH.
What a terrible day to the inhabitants of Toms River was that memorable Sab- bath I Probably not less than a hundred women and children were rendered home less ; the killed and wounded demanded immediate attention ; husbands and fath- ers were carried away captive, their house- hold goods, provisions — their all destroyed. Some families were entirely broken up, the heads killed, mothers and chilren scattered, never as families meeting again.
Memoranda relating to persons mentioned IN the foregoing.
William Dillon, the refugee guide, had once been tried and sentenced to death at Freehold, but subsequently pardoned, and the first we hear of him afterwards was as pilot of a British Expendition, which came from New York into old Cranberrj^ inlet, then open, opposite Toms River, to recapture the ship " Love and Unity," which a short time previous had been captured by the Americt.rjs.
Aaron Buck was an active member of the militia. The Dillon whose daughter he married was a much better man than his brother, who acted as guide to the ref ugees. Aaron Buck left two daughters from whom have descended several re- spectable shore families. One married Judge Ebenezer Tucker, formerly mem- ber of Congress, after whom Tuckerton, in Burlington county, was named. The other married John Rogers, of Dover township, ancester of many, persons now residing in Ocean county. It is said that after the war Mr. Buck in a temi3orary fit of in- sanity, committed suicide by hanging himself on board his vessel at Toms River.
Daniel Randolph, who then resided at Toms River, was well known throughout old Monmouth. A tory witness on tha ti'ial of Captain Richard LippencoU, in New York, testified that " Esquire Daniel Randolph, was a man of prominence and influence among the Whig?." He was soon afterwards exchanged for Captain Clayton Tilton.
Captain Epliraim Jenkins was in com- mand of a militia company during the war. After the fight at the Block House, his family was scattered and his children oared for by strangers.
Abiel Aikons suffered severely during the war. In his old age (1808), the Legis- lature passed a law for his relief. He was the earliest friend of Methodism in that vicinity.
TOMS RIVER DURING THE REVO- LUTION.
Toms River during the Revolution wat. a place of considerable importance owing chiefily to the fact thai old Cranberry In- let, nearly opposite, was then open and perhaps the best inlet on our coast, except Little Egg Harbor. On this account it was a favorite base of operations for Ameri- can privateers on the lookout for British merchant vessels carrying supplies to the enemy at New York. In another chapter are given some extracts from ancient authorities, showing that Toms River and vicinity was the scene of many stirring incidents during the war. The village was occupied by the Americans as a mili- tary post probably during the greater part of the Revolution. The soldiers state- tioned here were sometimes twelve months men, commanded by diflerent officers, among whom it is supposed were Captains Bigelow. Ephraim Jenkins, James Mott, John Stout and Joshua Huddy. The duties of the militia stationed at Toms River, appear to have been to guard the inhabitants against dej^redations from the refugees; to check contraband trade by way of Cranberry Inlet to New York, and to aid our privateers who brought vessels into old Cranberry Inlet.
A TERRIBLE DAY FOR THE REF- UGEES.
Peace Declared — How th« news was re- ceived by the ^riends of the *' Lost Cause " — Confisciition, Banishment, Des- pair.
f ivil wars have ever been noted for being more terrible than those where one na- tion was against another; as in the last named case stranger meets stranger on the battle field, while in civil wars oftimes, neighbor is arrayed against neighbor, father against son, brother against brother. In the war of the Revolution it was the lot of our ancestors to be compelled to un- dergo the hardships of both at the same time. They had not only to face the armies which England landed upon our soil but also thousands of native born Americans, who from what they thought a sense of duty, or for plunder or revenge,
OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTH.
19
rallied to th« cause of Kin.^ and crown. — The number of Loyalists, that is, Ameri- cans who aided the British, was much larger than is generally supposed. Sabine in his history of the Loyalists estimat^es the number who took up arms to aid the enemy at 25,000. The Loyalists them- selves, in an address to the King, 1779, claimad that " the Americans then in his Majesty^ s service exceeded in number the troops enlisted by Congress to oppose them, exclusive of these who were in pri?ite ships of war." In 1782 they stated that there were many more Loyalists in the King's service than troops in the Continental army. At the close of the war they claimed that their losses were £7,046,178, besides debts to the amount of £2,354,135. Of their claims the British Government in 1788 had liquidated about £2,000,000.
Old Monmouth suffered during the war to an extent hardly equalled, certainly not surpassed by any other section of the coun- try, and when the welcome news of peace was announced the patriots of this as well of every other section of the Union were overjoyed beyond exp'ession. But the news which brought gladness to their hearts, was a terrible blow to the Refugees. It was not only the announcement to them that the cause for which they had so long fought was irretrievably lost, but also that they must forsake the land of their birth and seek homes elsewhere, that there property here would be confiscated and that without money or friends they must commence life anew on the cold shores of Nova Scotia or elsewhere. The following from an ancient authority, de- scribes how the news of peace was received by the Refugees in JSTew York :
'' When the news of peace was known, the city of New York presented a scene of distress not easily described; adherents ' to the Crown who wen- in the ai'my tore the lappels from their coats and stamped them under their ftet and exclaimed that they were ruined ; others cried out that they had sacrificed everything to prove their loyalty and were now left to shift for themselves without the friendship of their King or country."
In September, previous to the final evacuation of New York by the British, upwards of 12,000 men, women and chil- dreir embarked at the city and at Lone and Staten Islands for Nova Scotia and the Bahamas.
Some of these victims to civil war tried to make merry at their doom by saying
that they were bound to a lovely country whei'e there are nine months winter and three months cold weather every year ! While others in their desperation would have torn down their houses, and had they not been prevented would have carried off the bricks of which they were built.
Those who went north landed at Port Roseway (now Shelburne) NovaScotiaand at St. Johns, whpie many, utterly destitute, were supplied with food at public charge and were obliged to live in huts built of bark and rough boards. A mong the ban- ished ones were persons whose hearts and hopes had been as true as Washington's, for in the division of families, which every where occurred and which formed oije of the most distressing circumstances of the conflict, their wives and daughters, who although bound by the holiest ties to Loy- alists, had given their sympathy to the right from the beginning, and who now in the triumph of the cause which had their pi'ayers, went meekly — as woman ever meets a sorrowful lot — in hopeless, inter- minable exile.
(3^E0RiE KEITH, THE FOUNDEtt OF FREEHOLD.
The following outline of the life of Rev. George Keith is by William A. Whitehead Esq. author of the History of East Jersey
Among those selected by the Proprieta- ries in England to serve them in East Jer- sey was George Keith, a native of Aber deen, an eminent Quaker, although origi- nally a Scotch Presbyterian ; and among all whose namt^s subsequently became widely known, his was one of those which obtained the greatest renown. Those who first welcomed him to the province as a fellow helper in subduing the wilderness could hardly have prefigured for him the course which events opened to him in this and the adjoining province of Pennsylva- nia. The circumstances which probably led to his acquaintance with the leading Scotch Proprietaries was his having under his charge in 1683 at a school which he taught in Theobalds, a son of Robert Bar- clay. He was appointed Surveyor General on the 31st of July, 1684, but did|n6t reach the province until the spring of the follow- ing year. On the 9th of April he present- ed his credentials to the Council of Pro- prietors, but as the office to which he was appointed was already filled by William
20
OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTH.
Haige, under a oommission emanating from Deputy Governor Eudyard, they found themselves delicately situated, and postponed the consideration of Mr. Keith's commission until their next meet- ing. It was unanimously agreed, however, that he should have one of their houses as directed by the Proprietors. (Thomas Warne was directed to " clear out '" the one he inhabited to make room for him.)
The Council at the appointed time were urged by Keith to deci le in his favor, and they finally desired both of the apjilicants to appear before them on the 12th of June, when the office, in consequence of tha ab- sence of Ml'. Haige and the inability, from some cause of his deputy. Miles Forster, was declared vacant and Mr. Keith au- thorized to take the oaths and assume the duties.
Besides performing the general duties of his office, for which he was well qualified, being " an excellent surveyor," he ran the division line between East and West Jer- sey in 1687 ; but in 1689 he left the pro- vince for Pennsylvania. Then residing at Freehold, of which settlement he was the founder, and where at the time of his re- moval he had " a fine plantation," he was induced by the solicitations of the Qua- kers of Philadelphia to accept the super- intendence of a school in that city for fifty pounds, a house for his family, and what- ever profits might accrue, with the prom- ise of an increase to one hundred and twenty pounds after the first year, the poor to be taught gratis. This is the first and only allusion to his family I have noticed. He did not remain long in this humble situation (vacating it the next year) and we are warranted in attributing its acceptance to other inducements morp, likely to aftect a man of his character than the pecuniary remuneration named. Having been eminent as a preacher and writer among the Quakers for several years, he became a public speaker in their religious assemblies in Philadelphia. Possessing quick natui'al talents improvad by considei'able literary attainments, he was acute in argument and able in logical disputations and discussions of nice dis tinction in theological matters ; but hav- ing great confidence in his own suj^erior capacity he was apt to indulge in an over- bearing disposition, not altogether in ac- cordance with christian moderation and charity.
These peculiarities of mind and temper- ament naturally impelled him to assume
the part of a leader, and he soon, through his talents and energy, gathered a party inculcating plainness of garb and language and other points of discipline ; there be- ing in his opinion " too great slackness therein." Connected with these religious tenets were the political doctrines of the abandoament of all forcible measures to uphold secular or worldly government and the emancipation of the negroes after a reasonable term of service.
Although his opinions and views met the approval of a large number of Friends, occasioning a serious division in that be- fore united body — father and son, husband and wife, friend« and relatives who had usually worshiped together, though still professors of the same faith in the main, being seen going to different places of wor- ship, '• heats and bitterness " being engen- dered, occasioning "many labors and watch- ing, great circumspection and patience;" yet as they did not meet with the general ac- ceptation he expected, Keith became cap- tious and indulged in censure and re- proach, accusing some of the most es- teemed and approved ministers with pro- mulgating false doctrines — although it is said the points he now condemned had been strongly advocated in his writings — and declaring those only who were asso- ciated with him true Quakers.
He was charged with exercising an over- bearing temper and an unchristian dispo- sition of mind in disparaging manv of the society, and at a meeting of ministers in Phlladelj^hia in June, 1692, ''a declaration or testimony of denial " was drawn up, in which both he and his conduct were pub- licly denounced.
From this decision Keith appealed to the general meeting of Fri^^ncls, at Bur- lington, and in the meanwhile wrote an address to the Quakers in which, as on different occasions verbally, he spok* in. such disparaging, if not calumnious man- ner of the Deputy Governor and other functionaries, as to bring ui:)on him the ire of the civil magistrates (themselves Quakers) and he was in consequence pro- claimed in the market place, by the com- mon crier, a seditious person and an ene- my to the King and Queen's government. The general meeting confirming the declaration of the ministers, the sei)ara- tion became complete, but Keith continu- ed preaching and writing in support of his views and for the establishment of his fol- lowers until early in 1694, when he appeal- ed to the yearly meeting in London and
OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTH.
21
appeared there in person ; but his behav- ior was such as led to the approval of the proceedings against him and his authority and influence were at an end.
This controversy occasioned mucVi dis- turbance in the province of Pennsylvania and many of the pamphlets to which it gavw birth are yet extant.
Excited it would seem by the opposi- tion he had met with, although for a time he retained a considerable number of ad- herents in England, and disgusted with the society from which he had received so little sympathy while aiming for its ad- vancement in what he conceived the es- sentials of true religion, Keith abjured the doctrines of the Quakers and became a zealous clergyman of the established Church of England.
He officiated for some time in his mother country, and in 1702 returned to America as a Missionary of the " Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts ; sent out to travel through the difFarent provinces for the purpose of in- quiring into their true condition, their wants in regard to their spiritual interests and to arouse in the people a sens*^ of the duties of religion."
His labors are said to have been very successful, particularly in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York to which he devoted moi-e of his time than he did to the other provinces — from his previous acquaintance with the people. In the first two especially a large number of those Quakers who had adopted his views in the dissensions of 1691 and 1692, be- came converts to the doctrines and disci- pline of the Church of England.
He retixrned to England by way of Vir- ginia and received a benefice in Sussex, worth one hundred and twenty pounds per annum, where he continued until his death to write against the doctrines of the Quakers. Prund's History of Pennsyl- vania says from well authenticated ac- count it is asserted that he thus expressed himself on his deatli bed : " I wish I had died when I was a Quaker for then 1 am sure it would have been well tor my soul."
SINGULAR INDIAN CLAIMS.
About the last remnant of Indians re- maii^ing in our state, sold their lands to thfi^hites about 1801, and the year fol- loi'i,ing removed to New Stockbndge, near O&v'^ida Lake, New York, from whence, abo'yit 1824, they removed to Michigan,
where they purchased a tract of land of the Menomonie mdians, on both sides of the Fox river near Green Bay.
