{"1": {"fulltext": "", "height": "2995", "width": "2051", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0001.jp2"}, "2": {"fulltext": "A\\nPass F I", "height": "2893", "width": "1828", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0002.jp2"}, "3": {"fulltext": "", "height": "2893", "width": "1828", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0003.jp2"}, "4": {"fulltext": "", "height": "2893", "width": "1828", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0004.jp2"}, "5": {"fulltext": "", "height": "2893", "width": "1828", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0005.jp2"}, "6": {"fulltext": "", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0006.jp2"}, "7": {"fulltext": "CENTENNIAL HISTORY\\nOF\\nSomerset County,\\nJ.\\nBY\\nABRAHAM MESSLER, D. D.\\n-;.iV/^/\\nSOMERVILLE,\\nC. M. JAMESON, PUBLIRHEB.\\n1878.", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0007.jp2"}, "8": {"fulltext": "V 6,", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0008.jp2"}, "9": {"fulltext": "si", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0009.jp2"}, "10": {"fulltext": "", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0010.jp2"}, "11": {"fulltext": "INTRODUCTION.\\nThe shores of New Jersey were first trod by the feet of\\ncivilized men in September, 1609. The visitors were fron\u00c2\u00bb\\ntlie shi}) of Hendiick Hudson, who on the Third day of\\nthat month had brou ijht his vessel within the waters of the\\nRaritan Bay, and allowed his men to hold intercourse with\\nthe Indians on the Monmouth shore. On the sixth, a\\nboat s Clew passed the Narro ws, and rounding the east\\nshore of Staten Island, entered the Kills, and discovered\\nNewark Bay. Returning in the evening this boat encoun-\\ntered two canoes full of Raritan Indians, anG one of the\\ncrt-w, John Colman, was slain by being shot with an arrow-\\nin the neck.\\nAnother ship was sent frou) Holland in 1610 with goods\\nto commence a traffic with the Indians. On the 11th of\\nv ctober, 1614, the West India Company was formed, the\\ncountry named New Netherland and a regular intercourse\\nand trade commenced. As early as 1620 settlers had built\\nhouses and occupied lands on the shores of New Jersey,\\nadjacent to New Amsterdam, for which titles were granted,\\nand on which improvements were made. But on the 20tli\\nof March, 1664, Charles II. King of England, granted to\\nhis brother James, Duke of Yoik, all that tract of land\\nadjacent to New England, bounded on the East by the main\\nSea and part of Hudson River, and hath upon the West,\\nDelaware Bay or River, and extendeth Southward to the\\nmain Ocean as far as Cape May at the mouth cf the\\nDelaware River, ignoring the discovei-j, occupancy and\\nimprovements made for the space of Forty Three years by\\nthe Hollanders, and resting title solely on the voyages of\\nCabot in 1497 8, along the coast of Labrador to the\\nparallel of Gibralter and Verazzano in 1506.", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0011.jp2"}, "12": {"fulltext": "4 INTRODUCTTON.\\nI lull- till- l)iikeh:i l iictdjilly taken posst ssion of any part\\n..f this tiritiry, .ii the -23, 1 and 24th of June, 1664, he\\nvxvuteil (Ifcds iif lease and ndease to Lord John Berk-\\nK-y anil Sir (,jr.-.irj;t (Jarteret for the whole of that portion of\\nIt itu-lmh d w.thin tlu hmndsoft ie State of New Jersey,\\nand called it Neo Caesaria, in ciMnplitn-^nt to Carteret, who\\nhad h.vti Governor if th\u00c2\u00ab- Island of Jersey, and defended it\\naj^ainst the Cr.) nwellians.\\nOn f e saiiied.ay, he cujninissioned his brother Philip\\nCart\u00c2\u00bb ret as Governor, wlio at once be i;an to make prepara-\\ntions to take p isses.sion of his Province. In August, of\\ntliH same year he arrived in a ship at Elizabethtown-Point,\\nliavirtvT ,,n bo.rd some thirty persons, part of them ser-\\nvants. He found there a settlement of four families,\\nand named it Kli/.abeth in honor of the wife of his brother,\\nSir Georg.\\nBetween I5erklev and Carteret, the Province was divid-\\ned in Kast and West New Jersey. The line between the\\ntwo parts was to rnn from the East side of Little Egg\\nHarl).)r, striight North through the country, to the ut-\\nmost branch of the Delaware River. This line was run\\nby George Keith Snrveyor General of East Jersey, in 1687.\\nThe line h -gan at Little Egg Harbor and ran North by\\nWest, 3 degrees and 4 niinutes more Westerly, as\\nth-j compass then pointed, until it reached Dobie s Plan-\\ntation on the Sontii branch of Raritan River, a short dis-\\ntance below tiie mouth of the Neshanic Creek thence\\nalong the rear of that and other plantations, until it\\nintersects that part of the North branch of Raritan Riv-\\ner which descends from a fall of water commonly known by\\nthe Indian name of Allamitung. This line was retravers-\\nod by John Chapman in 1721, but found to vary two de-\\ngrees and twenty-thnie minutes in thirty-four years. It\\nwas not satisfactory to the Western ])ro[)rietors, and in\\n1743 it was again surveyed by John Lawrence. His\\nline piissed near Somerville touching the white oak tree on\\nthe East side of the h )nsi f)rmerly owned by John M. Mann\\njind intersecting the Delaware River near the mouth of Ding-\\nman s Creek, several miles below the point originally des-\\nignated. The difference between the two lines was impor-", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0012.jp2"}, "13": {"fulltext": "INTBODUCTION 5\\ntant, since the angle or gore of land between them con-\\ntained about 528.640 acres of valuable laml.\\nSir George Carteret died in J 679. and by his Will, da-\\nted December 5, 1678, left his widow. Lady Klizabeth,\\nExecutrix and Guardian of his grand-son- Sir Pliilliji s son,\\nnamed also George, devising East Jirsey io certain Trus-\\ntees for the benefit of bin creditors (sre Whitehead 82) who\\nsold it finally to Wm. Penn, with Eleven other Quaker as-\\nsociates for \u00c2\u00a33400. The deed of sale bears date Feb. 1\\nand 2, 1681 and 2.\\nPhilip Carteret, the Governor, resided permanently at\\nElizabeth where thy Propiiet.iries had a house b\\\\iilt tor him\\nhaving an orchard and ground attached to it He married\\na daughter of Kichard Smith, of Long [sland. a widow\\nLawrence, ia April, 1681 Murrary in his notes on Eliza-\\nbeth town, says on the authority of tradition, that he died\\nand was buried there. His Will is ilated Dee. 10, 1682,\\nand he died soon after. He had fmm his biother a grant\\nof 2000 acres of land, and owned by purchase several\\nother tracts, VMit never realized any profits from any f\\nthem. In his Will he directed his body to be placed in\\nGov Stuyvesrint s vault in New York, if liberty eould be\\nobtained, otherwise a grave to be purchased in the Church\\nof New York. Where his reuiains rest, is not positively\\nknown\\nOn the 14th of March, 1682, the Duke of York confirmed\\nthe sale of the Province by giving; a new grant, an l K(d)ert\\nBarclay became Governor, He was a Quaker friend ot\\nW ^ra. Penn. He was superseded September of the same\\nyear by Thomas Rudyard. See Whitehead. 88, 1^2.)\\nRudyard subsequently appointed Gawn Lawrie deputy,\\nand again Lord JS eil Campbell, who remained m the coun-\\ntry less than a year. At the death of Baiclay, Andrew\\nHamilton became Governor-in-Chief until Ju!ie, 1689.\\nHe then vacated his authority and returned t I ^urope, but\\ncame back again in 1692. and resumed his position, but\\nwas superseded by Jeremiah Basse, The Provinces were\\nunited in 1702 and placed under the Government of\\nQueen Anne.\\nCarteret s government of the Province of East Jersev was", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0013.jp2"}, "14": {"fulltext": "INTRODUCTION.\\nnot itli- i- succi ssful or happy. Aiulros, of Nh\\\\v York,\\nclaimed suprcine antliority in New Jersey as a depond -ncy\\n\u00c2\u00bb)f New York, dep)sed Carteret, look him prisoner and\\nconveyed liim to New York an 1 tried him, but his proceed-\\niii rs were finally overrnle,!, and Carteret resnm d his p )si-\\ntioii and autli -rity in the Province; but still we find an un-\\nsettled stat(^ of public oi)inion and the tumultuous spirits\\nare frequently alluded to. The claim and collecting of\\nquit-rents seem to have b en the principal inciting caus\\nand though it continued under him and his successors\\nsome 38 years, the Proprietary Government proved finally\\na total failure Ou the l7th of April 1702, the proprie-\\ntors of b )th East and West Jersey, sought the protection\\nof the British Crown, and conceded all their rights of\\nGrovernment to the English Queen. (S/e S. 211, 218.)\\nShe committed the administration of it to her kinsman,\\nEdward Hyde Lord Cornbury, a grandson of th(s Earl\\nof Clarendon, the great English Chancellor. The instruc-\\ntions given him, together with the concessions and agree-\\nments which he published on assuming the government.\\nformed the Constitution under which Ne\\\\v Jersey lived and\\nprospered until the Revolution. They formed, in fact, a,\\nsafe and liberal Constitution It is almost a phenomenoti\\nin political history, that so much liberty should hav.5 ema-\\nnated and been conceded to a new State by such a tyran-\\nnical Governor.\\nIn Carteret s time there appear to have been only four\\nCounties, Bergen, Essex, Mi Idlesex and Monmouth. We\\nfind in the Laws passed by the Assembly convened at\\nAmboy, November 5, 1675, provision made for the hold-\\ning of two Courts in Bergen, ou the first Tuesdav in\\nMarch, and the last Wednesday in September, for Eliza-\\nbeth anil Newark, the County of Essex, two Courts on the\\nsecoud Tuesday in March, and third in September for the\\ntwo towns of Navesink, constituting Monmouth County,\\ntwo Courts, on the last Tuesday in March and first in Sep-\\ntember lor Woodbridge and Piscatawa, constituting the\\nCounty of Middli^sex, two Courts, third Tuesday in March\\nand second in September.\\nBesides these there was to be a monthlv Court for the", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0014.jp2"}, "15": {"fulltext": "INTRODUCTION. 7\\ntrial of small causes under 40 SiulUngs, held on the first\\nWednesday of every month, in each town, by two or\\nthree persons chosen by the Freeholders, one of whom\\nwas to be a Justice of the Peace. _ -n i .\u00e2\u0080\u009e.i\\nThere was also a Court of Assizes, or the Bench and\\nProvincial Court, held once in a year at Woodbndge, or\\nwhere the Governor and Council appointed. This was the\\nSupreme Court, and appeals could only be taken to it\\nfrom the County Courts when the sum involved was less\\nthan \u00c2\u00a320. From the Supreme Court appeal was to the\\nGovern(U- and Council.\\nUnder the Proprietors, the (rovernment consisted ot the\\nGovernor with his Council, and the Deputies elected by\\nthe Freeholders in the several Townships. The first\\nLe^-islative AssembW in Carteret s time, met at I^^liza^\\nbetlitown on the 25th of May, 1668, and consisted of\\nthe following members\\nGovernor.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 Philip Carteret.\\nMembers of Council.- Cap. Verlet, Mr. Daniel PieTce,\\nMr Kobert Bond, Mr. Samuel Edsall, Mr. Robert Van\\nQuellen, Mr. Wm. Pardon, Mr. James Bollen, Seci-etary.\\nBurgesses and Representatives.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 Mr. Caspar Steen-\\nmets, Mr. Balthazar Bayard for Bergen Mr. John Ogden,\\nSi^n r, Mr. John Bracket, for Elizabethtown Cap. Robert\\nTreat, Mr. Samuel Swarne, for Newark, upon Piskawack\\nRiver Mr. John Bishop, Mr. Robert Dennis, tor Wood-\\nbridge Mr. J ames Grover, Mr. Robert Bound, for\\nMiddletowu Idem, for Shrewsburry.\\nThe Assembly convened on May 26th, and the sessions\\nclosed on the 30th, adjourning to meet again on the 3d\\nof November. It met at the time appointed, but ad-\\njourned finally on the fourth day, and seven years elaps-\\ned before another was convened.\\nThe country under all the disadvantages experienced,\\nadvanced in population, however, and now, when again\\nunited contained 20,000 inhabitants, of whom 12,000\\nbelonged to the East, and 8,000 to the Western portion\\nThey were principally Dutch, Swedes, Scotch, Enghsh and\\nNew Englanders.\\nThe following may be mentioned as Governors of New", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0015.jp2"}, "16": {"fulltext": "8 INTRODUCTION.\\nJersey after the union of the two Provinces After Lord\\nCornhury was superceded in 1708, Lord Lovelace occupied\\nhis place in 1709, then Ingoldsby, Hunter, Burnet, Mont-\\ngomery, Cosby, Hamilton. Morris, Belcher, Bernard and\\nFranklin who was finally displaced by the outbn^ak uf\\nthe Revolution.\\nThe Province flourished from its first settlement, and in\\n1737 contained 47.402 inhabitants. These had increased in\\n1745 to 61,383. In 1790, eight years after the Revolu-\\ntion, it numbered 184,139.", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0016.jp2"}, "17": {"fulltext": "", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0017.jp2"}, "18": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY.\\nCHAPTER T.\\nThe first settlement on lands enibrace.l in Sumeiset\\nCounty, Ix gan in the year 1681. On the first day of No-\\nvpmbe r in that vear John Inians Co., secured a title for\\ntwo lots, embraciiij; the land on which the City c\u00c2\u00bbf New\\nBrunswick now stands, haviii r ;i mile of river front and\\ntwo miles in depth. From the North of Inians ii: Co., to\\nBound Brook, there were laid out 19 lots, having a lit-\\ntle less than one-half a mile on the river, and extenamg\\ntwo miles in depth. The last of tliese lots with an ad-\\njoining plot on the south side, was owned by William Doc k-\\nwra and contained 900 acre?. Behind these, facing the\\nMillstone, were two other lots the lower containing 800\\nacres, and belonging to George Willox, and the np .er\\ncontaining 500 acres was the property of Dockwra. From\\nthe mouth of the Millstone three and a half miles t(. ro\\nIsland in the Karitan Kiver (in front of R. H, Vegl .c\\nresidence) thence South by West two miles, and east t ,vo\\nmiles to Millstone River, containing 3000 acres, exc! isive\\nof 250 acres of meadow, had been previously deeded to\\nI apt. Anthony Brockholls, William Fenhorn, John Robin-\\nson, Mathew Nichols and Samuel Edsall. The land was\\nsold to John Royce Co., of New York in l()85 and\\nwas t.) be known in futnro as Roycefield. The bounds as\\ngiven in the deed of transler were beg-nning at a place\\ncalled Hunter s Wij wam on Millstone River, thence north", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0018.jp2"}, "19": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 11\\nbv east and uorth east to the Raritaii River, opposite\\nthe West end of a small Island torraerly belon^m^^ to\\nRobert Van Quellen, and thence down the Raritan three\\nand a half miles and np the Millstone to the place ot\\nbeo-inning. Farther up the Millstone were twlve plots ot\\n12000 ac i-es owned by Polhemus Cortleyou. Lott .and\\nothers located in 1701. John Harrison and William his\\nfather, owned hind at Rocky Hill. It was known after-\\nwards as the Berrian place; and Washington wrote _ his\\nfarewell address in the house in which the Berrian s\\nlived For more specific information in reference to the\\nearlv land titles, we can only refer to Corwin s Memorial.\\nOn the north side of Raritan commencing at Bound\\nBrook, was secured on the 4th day of May, 1681, the first\\nland Title. It was made by two Raritan Indians\u00e2\u0080\u0094\\nKonackama and ^ueromak. The consideration was 100\\npornds paid them in goods, the receipt of which trom 1 hil-\\nip Carteret, Governor of New Jersey, was acknowledged\\non the deed itself. The individuals to whom it was grant-\\ned were P. Carteret, John Palmer of Staten Island,\\nGent., Gabriel Minville, Thomas Codrington, John White,\\nJohn Delavalle, Richard Hall and John Royce, of the city\\nof New York. The land embraced in it extended from the\\nmouth of the rivulet, now called Bound Brook, and by\\nthe natives, Sacunk thence along the Raritan I^iver on\\nthe North side, to a brook called Raweighweros\u00e2\u0080\u0094 Middle-\\nbrook and from thence northward to a certain Stony Hill\\nthence easterly to Metapes Wigwam, at the mouth of\\nCedar Brook, where it unites with Green Brook. and\\nthence southerly along Bound Brook, to the place of be-\\n\u00e2\u0096\u00a0yinning. This purchase included all the land now covered\\nby the village of Bound Brook, up to the mountain, and\\nw,^st to Middlebrook, and was named by the Indians\\nRakahova-walaby. It was divided into five portions\\nJohn Royce had 877 acres Thomas Codrington 877 acres\\nnext to him the Proprietors 1170 acres next to Bound\\nBrook Thomas Codrington 1000 on the rear, next to\\nChimney Rock and the mountain. The remainder, north\\nof the plot, Mongiug to the Proprietors, was not surveyed", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0019.jp2"}, "20": {"fulltext": "J2 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\nimmediately ami entered, and we cannot, therefore, desig-\\nnate the owners.\\nTlie deed is recorded at Amhov, in L. 1. page 146, and\\nmay still be seen by the antiqufiry. We have been thus\\nspecific, because it marks the time when civilization and\\nthe enterprise of improvement entered the precincts of Old\\nSomerset. We may wonder why so long a time as that\\nwhich elapsed between 1609 and 1681, should have inter-\\nvened, but we must remember that all great things are\\nsmall in their bt-ginnings, and often long delayed in their\\nprogress.\\nThe first deed, introduces us to some names wiiioh have\\nan liistorical interest. Oodrington settled on the west\\nside of the plot of which he was part owner on the\\nbanks of Middlebrook, and became a man of extensive\\ninfluence in the county. His name is still borne by some\\nof the inhabitants of Somerset. The location of his habi-\\ntation called Racawacahana, may be. indicated by saying,\\nit was recently owned by Dr. Samuel Swan it passed,\\nsoon after the Revolution into the hands of John Camp-\\nbell, nephew of Lord Neil Campbell, at one time Deputy\\nor Lieutenant Governor of East Jersey, and subsequently\\ninto others and finally into its present owners. It is\\none of the thre(! lirst homesteads formed in our county.\\nRoyce, another of the owners under the first deed, lived\\nfirst at Piscataway and then in what has since been known\\nus Roycefield, near the late residence of Jotin J. Sraats\\nHe was a merchant in New York, but came to Somerset\\ncounty probably soon after the date of this Indian\\nl)urcliape. He owned or claimed to own, a tract of 20,000\\nacres on the south side ot the Raritan, about which some\\ndispute existed. Andrew Hamilton, the Governor, writes\\nof him in 1700, that he had an old jjatent which contains\\n20,000 acres, but i)eeause the stations were uncertain and\\nthe boundaries would not meet, he addressed the propri-\\netors at home for a new patinit, which he had, and ob-\\ntained about 6000 acres, for which he was to pay \u00c2\u00a35 a\\nyear for the whole, instead of 1-2 per acre, and the pro-\\nprietors, forg tting to make him surrender his old patent,\\nli now claims 20,000 by it, and so takes away upon Mill-", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0020.jp2"}, "21": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 13\\nstone River from Mr. Hart, and on tlie Karilan, from Mr.\\nPlumstead and Mr. Barker, considerable tracts ot land\\nso that he uses both patents\u00e2\u0080\u0094 the old one if he can, and\\nthe new one if tUe old fail him it was a great oversioht.\\nHe is the verv leader of the troublesome sort ol the peo-\\nple and it is he tlmt infuses the motive in them ol hold-\\niu- to their Indian titles. This is not favorable alto-eth-\\ner to Mr Rnyce. He, however, managed to maintain his\\nposition and influence, and was chosen the same year one ot\\nthe Representatives of iNew Jersey in the Colonial Legis-\\nlature in his oiiic- as such, he questioned the authority\\n()f Gov Hamilton to call a Legislative Assembly\u00e2\u0080\u0094 in-\\nsistincr that it was not safe to act without the King s ap-\\nproba tion. It appears that he had been one of the council\\nof Hamilton, appointed on his arrival and entrance^^upon\\noffice in 1692. His associates were Capt. Isaac iy gs-\\nland Cant. Andrew Browne, John Inians, David Mudie,\\nJames Uundas. Samuel Dennis, John Bishop and Lewis\\nMorris. One of his descendants (it must have been) occu-\\npied the same position in Gov. Franklin s council when tiie\\nRevolution commenced, and encouraged the capture and\\nsupersedure of the Governor when it became necessary to\\ndisplace him. When the family sold their possesions and\\nwhen they retired, is not known to the present writer. 1 he\\nname is still met ^ith in New York city, and is also in\\nexistence in Northern New York and in Vermont. John\\nRoyce was a man of activity and energy in his day, and has\\nleft his trace upon our history in an unmistakable way.\\nAs one of the earlv pioneers, he is not to be forgotten,\\nand ought not be suffered to pass without commanding\\nhis appropriate meed of honor. He was at all times a man\\nof the people, and could be depended upon when resistance\\nto authority was necessary to the defence of their rights.\\nWe esteem him as a true patriot.\\nThe Other names included among the signers ot the deed,\\nwith the exception of Gov. Carteret, do not occur again in\\nany documents or history of whicli we have any knowledge^\\nThey were citizens of New York, and, probai ly, never had\\nanv other connection with the affairs of our county, ex-\\ncept that for a time thev had a title to a portion of land m", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0021.jp2"}, "22": {"fulltext": "14 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\nIwlnnT ^\u00e2\u0080\u00a2^^\u00e2\u0080\u00a2\u00e2\u0080\u00a2^cf-. Hisresulencewasat Elizabeth, and\\nIS onlv association with us, is, in his bein^. a native of\\ntie^JshuKlofJersov which being under the Government\\nof Enghmd, brouoht him here as a phicp man\\n1 he second huid tith. in Somerset County i-s dated De-\\ncember 12th 1681 in the same year in which the foitoTn^\\na has Keneekome, Aw.ps, Xegacape and Pamascome. The\\nu:^:^:: J^^^^^ Corm;lius Corsen and S^ib!\\nnVs J^^^ ^f^\u00c2\u00bb \u00c2\u00a3120 and the bound-\\na cs ue from Raweighweros, (Middlebrouk), on both\\nK e.s ot the Rar.tan to a place called Fackahackawac\\n(.ipl)arently according to an ancient map the lin,^ h..\\ntween Caleb Miller and the late John M, Mann a run-\\n\u00e2\u0096\u00a0nngon this hue nortl- until it reaches the nuunttn\\nandah.ng the mountain until it reaches Middleb ook. a.^\\nou\u00e2\u0080\u009e,saKl brook to the place of beginning. It included\\nhrce plots based on the river, and a? leas? five o Tof\\nthem along the mountain. iv^^uoiin or\\nTlit first of these west of Middlebrook were assio-ned to\\nJohn Palmer and contained 877 acres. The second be\\nonoed to John White, contained also 877 ac es The\\nthud ren^amed unappropriated and on the north R\\n^the E otH? M r^^^^^ Hoop^f an^l\\ntne iKus of Hooper, had large possessions. The e^act\\namount included in this purchase is not stated bu it con\\ntamed many broad acres, and would now be a p .Sv\\ninheritance Somerville stands on it and besides hh\\nmore than thirty farms, whose fertilitv is unsu p sed liv\\nNone of the original purchasers of this plot seem to", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0022.jp2"}, "23": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 15\\nhe assumed the government of East Jersey in 168G.\\nThomas Codrington, of whom we have heretofore spoken\\nwas another one of the members of the same council the\\nothers were Grawen l^awrio, and Major John Berry, of\\nBergen and Isaac Kingshmd of New Barbadoes, and\\nCapt. Andrew Hamilton, of Amboy, Kichard Townley, of\\nElizabetlitown, and David Mudie and John Johnstone also\\nof Amboy.\\nOn this plot of land the earliest permanent settlements\\nalong this part of the Raritan, were formed. According\\nto the declaration of John Worth of Elizabcthtown, Cod-\\nrington, Royce, White, Peter Van Nest, Jerome Van\\nNest, the Tunison s and Graham came and located here\\nsixty years previous to 1741, or in 1681, the very year\\nthis land was bought. The residences of Royce and Cod-\\nrington we have already designated. The Van Nest\\nhouse was, it is said, on the very spot now occupied by U.\\nFrelinghuysen s residence, and the Tunison s located where\\nJohn C, Garretson now resides. But the residence of Gra-\\nham we have not ascertained. He was a prominent man\\nin the Province more than once of the executive council,\\nand he resided in the county somewhere on the river. He\\nwas a man of influence in those days, and yet he may not\\nhave remained any length of time on the Raritan, At\\nall events, his name does not occur again in any histo-\\nrical documents with which we have formed acquaint-\\nance, referring to the progress of events in the county,\\nJerome VanNest and Peter settled permanently on the Rari-\\ntan, and their descendants are yet among our most re-\\nspectable citizens. But the original farm on which they\\nfirst located has now for many years been in other posses-\\nsor s hands. The i Tunisons, Cor neliu s^ and John^ came\\nhere from Fort 0ra\\\\ig?7TJ0w Albany, and were originally\\nfrom the vicinity of Htnxdi, in Holland. The name is\\nfound early in coUonial annals, and was prominent in\\nmore than one way and it has become widely extended\\nin our State, They were respectable from the beginning.\\nWhen the First Church of Raritan was organized on the\\nninth day of March, 1699, John Tunison was elected the\\nfirst Elder, and Peter Van Nest the first Deacon. On the", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0023.jp2"}, "24": {"fulltext": "16 SOMERSET COUNTV,\\nSaturday previous Jerome Van Nest had a daughter t.amed\\nJudith, l.apt.ml, and Peter Van Xest also a dauxhter\\nJaqu.-ni.na The place where these services were held\\nnu.st hHvehet nut the house ..f either Tunison or Van\\nISest pnd.ahly the latter; and if so it would determine\\nthat the organization of the First Church was where D\\nirelinghuysen now resides. Froiu all the circumstances, ^ye\\nthink tins IS alninst certain.\\nIf w- should attempt to realize the state of thino-s ex-\\nisting at that time, it might not vary much from th^\\nhdlow.ng imaginary p,icti.re Foursmall dwellings, com-\\nposed of logs standing not tar from the smooth Howin-\\nriver m contracted sj,aces of cleared land, with a dens?\\nforest all around them-unhroken and almost impenetrable\\nare the only human habitations in all the wide space now\\nso th.c cly inhabited. Along the river side, in the low-\\nlands, there were some open spaces on which Indians had\\npracticed their rude efforts to raise a little corn and a few\\nbeans and pumpkins. Her. h^y could be mowed, or the\\nnn J 71 n l r* Pi^ tv of game\\nan hsh, but al of what we now regard as the necessaries\\nlife, besides these, were hard to be obtained. Amboy\\n0^ hlizabethtown, or perha] s Jnnian s Ferrv, now New\\nmn tV ^^1 VJ ^y th^\u00c2\u00bb^ but\\\\.ertainlv not\\nmai.N. 1 he roads hml been cut out of the dense forest; and\\nwere dimcult of passage with any wheel carriages, piivid-\\ning they had such things, which is not ver)^ probable\\nPhey may have been lonely sometimes, but they had the\\nhey had no bad neighbors to annoy them. But thev\\nWnU.r firmly* the foundations of\\nagiculture, commerce, religion and education for future\\ngenerations. 1 hey must have been earnest men, full of self\\nsinrr// T r^^r^ticipating much of what has\\n\u00c2\u00ab.nce been realized. The Van Kestes came here fron.\\nLong Jslan.l and had been in l he country from an earlv\\nlt\\\\iuf ^f.^ ^est came to New Amsterdam as earfv\\nas 104/. hl,^ was the comm.)n ancestor of all those wno\\nat p.esen hear the name. The family had some promi-\\nnence in Holland ,n the time of Wiliam the Silent-", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0024.jp2"}, "25": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 17\\nOuo Vau JS^est was employed by him in Spain to ive liiin\\nnotice, of Philp s plans and purposes and what is more\\nwonderful, he copied eveiy night whai ever Philip had\\nwritten during- the day, relating to the affairs in Holland,\\nand sent it to William He continued to do this for sev-\\neral years and yet escaped from Spain with his head on his\\nshoulders Those who know how suspicious the Tyrant\\nof Spain was, will never think it any less than a mira-\\ncle, or at least a special influence of a watchful Provi-\\ndence, tLat protected him. So much depended on William\\nbeing able to circumvent Philip, that the Almighty it\\nwould seem allowed him to fall into the snare laid for\\nhim. and all his secrets to be betrayed to his enemy. It\\nmust have demanded no small amount of circumspection\\nto circumvent such a suspicious master of craft, and to\\ndeceive him for so long a time the success shows how\\nmuch was ventured in those evil days from the purest\\npatriotism. H any clue to his practices had been obtained,\\nthe most cruel and painful death would have been his im-\\nmediate punishment. Tt may even have had something to\\ndo with the emigration of the first Van Neste to New Neth-\\nerlands, for such a man was never safe while Philip lived;\\nhe came to America the same year in which Frederick Hen-\\nry Stadtholder and Prince of Orange died, and when the\\ntroubles at home were by no means settled. But whether\\nthe imigrant was in anyway connected with the agent of\\nWilliam of Orange, we cannot determine. Perhaps he was\\nonly a farmer, and sought our shores with a view of better-\\ning his worldly estate. The first imigrant settled on Long\\nIsland 34 years before Peter Van Nest came to Raritan, and\\nbore the same name, A part of the original farm was sold\\nsubsequently to the church, and on it Rev. John Frelinghuy-\\nsen built his house, when he returned from Holland and suc-\\nceeded his father in the Church of Raritan. It remained\\nin possession of the church until after the resignation of the\\nRev. John Duryea, when it was sold to pay the debt\\nwhich was owing him by the disaffected in the church.\\nAnother Van Nest, was Vice Admiral under De-\\nRuyter, in 1666, and fought the British under the Earl of\\nAlbemarle off the JNorth Foreland in which engagement", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0025.jp2"}, "26": {"fulltext": "18 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\nthe most astonishing endurance was manifested anr]\\nhe sups o Van Nest and Van Trcnp were fnti -elv d\\nabl-dand hadto be abandoned, but neither of tben\\nthou-ht of giving up the fight. The next year he blocked\\nthe monniof the Thames, whi e De Ruyt.-.- was th eaten-\\niQg the Bntis.x coast. uccien\\nThe third purchase of bind in Somerset County is da-\\nted Nov. 19, G81, and extended from the west Hn; of the\\nformer plot, that ,s from the east side- of the land former! v\\nmvned by John M. Mann, to the foot of the moun in at\\nPluckamin and on the Raritan, the west line wa the\\nwest point of the Island in front of R. H. Veght ^pn) erty\\nthe point of the mountain wheie the east line terminated\\nIt embraced all the land between Caleb Miller fZ^rtv\\non the east, and the old Patterson farm on the J^t^ ami\\nextended north, nearly up to the village of Pluckam in a\\nbroa, .an J valuable tract, including son^e of the mot b au^\\ntfnl farms in our vicinity, and on it, on Peter s Brool-\\nstood the old Van Neste mansion in which Piince\\nGeoi^e live l and died, but which has since btn ch^mol-\\nThe Indians selling it, were called Pawark and Manansa-\\nmit and the purchaser was Robert Van Quillen It in\\nduded the Island before mentioned, which was knoln t\\ntlie Indian name of Matanique.\\nThe whole splendid plot of rich land when s-irveved was\\ncl.vided into SIX portions. On the east side, joininl he\\nriver, Graham and Winder had 1900 acres, onh of Ihem\\nSamuel Winder had 500 north of this, D. D DuS\\nowned 760 acres. Returning .gain to the ri;er Jol n\\n-Robinson had 660, Archibald Riddle, 300 north of this\\nI^ot, .Sir John Dalrymple, 500 leaving a large plo nor h\\nof itstill unaj)propriated. i i^ i noi m\\nwli^^ thrib- fr V^ I\\nHdvise, V; i were erected, we are not\\nT h f ^f ^1\u00c2\u00ab that it vvas either wbere\\njMhnM. Mann lived, or where the residence of Rev F F\\nCornell is at present located. The large plot of low hind\\n\u00c2\u00abouth of these ,,oint8 was a favorite ?orn ground of thO", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0026.jp2"}, "27": {"fulltext": "SOMEKSET COUNTY. J 9\\nIndians and had no forest on it. and was called by tlicni\\nEacka-wacka-hack.\\nAt a very early pt^riod the Coejeman pro])erty was j)ur-\\nehased and the lVIedday;h house afterwards J. M. Mann s\\nis mentioned by John Lawrence, as bein*;- on the line be-\\ntween East anil West Jersey, which he ran in 1711), and\\nthe laro-e wdiite oak tree sliill standing on th(? easl; side f\\nthe house Was lUMrked by him as being in that line. An-\\notiier mark of the sam^ line is still visible in a stone plant-\\ned on the south bank of the river by the I oadside. nearly\\nin front of the house which John V. Veghte erected for his\\nown residence, previ(jus to removing to his father s. This\\nline is called the Qaintipartate line, and extended from\\nLittle E^^^ harbor to a point on the Delaware in 41 de-\\ngrees latitude. It was made for the purpose of dividing\\nthe clai.us of Sir George Carteret and the assigns (.)f Lord\\nBerkley and separated the Province of New Jersey into F]as t\\nand West Jersey a division continuing as long as the\\nProprietary Goveinment lasted.\\nThe Coejenian family came here as early as 1736. Thev\\nwere Hollanders, but came to the Raritan fiom Coejeman s\\non the Hudson river, and built the ancient brick house still\\nstanding in Raritan vibage. It was a very large and ex-\\npensive mansion tor that day. When they moved into it.\\nit is said, they brought a wheelbarrow^load of silver plate.\\nStaats Coejeman^ an officer in the navy, some 40 years\\nsince^ we believe, to have been the last male descendant.\\nAndrew Coejeman of Raritan, was the son of Barent Pi-\\neterse Coejeman s, who with his mother and three brothers,\\nDavid, Jacob and Arent imigrated from Holland, to Ren-\\nsellaer s Wyck 1636. They came originally Irom Utrech.\\nBarent worked in the Patroons Grist Mill until 1645, then\\nsuperintended his Saw Mill, then rented a farm and final-\\nly in 1683, with the consent of the Commissioners at Alba-\\nny, purchased from the Kaafs Kill Indians a large tract of\\nland some twelve or fifteen|, miles south of the city, on the\\nwest side of the river. The^inducement was the favorable\\nsituation of the land for the erection and running of Saw\\nMills. The purchase began at a point on!the shore called\\nSieskasin opposite the middle of Jan Ryerson s Island", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0027.jp2"}, "28": {"fulltext": "20 SOMERSET COUNTY,\\nand ran smith to the mouth of Peter Bronck s Kill, as\\nCoxsakie Creek was then called, following up the creek to\\nits scource, the line then ran west until it struck the head\\nwaters falling into the Hudson River. The land on the\\nwaters flowing west into the Schoharie Creek belonged to\\nthe Mohawks. Ffom this point the line went north until\\nit reached the lands of the Patr(Xin, and thence along the\\nsouth side of his patent to the Hudson River A patent\\nwas obtained for this land, some eight miles in length west,\\nand nearly ten along the river side from Gov. Lovelace.\\nApril 9, 1693. A slight dispute arose with the Patroon\\nabout his jurisdiction, but in August 6, 1714, Queen\\nAnne confirmed the whole to him and h s heirs forever.\\nBarent Pieterse Coejeraans had five children, Andreas,\\nSamuel and Peter, sons, and Aryan tye and Jannetye,\\ndaughters. The eldest of these sons, Andreas or Andrew\\ncame to Raritan and built as above. It was a large\\nbrick house four rooms and a hall, one and one-half stories.\\nThe family were buried near it but the grave stones\\nare lost.\\nAndrew Coejemans, of Raritan, married a daughter of\\nDr. Samuel Staats, of Albany, and had four daughters and\\na son, Samuel Staats Coejeman. The daughters married\\nas follows\\nCatherine, an Irish gentleman named Neilson, by whom\\nshe bad three children, John, James and Gertrude, and\\nresided in New Brunswick.\\nGertrude married Abraham Lett, and had four children,\\nCatharine, Cornelia, Gertrude and Abraham.\\nJohanna married Col. White, and had three children,\\nGen. Anthony Walton White, who resided on th,^ Raritan\\nbelow New Brunswick, and Mrs. Governor Patersou and\\nMrs. Bayard.\\nMoyaca was a crip})le and never married. She died at\\nthe house of Col, John Neilson, where she had been re-\\nsiding with her brother s children of whom Col. Neilson\\nand Gov. Paterson had been appointed executors and\\nGuardians.\\nAndrew Coejeman, son of S. Staats Coejeman, married", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0028.jp2"}, "29": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 21\\nAni ttje Schuyler, and had two children, (irertrude and\\nAndrew.\\nAndrew married \u00e2\u0096\u00a0Juno Vandoren, and liad three sons,\\nSamuel Staats, John Neilson and Abraham Vandoren, all\\ndied and with them the name became extinct on the Rari-\\ntan. Gertrude married George Farmer, and Ir-id one son\\nand four daughters,\\nAndrew Coejeman also purchased of John Roycc 400\\nacres on south side of Raritan to be called Roycefield.\\nMany yeais since, the writer of these notes spent a night\\nin the old Cojeman mansion on the Hudson, and saw the\\nfull length portrait of the Lady Cnejemau wjiich is pi(^-\\nserved tiiere. In a littlj Dutch bed in a large room in the\\nseccnd story of the old stone hu use, we dreamed of the\\nolden times, and had many visions of stately dames in\\nrufts and high heels and stays passing before oui mind.