In 1832, the New Jersey tribe, reduced to less than forty souls, delegated one of their number named Barlliolomew .S. Cal- vin, to visit Trenton and apply to our Leg- islature for remuneration for hunting and fishing privileges on unenclosed lands, which they alleged had not been sold with the land. Calvin was an aged man who had been educated at Princeton, where he was at the breaking out of the Revolution when he joined the American army. Th-e claim, so unusual, was met in a spirit of kindness by our Legislature, who directed the S!.aie Treasurer to pay to the agent of the Indians, the sum of two thousand dol- lars, thus satisfactorily and honorably ex- tinguishing the last claim the Indians brough'. against our state. Hon. Samuel L. Southard, at the close of a speech made at the time, said : "It was a proud fact in the history of New Jersey, that every foot of her soil had been obtained from the Indians by fair and voluntary purchase and transfer, a fact that no other st^te of the Union, not even tlie land which bears the name of Penn, can boast."
In 1678, a somewhat similar claim was brought by the Indians, against Richard Hartshorne, an early settler of old Mon- mouth, who had previously bought of them Sandy Hodk, and lands around the Highlands. In that year, to prevent their trespassing ujjon his lands, he iiad to pay theto to relinquish their claims to hunt, fish, fowl, and gather beach plums. The fol- lowing it a copy of the agreement :
" The 8th of August, 1678. Whereas the Indians pretend tjiat formerly, when they sold all the land upon Sandy Hook, they did not sell, or did except liberty to plumbs, or to say the Indians should have liberty to go an Sandy Hook, to get get plumbs when they please, and to hunt upon the land, and fish, and to take dry trees that suited them for cannows. Now know all men by these presents, that I, Richard Kartshorne. of Portland, in tne county of Monmbuih, in East Jersey, for peace and quietness sake, and to the end there may be no cause of trouble with the Indians and that I may not for the future have any trouble with them as formerly I had, in their dogs killing my sheep, and their hunting on my lands, and their fish- ing, I have agreed as followeth :
"These presents witnesseth, that 1, Vowavapon, Hendricks, the Indians sonn,
22
OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTH.
haying all the liberty and privileges of pluming on Sandy Hook, hunting, fishing, fowling, getting cannovvs &c., by these presents, give, grant, bargain, sell, unto Richard Hartshorwe, his heirs and assigns forever, all the liberty and privilege of pluming, fishing, fowling, and huHting, and howsoever reserved and excepted by the Indians for him, the said Richard Hartshorne, his heirs and assigns, to have hould, possess, and injoy forever, to say that no Indian, or Indians, shall or hath no pretense to lands or timber, or liberty, privileges on no pretense whatsoever on any part a parcell of land, belonging to the said Kichard Hartshorne, to say Sandy Hook or land adjoining to it, in considera- tion the said Hnrtshorne, hath paid unto the said Vowavapon, thirtee?.' shillings money; and I the said Vowavapon, do acknowledge to have received thirteen shillings by these presents. Witness my hand and seal.
''Vowavapon X his mark.
"Tocus X his mark. " Signed, sealed and delivered in the presence of John Stout."
THE RARITAN INDIANS.
An ancient work says that when the wliites first came to this country, the Raritans lived on the south side <if Raritan bay and river, but they were flooded out by a storm, previous to 1650, and then removed to the north side. They after- wards it is supposed mingled with the Sa/ihicans or Wapingas, who finally left the state and located on the east side of the Hudson river, in New York state, near Anthony's INose.
AN INDIAN DINNER— A SAVORY DISH.
Bethsheba, tue Indian Queen.
The last remnant of the Indians who frequented the lower part of old Mon- mouth, had their principal settlement at a place called Edgepelick or Edge Pillock about three miles from Atsion in Burling- ton county, from whence they removed to Oneida Lake, New York, in 1802. Before their removal, members of this tribe with their families would visit the shore once a year and spend some time fishing, oyster-
ing, making baskets, &c. The most noted among the last Indians who regularly vis- ited the shore were Charles Moluss, his wife, and wife's sister, who bore the eu- l^honious names of Bash and Suke, among the ancient residents of old Stafford town- ship, but in Little Egg Harbor, Burlington county, where they also were frequent vis- itors, Moluss' wife was known as Bathshe ba, and considered as a kind of Indian Queen, on account of the great respect shovvn to her by her people and by the Quakers of Burlington, becauseof herpos- sessing more intelligence, and having amore l>re.posessing personal appearance than the rest of her tribe. At Tuckerton, when her company visited there and put up their teats, Bathsheba was generally invited to make her home with some one of the principal inhabitants of the jilace. At Barnegat, her company generally camped on the place now owned by Captain Timo- thy Falkinburgh, wliere they were on friendly terms with the whites and quite disposed to be hospitable, but Bathsheba, Indian Queen though she may hivve been, occasionally prepared Indian delicacies for the table which the whites seldom appre- ciated. Some twenty years ago Eli Collins, a well remembered aged citizen of Barne- gat, told the writer of this, that when he was K young man, one time he had been out from Iiome all day, and on his wav back, stopped at the hut of Moluss. His wife Bash, or Bathsheba, was boiling some- thing in a pot which sent forth a most de- lightful odor to a hungry man, and he was cordially invited to dine. As he had bees without anything to eat all day he willing- ly accepted the invitation ; but he soon changed his determination when he found the savory smelling dish was hop toad sovj) !
INDIAN PETER.
A Tradition oe Imlaystown.
About a century ago an Indian named Peter, said to have been connected by re- lationship and in business with the noted Indian Tom, after whom some, we think erroneously, considered Toms River to be named, resided at Toms River, but owing to an unfortunate habit of mix ing too much whisky with his water,^. he became unfortunate, and about the timp of the war removed with his family to (the
OLD TIMES m OLD MONMOUTH.
23
vicinity of Imlaystown, wb©r« he built a wigwam by a oond not far from the vil- lage.
Shortly after he located here his wife sickened and died. Peter dearly loved his squaw, and was almost heart-broken on account of the unlucky event. He could not bear the idea of parting with his wife, of putting her under ground out of sight. For a day or two lie was inconsola- ble and knew not what to do ; at length a lucky idea occurred to him ; instead of burying her where he never more could see her, he would put a rope about her neck and place her in the pond and daily visit her. This idea he at once put into execution, and as he daily visited her, it somewhat assuaged his poignant grief. — On one of his melancholy visits te the de- parted partner of his bosom, he noticed in the water around her a large number of eels. To turn these eels to account was a matterof importance to Peter, for though he loved his wife yet he loved money too. .So he caught the eels daily, and foraweek or so visited the village regularly and found a ready sale for them among the villagers.
But at length the supply failed — his novel eel trap gave out. A few days there- after he was in the village and numerous were the inquiries why he did not bring any more of those good eels.
" Ah," said Peter very innocently, draw- ing a long sigh, " me catch no more eels — me squaw all gone — boo — hoo ! "
His grief and singular reply called for an explanation, and he, thinking nothing wrong, gave it.
The result was a general casting up of ac- counts among the villagers, terrible anath- emas upon the Indian, and a holy horror of eels among that generation of Imlays- town citizens, and even to this day it is said some of their descendants would as soon eat a sni.,ke as an eel.
(The above tradition we have no doubt is substantially correct ; we derived it froii; Hon. Charles Parker, for many years State Treasurer, father of Gov. Parker, who some sixty years ago, while at Toms River, met with some of the disgusted pur- chase! s of Indian Peter's eels.)
A BRAVE ^OUTH.
One fine morning in May, 1780, as the family of David Forman, Sheriff of Mon- mouth County, were at breakfast, a soldier
almost out of breath suddenly burst into the room and stated, that as he and anoth- er soldier were conducting to the Court House two men taken up on suspicion at Colt's Neck, they had knocked down his comrade, seized his musket and escaped. The Sheriff, on hearing this relation, im- mediately mounted his horse and galloped to the Court House to alarm the guard. — His son Tunis Forman, a lad of about 17, and small of his age, seized a musket load- ed only with small shot to kill blackbirds in the cornfields, and putting on a cart- ridge box, dispatched his brother Samuel (the late Dr. Samuel Forman of Freehold,) upstairs for a bayonet, and then without waiting for it, nurried off alone in the pur- suit.
After running in a westerly direction about a mile, he discovered the men sit- ting on a fence, who on perceiving him ran into a swamp. As the morning was warm, he hasiily pulled off his coat and shoes and dashed in after them, keeping close upon them lor over a mile, when they got out of the swamp and each climb- ed into separate trees. As he came up they discharged at him the musket taken from the guard. The ball whistled over his head. He felt for his bayonet, and at that moment perceived that in his haste it was left behind. He then pointed his gun at the man with the musket, but deemed it imprudent to fire, reflecting even if he killed him, his comrade could easily master such a stripling as himself. He compelled the man to throw down his musket bv threatening him with death if he did not instantly comply. Then load- ing the prize from his cartridge he forced his prisoners down from the trees and armed with his two loaded muskets, he drove them toward the Court House, care- ful however, to keep them far apart, to prevent conversation. Passing by a spring they requested permission to drink.
" No '' replied the intrepid boy, under- standing their design. " You can do as well without it as myself; you shall have some by and by."
Soon after, his father, at the head ©f a party of soldiers in ttie pursuit, galloped past in the road within a short distance. — Tunis hallooed, but the clattering of their horses hoots drowned his voice. At length he reached the village, and lodged his jjrisoners in the county prison.
It was subsequently discovered that these men, whose name was John and Robert Smith, were brothers from near
24
OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTH.
Philadelphia, that they had robbed and murdered a Mr. Boyd, a collector of taxes in Chester county, and when taken, were on their wav to join the British. As ttiey had been apprehended on suspiri<)n mere- ly of buing refugees, no definite charge could be brought against them. A few- days after, Sheriff •'^ornian saw an adver- tisement in a Pennsylvania paper df^scrib ing them, with the facts above mentioned, and a reward of $20,000 Continental mon- ey offered for their appiehensi-^n. He, ac- companied by his son, took them there, where they were trie i and executed. On entering Philadelphia young Tunis was carried through the streets in triumph upon the shoulders of the military. In the latter part of the war this voung man became very active, and was a pecu- liar favorite of General David Forman. He died not far from 1835. (The foregoing account is as related by the late Dr. Sam uel Formaai to Henry Howe, Esq.)
CAPTAIN JOSEPH COWARD.
In a Philadelphia work containing Sketches of Revolutionary Heroos is found ihe following notice of one of the patriots of old Monmouth :
" Joseph Coward was a native of Mon- mouth county, N. J. In view of his cogno- men we may well exclaim, " What's in a name, my Lord?"' He was a Coward; and yet one of the bravest of the Revolutionary Captains. He was a great terror to the Refugees alias Tories. At the Battl'fe of Monmouth and at several other places, his undaunted courage was conspicuous. — When the British fleet lay off vSandy Hook, one of the supply ships ran loo near the shore and stuck fast. Witli a few. Captain Coward captured her in defiance of two barges manned with superior numbers that were sent to the rescue. At the clese of the war he returned to his farm, became the esteemed citizen and fully exemplified the noble attributes of an honest man."
From his name we should not be sur- prised if the above named liero was a rela- tive of the late Captain Joseph Coward of Toms River, formerly a member of the Legislature, a gentleman much esteemed and popular among his political opponents, as well as friends.
A JERSEY BLUE AT THE BATTLE OF GERMANTOWN.
Barkalow, of Old Moxmouth.
The following story which we find in an old work is worth repeating:
" A Brave Fellow. — Among numerous feats of valor performed by individuals of the American Revolutionary army, none has pleaded me more ihan the iollowing, related by an eye witness.
" During the heat of the baltlir at Oer mantown, while bullets flew thick as hail- stones, one Barkalow, of Monmouth, N. J., was levelling his musket at the enemy when the lock was carried away bv a bull. Undismayed, he caught up the gun of a comrade, just killed by his side, and taking aim, a bullet entered ihe muzzle and twist- ed the barrel round like acorkscrewl Still undaunted, our hero immediately ivneel- d down, unscrewed the whole lock from the twisted barrel, screwed it on the barrel from which the lock had been torn, and blazed away at the enemy.
" Can ancient Sparta or modern Bririan boast a more brilliant display o* cool, de- liberate, unshtvken courage? Tliis hero is still livinj,.'' — Niles Prin. Revolution, 1822
THE REDSTt'NE COUNTRY.
Old Monmouth Citizens Emigratixo WtsT.
At dift'erent times between fifty and a hundred years a^jo, a large number of the citizens of old Monmouth emigr iied to what then was termed "'the Redstone country." These emigrants left behind numerous relatives, and among their de- scendants are often heard inquiries as to the precise locality of this '' Redstone country." The origin of the name at the present day seems somewhat singular.
The term " Redstone settlements " or " Redstone country," was employed to de- note most fthe country in Pennsylvania and Virginia west of the mountains. The name Redstone was ap})lied to a creek which enters the Monongahela below Brownsville, Pa., upon which was a settle- ment calleii " Redstone Old Fort."
In thatMay coal, as an article of fuel, was unknown. It is .stated that "the hills aboun<led with bituminous coal ; and along water courses where the earth had been washed off, the coal was left exposed which often caught fire ; these fires came in contact with the suri'ounding earth and
OLD TIMES IX OLD MONMOUTH.
2r.
stones and gave them a red appearance — indeed so much so that when pulverized they were used in painting a vSpanish brown color. Hence the name. Many of these red banks are now visible, the most prominent of whieh are in Redstone Creek, Fayette county, Pa."
The last considerable exodus of citizens of old Monmouth bound for the Redstone (Country, occurred some fifty odd years ago. Some of the emigrants from the county who went previous to this time, experienc- ed great hardships, a;nd at one time were so seriously annoyed by the Indians that they had to return until the troubles were over. One native of old Monmouth named Conovea' during the Indian troubles, be- came quite noted for his skill and bravery in meeting the savages, and his adventures wei-e so thrilling that we shall try to find place for them liereafter ; it will be seen that he did no discredit to the county that gave him birth.
INDIAN WILL.
An EccK.NTRic .\boriginai. ok Old Mov-
MOLTH.
In days gone by the singular character and eccentric acts of the noted Indian Will, formed the theme of many a fireside story among our ancestors, many of which are still well remembered by our older citizens, especially those belonging to the Society of Friends. Some of the incidents given below, derived many years ago from aged Friends, differ in some particulars, but we give them as related to us now, in hopes some of our readers can furnisn cor- rections and additions. The first story given below, was published some thirty years ago, and as will be seen differs from other versions.
"About the year 1670, the Indians sold out the section of country near Eatontown to Lewis Morris for a barrel of cider, and emigrated to Crosswicks and Cranbury. — One of them, called Indian AVill, remained and dwelt in a wigwam between Tin ton Falls and Swimming river. His tribe were in consequence exasperated, and at vari- ous times sent messengers to kill liim in single combat ; but being a brave, athletic man, he always came ofi conoueror. On a certain occasion, while partaking of a breakfast of suppawn and milk at Mr. Ea- ton's with a silver spoon, he casually re-
marked that he knew where there were plenty of such. They promised if he would bring them they would give him a red coat and a cocked hat. In a short time he was arrayed in that dress ; and it is said that the Batons suddenly became wealthy. About 80 years since, in pulling down an old mansion in Shrewsbury, in which a maiden member of this family in her lifetime had resided, a quantity o\ cob dollars, supposed by the superstitious to have been Kidd's money, were found con- cealed in the cellar wall. This coin was generally of a square or oblong shape, the corners of wliich wore out the pockets.'" — {Howe's Hist. Coll.)
A somewhat similar or a variation of the above tradition, we have fi-equently heard as follows :
'• India Will often visited th« family of Derrick Longstreet at Manasquan, and one time showed them some silver money which excited their surprise ; they wished to know where he got it, and wanted Will to let them have it. Will refused to part with it. but told them he had found it in a trunk along tlie beacli, and there wa.s plenty of yellow money beside ; but as the yellow money was not as pretty as tlie white, he didn't want that, and Longstreet might have it. So Longstreet went with him, and found the money in a trunk cov- ere 1 over with tarpaulin buried in the j sand ; Will kept the white money and ; Longstreet the yellow ( gold,) and this sat- j isfactory division, made the Longstreets quite wealthy."
It is very probable that Will found mon- j ey along the beach, but whether it was from some shipwrecked vessel, or had been buried by pirates, is another question. — However, the connection of Kidd's name with the finding ol the money would indi- cate that Will lived long after the year mentioned in the first quoted tradition, ( 1670.) Kidd did not sail on his piratical cruise until 1696. And from the tradition- ary information the writer of this has been able to obtain, Will must have lived many years subsequent.
In personal appearance, Willis described as having been stout, broad shouldered, with prominent Indian cast of fentures and rings in his ear-, and a good sized one in his nose. The following are some of the additional traditions related of him:
Among other things which Will had done to excite the ill will of other Indians iie was charged with killing his wife. Her brother named Jacob, determined on re-
26
OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTH.
venge; so he pursued him and finding Will unarmed, undertook to march him off cap- tive. As they were going along, Will espied a pine knot on the ground, and managed to pick it up and suddenly dealt Jacob a fatal blow, and as he dropped to the ground, Will tauntingly exclaimed, •'Jacob, look up at the sun — you'll never see it again." Most of the old residents who relate stories of Will, speak of his finding honey at one time on the dead bodv of an Indian he had previously killed, but whether it was Jacob or some other is not mentioned.
At one time, to make sure work of kill- ing Will, four or five Indians started in pursuit of him, and they succeeded in sur- prising him so suddenly that he had no chance for defence or fight, ffis captors told him they were about to kill him and he must at once prepare to die. He heard his doom with Indian stoicism, and he had only one favor to ask before he died, and that was to be allowed to take a drink out of his jug ot liquor which had just been filled. So small a favor the captors could not refuse. As Will's jug was full, it was only common poUtene.--.s to ask them to drink also. Now if his captors had a.nj'^ weakness it was for rum; so they grateful- ly accepted his invitation. The drink rendered them talkative, and they com- menced reasoning with him upon the enormitv of his offences. Tiie condemned man admitted the justness of their re- proaches, and begged to be allowed to take another drink to drown the stings of con- science ; the captors condescendingly join- ed him again — indeed it would have been cruel to refuse to drink with a man so soon to die. This gone through with, they per- suaded Will to make a full confession of his misdeeds, and their magnitude so aroused the indignation of his ca})tors, that they had to take another drink to enable them to do their duty becociingly. Indeed, they took divers drinks, so over- come were they by his harrowing tale; and then they become so unmanned, that they had to try to recuperate by sleep. Then crafty Will, who had really dr.ink but lit- tle, softly arose, found his hatchet, and soon despatched his would-be captors.
It was a rule with Will not to waste any ammunition, and therefore he was bound to eat all the game he killed, but a buz- zard which he once shot sorely trie<l him, and it took two or three days starving, be- fore he could stomach it. One time when< alone upon the beach he was seized with a
fit of sickness and thought he was about to die ; and not wishing his dead body to lie exposed, he succeeded in digging a shallow grave in which he lay for awhile, but his sickness passed off and he crept out and went on his way rejoicing. He would never, in the latter years of his life, kill a willet, as he said a willet once saved his life. He said he was in a canoe one dark night crossing tlie bay, somewhat the worse for liquoi', and unconsciously about to drift out the inlet into the ocean, when a willet screamed, and the ])eculiar cry of tiiis bird seemed to him to sound, " this way. Will; this way. Will!'' and that w&y Will went and reached the beach just in time to save himself from certain death in the breakers.
When after wild fowl he had a singular vvav of talking to them in a low tone : — " Come this way, my nice bird, Will won't hurt you; Will won't hurt you!" If he succeeded in killing one he would say : '* You fool, you believe me eh ? Ah, Will been so much with the whites he learned to lie like a white man .'"
An old resident of the present county of Ocean, says that " Indian Will some- times travelled down along shore as far as Barnegat Inlet and always attended by a lot of big, lean, hungrj' looking dogs, to help him fight off other Indians."
Near the mouth of Squan River is a place known as " Will's Hole.'" There are two versions <itf the origin of the name. — One old gentleman living in the vicinity, s-ays it was so called because Will was drowned in it. The other version is that Will drowned his wife here.
The following traditions of Indian Will were told last summer by the venerable Thomas Cook of Point Pleasant, recently deceased, to a correspondent of the i\ew York World. Though copied in this paper at that time, yet in this connection they will bear republishing :
Along the <hore of Squan river a small inlet was pointed out to me which is known a,s " Imiian Will's Hole.' Some three quarters of .i century ago, an old Indian chief made his home in the woods attached to the Cook farm. He was a brawny, muscular savage, peaceably inclined to- wards the whites and suffered no molesta- tion from them. Many of his people lived around him, but he preferred to occupy his cabin alone with his wife, while he spent most of his time in hunting and fishing.
But one day Indian Will brought home
OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTH.
27
a muskiat, which he ordered his spouse to prepare for dinner. She obeyed, but when it was placed upon the table, refused to partake of it. " Very well," grunted the noble red man, '• if you are too good to eat m.iskrat you are too good to live with me." And thereupon took her down to the little bay spoken of, and caused her to sink so ett'ectually that she has not yet come to the surface.
Indian Will liad three brothers-in-hiw, two of Tfhom resided on Long Island, and when in course of time word reached ihem of the manner in which the chief had "put away " their sister, they went dawn to Jersey to avenge her deatli. When they reached Will's c?bin^ he sat inside eating clam soup. Knowing their errand, he in- vited them in to dinner, telling them that lie vtould figlit it out with them as soon as the meal was concluded. "'Barkis was Vs'illin " and they gathered around the ab- original board, complimentiniz the steam- ing scHip wliich was placed before them, ami scooped it into their capacious jaws in the very felicity of sensuous enjoyment.
Before dinner was over Indian Will pre- tended that he heard some one approach- ing, and springng up hurried out of his cabin as if to meet him. But the instant lie was out of sight of the two visitors, he caught up their two guns, which they had left leaning up against the cabin in full trust of his honor, and through the open ilooi' shot both, the last redskin falling dead as he was rushing out to close in with his treacherous iiost.
In those days it was the custom of the Indians to hold a yearly meeting or coun- I'il at a place now known as Burrsville, somewhat like a <lozen miles from this point. It was here that Indian Will en countered the third brother-in-law, and they started homeward together having no weapons with them, but carrying a jug of whiskey. Deep in the gloomy recesses of the pine woods, when his blood was in- flamed with fire-water, this Indian told th'' chief that he must: die as the death of his relatives must be avenyed.
They halted and closed in the deadly ->truggle. Both were active and powerful men and it was a fight unto death ; but late in the evening Indian Will appeared at liis cabin with no companion but his whiskey jug. The next day he received several visitors from his race who had been at the Council the day before, aud who had seen the two depart together. In ([uiring as to what had become of his com-
rade, he told them to search and they would probably find out.
They took the back trail of the chief and after an hour's tramping found the dead body. The crushed skull and a bloody pine knot near told the tale. Hence- forth Indian Will was let alone and quiet- ly died in his own cabin many years after. I find that in the deed of the Cook farm, this '' Indian Will's Hole" is recognized, and its margin is given as one of the land- marks."
CAUSES OF THE REVOLUTION- PRINCIPLES INVOLVED.
Early Stand taken by the Citizens of Mon- mouth.— Prooceedings of Meetings in Different TowMships in 1774-5. — Free- hold leads the State. — County Resolu- tions.— An Admirable Document. — Pa- triots Appeal to their Descendants. — " A Faithful Record'' of 1774, audits Message to 1873.
Historians of other States have always conceded that the citizens of New Jersey were among the earliest and most active opponents of those tyrannical acts of Great Britain which brought on the war, and fi- nally resulted in separation. Large and spirited public meetings were held in va- rious parts of the State in 1774-5, to de- nounce the obnoxious laws, and to organ- ize for counsel and defence.
At this stage of affairs, sepiaration from England had not been proposed, and most of these meetings, while condemning the acts of the British Ministry and Parlia- ment, still expressed decided loyalty to the King. Our ancestors warmly seconded the stand taken by the people of Boston and freely forwarded contributions to the suffering inhabitants of that city.
We annex extracts from the proceed- ings of some of these meetings in Old Monmouth, as they exhibit the timely zeal and firm and decided spirit of its citi- zens, and also furnish the names of some of the leading spirits who were prominent in the early stages of political m ^vements which brought on the Revolution. The several counties of the State were request- ed to send delegates to meet at New Bruns. wick, July 21st, 1774, to consider what
28
OLD TIMES m OLD MONMOUTH.
action should be taken by the citizens oi the Province ol New Jersey. This conven- tion was geHeraliy spoken of as the " Pro- vincial Congress of New Jersey, " and was a different' body from the Legislature: in several instances, however, the same per- sons were members of both bodies. A number of persons named in these pro- ceedings were afterwards, during the war, conspicuous in military or civil life, for their services in behalf of their country in legislative halls and on the field of battle.
For a year or two tbe citizens of the county appear to have been about unani- mous in their sentiments, but when finally the subject of a separation from the moth- er country was boldly advocated, there was found to be a diversity of opinion, and some who were among the most active in the meetings'of 1774-5, earnestly opposed the ijroposition, and eventually sided with England in the later years of that memor- able struggle. The fearful consequences of this division, in which it would seem almost every man capable of bearing arms was comoelled to take sides, we have en- deavored to give in other chnpters.
The citizens of Freehold had the honor, we believe, of holding tlie first meeting in New Jersey to denounce the tyrannical acts of Great Britain — of inaugurating the movements in our State which finally re- sulted in Independence. The date of their first meeting is June 6th, 1774; thft earliest date of a meeting in any other place tliat we have met with, is of a meet- ing at Newark, June 11th, 1774.
The following is a copy of the Freehold Proceedings :
howRR Freehold Resomitxoxs.