\\nIt was quite a romance in our young life, and the memory\\nof it has never been defaced. It brought the past near-\\ner than we had ever realized it before.\\nRobert Van Quillen, the purchaser of tliis thinl tract on\\nthe Raritan, figures quite largely in our eariy history. His\\ncharacter, however, is somewhat dubious. He may be\\ncalled a Frenchified Dutchman, or, perhaps more properly\\na Dutchified Frenchman. He is represented as being a\\nnative of Caen, in France, and called De La Prie, and\\nagain La Prie. He was Surveyor General of the Province\\nof East New Jersey for some time, and naturalized March\\n8, 1(369. Beside his valuable possession on the Raritan,\\nhe had at an earlier date located for himself a large tract\\nof land south of the Raritan, o])posite Amboy, which one\\nof the early Scotch settlers sj)eaks of as being but mean\\nland. His purchase of the Indians on the Raritan, was\\nun speculation, and he did not long retain the title of his\\npossessions, and never lived in Somerset. His residence\\nwas at Elizabethtown.\\nHe was one of Gov. Carteret s first council, in 16G8\\nhaving as his associates Capt. Nicholas Verlett, Daniel\\nPierce, Robert Bond and Samuel Edsall. In 1674, during\\nthe administration of Gov. Colve, he is reported as hav-\\ning carried away a variety of goods from the house of Gov-", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0029.jp2"}, "30": {"fulltext": "22 somi^:rset county.\\niM-nor Caifcrct, in Eliz-ibt-thtown, which he (h^cliiied to re-\\nstore wliereupon an order was issued from Fort Williaju\\nHenry, in New Y(n k, for hvd ari-est, in company with one\\nSingleterry, to be brought before th(^ Governor. The ex-\\nplanation given is, thnt lie lield the goods out of friend-\\nship to Gov. Carteret, and in his interest whic .i is prob-\\nable, since Carteret had been, as it is now conceded, un-\\njustly expelled from his rights as proprietor and Governor\\nunder the Duke of York s grant, and was soon after re-\\nstored to hi\u00c2\u00ab f )rnier position. When such restoration had\\ntaken place, in 16 74, Van Quellen was appointed one of\\nhis CHincil together with Capt. John Berry, William San-\\nford and John Pike, and Messrs. Lawrence Anderson and\\nJohn Bishop Sr. Robert Boben being Secretary of the\\nBoard. He s en]s also to have been concerned in the\\nElizabeth purchase, as appears from the oath of Jeremiah\\nOsborn, appended to the Elizabethtovvu Bill in Chancery.\\nIn fact he was a greedy, grasping adventurer in his land\\nspeculations.\\nThough owning lands along the Raritan, his residence\\nwas constantly at Elizauethtown, which had become, not\\nonly the home of the Governor and the place where the\\nLegislature met, but besides, a })lace of considerable im-\\n})Oi tance, comprising within its limits at least VOO inhabi-\\ntants, with 40,000 acres of land under cultivation. Tlie\\nGovernor is said to have had a house, orchard and farm\\nwithin the town limits, indicating that he was surrounded\\nwith all the comforts possibh^ in a new settlement.\\nOne of the very best [)lantations embiaced in this third\\npurchase, was owned at the opening ot the Revolution by\\na lawyer named Peregrine Lagrange, who, from conviction\\nand choice, took the part of the British Government in the\\nconflict which ensued. As a consequence his property was\\nconfiscated and sold f t })ublic auction. It was pui chased\\nby William Patterson, afterwards Governor of the State,\\nand one of the J ustices of the Supreme Court of the Uni-\\nted States, or soon after came into his possession and is\\nstill known as The Patterson Farm, and on it he resid-\\ned for several years. Here, in a stone house, some eighty\\nyears ago, Mrs. Van Rensellar, wife of Gen. Stephen Van", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0030.jp2"}, "31": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 23\\nRensellar, commonly known as ^f Zfrt^^!!^l\\nWHS born and grew up to early gulhood. J!^\\nvivid and grat.ful memory ot the oh home on the K.uit.u\\natul after the death of her husband, intended to purcuse t\\nand make it her residence but bemg urged by he. daugl\\nters first to consent to accompany thein for yea. to\\nFrance, she returned only to die in a tew months^ aftei\\nreaching her home in Albany and the purpose i^^^^ed\\nTt is? ne of the instances which prove the power o ea.lv\\nassociations. P.-obably wneu she came to see the oW home-\\nstead she would have be n g.-eatly disapi^omteo, and cle-\\nteried from carrvin^; out her intentions.\\nDirk MiddahVesided on the place owned by JolinJ-^^;\\nMann, as earlv as 1699. and his name i.^ among the farst\\non the Church records. U was one ol the m ?f j;;^\\nlocations on the Raritan, overlooking those ^r^^^tiful nu\\n.nvs which lav south between it and the nve.-, Ihe old\\nwhite oak tree, already referred t^ standing on the cast\\nside of the house is a .neinorial of the olden time. It stood\\nthere in 1743, one hundred and thirty-hve years sinct.\\nWhen dohn Lawrence marke.l it as in the Qumtapate line,\\nit was aheady a large tree, and it ought to be lett s tai d-\\nincv as long as vitality remains in it, as a hmdma.dv ot the\\npast. When Lawrence came to the south side of the uwu\\nit was evening, and he sought for quarters for themght.\\nHe was promised accommodations, m the house of a Mr\\nFulkerson, {Who lived near the p.^esent cemetery), bu\\nwhen he cLme there, the good wife did not relish he ide.\\nofadmittingst.-ange.-sto her domicile, and ^^ed hti\\nhusband to suchadeg.-ee, that Lawrence thought be t to\\ndecamp and he went back towaids Roycefield wht?ie he\\nfound a house without a scolding dame, and slept in peace\\nHe gives quite an amusing account in his journal of his\\ndisappointment and the lady who occassione^d it.\\nThe fourMi p.irchase of land from the Indians on the\\nRaritan, extended fn-u. the western boundary of the last\\nmentioned plot up to the junction of the north and south\\nbranches, This place was called by the natives ruck-a-\\nrama-hacking, From tlds point the line ran east of o.\\nto a place nearly equidistant between the North Bianch", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0031.jp2"}, "32": {"fulltext": "24 SOMERSET COUJSTY,\\nand Laraiii^ ton river, at or near what was the late turn-\\npike bridiic above Burnt Mills thence due east, until it\\nmet the line t the fornu- r purchase and thence south to\\nthe place of betiinnini:;. The aboriginal owners conveyino-\\nthis land, are called Pawark, Cowalanuck, Manamasaniet\\nAgnamapaniund The purchasers were John Robinson,^\\nWilliam Pinhorn, Richard Jones, and Matthew Taylor.^\\nThe consideration was, certain goods mentioned in the\\ndeed, and the date Nov 19, 1G81.\\nThis ]Tlot was afterwards surveyed and divided as fol-\\nlows William Pinhom, had deeded to him, March 8,\\n1697, 500 acres on the east side and 160 on the river\\nLord iS eil Campbell, Jan. 9, 1685, had 1650 acres em-\\nbracing all the land between Pinhorn and the junction of\\nthe two branches, and extending north as for as Pinhorn s\\ngrant extended. Inmiediatelv north of these two grants\\nand including all that remained on the east side of North\\nBranch, William Ackman had 400 acres Archibald\\nKiddle 300 and Sir John Dalrymple 500 acres. The land\\non the west side was taken by John Johnson, while Lord\\nNeil appropriated to himself another 1000 acres and other\\nsmaller proprietors, whose deeds expended west and em-\\nbraced land boyond the western line of the Indian grant\\nand reached the present boundary of Branchburgh township\\ntook the balance. Their names were Michael Hawden,\\nG-eorge Willocks, Miles It oster and Thomas Gordon, and\\ntheir deeds all bear the date of 1703,\\nJS one of the individuals who had, in this way, become\\nproprieiors of land, c-ccupied their possessions except Lord\\nNeil Campbell Matthew Tayhn is not mentioned again\\nPinhorn resided on the Passaic river near Bellville, and\\nwas a man of some note in his day. He was a member of\\nGov, Basse s council in 1698 from Bergen county. His\\nassociates were Thomas Codrington, of Somerset, and\\nThomas Warne, of Middlesex. He was also interested\\nwith Kingsland and Berry in settling and cultivating lands\\non what has long beei. known as Barbadoes-Neck, but\\nmore recently, Rutherford Park a man of intelligence\\nculture and talents probably an emigrant from the Island\\nof Baibadoes, whence Kingsland and Berry had come.", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0032.jp2"}, "33": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 25\\nLord Neil Oampbell was a biother ut the Duke of Ar-\\ngyle and was concerned with him in the uiit rtnnate expe-\\ndition in favor of the handsome Duke of Monm )nth. tht^\\nson of Charles 11,, and Lncy Warters. Besides being\\nhimself implicated in an enterprise which proved a desper-\\nate failure, and sent scores of honest and lionoral^le men to\\na premature and bloody grave, he had two sons, John and\\nArchibald already in New Jersey, who had been also com-\\npromised in the same unfortunate rebellion against the Gov-\\nernment. John is mentioned as early as 1685, with his\\nwife and three children and eleven servants, as a resident\\nin New Jersey. He was the owner of 1870 acres of land\\nen the west side of South Branch, beginning near Corle s\\nMills and extending west to the townshij) line. John\\nCampbell, with John Dobie, John Drumond, Andrtnv\\nHamilron, owned all the land from Holland s lirook u[) to\\nwhere the west line of Branchbnrgh meets the South\\nBranch. Their deeds are dated Nov. 9. 1685, the autumn\\nof the year in which he left Scotland. But it is not known\\nto the present writer that he ever resided on this land.\\nLord Neil Camj)bell was a].)pointed Deputy Governor by\\nthe proprietors of East New Jersey tor two years on the\\n4th of June 1G85, and reached the Province in the ensuing\\nOctober. His rnsidence was on his plantation on the\\nbanks of the Raritan the property is now owned by\\nGeorge McBride. He had sent 65 servants to settle on it\\nprevious to his coming. He must have arrived in Septem-\\nber. On the 5th of (Jctober his commission was read, and\\non the 18th his council named. It consisted of Gawen\\nLawrie, Maj. John Berry, of Bergen, Isaac Kingsland of\\nNfw Barbadoes, Captain Andrew Hamilton of Amboy,\\nRichard Townley of Elizabeth, Samuel Winder of Cheese-\\nquakes, David Mudie, John Johnson of Amhoy and Thom-\\nas Codrington of Raritan.\\nBut whatever motives may have induced Lord Neil\\nCampbell to come to New Jersey and assume the adminis-\\ntration of its affairs, his stay was very short. On the 10th\\nof December he appointed Anthony Hamilton his substi-\\ntute, being, as is said, constrained by the urgent necessity\\nof some weighty affairs, to return to Scotland, What", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0033.jp2"}, "34": {"fulltext": "26 SOMPJRSET COUNTY.\\nwere the weighty affairs and wliut the necessity of at-\\ntending to them is not exj)lained. He remained liowever\\npermanently in his Scottish home, and hd t iiis interests\\nhere to be attended to by his sons. If his absence was in-\\ntended tp be temporary, it was a disap}n)intment, tor it\\nproved to be popetual. The reason of it is not apparent.\\nThe aspect of things had probably changed in Scotland, or\\nelse soiue important pecuniary interest required liis atten-\\ntion there. He had been appointed, no doubt, so far as\\nth(^ proprietors were concerned, as a matter of [)olicy, and\\nit had succeeded, to a certain extent at least, for it induc-\\ned imigration to some extent.\\nThere are references in the Records of the province, to\\nthe following persons as having emigrated and settled pe r- y\\nmanently about this tim^, viz Dec. 16, 1$64, i^xawen\\n(Lawrie and 8 persons William Haize 8 ditto the Pro-\\nprietors, 22 besides 2 overseers Uaptain Thomas Peai-\\nson Nov. 24, 1684, 14 William Dockwra Dec. 14, 1684,\\n24 and subsequently ten more John Barclay, 6 in 1683;\\nRobert FuUerton 9, John Campbell 8, Andrew Hamilton\\n10, David Mudie 17, Lord Neil Campbell 56, Jam-^s\\nJohnson 9, John Forbes 4, George Keith 6, Charles Gor-\\ndon 5, in all nearly 200 persons. These imigrants re-\\nmained, and many of them became afterwards prominent\\nmen in the affairs of the ])rovince. About the same time,\\nalso, George Scot, of Pitlochie wrote and published a work\\nentitled the model of the Government of East Jersey in\\nAmerica in which, great encouragement was attempted\\nto be given to emigration to that beautiful and promising\\nregion. There is a curious conveyance on record (says\\nWhitehead) under date of Dec. 16,1684, by which one\\nMoneybaird, makes over to John Campbell, the son of\\nLord Neil Campbell, all his interests in Perth Amboy, in\\nconsideration of the said Camjjbell s sending a footman\\nto wait on Moneybaird during Parliament in New Jer-\\nsey, and holding his stiru}). Great things were expected,\\nand there were men who saw visions in those days, as in\\nour more humdrum and n\\\\oney getting age y^reater things\\nthan will ever be realized. Archibald Campbell, another\\nson of Lord Neil Campbell, came to New Jersey in 1684,", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0034.jp2"}, "35": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 27\\nimmediately nfter the tei min;itit)ii of his uncles expedition.\\nHe had been en -aged in this mid from the Highlands, as\\nwell as his father. Two sons of Argyle, .John and Charles,\\njind their cousin, tlu^ Archibald Campbdl of wliom we arc\\nwriting, were sentenced to death and forfeiture of estate\\nbut the sentence vvas afterwards so far modiiied as to re-\\nn)it the rialty of death. Archibald Cani|)b.4l di d in\\nMay 17(^2, antl it is uncertain whether lie h^t any children.\\nJohn had died before him, in December 1689 b aving one\\nson and two cbinghteis. John Cam|)bell who l)uilt and\\nowned the Herbert Mills, and Alexander Cam[)bell who lived\\nlast on thi^ Codrington place were descendants. There i.s\\nan old Bell used in the Academy of Bound Brook, which\\nbelonged to Campheil. It has an insciiption datt d 1734 at\\nAmstereodam Amsterdam and is a valuable relic of the\\nolden times. It is said that Archibald Campbell ui ed it\\nin calling in his slaves from their field lal). rs. He liveil in\\nBaronial styie on Herbert s Island and called it Kelts\\nHall, and em])loyed a numerous company of men and\\nmaidens in his house and fa in labors.\\nThe ])lantation of Kell s Hall was owned about the time\\nof the devolution, by Cornelius Van Horn, a merchant\\nof New York, and about 1800 it came into the possession\\nof George Smock. It has always been considered one of\\nthe most valuable farms on the Haritan.\\nJohn Campbell resided in a house which stood near the\\nriver banks, almost directly south of tht^ Railroad Depot in\\nBound Brook. It has only recently been removed, and it\\nwill be remembered by the more aged inhabitants, as an\\nold dihipidated mansion wl ich had had great pretentious,\\nand was in its last days jnhabi ted by a family of Jews,\\nAlexander the last of the Campbells resided on the Cod-\\nvington place and died some 40 years since. So far as we\\nknow or havt^ been able to ascertain there are no male rep-\\nnesentatives of Lord Neil Campbell living iti New Jerset\\nat the present tinn\\nThe Argyle familv was, and i.s still, one of the most\\n.prouiineht among the aristocracy of Scotland. Lord lorn\\nwho had married a daughter of Queen Victoria is a liu-\\nfial descendant of the Duke of Argyle who -was the brother", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0035.jp2"}, "36": {"fulltext": "28 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\nof Lord Neil Oampbell, and uncle of John and Arcliibald\\nUaM)[)b(dl,\\nThe j)lantation of Lord Neil Cam[)bi 11 on the Raritan,\\nin process of time passed into the hands of William Cook\\nthen John Elrnendorf inherited it, and left it to his son\\nPeter, who sold it to the present proprietor, Immediate-\\nly east ;f this farm, a Mr Potter, of Philadelphia owned\\nsome four hunlred acres of land. It passed from him in\\nto the hands of John Simonson, Esq., and is now owned\\nin part by the heirs of PettM* V. Staats, deceased. A por-\\ntion of it the late Gusbert B. Vroom of New York, pur-\\nchased, and his family residi-d there for si)me time after\\nhis death.\\nOn the west side of South Branch, commencin;^ at Hol-\\nland s Brook and proceedinjj south there were five deeds\\ngiven, each one extentding west to the township line, viz\\n\u00e2\u0080\u00a2-irst, April 25, 1687, to Andrew Hamilton 510 acres next\\nJohn Drumoud 1000 acres Nov. 9, 1685 next, An-\\ndrew Hamilton same daie 750 acres next, John Camp-\\nbell, one of the sons of Lord Neil Campbell, same date\\n1874 acres next, John Dobie same date 395 acres\\nwhich brings us up to the South Branch and the inter-\\nsection of the township line, in other words to the Hookee.\\nWest of this line and south ot the river, was all included\\nin the Lotting [)urchase which extentled u\\\\) to the New\\nJersey Society s lands, That ])urchase included the\\nCushetonk Hills (Pickels mountain) Llound Valley and all\\nthe land west to the Delaware\\nBeginning again at Holland s Brook, north side, there\\nwere twelve plots of land surveyed, and the deeds were\\ngiven to the following persons viz First to Andrew\\nHamilton Oct. 13, 1689, 250 acres next, Hendrick Cor-\\nson June 10, 1688, 500 next, Thomas Gordon 500, May\\n10, 1703, and in the meantime Peter Van Nest seemes to\\nhave been the owner of the previous 500 acres of Thomas\\nGordon, for the plot is said to begin at the Van Nest cor-\\nner next Miles Foster had 466 and the deed dated the\\nsame time as the former next, Michael Hawden 466 acres\\nsame date next. Lord Neil Campbell 1000 May 24, 1690;\\nnext, Jolinson a small plot of 61 acres and again John", "height": "2802", "width": "1889", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0036.jp2"}, "37": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUKTY. 29\\nJohnson 400 May 10, 1690 and the ivni-iinder ninnihi;-\\nup t(Tthe Lainin j;ton river, and west to the to\\\\vnshi[) line\\nbelonging to WiHocks, Johnston, Ciiiij)b dl an I Bhickvvo.id.\\nOn the other side of the NorTli Bianch, And West owned\\n912 acres. This hind ]);iss( d snbscqiiently into the hands\\nof the I amons Diicht ss of Gordon, who married General\\nStaats Monis a brother of Gonveinenr Morris and this\\nQwneiship has been the occasion of tiiat neighborhood bi_\\ning called the Duch ^ss\\nBetween Lamington River and Noith Branch, Maj, Ax-\\ntell owned a lar^e and valnahle tract of land, out of which\\ni.in}tbell and Blackwood purchased 3900 acrrs in 1693\\nMargaret Winuer 1000 on May 20, 1690 Johnson and\\nWillocks 3150 June 6, 1701. This last survey included\\nall the lands in Peapack valley and tinally Andrew Ham-\\nilton obtained a deed for 875 acies on Lamitunk, Feb. 25,\\n1740. This brings us to the Morris County line.\\nThe land north of Sonierville, embracing the first and\\nvsecond mountain and the valley between them beginning at\\nor near Pluckaniin, was deeded to Alexander McDowell\\nDec. 12, 1727 and Margaret Tiepel, John Parker, Judi-\\nah Higgins, and others owned all the remainder until a\\npoint directly liorth of Bound Brook. North of the\\nmountains on Dead Kiver, Paiker, Hooper, George Kisca-\\nrick, Josepii Jennings, JSTathaniel Kolph and others owned\\nlancis. Northeast of Bound Brook and between the moun-\\ntains, David Cosart. Danit 1 Hollingshead, the heirs of An-\\nthony Sharu and others, had in possession huge tracts.\\nSouth of the Passaic, William Dockwra and Kobert Bai-\\nclay had 2000 acres, Kobert Morris in trust for Aslitield s\\nestate, D. D. Dunstar and James Alexander were large\\nowners in the same vicinity. Their purchases dated Oct.\\n1742 and Dunstar and Alexander, and Budd and Alex-\\nander exti^nded their titles up nt)rth, into Morris county.\\nWe refer those who are desirous of more specific inf rm i-\\ntion on the subject of early land titles on the North side of\\nKaritan, to the Elizibethtown-Bill-in-ChancMy, printed\\nby James Parker, New York 1747, Library of the Histo-\\nrical Society of New Jersey, with maps.\\nA remark seems here to be called for. It will be seen by", "height": "2842", "width": "1787", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0037.jp2"}, "38": {"fulltext": "30 .SOMERSET COUNTY.\\nadverting to the uamt^s of the original owners of land, by\\nIndian purchases, along the Raritan, that they appear to\\nhave been nearly all Scotchmen, and that none of them\\nreally became })ermanent residents. The explanation is\\nthis. The principal and most active proprietors of East\\nNew Jersey, were inabitants of Scotland, and th ir efforts\\nto indnce emigration and settlements npon their lands\\nwere made in their native country. As the effect of this\\n.Vmboy was fixed upon as a site lor a town and was named\\nNew Perth and i rom thence settlements of people from\\nScotland and England spread out northwest and est as far\\nas Scotch[)laiiis. Plainfield and Bound Brook, and single\\nfamilies even further, t rom this immigration the Church-\\nes of Bound Brook, Basking Ridge and Lamington pro-\\nceeded. It was an influx coming almost entirely, direct\\nfrom Scotland and the first Pastors of these churches\\nwere all native Scotchmen Scotch Presbyterians of the\\nKnox, Rutherford and Erskine stamp. Besides this, there\\nwere several families of German origin, and of the Lutheran\\nChurch, who settled about Pluckamin. The beginning of\\nthis influx is probably mark by one of the land titles which\\nwe have given above that of Margaret Teiple 1727. The\\nLutherans built, at an early day, a house of worship in the\\nvillage of Pluckamin, and in connection with New G-er-\\nmantown and German Valley, engaged the services of a\\nminister, or ministers, of their own denomination for a\\nterm of years. Mr. Muhlenbergh in his youth, it is stated,\\nministered to them for a time.", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0038.jp2"}, "39": {"fulltext": "CIJAPTER II,\\nFTRST SETTLEMENT AND SOME OF THE EARLY INHABITANTS.\\nWhen the title to the hxnd on the Raritan had been se-\\ncured, settlers at once came to occupy it. It was, of\\ncourse, in a state of nature, clothed with its primitive for-\\nests and inhabited by wild animals, and wilder men.\\nThe inducements leading those who came from Long\\nIsland and New York to seek a home in the wildei ness,\\nwas, first, to enjoy full religions liberty in scu ving God.\\nGov. Lovelace favored tLe Episcopal Church, and threw\\nmany obstacles in the way of those who belonged to the\\nDi-.rch Church, of enjoying their own services in peace.\\nRather than yield one iiHa to his interference, they expa-\\ntriated themselves a second time and came into the Prov-\\nince of New Jersey, where the Concession s and Agree-\\nments secured ample religious toleration from the very be-\\nginning. We cannot but honor tht^ir spirit and commend\\ntheir attachment to the truth as they had learned it and\\nbelieved it.\\nAnother and a second motive was no doubt found in the\\nrich and unoccupied lands along our beautiful river, which\\nseemed to invite the imigrant and pr-omise him an abund-\\nant reward for his labor in their culture and improvement.\\nThe earliest reliable recorded notice which we have seen\\nof the Raritan river, is found among the Albany records,\\nand is dated 1663, when the trade in turs with the Indi-\\nans had begun to excite the cupidity of the English, and\\nled to remonstrances on the parr of the Dutch of Manhat-\\ntan Island. There is, indeed, said to be in the same rec-\\nords, a letter from Herr Van Werkhoven to Baren Vander\\nCapellan, stating that the lands about Nevesink and the\\nRaritan s Kill, had been purchased for him in 1649, and\\ncomplaining that they had not been allotted to him. This\\nonly shows that the value of these lands was already", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0039.jp2"}, "40": {"fulltext": "32 SOMERSET COUNTY,\\nknown as early as 30 years r.fter the first settlements were\\nformed around the Trading Post on Manhattan Island.\\nOgilhy says in 1671, that both sides of the Raritan .are\\nadorned with spacious meadows, enough to feed thousands\\nof catth The wood land is very good for com, and stor-\\ned with wild beasts as deer, elks, and an innumerable\\nmultitude of fowl, as in oiher parts of the country. This\\nriver is thougiit very capable for erecting of several towns\\nand villages on each side of it no place in North Ameri-\\nca having better convenience for the maintainin r of all\\nsorts of cattle for winter and summer food.\\nAsa matter of curiosity, and not from any ide-i of its\\nvalue or importance in any historical sense, but only as\\nan illustration of the way in which the Indians lomanced\\nand practiced on the credulity of white men, we sl.all\\nquote a notice of our river from a description of New Albi-\\non (as New Jersey was then called,) by Beauchamp Phin-\\ntagenet. Esq dated 1648, a year earlier than Van Wei!\\nhover s claim. He says, the Indians of New Jersey wert^\\nunder the dominion of about twenty kings; that there\\nwere 1,200 under two Raritan kings that the seat of the\\nRaritan king is said to have been called bv th English\\nMount Ployden, twenty miles from Sandhay S.^a, and\\nninety from the Ocean, west to Amara Hill, the retired\\nParadise of the children of tht- Ethiopean Emperor a\\nwonder, for it is a square rock, two miles compass, 150\\nfeet high, a wall like precipice, a straight entrance, (^asily\\nmade invincible, where he keeps 200 for his guards, and\\nunder is a flat valley, all plain to phtnt and sow.\\nIf we were inclined to favor such romance, we should\\nclaim that no place so well answers the above description\\nas the bluff in the gorge of Chimney Rock, north of the\\nlittle bridge on the west and east sides of which the two\\nrivulets flow and meet a fVw yar.ls southward in the main\\ngorge. But we are not disposed to practice on tlie creduli-\\nty of our readers, as the Indians evidently did, on Beau-\\nchamp Plantagenet, Esq.\\nThe savages who lived permanently on the Raritau\\n(and there were only a few of the Raritan tribe who did so,)\\nhad very fertile corn lands on the meadows, which they", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0040.jp2"}, "41": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 33\\nappreciated and planted proving that they were not\\ngenerally wooded, but on the contrary, were of the nature\\nof a prairie or savannah. This feature afterwards, formed\\none of the main attractions to settlers, and induced the first,\\nwho came there to locate on t\\\\w first upland, contiguous\\nto these natural meadows, where they found at once\\nabundant pasturage for cattle, and a soil ready for the\\nplow. H^nce in point of fact, all the first buildings from\\nBound Brook ti) the junction of the two branches, stood\\non the edge of this upland, and there our })rincipal farm\\nhouses are still found standing.\\nExceptions, are however mentioned^ in three instances,\\nof huts standing on the meadows, inhabited by Scotch\\npeople. Two north of the late residence of B. Veghte,\\nJisc|.. and one near the former dwelling of 11. Grarretson,\\nbut we cannot imagine how they could have been inhabi-\\nted for more than one summer. Our beautiful river has a\\nhabit cf inundating all its meadows in the winter, which\\nwould make living on them extremely inconvenient if nofc\\nim})0ssible.\\nThe Indians living on the Raritan were only the remnant\\nof the large and numerous tribe once located here. It\\nis said they left and went to live at Metuchen, because the\\nfreshets in the river spoiled the corn which they were in\\nthe habit of burying in pits on the low lands. Another\\ninducement was the fish, oysters and clams, so easily obtain-\\ned on the shores of the Raritan Bay, The immense heaps\\nof shells founCl in several localities on its shores, attest\\nthe rich harvest which they had gathered out of its wa-\\nters. A few huts were found on the south side of the river\\nopposite the village of Raritan and they had a burial\\nplace on the second river bank at the gate of R. H. Gar-\\nretson.\\nWe may imagine then, how the lonely river flowed on\\nfor centuries between its willow fringed banks, from sum-\\nmer to winter, while the rich grass on its meadows wasted\\nbecause there were no animals, except a few deer, who fed\\nupon it and how the wild fruits afforded feasts for the\\n\u00e2\u0096\u00a0squirrel and the forest bird, or perished untouched, be-\\ncause there was no living creature present to enjoy the", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0041.jp2"}, "42": {"fulltext": "34 SOMEKSET COUNTY,\\nbountitiil repast. It might almost without romance\\nbe called a \u00e2\u0096\u00a0retired Paradise, but witlioutits \u00e2\u0080\u00a2Ethiopi-\\nan Emperor to rule over it. That it remained untrod-\\nden so long, is certainly marvellous, unless the few white\\nmen in the country, and the distance from New York\\nmade it too great an effort to reacb silch an inviting place.\\nFrom 1(324, when the Dutch bi-gan to colonize at first,\\nuntil 1681 May 4th, when the first land title is dated, u\\njjeriod of 57 years, no one seems to have seen or been\\nattracted by the beauty and fertility of our wide spreading\\nvalley, or ventured to endeavor to reclaim it from its wild,\\nuntrodden wilderness state. Its primitive inhabitants\\neven, had deserted it almost entirely, and gone towards the\\nsea shore^ attracted by the abundant tood; and only bird\\nand beast claimed it as their home. But the time came\\nwhen a different state of things began to exist.\\nThe titles for the fertile lands had been secured and s(^t-\\ntlers came to occupy them. Some of these have been\\nalready mentioned and we liud tliat from 1681 to 1691J\\nthere had arrived from Long Island the following\\nheads of families mostly of Dutch, extraction:\\nGoers Vroom, Michael Hanson, Andrew Allyn,\\nMichael Van Vegbten, Dirk Midilagh, Frederick Gar-\\nretson, John Wortman, Peter Van Nest, Jerunemus\\nVan Nest, Jacob Sebring Isaac Bodjne, Edward Drink-\\nwater, James Tuuison, Cornelius Tnnjson. Pieter Du-\\nmont, Maurice Maurisou, Johannes Damehl, John Hoelef-\\nson, riendrick Pi\\\\nierson, Thomas Possell. Cornelius Pow-\\nelson, Jan Hans Coeverden, Folkerd Hendiik Harris, Jo-\\nsias Merlet, Andrew Anderson, Elton Nyssen, William\\nOlden, William Clausen, Lawrence Opdyke, William\\nMouerseu, Keuben Jansen, Gabriel Lebcrsteiu, Folkerd\\nHendricksen,\\nAt ^orth and South Branch, Andreas Ten Eyck,, Abra-\\nham Dubois, John Pussell. Josias Ciaeseu, Jan llendrick-\\nsou, Daniel Sebriug, Coenrad Ten Eyck, Derick Van\\nVeghtfU, Alexander McDowel, Jan Van Sit-kleu, Benjamin\\nBart, Jacob Stoll, \u00c2\u00a3eunis Van MieldU^\u00c2\u00a7w(uth, George Hail,\\nAlbert Louw, VViIliaTo--HT fia;Taulus Bulner,, Lucus Scher-\\n\u00e2\u0080\u00a2uierhorn, Pieter Van Nest. Emanuel Van Etten,. J.ohanes", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0042.jp2"}, "43": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 35\\nGrauw, John Euiens, Coert .lansen, George Dildine, Jolin\\nReadiiis, Garret Van Vleet, William Brown. John Cook,\\nHendriciv Koesenbooin, Frans Waldron, Godfried Peters,\\nDavid Busum David Subair, Abravn Broca, Jacob Rey-\\nuierse^ Garret Smock.\\nIn the vicinity of New Brunswick, were Adrian Bennet,\\nAart Artsen, Roelif Sebring;, Johanes^ Folkerson, llen-\\ndrick Bries, Koelif Voorhees, Lawrens Wiliinise, Roelif Ne-\\nvius, Jau Van Voorhees, Jacob Oake, Johanes Stoothoflf.\\nJaqes Foiiteyn, Jacolnis Buys, Thomas Auten, Thomas\\nDavid is, William Klassen, Johanes Goevert, Hendrick\\nBries, Andrias Wortman, Bernardus Kuetor, Christopher\\nVan Arsdalen, Jac J) Corse, Cornelius Suydam, Joris An-\\ndersen, Martin Vanderhoeve, Johanes Metselaer, Samuel\\nMontfort, Jan Ateu, William Moore, Nicklas Bason.\\nAt Three Mile Run, Hendrick Bries, Roelf Lucas, Jan\\nVoorhees, Aert Aertsen. Isaac Van Dyke, Johanes Folker-\\nsen, Jan Aeteii, Laurens Willimse, Roelif Nevius. Charles\\nb onteyn, Hans Stoothoff, Thomas Bouwman, Derek Vol-\\nkerse. Garret Bolmer, Jan Lavor. Simon Wickoif, Pieter\\nHotf, Garret Dorland, Andries Bort, Jan Broca, James\\nFonteyn, Adrian Mollenar, Jacob Rapleyett, Joris Hael,\\nJan Laeten, William Lambers, Peter Kinne, Hendrick\\nTraphagen, Luycus Schermerhorn, Jans Van Middles-\\nworth. Johannes Fisher, Joeremias Field, Luycas VVessels,^\\nJacob Koersen, Nicholas Hay man, Cornelius Jan Onwe-\\ngen, William Harrise, Andreas Ten Eyck, William Dey,\\nManuel Van Allen, Abram Elemeteren, Johannes Seigeler,\\nJaurieu Remer.\\nWe are not able to indicate specifically or certainly the\\nplace of residence of each of these families. The Sebring s\\nanil Harris s lived in the vicinity of Bound Brook, Pieter\\nDumont on the south side of the Raritan, Powelson s\\nnear Pluckamin all of them evidently did not remain\\npermanently or leave descendants. The names of others\\ncontinue to occur in the records for many years,\\nbut some of them have at last passed away. All of them\\nwe judge were religious men, and aided in the formation of\\nthe Raritan Church, then a church in the wilderness. Most\\nof them are ktiown to have imis;rated to Somerset from", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0043.jp2"}, "44": {"fulltext": "36 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\nJi Mig- Isl.mil Jindam()n them tluMe art^ several iiatues\\nwhich indicate a F[ai!;aeiint iri,!2;in, SoiiKM .set County lias\\nha-l in fict a l;iiti;e infiisidii of this noble blood and among\\nthe fUinily tiM litions, ill many instances, linger interesting\\nleminisences of the night ot St. Bartholemew, at thitime\\nwhen th(^v tied from Erance to Holhind, leaving their all\\nbehind an 1 never looking b icU rescuing only tneir life\\ntlieir children and thiMr silver from tliedeadlv si)oiler\\nAs a m:itter of curio.-ity W(^ give a list of Hugenot names\\nonce residiMits on the Karitan and in the vicinity of Som-\\nerville, viz Jacob Gebiing, Isaac Bodyne. Pieter Dumont,\\nJ(ih;innes Dameld, Thomas Possell, Josias Merlette, Ga-\\nbriel De Beten, VVilli;im Breille, Jan Lavor, Peter L a Fe-\\nvre Jacob Piajtpleyea, Jan La Far, Frans Lukas, Isaac\\nBrillne, Pieter Petrie, Kdo Montagne, Abrara Lafoy, Ja-\\ncob Probasco, John La Voss, Antonie Le Grange, Jan\\nFonteyne, John Brocauw.\\nTt Would seciii as if the first settlers along the Raritan\\nwei-e left in a state of almost entire religious destitution for\\nnearly 20 years. There are some notices of persons who\\nlabored in preaching the Gospel in the vicinity of Amboy\\nand Elizabeth, but upon the Raritan no such labors are\\nknown to have been permanently afforded until March 9,\\n1699, when the Rev. Guliam Barthulfleft a record of his\\nhaving been at Raritan, preaching, ordaining an Elder and\\na l^eac(m, and habtising three children, Judith Van Nest,\\nAbraham Tunison, and Jaquemina Van Nest. Twenty\\nyears in a wTTderuess without the Gospel must certainly\\nhave left strong traces, and these not for good, upon the\\nminds of the peO[)le so circumstanced.\\nTwenty years more and the inliabitants of 01d Rari-\\ntan as it was commonly called then, felt themselves able\\nto do something for the maintenance of the christian ordi-\\nnances of the church, and united with others in calling the\\nRev, Theodorus Jacobus Frelingliuysen. About the\\nsame time they commenced the erection of a church on the\\nland of Michael Van Veghten who generously donated\\nthe site to the congregation and on the 11th, of Decem-\\nber, 1721, this house was opened for divine worship. It\\ncontinued to be the place where raligious services were held", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0044.jp2"}, "45": {"fulltext": "SOMEHSET ^OU^ TY. 37\\nUntil Oct. 27, 1779, wlnni it was burned In- the (Queen s\\nRanj^ers inder eoiiiniaiid of (Ji i Miol ISIiujo. It stn I on\\nthe iiurtii side (if the rivei a shnrt distance hel )vv thi- uhl\\nb idge. Around it there were i few graves ah-e idy almost,\\nforgotten But the corn and thi^ wheat growing over then],\\ndoes not disturb the peaceful slee])ers in their resting {)[ace.\\nThe })rincij)al interest, centering now in that almost for-\\ngotten cemetery, is in the circumstance that, in an un-\\nknown grave tht-ie, vast probably the remains of Mrs. \\\\^an\\nBurgh, the njotht-r of JufFvrouw Hardenburgh, who came\\nfrom Holland whither Dr. Hardenburgh had gone for her\\n1763 to reside with her daughter after the death of her\\nhusband, and dietl in the parsonage at 8ouierville. Tlie\\nyeai of her decease is not known by any of her descendants.\\nIf these precious remains are not resting there, then thny\\nmust have been dej^js ted on the bank of the meadows, near\\nthe old Parsonage, where John Hardenburgh and his wife,\\nwith others, are buried. But strange as it may seem to us.\\nthere is no monument in either })lace to commemorate oriv-\\nso loved and honored in her life time.\\nFor half a century after the times of which we have\\nbeen s})eakiug, not much of a::y special interest seems to\\nhave occurred along the Karitan. The people wern indus-\\ntrious and thriving, the church increased in strength under\\nthe labors of the two Frelinghuysens and Hardenburgh,\\nand society began to bj well ordered and law abiding. Be-\\nfore the Revolution therj were at least eight Dutch (Jliurch-\\nes in the Valley of the Raritan and Millstone river, viz\\nAt Brunswick, Six Mile Run, Millstone, Harlingen, Rari-\\ntan, Neshanic, Readington and Bedminster besides a\\nPresbyterian Church at Bound Brook, a Lutheran (Jhurch\\nat Pluckamin, a Presbyterian Church at Lamington, and\\nGerman Reformed Church at Amwell. All these had com-\\nfortable houses of worship and a well ordered discipline.