" Freehold June 6th 1774.
" Atameeting of the Freeholders and In- habitants of the Township of Ldwer Free- hold in the county of Monmouth in New Jersey, on Monday the 6th day of June 1774 after notice given of the time place and occasion of this meeting
'• Resolved That it is the unanimous o\nn- ion of this meeting, that the cause in wliich the inhabitants of the town of Boston are now suflPering is the common cause of the whole Continent of North America; and that unless some general sj)irited measures, lor the public safety be speedily entered into there is just reason to fear that every Province may in turn sliare the same fate with them; and that therefore, it is higldy incumbent on thom all to unite in some
effectual means to obtain a repeal of the Boston Port Bill and any other that may follow it, which shall be deemed subver- sive of the rights and piivileges of free burn Americans.
"And that it is the opiiijoti of this meet- ing that in case it shall Ijtreafter a()pear to be consistent with the general opinion of the trading towns and the commercial part ot our countrymen, that an entire stoppage of importation and exportatioii from and to Great Brit.'iin and the West Indies, until the said Port Bill and other Acts be repealed, will be conduijive to tbe safety and preservation of North America and her liberties, they will yield a cheerful acquiesence in the ipeasure and 'Earnestly reccommend the same to all their iM'cth- ren in this Province.
•'Resolved, ?noreo?er That the inhabitants of this township will jom in an Association with the several towns in the county and in conjuction with them, with the several counties in the Province (if, as w^e doubt not they see fit to accede to the proposal ) in any measures that may ap- pear best adapted to tiie wea! and safety of North America and all her loyal sons.
'• Ordered That John Anderson Esq Peter Fokman Hendrick Smock John Forman AsHER Holmes Capt Jno Covenhoven
and Dr. Nathaniel Scxjdder be a committee for the township to join those who may be elected for the neigh- boring townships or counties to co.^stitute a General Committee for any purposes similar to those above mentioned; and that the gentlemen so appointed do im- mediately solicit a correspondence with tlie adjacent towns."
( Dr. Scudder subsequently was a Colo- nel in tlie First Regiment Monmouth Militia, and killed October 15th, 1781. a> described elsewhere.)
The following week the citizens of Essex sent the following to the patriots of Mon- mouth :
Essex to Mon.moi th. " Elizabethtown -lune 13th 1774.
"Gentlemen: The alarming Measures which have been lately taken to deprive the Inhabitants of the American Cehnies of their constitutional Rights and Privi- leges, together with the late violent -itlacks made u])on the rights and liberties of the Colony of the Massachusetts Bay ( for as- serting and endeavoring to maintain their rights) manifestly intended lo crush them without Mercv and thereby disunite and
OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTH.
29
wc-aken the Colonies, and at tlie same time dare the.n to assert or own their Constitu- tional Rights, Liberties or Properties, un- der the Penalty of the like, and if jwssible, worse treatment ; and ai the Assembly of New Jersey are not like to meet in time to answer the Design j^roposed, and the neighboring Colonies are devising and ex- pecting the immediate union of this Colo- ny with them.
''Bunclry of the hjhabitantsof theCounty of E^sex by Advertisements, convened a general Meeting of said County at Newark on Saturday last, when the said inhabi- tants unanimously entered into certain Kesolves and Declarations upon that occa- sion, a copy of which you have enclosed. We the Committee appointed by the said Meeting, do earnestly request that i^ou will immediately by Advertisements or otherwise, call a general Meeting of your County for the purposes aforesaid as soon as possible, as we have intelligence that it is most probable the General Congress of the Colonies will be held the latter end of July next. We think New Brunswick the most suitable i)lace for the committee to meet, and with submission to them desire they will meet lis at New Brunswick on Thursday July 21st next at 10 o'clock in the morning, unless some other time and place more suitable shall in the meantime be agreed upon.
" VVe earnestly lequest your answer as soon as possible.
'• Letters of this Tenor and Date we now despatch to the other Counties in this Col- ony. We are. Gentlemen,
" your most ob't servants "Stephen Craxe Chairman
'' Hy order :
" To Messrs Edward Taylor, Richard Law- rence Elisha Lawrence, John Taylor and Henry Waddeli, and other Inliabilants ot the County of Monmouth, Friends to the liiiierties and Privileges of the American Colonies."
( The above letter was directed to the above named gentlemen " or to any body else in Monmouth County.'")
Delegates IVdm the different townships in the connty assembled at Fi'eohoiil, July i9lh, and the result of their decision is found in the following admirable docu- ment. It is lengthy but will well repay perusa'. In the closing paragraph they trust that some fiithful record will trans- mit the reasons which actuated them, to til' ir posterity to whom they make a brief but f>loquetit appeal. As they desired, this
record has been jjreserved, and as they desired, we do what we can to place it be- fore their descendants:
MoxMOUTH County Resolutioxs.
" On Tuesday July 19th 1774, a majority of the Committees from the several town- ships in the covinty of Monmouth of the Colony of New Jersey met according to appointment at the Court House at Free- hold in said county ; and api)earing to have been regularly chosen and constituted by their respective townships, they unani- mously agreed upon the propriety and ex- pediency of electing a committee to repre- sent the whole county at the approaching Provincial Convention to be held at the city of New Brunswick, for the necessary purpose of constituting delegates from Ibis Province to the general Congress of the Colonies and for all other such important purposes as siiall hereafter be found neces- sary.
" They at the same time also recorded the following Resolutions, Determinations and Opinions, which they wish to be transmit- ted to posterity as an ample testimony to their lovalty to his British Majesty, of their firm attacement to the principles of the glorious Revolution and their fixed and unalterable purpose, by every lawful means in their power, to maintain and de- fend themselves in the possession and en- joyment of those inestima,ble civil and re- ligious privileges which their forefathers, at the expense of so much blood and treas- ure, liave established and handed down to them.
" 1st. In the names and behalf of their constituents, the good and loyal inhabi- tants of the county of Monmouth, in the colony of New Jersey^ they do cheerfully and publicly proclaim their unshaken al- legiance to the person and government ot his most gracious Majesty King George the Third now on the British throne, and do acknowledge^ themselves bound at all times, and to the utmost exertion of their power to maintain his dijznity and lawful sovereignty in and over all his colonies in America; and that it is their most fervent desire and constant prayer that in a Prot- estant succession, the descendants of the illustrious House of Hanover, may con- tinue to sway the British sceptre to the latest posterity.
" 2d. They do highly esteem and prize the happiness of being governed and hav- ing their liberty and property secured to them by so excellent a system of laws as
30
OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTH.
that of Great Britain, the best doubtless in the universe ; and they will at all times cheerfully obey and render every degree of assistance in their power to the full and just execution of them. But at t}«e fame time will, with the greatest alacrity and resolution oppose- any unwarrantable in- novations in them or any additions to or alterations in the grand system which may appear unconstitutional, and consequently inconsistent with the liberties and privi- leges of the descendants ot free borit American Britons.
" 3d. As there has been for ages past, a most happy union and uninterrupted con- nection between Great Britain and her colonies in America, they conceive their interests are now become so intimately blended together and their mutual de pendence upon each other to be at this time so delicately great that they esteem everything which has a tendency to alien- ate affection or disunite them in any de- gree, highly injurious to their common happiness and directly calculated to pro- duce a Eevolution, likelv in the end to prove destructive to both ; they do there- fore heartily disclaim every idea of that spirit of independence which has, of late, by some of our mistaken brethren on each side of the Atlantic, been so groundlefsiy and injuriously held up to thr.- attention of the nation, as having through ambition, ])Ossessed tlie breasts of tlie Americans. — And moreover they do devoutly bt-seech the Supreme Disposer of all events, gra- ciously to incline the heart of our Soverign and all his Ministers, to a kind and im- partial investigation ot the real sentiments and disjjosition of his truly loyal American subjects.
"4th. Notwithstanding many great men xind able writers have employed their tal- ents and pens in favor of the newly adopt- ed mode of taxation in America, tliey are J'et sensible of no convictive light being thrown upon the subject; and therefore, although so august a body as that of the British Parliament is now actually endeav- oring to enforce in a military way. tlie ex- ecution of some distressing edicts upon the capital of the Mas-^acliusetts colony, they do freely and solemnly declare "that in conscience they deem them, and all oth- ers that are, or ever may be framed upon tiie same principles, altogetlier unprece- dented and unconstitutional, utterly in- consistent wilh the true original intention of Magna Charta, subversive of the just rights of free born Englishmen, agreeable
and satisfactory only to the domestic and foreign enemies of our nation, and conse- quently pregnant with complicated ruin, and tentling directly to the dissolution and destruction of the Britisli Empire.
" 5tii. As they, on tlie one hand firmly believe that the inhabitants of the Massa- chusetts colony in general, and those of the town of Boston in particular, are to all intents and purposes as loyal subjects as any in all his Majesty's widely extended dominions ; and on the other, that (al- though the present coercive and oppres.sive measures against them may have taken rise in some part from the grossest and most cruel misrepresentat.on both of their disposition and conduct ) the blockade of that town is principally designed to lead the way in an attempt to execute a dread- ful deep laid plan for enslaving all Anipr- icd. 'J'heyare therefore clearly of 0[)inion, that the Bostonians are now eminently sufi'ering in the common cause >.f Aim-ii- can fretsdotn, and that their fate n:ay probably pVove decisive to this very ex- tensive continent and even to the whole British nation ; and they do verily expect that unle>s some generous ."^pii'lted meas- ures for the public safety be speedily en- tered into and steadily prosecuted, every other colony will soon in turn feel the per- nicious etiects of the same detestable re- strictions. Whence tiiey earnestly entreat every rank, denomination, society and profession of their brethren, that,' laying aside all bigotry and every party disposi tion. tliey do now universally concur in one- generous and vigorous etibrt for the encouragement and support of their suf- f'^ring friends, and in a resolute assertion of their birth right, liberties and }>rivileges. In consequence of vvliich t!?ey may reason- ably expect a speedy repeal of ail the ar- bitrary edicts re.>;pecting the MassHchusetts government, and at the same time an ef- fectual preclusion of any future attempts of the kind from the enemies of our ha))- l^y Constitution, either upon them or any o< their American brethren.
"6th In case it shall hereafter appeiu- to be consistent with t!ie result of the delib- eration of the general Congress, that an interruption or entire cassation of com- mercial intercourse with Great Britain and even ( jninful as it may be ) with the West Indies, until such oppressive Acts \ e re- ]ii'aled and the liberties of America fully restored, stated and assorted, wiH on this deplorable emergency be really necessary ;intl conducive to the public good, they
OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTH.
31
promise a ready acquiesence in every mea- sure ^nfi will recommend the same as far as their ii;fluence extends.
" 7th. As a general Congress of Deputies from the several American Colonies is pro- posed to be held at Philadelphia soon in iSeptember next, they ileclare their entire approbation of the design and think it is the only rational method of evading those aggravated evils which threaten to involve the whole continent in one general calam- itous catastrophe. They are therelore met this day, vested with due authority from their respective constituents, to elect a committee to represent this county of Monmouth in any future necessary trans actions respecting the cause of liberty and especially to join the Provincial Conven- tion soon to be held at New Brunswick, for the purpose of nominating and consti- tuting a number of Delegates, who in be- half of this Colony ma, steadily attend to said general Congress and faithfullv serve the laboring cause of freedom and they have consequently chosen and deputed the following gentlemen to that important trust viz ; y
Edward^'aylor John Anderson
John Tiiylor Dr Nathaniel Scudder
John Burrowes John Covenhoven u-
Joseph Holmes Josiah Holmes
Edward Williams James Crover John Lawrence.
' Edward Taylor being constituted chair- man and any five of them a sufficient number to transact business. And they do beseech, entreat, insti'uct and enjoin them to give their voice at said Provincial Convention, for no persons but such as they in good conscience and from the best information shall verily believe to be am- ply quaiified fnr so int'^resting a depart- ment; particularly that they be men high- ly aj^proved for integrity, honesty and up rightness, faithfully Httached to his Maj- esty's person and lawful government, well skilled in tiie principles of our excellent constitution and steady assertors of all our civil and religious liberties.
" 8th. As under the present operation of the Boston Port Bill, thousantls of our re- spected brethren in Ijuit town must neces sarily be reduced to great distress, they feel themselves affected with the sincorest sympathy and most cordial-commiseration; and as they expect, under God, that the final deliverance of America will be owing, in a great degree, to a continuance of their virtuous struggle, they esteem themselves bound in duty and in interest to afforl
them every assistance and alleviation in their power ; and they do now in behalf of their constituents, declare their readi- ness to contribute to the relief of the suf- fering poor in that town ; therefore they request the several committees of the country, when met, to take into serious consideration the necessity and expedien- cy of' forwarding under a sanction from them, subscriptions through every part of the Colony, for that truly humane and laudable purpose ; and that a proper plan be concerted for laying out the product of such subscriptions to the best andvantage, and afterwards transmitting it to Boston in the safest and least expensive way.
"9th. As we are now by our Committees in this, in conjunction with those of other colonies, about to delegate to a number of our countrymen a power equal to any wherewith liuman nature alone was ever invested ; and as we firmly resolve to ac- quiesce in their deliberations, we do there- fore earnestly entreat them, seriously and conscientiously to weigh the inexpressible importance of their arduous department, and fervently to solicit that direction and assistance m the discnarge of their trust, which all the powers of humanity cannot afford thesn ; and we do humbly and ear- nestly beseech that God, in whose hand are the hearts of all flesh and who ruleth them at his pleasure, graciously to infuse into the whole Congress a spirit of true wisdom, prudence and just moderation ; and to direct them to such unanimous and happy conclusion as shall terminate in His own honor and glory, the establishment of the Protestant succession of the illus- trious House of Hanover, the mutual weal and advantage of Great Britain and all her l^ominions and a just and permanent con- firmation of i.ll the civil and religious lib- erties of Araerica. And now lastly, under tlie consideration of the bare possibility that the enemies of our constitution may y«>t succeed in ■x desperate triumph over us in this age, we do earnestly ( should this prove the case ) call upon all future generations to renew the glorious struggle for liberty as often as Heaven shall afford them any probable means of success.
•' May this notification, by some faithful record, be handed down to the yet unborn descendants of Americans, that nothing but the most fatal necessity could have wrested the present inestimable enjoy- ments from their ancestors. Let them universally inculcate upon their beloved offspring an investigation of those truths,
32
OLD TIMES IX OLD MONMOUTH.
respecting both civil and religious liberty, which have been so clearly and fully stated in this generation. May they be carefulh' taught in all their schools-, and may they never rest until, through Divine blessing upon their efforts, true freedom and liber- ty shall reign triumphant over the whole Crlebe.
" Signed by order of the Committes,
'' Edward Taylor Chairman " Boston Gratefully Acknowledges Mon- mouth Contributions.
The patriots of Monmouth promptly and freely contributed to the suffering in- habitants of Boston. In forwarding their first contribution "they entreated their brethren not to give up, and if they should want a iurther supjjly of bread to let them know it."
On the 21st of October, 1774, a letter was written on behalf of the Boston ians, to the citizens of Monmouth, in whicli they say: ^
" The kind and generous donations of the County of Monmouth in the -Tersies we are now to acknowledge and with grateful hearfcB to thank you therefore, having received from the Committee of said county, per Captain Brown, eleven hundred and forty (1140) bushels of rye and fifty barrels of rye meal, for thesuffer- ing poor of this town which shall be au- plied to the purpose intended by the don- ors ; and what further cheers our hearts, is your kind assurances of a further sup- ply, if necessary, to enable us to oppose the cruel Parliamentary Acts, levelled not only against this town, but our whole Constitution."
" Committees of Observation and Inspec- tion."
'• Freehold December 10th 1774.
" In pursuance of the recommendation of the Continental Congress and for the pres- ervation of American Freedom, a respect able body of the freeholders of Freehold townshij) met at the Court House and unanimously elected the following gentle- men to act as a Committee of Observation and Inspection for said township : .Tolin Anderson Hendrick Smock
John Forman John Covenhoven
Asher Holmes Dr. Nath'l Scudder
Teter Forman David Forman
Dr. T. Henderson.
" The committee were instructed by their constituents to carry into e.xecution the 'several imjiortant and sahitniT measures
pointed out to them by the Continental Congress and without favor or affection to make all such diligent inquiry as shall be found conducive to thd accomplishment of the great necessary purposes held up to the attention of Americans."
Upper Freehold, Dover and Middle- town formed similar committees, and noti- fied the Freehold committee.
Shi'ewsbury however failed to appohit a committee. This may havf been owing to the prevalence of Quaker principles in the township. An attempt by the patri- ots of Shrewsbury was made to have a Committee appointed, as will be seen by the following cojiy of an advertisement put up in this township :
•' Advertisement.
"Shrewsbury January 2nd' 1775.
" Aiireeable to the Resolutions of the late General Continental Congress — The Inhabitants of the town of Slirewsbury, more especially such as are properly qual- ififcd for choosing Representatives to serve in the Genend Assembly are hereby warn- ed to meet at the house of Josiah Hal- stead, in said Sh^-ewsbury, on '^esday the 17th of this instant January at noon, in order to choose a Committee for the seve- ral purposes as directed by thesai'l Con- gress.
" As the method ordered by the Congress seems to be the only peaceable method the case will admit of, on failure of which either confii'med Slavery or a civil war of course succeeds ; the bare mention of either of the two last is shocking to hu- man nature, more particularly so to all true friends of the English Constitution.
"Therefore it becomes the indispensable duty of all such to use their utmost en- deavors in favor of the first or peaceable method, and suffer it not to miscarry or fail of its salutary and much desired effects by means of any sinister views or indo- lence of theirs. Surely expectinir on the one hand to be loaded with the curses arising from sla'very to the latest posteri- ty, or on the other band the guilt of blood of thousand of their brethren and fellow Christians to lay at their door and to be jusily required at their hands.
"Think well of this before it be too late and let not the |irecious moments pass."
A .number of the citizens of Shrewsbury Hssemhled at the time and place mention- ed in the advertisement but they failed to appoint a committee." The following -^iiows tho conclusion to which tb(^ meet-
OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTH.
33
ing came. It concludes more like a Qua- ker Meeting epistle than a town meeting resolve :
" Extract from a letter to a gentleman in New York dated Shrewsbury N. J. Jan- uary 18th 1775.
" In consequence of an anonymous ad- vertisement fixed up in this place, giving notice to freeholders and others, to meet on Tuesday the 17th inst in order to choose a Committee of Inspection etc, be- tween thirty and forty of ^he most respect able freeholders accordingly met and after a few debates on the business of the day, which were carried on vrith great decency and moderation it was generally agreed (there being only four or five dissenting votes) that the appointment of a commit- tee was not only useless, but they were apprehensive would prove a means of dis- turbing the peace and quietness which had hitherto existed in the township, and would continue to use their utmost en- deavors to preserve and to gaurd against running upon that rock on which, with much concern, they beheld others, through an inattentive rashness, daily splitting "
The Freehold Committee of Observation and Inspection at a meeting held March 17th, 1775, took up the case of Shrewsbury township, and after stating the subject in a preamble they resolved that from and after that day they would esteem and treat the citizens of Shrewsbury as ene- mies to their King and country and de- serters of the common cause of Freedom ; and would break off all dealings and con- nections with taem " unless they shall ttirn from the evil of their ways and testi- fy their repentance by adopting the mea- sures of Congress."
The New Jersey Provincial Legislature, in May following, authorized other town- shijis to appoint delegates for Shrewsbury, but the same month the refractory town- ship, as will be seen by the following, chose delegates and also a committee of Observation, and so the unpleasantness ended.
Shrewsbury Falls Into Line.
"At a meeting f Freeholders and Inhab- itants, of the township of Shrewsbtiry this 27th day of May 1775, the following per- sons were by a great majority, chosen a committee of observation for the said town agreeable to the direction of the General Continental Congress held at Philadelphia September 5th 1774 viz.
Josiah Holmes John Little
Jos. Throckmorton Samuel Longstreet Nicholas Van Brunt David Knott Cor, Vanderveer Benjamin Dennis Daniel Hendrickson Samuel Breese Thomas Morford Garret Longstreet Cornelius Lane.
I " Ordered : That Daniel Hendrick.son and Nicholas Van Brtint, or eitherof them, do attend t'ae Provincial Congress now
I setting at Trenton, with full power to rep- resent there, this town of Shrewsbury. And that Josiah Holmes, David Knott and Samuel Breese be a sub committee to pre- pare instructions for the Deputy or Depu- ties who are to attend the Congress at Trenton.
'• Josiah Holmes was unanimously chosen chairman. Josiah Holmes.
'' Chairman and Town Clerk.'"
Freehold PxVTRiots Indignant. — Novel Proceedings.
March 6th, 1775. A Tory pamphlet entitled '• Free Tho^ights on the Resolves of Congress by A W. Farmer " was handed to the Freehold Committee of Observation and Inspection for their opinion. The committee declar- ed it to be most pernicious and malignant in its tendencies and calculated to sap the foundation of American liberty. The pamphlet was handed back to their con- stituents who gave it a coat of tar and turkey buzzards feathers, one person re- marking that " although the feathers were plucked from the mos^ stinking of fowls, he thought it fell far short of being a proper emblem of the authors odious- ness to the friends of freedom and he wished he had the pleasure of giving the author a coat of the same material.'"
The pam^jhlet in its gorgeous attire was then nailed to the pillory post.
The same committee severely denounc- ed a Tory pamphlet written by James Eivington, editor of Kivington's Eoyal Ga- zette, the Tory paper, printed in New York.
By the following resolves it will be seen that the citizens of Upper Freehold favor- ed arming the people if necessary, to op- pose the tyrannical acts of Great Britain. A striking illustration of the stirring events of that perilous time is found in the fact that before a year had elapsed some of the prominent men in this meet- ing were aiding Great Britain to the best of their ability by voice, pen or sword :
34
OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTH.
Upper Freehold Resolitions.
•' May 4th 1775. This day, agreeable to previous notice a very considerable num- ber of the principal inhabitants of tins township met at Imlaystown.
"John Lawrence Es<i. in tlie chair; Wlien the following resolves were unanimously agreed to :
'' Resolved, I'liat it is our first wish to live in unison with Great Britain, agree- able to the principles of the Constitution ; that we consider the unnatural civil war which we are about to be forced into, with anxiety and distress but that we are determined to oppose the novel claim of the Parliament of Great Britain to raise a revenue in Amtrica and risk every possi- ble consequence rather than to submit to it.
•' Resolved. That it appears to this meeting that there are a suflBcient num- ber of arms for the people.
•' Resolved. Thatasum of money be now raised to purchase what further quantity of Powder and Ball may be necessary ; and it is recommended that every man capable of bearing arms enter into Com- panies to train, and be prepared to march at a minutes warning ; and it is (urther recommended to the people that they do not waste their powder in fowling and hunting.
•' A subscription was opened tvnd one hundred and sixty pounds instantly paid into the hands of a person appointed for that purpose. 'I'he officers of four com- panies were then chosen and the meeting bi'oke up in perfect unanimity.
" Emsiia Lawkrmk. Clerk.''
THE OUTLAWS OF THE 1 INES.
Among the most noted of these scoun- drels may be mentioned Lewis Fenton, Jacob Fagan, Thomas and Stephen Burke alias Emmons, Ezekiel Williams, Richard Bird, John Bacon, John Giberson, John Wood, John Farnham, Jonathan and Stephen West, DeBow aud Davenport.
Bird and Davenport appear to have op- erated principally in old Dover township. Giberson's head quarters appear tj have been in the lower part of Burlington, from whence he made occasional raids into Staf- ford, then the southern township of Mon- moutii county.
In speaking of the Pine Robbers, Howe's Collections give several items derived chiefly from tra<litionary sources, relating to some of these notorious scoundrels. We give their substance below. ap2)en':ling occasional corrections and a large amount of additional matter. The compiler of the above named work derived his infor- mation Irom aged citizens of the country over three score years after the events re- ferred to occurred. By comparing their traditionary accounts with letters written from Freehold and vicinity at the time, it will be seen that they differ only in minor details.
jn speaking of Howell township. Howe says :
'• Superadded to the other liorrorsof the Revolutionary war in this region, the pines were infested with numerous robbers, who had caves Vnu-rowed in the sides of sand hills, near the margin of swamps, in llie most secluded situations, which were cov- ered with brush so as to be almost undis- cernable. At dead of night these miscre- ants would sally forth from their dens to plunder, burn and murder. The inhsihi tants, in constant terror, w>ie obliged tor safety to carry their muskets w'tii them into the fields, and even to the house oi worship. At length, so numerous and au- dacious had tliey become, that the state government ofi'ei'ed large rewards for their destruction, and they were hunted and shot like wild beasts, when they weri^ almost entirely extirpated."'
The first of whom We shall speak i^
Lewis Fenton.
Fenton wa« originally a blacksmith, and learned h-s trade at Freehold. On one occasion he robbed a tailor's shop in that township. Word was sent him that if he did not restore the clothing within a week he should be hunted and shot, [ntimida ted by the tiireat, he returned the proper ty accompanied by the following fiendish note :
"I have returned your d — d rags. In a short time I am coming to burn your barns and houses, and roast vou all liice a pack of kittens."
In August, 177'J, this villain, at the head of his gang, attacked, at midnight, the dwelling of Mr. Thomas Farr. in the vi- cinity of Imlaystown. The iamily. con- sisting of Mr. Farr and wife (both aged persons) and their daughter, barricaded the door with logs of wood. The assail- ants first attemj'ted to beat in the door
OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTH.
35
with rails, but being unsucpssful, fired through a volley of ball;, one of which broke the leg of Mr. Farr. Then forning an entrance at the back door, they mur- dered his wife and dispatched him as he lay helpless on the floor. His daughter, though badly wounded, escaped, and the gang, fearing she would alarm the neigh- borhood, precipitately fled without wait- ing to plunder.