\\nLess than a hundred years had passed since the European\\nfirst established his home on our river and its branches,\\nand all this had been done principally by a few emigrants\\nfrom the old land of Dykes and Marshes, none of whom\\nbrought much besides their energies and thrift to help them\\non in life but they wrought earnestly and saw the effects", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0045.jp2"}, "46": {"fulltext": "38 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\nof their efforts spreadini^ around their homes. The County\\nwas formed in 1688 only seven years after the Indian titles\\nto its lands were extino;uished. Thus all the advantau:es\\nof a well organized civil government were er^joyed even al-\\nmost from the iirst year of its settlement by the inhabi-\\ntants of Somerset County. The first things were small,\\nbut time has made them largre and valuable.", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0046.jp2"}, "47": {"fulltext": "CHAPTER III.\\nTHE COUNTY FORMED.\\nFrom the time that the first settlers came to the Rari-\\ntan until 1688, they were considered as included in Middle-\\nsex and depended upon the courts there for the administra-\\ntion of civil justice. The act providing for a new county\\nand naming it Somerset, is a curious piece of primitiv.^\\nlegislation. It recites in the preamble forasmuch as thf\u00c2\u00bb\\nuppermost part of the Raritan river is settled by persons,\\nwhom, in their husbandry and manuring their lands, are\\nforced upon quite different ways and methods from the\\nother farmers and inhabitants of Middlesex county, be-\\ncause of the frequent floods that carry away their fences on\\nthe meadows, the only arable land they have, and so, by\\nconsequences of their interests, are divided from the other\\ninhabitants of said county Be it therefore enacted, c,\\nThe bounds are described in the following manner Begin-\\nning at the mouth of the Bound Brook, where it empties\\ninto the Raritan River, and to rati up the said brook to the\\nmeeting of Bound Brook with Green Brook, and from the\\nsaid meeting, to ruu a n.n-thwest line into the hills and\\nupon the southwest side of the Raritan River, to begin at\\na small brook, where it empties itself into the Raritan\\nabout 70 chams below the Bound Brook, and from thence\\nto run up a south west line to the uttermost line of the\\nProvince, be divided from the said county of Middlesex,\\nand hereafter to be deemed, taken and be a county of this\\nProvince and that the same county be called the county\\nof Somerset, any statue, law or usage to the contrary not-\\nwithstanding. See Learning Spicer s Grants, Concess-\\nions, and acts of the Proprietary Grovernment p 305.\\nIn June 21, 1709, a more definite description is given\\nprobably the result of an actual survey. It is to the fol-", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0047.jp2"}, "48": {"fulltext": "40 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\nInving effect Be.i^iiiniii-^ where BoiukI Brook e;a[)ti( s iii-\\nV to Haritan River, thencc (lown the stream of Uaritaii to the\\nmonth of a brook known by the name of L iwrenc.^ s br lok:\\nthence rnnning up the sai(i Lawrence s brook t(\u00c2\u00bb th(^ great\\nroad that leads from Innian s Kerry to Cranberry brook\\nfrom thence sontli 44 degrees westerly to San])ink Brouk;\\nthence (h)wn said San])ink Brook tiv the division hue ^4 the\\neastern and western division aforesaid; and so to follow the\\nsaid division line to the limits of the above said c )un!y of\\nEssex thence east along the line of Essex county to greaf\\nBrook, and thence running down the said Great Brook and\\nBound Brook to where it began\\nThese bonnds were again modihed Nov. 4th, 1741. the\\nboundary as then given between Somerset and Middlesex\\nCounties is the following Beginning at the south branch\\nof Baritan Kiver where t ^e r- ported division line of Kast\\nand West Jersey strikes the same; thence along the same\\nto a fall of water C()mmonly called Allamatiink; from\\nthence along the boundary of Moiris County to Pass-iii-\\nRiver thence down the same to the lower corner of Wm.\\nDockwra s two patents on the same river thence on a line\\nsoutheast to the head of Green Brook, and thenc;^ down\\nthe same to Bound Brook thence along Bound Brook to\\nthe place wh M-e it empties into the Rarit.iu river thenc\\n\\\\dovvn Raritan river to the place where th loa I crosseth\\nsaid river at Innian s Ferry Irom thence along said old\\nroad which leads by Jedediah Hig j[in s house towards the\\nfalls of the Delaware, until it intersects the division line\\naforesaid thence along said division line to the s )iUh\\nbranch of Raritan river af)resaid, where it began.\\nMarch 28, 1749 the bounds were thus defined: Begin-\\nning at a fall of water called the Alamatunk Ealls; and\\nfrom thence in a straight line in a course east and by north\\nas the compass now points, to the main branch of Prissiic;\\nriver, and so down the said river as the betore sealed act\\ndirects.\\nBy an act passed Nov. 24, 17!iO, it was again enacted\\nthat the middle of the main six rod road, from the Ferry\\nat the city of New Brunswick, formerly called Innian s Fer-\\nry, to the boundary line of the county of Flunterdon, on", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0048.jp2"}, "49": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 41\\nthe road to Trentun. shall be the boundary line of those\\nparts of the counties of Middlesex and Somerset which are\\noti tlie soutii side of the river Raritan, and that all the\\nlands and tenements lying to the northward of this line\\nand heretofore belonging to the county of Middlesex shall\\nbe and are hereby annexed to the county of Somerset, and\\nall the lands and tenements on the southward of said lines,\\nheretofore belonging to Somerset shall he and are hereby\\nannexed t the county of Middlesex.\\nIn 1838 a portion of the Township of Montgomery, sur-\\nrounding Princeton, was taken from Somerset and annexed\\nto the new county of Mercer and linally a part of Frank-\\nlin east of the Mile Run and extending to the north side\\nof Albany street. New Brunswick, was annexed to the\\ncity limits for the purpose of the better police supervision\\nof the city since which time no further modification of\\nour county has been attempted, if we except the annexa-\\ntion of the Township of Tewksbury for a short time.\\nSomerset County embraces a portion of the most fertile\\nlands in the State, and its productiveness is exceeded by\\nno other of equal extent. For intelligence, culture and re-\\nfinement, its inhabitants are excelled nowhere. It has\\ngiven the State and Nation some of their noblest men, at\\nthe bar, on the bench and in the pulpit. Society is no-\\nwhere better ordered, property more secure, or comfort and\\nhappiness more generally diffused.", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0049.jp2"}, "50": {"fulltext": "CHAPTER IV.\\nCOURTS, AND THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE.\\nSomt^rst t County, though t oimcd iu 1(588, was not fully\\noiganiztrd until 1724. It h;id no courts of its own, but\\nwas dependent for the adiuiuistiation of justice u})on the\\ncourls of Middlesex for 36 years. An act passed by the\\nTeriitorial Legislature, A])ril 23, 1724. r*-fers to an ordi-\\nnance of 1723, as inconvenient to the inhal\u00c2\u00bbitrtnts of Somer-\\nset, both as to the tinits and plact-sof holding courts, and\\nfixes ihe courts ui h^omeiset at the court house on Thuis-\\nday alter the third Monday iu September Thursday after\\nthe second Monday in December Thursday after the\\nfourih Monday in February, and Thursday after the fourtli\\nMonday in May. P ield s I rov. Courts, 7-11.\\nThe court house referred to in the above act was built at\\nSix Mile Kun, a short distance east oi the chuich a few\\nstones, part of its foundation, are said to be still visible and\\npoint out the spot. Tradition furnishes n(t iviea of the\\nchaiacter or tornj of the building A single precept, dated\\nA})ril 3d 1729, the second year of the reign of Geoige II,\\ndirected to the coroner of tlie county and commanding him\\nto cause to be made 14\u00c2\u00a3 148 4 \\\\)ence of the goods and\\nchatties of Adrian Bennet, Innhokb-r, late of the County\\nof k omerset, recovered against him by reason of a certain\\ntrespass ujion the case as adjudicated by Daniel Hollings-\\nhead, Judge and Justiee of the county. We give this\\nremnant of olden times, as a curiosity\\nXlw .Jersey ._ George the Second, by the Grace of\\nS(UiERsET j God of Gneat Brittain^ France and\\nIreland, King Defender of the faith, c.\\nTo the Coroner of the County of Somerset Greeting\\nWe Command you, that you of the Goods and Chatties of\\nAdrain Bennet, Late of the County of Somerset, Innholder\\nIn Your Bailiwick, You cause to be made fourteen pounds.", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0050.jp2"}, "51": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 43\\nfourteen shillings and fourpenci\\\\ Wh, Daniel Hi\u00c2\u00bbllings-\\nhead the Judge and Justice of our County Court for hold-\\ning of pleas for the County of Sonler^et In the Sd Court\\nRecovered against him tlie said Adrian Bennet by Reason\\nof a Certain Trespass upon the Case Lately Done to him\\nthe Sd HoUiugshead, c c.\\nWitness Thomas Leonard. Esq., Judge of our Sd Court\\nat ye house aforesaid, ye third Day of April in ye Second\\nyear of our Reign.\\nWn.L HoLLlGSHR-.AD, CI,\\nVera Copia.\\nFrancis Harrison, Coroner.\\nThis house with the Jail belonging to it was accidentally\\ndestroyed by fire in 1737, and by an act of the Legislature\\ndated the same year^ another court house was directed to\\nbe built at Millstone. This house stood until 1779, when\\nit was also burnt, October 27 by the Queen s Rangers un-\\nder command of Lieutenant Colonel Siracoe, together with\\nthe first Church of Raritan. After this catastrophe the\\ncourts were removed to Somerville, and were held at first\\nin a small building known as the Court Martial House,\\nstanding on Mount Pleasant east of our village then in\\na log house occupying part of the ground on which Dr.\\nWilson s house and premises now stand. The present\\ncouit house was built in 1798.\\nAs regards the administration of justice Courts were\\nprovided for in the Concessions of Berkley and Carteret, and\\nthe power of originating them and defining their jurisdic-\\ntion was given to the General Assembly. This body met\\nfor the first time at Elizabeth in 1668. It held however\\nonly two sessions of four days each, passed a very few acts,\\nand then on account of the unsettled state of public opin-\\nion adjourned, and seven years elapsed before another As-\\nsembly convened. It is therefore only in 1675 that courts\\nwere really established in East New Jersey. However, in\\nWoodbridge and Bergen, Courts really existed as early as\\n1668, and in Monmouth in 1667, It seems to have been\\nby common consent, under Proprietary Concessions.\\nWhen the assembly met in 1675. the first act passed re-\\nlated to the establishment of courts of justice. It provi-", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0051.jp2"}, "52": {"fulltext": "44\\nSOVIKliSET COUNTY,\\n(led titst t lr a nioiithlv eoiiit for the trial of small causes\\nunder 40 shillinji,s. This cuiiit was to be held on the first\\nWednesday of every month, in each township, by two or\\nthree persons ehuseii by the p oplt^, oneof wlioui must be a\\nJ ustice of tlie Peace. Second, thi- i e wi re to be county\\ncourts to be held twice a year in each county, and the act\\nprovided at the same time for f \u00c2\u00bbur counties% Berjfen om*,\\nElizabeth and Newark a second, Woodbrige and Piscata-\\nway a third, and the two towns of Niivesink a fourth, ma-\\nkin^^ the first counties to be Berui-n, Essex, Middles :^x and\\nMonmouth. In these courts all actionable causes were\\ntried and there was no appeal under the sum of \u00c2\u00a320 ex-\\ncept to the bench or court of chancery. By the bench\\nwas meant what ^as called the court of assizn a court\\nj)rovided to be held once a year at Woodbridge, or where\\nthe Governor and council appointed. It vv;is, in other\\nwords, the Supreme Court and appeals could be made to\\nthe Governor and Council, in certain cases.\\nThese courts were modified from time to time as circum-\\nstances seemed to require and in 1682 the four original\\ncounties were divid^rd into townships. We give the origin-\\nal Letter Patent fVom George II, for the formation of\\nBridgewater Township. Whether any of the others are in\\nexistence is doubtful\\nGEOKGE the Second by the Grace of God of Great\\nBritain France and Ireland. King, Defender of the\\nfaith c TO ALL to whom these presents shall\\ncome GREETING. Kuow that we of our Especial\\nGrace Certain knowledge and Mere Motion Have\\nGiven and Granted, and by these presents do give\\nand Grant for us our heirs and Successors to the\\nTownships of the Southerinost part of the North-\\nern Precinct of our County of Somerset in our\\nProvince of New Jersey within the following\\nboundaries (to wit) beginning at the Mouth of a\\nBound Brook where it Emties into Rariton.\\nthence up the said Btnind Brook to the Mouth of\\nGreen Brook thence up the said Brook to the\\nKino- s Road at Lawrence tiuth s Mill; thence Northerlv up\\nthe said Road to the Top of the Second Mountain; thence", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0052.jp2"}, "53": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 45\\nWesterly along the Toj) of the said Mountain to tlie Ga))\\nbv .lacoi) Brewers; whence down the said Gap to (Chamber s\\nBrook l)v McDonald s Mill; thence down the said Brook to\\nthr North Branch; thence U[) the said Branch to Laonia-\\ntong; then U}) said Laomatong to the Division line between\\nEast and West Jersey; thence along said Line to the South\\nBranch of Kariton Hiver; thence up said Branch to th\\nMouth of the North Pranch of said Ri^^er; thence down\\nsfiid Rariton to the Place where it Began, To be and remain\\na P petual Township and Comniiinity, in Word and in\\nDet d to be Called and known by the Name of the Town-\\nship of Bridge water. And We Further Grant to the\\n\u00e2\u0080\u00a2Inhabitants of the townshi] aforesaid and their Succe. sors\\nand to Choose annually a Constable, Overseers of the Poor\\nand Overseers of th\u00c2\u00bb Highways f )r the Township aforesaid\\nand to Enjoy all the Privih-ges, Rights, Liberties and Im-\\nmunities tliat any other Township, in our said Province, do\\nor may of Right enjoy and the said Inhabitants are hereby\\nConstituted and appointed a Township by the Name afore\\nsaid. To Have Hold and Enjoy the privileges aforesaid\\nto them and their Successors forev.n-. In Testimony where-\\nof we have Caused these our Letters to be made Patent and\\nthe Great Seal of our said Province of New Jersey to be\\nhereunto affixed. Witness Our Trusty and well beloved\\nJonathan Belcher, Esqr Our Captain General and Gov-\\nernor in Chief in and over His Majesties Province of Nova\\nCeserea or New Jersey and Territories thereon Depending\\nin America, Chancellor and Vice Admiral in the Same c.\\nat our City of Burlington in our said Province the fourth\\nday of April in the twenty second Year of (jur Reign. An-\\nno Dom MDCCXLIX\\nRead.\\nLet the Great Seal of the Province of New Jersey be\\naffixed to the within Letters Patent.\\nTo the Sea-etary of the j belcher.\\nProvmce oi New Jersey\\nThe early laws found upon the statute book may be\\ncharacterized as judicious and liberal. Liberty of con-\\nscience waa secured, the desecration of the Sabbath forbid-", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0053.jp2"}, "54": {"fulltext": "46 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\nden ii(ttin drunkenness und debauchery were severelv pun-\\nished, arson, murder, niijjht walkin^ij. false wit :es.s, selling\\nliquor to the savages, burglary, beggary are all condemned\\nwith penalties and everything done which a|)peared to the\\nlaw makers fo be necessary to secure integrity, g(\u00c2\u00bb(^d order,\\nmorality, and a pri)sperous and hap[)y state of society.\\nWe may indeed refer with {)ride to several enactments\\non the subject of schools and education at an early day,\\nevincing a very liberal spirit and a high appreciation of\\nlearning, by no means common in that age and even in bet-\\nter ordered communities. In 1G93 the following ordinance\\nwas passed Whereas the cultivation of learning and\\ngood manners, tends ijreatly to the good and benefit of\\nmankind, which hath hitherto been much neglected within\\nthis Province, be it therefore enacted by the Governor,\\nCouncil and Deputies in Greneral Assembly now met and\\nassembled, and by the authority of the same that the in-\\nhabitants of any town within this Province, shall and \u00c2\u00bbuay,\\nl)y a w,:rrant from a Justice of Peace of that county, when\\nthey think fit and convenient, meet together and make\\nchoice of three or more men of the said town, to make a\\nrate for the salary and maintaining of a schoolmaster with-\\nin the sai l town for so long time as they think fit an I\\nthe consent and agreement of the major part of the inhabi-\\ntants of the sai l town shall bind and oblige the remaining\\npart of the inhabitants of the said town, to satisfy and pay\\ntheir shares and proportion of the said rate and in case of\\nrefusal or non payment, distress to be made upon the goods\\nand chatties of such person or persons, so refusing or not\\npaying, by the constable of the said town, by virtue of a\\nwarrant from a J ustice of the Peace of that county, and the\\ndistress so taken, to be sold at a public vendue, and the\\noverplus, if any be, after the payment of the said rate and\\ncharges, to be returned to the owner. Learning and Spi-\\ncer s Laws, page 328.\\nTwo years later, in 1695, it is enacted that three men be\\nchosen year by year, and every year, in each respective\\ntown, to appoint and agree with a schoolmaster and the\\nthrt-e men so chosen to have power to nominate and ap-\\npoint the most convenient place and places where tm", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0054.jp2"}, "55": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 47\\nschool shall be ke[)t from time to time, that as near as may\\nbe, the whole inhabitants may have the benefit thereof.\\nIn the chnrter of Woodbridge, June 1, 1669, it is provi-\\nded that 200 acres of land should be laid out for the minis-\\nter, and 100 for the maintainance of a free school.\\nThere was a public school iu Newark as early as 1676,\\nbut the teacher s labors were confined to the children and\\nservants of those who had subscribed for its maintainance\\nJustice has always been fairly administered in Somerset\\nCounty, and the laws vigorously enforced by the punish-\\nment of crime. Perhaps it is owing to this face, that so\\nfew henious and ca}.ital offenses have been committed\\nwithin its bounds. It is certainly remarkable that in our\\ncounty during the 182 years of its existence, there have\\nbet-n but three persons publicly executed, and these were\\nall nearly at the same timf. and soon after the Uevolution.\\nWe happen to have been privileged with an inspection of\\nthe minutes of the trial iu one of these cases, in the\\nDocket of Jacob Van Ostrand Esq.. a Justice of the Peace\\nin and for the County of Somerset. We present it as a\\ncuriosity, and also as being characteristic of the mode of\\nproceeding iu criminal cases, in earlier days It bears\\nilatH Dec. 18, 1769, and is entitled an action in regard to\\nJ. Castner s Harry, and Jeronemous Van Nest complain-\\nant, for breaking his negro Jupiter s head. Harry con-\\nfessed that he had hit him with a stand block, a foot\\nsquaie. weighing 5 or 6 pounds. Harry told Rynier Van\\n.Nest that he had killed Jupiter wherefore I ordered him\\nto be put in jail, Dec. 22, 1669. Jacob Van Ostrand hav-\\ning associate 1 with himself two Justices of the Peace, Mr.\\nVan Home, and Benjamin Morgan, and 5 Freeholders,\\nviz William Crook, John Vroom, John Baptist Dumont,\\nSamuel Staats Coejeman, and Matthew Ten Eyck, Sea\\nand several witnesses baing examined, after having been\\nduly sworn the three Justices and the Freeholders found\\nhim guilty of murder and ordered him to be executed on\\nthe 31 of December. Singular as such a proceeding now\\nappears, it was in due form of law, and in full accordance\\nwith an act uassed in 1714. It applied to murders and\\nother offenses and the penalty was to be adjudged ac-", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0055.jp2"}, "56": {"fulltext": "48 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\ncarding to the enormity of tlie crime in tiie jiKl;ji;ment of\\nth(! three Justices and live Freeholders. See Nevilles laws\\nvol. 1 page 19. There was mor- f rm in this than the\\nRt^gnlators ohserve, and a little more time given, but cer-\\ntainly justice was sufficiently stern and s|)ee(ly.\\nAgain in 1788, there were two public executions in\\nSomerset county both slaves and both for setting fire to\\nan outbuilding. Sept. 19 Sam the eldci-. and Sam the\\nyounger slaves of Richard McDonahl were indicted and\\ntried, and in V )ctol)er the same year Dine, belmginir to\\nPeter Dumont of Bridgewater, One of ti)i negr^ (^s was\\nrespited the other wms hung in comp.uiy with Dine on\\nGallows Hill, north oi Somerville.\\nTwo soldiers also were h,ung on Mcuint Pleasant during\\none of the winters when there was ai\\\\ encamprntrnt of part\\n.of Washington s aimy in Souieiset. We give the account\\nfrom Thatcher s military Journal, who was present in the\\nCHiii}) and an eye witness of whai. he relates. The location of\\n\u00e2\u0096\u00a0the camp was on t l.e slope to the north east t unn Mount\\nPleasant. There was also a cantonment on the south side\\nof the residence of Henry H. Grarretson, where Wayne s\\n(JoTjis was stationed and went from this point in June to\\nstorm and take Stony Point. The ground near Mount\\nPleasant was a dense fore;5t and the destruction of timber\\nmust hav;e been extensive. But let us hear Dr. Thatcher,\\nb eb. 177y, having continued to live under the cover of\\n.canvass tents luost of the winter, w,e have suffered exten-\\n..sively from eX])osure t colds, oi^r soldiers have been em-\\nploy ^^d six or eight wecdts in constructing log huts which\\na,t length are complete, and both ijfHcers and soldiers are\\nunder comfortable covering for the remainder of tlie win-\\nter. Log houses are constructed witli trunks of trees, cut\\ninto various lengths according to the size intended and\\nare firmly connected by notches cut at their extremities in\\nthe manner of dovetailing. The vacancies between the\\nlogs are filled with plastering consisting of mud and clay.\\n.The roof is formed of smaller pieces of timber and covered\\nwith hewn slabs. Tin- chimne\\\\ situated at one end of the\\nhouse is made of similar but smaller timbers; and both\\nthe inner and outside are coveied with clay plaster to de-", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0056.jp2"}, "57": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 49\\nfend the wood against the tire. The doors and windows\\nare formed by s a ing away a part of the logs of a prop.u-\\nsize, and move on wooden hing.^s. In this manner have\\nour soldiers withont nails and aim \u00c2\u00bbst with)at toois, except\\nthe axe and saw, provided fir their officers and themselves\\nconvenient and CDinfortable quarters with little or ito ex-\\npense to the public. The huts are arranged in straight\\nlines, forming a regular unif trtii com{)act village. The\\nofficers huts are situated in front of the line according to\\ntheir rank the kitchen in the rear is similar in form to\\n,tent encamjiment. The ground for a considerable distance\\nin front of the soldier s lin of huts is cleared of wood and\\nrubbish, and is every morning swept clean for the purpose\\nof a parade ground, and roll call of tie respective regiments.\\nThe officer s huts are generally divided into two apart-\\nments, and are occujiied by three or four officers, who com-\\npose one mess. Those for the soldiers have but one room,\\nand contain ten or twelve men with their cabins placed one\\nabove the other against the wall and filled with straw, and\\none blanket for each man. I now occupy a hut with our\\nfield officers Col, Oibson Col. Brent and Maj, Merriweather.\\nThe description will apply equally to tljp three encamp-\\nments at which of them Thatcher lived is not determined\\nprobcibly at Mount Pleasant, tie proceeds under date of\\nApril 20 to say\\nFive soldiers were conducted to the gallows, according\\nto their sentences for the crimes of desertion and robbing\\nthe inhabitants. A detachment of troops and a concourse\\nof people formed a circle around the gallows, and the crim-\\ninals were brought in a cart sitting on their coffins, with\\nhalters around their necks. While in this awful situation,\\ntrembling on the verge of eternity, three of them received a\\npardon from the commander-in-chief, who is always ten-\\nderly disposed to spare the lives of his soldiers. They ac-\\nknowledged the justice of their sentence, and expressed\\ntheir warmest thanksgiving and gratitude for their merci-\\nful pardon. The two others were obliged to submit to their\\nfate, one of them was accompanied to the fatal spot by an\\naffectionate and sympathizing brother, which rendered the\\nscene uncommonly distressing, and forced tears of com-", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0057.jp2"}, "58": {"fulltext": "50 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\npapsion from the eyes of numerous spectators. They re-\\npeatedly embraced and kissed each other, with all the\\nfervor of brotherly love, and would not be separated till\\nthe executioner was obliged to perform his duty when\\nwith a flood of tears and mournful lamentations, they bade\\neach other an eternal adieu the criminal trembling under\\nthe horrors of an untimely and disgraceful death, and the\\nbrother overwhelmed with sorrow and anguish for one whom\\nhe held most dear.\\nSince these scenes were enac ^ed the gallows has not been\\nseen within the bounds of Somerset. It is now a hundred\\nyears, and amid all the excitement of interest and sin, all\\nthe crimes committed under their influence, murder has\\nnot been proved against any one ot its citizens, in such a\\nform as to necessitate the punishment of it by a public exe-\\ncution. May it long continue to be so, to the distinguish-\\ned honor of its citizens.", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0058.jp2"}, "59": {"fulltext": "CHAPTER V.\\nSOME OF THE MEN OF SOMERSET.\\nIn attempting to give a notice of some of the prominent\\nmen of the County of Somerset, we begin with those wiio\\nhekl its lands in the first instance. We have noticed al-\\nready some of them, but think it proper to append the fol-\\nlowing, viz\\nThomas Codrington was Sheriff in New York City from\\n1691, to 1692. He came and resided on his lands along\\nMiddlebrook, probably soon after the latter date. His\\nplace was called Raekahacawanna and came into the pos-\\nsession of Alexander Campbell. Daniel Talmage owned it\\na few years since.\\nJohn Delavall was a son of Thomas Delavall, a captain\\nunder Col. Nichols when New York was captured in 1664.\\nIt seems from some transactions of liis that he had been in\\nthe city before this time, but immediately after the surren-\\nder he took a prominent part in the administration of pub-\\nlic affairs. He owned a farm at Harlem as well as a resi-\\ndence in the city, on the south east corner of Broad Street\\nand Exchange Place, embracing an orchard and a large\\ngarden. Visiting England in 1669, he had a conference\\nwith the Duke of York, who sent by him to the Mayor and\\nAldermen of the city, a mace of office and a gown to be\\nworn on proper occasions. He died\u00c2\u00ab,t his residence in 1681,\\nleaving a large estate. His son John Delavall, who mar-\\nried Catharina Van Courtland, was interested in land\\ngrants on the Jlaritan, but continued to reside in the city.\\nHow long is not ascertained, but in a list of the inhabitants\\nof New York in 1703, his name is not found, nor does it\\nappear in subsequent times. He had several sisters who\\nmarried men of prominence in that day.\\nGabriel Minvielle, merchant, was Mayor of the City of", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0059.jp2"}, "60": {"fulltext": "52 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\nNew York in IG84, Alderman in 1675, and a member of\\nthe C U)nial Cmjiicil nndor Governors Sloughter, Ingolds-\\nand Fletcher. He was a Frenchman by descent, but lived\\nin early lite in Amsterdam, H(dland. In the year 1669 he\\nestablished himself as a merchant, in New Amstt rdani\\n(New York) and carried on an extensive foreii^n trade. He\\nmarrieil Susannah, a daughter of John Lawrence, a wealthy\\nmerchant of the city, and fixed his residence on the -vest\\nside of Broadway in a fine mansion near the Bowling\\nGreen. Mr. Minvielle died in 1703, leaving no children\\nand the name consequently became extinct. He had bv^en\\na resident of the city for simie twelve years, when he be-\\ncame interested in lands on the Raritan. In 1703 there\\nwere three families in the city of New York bearing the\\nname of Minvielle, viz Peter Minvielle having a tamily\\nconsisting of one male, one female and one negress Mrs.\\nMinvielle, probably the wife of Gabriel, who had died the\\nprevious year, one female, one child, two negresses and\\nDavid Minvielle having in his family one male two females\\none child, one negro and one negress. He is recorded in\\n1674s after the final surrender of the city to the English, as\\nbeing worth an estate of $15,000, a large estate for that\\nday; there being only three persons, viz Jacob, Leister,\\nand William Delavall, worth $30,000 each, and Samuel\\nWilson $20,000 estimated hightn- than he was.\\nRichard Hall, was the son of Thomas Hall, who died in\\nthe city of New York 1670. Mr. Hall s father was an\\nEnglishman by birth, but having joined with others from\\nNew England in an attempt upon the Dutch Colony at the\\nmouth of Delaware River, was taken prisoner and sent to\\nNew York. He was treated with leniency by the authori-\\nties, and finally obtained the rights of citizenslii[). In 1639,\\nwith a partner, he attempted to locate a tobacco plantation\\nat Deutel bay, Turtle bay on the East River. In 1654\\nhe purchased property on a hill near the present Beekman\\nstreet, and erected a house. His heirs sold it after his\\ndeath to William Beekman. Of Richard Hall we know\\nonly his being a joint owner of that splendid tract of land\\nwest of Middlebrook The name is respectable, and nu-\\nmerous iu Somerset County at the present time.", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0060.jp2"}, "61": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 53\\nPeter Soumans was --i native of liollaiid, a iiiin of activi-\\nty and energy, educated at the University f Leyden. He\\nheld important offices under the Prince ofOrange after he be-\\ncame Wm. Ill King of Enghmd, and most probably ac-\\ncom]ianied him wlien he wtnt to take possession of the\\nthrone. He was Surveyor iri neral of New Jersey for foui-\\nyears, a men)bcr of the Council, a Judge of the Court of\\nCommon Pleas, and represented the County of Berg u in\\nthe House of Assembly. He was a Churchman by ])ro-\\nfession, but gave land to build the Presbyterian Church at\\nHopewell, and aDutcii Church at Harlingen. Heownedland\\nin Somerset County, but never resided within its Hunts.\\nHis father, Aaent Sonraans, was one of the original Pro-\\nprietors of East Jersey. His resitlence was in Bergen\\nCounty. His reputation is not spoken of as being very\\ngood.\\nGawen jiawrie was originally a merchant in London,\\nand from his name seems to have been ot Scotch extrac-\\ntion. He became at first interested iti theUifFairs of New\\nJersey by being appointed in connection with Wm. Penn\\nand Nicholas Lucas, onn of the Trustees of Kdward\\nByUinge, one of the original proprietors of West Jersey.\\nWhen the Duke of York confirmed the sale of the Province\\nMarch 14, 1G82, to the twenty four Proprietors, by giving\\nthem a n^-w grant with increased and more f jll privileges.\\nLawrie is named as one of them. When Governor Kud-\\nyard left the Province at the close of the year 1685, Gawen\\nLawrie was appointed in his place as Deputy of Barclay.\\nHe is represented as possessing qualifications well fitted\\nfor the place intelligence, activity, energy and business\\nhabits being made conspicuous in his management of affairs.\\nHe was commissioned a Gov. in July, 1683 and arrived in the\\nProvince, in the beginning of the following year. He\\nbrought with him a new code of laws, or as they are called\\nFundamental Constitutions, deemed by the framers as\\nbeing far superior to the Concessions of Berkley and Car-\\nter it, but it does not seem as if tliis code was ever enforc-\\ned. He was dismissed in 1686. The dissatisfaction arose\\nprobably from his having appropriated to his own benefit\\na tract of land on the Raritan, said to be superior to any", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0061.jp2"}, "62": {"fulltext": "4\\n54 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\nother land in the Pr^)vince. His resulenca seems to have\\nbeen at Elizabethtown. He was subsequently one of the\\nCouncil of Lord Neil Campbell, by whom he was superce-\\nded. He remained in the Province unt l his death in the\\nAutumn of 1687. His wife Mary survived him. They\\nhad one son James, whose dauo;hter Isabella, married \\\\Vm.\\nDavis of New York, and inherited the estate of her (jrand-\\nfather, and two daughters, Mary who became the wife of\\nVVni. Haize, and i^Lebecca, who ujarried Milcs Foster.\\nNothing known of the descendants of Mr. Haize a son\\nof Mr. Foster removed to the Island of Barbadoes and two\\ndaughters cimtiuued unmarried, and so none of Lawrie s\\ndescendants finally remained in the Province.\\nThe autograph of Gov. Lawrie, a copy of which is giv-\\nen in Whitehead s New Jers. y, does not by any means\\noonjmend his clerkship, whatever his business qualifications\\nmay have been.\\nAfter noticing a few of the men connected with the His-\\ntory of Somerset in very early days, we now turn to those\\nwho are more properly Somerset men.\\nIt would be a pleasant task to mention the name of eve-\\nry one who has adorned the Annals of Somerset County, by\\nthe elevation of their character, their efficiency, their in-\\ntelligence, their moral culture and their Christian consist-\\nency but we have neither the knowledge nor the space\\nfor such an extensive review of the past. We only men-\\ntion a few. There was an emigration dii ectly from Scot-\\nland, at different times, to which we owe the names of Kirk-\\npatrick, McEowen, McDowell. Logan, McKinstry, Boylan!\\nThen there came from Canada, Captain Creighto McCrea,\\nColonel James Henry, Dr. John Henry, Major McDonald,\\nand others. McCrea, Dr. Henry and McDonald, it is un-\\nderstood, had been connected with the British Army,\\nFrom Long Island came the ancestors of Jacobus Van\\nDerveer, who, at his death, was said to be the richest man\\nin Somerset County, and Elias Van Derveer both of Bed-\\nminster and the latter the father of the late Dr. Henry\\nVan Derveer of, Pluckarain and of Dr. Lawrence Van\\nDerveer, of Roycefield, an eminent physician, philanthro-\\nphist and christian. Cornelius Van Derveer of North", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0062.jp2"}, "63": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 55\\nBranch, Ferdinand and Colonel Henry Van Derveor, the\\nVanarsdalens, the Schencks, Van Stays, Van Camps, Ten\\nEycks, La Tourettes, B )i;arts, Van Mtddleworths, De\\nGroots, BroUavvs and others were from the same }dace\\nRobert Bolmer, of German extraction, often an ehler in the\\nchurch, Enos Kelly, an assemblyman, Robert Blair, John\\nSimonson, Guysbert Sutphen, Christopher Hoagland, the\\nLanes and Fields, and many others, honorable in their d;iy,\\nuseful in church and in State, and worthy of commemora-\\ntion, had we space to give it.\\nFrom such general memoranda we now turn to copy two\\nor three obitutiri^s as interesting relics of a former age\\nfrom Jersey State Gazette, Sept. 1. 1779. Died on the\\n15th ultiuKj, Hon. Abraham Van Neste, Member or Coun-\\ncil for the County of Somerset. In an advertis;nnent,\\nOct. 27, 1781, he is said to have been of Millstone.\\nJan. 17, 1781, from the same source On Sunday, 7th\\ninst., departed this life, in an advanced age, Jacob Ber-\\ngen, first Judge of the Court of Common Pleas f )r the\\nCounty of Somerset, He was for many years a magistrate\\nunder the former government was continued under the\\npresent universally respected as an early, a consistent and\\ndecided patriot. The country has lost in him a faithful,\\nactive magistrate, and the State a useful, respectable citi-\\nzen, Judge Bergen lived in Princeton, and one of his ap-\\npointments was given him in Joint Meeting, held in the\\nCollege Buildings, Sept 13, 1776. Peter Schenck, Abra-\\nham Van Neste, Ja mes L inn and Enos Kelly were appoint-\\ned to the same position at the same time. On November\\n26th, 1777, the Legislature of New Jersey met at liis\\nhouse, and in the season of 1779 Abraham Van Neste,\\nmentioned above, was a member of the Assembly from Som-\\nerset.\\nAnother dated Trenton, December 6th, 1781, on\\nThursday, 29th ult,, died at his seat on the Raritan, Der-\\nrick Van Vegten, in the 84th year of his age. This gen-\\ntleman possessed the virtues of patriotism and hospitality\\nin a very eminent degree. Warmly attached to the cause\\nof his country, he took peculiar pleasure in rendering it\\nany service in his power and when his property was very", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0063.jp2"}, "64": {"fulltext": "56. someusp:t county,\\nessentially injured by the winter quarters of a (livisi(\u00c2\u00bbn of\\nour army beinsj fixed on his possessions, like a good citizen\\nhe submitted without repining to suffer as an individual,\\nto promote the public good. His benevolence and hos[)i-\\ntality were not confined to the circle of hia friends and ac-\\nquaintances. His doors were ever open to the friendless\\nstranger his house afforded a resting place and a cheerful\\nwelcome to the weary traveller. The blessings of the poor\\nand needy, the widc^ and the orphan, dail\\\\ ascended to\\nheaven in his behalf. Providence blessed him with a good\\nconstitution, and he met the gradual approaches of death\\nwith that composure and I esignation which j)i-oceeds from\\nthe consciousness oi a religious life, and a well grounded\\nhope of the divine acceptance, Tlie general sorrow of the\\nnumerous assembly whicli attended the fnnei-al on the\\nSunday following, testified their sense of his merit and\\ntheir loss.