After perpetrating many enormitir-;, Feriton was shot, about two miles helow Blue Ball, under the following cir<Mim- stances :
Fenton and Burke beat and robbed a young man named VanMater of his meal. as he was going to mill. He escaped and conveyed the information to Lfp's Legion, th«n at th« Court Housr. A part^ staited otFin a wagon in pursuit, consisting of the Sergeant. VanMater and two soldiers. The soldiers lay on the bottom of the wiigon concealed under the straw, while tlie sergeant, disguised :is a ountryman, sat with VanMater on th« seat. To in- oi'ease the deception, two or th)'ee pmpty barrels were put m the wagon. On pass- ing a low grpggery in the pines, Fenton came out with ■> pistol in hand and com- manded tliem to stop. Addressing Van- Mater he said :
" You d d rascal ! I gave you such
a whippin.' I thought you would not dare to show your head ;" then changing the subject inquired, ' where are you going?"
" To the salt works," was the reply.
" Have you any brandy ?" rejoined the robber
" Yes ! will you have some ?"'
A bottle was given him^ he put his foot on the hub of the wagon, and was in the act of drinking, when rlif sergeant touched the foot of one of the soldiers, who arose and shot him through th^ head. His brains werp scattered over the side of the w-agon. Burke, then in 'he woods, hear ing the report and supposing it a signal from his companion, discharged his rifle in answer. The party went in pursuit, but he escaped.
Careh^ssly throwing the body into the wagon, they drove back furiously to the Court House, where, on their arrival, they .jerked out the corpse by the heels, as though it had been that of some wild ani- mal, with the ferocious exclamation : " Here is a cordial for your tories and wood robbers f^
In the above version it is stated that Fenton's companion was Burke, but an-
cient papers published during the war say it was DeBow. Of the two Burkes alias Emmons, Th«mas and Stephen, we shall have occasion to speak before concluding.
By the following extract it will he seen that the brutal attack by Fenton and his ganir on Thomas Farr and family, occurr- ed in Juiy, instead of August, as stated in the foregoing traditionally aitcouni fr,om Howe :
'• July 31st, 1779.— Thomas Farr and wife were murdered in the niL'ht near Crosswicks Baptist meeting house, and daughte- b;idly wounded by a gang sup- posed to be under the lead of Lewis Fen- ton. About the same time Fenton broke into and robbed the house of one An- drews, in M. n;nouth ('-ounty. Governor Livingston offered £500, reward for Fen- ton and £300, and £2-50 for persons assist- ing him."
The Penn.sylvania Pacl<et (1779) gives a notice of the attack on VanMater by Fen- ■on, which corresponds with the foliowing from another ancient paper. .Sept. 29, 1779, probably written by a Freehold cor- respondent :
" On Thursday last (September 23d, 1779), a Mr. V^inM.iter was knocked ofF his horsf^ on the road near Longstreet's Mills, in Monmouth County, by Lewis Fenton and one De Bow, by whom he was stabbed in the arm and otherwise much abused, besides being robbed of his saddle. In the meantime another person coming up, which drew the attention of the rob- bers, gave VanMater an opportunity to escape. He wnt directly and informed a Serjeant's gaurd of Major Lee'i; liglit dra- goons, who were in the neighborhood, of what had happened. The serjeant im- mediately impi'esed a wagon r.nd horses and 6rdered three of his men to secrete themselves m it under some hay. Hav- ing changed his clothes and procured a guide, he made haste, thus equipped, to the place where Fenton lay. On the ap- proach of the wagon, Fenton (his compan- ion being gone) rushed out to plunder it. Upon demanding what they had in it. he was answered a little wine :;nd spirit. These articles he said he wanted, and while advancing toward tlie wagon to take possession of them, one of the sol- diers, being previously informed who he was, shot him through the head, which killed him instantly on the spot. Thus did this villain end his days, which it is to be hoped will at least be a warning to others, if not to induce them to throw
ot:i
OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTH.
themselves* on the rnerey of their Injured country.'"
In the early part of September, 1779, shortly before the VanMater affair, four of Fenton's gang were captured by- the mdi- tia and lodged in Freehold jail.
.Ij»lCOB Fagan.
F.iiXan, also a monster in wiekcdness, was killed in Shrewsbury by n party of militia under Mnjor Benjumin Denni.s. The account here given, is from Mrs. .\melia Coryel. a daughter of Mr. Denni'-', living in JanUMvy, 1843, in Phi!adelph;a, and who, as will be seen in the n;irration, narrowly escii])ed death from the ruffians: '' On Mond.iy in the autumn <^f 1778, Fngnn, Bi^ke and Smith c;une to the dwelling of Major Dennis, on the .soutli side of Man;isquan river, four miles below Howell Mills, to rob it of some plunder captured from a British vessel. Fragan had formerly been a ue-.w neigliboi-. Smith, .in honest citizen, who liail j"ined the otl>er tw", the most notorious lobbers of their time, for the purpose of belrnying them, prevailed upon th'jm 'o remain in theii' lurking place while he entered the house to ^iscertain if the v^aj' was clear. On entering he appr'zed Mrs. Dennis of her danger. Her daughter Amelia (after- wards Mrs. Goryel), a girl of fourteen, hid a pocket book contnining $80, in ;i bed- tick, atid with her little brother hastily retreated to a swamp near. Shf> had scarcely left when they entered, searched the house nnd the bed. but witliout suc- cess.
"After tbri'atening Mrs. !)( nnis. and ascertaining if she was unwilling to give in tormsition where the treasure was conceal- ed, one of tliein jtroposed to murder her. •' No,'" replied his comrnd*- ; '' let the
d n rebel b h live. The counsel ot
the first prevailed. They took her to a young cedar tree, and suspended her to it by the neck with a bed cord. In her struggles she got free and escaped. Amelia, observing them from her hiding place, just tlieii descried .John Holmes ap- proachmg m her father's wagon over a rise of ground two hundred y;'rds distant, and r;in towards him. I'he robbers fired fit lier; the bail whistled over her head and buried itself in an oak. Holmes abandon- ed the wagon and escaped to thf» woods. They then plundeipd the wagon and went off. '
"Thene.xtday Major Dennirf renicyve I his family to Shrewsbury, under ])rotec
tion of the guar< companions, an(
Smith stole from his informed Dennis they were coming th<* next evening to more thoroughly search his dwelling, and pro- j)Osed thai he and his comrades should be waylaid at a place agreed upon. On Wednes'lay evening the Miijor.with a par- ty of militia, lay in ambush at the appoint- ed s])ot. After a wiiile Smith drove by in a wagon intended for the })luiider, and Fagan and Burke came behind on foot. At a given signal fro u Smith, which was something siid to tiie horses, the militia fired and the robbers disappeared. On Saturday, some hunters in a groggt>ry. made a bet that Fagan was killed. Se .rch was made and his body was found and buried. On Sunday, the event becom- ing known, the peojde assembled, disin- twrred the remains, and alter heaping in- dignilie.-. upon it, enveloped it in a tarred cloth Mud suspended it in chains, with i«in l)ands .irnund it, from a large chestnut tree about a mile from 'he Court House, on the road to Colts Neck. There hung the corpse in mid air, rocked to and fio by the winds, a horrible warning to his comrades, and a terror to travellers, until ' he birds of prey i)icked '.he flesh from its bono.- and the skeleton fell piecemeal to the ground. Tradition affirms that the skull was afterwards })lace<l .-gainst tl^e tree. with a pipe in its mouth in derision.
'' Mrs Dennis, wife of M ijor Dennis, on anotlier occasion came n^e^ir neing kiiled by a par.y of Hessians, who entered her dwelling, and alter rudely accosting hei'. knocked her down with their muskeis and left lier for dead, in the July succeeding the <leath of Fagan, her husband was shot by liie robi^ers Fen 'on and Emmons, as he was travelling from Coryel's Ferry to Shrewsbury. After the murder of her husband, she married John liaaibert. act- ing fjrovernor of New .leisev in 1802. She died in 1835. ""
Fagan's death ab'ove referred to oc- curred in September. 1778. An ancient paper has a communication dated October 1st, 1778, which says :
" About ten days ago -Jacob Fagan, wlio having previously headed a number of villain.s in Monmouth county that have committed divers robl)eries and were the terror of travellers, was shot. Since whicii his body lias been gibbeted on the ]iublic highvvav in that county, to deter others from i>c-rpetrating the like detest- able crimes."
OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTH.
37
THE OUTLAWS OF THE TINES.
Stephen Burke alias Emmon.s, Stephen- West AND EZEKIEL WiLLIAMS.
The following is an extract from a let- ter dated at Monmouth Court House, -Jan- uary 29th, 1778 :
" The Tory pine robbers, who have .their haunts and caves in the pines and have been for some time past a terror to the inhabitants of this county, have dur- ing the course of the present week, met with a very eminent disaster.
"On Tuesday evening last (January 26th) Captain Benjamin Dennis, who lately killed the infamous robber Fagan, with a party of his militia, went in pursuit of three of the most noted of ,the Pine Kob hers and was so fortunate as to fall in with them and kill them on the spot. 'I'heir names are Stephen Burke alias Emmons, Stephen West and Ezekiel Williams. Yesterday they were brought up to this place and two of them it is said will be hanged in chains. This signal piece of service was effected through the instrumentality of one John VanKirk who was prevailed upon to associate with them on purpose to discover thoir practi- ces an"! to lead them into our hands. He conducted himself with so much address that the robbers and especially the three above named, who were the leading vil- lains, looked upon him as one of their body, kejit him constantly with them and eiitrusted him with all th.ur designs.
"VanKirk at proper seasons gave intelli- gence of their movements to Captain Den- nis who conducted himself accordingly, 'i'hey were on the eve of setting off for New York to make sale of tiieir plunder, when VanKirk informed Captain Dennis of the time of their intended departure (which was to have been on Tuesday night last) and ot course they would take to their boats. In consequence of which and agreeable to the directions of Van- Kirk. tlie captain and a small party of his militia i)lanted themselves at Rock Pond, near the sea shore, and shot Burke, West and Williams in the manner above related.
•'We were at first in hopes of keeping VanKirk under the rose, but the secret is out and of course he must fly the county, for the Tories are so highly exasperated against him that death will certainly be
his fate if he does not leave Monmouth County. The Whigs are soliciting contri- butions in his favor, and from what I have already seen, have no doubt that they will present him with a very handsome sum. I question whether the destruction of the British fleet could diffuse more universal joy through the inhabitants ot Monmouth than has the death of the above three most egregious villains."
Refugee Version of the Death of Burke a/zas Emmons, West and Williams.
William Courlies, of Shrewsbury, who joined the British about the last of 1778, testified before a British Court Martial in answer to the question as to what he knew respecting the deaths of Stephen West, Stephen Emmons alias Burke, and Ezekiel VVilliams, as follows :
" He (the deponent) was carried prison- er to Monmouth in January, 1779, on the 'night of the 24th of that month. He saw Captain Dennis of the itebel service bring to Freehold Court House three dead bod- ies ; that Ca[)tain Dennis being a neighbor of his (the deponent's) he Jisked where those men were killed. He replied, they were killed on the shore, where they were coining to join their regiments. Two of them, he said, belonged to Colonel Morris' corps, in General Skinner's brigade ; the other had been enlisted in their service by those two belonging to Colonel Morris' corps. He said, also, he (Capt. Dennis) had employed a man to assist them in making their escape at a place where he (Dennis) was to meet with them on the shore, at which place he did meet them ; that on coming to the spot he (Dennis) surrounded them with his party; that the men attempted to fire, and not being able to discharge their pieces, begged for quarters and claimed the benefit of be- ing prisoners of war. He ordered them to be fired on, and one of them by the name of Williams fell ; that they were all bayonetted by the party and brought to Monmouth ; and that he (Dennis) receiv- ed a sum of money for that action, either from the Governor or General Washing- ton ; which of the two he does not recol- lect."
It is only necessary to say in connection with the above by Courlies's own statement, that at least two, if not all three, deserved death by the usual rule of warfare. They had evidently been noted for their ma- rauding expeditions, as a reward was offerei for them. They may have belong-
38
OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTH.
ed to Skinner's " Greens " (the Loyalist organization of Jerseymen, so termed from their uniforms), but they had been noted for their frequent visits witliin the Amer- ican lines, plundering, acting of course as R])ies, and endeavoring to enlist men for the British service within the patriot lines. The third man we infer remained m hid- ing places in the county, and when the others came over from the British lines would join them in their marauding expe- ditions, and he was shot while trying to join the enemy.
Jonathan West.
•' Jonathan West, another of this lawless crew, in an affray with some of the inhab- itants of Monmouth, was taken prisoner to the Court House. His arm, being horribly mangled, was amputated. He soon after escaped to the pines and became more desperate than before. He used the stump of his arm to hold his gun. Some-" time later he was again pursued, and on refusing to surrender, was shot."
Five Men Condemned.
The following item was published i)e cember, 1782:
" Five men were convicted at Mon- mouth Court House of burglary, felony, &c., and sentenced to be hanged — three on one Friday, the other two the next Fri- day."
Three refugees named Farnham, Burge and Patterson were executed at one time at Freehold. Our impre.ssion is that they are the three men referred to in the above paragraph, and that the other two were re prieved. We pre.sume that Farnham is the same man who tried to shoot young Russell (as mentioned in speaking of the liussell outrage) while he was lying on the floor supposed to be mortally wounded but was prevented by Lippencott, who knoci<ed uj) his musket.
ExEouTiox OF T110.MAS Burke and John Wood. The following is irom an ancient paper : " July 22nd 177S. We learn that the Court of Oyer and Terminer and (leneral Jail delivery held in Monmouth in June last, the following jiersoii.s were tried and found guilty of burglary viz : Tlionias Em- mons alias Bourke. Johti Wootl, Michael Millery, Willia.m Dillon and Robert Mc- MuUen. The two former were executed on Fiiday last and the other three re- fuieved. At the same time Ezekiel For-
man, John Polhemus and William Grover were tried and convicted of hij;h treason and are to be executed on the 18th of August next.'"
William Dillon and Robert McMuUen, mentioned above, were pardoned, but they showed no appreciation for the favor, for we find that shortly after, in September, Dillon piloted a British expedition into old Cranberry Inlet, opposite Toms River, to endeavor to recapture the ship " Love and Unity," which a short time before had been made a prize of by the Ameri- cans, the particulars of which will be giv- en in s()eaking of privateering at Toms River and other places in old Monmouth during the war. When this expedition arrived at the Inlet, Rob*rt McMullen, who seems to have been on shore waiting for them, siezed a small boat, hurrahed for the British, and rowed off to join their
Executions at Freehold.
The late Dr. Samuel Forman stated that no less than thirteen pine robbers, refu- gees and raurdert^rs were executed at dif ferent times on one gallows, wliich stood near the tree where Fa^an was hung in the vicinity of the Court House, and that he assisted in the erection of the gallows.
We are not certain who the thirteen were, but most of them are probably men- tioned in the foregoing and other chap- ters, if those hung in chains after lieiug shot are included.
Stephen Edwards was executed at Free- hold for being a spy. Thomas Emmons alias Burke, John Wood, Farnham, Burge and Patterson were hung for burghiry, felony, &c. Ezekiei Forman, John Poihe- mus and William Grover were sentenced to be exccuteil, but wo have found no men- tion of the sentence bt^ing carried into ef- fect— but from circumstantial evidence ir. is probable that they were reprieved. Fagan was iiung in chains after being shot, though not on the gallows. After Stephen Burke, West and Williams were shot and brought to Freehohf, the Ameri- can account says the bodies of two of the three were to be hung in chains.
In addition to executions, &c., al)ovo mentioned, a refugee named James Pew, ibrmerly of Middletown townshii), joined the British and was taken })risoncr by the Americans November lOtlr, 1779, ;ind con- fined in Freehold jail, and five days after was shot by James Tilley, who was acting as sentry over him. It is probable that Pew was shot in attempting to escape. It
OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTH.
39
is said that a coroner's jury condemned Tilley, but after two or three days confine ment he was discharged.
Davenport, the Refugee Leader of Dover.
The refugee leader Davenport appears to have confined most of his operations within the limits of the old township of Dover, then in Monmouth, now in Ocean. The rnilitia stationed at Toms River were so active thi.t Davenport and his band o( desperadoes had but little chance to do serious mischief except by plundering dwellings at a distance from the principal settlements.
The most noted aflfliir in which Daven port was concerned vvas in aiding the British expedition which captured the Block House at Toms River, and burned the village March 24th, 1782. One account of this affair says that Davenport vvas wounded when attacking ihe Block House^ if so it must have been slightly ; as on tlie first of June following helandedat Forked River, ten miles below Toms River, with eighty men, half white and iialf black, in two barges. They first landed on the nortli side of Forked River and plundered, among others, the hou.ses ot Samuel Woodmansee and hh brother who resided on what are now known as the Jones' and Holmes' places. They then proceeded across the south branch to the place in late years best known as " the Wright place '" (formerly belonging to the father of Caleb Wright, tlie nopular railroad conductor) in which at this time livefl Samuel Brown, an active member of the old Moninout.h militia.
They plund.-red Mr. Brown's dwelling, insulted his family, and burnt his salt works and came new capturiig Mr. Brown himself, who had barely time to escape in- to the woods. They were particulnrly in- Cv'-rnsed against him for his Jiciivity in the patriotcause, he having, among other du- ties, served a year at the military jjost at Toms River.
After completing their work of destruc- tion at Forked River, they proceeded down Forked River to the mouth, when one barge went up Barnegat bay, while the other, witii Davenport himself, pro- ceeded south to endeavor to destroy the important salt works of Newlin's at Ware- town, andotlK'r salt works along the bay. Davenport expected to meet with no op- position. av~! he supposed there were no militij.1 near enough to check him. But he had hardly jzot out of the mouth of
Forked River into the open bay when he perceived a boat heading for him. His crew advised him to return as they told him the other boat must have some ad- vantage or they would not venture to ap- proach. Daven2wrt told them that they could see the other boat was smaller and had fewer men and he ridiculed their fear. lie soon found, however, why it was that the American boat, ventured to attack them. Davenport's men had only muskets with which to defend themselves; the Americans had a cannon or swivel, and when within proper distance, they fired it with so effective an aim that Davenport himself was killed at the first discharge, and his boat damaged and upset by the frightened crew. It happened that the water where they were was only about four feet deep*and his crew waded ashore, landing near the mouth of Oyster Creek, between Forked River and W^aretown, and thus escaped, scattering themselves in va- rious directions in tlie woods and swamps.
At Barnegat, some five miles south of where Davenport was !:il!ed, lived many Quakers who took no part in the war.
A day or so after Davenport's death some of his crew in a starved condition called on Ebenezer Collins and other Quakers at Barnegat, begging for food, which was given them, after which they left for parts unknown.
Thus ended the career of Davenport whose most noted exploit was in aiding a foreign fee to murder men who were once his neigtibors and friends, burn tlieir houses, and turn their families adrift upon the world.
Some distance back of Toms River is a little stream called "Davenport's Branch," which some suppose derives its name from Davenport's having places of concealment in the vvo^da and swamps along its banks.
Richard Bird, the Potters Creek Outlaw.
This scoundrel, who was probaoly con- nected with Davenport's gang, was very ob- noxious lo the Americans on account of the many outrages in which he was con- cerned.
He was intimately acquainted with all the roads and bye paths in the woods and swamps' in Dover tovynship, and for a long time he managed to elude the vigilence of the militia. One day, however, he with a companion was seen along the road, a little south of Toms River, by someone, who at once notified the militia, two or three of whom immediately started in pur-
40
OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTH.
suit. Bird's comrade escaped by hiding under a bridge over which the pursuers passed, and Bird himself managed loelude them till after dark. His pursuers had heard that he occasionally visited a young woman of low character who lived in a lone cabin in the woods, and late in the evening they approached the cabin, and looking through the window saw Bird seated in the lap of a young woman. One of the militia fired through the window and Bird dropped ott" the girl's lap on the floor dead. The girl wa'< so little affected by his death, that when the pursuers burst open the door and entered the room they found her busily engaged m rifling his pockets. Bird appears to have made his headquarters in the vicinity of the village of Bayville, formerly Potters Creek, in Dover township. •
Bird was a marrietl man, but when he joined the refugees, his wife forsook him and went to Toms River, where she resi- ded many years after his death. While he was pursuing his wicked career, she bitterly denounced him, yet when she heard of his death, she greatly grieved, so much so that her neighbors expressed their surprise, knowing the disgrace he had been to her. The oimple minded woman replied in substance, that it was not the man she so much cared but he often sent her a quarter of venison when he had more than he could use, and she should so miss such presents now !
A Bayville correspond,ent of the New Jersey Courier mentions the death of a relative of Dick Bird, a lady named Mi's. Mercy Worth, who lived to the remark- able age of 106 years, 6 months, and 24 days, who died March 'ith, 1873. Her tatlier was one of Washington's soldieis and served throughout the war. Her mother was a sister of the notovious Ricli- a/rd Bird, and moved away from Cedar Creek, Lacy township, for fear that Bird would be killed at her house, near which he had a cave where he stayed at 'light, which can still be seen.
CAFIWIN WILLIAM TOM.
A West Jersey PionerT — After whom was Toms River named ? — The coming oi" the English — Indian Justice — Discove- ry of Toms River.
In regard to the origin ot the name of Toms River, we have two distinct tradi- tions ; one alleging that it was named after a somewhat noted Indian, who once
lived in its vicinity ; the otlier attributes it to a certain Captain William Tom, who resideil on the Delaware two hundred years ago, and who it is said jienetraied through tije wilderness to the seashore, on '\n exploring expedition, where he discov- ered the stream now known as Toms Riv- er ; upon his return he made such favor- able representations of the land in its vi- cinity, that settlers were induced to couit- here and locate, and these settlers named it Toms River, alter Mr. Tom, becaiise he first brought it to the notice of the whites. While the ivriter of this, after patient in- vestigation acknowledges that he can find nething that co?ie/i<siv6'(y settles the question, yet he is strong in the belief that tiie place derives its ntane from Mr. Tom, for the following reasons : First, Though there was a noted Indian residing at Toms Riv- er a century ago, known as '"Indi-tn Tom," yet the phu:e is known to have borne the name of Toms River when he was q'lite a young man ; it is not reasonable to sup- pose the place wae named after him when he was scarce out of his teens. Second, the position and business of Cajitain Wil- liam Tom, was such as to render it ex- tremely probably that the tradition relat- ing to liim is correct. Much diftioulty li;is been found in making researches in tliis matter, as Capt. Tom was an active man among our first settlers before our West Jersey records begin, and information re- garding him has to be sought for in tiie older records of New York and New Castle, Delaware. In his day 'outliern and West- ern Jersey were under control of officials, whose headquarters were at New Castle, Del. ; these officials were appointed by the authorities at New York. In his time Capt. -lohn Carr appears to have be^-n the highest official among the settlers on both sides of the Delaware, acting as Commis- sioner, &c. But at times it would seem that (Japt. Tom was more relied upon in managing public affairs by both the Gover- nors at New York, and the early settlers than any other man among them. In the various [)Ositions which he iield, heap- pe'irs to have unselfishly and untiringly exerted himself for the best interests of the settler? and the government.
He held at difierent times the position.- of Commissary, Justice, Judge, Town Clerk and Keei)ei of Official Records rela- tiiiiito the settlements on bothsides of the Delaware, collector of quit rents, Ac. As collector of quit rents anil agent to sell lands, his duties called him throughout
OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTH.
41
the .Southern half ®f our State, wherever settlers were found, and in search of elig- ible places for settlers to locate. And here his duties seem to have been somewhat -.inftilar to those performed for the rrojiri- •^Aors by the late Francis W. Brinley> so well remembered by oiu' citizens. We Jind that Capt. Tom was continually trav- eling to and fro in the performance of his duties, was among the "first while men to cross the State to New York, was on good terms with the Indians, with whom he ■ •ontitmally must have mingled, and it is not at all unlikely in the performance of his duties, he crossed to the shore by In- dian paths, so numerousand so frequented by the red men in his time, and thus vis- ited the stream now known as Toms River.
As no f>utline of Capt. Tom's life and services has ever been i)ublished, we give the substance of the facts found lelating to him, not only because of its probable bearing on the history of cld Monmouth, and that our citizens may know who he was, but also because it gives an interest- ing c lapter in the history of our State. It will be seen that lie was a prominent, uusted and influential man before the founding of Philadelphia, Salem or Bur- biigton, or before any considerable settle- ments existed in New Jersey. In looking back to the past, it seems a long while to Indian Tern's day, but Capt. William Tom lived nearly a century before him. The followin;; items are coUecteii from New York, Pennsylvania and Deloware records.
C.\rT. William Tom came to this coun- try with the English expedition under Sir Robert Carre and Col. Richard NichoJls which conquered the Dntcii at New Am sterdam, (New York) August. 1664. Im- mediately after the English had taken f 'r- mal possession of New Yoi;k. two vessels, the- •• Guinea " and the " William and Nicholas,'" under command of Sir Robert • "arre were despatched to attack the Dutch settlements on the Delaware river. After a feeble resistance the Dutch surrendered about the first of October of the same year (1664). Capt. Tom accompianied this ex- pedition, and that he rendered valuable •service there is evidence by an order is- sued by Gov. Nicholls JuneSO, 1665, which states that for William Tom's " good services at Delaware," there shall be grant- ed to him the lands of Peter Alricks, con- fiscated for hostility to the English. Capt. Tom remained in his majesty's service un- til August 27, 1668; during the last two years of this time he was Commissary on
the Delaware. He was discharged from his majesty's service on the ground as is alleged " of good behaviour." in the ear- ly part of 1668, a servant of Mr. Tom's was killed by some evil disposed Indians, who it is said also killed one or more servants of Peter Alricks at the same time. The Indians genera,lly were dispu-ed to live on amicable terms with the whites, and these murders were the result \i would seem of selling liquor lo the Indians, the majority of whom seeing its evil effects, requested the white authorities to prohibit the sale of it among them. The perpetrators of these outrages were not apjirehended, and be- cause this was not done, Gov. Lovelace at- tributes another murder two years later ; he severely censured the authorities " for to* much remissness in not avenging the previous murder on Mr. Tom's servant, Ac." •
On the 12th of August, 1669, Capt. Tom was appointed collector of quit rents, which wei'e imposed on all persons taking up land along the Delaware river on both sides.