\\nMr. Van Veghten resided on the banks of the Raritan\\nnear what is now called the old bridge. The American\\narmy was quartered on Mr. Van Vegh ten s land, in the\\nwinter of 1778 and 1779. Washington s general orders to\\nthe troops were published in the New Jersey Gazette, Feb-\\nruary 17, 1779, but were really given at an early date.\\nThe location of the encampment has already been indica-\\nted. It was a valuable piece of timber land, which was al-\\nmost entirely destroyed as fuel and logs for the soldiers\\nhuts and there is no evidence that any compensation was\\never made. During ihe same winter Gen. Washington\\nand Mrs. Washington lived in the parlor of Caleb Miller s\\nhouse, then just newly finished to receive them. Here\\nWashington planned and arraigned all the details of Gen-\\neral Sullivan s expedition against the Indian s in western\\nNew York. With the reverance due to such a circum-\\nstance, that parlor has not been changed in the least since\\nthe Father of his country lived and slept in it, and it ought\\nto remain as it is, until time effects its demolition. Our\\nveneration for the past is too short either for our own credit\\nor the benefit of future times.\\nHendrick Fisher was horn the year 1697, in the Pala-\\ntinate, and emigrated to this country as a young man. He", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0064.jp2"}, "65": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 57\\nwas received into the church in 1721 and soon appointed a\\nDeacon, then an Elder, and continued an ardent friend of\\nF. J. Vrelinghuysen until his death, A mechanic by\\ntrade, he was yet a man of more than ordinary intelligence\\nand capacity for business. He was almost constant in his\\nattendance with him in the Ecclesiastical c )nventions. The\\nfirst Convention of the Churches of the Coetas or liberal\\nparty in the Dutch Church which met in New York in\\n1738. recognized him as the Elder from Raritan. On the\\nadoption of the plan of union in 1771 he was again present,\\nand his name appears on more than one of the important\\ncommittees. He exerted an important influence in bring-\\ning about union in the church. He was one of Mr. Freling-\\nhuysen s Helpers and acted as a Catcchist and Lay Preach-\\ner. Some of liis sermons were published, and are said to\\nhave been rich in doctrine and in their illustration of spir-\\nitual Christianity.\\nIn civil life he was one of the most influential men of his\\nday. When the Revolution opened he wais a member of\\nthe Assembly of New Jersey from Somerset County, and\\nstood up firmly on the patriot side. He represented the\\nCounty often afterwards, and never flinched from active du-\\nty whenever or in whatever form he encountered it. In the\\nProvincial Consress of New Jersey which assembled at Tren-\\nton 1775, he was elected President His opening address\\nis said to have been most forcible in setting forth tLe griev-\\nances of the Colonies, He was chairman of the Committee\\nof Safety which had really wide extended executive powers\\nwhen Congress was not in session. He served also in other\\nafl airs of delicacy and trust.\\nHis firm and decided course made him many enemies\\namong the opponents of the war, and for fear of them he\\ngenerally went armed, especially on his various journeys.\\nHis courage no one doubted any more than they did his\\nmoral integrity or the decided character of his Christianity.\\nHe resided below Bound Brook on the south side of the\\nriver, and the homestead is now owned by Abraham I,\\nBrokaw, In process of time it was bought by Captain\\nMcCrea who devised it to his niece Maria, the wife of Wm.\\nVan Duyn. He represented the county of Somerset in the", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0065.jp2"}, "66": {"fulltext": "58 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\nAssembly at Perth Araboy in 1772, and also in 1775 in\\ncompany with John Royce. This x-Vssembly took part in\\nthe opening scenes of the Revolution, the end of which he\\nwas not permitted to see since he died four years after-\\nwards. His remains rest in a family graveyard on his\\nfarnj. In a dense thicket overgrown with thorns and small\\ntrees, stands a plain brown u|)right slab, bearing the fol-\\nlowing inscription In memory of Hendrick Fisher who\\ndeparted ihis life August 16th, 1779 in the 82nd year of\\nhis age.\\nCol, John Mehelm came from Neshamany Fenns, and at\\nfirst engaged in Merchantile and Milling business at New\\nBromley (StiliweU s Mills) near White House, He was\\nappointed Surrogate of Hunterdon and Somerset and resi-\\nded in Pluckamin was a member of the first Provincial\\nCongress, and of the Council of Safety was present\\nwhen Gov. Franklin was arrested and suj^erceded, and one\\nof the commissioners appointed to sell the estate of Lord\\nSterling. Wm. McEowen married his daughter, and was\\nduring the war. Musician and Quartermaster. He repre-\\nsented Somerset County several terms as Member of As-\\nsembly. Col. Mehelm was in his day a man of character\\nand influence, and has left a memory which is an honor to\\nhis posterity.\\nWe must not fail to mention among those who have\\nbeen prominent in public life the name of John Harden-\\nburgh. He was the son of the Rev. Dr. Hardenbur ;h,\\npastor of the church of Raritan, and JefFvrow Harden-\\nburgh, a woman of eminent piety. He is commonly sjjo-\\nkenofby the aged, who still remember him, ao Sheriff\\nHardenburgh, but his holding that office was a great misfor-\\ntune to himself, and to the friends who became his sureties.\\nHe was a gentleman of popular address and manners, and\\nlived a free and generous life, not regarding always the ex-\\npenses in which indulgence involved him. He married Ann\\nW^allace, from Philadelphia, and lived in the old house\\nwhich was removed to make room for the ])resent mansion\\nol Dumont Frelinghuysen, Esq. He died in 1738, and his\\nremains were deposited by the tide of his wife on the banks\\nof the meadows east of the old Parsonage in which his fath-", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0066.jp2"}, "67": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY 59\\ner had resided. His wife d^ ed before him. We give their\\nepitaphs: In memory of Ann, wife of John Harden-\\nburgh, who departed this life November 26th, 1793, aged\\n35 years and 6 months In memory of John Hardeti-\\nburgh, Esq., who departed this life July 23, 1798, aged 39\\nyears, 3 months and 12 days.\\nIn the house now occupied by John Herbert, at tbe\\nMills, near Middlebrook, resided during the Hevolution, a\\nmerchant from New York by the name of Philip Van\\nHorn and from him it was known as Phil s Hill. His\\nhouse was resorted to by the officers of the American army,\\nand his daughters, one or more, married them. Col Sim-\\nco called at the house on his way to Van Veghten s bridge\\nand Millstone, when the church of Raritan was burnt, ex-\\npecting to find Col. Moyland there who was we believe, a\\nson-iu law. The Duke DeChastellaux, Major-General of\\nthe French army under Rochambeau, on his way from Mor-\\nristown to Trenton, dined with Mr. Van Horn, and give.s\\nan amusing account of one daughter, an officer s wife, and\\nanother the younger, who was flirting with a Lieutenant\\nduring the dinner. We have no knowledge of what be-\\ncame of the family, except that the property was sold after\\nthe war, and they must have died or moved away.\\nWilliam Mercer lived above Millstone and was a man of\\nhigh character. He owned a mill and a store, and accu-\\nmulated wealth. His descendauts reside at the present\\ntime in Newark and its vicinity, Theodore Frelinghuysen\\nmarried his daughter Charlotte, and Dr. Stryker, of ISomer-\\nville, another. Dr. Stryker, besides serving in the legisla-\\ntive council, was a physician of eminence and large prac-\\ntice an earnest christian^ living to the age of nearly nine-\\nty years, and going down to his rest full of honor and in\\nperfect peace.\\nAt Weston lived J M. Bayard, owner of the mills, a\\ncitizen of influence in his day a christian man and an ex-\\nample of every good word and work. He assisted at the\\nfirst meeting called to form the Somerset County Bible So-\\nciety, and was active wherever the good order of society was\\nconcerned.\\nRev. Balthazar Bayard, before the revocation of the edict", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0067.jp2"}, "68": {"fulltext": "60 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\nof Nantes, was driven tr.)!n Franc.^ by the policy of Cardi-\\nnal Kichlievv, and en)i(:;rated to Holland the only place\\nwhere he could enjoy lil)e.rty of conscience. There his only\\ndaughter. Judith, married Petrus Stuyvesant, the last of\\nthe Dutch (xovernors of New Aiuersterdam. She prevailed\\nwith the Governor to persuade her three brothers to ac-\\ncompany the-m to this country. On their arrival in 1647,\\nJames the youngest of the three purchased a manor in\\nCecil County, Maryland Prior to leaving Holland, he\\nhatl married Blandinia Conde. They had four children.\\nThe youi.gest son named James inherited the manor on the\\ndeath of his parents. He tnarried Miss Ashton. Two\\nsons were born to them, John and James Ashton John\\nbeing the oldest in age by thirty minutes.\\nJohnJ3ayard was born August 11th 1738, in the Marj^-\\nland Manor House. His father dying intestate he became\\nentitled by law to the whole inheritance, but on reaching\\nmanhood, he conveyed to hib brother one half the real es-\\ntate. In early life he became a communicant of the Pres-\\nbyterian Church in Philadelphia, under the pastoral care of\\nthe Rev, Gilbert Tennent. At the con)mencement of the\\nRevolutionary war he took an active part in the Patriot\\ncause. At the head of the 2d Batallion of the Philadel-\\nphia troops he marched to the assistance of Washington\\nand was pres !iit at the Battle of Trenton. He was a mem-\\nber of the Council of Safety, and for many years Speaker\\nof the House of Representatives, In 1785 he was elected\\nto Congress. Three years subsequently, he removed to\\nNew Brunswick, where he was Mayor of the City, Judge\\nof the Court of Common Pleas, and an Elder of the Presby-\\nterian Church. He died there January, 1806.\\nWe have said that Peter Dumont was liv^ing on the; Rar-\\nitan in the beginning of 1699. He was a large landholder\\non the south side of the raritan, and the ancestors of those\\nwho have since borne that honorable name. He was born\\nApril 18th, 1679, and was the son of Walran Dumont and\\nGertie, his wife. He married first Faraetie Van Middles-\\nworth, who died December 25th, 1706 second, Catelyntie\\nRappleyea, who died January 30th, 1709 and thirdly\\nJanetie Veghte. Her eon John, born April 13th, 1719.", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0068.jp2"}, "69": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 61\\nwas the father of Peter 13. Dumout, of our times. Thn\\nDuuiont family are of French extraction, Isaac Dnmont,\\nof Bostanquet, held a Fief by Knights service in the beau-\\ntiful Pays de Caux, in Normandy. A branch emigrated\\nto Holland in the days of |)ersecuti()n. They were early of\\nprotestant principles and Isaac Dumont served in the\\narmy of William when became to England as others of the\\nname had done before him in armies of the Prince of Orange.\\nAmong the tiaritan families the Veghte s have long been\\ninfluential and rt^spectable. The common ancestors were\\ntwo brothers, Hendrick and Class A reuse Veghte, who\\ncame to New Netherlands in 1660, and went to reside on\\nLong Island, at Grovvanus. Hendrick, a son of one of the\\nemigrants, built a house of bricks imported from Holland,\\nwith a tile roof, which bears the date 1639. He had two\\nsons, Rynier and Hendrick. Uynier settled on the north\\nside of the Raritan river, on the farm owned afterwards\\nand occupied by J^21L L- Rynier left one\\nson named Henry, who married the daughter of John V an\\nMiddlesworth, who lived opposite on the south sicle oi lTie\\nriver. Henry sold his tract on the Raritan and purchased\\nix large tract of land in Roycefield, in the Millstone neigh-\\nborhood, afterwards owned and occupied by Capt John\\nWyckoff, He and his wife died young, leaving three chil-\\ndren one son named Rynier, inherited his grandfathers es-\\ntate on the Raritan, lived there for many years, and died in\\nFebruary 1833, in his 80th year. This Ryneier left two\\nsons Henry who was the father of R. H. Veghte, now\\nliving on the homestead farm, and also of Benjamin T..\\nJohn and Henry Veghte and Rynier, who left one son\\nJohn V. Veghte, who resides now on the farm where his\\nfather died in 1871, aged 83 years.\\nThe name of Vroom is found early on the records of the\\nchurch. Court Vroom seems to have been the first of the\\nname residing on the Raritan. Col. Peter D. Vroom, of\\nrevolutionary days, was a prominent citizen of Somerset\\nCounty in his time. He was born Jan. 27th, 1745, 0, S.,\\ntwo miles from Raritan Landing. Early in life he lived in\\nNew York, whence he came to reside on the Raritan, near\\nthe junction of the North and South Branches, The home-", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0069.jp2"}, "70": {"fulltext": "(J2 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\nstt iid is novvo\\\\vr)e(l by Saxton WyckofF. He married Elsie\\nBogart, and died on this Plantation. He was one of the\\nfew individuals who raised the first military company in\\nthe beginning of the revolutionary war, in which he served\\nas lieutenant and captain, and was appointed major of the\\nS()n)erset battalion by joint Meetini:^ in 1777; and after-\\nwards a lieurenont-co onel. He led a comijany at the\\nbattle of Grermantowii and was in the service during the\\nwar. During his life he occupied almost every office of\\ntrust in tlie county. At the close of the revolution, he\\nwas made High 8heriiF, and them Clerk of the Pleas, after-\\nwards a Justice of the Peace, a Member of Assembly in\\n1791 and several succeeding years member of council for\\n1799 to 18()4, and a long time Presiding J udge of the court,\\nafterward an elder in the church; and always a leading\\ncounsellor. He enjoyed an unblemished reputation, and\\ndied in November 1831, in the 87th year of his age hav-\\ning, in his time, filled as large a si)ace in public life as any\\nof the prominent uk^ of his day in Somerset County. He\\nwas the father of the late Gov. P. D. Vroom.\\nWilliam Churchill Houston was born in South Carolina,\\nabout the year 1746. His father was a planter, a man of\\ndistinction, and William lived at hon\\\\e until after his\\nmajority. Witli very limited means he made his way to\\nPrinceton and entered the Eresiiman Chiss in the college,\\nand graduated with high honor in 1768. Soon after his\\ngraduation he was appointed a tutor, and two years after\\nwas elected Professor of Mathematics and Natural Philos-\\nojjhy, being the first occupant of that chair in the institu-\\ntion. He resigned in 1783 antl was succeeded by Ashbel\\nGreen, afterwards i)resident of the college. While con-\\nnected with the college, Mr. H. found time to study law,\\nand in April 1781, was admitted to the bar of New Jersey.\\nDuring the time that he occupied the chair of Professor he\\nserved one sessi(m m the legislature, viz: 1778. His associates\\nwere Roelif Sebring and David Kirkpatrick, of Somerset.\\nIn the Assembly 1781, Edward Bunn was chosen to fill his\\nplace. From 1782 to 1785 he was Receiver of Continetal\\nTaxes, and in September 1786, was appointed Clerk of the\\nSupreme Court, and was succeeded in the office by Gov.", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0070.jp2"}, "71": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 63\\nHowell, in 1788. In May, 1782, he was elected a member\\nof the Congress of the Confederation, and was fonr times\\nre elected to the same position. He was a delegate from\\nNew Jersey, at the assembling of Commissioners from tiie\\nStates, at Annapolis, in 1786, and signed the report and\\naddress issued by that body. In November 1787, he was\\nappointed a deleg;ite from New Jersey to the Convention\\nwhich met at Philadelphia and framed the Constitution of\\nthe United Slates. But I can not discover that he ever\\ntook his seat in that body, being most probably prevented\\nfrom di)ing s by his rapidly declining he ilth, He died\\nat Philadelphia, in 179.5, while on a journey to the South\\nand was there interred, He was a learned and profound\\nlawyer, and distinguished in the halls of science and legis-\\nlation.\\nMr. H., while in Princeton, must have lived as Dr.\\nWitliei spoon .lid, on the Somerset side of the street, which\\nwas the common boundary betwepn this county and Middle-\\nsex.\\nDavid Kirkpatrick of Mine Brook, the father of Chief\\nJustice Kirkpatrick, was entirely a Soruerset man, though\\nborn in Scotland. He emigrated to New Jersey with his\\nfather, Alexander Kirkpatrick, when 12 years of age, in\\n1736, landing at Nevi^ Castle, Del.^ after a stormy passage,\\nduring which their provisions were almost entirely consum-\\ned and the passengers in danger of starvation. Wander-\\ning up from Delaware they finally reached Bound Brook,\\nand went on over the mountains on foot by an Indian path.\\nOn their way they encountered a land-turtle, sticking up\\nhi.T head and hissing fearfully. They had heard of rattle-\\nsnakes, and were sure this terrible monster must be one of\\nthem so turning cautiously aside, they left his -Hortlesl-ip\\nin full possession of his quarters, and went on their way\\ngiving him a wide berth. Coming to a spring of water on\\nthe south side of Mine Brook or Round Mountain, they\\nrested and fancying the outlook of the place, settled and\\nbuilt a log house. David Kirkpatrick. the subject of our\\nsketch, was born at Wattiesneacli, Dumfrieshiie, Scot-\\nland, February 17, 1724. and was a plain but earnest man\\nliving four score years and ten to see and enter upon his", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0071.jp2"}, "72": {"fulltext": "64 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\nninety first year. He was often a member i)f the Xew\\nJersey Legislature and it is pleasantly said of him, that\\non going to Trenton, he usually commenced his journey\\non horseback but soon dismounted and walked, leading\\nthe animal all the way to Trenton. He was always a pub-\\nlic spirited, earnest christian man a man with the tem-\\nper of the Scotch worthies larg(dy developed in his char-\\nacter, and left posterity who have borne honorable names\\namong the honorable men of Somerset. His descendants\\nhave in many ways proved themselves worthy of their sire,\\nat tiie bar, in the pulpit, and m many other branches of\\npublic life, A. plain, simple-hearted almost uneducated\\nman, he obtained ai extensive influence in his day and\\ndied full of years and honors.\\nGen. Frederick Frelinghuysen, the only son of Rev.\\nJohn Frelinghuysen and Dinah Van Burgh, of Amsterdam,\\nHolland. He was born in Soraerville, April 13th, 1753,\\nand died on April 13th, 1804, aged fifty-one years exactly.\\nHe entered public life early, and in 1775 when only 22\\nyears of age, was sent to the (Jontinental Congress, He\\nserved in his place for two years and resigned in 1777,\\non account of the expense attending it, and the claims\\nupon him from the exigencies of his own private ati-iirs.\\nHis letter, which has been preserved and published, is\\nhighly honorable to his patriotism and his sense of duty.\\nHe was, at first, a Captam of a Volunteer Artillery com-\\npany for one year on the opening of the revolution. He\\nfought in the battles of the Assinpink, and of Monmouth;\\nand generally during the war he was active as a colonel of\\nthe militia of his native county. After receiving rep eated\\nevidences of the confidence of the public, he was in 1793\\nelected to the United States Senate. He served in his\\nplace until domestic bereavements and the claims of his\\nown ajffairs obliged him again to resign in 1796. In the\\nWestern expedition, or the Whiskey War, he served as\\na major-general, commanding the troops from New Jersey\\nand Pennsylvania. He enjoyed a large share of public con-\\nfidence and was one of the prominent men of his time, Som-\\nerset has long cherished his memory with pride.\\nEarlier in public life than Frelinghuysen, was William", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0072.jp2"}, "73": {"fulltext": "I\\nSOMERSET COUNTY. 65\\nPaterson, the sec )nd )vernor of New Jersay, after Inde-^\\npendence. He is called one of the most talented men of\\nhis day We have not ascertained the place of his birth,\\nbut his father resided at Princeton, and he graduated from\\nthe college in 1763. Though mostly a resident of New\\nBrunswick, he lived for several years on the Raritan, on\\nwhat is called the Paterson Farm. Here he attended\\nto the business of his plautation, and at the same time en-\\ngaged in the practice of the law. In the little office which\\nstood aside from his dwelling and near the road side, he\\ntransacted his business and attended to the instruction of\\nseveral studentb, of whom we shall make mention in an-\\nother connection as a matter of interest and pride. He\\nwas appointed in 1776 a Judge of the Supreme Court of\\nNew Jersey, and elected Grovernor of the State in 1790, as\\na successor of William Livingston. Previous to this he\\nhad been a member of the convention to frame the U. S.\\nConstitution and Senator of the First Congress. He was\\nat the time of his death, 1806, a Judge of the Supreme-\\nCourt of the United States. New Jersey claims his mem-\\nory as one of her most honored and cherished possessions,\\nand the County of Somerset, enrolls him with pleasure\\namong her great men. His character is singularly pure,\\nunstained even by one blot. He was evidently a most hon-\\nest, honorable upright man.\\nSomerset has a right to claim as one of her prominent\\nmen William Alexander, best known as Lord Sterling, a\\nmajor-general in the armies of the revolution. He was a\\nson of James Alexander, surveyor general of New Jersey\\nand born in New York City, 1726. His father, James\\nAlexander, fled from Scotland, 1716, having been implica-\\nted in the outbreak in favor of the Stewarts in that year.\\nHis mother was the widow David Provost, facetiously\\ncalled Ready Money Frovost, He spent several years of\\nhis life near Baskingridge, where he built a splendid man-\\nsion, had a park filled with deer, and lived in baronial\\nstyle. He joined the army in his youth, and was aide-\\ncamp to Gen. Sherley in the French and Indian war. He\\nclaimed the Earldom of Sterling, in Scotland, and went to\\nEngland to prosecute his claims, but failed in obtaining", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0073.jp2"}, "74": {"fulltext": "66 SOMERSET COUNTY,\\nthe acknowlpclgmeiit of what was considered his just rights,\\nbut his friends iisually gave him by way of compliment the\\ntitle. He acted a conspicuous part during the war of the\\nrevolution, and stood high in the confidence of Washing-\\nton. He distinguished himself at the Battle of Long Is-\\nland, but was taken prisoner and again at Germantown\\nand Monmouth. On Long Island his brayery was the\\nmeans of saving a large part of the American army. At\\n(rermantown his division, with the brigades of Nash and\\nMaxivell, f irme(l a corps f reserve and at Monmouth\\nhe commanded the left wing of the army and met the fierc-\\nest onset of Sir Henry Clinton, and aided. essen ^ially in se-\\ncuring the victory achieved by our arms on that bloody\\nfield. His ])atriotism was ardent and steady, inspired\\nlargely by his love for the commander-in-chief and the no-\\nble cause for whcih he fought. Before the revoluti.m he\\nserved in the provincial council several years. His wife\\nwas a sister of Gov. Wm. Livingstone, of New Jersey. He\\ndied at Albany, January I5th, 178o}, aged 57 years, leaving\\nbehind him the reputation of a brave, skillful and intrep-\\nid commander, and an honorable, honest and })ure man.\\nThe sacrifice which he made and the efforts he put forth in\\nthe cause of Indepennence will embalm his memory in all\\ncoming time.\\nNo catalogue of the men of Somerset would be complete\\nwhich should omit a conspicuous place to Richard Stock-\\nton of Princeton. Mr. Stockton graduated at Priceton\\nCollege at an early day, 1748. Devoting himself to the study\\nof the law, he rose almost immediately to a conspicuous\\nplace on account of the superior mental abilities which he\\ndisplayed, and the unbending integiity of his conduct. He\\nreceived an appointment to the judicial bench under the\\nprovincial administration, and was continued after the\\nadoption of the constitution in 1776. He uniformly dis-\\ncharged the duties of his office with great judgment and\\nintegrity, securing for himself the reputation of a clear\\njudgment and unbending uprightness. He was a member\\nof congress at the opening of the revolution, and signed\\nthe Declaration of Independence, On account of his hav-\\ning done this his Seat, called Morven, was ransacked", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0074.jp2"}, "75": {"fulltext": "I\\nSOMERSET COUNTY. 67\\nand spoiled by the British and Hessians in the autanin of\\n1776, and he himself kept long in exile in Monmouth coun-\\nty. Even his valuublH library and })a})ers were destroyed.\\nMr. Stockton left behind him a very high reputation for\\ntalents, scholarship, oratory and statesmanship, and crown-\\ned it all, by living the life of a consistent christian. He\\ndied on the 1st of March, J781. He was the father of\\nRichard Stockton, an eminent lawyer and statesman in\\nmore recent times, and grandfather of Commodore Stock-\\nton.\\nWe cannot omit the name of Dr, John Witherspoon but\\nmust refer to his biography for information.\\nJohn McPherson Berrian, born in the old mansion at\\nRocky Hill. He resided principally in the State of Geor-\\ngia. Held the office of Senator of the U. S. A. and was\\nAttorney General under Gen. Jackson.\\nJames Linn owned a handsome property at Mine Brook.\\nServed in the Legislature in 1777, was elected to Congi-ess\\nin 1798, He gave the casting vote for Thomas Jefferson,\\nin the New Jersey delegation. Was chosen Secretary of\\nState in 1809, and died in Trenton 1820.\\nHenry Southard; Samuel H. Southard, his son; Andrew\\nKirkpatrick, Chief Justice; Gen. John Frelinghuysen;\\nRichard Stockton; Frederick and Theodore Frelinghuysen,\\nand Peter D. Vroom, and Wm. L. Dayton claim mention\\nas eminent and honorable men, but our space forbids any-\\nthing more than a mere record of their names. They will,\\nhowever, live though we shall not embalm thera.", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0075.jp2"}, "76": {"fulltext": "CHAPTER Vr.\\nSCENES (tF THE REVOLUTION, IN SOMERSET COUNTY.\\nWhen Freedom from her mountain height\\nUnfurled her standard to the aii-,\\nShe tore the azure robe of night,\\nAnd set the stars in glory there.\\nShe mingled with its gorgeous dyes\\nThe milky baldric oi the skies,\\nAnd striped its pure celestial white\\nWith streakings of the morning light\\nThen from his mansion in the Sun\\nShe called her Eagle-bearer down,\\nAnd gave into his mighty hand,\\nThe symbol of her chosen land.\\nThe causes which operated in effecting the separation of\\nthe American colonies from Great Britain, hiy as tar back\\nas 1763, when Parliament first proposed to draw from them\\na revenue in support of the home government. The\\npopular mind was excited, and there sprang up at once an\\nalmost unanimous determination to make resiutance to this\\nunjust demand, in all the Colonies. Tliey considered it an\\nunjustifiable, oppressive and unprovoked violation of their\\nchartered rights and privileges. In the caseof ISIew Jer-\\nsey, there was on record a justifiable reason for such re-\\nsistance. In the Concessions and Agreements, an arti-\\ncle existed providing that the Governor and Council are\\nnot to impose or suffer to be imposed any tax, custom or\\nsubsidy, tollage, assessments or any other duty whatsoever,\\nupon any color or pretense how specious soever, upon the\\nsaid province oi inhabitants thereof, without their consent\\nfirst had, They considered this agreement between them-\\nselves and the Proprietors under whose auspices they and\\ntheir fathers had settled in the province, so valuable and so", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0076.jp2"}, "77": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 69\\nimportant, that nothing ought to induce them to submit\\nto its infraction No taxation without rejiresentation\\nand conscMit. became, therefore, a war cry, in this and in\\nall the other Colonies also. Hence, New Jersey syn5j)athiz-\\ned entirely in th.e opposititm raised to Mr, Greenville s tax\\nbill and when the stamp act bill was passed, March 22,\\n1765, and the duty on tea was attempted to be levied, she\\nstood firmly to her rights.\\nWhen, on motion of the Legislatures of Massachusetts\\nand Rhode Island a Congress was called to mett in New\\nYork, on the tirst Tuesday in ctober. 1765, she sent R )b-\\nert Ogden, Hendrick Fisher and Joseph Borden ti repre-\\nsent her, and continued her representatives in the subse-\\nquent Congresses, until the Declai-ation of Independence!\\nwas issued on the^th of July, 1776, In these Assemblies, be-\\nsides Hendrick Fisher, we find tin names of William Pat-\\nerson, Frederick Frelinghuysen, John Royce, Peter Sclienck\\nAbraham Van Neste, Enos Kelsey, Jonathan 0, Sergeant,\\nArchibald tewart, Edward Dumont, William Maxwell,\\nEphriam Martin, Cornelius Ver Meule, Ruloff Van Dyke,\\nas representatives from Somerset County, at different times.\\nWhen the Provincial Congress, as it was called, met at\\nBurlington, June 10th, 1776, she sent Dr. Harchmburgh\\nto assist in framing a constitution for the State and when\\nGov, Franklin was superceded, arrested and confined, and\\nWilliam Livingstone appointed Governor on the 31st of\\nAugust 1776, she was present by her representatives to as-\\nsent to and assist in forwarding the good cause.\\nShe had already called out her military when the battle\\nof Lexington was fought, April 19th, 1775 and when\\nthat of Bunker Hill, on the 17th of June occuired,\\nshe was active in arming for the fight. But fortunately,\\nour State and County continued exempt from the ravages\\nof armies, as well our own, as those ot our enemies, until\\nthe next year Clinton and Corn wa His, driven out of\\nBoston, came with their re-inforced troops and landed\\n35,000 men on Long Island early in June 1776 and on\\nthe 20th of August, the battle of Long Island was fought.\\nThen came the abandonment of the city of New York, Sep.\\ntember 15th, the taking of Fort Washington and For^", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0077.jp2"}, "78": {"fulltext": "70 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\nLee. Nov, 10. and the transfer of both the armies into the\\n^State of New Jersey. Our State and county were now at\\nfirst called apon to realize the bitterness of the contest in\\nwhich they had engaged and henceforth she was, in a\\nmeasure, the battle ground of the war.\\nAt this point, properly, the military operations of the\\nRevolution, so far as Somerset is concerned, commenced,\\nand we shall endeavor to give them, as far as it is possible,\\nseparate from the other actions in the great drama hoping\\nin this way to enable the reader to f )rm a distinct idea of\\nher sufferings in the cause of liberty. After the 16th of\\nNovember, 1776, Washington crossed over the Hacken-\\nsack and Passaic rivers, and as his troops were being daily\\ndiminished by desertion only [)aused when he had reached the\\nDelaw ire. Penetrating the design of the enemy, to pass\\ninto New Jei sey and march to the capture of Philadelphia,\\nWashington had promptly crossed the Hudson with the\\nmain body of the American ariny, after securing some po-\\nsitions on the east bank, between Kings bridge and the\\nHighlands. He paused at Hackensack in the rear of\\nFort Lee, where Greneral Lee was in command. Lord Corn-\\nwallis also crossed the Hudson at Dobb s Ferry, with all his\\nmen, on the IStli, and landing at Closter. a mile and a\\nhalf from English Neighborhood, proceeded to attack Fort\\nLee. The gan-ison made a hasty retreat, and joined\\nWashington at Hackensack, five miles distant. All the bag-\\ngage and military stores at Fort Lee fell into the hands of\\nthe enemy. It was an easy conquest for Cornwallis, and\\nhad he followed up this successful beginning with energy\\nthere is every probability that he would have captured\\nWashington and his whole army. When Cornwallis ap-\\nproached, he at once commenced a retreat towards the\\nDelaware, hoping to be sufficiently enforced by the New\\nJersey and Pennsylvania militia to enable him to make a\\nsuccessful stand against the invaders at some intermediate\\npoint.\\nBut the late reverses had sorely disappointed the militia\\nas well as the people, and Washington found his army to\\ndiminish at every step, rather than augment. By the last\\nof November scarcely 3,000 troops remained under his com-", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0078.jp2"}, "79": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 71\\nraand. For three weeks he fled before Gornwallis across the\\nlevel districts of New Jersey, Newark, New Brunswick,\\nPrinceton and Trenton were successively evacuated by the\\nAmericans -imd occupied by the eneray: often the music of\\nthe pursued and the pursuers would be heard by each oth-\\ner. Having arrived at Trenton on the 8tli of December,\\nWashington and his army crossed the Delaware in boats,\\nwhich had been pressed into this service by proclamation\\nfrom all parts of the river. The last one had reached the\\nPennsylvania shore just as one division of Cornwallis s ar-\\nmy, with all the pomp of victors, marched into Trenton.\\nThis was about 12 o clock at night. The main body of\\nthe British troops, however, halted about six miles from\\nTrenton. The long agony was at last over and the\\ncause of liberty, though surrounded with gloom and dis-\\ncouragement, was not yet quite lost. Washington had\\nhoped to make a stand at New Brunswick, but abandonnd\\nthe idea as the eneuiy approached The service of the\\nNew Jeisey and Maryland brigades expired on the day he\\narrived there, and no persuasion could induce them to re-\\nmain, and -without them a stand was hopeless.\\nWhen Washington commenced this retreat. Gen. Chas.\\nLee had been left at White Plains, east of the Hudson,\\nwith a corps of nearly 3000 men. When at Hackensack,\\nWashington wrote to him, requesting hira to hasten to\\nNew Jersey, to reinforce him but Lee did not see fit to\\nregard this reasonable request. The Commander-in-chief\\nmade the order peremptory and positive but he still lin-\\ngered and delayed, and so tardy were his movements that\\nafter three weeks he only reached Morristown, It seems\\nhe coveted independence of command, and expected by\\nsome fortunate juncture of circumstances, to perform a\\nstriking and splendid feat of arms, and eclipse his com-\\nmander in the eyes of the people. How miserably he fail-\\ned we have now to relate.\\nOn the 13th of December the main body of Lee s troops\\nwere at Vealtown, (now Bernardsville,) but Lee himself\\nlodged at Mrs. White s tavern at Baskingridge, two miles\\ndistant, having with him only a guard of a few men for\\nhis protection. We quote from Wilkinson s Memoirs.", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0079.jp2"}, "80": {"fulltext": "72 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\nGen. Lee wasted the morning in altercations, with cer-\\ntain militia corps who were of his command, particularly\\nthe Connecticut light horse one wanted forage, one his\\nhorse shod, one hisj)ayand a fourth his provisions, to\\nwhich the General replied. Your wants are numerous,\\nbut you have not mentioned the last you want to go\\nhome and shall be indulged, for you are no good here. Sev-\\neral of them appeared in large full bottoned perukes and\\nwere treated ver}- irreverently.\\nThe call of the Adjutant General ibr orders also occu-\\npied some of his time, and he did not set down to break-\\nfast before 10 o clock. Gen. Lee was engaged in answer-\\ning Gen. Gate s letter, and I had risen from the table and\\nwas looking out of an end window, down a lane, about one\\nhundred yards in length, which led to th(^ house from the\\nmain road, when I discovered a party of British turn the\\ncorner of the avenue in full charge. Startled at this un-\\nexpected appearance I exclaimed Here, Sir, are the\\nBritish Cavalry. Where asked the General, who had\\nsigned the letter on the instant, xlround the house fur\\nthey had opened tiles and encompassed the building.\\nGeneral Lee appeared alarmed and yet collected, and his\\nsecond observation mai ked his self possession. Where\\nis the guard d m the guard why don t they fire\\nand after a momentary pause he turned to me and said\\nDo Sir, see what has become of the guard The woman\\nof the house at this moment entered the room, and propos-\\ned to him to conceal himself in a bed which he rejected\\nwith evident disgust. I caught up the pistol which lay on\\nthe table thrust thj letter he had been writing in my\\npocket, and passed into a room at the opposite end of the\\nhouse, where 1 had seen the guard in the morning. Here\\nI discovered their arms, but the men were absent. I step-\\nped out of the door, and saw the dragoons chasing them in\\ndifferent directions, and receiving a very uncivil salutation,\\nI returned into the house.\\nToo inexperienced, immediately to penetrate the mo-\\ntives of this enterprise, I considered the reconotre acciden-\\ntal, and from the terrific tales spread over the country, of\\nthe violence and barbarity of the enemy, I believed it to be", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0080.jp2"}, "81": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 73\\na wanton marauding party, and determined not to die\\nwithout company. I accordingly sought a position where\\n1 could not be approached by more than one person at a\\ntime, and with a pistol in each hand awaited the expected\\nsearch, resolved to shoot the first and second person who\\nmight appear, and then appeal to the sword. I did not\\nlona: remain in this unpleasant situation, but was ap])rised\\nof the incursion by the very audible declaration. It the\\nGeneral does not surrender in five minutes, I will stt fire\\nto the house, which after a short pause was repeated with\\na solemn oath and within two minutes I heard it pro-\\nclaimed here is the General, he has surrendered A\\ngeneral shout ensued, the trumpet sounded the re-assem-\\nblinor of the troop, and the unfortunate Lee, mounted on\\nmy horse which stood ready at the door, was hurried off in\\ntriumph, bare-headed, in his slippers and blanket coat, his\\ncollar open, and his shirt very much soiled from several\\ndays use/\\nThe capture of Gen. Lee was felt to be a public calami-\\nty it cast a gloom over the country and excited general\\nsorrow. The matter is explained by later intelligence. It\\nseems that a certain Mr. Mukle wraith, an elder in the\\nPresbyterian Church of Mendham, had passed Mrs. White s\\ntavern, and had. been told of the presence of Lee there,\\nand while travelling on foot on his private busmess, was\\novertaken by Colonel Harcourt and pressed into service as\\na guide but whether Harcourt was only reconnoitering\\nand accidently heard of the place where Gen. Lee had\\nslept, or had followed him up intending to capture liirn, is\\nnot explained. He was taken by way of Bound Brook to\\nNew Buunswick and delivered, as a prisoner, to the British\\ncommander. At first he was claimed to be a deserter, and\\ntreated accordingly, but finally exchanged in May for Gen.\\nPrescott and returned to the army.\\nCol. Harcourt had no sooner retreated with his prize,\\nthan Gen. Wilkinson hastened to the stable and mounting\\nthe first horse at hand, hurried to join the main body of\\nthe army which he found on the road toward Pluckamin,\\nThe command now devolved upon Gen. Sullivan and\\ncontinuing on his march by way of Lamington, Potters-", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0081.jp2"}, "82": {"fulltext": "74 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\ntown and Clinton, he finally crossed the Delaware at Phil-\\nijishuro;, and joined Washinjj^ton in Pennsylvania.\\nThese, then, are the militaiy niovenients in Somerset\\nCounty in 1776; the year when Independence was declared.\\nWashington passed our county on its south-eastern and\\nsouthern bender, along the public road leading by Six\\nMile Run, and Kingston to Princeton and Trenton and\\nLee and Sullivan led another division from Totowa, (now\\nPaterson,) by the Valley of the Passaic to Morristown,\\nBernardsville, Lamington and Clinton, to Phillipsburg\\nand the two united on the west side of the Delaware about\\nDecember 20th, 1776.\\nNew Jersey was thus in December, given up almost en-\\ntirely into the hands of the enemy and all tradition\\nunites in averriiig that their hands were not restrained.\\nPrivate property was but little respected no allowance\\nmade in favor of non-combattants and vii tue and purity\\nwere often brutally outraged,\\nCornvvallis lingered in New Brunswick during the whole\\nof the succeeding winter, collecting a large depot of stores\\nand forage from the sui rounding country for the subsist-\\nenc\u00c2\u00ab of his army. He at first purposed to continue his\\nmarch to Philadelphia, but finding that Washington had\\nsecured all the boats on the river, decided to delay it until\\nthe ice should form and enable him to pass his troo[)s over\\nin that way but befoie this came he had other work on\\nhis hands.\\nWhile at Brunswick he issued a }.roclamation inviting\\nall the inhabitants of the State to come in and take out\\nProtections, promising exemption for the past and safety\\nin the future and in the discouraging aspect of the pub-\\nlic affairs, the timorous and the doubtful almost univer-\\nsally took advantage of it. The following is a copy of one\\nof these papers\\nI do hf^reby Certify that the Bearer Abraham Sedam, of\\nMiddlebush, in the County of Somerset, came and sub-\\nscribed the declaration specified in a certain Proclamation\\npublished at New York, on the 13th day of November last,\\nby the Right Honorable, Lord Howe, and his Excellency\\nGeneral Howe. Whereby he is entitled to the protection", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0082.jp2"}, "83": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET C0U:NTY. 75\\nof all Officers and Soldiers, serving in his Majesties Army\\nin America, both for himself, his family and property, and\\nto pass and repass on his lawful business without molesta-\\ntion.\\nGiven under my hand this IStli day of December, 177().\\nC. Mawhood. lit. Col.\\nThe tendency was to weaken and discourage the cause\\nof patriotism greatly. Even some men who had bt-en\\nactive until this time, wavt-red and sought safety in\\n\u00e2\u0080\u00a2\u00e2\u0080\u00a2Protection. It was the darkest hour of the struL ^ffle,\\nbut fortutiritely it did iiot last long.\\nWe do- e the tirst year of Independence then with the\\nBritish troops occupying New Brunswick, and extending\\ntheir outposts to the J)elaware at Trenton, while Washing:-\\nton, with his little army almost ci mpletely demoralized, is\\njust savfd by a timely retreat to the west side of the river.\\nNew Jersey is in the possession of its enemies, except the\\ncounties of Sussex, Morris and Hunterdon, and the spirit\\nof the people is being debauched by deceitful offers of pro-\\ntection and peace. The State government had hardly been\\norganized bef)re it was dispersed. War, therefore, not\\nonly, but anarchy, threatened the State No doubt many\\nwept in secret, and others prayed almost in despondency\\nand total despair But the agony, though intense, was\\nbrief.\\nThe year in which the Declaration of Independence was\\nmade really seemed to close in almost helpless desponden-\\ncy Washington had only 2,200 n?en under his com-\\nmand when he reached the western side of the Delaware on\\nthe 8th of December and even a part of these waited on-\\nly to be dismissed, as their term of service had already ex-\\npired. Indeed, there were scarcely 1000 men upon whom\\nhe could depend, until he was joined by Sullivan from\\nPhillipsburgh. The whole State of New Jersey was at\\nthe mercy of the British. Sir Wm. Howe took this op-\\nportunity to issue a Proclamation offering a full and free\\npardon to all who would lay down their arms, with full\\nand ample protection, also to those who after doing so\\nconsented to take the oath of allegiance to the British\\ncrown. The effect of this was to bring great numbers of", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0083.jp2"}, "84": {"fulltext": "76 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\nthe tiinerous and wavering to desert the cause of Indejjend-\\neiicc The following was issued on Long Island\\nWhereas, it is represented that many of the lo\\\\ml in-\\nhabitants of this conntiy have been Ci)n)pelled by the lead-\\ners in rel)ellion. to take np arms against H.is Majesty s\\nGrovernraent. Notice is hereby given to all persons so f )ic-\\ned into rebelli(jn, that on delivering themselves up at head\\nquarters of the Army, they will be received as fairhful snl)-\\njects, have permits peaceably to return to their respective\\ndwellings, and meet with full protection for their persons\\n;ui 1 property. All those who chose to take up arras for\\nthe restoration of order and good government within this\\nIsland, shall be disposed of in the best manner, and have\\nevery encouragement that can be expected.\\noriven under my hand at Head(|uarters on Long Island\\nAug, 23, 1776. VVm. Howe.\\nBy his Excellency s command Robert Makensie, Sec.\\nThe finances of Congress were in disarrangement the\\ntroops in the field were ill provided for, ill fed and greatly\\ndeuioralized as the effect of alt this. It was in fact thb\\ndarkest hour of the conflict.\\nBut it did not last long.\\nOn Christmas day in seventy-six,\\nOur gallant troops with bayonet.s fixed.\\nTo Ti-enton marched away.\\nFrom the 8th to the evening of the 24th of December\\nnothing had been done, but early on the morning of the\\n25th, Christmas day, in the midst of a cold sleet, the in-\\nhabitants of Trenton were startled by the noise of a sharp\\nconflict in the streets of the town. The result of which\\nwas, the capture of the entire corps of Hessians stationed\\nthere. Washington himself was there, present in person,\\naided by Generals Green, Mercer, Sterling, Sullivan and\\nStevens.\\nThe conflict was brief but decisive. Col. Rail was\\nwounded by a shot fired, it is said, by Col. Frederick Fre-\\nlinghuysen, and surrendered the troops under his command\\namounting to 1000 prisoners, with 6 brass field pieces,\\n1000 stand of arms and 4 flags.", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0084.jp2"}, "85": {"fulltext": "iSOMKPSET COUNTY. 77\\nIn the evenin*;-, Wnsliinjxtot), with his men and i)ris(\u00c2\u00bbn-\\ners ictuined again to the west side of the Delawaie, hav-\\ning; loat only tuur men, iwo of which were frozen to death.\\nHe returned again, however, on the 30th, t(. tind all the\\nBritish from Bordentown removed to Princeton, except\\nCornwallis, who, with strong i orco was waiting for him\\non the south side of the Assinpink. Here a conflict oc-\\ncurred on the 2d of January, lasting until it became too\\ndark to continue it, neither having obtained any decided\\nadvantage, and lighting their fires on opposite sides of the\\nnarrow little river. Cornwallis boasted that he would cer-\\ntainly catch the fox in the morning, when urged by Sir\\nWilliam Erskine to attack in the evening but the fox\\nwas not caught Leaving his camp fires burning brightly,\\nWashington stole away under the cover of the darkness,\\nand appeared early in the morning at Princeton, where he\\ndefeated the British troops stationed there with great\\nslaughter, and sent one regiment flying precipitately back\\nto Trenton but his victory was saddened by the unfor-\\ntunate death of General Mercer. Pursuing the other de-\\nfeated regiments as far as Kingston, he halted, and after\\nconsulting with his officers, decided to turn aside and se-\\ncure his army by leading them to a place of safety. Break-\\ning down the bridge at Kingston, he led his troops on the\\neast side of the Millstone to Rocky Hill, when he crossed\\nagain to the west side, and following the course of the riv-\\ner crossed the Raritan at Van Veghten s bridge, and ren-\\ndevouzed the next day at night-fall, at Pluckamin. The\\nmorning of the battle at Princeton was bright and frosty,\\nand the air being calm the canonading was iieard as far\\nnorth-west as New Germantown, and spread consternation\\nfar and wide and when the camp fires gleamed the next\\nevening the 4th of January, on the side of the Pluckamin\\nmountain, the alarm was most intense. Many a horse-\\nman, during the night, dashed onward to the point, to as-\\ncertain what it portended, and when the news was brought\\nback, that it was Washington, the joy was almost raptur-\\nous everywhere.\\nThis hurried march on the 2nd of January, 1777, was\\nthe second military movement through Somerset County.", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0085.jp2"}, "86": {"fulltext": "78 .SOMERSET COUNTY,\\nIt WHS made amid the most intense sufferings of the poor\\nsoldiers A.11 of them had been without sleep the previous\\nnight tiie weather w is uery cold they hacl not had time\\nt(j supply thiMuselves with even one regular maai, aiid the\\nmarch from Kingston, after tlie batth^, was a long and a\\nfatiguing one. Many of them became exhausted and laid\\ndown to sleep by the way side. 8 me cjf them became ex-\\nhausted and laid down to sleep by the wayside. Some of\\nthe inhabitants along the Millstone supplied them as they\\nj)assed, with such food as they had })!epared but the ex-\\nhaustion of the whole was almost com})lete, when they rest-\\ned at last at Pluckamin on the evening of the 4th.\\nBeside the death ot Gen. Mercer the battle of Princeton\\nton is memorable on account of another victim. Captain\\nWilliam Leslie, son of thi- Earl of Levin of Scotland, was\\nwounded in the first on-set, carried to Plut;kamin, and died\\non the i)orch of the small inn, almost immediately on reach-\\ning there. Mr. Gr. W. P. Custis in his recollections of the\\nlife of Washington, gives the following account of this in-\\ncident of the battle It was while the Commander in\\nChief reined up his horse, where lay the gallant Col.\\nHarshlet mortally wounded, that he perceived some Brit-\\nish soldiers supjjorting a wounded officer, and upon in-\\nquiring his name and rank, was answered Uapt, Leslie.\\nDr. Benjamin Kush, who formed a part of the Genl s.\\nsuite, earnestly asked a son of the Earl of Levin? to\\nwhich the soldiers replied in the affirmative. The Doctor\\nthen addressed the General-in-Chief, 1 beg your excellen-\\ncy to permit this wounded officer to be placed under my\\ncare, that I may return, in however small a degree, a part\\nof the obligation, I owe to his worthy family for the many\\nkindnesses received at their hands while a student at Bdin-\\nburgli. The request was granted, but poor Leslie wa s\\nsoon past all surgery, After receiving all })ossible kind-\\nness in the march, he died, was interred at Pluckamin in\\nthe old Lutheran Cemetery, and after the war Dr. Kush\\nplaced a monument over his remains, yet in existence.\\nIt has the following hiscription\\nIn memory of Capt. William Leslie, son of the Earl of\\nLevin, who died January, 1776, after being wounded m the", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0086.jp2"}, "87": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 79\\nBattle of Princeton. This nionument has been erected by\\nDr. Benj. Kush, out of respect to his noble family, and in\\ntestimony of his exalted worth.\\nMany years since money was smit from Scotland to build a\\nstone wall in front, and more recently the Presbyterian\\nChurch was erected on a part of it.\\nThe following extracts will be of interest to many of our\\nreaders\\n\u00e2\u0080\u00a2Many persons in this country will recall with pleasure\\nthe visit to this country last year of the Hon. Roland Les-\\nlie Melville, brother of the Earl of Levin and Melville, wh j\\nsome time iv^o beci .ne a pirtn..^r in Lnidon of Mr.\\nMcCulloch. ex-Secretary of the United States Treasury.\\nWhile here Mr. Melville mentioned the fact that one of his\\nForbyes, a young British otficer, had fallen in America\\nduring tlip. Revolutionary war, and that tLe family had\\nnever been able to learn where he was hurried. There was\\ntradition that his remains had been dt posited in a certain\\nTrinity church yard, but that vague description gave\\nttiern little clue to the spot.\\nOnly the other day an American friend of Mr. Melville,\\nsearching our early national history with quite another ob-\\nject, stumbled on the story of his ancestor s death, and\\ntinding that he fell at the battle of Princeton, January 3,\\n1777, pursued the inquiry, and discovered his burial place\\nstill well preserved.\\nAs the story throws an agreeable light on the courtesies\\nwhich mitigated the terrois of those days of strife we lay\\nit bufore our readers. The young officer in question was\\nthe Hon. William Leslie, and the account of his fate is ta-\\nken from Custis s Recollections of the Life of Washington.\\nAs an interesting addition to this item of Revolutionary\\nhistory, I make the following extract from the journal of\\nCol. Thomas Rodney, who commanded a body of Delaware\\nmilitia during the campaign of January, 1777, and partici-\\npated in the battles of Trenton and Princeton. The Col.\\nlicslie he mentions is undoubtedly the same referred to\\nin the above paragraph, and the coincidence is the more re-\\nmarkable from the great lapse of time since the occurrence\\nof the event", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0087.jp2"}, "88": {"fulltext": "80 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\nFLUCKAaiiN, N. J., Jan. 5, 1777.\\nThe General continued lune this day also to refresh the\\narmy. He ordered 40 of our light infantry to attend the\\nfuneral of Col Leslie, to bury him with the honors of war.\\nHe was one of the enemy who fell at Princeton they\\nreadily obeyed in paying due respect to bravery, tliough in\\nan enemy.\\nCa])t. Henry was now gone home and 1 myself had com-\\nmand of the five companies of infantry, but as I had not\\npaid any attention to the military funeral ceremonies I\\nrequested Capt Humphries to conduct it. 1 had nothing\\nto cover me here but my great coat, but luclvily got into a\\nhouse near the mountains, where I fared very comfortably\\nwhile we stayed here.\\nThese troops, Col. Rodney further states, were the only\\nsoldiers in the whole army in comjdete uniform, and while\\nthey remained at Morristown acted as General Washing-\\nton s body-guard, doing all the parade duty, and acted al-\\nso as the funeral escort to Col. Ford and Gen, Hitchcock.\\nCaesak a. Rodney.\\nThe army only remained at Pluckamin for a few days,\\nand then went into winter quarters near Morristown, shel-\\ntering themselves in huts on the south side of Kimball s\\nmountain. The winter passed a.wa.y in quietness, not, how-\\never, without suffering from sickness and want of sufficient\\nprovision. Often there were only three day s rations in the\\ncamp. Somerset County lay at the mercy of the enemy,\\nwhose foraging parties went out from New Brunswick,\\nwhere Howe had quartered his troops, across the Millstone\\nas far as Neshanic, and the South Branch, gathering eve-\\nrything they Cf uld lay their hands on, and maltreating the\\ninhabitants most cruelly, svhenever any resistance was oiSF-\\nered. It seemed as if the idea that they were or might be\\nrebels, formed a sufficient excuse in the minds of the sol-\\ndiers for any outrage, that their })assions j O^ipt^^^ tham\\nto commit. They did not, however, always escape with\\nimpunity. On the 20th of January, sixteen days after\\nWashington had passed Weston with his victoiious army,\\na large party of the British, foraging as usual, was met\\nthere, routed, and 43 baggage wagons, 164 horses, 118", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0088.jp2"}, "89": {"fulltext": "I\\nSOMERSET COUNTY. 81\\ncattle, 70 sheei\u00c2\u00bb ami 12 prisoners captured The Ameri-\\ncan party was under Gen. Dickenson, and ineluded two\\ncompanies from the Valley of Wyoming. We find the\\nfollow account of this little fight giyen in the Field Book\\nof the Revolution. A line efforts had been established\\nalong the Millstone river, in the direction of Princeton,\\nOne of these, at Somerset Court House, (the village of\\nMillstone), was occupied by (xen. Dickenson with two\\ncompanies of the regular army, and ab;)ut 300 militia. A\\nmill on the opposite ])art of the stream contained consider-\\nable flour. Corn wal lis, then lying at New Brunswick,\\ndispatched a forai^ing party to capture it. The party\\nconsisted ol about 400 men. with more than 40 wagons.\\nThe British arrived at the mill at Weston, in the morning\\nand iiaving loaded their wagons with flour, were about to\\nreturn^ when Gen. Dickenson leading a portion of his force\\nthrough the liver, middle deej), and filled with ice, at-\\ntacked them with so much spirit, that they fled in haste,\\nleaving the whole of their plunder with their wagons, be-\\nhind them. Dickenson lost five men in this skirmage,\\nand the enemy about 30 Washington warmly commend-\\ned Gen. Dickenson for his enterprise and gallantry evinced\\nitt this little skirmish.\\nBut the discomfeitui e in one of their ravages^ did not\\nprevent them from repeating them almost daily in one di-\\nrection or another around the whole country.\\nThe whole region of the Raritan and Millstone was\\nstripped. The farmers threshed their wheat and then hid\\nit under the straw in the barn, in order to preserve it from\\nthe greedy enemy. In many instances not enough was\\nsaved to serve for seed in the autumn. Cellars, houses,\\npig pens and hen roosts, were all carefully explored, and\\neverything desirable carried off to feed the insatiate cormor-\\nants.\\nLet us now leave Washington s soldiers in their tents\\nnear Morristown, undergoing innoculation for the small\\npox, as a precautionary measure, and consuming lots of\\nbutter-nut pills in substitution for better medicines,\\nWhile the wintermonths thus are passing, let us look to-\\nwards the future. The prospect for the coming summer", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0089.jp2"}, "90": {"fulltext": "82 SOMEKSET COUNTY.\\nin deed was not bright, hut it was not quite so discourag-\\ning as the auturan had been. Trenton and Princeton,\\ncoming after Long Island and White Plains, and the sur-\\nrender of Forts Washington and Lee, had shown that the\\nBritish were not quite invuhierable and omnipotent.\\nGen. Putnam was placed in observation at Piinceton,\\nsoon after the defeat of the British. He h-id only a few\\nhundred troops sometime not as manv as he had miles of\\nfrontier to guard. In January, Washington issued a proc-\\nlamation from Morristown, directed t those who had ta-\\nken protection, discharging them from the obligitions of\\ntheir oath to the King, and directing them to repair to\\nhead-quarters, or tlie nearest genei al officer, and swear al-\\nlegiance to the United States, as the condition of a full\\npardon, for wh;it they had done in a moment of fear and\\ndespondency/ It had a good effect tue people soon\\nflocked from all quarters to take the oath, and all i (ea of\\nBritish protection was abandoned.\\nHowe, at New Brunswick, as the spring opened, was the\\nprincipal object of solicitude to Washington. It was evi-\\ndent he must attempt one of two things either to move\\nup the Hudson, and co-operate with Burgoyne approach-\\ning Albany from Ticonderoga, or attempt to reach Phila-\\ndelphia by marching across the State of New Jersey. He\\ndetermined so to place himself and his troops, as to shield\\nthem from attack, and at the same time have them ready to\\nattcick, if any movement was made. Sending the northern\\ntroops to the Highlands, he stationed his own on the\\nheiglits north of Midd ebrook, and repaired to the camp in\\nperson, on the 28th of May. He had only 8,398 men in\\nall, inclusive of cavalry and artillery and of these more\\nthan 2,000 were sick so that the effective rank and file\\nwere only 5,738. Howe and Cornwallis had been employ-\\ned during the winter in enlisting every loyalist possible,\\noffering large and special rewards to deserters and,\\nstrengthened in this way, far outnumbered the little array\\nof Washington. What he had not in numbers, he en-\\ndeavored however, to provide for by the advantage of his\\nposition and his superior vigilance. The drama was one\\nof tlie most interesting in the whole war. Washington s", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0090.jp2"}, "91": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 83\\nskill as a tactition was nowhere and on no occasion, more\\ntriumphantly displayed, than on the plains south of our\\nmountain and east of Bound Brook, in June 1777. It is\\nenough to say that he foiled his enemy completely, and fi-\\nnally forced him from the State.\\nHe had seen early in the winter, that the campais^n of\\nthis year must be an important one perhaps the ultimate\\ndecision of the contest and th;it, so far as his antagonist\\nSir William Howe was concerned, it would t;mbrace three\\npoints One an attempt from Canada by Burgoyne, to\\nform a junction with the British at New York, by way of\\nAlbany and the Hudson and so by cutting off and isola-\\nting the eastern states of New England, divide and weak-\\nen the colonies. Another, to maintain British ascendency\\nin New York, and by preventing commerce, weaken and\\ndiscourage the people. Lastly, to obtain possession of the\\ncity of Philadelphia, preparatory to the efforts to conquer\\nthe southern states. These three objects attained, he felt\\nthat the cause of Independence would be lost, or at best\\nonly a question of time. The British might rest in their\\nconquests, and leave the Americans to waste their strength\\nin vain and it would not take long to do it It was\\ntherefore, his business to frustrate all these designs. With\\nthe view of preventing the junction between Burgoyne and\\nthe British forces in New York. He threw, early in the\\nspring, additional forces into Ticonderoga, collected men\\nand stores at Albany, and strengthened the defences at\\nWest Point and Peekskill and planted himself behind\\nthe mountain at Middlebrook, within striking distance of\\nNew Brunswick, and near enough to New York, to act in\\nany emergency that might arise there in the progress of\\nthe pending operations.\\nWe may sufficiently indicate the precise place of the\\nencampment, by saying that it was on the right of the\\nroad leading through the mountain gorge in which Chim-\\nney Rock is situated, just where it rises up from the bed\\nof the little stream, and attains the level of Washington\\nvalley. A strong earth work was thrown up about a\\nquarter of a mile to the north west, almost in the centre of\\nthe valley, as a protection to any movement approaching", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0091.jp2"}, "92": {"fulltext": "84 SOMEKSET COUNTY,\\nfrom Pliickamin and the whole of the defile leading\\nthrough the narrow mountain valley was strongly guard^^d\\nwhile the brow overlooking the plain bristled with cannon.\\nJust at the edge of the wood, east of Chimney Rock, huts\\nwere erected as quarters for the officers, and everything\\ndone which either safety or coraf )rt demanded in the\\nemergency. At Bound Brook a strong redoubt was con-\\nstructed, commanding the bridge over that miery little\\nstream, just north of the present Railroad crossing, looking\\nto any attack to be made from the way of New Bruns\\nwick. Having taken, in this way, all possible precaution\\nagainst surprise, he felt strong to abide the issue of events.\\nThe result justified his sagacity as a military tactition.\\nIn, the strong position described, guarded in front by\\nthe abrupt mountain wall and the wood crowning it and\\nalmost equi-distant from New York and Philadelphia, he\\nwas equally {)repared for any movement made in either di-\\nrection. While from the elevation of the mountain itself\\nthe whole plain upon which the enemy had to travel was\\nvisible to his watching eye. It would be difficult for Sir\\nWilliam Howe to change his position in any way, or at-\\ntempt to come out of New Brunswick without finding\\nsome one on his heels who would not allow him a single\\nmistake without taking advaitage of it.\\nThere was however no equality in the relative strength\\nof the two armies, when the contest commenced. The\\nBritish forces were well clothed and provisioned, and flush-\\ned with their success in the preceeding campaign. The\\narmy of Washington was a feeble band the whole effect-\\nive rank and file, when at Middlcbrook, amounting only to\\n5,737 men more than half of which had never seen any\\nservice. And beside, there were elements of weakness in\\nthe corps itself, A large portion of it was composed of\\nforeigners; many of them servants upon whose attach-\\nment to freedom it was not safe to depend. This circum-\\nstance was known to Sir William Howe and he had en-\\ndeavored to profit by it, offering pardon and protection to\\nall deserters, and bounties to any slaves who might bring\\nin their arms and accoutrements. It was a dastardly stroke of\\npolicy and its meanness seems to have been its weakness.", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0092.jp2"}, "93": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 85\\nFew took udvaiitage of the offer, and the slaves remained\\ncontent -vith their masters. As soon as Washington had\\ntaken his position at Middlebrook. Gen. Benedict Arnold\\nwas directed to form an army of Militia on the east side\\nof the Delaware, and be prepared to dispute the passage of\\nHowe, should he escape from Washington, and attempt to\\ncross on his way to Philadelphia. And to give strength to\\nhis corps, a few companies of regulai- troops were detailed\\nto assist him in making his dis].ositions effective.\\nAt the same time Gen. Sullivan, who had remained in\\nthe vicinity of Princeton with a })art of the regular army,\\nand whose force was increasing daily by recruits from the\\nSouth and the Militia of New Jersey, was ordered to hold\\nhimself in perpetual expectation of attack to be prepared\\nto send his bagage and provisions to a place of safety, and\\nto move at a moment s warning to preserve a communi-\\ncation with the main army at all times open by no means\\nto risk a general engagement, but to act as a partizan\\ncorps and on the first movement of the British from their\\nencampment at New Brunswick, after having placed his\\nmain body in safety, to harrass and annoy them by detatch-\\ning active parties for that purpose. The whole militia of\\nthe state were also called out, and instructed to hang up-\\non the main body of the British army and by ranging\\nthe country in small parties, harrass their flanks and rear,\\ncut off their supplies, and injure them as much as possible.\\nSuch was the state of things in Somerset County at the\\nend of May, 1777 and now if we take a map of \\\\he State\\nand place it before us, we shall have a chess-board, upon\\nwhich to trace the subsequent movements of the opposing\\nforces in that grand contest of stratagem and skill, which\\nwas about to commence, It is equal in interest and in\\nability to anything in the military text book. Its results\\nentered largely into the ultimate success which crowned\\nAmerican valor, and gave liberty to these United States,\\nso proud in their career of glory, so magnificent in their fu-\\nture prospects.\\nLeaving now Burgoyne to Schuyler and Gates, and\\nCornwallis looking anxiously for news from the north at\\nNew York, we concentrate our attention upon the two ar-", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0093.jp2"}, "94": {"fulltext": "86 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\nmies in Somerset County. Wasliinj^ton looking from the\\nmountain summit in the lear of Bound Broi k, and Howe\\nat New Brunswick contrivin to escape him, or to bring\\nhim down from his eirey, to fight him on the plains on\\nmore advantageous terms. The city of Philad^^lphia was\\nthe stake, and the play for it was magnificent.\\nThe British General had two ways of attaining his ob-\\nject. One by marching through New Jersey and crossing\\nth*^ Delaware by a portable bridge, constructed for thafc\\npurpose, during the winter at New Brunswick, and make\\nhis way directly to his object. The other to embark his\\narmv and attempt the city by the way of the Delaware or\\nChesapeak Bay. The first was preferable, and was there-\\nfore to be attempted befire the other was resorted to,\\nThe demonstration was made on the l4th of June. Gren.\\nSir William Howe, leaving 2000 men at New Brunswick\\nunder the command of Gren. Matthews, advanced in two\\ncolumns towards Princeton, The first under Lord Corn-\\nwallis reached the village of Millstone by break of day\\nthe other under DeHester arrived about the same time at\\nMiddlebush, having taken a route more to the south than\\nthat which the former pursued.\\nTo meet the movement thus begun, Washington\\nbrought his army forward and posted it to great advan-\\ntage in order of battle, on the south side of the mountain\\neast of the gorge in which Chimney Rock is situated.- This\\nposition he maintained during the whole day, and at night\\nthe troops slept upon their arms. In this condition things\\nremained from the morning of the 14th to the evening ot\\nthe 19th. Howe threatening and making every eff ort to\\ninduce the Americans to abandon their high ground and\\nfight him on the plain and Washington resolutely dis-\\nregarding his taunts and maintaining his superior position;\\nbut perfectly prepared and willing to give him battle where\\nlie was.\\nNor had he been idle at other points in anticipation of\\nthese movements. The troops from Peeks Kill, with the\\nexception of 1000 effective men left there on guard, had been\\nsummoned to his aid, and were present and ready to act.\\nA select corps of riflemen under Col. Mergan had been or-", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0094.jp2"}, "95": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 87\\nganized early in the season, and was acting as a partizea\\ncorps between the Raritan and Millstone, with instructions\\nto watch the left flank of the enemy and fall on at the first\\nfavorable moment but not to permit himself to be sur-\\nrounded, and his retreat to the main, body cut off. Mor-\\ngans s men soon became a perfect scourge to the British\\nregiments. ir William Howe could not throw out a pick-\\net guard at any distance from the main array, but Morgan\\nwould drive it in and of woods and grain fields the ene-\\nmy soon had a complete horror, and would at any time\\nmarch a mile round to avoid them for they were almost\\nsure to receive from eveiy one which they approached a sa-\\nlute of Morgan s rifles. Ranging the whole country on the\\nsouth side of the Raritan, from that river to Rocky flill,\\nhe kept the inhabitants during the whole time that the\\nBritish army remained on the east side of the Millstone,\\nalmost in a state of perfect security, and many a farmer\\nowed to the fear of Morgan s men, the preservation of his\\ntenements from the flames.\\nIt has been a common mistake to assert that Morgan\\nduring this period was encamped on the ridge of land be-\\ntween the present residences of Mr. Henry Grarretson and\\nwhat was formerly that of C. Brokaw, west of the Weston\\nroad. That encampment consisted of 1st, 2d and 7th\\nRegiments of Pennsylvania troops, commanded by Gen.\\nAnthony Wayne, and the time of their encampment there,\\nwas the winter of 1778 and 9, They came upon the\\nground in November, and remained until May, Their huts\\nformed quite a town with its streets and parade ground in\\nbeautiful order, and when the encampment was broken up\\nthey proceeded to the Highlands, immediately after which,\\nStony Point fell, being stormed and taken by Glen. An-\\nthony WayTie In the meantime Gen, Sullivan had\\nchanged his position from Princeton as soon as Howe mov-\\ned towords Millstone, and lay on the high grounds of Rocky\\nHill, looking over the plains on which the scene was act-\\ning and the militia of New Jersey, rallying with an alac-\\nraty unexemplified at any previous time, took the field in\\ngreat numbers, principally joining Gen. Sullivan, who\\nagain, when Howe threatened him from Middlebush and", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0095.jp2"}, "96": {"fulltext": "88 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\nthe village of Millstone, retired behind the Shannock moun-\\ntain, in the neighborhctod of Clover Hill, and was forming\\na formidable army there to resist his progress to the Dela-\\nware.\\nWhen General Howe determined on leaving a part of\\nhis army at JSTew Brunswick, marched out towards Mill-\\nstone, with two divisions, stationing one at Middlebush,\\nunder the command of General De Heister, where two\\nforts or redoubts were thrown up, one across the Amwell\\nroad, a few yards west of the house in which Moses Wol-\\nsey at present resides the other was about three hundred\\nyards south of the former, adjoining the present railroad,\\non land then owned by Denice Van Liew.\\nThe other division, under command of Lord Cornwallis,\\nwas stationed at Millstone, and a fort thrown up on the\\nIVorth side of the road, a few yards West of the present\\ndwelling of John V. C. WyckofF, on the land then owned\\nby Hendrick Probasco. Another fort was thrown up on\\nthe opposite side of the road on land of Ann, widow of\\nCornelius Van Liew.\\nWhile the army was encamped there a great amount of\\nproperty belonging to the inhabitants of the neighborhood\\nwas taken and destroyed, The Dutch Church was dam-\\naged. General Cornwallis, in marching with his division\\nto Millstone, took the amwell road, which then came into\\nthe Princeton road but a bhort distance above the Mile\\nRun Brook near New Brunswick, which he followed, until\\nhe reached Millstone, while General De Heister followed\\nthe one running along the West bank of the Raritan for\\nmore than three miles, until he came to the then Van\\nDuyn place, where he turned to the left and followed the\\nroad leading from thence into the Amwell Road, a few\\nyards east of the present Middlebush Church, about half a\\nmile west of which he encamped with his troops.