This office he held for three years when he resigne<L Its duties must have been of considerable responsibility and labor, as it involved the necessity of visiting all places where settlers located from the Capes of the Delaware to the Falls of the Delaware (Trenton.) While engaged in this busi- ness it is probable that as he travelled from place to place he made it a point to search for eligible places for new settlers lo locate, and acted as agent for the sale of lands .-Vt one time he acted as land agent for John Fen wick the noted Salem proprietor.
We find that Capt. Tom noi only stood well in the estimation of Gov. NichoUs, but also in th^ opinion of his successor, Gov. Lovelace, who at the suggestion of Capt. T. issued several orders relating to affairs on the Delaware. Aug. 12, 1669, Gov. Lovelace at request of Wm. Tom, giants certain special favors to Finns and others lemoving near New Castle, Del. By his order '• permission on request of Mr. Tom " was granted to families from Maryland to settle in the same vicinity " to the end that the said jJace may be in- habited and mamired, it tending likewise to the increase of the inabitants." An order oi the same date is preserved, which allows William Tom to kill and mark all wild hogs in the woods near his land.
In 1671 an extraordinary council was con- vened in New York on the occasion of the
42
OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTH.
arrival of William Tom and Peter Alricks, just from the Delaware, with the parHcu- lars of the Indians murdering two Cliris- tians (Dutcli) near Burlington. Tliese murders weie rommitted by two Indians who were known and who resided at " Suscunk," four miles eas' of Matinicoiik or Burlington Island. Gov. Lovelace in a letter to Capt. Tom dated ( )ctoder 6, ex- presses great surpsiseat what he hasleai-n- ed from Mr. Tom in regard to these mur- derH. This letter gives stringent orders to guard against evil disposed Indians in the future, an<l from it we find that Burling- ton Island was then occupied as a kind of frontier military station. Tiov. Lovelace " recommends a good work about Matitii- conk house (on Burhngton Island) which strengthened with a considerable guard would make an admirable frontier." Vig- oTous efforts were made to secure these Indian murderers, and the result is se^n in the following letter written by C.ipt. Tom to Grov. Lovelace, Dec. 25th, 1671. He says " that about 11 days :ince, Peter .\lricks came from New York, and the Indians desired t'> speak with us concern- ing the murders, whereupon they sent for me to Peter Rambo's. where comiui: they faithfully ijromised within .^ix days to bring in tlie murderers dead or alive • whereupon they sent out two Indians to ihe stoutest, to bring him in. not doubting easily to take the other, he being an In° dian of little courage ; but the feast In- dian getting knowledge of the design of the sachems, ran to advise his fellow, and advised him 'o run or else they would both be killed, who answered he was not teady, but in the morning would gowitli him to the Waquas, and advised him to go to the next house for fear of suspicion, wiiich lie did : and the two Indians, com- ing to his house at night, the one being his great friend, he asked him if lie would Kill him, who answered /' No, but the sacliems have ordered you to die;" wliei-^ upon he demanded ''what his brothers said ;" who answered "they say the like.'' Then he. holding his hands" i>efore liis eyes said " Kill me ;"' whereupon tiie In- dian that comes with Cocker shot him with two bullets in the breast, and gave him two or three cuts with a bill on the iiead and brought him flown to Wicaco, from whence we shall carrs him tomorrow to New Casile, there to hang him in cliains for which we gave to th« Sachems tive match coats which Mr. Alricks paid them. When the other Indian .'lejid the sh(»t in !
the night, naked as he was, he ran into the woods ; but this sachem promised to bring the other alive, tor which we prom- ised three match coats. The sachems brought a good nifiny of their young men with them, and there before us ihey open- ly told them " Now they saw a beginning, and all that did the like, .>liOuld be served in the same manner." They promised it any other murders were committed to bring in the murderers. How to believe them we knew not. but liie Sachems seem to desire no war."
What official position Capt. Tom held in these transactions is uncertain, but he appears to have been more relied upoi. than any olhwr man to settle difficultie>. at til is time.
In 1673 Capt. Tom was aj>j)ointed one of four appraisers to set a value on Tini- cum Island in the Delaware. Jn 1 674 he was app>ointed secretary or clar/c for the town of New Castle, and lit:; apjieais to have had charge of the public records for several years In 1673 the Dutch regain- ed iheir power in New York, New Jersev and Delaware, but retained it onlv a few montlis : after lliey were- again displaced in 1674, (iov. Andross appointed Captain.- Cantwell and Tom to take possession tor the King's use, of the fort at New Castl*. with the public: stores. I'liey \Tere author- ized to provide for the settlement and re- pose of the inhabitants at New Castle. Whorekills ( Lewesjand other places."
In 1675 some sett'ers complainetl against Capt. Tom for molesting them in the enjoyment of meadow lands which ad- joined their plantation.-^. Che setllei> })robably .-uj)posed because they owned up- lands, iliey s.iould also have the use of meadow land without paying for the same. 'I'lie (jrovernor ordered a compromise. In 1676 he was .ijipointed one of the .fustice,- of the Peace and a .ludge of the court. He sat as one of the .Judges ,n an impor- tant suit in which the defendant was John Fen wick, the Salem Proprietor. .ludg- ment was given against Fen wick, and :■. warrant issued to take iiim dead oi alive. Fenwick finding it useless to re.-^ist, gave himseit ufi, and ^^•as .sent prisoner to Ne" York.
Capt. Tom was reappointed justice and judge in 1677. Tow.nrds the latter part of this year complaint Wivs made that the town lecords of New Castle were in confu- sion, and Mr. I'om was ordered to arrange and attest them. It is not improbal-le that ill health prevented him trom com-
OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTH.
43
l)leting this task, as we find his death an- nounced January 12, 1678, coupled with the simple remark that, " his papers were in confusion."
From the foregoing and other facts that are preserved, it would appear that Wm. Tom was about the most prominent, use- ful and trustworthy man among the sett- lers from the time of the coming of the English to his decease, th-it he enjoyed the confidence of Governors Nicholls, Lovelace and Andross, that his varied duties were performed with general satisfaction to settlers, Indians and officials, and we may safely infer that he did as much or more than any other man in his day " to- wards the settlement and repose of the inhabitants" on both sides of the Dela- ware. It IS no discredit to the name of Toms River that it should be derived from such a man.
In speaking of Capt. Tom's discovering Toms River, we do not refer to its original discovery, nor wish to convey the idea that he wtis the first white man who visit- ed it. The stream was discovered by nav- igators fifty years before Capt. Tom came to Ameiica. They simply • maiked the stream on their charts without naming it. The particulurs as far as is known of the original discovery of Toms River, and other places along our bay ar*' too lengthy to be given here and may hereafter he fur nished in another chapter. We will say, however, before concluding, that the fact that this river had been previously visited by tlie Dutch, was probably not known to Capt. Tom and the English in this day.
CAPTAIN JOHN BACON.
The Refugee Leader of Monmouth and Burlington— An Outlaw's Career and its Dreadful End.
This noteJ refugee leader, whose name is so well remembered by old residents of Monmouth, Ocean and Burlington, ap- pears to have confined his operations chiefly to the lower part of old Monmouth county, between Cedar Creek in what is now Ocean county and Tuckerton in Bur- lington county. His efforts were mainly directed to plundering the dwellings or all well known, active members of the old Monmouth militia. Many old residents in the section where his operations were carried on, consic^ered him one of the most honorable partizan leaders opposed to the patriot cause. Himself and men
were well acquainted with the roads and paths through the forests of Burlington and old Monmouth, and had numerous hiding places, cabins, caves, &c., in the woods and swamps, where they could re- main until some trustworthy spy informed them of a safe chance to venture out on what was then termed a picarooninci expe- diiion.
The following items, gleaned from vari- ous sources, give the most prominent events in which he was an actor. They aid to give a more vivid idea of the perils by which our ancestors were surrounded at home, and of the character of the man who, probably with the except'on of Lieu- tenant James Moody, was about the most effective refugee leader in our state.
In ancient i>apers we have found notices of refugee raids in Burlington county, but they do not give the names of the leaders. It is probable that Bacon commanded some of these expeditions as he was well acquainted in Burlington, and his wife re- sided at Pemberton in the latter part of the war. About iSeptember, 1782, it is an- nounced that a man, supposed to be a spy of Bacon's, was shot in the woods near Pemberton, by some of the inhabitants who went out to hunt him ; and we find that the citizens of Burlington were so much exa.-peraied against him that they organized expeditions to tbliow him in old Monmouth.
Bacon Kills Lieutenant Joshua Studson.
The New Jersey Gazette, published at Trenton during the later years of the Kev- olutionary war, has a brief item to the ef- fect that " Lieutenant Joshua Studson was shot, December, 1780, by a refugee, near the inlet opposite Toms River.''
Joshua Studson had been a lieutenant in the Monmouth militia, and was also ap- pointed lieutenant in the State troops in Capt. Ephram Jenkins' company. Colonel Holmes' battalion^ June 14, 1780. Here- sided at Toms River.
The following particulars of his death we believe to be substantially correct, though derived from traditiontiry sources :
Three men named Collins, Webster and Woodmansee, living in the lower part of old Monmouth, hearing that farming pro- duce WHS bringing exorbitant prices in New York city among the British, loaded a whole boat with truck from farms along Barnegat bay, and proceeded to New York by way of old "Cranberry inlet opposite Toms River, which inlet though now
44
OLD TIMES IN OLD MONMOUTH.
closed, was, during the war, the next best to Egg Harbor, as square rigged vessels (ships and brigs) occasionally entered it. These men were not known as refugees but undertook the trip merely to make money. They arrived safely in New York, sold out their produce, and were about re- turning home when Captain John Bacon called on them and insisted on taking passage back with them. Much against their will, they were forced to allow him to come on board. They arrived safely out- side the b'each near the inlet before sun- down and lay there until after dark, being afraid to venture in the bay during day- light, in the meantime the patriotic citi- zens of Toms River had got wind of the proceedings of these men, and being de- termined to put a stop to the contraband trade, a small party under command of Lieutenant Studson took a boat and cross- ed over to the inlet and lay concealed be- hind a point inside, close to the inlet. After dark the whale boat came in, hut no sooner had it rounded the point, than to the consternation of those in it, they saw the boat of lliemiliiia soclose by, that there was no apparent chance of esca})e. Lieutenant Studson stood up in his boat and demanded theirimmediatesurrender. The unfortunate speculators were unarm- ed and m favor of yielding, but Bacon, fearing that his life was already forfeited, refused, and having his musket loaded, suddenly fired it with so deadly an aim, that the brave lieutenant instantly dropp- ed dead in the boat. The sudden, unex- pected firing and the death of Studson, threw the militia into momentary confu- sion, and before thev could decide how to act, the whale boat was out of sight in the darkness. The militia returned to Toms River the same night and delivered the body of the lieutenant to his wife, who was overwhelmed with sorrow at his sud- den and unexpected death.
The crew of the >vhale boat, knowing It was not safe for them to remain at home, after this aftair, Hed to to the Brit- ish army, and were forced into service, but were of little use as " they were sick with the small pox, and suffered every- thing but death,'' as one of them after- wards said, during their brief stay with the British. Taking advantage of one of General Washington's proclamations offer- ing protection to deserters from the Brit- ish army, they were after \fards allowed to return home.
Skirmish at Maxnahawkin.
A Patriot Killed^ — Sylvester Tilton, an old
Colts Neck citizen — His Wounding and
Revenge.
Anotlier affair, in which Bacon was a prominent actor, was the skirmish at Mannahawkin, in Ocean County, Decem- ber 30tli, 1781. The militia of this place, under command of Captain Reuben F. Randoli)h, having heard that Bacon, with his band, was on a raiding expedition and would probably try to plunder some of tiie patriots in that village, assembled at the inn of Captain Randolph's, prepareil to give them a reception. After waiting until two or three o'clock in the morning, they concluded it was a false alarm, and so retired to rest, taking the precaution to j)Ut out sentinels. Just before daylight tiie Refugees came down the road from the north on their way to West Creek. The alarm was given and the militia hasti- ly turned out but were compelled to re- treat, as the refugees trad a much larger force