\\nThis was the state of things from the 14th to the 19th\\nof June. On the night of the 19th, Sir William Howe,\\nfinding the American army could not be drawn from its\\nstrong position, and seeing the crowds which flocked to join\\nSullivan in his front, determined to waste no more time in\\nattempting to reach Philadelphia by land^ returned to New", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0096.jp2"}, "97": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET C0U:NTY. 89\\nBrunswick. Here he remained only two days, and on the\\n22d, proceeded to Amboy, when he threw over the Kills the\\nbridge of boats intended to cross the Delaware, and com-\\nmenced passing over his bagge acd some of his light troops\\nto Staten Island. His whole retreat was precipatous and\\nwas marked by the smoking ruins of barns and farm hous-\\nes but it was not peaceable. Morgan s eye was upon\\nhim, and at sun rise on the mornhig of the 22d the sharp\\nreport of his rifles sounded in his ears, as he attacked and\\ndrove in his picket guard, and when they threw them-\\nselves into the redoubts on the hill west of New Brunswick,\\nWayne was there to second Morgan s attack. These were\\nsoon abandoned, and the whole army having cros?ed the\\nRaritan, was seen in full flight towards Amboy. Some\\nsharp skirmishing took place between the rear guard and\\nMorgan s riflemen, but the march was conducted in such a\\nguarded manner that nothing efl ectual could be accom-\\nplished. Sullivan was now ordered to move his division\\nand co-operate with Green and Maxwell, who had been di-\\nrected to watch the enemies flanks and rear, and molest\\nthem in every possible way. But from the distance at\\nwhich he was encamped, he was unable to come up in time.\\nAnd the express sent to Maxwell either deserted or was\\ntaken and the rear guard being stronger than was ex-\\npected, Green with his three brigades could make no effec-\\ntual impression on them. In consequence the retreat to\\nAmboy was less disastrous than it might have been, had\\ncircumstances favored our troops An aged man who was\\na native of Middlebash, and as a boy was taken prisoner\\nwhen the British retreated, related that in returning from\\nthe movement above described, the troops crossed below\\nBound Brook to the north side of the Raritan, on their\\nway to New Brunswick. It is difficult to see the occas-\\nion of such a movement, and yet more difficult to discredit\\nthe testimony of an eye witness. Perhaps it was in the\\nhope of tempting Washington to attack them.\\nWhile the movements indicated above were being made,\\nthe whole army of Washington had remained paraded\\nevery day on the heights north of Bound Brook, really to\\nact as circumstances might require. But now, in order to", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0097.jp2"}, "98": {"fulltext": "90 SOMERSET COUNTY,\\ncover his light parties which hung on the British rear, he\\ndescended from his position and advanced to New Market,\\nsome six or seven miles eastward, and the division under\\nLord Sterling proceeded still further, to Metuchen meeting\\nhouse, heing directed to act ith the several parties of\\nGreen and Morgan already on the lines and harrassing the\\nrear of the retreating army.\\nAs soon as Washington had made this movement, Sir\\nWm. Howe thought the moment had arrived to bring on a\\ngeneral engagement, a thing which he had sought and ho[)-\\ned for from the commencement of active operations. With\\nthis view, on the night of the 25th he hastily recalled the\\ntroo[)s which had been transported to Siaten Island, and\\nearly next morning, made a rapid movement in two col-\\numns, toward Westfield. The right, under command of\\nLord Cornwallis, took the route by Woodbridge^ to\\nScotch Plains, and aimed to seize the strong pass through\\nthe mountains west of Plainfield, and thus, by gaining the\\nrear of Washington, force him from his advantageous position\\non the high grounds, and oblige him to fight on the plains.\\nThe left, under the personal direction of Sir Wm Howe,\\nmarched by Metucheu meeting house, and intended to at-\\ntack the Americans at New Market, and, ultimately, gain\\nalso the heights on the left of the camp at Middkbrook.\\nIf this well concentrated movement had succeeded, Wash-\\nington would have either been obliged to fly towards the\\nHighlands, on the Hudson River, or to fight th6 well ap-\\npointed army before him with his feeble force, upon such\\nterms and in such a position as to afford but slight hopes\\nof success. But a kind Providence averted the well aimed\\nblow.\\nHowe s own account is in the following words The\\nnecessary preparations being finished for crossing the troops\\nto Staten Island, intelligence was received that the enemy\\nhad moved down from the mountain and taken post at\\nQuibbletown, (New Market) intending, as was given out,\\nto attack the rear of the army removing from Amboy\\nthat two corps had advanced to their left one of 3000\\nmen and eight pieces of cannon, under the command of\\nLord Sterling, Gen s. Maxwell and Conway the last,", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0098.jp2"}, "99": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 91\\nsaid to he a captain in the French service. The other corps,\\nconsisted of about. 700 raett with only \u00c2\u00ab)ne piece of cannon.\\nIn this situation, it was thought advisable to make a move-\\nnienr, that might lead on to an attack, which was done on\\nthe 26th in tlie morning, in two columns.\\nAt Woodbiidge, the right column of the British fell in\\nwith the light ])arties sent out to watch their motion, and\\nthus acquainted Washington with the movement. He at\\nonce penetrated the whole design, ordered his army back\\nwith the utmost celerity to their original position at Middle-\\nbrook^ and sent out a party to guard the heights which the\\nenemy intended to seize. The left, under (yornwallis, en-\\ncountered Lord Sterling, and after a severe skirmish, drove\\nhim from his position and pursued him over the hills as far\\nas Westfield, where they halted. But the pass in the moun-\\ntain west of Plainfield being guarded, and Washiuirton, like\\nan eagle, perched again upon his eyry, and Sterling beyond\\nthe reach of Cornwallis, the British commander saw that\\nthe object in view of which his whole raauoeuver had been\\nmade, was beyond his reach, turned his face again towards\\nthe seaboard; and on the 30th of June crossed over to Stateu\\nIsland with his whole army. His course was a clear\\nacknowledgment that he was beaten and that too, by a\\nforce far inferior to his own. Both his designs were de-\\nfeated. He had neither gained an op^u road to Philadel-\\nphia, nor brought on a general engagement and after\\nraanoeuvering a month and more, was obliged to change\\nthe whole object of the campaign or seek to gain its end\\nby a circuitous route, in which there was both danger and\\nuncertainty.\\nAs the result of his contest with Sterling s command, the\\nBritish General claims to have captured three brass cannon\\nand three captains and computes the American loss at\\n60 men killed and more than 200 wounded, while he avers\\nthat Cornwallis had only 5 killed and 30 wounded, and\\nends by excusing the want of success, from the day prov-\\ning so intensely hot, that the soldiers could with difficulty\\ncontinue their march. In fact there was always something\\nthe matter with the British commander. His most suc-\\ncessful feat seems to have been that moonlight race from", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0099.jp2"}, "100": {"fulltext": "92 SOMEKSET COUNTY.\\nthe battle of Monmouth in the next sumnier It was so\\nswift and successful, that when the morninoj dawned,\\nVVashin ^ton dispaired beinoj able to come up with him, and\\nlet him go until another time.\\nSo now, from WestHeld and Scotch Fiains, he glories in\\nhaving made a saf^ retreat again to his shi[)s at Amboy.\\nEven in this he was not left unmolested. Scott and\\nC(\u00c2\u00bbnway were despatched to watch his motions, and annoy\\nhim in every way and the rear guard of the British army\\nwas not yet out ot Ambt)y, before the former marched into\\nit, and to;)k possesion. But the guarded and soldier like\\nmanner in which the whole retreat was managed, prevent-\\ned any successful attack, and so the prize fled from our\\nState in safety.\\nSuch were some of the busy scenes enacted in the coun-\\nties of Somerset and Middlesex, in the spring and early\\nsummer of 1777. Armies were marching and counte-\\nmarching daily. The tread of the war horse echoed\\nthrough their peaceful solitudes, and the glitter of steel\\nflashed in the sunlight, while the vast interests dependent\\nupon every movement, filled the minds, not only of the\\nactors, but also of all the inhabitants, with the most in-\\ntense interest.\\nOn the apex of the Round top, on the left of the gorge,\\nin which Chimn(iy Rock stands, there are yet to be seen\\nrude remains of a hut, which Washington sometimes fre-\\nquented, during these anxious months of 1777. On the\\neast side of the gorge, also, fronting the plain north of\\nMiddlebrook, there is a rock, which has been named\\nWashington Kock, because there he often stood to gaze\\nanxiously u[)on the scene it overlooks.\\nOn the mountain, west of Plainfield also, there is a very\\nlavgfi rock, which has received the same appellation, from\\nthis circumstance. On the 30th of June, while Sir Wm.\\nHowe and Cornwallis were moving in the plain between\\nthe Raritan and Amboy, no more favorable position from\\nwhich to see every motion, could be desired, and it is not\\nimprobable that there, the noble i ovm of the American Fa-\\nbius was often seen from morning until evening, during all\\nthese anxious days. Perhaps we owe to these spots, more", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0100.jp2"}, "101": {"fulltext": "iSOMEPSET COUNTY. j3\\nthan has yet been imagined. .1 l^s-; |)eiiect kno vledge t)n\\nthe part of Was ingr.on, of every tnovenient of his enemies,\\nmight have involved him in a false position. Had he not\\nbeen in a situation, when on his rock elevation, to see at\\nonce the aim of Sir VVm. Howe in that well concerted\\nn)ov ement from Amboy, his regiments might have been\\ncaptured after he left his strong camp at Bound Broolc\\nand advanced upon the plain, and then our soil too, would\\nhave been saturated with human ore, and our vicinity\\ncelebrated as another of the battle fields of liberty. But\\nas it was, life was spared, the designs of our enemies frus-\\ntrated, and the triumph of t ^e principles of human liberty\\nsecured. Let the memory of all such places live, and let\\nl)ilgrims visit them as consecrated spots, as long as the\\nglory of the great deeds and the enduring fiime of the\\nnoble man with whom they are associated shall continue.\\nThe British remained on Staten Island until the middle\\nof July, and then embarked and sailed for the Chesapeake.\\nWashington, after a few days, hearing of Burgoyne s ap-\\nproach to Ticonderoga, moved his araiy to Morristown,\\nand advanced Sullivan as far as Pompton Plains and then\\nagain to Peeks Kill, while he hiaiself took position at\\nPompton. But as soon as Howe had passed out of Sandy\\nHook, knowing well that his aim was to the city of Phila-\\ndelphia, he returned through the county of Somerset, and\\ncrossed the Delaware at New Hope, hastening to the scene\\nof action. The result was tlie battle of Brandy wine on the\\n11th of Sept. Germantown Oct., 4th, and finally the oc-\\ncupation of the city of Philadelphia by the British forces.\\nThe route of this march across the State is no where\\nstated so far as we have read. It was probably by the\\nway of Newark and New Brunswick, by the troops from\\nPeekskill and by Morristown and Millstone, by those\\nfrom Pompton. The State was now cleared of all Milita-\\nry companies and warlike action, and remained so until the\\nevacuation of Philadelphia, June 18th, 1778. It was al-\\nmost a year of sweet rest for its wasted inhabitants.\\nWhen the British entered it again, there was a very diff-\\nerent state of feeling existing among the people.\\nFor some time after Sir Wm. Howe had embarked his", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0101.jp2"}, "102": {"fulltext": "94 SOMERSKT COUNTY.\\ntroops rtt Ainboy, there hnwj^ i^n-ut uncertainty over his\\ndestination, baton the 30th ofJuly the fleet appeared off\\nthe Capes of Dehiware apparently desirinj^, but tearing to\\nenter tin- river, and only finally reached the Chesapeake\\non the 16th ofAuiiUst. Washington, upon learning this,\\nconcentrated his army ;it nnce in the vicinity of Philadel-\\nphia. On tliH 25th of Atigust the British landed at the\\nIVrry of Klk tlun. Tlie whole force was computed at\\n18,000 men. On the 15th of September, occurred the\\nBattle of Braiidywine. Various movements and skirmish-\\nv-s succeeded, the taking of the forts on the D -laware, then\\ncame the battle of Germantown, and finally the oc-\\ncupation of the city of Pl)iladelpiiia, liie great object of\\nsolicitud nn the part of Howe, during the wh(de sum-\\nmer. Tlien came news of the capture of Burgoyne at\\nSaratoga, ()(;tober 13, and Washington encain[)ed for the\\nwinter at Valh^y Forge, on the Schuylkill, and the active?\\nojjerations of another year ended\\nWe have seen the British resting in Philadel[thia, in the\\nwinter of 1777 and 1778, and Washington watcuing them\\nalong the Schuylkill from Valley Forge and Whitemarsh.\\nTlie winter was a weary and discouraging one. The\\nAmerican troops were ill clad, ill fed, and exposed to sick-\\nness, but they endured it all with patriotic patience, and\\nwaited for the opening of the next spring for action\\nAnd a stirring scene it was indeed. The British army\\nhad been comfortable in their quarters in the city, and\\nthe officers had sought to ingratiate thems^lvc^s with the\\ninhabitants by theatricals, balls, and suppers but their\\nsuccess had hardly corresjiondetl to the efforts put forth.\\nThey lingered through the whole sj)ring, but finally, on\\nthe 18th of June, crossed the Delaware at Camden and\\nBurlington, and |.roceeded on their march to the city of\\nNew York, by the way of Allentown, Washington put\\nhis troops in motion to follow their footsteps, and if possi-\\nble, bring on an engagement before they had reached their\\nships on Monmouth shore. He crossed his army at Cor-\\nyelle s Ferry and marching by the way of Pennington and\\nKingston, aj)proached his enemy.\\nFrom the lines on which the two armies were marching,", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0102.jp2"}, "103": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 95\\nit soon becaiTK:! evidtiiit that there wouUl bo a iiuieting and\\nconflict, somewhere in tne vicinity of Freehold or Englisli-\\ntown, in Monmouth county. Washington was greatly em-\\nbarrassed however, by differing opinions among his officers.\\nLee, with five othe.- general officers, was in favor of the\\n[tolicy of a perpetual annoyance of the enemy on the march;\\nGreen, Wayne and Lafayette, thought with Washington,\\nthat it was possible to defeat the British army and make\\nthem prisoners, before they couhl e.Ktricate themst-lves and\\nreach their shii)s in the Raritan Bay. Finally, soon after\\nl)assing the Millstone, jit Kingston, the Commander-iii-\\n(Jhief determined to take the responsibility and to carry\\nont his own private views, by attacking his enemy with\\nhis whole f )rce. Detatching Wayne, with 1000 men to\\nthe front, and giving Lafayette conmiand of all the ad-\\nvanced i)arties, he moved forward the main body of his\\ntroops to Cranberry on the 26th of June. On the 27th,\\nLafayette reached Englishtown. Sir Henry Clinton ap-\\nprehending an immediate attack, placed all his baggage in\\nhis front, and took up a strong position at Freehold.\\nIn this situation the morning of the 28th of J une dawn-\\ned- It was the Christian Sabbath. The sky was cloud-\\nless over the plains of Monmouth, and the sun came up\\nwith all the fervor of the summer solstice. It was the\\nsultriest day of the year, but twenty thousand men had\\ngirded on the implements of cruel war, and stood ready\\nfor the battle which decided a long conflict and gave us\\nour freedom. We refer to the published description of the\\nbattle for particulars.\\nWe only remark that notwithstanding the misconduct of\\nLee, for which he was tried and dismissed from the army,\\nthe victory of the Americans was so complete, that during\\nthe night the British forces retreated to their ships at Mid-\\ndletown shore, and so made their escape before Washing-\\n\u00e2\u0080\u00a2ton had time to reach them in the morning. Sir Henry\\nClinton s moonlight raid from Freehold to the waiting\\nships, of which he wrote a brilliant account to his friends\\nat home, may be quoted as one of the most successful run-\\nnings of the war, if not among its most brilliant exploits.\\nOn the day of the battle of Monmouth the French fleet", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0103.jp2"}, "104": {"fulltext": "96 SOMERSET COUNTY,\\narrived off the coast, one month earlier the British ships\\nwonkl have been caught at Phibidelphia. It was proj)Osed\\nto attempt the same thing in the harbour of New York,\\nbut unfortunately they drew so much water, that they\\nwere unable to pass tlie Bar at Sandy Hook, and went to\\nNewport, and Washington marched his army again to the\\nNerh Kiver above New York, sending a |)art of it into Rhode\\nIshmd to assist in the attack made by the French fleet up-\\non Newport. He himself continued with his troops at\\nHaverstraw.\\nIn a few desultory movements the season was spent, and\\nthe French fleet in December, went to winter in the West\\nIndies and tlie campaign closed.\\nWashington with tie remainder of his troops came to\\nthe vicinity of Somerville and selected as the place for en-\\ncampment, the slopi! of woodland north east of Mount\\nPleasant, the officers oceupied the huts which had been\\nerected on the south side of the mountain east of the\\ngorge of Chimney Rock. He himself took u}) his quarters\\nat the house of William Wallace, in Somerville, and here\\nMrs. Washington came and joined him, and they passed\\nthe wint 3r.\\nThere were about 7000 men at Mount Pleasant and at\\nChinmey Rock the principal part at the former place.\\nThe ommander-in-Chitf had, on the 26th of October\\nthrough Lord Sterling, caused the following resolutions of\\nthe Continental Congress to be published to the army, sub-\\nscribed by Francis Barber, Adj. Gen l. viz\\nWhereas, religion and good morals are the only solid\\nfoundation of public liberty and happiness\\nResolved, That it be, and hereby is earnestly recom-\\nmended to the several States to take the most effectual\\nmeasures for the encouragement thereof, and for the sup-\\npression of theatrical entertainments, horse racing, gaming\\nand such other diversions as are productive of idleness, dis-\\nsipation, and general depravity of principles and manners.\\nResolved, That all officers in the army of the United\\nStates, be hereby strictly enjoined to see that the good and\\nwholesome rules provided for the discountenance of pro-", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0104.jp2"}, "105": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 97\\nfaneness and vice, and the preservation of morals araoDg\\nthe soldiers, are duly and punctually ohserved.\\nIn consequence whereof, the Comniinder-in-Chief of ihe\\narmy in this Stctte, directs, that strict obedience to the\\nforegoing resolves be paid by all offisers and soldiers within\\nthe same, By order of Major-G.meral L )rd Sterling, Com-\\nmander of the C mfederate troops of New Jersey.\\nFuANcis Barber, Adj. -Gen.\\nOn the 6th of February, 1779, when the encampment\\nwas just completed and regular order fully established,\\nWashington himself supplemented the above by the fol-\\nlowing additional orders\\nThe Commander-in-Chief approves of the order issued\\nby Major Gen. Lord Sterling during his command at the\\ncamp, and thanks him for the endeavor to pres ^rve order\\nand discipline, and the property of the farmers in the vi-\\ncinity of the camp. He doubts not but the officers of eve-\\nry rank, from a just sense of the importance of sncuring to\\nothers the blessings they themselves are contending for, will\\nuse their utmost vigilance to to maintain those privileges\\nand prevent abuses, as nothing can redound more to their\\npersonal honor and the reputation of their respective corps.\\nExtract from general orders,\\nAlexander Scammil. Adj. -Gen.\\nPr ^cisely when the encampn ent broke up in the next\\nsummer is not readily ascertained Gen. Wayne, whose\\ncorps lay on the scuth side of the Raritan River, left there\\non the last days of June for Stcmy Point, which he as-\\nsaulted and captured on the 15th of July. It is probable\\nthat the troops were gradually withdrawn, and from this\\ntime our County ceased to be the resting place of the ar-\\nmies fighting in trie cause of liberty, and the foot of a\\nBritish soldier trod it no more except in one hasty visit,\\nwhich is to be related.\\nThe alliance which had been formed with France in\\nconsequence of which, Rochambeau and Count De Grasse\\nwere sent to the United States, was, during the winter\\n1779, a matter of universal congratulation. After the ar-\\nmy, had been comfortably hutted, the officers of the artill-\\nery stationed in the vicinity of Pluckarain, gave an enter-", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0105.jp2"}, "106": {"fulltext": "98 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\ntainra ^nt, consisting of a hall and supper in honor of the\\nevent. We extract th following account of this joyous\\noccasion from cotenij)orary records. It is in the following\\nwords The anniversary of our alliance with France was\\ncelebrated on the 18th ultimo at Pluckamin, at a very ele-\\ngant entertainment and display of fireworks given by Gen.\\nKnox and theofficeisof the Corps of Artillery. It was\\npostponed to this late day on account of the Commander\\nin Chief being absent from the camp. Gen. Washington,\\nthe principal officers of the array, with Mrs. Washington.\\nMrs. Green, Mrs. Knox, and the ladies and gentlemen of\\na large circuit round the cam{), were of the company.\\nBesides these, there was a vast concourse of spectators from\\nevery part of the Jerseys.\\nThe barracks of the artillery are at a small distance from\\nPluckamin, on a piece of rising ground, which shows thera\\nto great advantage. The entertainment and ball were held\\nat the Academy of the Park. About 4 o clock in the af-\\nternoon, the celebration of the Alliance was announced by\\nthe discharge of 13 cannon, when the company assembled\\nto a very elegant dinner. The room was spacious and the\\ntables were prettily disposed, both as to prospect and con-\\nvenience. The festivity was universal and the toasts de-\\nscriptive of the happy event, which had given certainty to\\nour liberties, empire and independence. In the evening\\nwas exhibited a very tine set of fire works conducted by\\nCol, Stevens arranged on the point of a temple 100 feet in\\nlength and proportionately high. The temple showed 13\\narches, each displaying an illuminated painting. The\\ncentre arch was ornamented with a pediment larger than\\nthe others, and the whole edifice supported by a colonade\\nof the Corinthian order\\nThe illuminated paintings were disposed of in the follow-\\ning order. The 1st arch on the right represented the\\ncommencement of hostilities at Lexington, with this in-\\nscription -The scene opened 2d, British Clemency/\\nrepresented in the burning of Charleston, Falmouth, Nor-\\nfolk and Kingston 3d, The separation of America from\\nBritain. By your tyranny to the people of America,\\nyou have separated the wide arch of an extended empire", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0106.jp2"}, "107": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 99\\n4th, -Britain iV piesenteJ as a decaying eiui)iri by a bar-\\nren Country, broken arches, fallen spires, shij)s deserting\\nits shores, births of t)i ev hovering over its luoulderinQ- citi(\\\\s.\\nand a gloomy setting sun. Motto\\nThe Babylonian spires aie nunk\\nAohciia, Rome and Eirypt iiiuuldered down\\nTime siiakes the stable tyiaiiny of thrones.\\nAnd totteritiu Empires crushed b}- theii own weiyht.\\n5, America re])resetited as a rising Em; ire, [)rospect (d a\\nferide country, hai bors and rivers covered with ships, new\\nca als opening, cities rising amidst woods, splendid sun\\nemerging from a bright horrizon. Motto,\\nNew worlds are seen emer j:ing from the deep\\nThe old descending in their turn to rise.\\n6. A grand illuminated representation of Louis 16, the en-\\ncourager of letters, the sn})porter ut the rights of humani-\\nty, the ally and friend of tie American people 7th, the\\ncentre arch, The Fathers in Gongre. ^s. Motto, Nil dcs-\\nperandum Reipiihlicae 8th, The American Philosopher\\nand Ambassador, exti acting lightning from the clouds\\n9th, Battle near Saratoga, Oct. 7, 1777 10, The Conven-\\ntion of Saratoga 11th, A representation of the sea-tight\\noff Ushant, between Count De Orvilliers and Admiral\\nKeppel 12th, Warren Montgomery, Mercer, Wooster,\\nNash, and a crowd of heroes who have fallen in th Amer-\\nican contest, in Elysium, receiving the thanks and praises\\nof Brutus, Cato and those other spirits, who, in nil ages,\\nhave gloriously struggled against tyrants and tyranny.\\nM.tto, Those who shed their blood in such a cause shall,\\nlive and reign forever 13th, represented peace, with all\\nher train of blessings, her right hand displaying an olive\\nbran; h, at her feet lay the honors of harvest, the back-\\nground was filled with flourishing cities, por s crowded\\nwith ships and other elements of an extended Empire and\\nunrestraint d commerce.\\nWhen the fireworks were finished, the company return-\\ned to the Academy and concluded the celebration by a\\nvery splendid ball.\\nThe whole was conducted in a style and manner that\\nreflects srcat honor oh the task of the managers.", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0107.jp2"}, "108": {"fulltext": "100 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\nThe news announced to Congress, from the Spanish\\nbranch of the house of Bourbon, arriving at the moment of\\nCi^h^bration, notliing coukl so opjiortunely have increased\\nthe good humor of the company, or added to those anima-\\nted expressions of pleasure which arose on the occasion.\\nThe exact locality of the Academy tradition fixes on the\\neast side of the village street, a short distance north of the\\nlate Boylan residence, and the edge of the wood, on the\\nfarm of the late Dr. Henry Vanderveer. There are many\\ngraves yet visible near the encampment at the foot of the\\nmountain.\\nDuring the time that the troops were at Pluckamin, the\\nchild of Gen. Knox died, and was buried in the Cemetery\\nof Bedminster Church. The following is found on the\\ntomb\\nUnder this stone are deposited the Remains of Jidia\\nKnox, an infant, who died the 2nd of July, 1779. She\\nloas the Second Daughter of Henry and Lucy Knox, of\\nBoston, in New England.\\nThis grave is situated directly west of the front doors of\\nthe Church, and about 25 feet from the building.\\nThe Spring of 1780, while Washington lingered with\\nhis army near Somerville, was a characteristic season of\\nthe war. It was earnestly hoped, and by many believed,\\nthat the French alliance would bring peace and independ-\\nence very soon. So they thought at pluckamin and rep-\\nresented in one of their illuminated paintings. In some\\nrespects it was an unfortunate delusion, for it tended to\\nparalyze the exertions of Congress and the people generally\\nand produced delay in all the departments of the civil and\\nmilitary service.\\nThen the currency had become largely depreciated. The\\ndollar which in 1777, was worth 7 shillings and six pence,\\nin 1780, passed for only 3 pence. We have had the use\\nof an old list made as a memorandum of this progress of\\nthe downfall of the circulating medium, and append it as\\na curiosity.\\nSeptember 1777, the Continental dollars passed for 7\\nshillings and 6 pence October, 10s November, 6s 3p\\nDecember, 5s 8p January 1778, 5s 2p February 4s 8p;", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0108.jp2"}, "109": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 101\\nMarch, 4s 3p April 3s 9p May, 3s 3p .lime, 2s lOp\\nJuly, 2s 6p August, 2s 2p September, Is 10 l-2p\\nOctober, Is 7 l-2p November, Is 4p December, Is 2p\\nJanuary 1779. Is; February. 10 l-2p; March, 9p April,\\n8p May. 7 l-2p June, 6 l-3p July, 6p August,-\\n5 l-2p September, 5p October, 4 l-2p November, 4p;\\nDecember, 3 l-2p January 1780, 3p February, 3p\\nMarch, 2 l-2p, and up to the 18th of May 1780, 2 1-lOp\\nand then 0. IIuw the people managed in such a state of\\nthings, to sell or traffic at all, is a mystery, and h )\\\\v the\\narmies were kept in the field is almost a miracle. It is\\nonly another confirmation of the adage what is to be done\\nwill be done. Robert Morris s immense fortune was often\\nthe only confidence which floated the Continental currency,\\nand kept the armies in the field.\\nIn June the army broke up its encampment and moved\\nto the vicinity of Hackensack. Stony Point was taken by\\nGen. Anthony Wayne on the 15th of July, and on the\\n18th of August, Lord Sterling, aided by Major Lee. as-\\nsaulted and took the fort at Paules Hook, now Jersey\\nCity, making prisoners jf 150 men and officers.\\nSomerset was exempt from any disturbance, and the\\narmies did not in any way intrude on the pursuits of hus-\\nbandry. Only once the army passed through this county\\non its way to Yorktown, and at the close of the war, while\\nCongress was in session, at Princeton, Washington and hi s\\nguard and officers attended there for a short period, and\\nW3 therelore close here the Revolutionary history of our\\ncounty, so far as active operations are concerned.", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0109.jp2"}, "110": {"fulltext": "CHAPTER VII.\\nsimooe s raid, and concluding scenes of the revolution.\\nOne of tlie most celebrated incidents of the war, especially\\nin Somerset County, was the raid of Lieut. Col. Simcoe\\nfroin Amboy to Van Veghten s Bridge, in which he suc-\\nceeded in the burning of a number of boats lying in the\\nliaritan, one and a half miles below Somerville, the Church\\nof Raritan, the Cc^irt House at Millstone, and reached the\\nambuscade formed to protect and receive him and his\\nCorps at Spotswood, with the loss of only three men killed\\nand six taken prisoners, one of which was Simcoe himself.\\nCol. Lee says in his Memoirs of the War, that it was\\nconsidered by b^-tli armies among the handsomest exploits\\not the war. The Corps called the Queen s Rangers,\\nwhich made this raid, c nsisted. mostlv of native Ameri-\\ncans who favored the Royal cause, enlisted chiefly in the\\nvicinity of New York and Connecticut. It had mustered\\nat one time four hundred men but was reduced in num-\\nbers when Col. Simcoe assumed the command in 1777. He\\nsoon made it as a corps, a model of order, bravery and\\nmilitary skill and it w;is in its very best condition when\\nacting in New Jersey. We are then to understand that it\\nwas not British soldiers who committed the outrage on\\nproperty devoted to religious purposes, but renegade\\nAmericans and the pilot is said was Jim Stewart, a na-\\ntive of Somerset C(junty. We have an account of this\\nraid from Lieut. Col. Simcoe himself; and we shall let\\nhim give his own version and then append our comments.\\nThe following is an extract from his Military Journal, j)ub-\\nlished under his own supervision\\nOn the 25th of October, by 8 o clock at night, the de-", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0110.jp2"}, "111": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 103\\ntachment, which had been detailed, marched to Billop s\\nPoint where they were to embark. That the enterprise might\\nbe efFectnally concealed, Lt. Col. Simcoe described a man,\\nas a rebel 8j)y, said to be on the island, and endeavoring?\\nto escape to New Jersey, a great rewai d was offered for\\ntaking him, and the militia of the Island were watching\\nall the points where it was possilde for any man to hide\\nin order to apprehend him. The batteaux and boats,\\nwhich were appointed to be ready at Billop s Point, and to\\npass the whole over by twelve o clock at night, did not ar-\\nrive until three o clock in the morning. No time was lost.\\nThe infantry of the Queen s Rangers were landed they\\nambuscaded every avenue to the town. The cavalry fol-\\nlowed as fast as possible.\\nAs soon as it was formed, Lieut. Col. Simcoe called to-\\ngether the officers he told them of his plan, that he\\nmeant to burn the boafs at Van Vacter s bridge, and\\ncrossing the Raritan at Hillsborough, to return by the\\nroad to Brunswick, and, making a circuit to avoid that\\nplace as soon as he came near it, to discover himself when\\nbeyond it, on the heights where the Grenadier Redoubt\\nstood while the British troops were can oned there, and\\nwhere the Queen s Rangers afterward had been encamped\\nand to entice the militia, if jjossible, to follow him into an\\nambuscade which the infantiy wouhi lay t ov them at South\\nRiver bridge. Mnjor Armstrong was to re-embark as\\nsopn as the cavalry marched, and land on the opposite side\\nof the Raritan, at South Amboy. He was then, with the\\nutmost dispatch and silence, to proceed to South River\\nbridge, si.x; miles from South Amboy, where he was to am-\\nbuscade himself, without passing the bridge or taking it\\nup A smaller creek falls into this river on the South\\nAmboy side into the peninsula formed by these streams,\\nLiut. Ciil. Simcoe hoped to allure the Jersey militia. In\\ncase of accident, Mhj, Armstrong was desired to give credit\\nto any messenger who should give him the parole of\\nClinton and Montrose. It was daybreak before the\\ncavalry left Amboy. The procuring of guides had been\\nby Sir Henry Clinton intrusted to Brigadier Skinner he\\neither did not or could not obtain them for but one was", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0111.jp2"}, "112": {"fulltext": "104 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\nfound who knew perfectly the cross-road he meant to take\\nto avoid the main road fmni Somerset Court House, or\\nHillsborough, to Brunswick. Capt, Sanford frmed the\\nadvance guard, the Huzzars followed, and Stuart s men\\nwere in the rear, making, in the whole, about eighty. A\\nJustice Crow was soon overtaken Lieut. Col. Sirncoe ac-\\ncosted him roughly, called him Pory, nor seemed to be-\\nlieve his excuse when, in the American idiom for court-\\nship, he said he had only been a sparking, but sent him\\nto the rear guard, who, being Americans, easily compre-\\nhended their instructions, and kept up the justice s belief\\nthat the party was a detatchment +rom Washington s ar-\\nmy. Many jjlantations were now passed by, the inhabi-\\ntants of which were up, and whom the party accosted with\\nfriendly salutations. At Quibbletown, Lieut. Col. Simcoe\\nba l just quitted the advance guard to speak to Lieut.\\nStewart, Lieut. Stewart was a native of Somerset Coun-\\nty, a partisan Royalist, and extensively known as Tory\\nJim. If he had been recognized anywhere about Bound\\nBrook or Raritan, it would not have been well for him.\\nwhen, from a public house on the turn of the road, some\\npeople came out with knapsacks on their shoulders, bear-\\ning the appearance of a lebel guard. Capt, Sanford did\\nnot see them t ll he had passed by, when, checking his\\nhorse to give notice, the huzzars were reduced to a mo-\\nmentary halt opposite the house. Perceiving the suppos-\\ned guard they threw themselves off their horses, sword in\\nhand, and entered the house. Lieut. Col. Simcoe instant-\\nly made them remount but they failed to discover\\nsome thousand pounds of paper money which had been ta-\\nken from a passenger, the master of a priyateer, nor could\\nhe stay to search for it. He told the man that he would\\nbe aLswerabb to give him his money that night at Bruns-\\nwick, where he should quarter, exclaimed aloud to his\\nparty, that these were not the tories they were in search\\nof, although they had knapsacks, and told the country\\npeople who were assembling around, that a party of To-\\nries had made their escape from Sullivan s army, and were\\ntrying to get into Staten Island, as Iliff (who had been\\ndefeated near this very spot, taken and executed) had foi", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0112.jp2"}, "113": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 105\\nmerly done and that he was sent to intercept them.\\nThe sight of Justice Crow would, probably, have aided in\\ndeceiving the inhabitants but unfortunately, a man per-\\nsonally knew Lieut. Col. Simcoe, and an express was sent\\nto Gov. Livingston, then at Brunswick, as soon as the par-\\nty marched. It was now conducted by a country lad\\nwhom they fell in with, and to whom Capt. Sanford (be-\\ning dressed in red, and without his cloak) had been intro-\\nduced as a French officer. He gave information, that the\\ngreater part of the boats had been sent on to Washington s\\ncamp, but that eighteen were at Van Vacter s bridge, and\\nthat their horses were at a farm about a mile from it. He\\nled the party to an old camp of Washington s, above\\nBound Brook. [This encamptnent was on the mountain\\nside east of the gorge of Chimney Rock.] Lieat. Go\\\\. tSim-\\ncoe s instructions were, to burn these huts, if possible, in\\norder to give as wide an alarm to the Jerseys as he could.\\nHe found it impracticable to do so they not being joined\\nin ranges, nor built of very combustible materials. He\\nproceeded without delay to Bound Brook, whence he in-\\ntended to carry off Col, Moyland but lie was not at Mr,\\nVanhorns. [It is understood that Col. Moyland had\\nmarried a daughter of Mr. Phillip Van Horn, and was\\nknown to be frequently there on visits to his wife.] Two\\nofficers who had been ill were there their paroles were\\ntaken, and they were ordered to mark sick quarters over\\nthe room door they inhabited, which was done and Mr.\\nVanhorn Wiis informed that the party was the advance\\nguard of tht? left colum.n of the army, which was command-\\ned by Gen. Birch, who meant to quarter that night at his\\nhouse, and that Sir Henry Clinton was in full march for\\nMorristown. with the army. The party proceeded to Van\\nVacter s bridge. Lieut Col. Simcoe found 18 new flat\\nboats, upon carriages they were full of water He was\\ndetermined effectually to destroy them. Combustibles had\\nbeen applied for, and he received, in consequence, a few\\nport fires every huzzar had a hand-grenade, and several\\nhatchets were brought with the party. The timbers of\\nthe boats were cut througli, they were filled with straw and\\nrailing, and some grenades being fastened in them, they", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0113.jp2"}, "114": {"fulltext": "lOG SOMEKSET COUNTY.\\nwere set on fire. Forty minntes were employed in this\\nbusiness. The eonntry bef2;an to assemble in their rear;\\nand, as Lient. Col. Sinicoi^ went to the Duteh meeting,\\nwhere the harness, and some stores, were reported to be\\na rifle-shot was. fired at liim from the opposite bank of\\nthe river. This house, with a magazine of forage, was now\\nconsumed, The Dutch Meeting Wiis the Clinrch of\\nRaritan, built in 1721 on land donated to the congregation\\nby Michael Van Veghten. Some of tlie ro])es used in\\nhauling the boats from the Delaware, had been thrown un-\\nder tile portico of the church, but anything else that could\\nbe called property or stores th re was not the rifle shot\\nfired from the opposite side of the river was only a shot\\ngun loaded for shooting pigeon^, and fired by a young man,,\\nat such a long range, as to do no possible execution who,\\nimmediately took to his heels and ran away. There was\\nno magaze of forage anywhere near the bridge, with the\\nexception of the ropes and there had been nothing else\\nthere at any time. The boats were intended to be floated\\ndown the river and employed in making a descent on\\n{Staten Island and attacking the British encampments there;\\nand it is a mistake, to say that a couimissary and his peo-\\nple were made prisoneis. We say this on the authority of\\na witness living n the Ravitan at that very time and per-\\nfectly cognizant of all the particulars from whose lips we\\nare giving our testimony. Simcoe s account wae written,\\nprolably, long after the time when the event occurred and\\n])articulars were forgotten and the burning of the Church\\ntherefore, stands unexcused as a wanton outrage for which\\nthere was no provocation in the circumstances of the case,\\nor in the recognized rules of civilized warfare.] the com-\\nmissary and his people being made prisoners. The party\\nproceeded to Somerset Courthouse, or Hillsborough, Lieut,\\nCol, ISimcoe told the prisoners not to be alarmed, that he\\nwould give them their paroles before he left the Jerseys;\\nbut he could not help heavily lamenting to the officers with\\nhim, the sinister events which ])revented him from being\\nat Van Vacter s bridge some hours sooner, as it would\\nhave been very feasible to have drawn off the flat boats to\\nthe South river, instead of destroying them. He proceed-", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0114.jp2"}, "115": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY, 107\\ned to SoiiK i-st t Coiirthoiise. Three loyalists who were\\npiisoners there, were liberated. One f thein was a dread-\\nful spectacle he a|)[)eur.s to ha^ e been almost starved, and\\nwas chained to the Moor. [Wo have no information in re-\\ngard to the ])risoner. in the jail at Millstone hut we be-\\nlieve the scene described to be an exaggeration. The par-\\ntiz;!ns of the British, it is true, were not much respected\\nin Somerset County, Init humanity was never foigotten in\\ndealing with them. They had coats of tar and feathers\\nbestowed on th m but almost, starvation is (;vi(lently\\nan hy[)erbolic form of e.xpression The soldiers wished\\nand it was peinutted, to burn the court house. It was\\nunconnected with any other building, and, by its flamifs\\nshowed n wdiich side of the Rarilan he was, and would,\\nmost pi obably, operate lo assemble the neighboihood of\\nBrunswick at itsbiidge, to prevent him fi om returning by\\nthatroaii. The party proceeded toward Brunswick.\\nAlarm guns were now heard, and some shots were fired at\\nthe rear, particularly by one person, who, as it afterward\\naDpeared, being out a shooting, and hearing of the incur-\\nsioti,) had sent word to Gov. Livingston, who was at\\nBrunswick, that he would follow the party at a distance,\\nand tiiCn give a shot, that he might know which way they\\ndirected their march. Passing by some houses, Lieut. C /1.\\nSimcoe told the women to inlbrni four or five peo[)le who\\nwere pursuing the rear, that if they fired another shot, he\\nwould burn every house which he passed. A man or two\\nweie now slightly wounded. As the l arty approached\\nBrunswick, Lieut. Col. Simcoe began to be anxious for\\nthe cross-road diverging from it into the Princeton road,\\nwhich he ment to puisne, and which having once arrived\\nat, he himself knew the by-ways to the heights he wished\\nto attain, where having frequently done duty, he was mi-\\nnutely acquainted with every advantage and circumstance\\nof the ground. His guide was periectly confident that he\\nwas not yet arrived at it and Lieut. Col. Simcoe was in\\nearnest conversation with him, and making the necessary\\ninquiries, when a shot, at some little distance, discovered\\nthere was a jiarty in front. He immediately galloped\\njhither and he sent back Wright, his orderly sergeant to", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0115.jp2"}, "116": {"fulltext": "108 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\njicquMint Capt. Sandfonl that the shot had not been fired\\nat the piuty, when, on the iii;ht at some distance, he saw\\nthu rail t lMice (\\\\vh)ch was very Itisj^h on both sides of the\\nnarrow road between two woods) somewhat broken down,\\niiiid a man oi- two near it, when, pnttin*:; his horse on the\\ncanter, he joined tix^Jidvance men of the Hnzzars, (h terinin-\\nini!; to [lass throng h this o[)enini^, so as to avoid every ani-\\nbnscade that might be hiid fir him, or attack, n.pon more\\ne]na\\\\ terms, Col. Lee, (whom he nnderstood to b.^ in the\\nD ^ighborhood, and apprehended might be opposed to him,)\\nor any other paitv when hi- saw some men concealed be-\\nhind loos and bnshes, between iiim and the opening he\\nmeant to puss througli, and he heard the words Now,\\nn;\u00c2\u00bbw, and fonnd himself, when he recovered his senses,\\nprisoner with the enemy, his horse being killed with five;\\nbnllets, and himself stnnned by the violence of his fall.\\n[Th n^snlt near DeMott s Tavern, two miles west of\\nNew Brnnswick reqnires more additions, than any other\\npart of the narrative, to render it complete. Col. Simcoe s\\nhorse was shot under him and he hiniself thrown violently\\nto the gronnd and rendered insensible. James Schnrernan,\\nof !New Brunswick, saved his life by thrusting aside the\\nbayonet of a soldier of the militia who attempted to stab\\nhim he was braced u[) against a tree, and Dr. Jonathan\\nFold Morris, afterwards of Som^^rville, then a student of\\nmedicine in New Brunswick, bled him, and administered\\nsuch restoratives as could be obtained. He was then taken\\nto New Brunswick and properly cared for. He recovered\\nand was exchanged entered on his command again, and\\nwas present with his Corps, the Queen s Raui^ers, at Spen-\\ncer s Ordinary on James River, July 1781 at King s\\nBridge, January 1778, and at Oyster Bay, Long Island,\\n1778-9, where there was literally a nest of Tories, of\\nwhom William Franklin, late Governor of New Jersey,\\nwas Chief He became, after the Revolution, Governor\\nof Uj)per Canada, and wrote to enquire for the young man\\nwho had so kindly and humanely assisted him at DeMott s\\nTavern and again, a second titue, to Dr. Morris himself,\\nthanking him for his attentions, and offering him advance-\\nment and active assistance, provided he would visit him in", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0116.jp2"}, "117": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 109\\nCaniula which Or. Morris saw reasons to (h^cline. Sim-\\ncoe died in England, in 1806, and has a niurai inonu-\\nHKnit with sevcMcil scnl[)tni( d fignn^s, in Exeter (Jathedi al,\\nexecuted by Fhixniaii, ilie i aniou English Scul[)tor It is\\nsaid to bean unfavorable example of his ability, having lit-\\ntle poetic character in its design, and no refinement of form\\nin execution.\\nAmong the pursuers of the Hangers from Millstone was\\nCapt. G. P. Voorhee\u00c2\u00ab, a brave man, wiio in his ardor lut-\\nstripped his comrades Seeing him alone, several of the\\nRangers turned up n him, an I in attenuting to leap a\\nfence to escape frotn their assault his horse became entan-\\ngled and hung on the rails. In this situation h*^ was ter-\\nribly hacked with tLeir swords, and carried bleeding to\\nNew Brnnswick^ where Ik: dieu in a few hours.\\nAfter the loss of their leader, the Rang(^rs hastened to\\nthe appointed rendezvous at South River and there Dr.\\nRyker and Mr. John Folhemus were made prisoners, by the\\ncovering party sent from Amboy to protect them as they\\ncame in. The whole enterprise was certainly conducted\\nwith spirit, and resulted in the loss of fewer lives than\\ncould have been f^xpected. The benefits were nothing, but\\nthe disabling of eighteen flat boats, which vould not have\\nbeen used, had they not been burned. As to the prisoners,\\nat Millstone, no out- specially careti it was probably re-\\ngarded as a good ridaance but the Church and the Court\\nHouse had done no harm and the first, especially, was\\nnot amenable to military execution and its destruction\\nwas neither justifiable or necessary, in any way, except as\\nan annoyance to the citizens of Somerset County.]\\nCONCLUDING SCENES.\\nAfter this the tide of war drifted away almost entirely\\nfrom Somerset County. It was a great relief to its inhabi-\\ntants, and left them time to recuperate a little from their\\nsevere losses. The armies had eaten out their substance\\nalmost entirely. The farmers often had not been able to\\nsave grain enough to give their families bread, and supply\\nseed for their fields for another harvest. But their firm pa-", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0117.jp2"}, "118": {"fulltext": "110 SOMEEISKT CO UN FY.\\ntriotisin was not evajjorati^J. Tht; (k preciation of the\\ncontiiivnfcal curmnc^y wis lu )rc i)jr!)lexinj^ an\\\\ c atailed\\nmoie roal loss, than all tlit^ jirevious injuries of the war.\\nontracts f \u00c2\u00bbr the arinv coiihl ni t be inaile ;uk1 in tlie\\nwinter of 1780, th;^ ariny at AL)i-ristown were reiliiC d to\\nfamine rations. A military requisition had t(^ b mide\\nby Wasliing ton upon the oeople for supi)lies to fe( (i his\\nstarving troops. With this necessary im[)osition New-ler-\\nSHy [)romptly conij;)lied am! Somerset county hastened to\\nb: ing in her alloted contribution am ;ng the very first.\\nThe winter proved to be one of the most severe on rec-\\nord. The Kai-itan was compbitely frozen, and the inhabi-\\ntants employed its icy surfice as a public highwiy. Por\\nalmost four months, it was more used than, any road in the\\ncounty.\\nWashington was confine 1 to his cam|) at Morristown,\\nbut he was not unwakeful to suirounding scenes. As soon\\nas the ice had formed between 8taten Island and the main-\\nland to such a state of solidity as so admit of the passage\\nof wagon and cannon^ he thought ot renewing the (h^sign\\nentertained in the ])receeding autumn, of attacking the\\nBritish Post on the Island. The enter[)rise was committed\\nto Lord Sterling, but the Jjritish w^^ e early apprised of his\\nindentions, and the attempt filled faih^d indeed, in con-\\nsiderable loss to the American forces.\\nDiscontent arising out of the scarcity of i oo l was so rife\\nin the camp at Morristown and so much magnified by re-\\nports that that the British were led to think a favorable\\nsentiment towards them was growing up, and even that a\\nreturn of the peo{)le to their former allejiiance was possi-\\nble. This idea led to an effort to aid the supposed m;il-\\ncontents. Gen. Knipiiausen crossed over to Elizabeth-\\ntown point, and marched as far into the country as\\nSpringfield on the sixth and seventh of June but he\\nsoon found how terribly he had mistaken the temper of the\\npeople. Gov. Longston called n\\\\)on the militia to rally\\nfor defense, and the British troops were so perpetually har-\\nrassed, that they soon only thong!) t of revenge and a safe\\nreturn. The village of Connecticut Farms, with the\\nchurch was given to the flames, and Mrs. Caldwell, the", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0118.jp2"}, "119": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. Ill\\nwifo of the Rev. .Jain. s CaldwcIl, of Elizib^lhtown, was\\nshot in litn- own h(M,ise with lior cliiKh-cm aroun;l her and a\\nbabe in her arnis It was cUiimed to have l.een an acci-\\ndent, bat it appears to have had the impnlse of reven e\\nf2^r.iwini ont of disappointai nt, as its incitin:^, canse The\\nincident, iiad :i, hiri^e share in enibitterino- the feelings of the\\ninhabitants of tlie State ai!;ain:^t th ir enemies, and inflani-\\niii j; their determinate resistance. After a short si^irmish at\\nSprino-fiehl, Kniphaasen made his wav back to rttaten\\nIshiud.\\nAlmost simultaneously with this raid into New .Jersey\\nthe t rench auxiliaries arrived at N ewport, July 18th.\\nWashington inimediaioly planuMl an attack upon the city\\nNew York in conjunction with the French forces but so\\nmany squadrons of British siiips arrived on tlie coast about\\nthe same time that the French were confined to the har-\\nbor of Newport, and unable to CO operate with the army\\nat Morristown. While Washington was absent at Hart-\\nford in consultation with Count Rochambeau. Arnold\\nfound an oj)po:tunity to attempt his long meditated trea-\\nson of betraying West Point, the key to Highhmds, to 8ir\\nHenry Clinton at New York, How it was defeated and\\nh w the amiable and accomplished Majre Andre lost his\\nlife in consenting to be concerned in it, is too well known\\ntoo re(][uire to be told here. Fviily in Dt cember the army\\nwent into winter quarters the Pennsylvania troops near\\nMorristown, the New Jersey troops on Pompton Plains,\\nand the New England troops near West Point, on both\\nsides of the North river.\\nThe season of 17S1 opened in gloom. The disappointment\\nfrom tne unavailable nature o| the French aid was deep\\nAlmost the only hope from abroad seemsil to be confined\\nto the disposition which had b.!en manifested by the Hol-\\nlanders, to unite in assisting the American patriots Ma-\\nny in the army were still discontented, lAostly from a mis-\\nunderstanding in regard to the proper interpretation of the\\nterms of enlistment, which read f)r three years or during\\nthe war. The soldiers claimed discharge at the end of\\nthree years. but the officers insisted on the other clause\\nor during the war. The Pennsylvania line broke out in", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0119.jp2"}, "120": {"fulltext": "112 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\n)pen revolt and iiiarcln^d from Pompton as far as Trenton,\\nwhere they wern met by President Reed and indnced tf)\\nsubmit oil certain specified conditions having rej-^cted\\nwith disdain the treacherous overtures made to them by\\nSir Henry Clinton. They had suffered indeed, but they\\nwere not justified in attemjjting to redress their own\\ngrievances in such a summary way, and the revolt was\\ncrushed before It had time to s|)read among the corps from\\nthe other States.\\nWashington still adhered to his plan of beseiging the\\ncity of New York, and capturing Sir Henry Clinton\\nand his army Tlie French troops were even ordered to\\nNewport eaily in June in anticipation of such a movement,\\nbut in August this idea was abandoned, and instead of it,\\nLord Cornwallis was besieged in Yorktown the French\\nfleet under Count De Grasse blockading the pf. rt and\\nWashington surrounded him on the land side. On this\\noccasion all the troo])s in New Jersey, as well as those at\\nWest Point, hastened to the scents of active operations.\\nThis was the last time that any large military force was\\nseen in Somerset County, and then only on its southern\\nborders. It is said Clinton might easily, by a sudden at-\\ntack, have interrupted this movement, greatly to the relief\\nof Cornwallis, had he not been deceived by letters upon\\nwhich he relied, and wiiich represented it only as a feint\\nthe real point of intended attack bluing himself in the city\\nof New York.\\nFinally on the sixth day of October the troops wee all\\npresent, and the first cordon was drawn around the devot-\\ned city, and on the 19th after a defense of thirteen days,\\nCornwallis capitulated but not before almost every gun\\non the British fortifications had been dismounted and all\\ntheir batteries silenced. The surrender included York-\\ntown and Gloucester Point, with their garrisons and the\\nshipping in the harbor, and the seamen, the army, the\\narms, the military chest, with all the stores and ammuni-\\ntions.\\nIt was a proud day, and it virtually ended the war. A\\nshow of hostilities was indeed kept up and skirmishing\\ncontinued for a few months longer in the vicinities of", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0120.jp2"}, "121": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 113\\nCharleston and New York, but every one saw that the ruin\\nbrought upon the British interests, by the hiss of such an\\narmy as that which surrendered at Yorktown, was findl.\\nThe state of feeling in Enghmd, forbade even an attempt\\nto repair it.\\nDuring the summer of 1782 the border warfare, especial-\\nly in Monmouth county, was excee ingly bitter, but in\\nour own county, there was cornj)arative quiet and at once\\npeaceful industry and commence revived. The feeling of\\nthe people really grew stronger in their determination to\\nstand out to the last. They hoped for peace, but they felt\\nresolute to endure to the end and to conquer it.\\nOn the 30th of November. 1782, the Americrn Commis-\\nsioners, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John Jay and\\nHtnry Laurens, signed a treaty in the city of Ghtmt, which\\nacknowledged the Independence of the Thirteen United\\nColonies, and gave them peac(^ The treaty however, did\\nnot take effect until the Twentieth of January, 1783, when\\nthe general pacification was to go into operation. These ti-\\ndings, so happy and so ardently desired, were first com-\\nmunicated by LaFayette, in a letter received on the Twen-\\nty-fourth of March, Early in April a copy of the treaty\\narrived, and on the the nineteenth of that month, 1783, a\\nproclamation suspending hostilities was issued. It was\\ndone, but no one thought then, what a great thing really\\nhad been effected. How great the event really was we\\nscarcely yet know.", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0121.jp2"}, "122": {"fulltext": "CHAPTER VIII.\\nWASHINGTON AND DR. H AliDENEURGH.\\nIn the winter of 1778 anil 1779 while VVashln2:ton had\\nhis quarters in Caleh Miller s house, Dr. Hardenbiircjh was\\nresiding next door in the parsonage. A friendshi[) grew\\nup naturally between them as the result of almost diily\\nintercourse. They were, in many respects, men of the\\nsame spirit, alihough one was a warrior and the other a\\nminister of the gospel of peace. Dr. Hardenburgh had not\\nyet lost his church, and there can be little doubt that\\nWashington, sometimes at least, attended divine service on\\nthe banks of the Raritan in the liouse which was after-\\nw-ards burned, for he was a respecter of re igion and car^^ful\\nnot to seem to neglect, far less to oppose it.\\nThe fruits of this intercourse and iriendship are seen in\\nseveral public orders i. ^sued to the army while at Raritan.\\nHis general orders quartering his army, dated September\\n17th, 1778, cautioning against unnecessary injury to i)er-\\nsons or property belonging to thw inhabitants, and f)rbid-\\ning peremptorily any tres})asses again, on Octobvrr 28th,\\nan order against horse-racing and what marks the coinci-\\ndence and the inspiration, is that the minutes of the\\nchurch show a protest about the same time written no\\ndoubt by Dr. Hardenburgh against cock-lighting, shoot-\\ning matches and horse racing, still ngain, JSIovemi er 19,\\n1778, another series of orders directed against the prevail-\\ning practice of ])rofane swearing, repiobating and forbid-\\nding it in the army. Attest this.\\nBut there are two other papers arising out of this inter-\\ncourse and friendsliip, which we have reserved for this", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0122.jp2"}, "123": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 115\\nplace. The first is entitled an address of the Minister,^\\nElders and Deacons of the Dutch Reformed Chnrch of\\nRaritun, presented to His Excellency. George Washing-\\nton, Commander-in-Chief of the Armies of the United\\ntS.tates of North America, and is as follows\\nMay it please your Excellency\\nWe, the Consistory of the Dutch Reformed Chnrch of\\nRaritan, heg leave to emhrace this opportunity to declare\\nto your Excellency the real sentiments of our hearts.\\nAs we would wish to adore the directing hand of Provi-\\ndence, so we aie bound to acknowdedge that, spirit, of pa-\\ntriotism, which has induced your Excellency to sacrifice\\nthe swe ets of an affluent domestic life, to put yourself and\\nyour rn ^^st amiable a.id virtuous consort to repeated and\\nafflicting- separations, for no other reason than defending\\nthe just rights and liberties of our bleeding country.\\nHere, sir, permit us to express our grateful sense of your\\nExcellency s care and vigilance for this part of our country\\nin the trying winter of the year 1777. when after two mem-\\norable victories, your Excellency by masterly strokes of\\ngeneralship defended us by a handful of undisciplined mi-\\nlitia, against the depredations of a formidable army of our\\nenemies, collected and quartered in our vicinity. We can\\nnot help admiring that gracious Providence which has\\nmade the success and victories of your arms to bear down\\nthe remembrance of discouraging disappointments and\\nwe cordially hope that the agreeable prospect of a speedy\\ntermination of the present troubles, in favor of our distress-\\ned nation, may support your Excellency under the pres-\\nent weight of perplexing cares and concerns, inseparable\\nfrom your station. p\\nThough the quartering of armies among f citizens is al-\\nways attended with unavoidable inconveniences to the;lat-\\nter yet we are agreably constraiced lo acknowledge thaj;\\nyour Excellency has been pleased to take particular care,\\nthroughout the course of this last winter to prevent and\\nalleviate these calamities, as much as Possible. Your\\nExcellency s concern for the support of civil government in\\nits just and equitable execution, rhas endeared you to\\nour fellow citizens and the strict discipline which the", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0123.jp2"}, "124": {"fulltext": "116 SOMERISBT COUNTY.\\ngenlleriianly dfficers under your Excellency s more immediate\\ncoiuinaad al this time. Iiave observed not only at head quar-\\nters, but also throughout the body of the army, we are per-\\nsuaded has merited the approbation and applause of the\\ngood peo})le ot this neighborhood. We beg your Exceilen-\\nC} will do us the justice to believe us sincere, when we de-\\nchire our affection and true regard for your person, and the\\ndeep sense wiiich we entertain of the important t^ervices\\nyour Excellency and the gentlemen oflicers under your com-\\nmand, have rendered their country in the course of this se-\\nvere contest And we assure you, sir, that we shall deem\\nit our duty and privilege to nialce our warmest addresses\\nto the God of armies, for the preservation of your health\\nand your invaluable life as also that of the brav-e officers\\nand soldiers of your ariny praving that indulgent Heaven\\nmay direct your counsi-ls ami crown your exertions in the\\nensuing campaign, with such victories and success, as shall\\ncompel a haughty and relentless enem}^ to consent to the\\nterms of a safe, honorable and lasting peace.\\nSigned by order of the Consistory.\\nJacob R. Hardenburgh, V. D. M.\\nJune 1, 1779.\\nThis is quite a courtly document indeed but it ex-\\npresses the sentiments of a noble man, in a case where pa-\\ntriotism and humanity were both concerned. Its warmth\\nbreathes not only admiration but friendship, and it forms\\na reminescence of those rimes, the value of which cannot\\nbe well overestimated. It proves the I riendship of Wash-\\nington and Hardenbugh.\\nThis int(M-esting document was succeeded the next day,\\nJu!ie 2d, 1779, by an answer, of which the following is a\\nliteral coj)y, dated at Camp Middlebrook, and addressed\\nGentlemen To meet the the ap] robation of good men\\ncannot but be agreeable. Your affectionate expressions\\nmake it more so, In quartering an ai my and supplying\\nits wants, distress and inconveninnce will often occur to the\\ncitizens. T feel myself hapi)y in the consciousness that\\nthese have been strictly linnted by necessity and in your\\nopinion of my attention to the rights .f my fellow citizens.\\nI thank you gentlemen sincerely for the sense you enter-", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0124.jp2"}, "125": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 117\\ntain of tho conduct of the army, and for the interest yoii\\ntake in my welfare. I trust the goodness of the cause and\\nthe exertions of the peo])le, under ]Hvine ])rotection, will\\ngive us that honoi ahJe peace for which we are contending.\\nSuffer me. gentlemen, to wish the Dutch Heformed Church\\nat Karitan a long continuanc( of its present minister and\\nconsistory, and all the blessings which flow from piet} and\\nReligion.\\nI am, c., Tteorge Washington.\\nA noble answer, showing how fally he appreciated the\\nnoble sentiments to which he was responding. These doc-\\numents are alike honorable to both arties, and firm a pre-\\ncious memorial of the times, and of the sentiments and\\nmen who uttered them.\\nWe append to these interesting memorials of our revolu-\\ntion two other public documents which seem to find here\\ntheir most appreciated place.\\nGeneral Orders, Morris House, July 29, 1779.\\nMany and pointed orders have been issued against that\\nunmeaning and abominable custom of swearing, notwith-\\nstanding which, with much regret, the geneial observes\\nit ])revails, if possible, more than \u00e2\u0080\u00a2-\u00e2\u0080\u00a2ver his feelings are con-\\ntinually wounded by the oaths and imprecations of the\\nsoldiers whenever he is in hearing of them.\\nThe name of the Being from whose bountiful goodness\\nwe are permitted to exist and enjoy the comforts of life, is\\nincessantly imprec ated and profaned in a manner as wan-\\nton as it is shocking. For the sake therefor, of religion,\\ndecency and order, the General hopes and trusts that offi-\\ncers of every rank ,will use their influence and authority to\\ncheck a vice which is as unprofitable as it is wicked and\\nshameful. If the officers would make it an invariable rule\\nto reprimand, and if that does not do, to punish soldiers\\nfor offenses of this kmd, it would not fail of having the\\ndesired effect.\\nThe following minutes of a public meeting at Millstone,\\nare interesting as evidence of the pressure of the burdens oif\\nthe war, and the patriotic spirit in which it is proposed to\\nmeet them", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0125.jp2"}, "126": {"fulltext": "118 80MKUSET COUNTY.\\nAt a meeting of the electois of the (Joiuity of Somerset.\\npurs\\\\iant to notice by advertisement on Thursday, 3il Inst.,\\nat tlie Court House of said county.\\nThe business of the meeting being introduced and dis-\\ncussed, the folliivving resolutions were adopted\\nWhereas, Thf^ cimeurrence of a variety of causes, the bills\\nof credit emitted under authority of the Unitetl States in\\nCongress assembled, have greatly depreciated in their val-\\nue, and in addition to the quantity circulating, will tend\\nto increase such depreciaton therefore\\nResolved, That a petition be presented to the legislature,\\nrequesting them to make application to Congress on be-\\nhalf of this State, that the emission of bills of credit be\\nhenceforth discontinued.\\nResolved, that the Legislature be requested to make ap-\\nplication as aforesaid, that a plan be adopted and recom-\\nmended for a general limitation of prices throughout the\\nUnited States, according to which, such prices may be di-\\nminished slowly from the present time or at stated periods\\nand by small differences, until the quantity of money be\\nreduced by taxation to what is necessary for a circulating\\nmedium.\\nAnd, Whereas, taxation is the most natural and bene-\\nficial source from which to dt-rive the supplies necessary for\\nsuppoting the army and carrying on the war,\\nResolved, That the Legislature be requested to make ap-\\nplication as aforesaid that requisitions of taxes be hence-\\nforward made on the States for the above purposes and\\nthat to avoid as far as possible the expense of purchasing\\nin the modes hitherto practiced, and the necessity of such\\nlarge circulations of money through thq public treasury,\\na just quota of provisions, forage and other necessaries for\\nthe army, be laid upon each State, in such kind as they are\\nseverally suited to produce, to be paid in the way of tax\\nat regulated prices by those who raise them, while those\\nwho do not, pay a fair proportion in money.\\nResolved, That it be expressed to the Legislature as the\\nsense of this meeting, that on levying all future taxes and\\naids for the use of the State and Union in general, the as-\\nsessments be made according to the value of all property", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0126.jp2"}, "127": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 119\\npossessed by each individual it being reasonable that\\npersons should be taked for their mone_y, their income, the\\nfaculty and means of acquiring property, or for any estate\\nwhatsoever\\nWhereas, There is great reason to believe that many\\npersons employed in va/ious branches of the public de[^art-\\nment of the United States are guilty of mism-inagement\\nand fraud, in the ext^cution of their trust and ap[)lying the\\npublic money, and there being no ready and regular mode\\npi esented by public authority, of which such as are dispos-\\ned may avail themselves, to furnish the necessary informa-\\ntion to those who have the power to correct such abuses\\nand thereby prevent unnecessary increase of the public\\nburdens,\\nRns ^lved, That the Legislature be requested to direct\\nsome convenient and adequate means of collecting and\\ntransmitting to Congress, or to such Board or Committee\\nby them appointed, as may be adequate in point of juris-\\ndiction, or to the executive power of the State in cases\\nwhere that is competent, all such authentic evidences and\\ndocuments as can be procured, that the guilty may be pun-\\nished and the iaithful seryants of the public may be res-\\ncued from teat indiscriminate censure which the bad and\\nunworthy bring upon all, and that we will exert our ut-\\nmost endeavors for effecting so laudable a purpose.\\nWhereas, virtue and good morals are not only product-\\nive of individual happiness, but have a great and extensive\\ngood effect upon the political state of every government\\nwhen they are cultivated.\\nResolved, That we will by our example and influence en-\\ndeavor to promote these, and will look upon it as the\\ncourse of duty to support and strengthen the arm of the\\ncivil authority in detecting and bringing to deserved pun-\\nishment all such as are guilty of profanity, immorality,\\nextravagance, idleness and dissipation, of extortion, sharp-\\ning and oppression, and of all such practices as tend to the\\nunjust advantage of individuals and detriment of the com-\\nmunity.", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0127.jp2"}, "128": {"fulltext": "120 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\nOrdered, That a representation and petition to the Leg-\\nislature be drawn up pursuant to these resolutions and\\nsigned by the chairman, and that the re]\u00c2\u00bbresentatives of\\nthis county be requested to lay the same before the respec-\\ntive house.\\nExtracted from the minutes of proceedings and publish-\\ned by order.\\nWm. C. Haston, Chairman.", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0128.jp2"}, "129": {"fulltext": "CHAPTER IX.\\nTHE LADIES IN THE REVOLUTION,\\nThe sufferings of the poor soldiers in their log huts on\\nthe south side of Kimbal s Mountain, west of Morristovvn,\\nduring the dreadful winter of 1780, when f )od w,is so\\nscarce and many of them so poorly and scantily clothed,\\nexcited a wide spread and deep sympathy in the public\\nmind. It manifested itself most prominently and perhaps\\nthe earliest among the Ladies of Philadelphia. They\\naroused themselves immediately, and began by forming an\\nassociation for the sufferers relief, Never, says one, was\\nthe energy of a noble and genuine sympathy more nobly\\nexpressed than by the noble matrons of the Quaker City\\non this occasion. Mrs Esther rleed, the wife of General\\nJoseph Reed, though feeble in health and s-urrounded by a\\nnumerous family, entered witli hearty zial into the service,\\nand was by the united voice of her associates placed at the\\nhead of the Society. Mrs. Sarah Bache, daughter of Dr.\\nFranklin, was also a conspicuous actor in the formation of\\nthe association and in carrying out its plans. All classes\\nin the city became interested and the results were glorious.\\nAll ranks of society seemed to have joined in the liberal\\neffort, from Philis, the colored woman, with her seven shil-\\nlings and six pence, to the Marchioness DeLafayette whose\\nhusband contributed in her name one hundred guineas in\\nspecie, and the Countess de Luzerne who gave six thous-\\nand dollars in Continental paper. Those who had no\\nmoney to contribute gave the labor of their hands iu ply-\\ning the needle and in almost every house the work went\\non. It was charity in its genuine form, and from its pur-\\nest source the voluntary outpourings of the heart. It", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0129.jp2"}, "130": {"fulltext": "122 SOMERSET COUiS TY.\\nwas not stimuliired by the exciteinciirs of our ilay neither\\nfancy fairs uur bazars had anything to do vritli it. It was\\nnot jileasure and conspiciiity llnit they sought, but tiie\\ncoiutort of the suffeiiug })at2iots in the winter huts, scan-\\ntily ied and clothed, who appealed to their noble and lov-\\ning hearts and they met, counselled, acted and brought\\nthem relief. The Ameiican woiuen woiking for the com-\\nfort of a starving American patriot army was indeed a no-\\nble exhibition of patriotic kindness. That army needed\\nrelief and they provided and brought it. They Avent out\\nand solicited money and other necessaiies from door to\\ndoor, stating what it was for, and carried it to the army di-\\nrectly as the result of their activity. They had in the\\nfirst instance given tl^eir trinkets and jewtliy and wrought\\nwith their needles, and when the need was more pressing\\nthey claimed from the public what they themselves were\\nunable to supply.\\nThe Marquis DeChastellax who was in Philadelphia\\nwhile this work was in progress, was delighted with the\\nspirit excited by it. In describing a visit to several of the\\nladies, he says We began by Mrs. Bache. She mer-\\nits all the anxiety we had to see her, for she is the daugh-\\nter of Dr. Franklin. Simple in her manners, like her re-\\nspectable father, she possesses his benevolence. She con-\\nducted us into a room filled with work, lately finished by\\nthe ladies of Philadelphia. This work consisted neither of\\nembroidered tambour waistcoats, nor net work edgings,\\nnor of gold and silver brocade It was a quantity of shirts\\nfor the soldiers of Pennsylvania. The ladies bought the\\nlinen ficm their own private purses, and took a j^leasure in\\ncutting them out and sewing them themselves. On each\\nshirt was the name of the married or unmarried lady who\\nmade it, and they amounted to 2200.\\nThe result of this sympathy and industry was great and\\nvery timely. The aggregate amount of the contributions\\nin the city and county of Philadelphia was 9,500 dollars\\nin specie value; added to this was a princely donation from\\nPtobert Morris of a ship fully loaded with military stores\\nand clothing which had just arrived.\\nIt went further. The ladies of almost all the populous", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0130.jp2"}, "131": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 123\\ntowns en.uLited the kindness of fhcir sisters in Philadel-\\nphia. We are most interested in what was done in onr\\nnative State, and we jjive a remeniscence of the f)atriotisni\\nof the ladies of Trenton. We record it with great ])leas-\\nnre as anotlx^r proof of the ini[iortant influence which onr\\ndear wives and daughters always give in trying times, of\\ntheir tender hearts and their devotion to the right. It\\nconsists of an article, printed in the New Jeisey Gaztitte\\nat Trenton, July 5, 1780, to the following effect, sho^-ing\\nthat all the kindness e.xhihited for the suffering soldiers\\nwas not confined to Philadelj)hia and Pennsylvania, hut\\nNew Jersey furnished also ladies who seconded the efforts of\\nthose of Pennsylvania with all their might.\\nThe ladies of Trenton, New Jersey, emulatitig the no-\\nble example of their patriotic sisters of Pennsylvania, and\\nbeing desirous of manifesting their zeal in the cause of\\nAmerican liberty having this day assembled for the pur-\\npose of promoting a subscription for the relief and encour-\\nagement of those brave men in the continental army, who,\\nstimidated by example and regardlcvss of danger, have so\\nrepeatedly suffered, fought and bled in the cause of virtue\\nand their oppressed country, and taking into consideration\\nthe scattered situation of the well disposed throughout the\\nState, who would wish to contribute to so laudable an un-\\ndertaking, have, for the purpose of the convenience of such\\nand the more effectually to carry their scheme into execu-\\ntion, unanimously appointed Mrs. Cox, Mrs. Dicken-\\nson, Mrs. Forman and Miss Cadwallader a committee,\\nwhose duty it shall be immediately to open a subscription\\nand correspond with the ladies hereinafter named of the\\ndifferent counties throughout the State, requesting their\\naid and influence in the several districts and in order\\nthe more expeditiously to carry the scheme into execution,\\nthe ladies now met, have taken the liberty to solicit the\\ninterest of the following ladies in promoting said subscrip-\\ntioD, viz For the county of Hunterdon, Mrs, Vice Presi-\\ndent Stevens, Mrs. Judge Smith, Mrs. Charles Cox, Mrs.\\nR. Stevens, Mrs. Hanna, Mrs. Loweriey, Mrs. I. Sexton,\\nMrs. B. Van Cleve, Mrs, Col. Berry, Mrs. Dr. Barnes\\nCounty of Sussex, Mrs. Councelor C)gden, Mrs. Colonel", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0131.jp2"}, "132": {"fulltext": "124 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\nThompson. Mrs. Maj. Hoops, Mrs. T. Anderson County\\nof Bi iojt-n, Mrs. Col. Dey, Mrs. Fell, Mrs. Kuypcr, Mrs.\\nErkskine, Mrs. Maj. Dey County of Morris, Mrs Uoiin-\\ncelor Ctmdict, ]\\\\Irs. Parson Jones, Mrs. Col. Rnrastn, Mrs.\\nVan Zandt, Mrs, Carniichuel, Mrs. Col. Cook. Mrs. Fa-\\nesch County of Esse.x, Mrs. Governor Livingston, Mrs.\\n0. Camp, Mrs. Dr. Burnet, Mrs. Elisha Boudinot, Mrs.\\nHornblower County of Middles(;.\\\\, Mrs Neilson, Mrs.\\nCounct^lor Dean, Mrs. George Moigan, Mrs. Col. Neilson,\\nMrs. Neils, Mrs. Daniel Marsh Countv of Monmouth,\\nMrs. Gen. Formaii, Mrs. Col. Scudder, Mrs. Newell, Mrs.\\nPeter Forman. Mis. Jacob Wyckoii, Mis. Peter Coven-\\nhoven Connty of Burlington, Mrs. I ol. Cox, Mrs. Coun-\\ncelor Tallman, Mrs. Col. Borden, Mrs. Secretary Reed,\\nMrs. Capt. Ke(nl County of Soiperset, Lady Sterling, Mrs\\nGen. Morris, Mrs. Co! Martin, Mrs, Attorney Gen. Pat-\\nerson, Mi s. R. Stockton Countv of Gloucester, Mrs.\\nCol. Clark, Mrs. Col, VVestcot. Mrs. Col. Ellis, xMrs. Col,\\nHugg, Mrs, Bloonifield County of Cumberland, Mrs.\\nConncellor Buck. Mrs, Harris, Mrs. Elmer, Mrs. Bowen,\\nMrs, Fithlan CouiUy of Cape May, Mi\\\\s. Counceior\\nHand, Mrs. Whilden Mrs. Townsend, Mrs. Heldreth,\\nwhose well known patriotism leaves no room to doubt of\\ntheir exertions in the proniotion of our undertaking, so lui-\\nn ane and jn-aiseworthy, and that they will be happy in\\nforwarding (he amount of I heir several collections either\\nwith or without the names of the donors, which will im-\\nmediately be trnnsmitted by Mrs. Moore Forman, who is\\nhereby api)oiDted Treasuress. to be disposed of by the\\nCommander-in-Chief agreeably to the general plan.\\nAs the ladies here would wish to expedite the good\\nwork as much as possible they have appointed Mis, Dag-\\nworthy of Trenton, tlieir Secre tary, who will receive and\\nanswer all letters that the ladies of the different counties\\nmay think proper tufavor her with on the occasion, and\\nto furnish them with proper subscription papers as soon as\\npossible. In Spark s correspondence of Washington there\\nis printed a letter from Mrs. Diigworthy of Trenton, trans-\\nmitting to him the sum of L ).408 dollars, the amount col-\\nlected in New Jeisey up to July 17, 1780. This is not to Ik?", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0132.jp2"}, "133": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 125\\nunderstood as the Avhi le amount collected by the exertions\\nof the -Ladies of New Jersey; Suhsequent to thiti (hite,\\ntlie good work is known to have progressed, ceasing only\\nwhen the occasion for exertion had ceased. We arc not.\\ntlierefore, able to say what were all the fruits ^f this move-\\nment. No record of it sm^ns to have heen made at the\\ntime, which has been transmitted to the future. It is\\nhowever, an understood tradition, that large supplies wer(*\\nsent in, both in provisions and clothing, as well as in mon-\\ney, to relieve the [)ressing necessities of tht^ aiiny and en-\\ncourage the men to remain steadfast in their etFurts to free\\nthe country from its oppressors^. Indeed, when has the\\nsympathy of the female heart been appealed to in vain.\\nTne womeii of the Revolution were the noblest of their\\nsex. and the encouragement which they gave, on promi-\\nnent occasions and in all pro])er ways, had no small share\\nin sustaining the patriotism of their husbands and broth-\\ners, in the dark hours of the ])rotracted cutest. Many\\ninstances are remembered when it displayed itself in beau-\\ntiful firmness or in tenderest sympathy, and the history of\\nthose times will not be written until these things find a\\npen to record them. There were many as noble and devo-\\nted Women as Mrs. Reed and Mrs. Bache, iu the other\\nStates of the Union, and it has been a real pleasure, to\\nrescue from an obscure place the action of the ladies of\\nNew Jersey, and give it at least a temporary resuscitation\\niu these remeniscences of our Revolution. It is a valuable\\nrecord in many ways. It presents to us the names of la-\\ndies who were piominent in their day and who wielded an\\ninfluence from which good was expected, and we are glad\\nto know them.", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0133.jp2"}, "134": {"fulltext": "CHAPTER X.\\nSERVITUDE AND SLAVPIS.\\nWe giv(^ sotne note8 ou the subject of servitude and slaves.\\nhf-rvitnde was early introduced in New Jersey in at least\\nthree different forms. Which was the worst form we shall\\nnot determine, but leave it as an open question for each one\\nfor himself to decide.\\nIn the first instance the Proprietors sent over their ser-\\nvants to occupy and improve their lands for them. Among\\nthe individuals who are most cons{)icuous for their efforts\\nin this direction, were Lord Neil Campbell, William Dock-\\nwra, Thomas Pierson^ ihe Scotch Proprietors, Capt. xln-\\ndrew Hamilton, Gov Gawen Lawrie, Robert Fulton and\\nDavid Mudie. These servants, perhaps, did not absolute-\\nly forfeit their personal liberty by their enijfagements with\\ntheir masters, but still they were in all essential particu-\\nlars lx)nd men, held in servitude and controlled entirely\\nj)ersonally and socially, by those who had brou ^ht them\\ninto the })rovince for their own profit. They were slaves\\nin everything but the name and their relation to their\\nsuperiors was unquestionably a form of what we may call\\nwhite slavery, and continued for life and in some in-\\nstances included their children also. But as it had no\\nlegal sanction in the laws of the Province, it ceased of it-\\nself from causes which the authors of it could not control.\\nAt a later |)eriod, many persons from the Palatinate\\ncame to New Jersey as well as New York, under what has\\nl een called the apprentice system. The captains of the\\nvessels who brought over the emigrant, did so under a bond\\nsigned by the emigrants, which gave the captain liberty to", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0134.jp2"}, "135": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 127\\nsell his time on his arrival in America for his passage\\nmoney. This included fewer or more years, as the pur-\\nchaser might be willing to accept and in this he was\\nguided by the age, the health and the working power of\\ntho apprentice or emigrant. Many of these ap[)rentice8\\nbecame prosperous citizens after serving out their time.\\nSome of them even died wealthy. But while they were\\nbound, their condition did not differ essentially from that\\nof a slave. Nor were they better treated, except in one\\nparticular, having relation to their color. They were not\\nnegroes and were not kept with them in social equality.\\nThe third form was negro slavery. The earliest instance\\nwhich we have seen of negroes being held in bondage as\\nslave in New Jersey, is that of Col. Richard Morris, of\\nShrewsberry, who is noticed as having sixty or seventy\\nslaves about his iron mill and plantation/ as early as\\n1680. Whether Codrington, or Royce, or Palmer or\\nWhite, had any negro slaves on their plantations in Som-\\nerser. County, we have not ascertained. We do not think\\nthe fact has been noted anywhere, and yet we hardly think\\nthere can be any doubt of it At all events, the iirst in-\\nhabitants on the Raritan, all had slaves as early as 1685\\nor 1690 The slave trade was active in the harbor of New\\nYork, and cargoes direct from the African coast, were sold\\nto the planters in the various parts of the State. As a\\ngeneral thing these slaves were humanly treated, well\\nclothed, and not Dver- worked. In the various homesteads,\\nchildren were boru and reared, until, sometimes, the ne-\\ngroes in them were more numerous than the whites. There\\nwas a difference in social position, and in the duties and\\nemployments assigned to them respectively, but this was\\nnearly all the distinction. Authority was exercised by\\nthe one, and obedience exacted from the other. The two\\nraces were kept distinct when eating and sleeping, as well\\nas in the employments and occupations of daily life. They\\nwere not clothed alike. They did not frequent the same\\nplaces as amusement or pleasure might incline. But not-\\nwithstanding all these things, it would not be true to\\nstate that both were not comfortable in every essential par-\\nticular necessary to the well being of the individual man", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0135.jp2"}, "136": {"fulltext": "128 SOME KSET COUNTY.\\nand as the effect of all this there was a great deal of har-\\nmony of action between them even in the most instances,\\na mutual and zealous co-operation in business and in so-\\ncial necessities in all the important matters of life, and also\\nso much amity and attachment n all actions, that serious\\ncollisions seldom occurred. The slaves, in most instances\\nwould have defended their masters and their master s house-\\nhold with their lives. Indeed it is remarkable in how\\nfew instances theft, or arson, or murdtM occurred, as the\\neffect of having such persons in so many families. Pilfer-\\ning in various t rms, there altvays was, but it was of a.\\npetty character, and perpetrated generally for the pu.rpose\\nof obtaining some luxuries or personal indulgences, not al-\\nlowed them, because not beneficial or unnecessary to their\\ncomfort,\\nWe have notice of a case of arson succeeded by a pub-\\nlic execution, and also oneOf the murder of one slave by\\nanother. VVe have obtained the relation of another of a\\nwhite man by his slave, as the consec{uence of which the\\nslave was burned at Millstone, th\u00c2\u00ab^n the county seat in the\\npresence of a large concourse of negroes, who were express-\\nly brought there to witness it. We give the narrative as\\nit was written out for us. The sauje thing also occurred\\nin other places about the same time.\\nJacob Van Nest was murdered in what is now B ^anch-\\nhurgh township, by his black man, somewhere about the\\nyear 1753. The occasion is said to have been, taking a\\nleaf of tobacco out of the negroe s box by his master as he\\nwas going up the kitchen stairs. Mr, Van Nest had been\\nout on horseback and returned home at night. The ne-\\ngro stood inside of the stable door, and struck hira with an\\naxe as he came to put his horse in his j)lace. He then\\nturned the horse loose with the saddle under liim, but bur-\\nied the body under some le^-ves and brush nesir the house.\\nHe was an athletic fellow, and when taken had on his per-\\nson his master s pocket knife. He was purposely sent cut\\nof doors to bring in a back log, and was then taken by the\\nofficers when he could not defend himself. What form of\\na trial was irjstitutcul is not related, but when condemned\\nhe was pul)licly burnt at the stake as a punishment for his", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0136.jp2"}, "137": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 129\\ncrime. It is noticed that the effect upon the slaves present\\n\\\\v;us so sreat that they did not eat any meat for a long\\ntime aftei wards.\\nThe propeity where this murder occurred is now in po-\\nsession of Gilbert Kershaw, son-in-law of Andrew Hage-\\nman, who purchased the farm from Peter D. Vroom, a son\\nof Hendrick D Vroom. The barn in which the murder\\nwas committed was removed to make room for a better\\nsome thirty years since. Hendrick D. Vroom who possess-\\ned it, ujairied Jemimah the only daughter of Jacob Van\\nNest, and came into its possession \\\\ri right of his wife.\\nJacob Van Nest was a son of Peter the son of that Peter\\nwho originally purchased the 600 acre tract of land from\\nthe Proprietors iirst north of the junction of the Branches,\\nand was in his day one of the most popular men in Somer-\\nset County, if we may judge so from his representing the\\ncounty almost constantly in the Legislative Council and in\\nother public trusts during his life time.\\nThe peaceful con lition of the negroes, notwithstanding\\nthese exceptionable executions, is universally attested\\nand yet there had been a sort of rebellion among them\\nalong the Raritan in 1734, in consequence of which, one at\\nleast, if not more was hung. It is called a rising, and\\nthe design was to obtain their freedom, kept from them, as\\nthey believed, contrary to the express directions of the\\nking and the plan was to murder all the whites, and\\nthen join the Indians in the interest of the French, but it\\nfailed to do any real harm or have any results. That\\nslaves were numerous in Somerset is not to be questioned;\\nnor is it doubtful that as a general thing they were human-\\nly treated and yet circumstances also show that crimes\\nwere committed, and their punishment was meeted out to\\nthem swiftly and not always considerately. Burning was\\nnot an exceptionable mode. At t^erth Amboy two were\\nburnt within two weeks of the the time after which the\\ncrime the murder of their mistress was perpetrated and\\nas in the case ot Millstone, the negroes were all summoned\\nfrom their homes to witness it, under the belief not yet\\nexploded, that the effect of it would be salutary.\\nThere seems to be, and there no doubt was, a conaection", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0137.jp2"}, "138": {"fulltext": "130 SOMERSET COUKTY.\\nbetween these transactions, and the famons nefijro plot\\nin New York, in 1741. The public mind had leen p;ivat-\\nly excited with fear by the devehipments then made and\\nthe instinct of self-preservation is not apt to be, either tol-\\nerant or considerate They believed in the wholesonn^ness\\nnt terror as a conservator of the peace of society, and em-\\nployed it freely.\\nAnother rising among the negroes was feared in 1772,\\nbut precautionary measures were adopted and the excite-\\nment passed oif. In connection with this disturbance an\\nabolitionist appeared, and in the public prints and oth-\\nerwise, urged the propriety of the passage of a law by the\\nParliament in london, obliging every master to free his\\nvslave and secure his being sent back to his native jdace.\\nIt made the slaves for a time dissatistied and dangerous,\\nbut it effected no good rather the contrary.\\nAn act had been passed as early as 1713 levying a duty\\non the importation of negroes, but it seems not to have\\nbeen enforced. The tariff was forty shillings in East New\\nJersey, and \u00c2\u00a36 in West New Jersey, This inequality in\\nlevying the tax was obviated by another act in 1767, and\\nagain by another act in 1749, which was in force at the\\ntime of the revolution.\\nWhen Sunday Schools were introduced the negroes were\\nlargely benefitted by them and received the religious in-\\nstruction given in them extensively. In christian familes,\\nalso, they were brought under christian influences, and\\nmany of them became members of the different Christian\\nChurches. When properly cared for at home, they main-\\ntained generally a creditable course of conduct but like\\nthe missionary converts in heathen lands, for the most\\npart in time of temptation they were but weak christians,\\nand liable to fall under the passion engendered by strong\\ndrink and yet th.ere is no doubt, many of them were tru-\\nly pious, and soujiht to be better than they were. All the\\nchurches in the country had them among their members;\\nbut in the old Church of Ilaritan, after the Great Revival\\nthere was the largest number. At one communion season,\\nsixty eight colored persons came down from the galleries\\nand sat down at the table, spread then, according to oiler", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0138.jp2"}, "139": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUI^T Y. 131\\ncustoms, in the middle aisle of the church. Most of thesn\\nare now no moie, but during their life they miiintauied a\\nconsistent demeanor and died in the hope ;f a better condi-\\ntion.\\nWe make these references because we think them of\\npractical importance in the future Slavery is hap[)ily\\nabolished in our beloved state but the questions, having\\nreference to the future of the descendants of slaves, are\\nyet living questions aud their solution will press upon\\nthe future, more than they do upon the present. To ig-\\nnore them is not more proper for us, than it is for the wel-\\nfare of the unfortunate creatures, to whom they relate.\\nGod has been in this pai t of history, as in all others, and\\nhis designs, when wraught out, will be worthy of his wis-\\ndom and purity. We rest our anxieties all upon this foun-\\ndation.\\nIt ought to be noted also as an evidence in favor of the\\ngentleness and amenity of domestic slavery in our country\\nthat when the slaves were invited by the British in the\\nrevolution, to abandon their homes and seek refuge in the\\narmies, so few of them took advantage of the opportunity\\nto abscond. If there had not been attachment on their\\npart, to those whom they served, it would not have been\\nso. There were, in fact slaves enough in the country to\\nhave decided the contest against us, if they had generally\\nentered the array of our enemies. The Indians were de-\\nceived into activity, and fought bravely for their natural\\nenemies, but the slaves remained in quietness aiding on-\\nly as their attachments influenced them to do and for the\\nmost part favored those who had been called their tyrants\\nand oppressors. Their course indicated clearly what they\\nthought, and what in fact was the truth. They would not\\ntrust strangers as against their national protectors and\\nfriends; and who will say it was not the course of prudence\\nand wisdom\\nThe first Legislative action looking to the abolition of\\nslavery in New Jersey, occurred on the February 24th,\\n1821. It determined that the children of all slaves in the\\nstate, born after July 4, 1804 should be free the males\\nat 25 years aud the females at 21 years. Under this wise", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0139.jp2"}, "140": {"fulltext": "l32 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\nand safe provision the evil ceased of itself, so impercepta-\\nbly and gradually, that no interest or feeling was in any\\nway disturbed by it. The sentiment of Somerset county\\nwas largely in favf r of this law, and rejoiced in the effects\\n\u00e2\u0080\u00a2of it upon an unfortunate race of human beings, whose\\nhiippiness has been too much the sport of nnprinci})led pol-\\niticians. They had treated them humanely while in bond-\\nage and they rejoiced to see them making successfully the\\nattempt to provide for their own well beuig.\\nIt will always be accounted as a special honor that Dr.\\nFinley, a Somerset man, wiis the first to move in the for-\\nmation of the American Colonization Society an institu-\\ntion which has already done so much for the colored peo-\\nple and for Africa, but whose work is just beginning to\\nshow its real grandeur, and to demonstrate its immense im-\\nportance in the developments of the plans of mercy to this\\nour world. It will christianize Africa and save at least a\\nremnant of her children given over to bondage, from all\\nextermination.", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0140.jp2"}, "141": {"fulltext": "CUAPTEK XI.\\nHISTORICAL HOUSES.\\nWe cannot, in our new country, make any pretentions\\nto the possession of historical localities, such as abound in\\nEngland, Scotland and on the continent of Europe, gener-\\nally. We have, as yet, no hoary antiquities to buast,\\nno castellated crags or hill-top forts and strong-holds.\\nComparatively, we are but of yesterday, and know nothing;\\nand yet we are beginning to possess some things in which\\nwe may take a little pride a very little, perhaps on ac-\\ncount of the historical associations connected with them.\\nWe have, on this account, ventured to name a few histori-\\ncal h u es in tS,omerset County. Notice has already been\\ntaken of Kcll s Hall, (Archibald Campbell s house), Phil s\\nHill, (Philip Van Horn s house), the Codrington house,\\nthe old house of John Campbell on the river side, just\\nabove the Bound Brook turnpike bridge. Tliere are oth-\\ners besides these around which memories cluster, also, which\\nwill live long long after the houses themselves have moul-\\ndered into dust and are visible no more.\\nThe old Abraham Staats house, just below Bound Brook\\non the east side of the turnpike and near the river, m\\nwhich Baron Steuben had his wmter quarters in 1778 9,\\nstands yet in a comfortable state of preservation. Here\\nthat noble Prussian, whose love of liberty induced him to\\ngive the aid of his personl influence to our almost fainting\\ncause, slept, and thought, and planned, during those long\\nwinter nights, when hope had hardly yet dawned upon the\\nstruggling efforts for American liberty. His dignified man-", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0141.jp2"}, "142": {"fulltext": "134 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\nners, his s})len(h*d gold medal sot in diamonds, a present\\nfrom old Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, designating\\nthe order nf -Fidelity, are visible to our iu)agination when\\nwe visit the sacred spot General and Mrs. Washington\\ncoming to dine with him, and other genth^men and ladies\\naccompanying them the entertainment of the Bir, giv-\\nen hy the American officers, when the tables were spread\\nin a grove near by, all give the old Staats house an abid-\\ninii; interest in future times. This was early in June,\\n1779, just before the encampment at Middlebrook was\\nbroken up, and was a great dis{)lay of its kind. Yes, the\\nold Staats hoi.iae is an historical h mse.\\nWe append the following account of the Unveiling of\\nthe Steuben Monument, September 30, 1873\\nLarge delegations from neir Utica, with several repre-\\nsentatives of the press and German societies of New York,\\nwent to Remsen and Steuben this morning to be present at\\nthe unveiling of the Steuben monument. A line of wagons\\nnearly three miles long, extending from Kerasen to the\\nmonument, were furnished by farmers for the convenience\\nof visitors. The Citizens Corps, of Utica, guarded the\\nspeaker s stand at the monument. Abf)ut 4,000 per-\\nsons were present. Mayor Butter Held, of Utica, was the\\nchairman, and prayer was offered by the Rev Owen F.\\nPerry, after which followed the presentation of the monu-\\nment to the people of America, by Carl Sixtus Kapf, of\\nNew York, on behalf of the Steuben Monument Associa-\\ntion. As Mr. Kapf concluded the ceremony of presenta-\\ntion, the clouds cleared away for an instant, and a single\\nshaft of sunshine fell on the monument. Ex-Gov. Seymour\\nreceived the monument on behalf of the people, and ad-\\ndresses were made by ElHs H. Roberts in English, and W.\\nZarth, in German The benediction was pronounced by\\nthe Rey. Dr. Brown, of Hamilton College. The ceremo-\\nnies having ended, the party went on an excursion, and on\\nthe return attended a pic nic at Trenton Falls. There\\nwere no accidents, and the day was pleasant though\\ncloudy. The excursionists returned to Utica at forty-five\\nminutes past six P. M.\\nThe house in which Hendrick Fisher resided below", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0142.jp2"}, "143": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 135\\nBound Brook, on the road to Middlebash, is yet in a good\\nstate of preservation, and will long be remembered as hav-\\ning a memory not to be lost. We have given a brief as-\\ncouni of liim in another phice.\\nPassing over the mountains we visit Lord Sterling s\\nmansion house, on the flats south-east of Baskingridge,\\nbuilt about 1761, as a summer retreat, but adopted after-\\nwards as a permanent residence. Sterling, when coming\\nto Baskingridge, had just returned from Europe, and told\\nthe following anecdote oi his having buen introduced to a\\nMrs. Drummond, by her husband, at a dinner, after he\\nhad informed her that he had that day invited *a native\\nAmerican to dine with him. When the introductiion\\ntook place the good woman, mystified by the words na-\\ntive American, exclaimed in broad Scotch, MieGod!\\nthe awnimaal is wheete. She expected to see the oop-\\n})er color of an American Indian. Sterling resided at\\nBaskingridge improving his manor and developing the\\nmanufactory of iron in Morris county, until the war of the\\nrevolution called him to the field. The place was long\\nknown as Sterling s buddings.\\nAnother is the house in which G-en. Charles Lee was ta-\\nken prisoner by Col. Harcourt, leading a scouting party of\\nBritish cavalry on the 11th of December, 1776. It was\\nthen calhid Whi e s Tavern, and kept as a public house\\nby a widow lady named White. It is the last house on\\nthe south end of the main street of the village, and since\\ndestroyed. Lee was blamed greatly fur his dilatoriness\\nand disregard of orders. lie was completely surprised\\nwhen he imagined himself secure taken out of his bed\\nand hurried away in a most unceremonious manner as a\\nprisoner, into the British camp. Though exchanged in\\n1778 for General Prescott, he never recovered the lost con-\\nfidence resulting from his capture, and was finally court-\\nmartialed for his conduct in the battle of Monmouth.\\nIn Bedminster Township, on the south bank of the North\\nBranch, half a mile below Kline s Mills, and formerly the\\nresidence of Job Lane, Esq., stands the house in which re-\\nsided the Rev. Mr. McCrea, minister of the Presbyterian\\nChurch of Lamingron, and the father of Jane McCrea,", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0143.jp2"}, "144": {"fulltext": "136. SOMERSET COUNTY,\\nmurdered by the Indians near Fort Edward, July 27, 1777,\\nwhen Burgoyne was on his wav to Sarato ;a, and defeated\\nand surrendered there. The Rev. Mr. McCrea had pre-\\nviously lived in a house on the west side of Lauiinj^ton river,\\nwhich was removed to be joined to another, and formed a\\npart of the old mansion, since burned, in which the Rev.\\nDr. Messier was born. The kitchen standing a few feet\\nfrom the mansion house was always said to have been Rev.\\nMr. McCrea s study. The romance connected with Jennie\\nMcCrea s death, gave it a wide notoriety, and had no little\\ninfluence in exciting indignation against Burgoyne for em-\\nploying the savages against the peaceful inhabitants of\\nWashington county many of whom were in fact royal-\\nists, and even Captain David Jones, the lover of Jennie,\\nand the McNiels, in whose house she was staying, were all\\ninclined to the British side. Mrs. McNiel, was in fact, a\\ncousin of General Eraser, of the British army, killed at\\nSaratoga, and strongly sympathized with Burgoyne.\\nThe Miller house in Somerville, built by William Wal-\\nlace, and inhabited by General and Mrs. Washington, in tlie\\nwinter of 1778-9, and kept in exactly the state in which it\\nwas then, is a proud historical monument. How uiany\\nfond memories cluster around it; and what a pity, that that\\nlarge old white-oak tree, under which Mrs. Washington\\nso often sat in the spring of 1779, was sacrificed to the\\nwoodman s axe, It would have been a precious relic now,\\nif it had been spared from destruction.\\nThe old parsonage in Somerville. built in 1750-1, by Rev,\\nJohn Frelinohuyscn, with bricks imported from Holland;\\nin which Dr. Hardenburgh resided during the whole of the\\nrevolution, sleeping with a loaded gun beside his bed, and\\nwhere Gen, Washington so often visited him and his ac-\\ncomplished wife. What a pleasure to recall these com-\\nmunings between two such noble men! What an interest\\nthey would inspire now, had they been preserved! We\\nshould probably be entirely satisfied in reference to the\\ntruly religious character of the Commander-in-Chief, if we\\nhad a narrative of these conversations. Dr. Hardenburgh\\nprobably knew him more intimately than any other minister\\nof the gospel, except his own pastor in Virginia. Here", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0144.jp2"}, "145": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. li57\\nHaiclenburgh, Leydt, Van Nest, Jackson and others, stiul-\\nied tlieolo2:y with J. Freliti\u00c2\u00ab;fhiiysen. It was, in fact, the\\nfirst Theological Seminary in the Dutch Church.\\nThe Paterson house, unfortunately raised to the ground,\\nwhere Mrs. Steplien Van riensellaer spent her youth, and\\nwhich she remembered so ft)ndly; where Aaron Burr, Gen.\\nMorton, of New V ork and John Young Noell studied law,\\nand probably also, Frederick Frelinghuysen, Andrew Kirk-\\npatrick, and George M. Tr(\u00c2\u00bbuii, Gov. of Georgia. It ouglit\\nto have been spared by the spirit of iraprovem-nt. In the\\nOld Countries they do not sacrifict- such precious relics, but\\nkeep them as a sacred trust; and so we should do our\\npride ouglit to be their protection; i or the memories around\\nthem are precious. How many years Gov, Paterson lived\\non the Raritan is not knoTn to the writer. He removed\\nafter the v7ar to New Brunswick, and died there in 1806.\\nHis name is one of our proud and most fivored possessions.\\nOn Rock Hill stands at the present time the former man-\\nsion of Judge Berrien, in which Washington wrote his\\nlarowell address to the army. Congress being in session at\\nPrinceton, Nov, 2d, 1783. The President of Congress, it\\nis said, addressed him in a complimentary manner, to which\\nhe replied, and then retired. A house was provided for\\nhim at Rocky Hill, where he resided, holding conference\\nfrom time to time witL committees and members of Con-\\ngress and giving counsel on such subjects as wt-re referred\\nto his consideration. A large part of the officers and sol-\\ndiers had been permitted, during th summer, to retire from\\nthe army on furlough, and Congress issued a proclamation\\non the 18th of October, discharging them from further du-\\nty, together with all others who had been engaged io\\nserve during the war. The army was, in effect, disbanded.\\nA small force only remained, consisting of such troops as\\nhad been enlisted for a definite time till the peace est ib-\\nlishment should be organized. This house is a landmark\\nwhich ought to be preserved. Time is working changes\\nenough without desti oying these old homes of history.\\nThis proclamation was followed by Washington s farewell\\naddress to the army and then his circular to the States.\\nTo his cordial and affectionate thanks for the devoteduesa", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0145.jp2"}, "146": {"fulltext": "138 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\nof the officers and soldiers to him throuorh the war, and\\nfor the manner in which they had discharged their duty,\\nhe adds reasonahle advice as to their conduct in resuming\\nthe characters of pi ivate citizens and in contributing to\\nthe support of civil governmert. Let it be known and\\nremembered, said he, that th(^ reputation of the Feder-\\nal Armies is established beyond the reach of malevolence\\nand let the consciousness of their achievements and fame,\\nstill incite the men who composed them, to honorable ac-\\ntions under the persuasion that the private virtues of\\neconomy prudence and industry, will not be less s,miablH\\nin civil life, than the more splt-ndid qualities of valor, per-\\nseverance and enter])ise, weve in the field. Every one may\\nrest assured that much very much of the future happiness\\nof the officers and men will depend upon the wise and man-\\nly conduct which shall be adopted by them, when they\\nare mingled with the great body of the community. Al-\\nthough the General has so frequently given it as his opin-\\nion, in the most public and explicity manner, that unless\\nthe principles of the Federal Government were properly\\nsupported, and the powers of the union increased, the hon-\\nor, dignity and justice of the nation will be lost forever;\\nyet he cannot help repeating on this occasion so interesting\\na sentiment, and leaving, as his injunction to every officer\\nand every soldier, who may view the subject in the same\\nserious point of light, to add his best endeavors to those of\\nhis worthy fellow citizens towards effecting these great\\nand valuable purposes, on which our existence, as a nation,\\nso naturally depends.\\nOn the east side of North Branch there stands a brick\\nhouse in which resided Capt. Isaac Brokaw, killed in the\\nbattle of Gerraantown, To this house Washington went\\nwhile he was living in Somerville, on a visit of condolence\\nto the widow. We have always thought this incident one\\nof the most beautiful exhibitions of his most extraordinary\\nlife. What a heart the great man had 1 and he could\\nwell conceive of the grief of a lone widow, made so in one\\nof his battles, and ride several miles to see her and express\\nhis sympathy for her great loss. Of what other hero is\\nthe same tenderness recorded The house is now owned", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0146.jp2"}, "147": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY, 139\\nl)\\\\ Mr. Nevius, whose wife irf a great-grand daughter of\\nCaptain Brokaw.\\nOn the south side of Karitan near the junction of the\\nNorth and South Branches, is the former residence of Col.\\nPeter D. Vrooiu, and the birth phice of Governor P. D.\\nVrooni. The old house remains just as it was in early\\ndays, only an addition has been annexed to it. It deserves\\nto be remembered among the venerated localities of our\\nbeloved country.\\nWhile Greneral and Mrs. Washington were living in the\\nMiller house, Gen. Knox antl .Gen Green and their\\nwives were also quartered in the vicinity of Soraeiville\\nbut where exactly, we have not been ab!e to ascertain.\\nThere were officers at Van Horn s, near Middlebrook, at\\nVan Veghten s on the Raritan, and at the D union t house\\nowned at present by Mr. Gildersleeve, Ca|)t. Esty recol-\\nlected carrying messages from the latter place often to\\nWashington, but did not state from whom they came. It\\nis remembered that one of them was a French officer, but\\nthe names are lost.\\nFor a short time, during the Revolution, Queen s Col-\\nlege was located at the John Protest Dumont House, near\\nthe junction of the Branches in 1779, and Col. John Tay-\\nlor, who was the principal instructor in the institution,\\nwrote from thence Sept. 25, excusing his delay in render-\\ning a full report of the officers and the condition of the va-\\nrious regiments in the State, on account of his duties in\\nthe College, and the imperfect reports he had received\\nfrom subordinates. Indeed, the College had for several\\nyears quite a perapatetic character, being temporarily lo-\\ncated in more than one place. At one time, at least, it\\nwas at Millstone.\\nThen we are reminded of Tusculm, the residence of Dr.\\nWetherspoon, and Morven, the seat of the Stocktons for\\nthree or four generations, standing yet as land marks in\\nthe flowing tide of time.\\nThe Kirkpatrick house at Mine Brook built by David\\nKirkpatrick, as if it was to stand forever with solid two\\nfeet stone walls, and a double white oak floor of two inch\\nplanks, is also worthy of remembrance.", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0147.jp2"}, "148": {"fulltext": "140 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\nThe Linn house, the old Boyd house at Lamington, neg-\\nlected and almost in ruins, where so many young men\\nwere trained for college l\\\\y the good Domine before acada-\\nmies were known Dr. Finley s house and the Southard\\nhouse in Baskingridge, the Ludlow house on Long Hill,\\nthe Frelinghuysenhouse at Millstone, and that in whicli Dr.\\nliawrence Vanderveer resided in lioycefield, and tlie Sehenck\\nhouse below Millstone, are all worth remembering by\\nthe generation to come.\\nI am assured also, that there was in a very early day, a\\nmill on the Raritan just above the Flemington Railroad\\nBridge, and below it was the ford used in crossing until\\nthe covered bridge was erected. There was also a dam in\\nthe river a short distance above the landing bridge, the only\\none in the river, which gave dissatisfaction to the inhabi-\\ntants above because it prevented their shad fishing in the\\nspring. With these local remembrances we close our no-\\ntice of the interesting localities and historical houses.", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0148.jp2"}, "149": {"fulltext": "CHAPTER XII.\\nROADS.\\nThere was an Indian path, very much travelled by the\\naboriginees, leading from Minisink Islands in the Delaware\\nbelow Port eryis, to Shrewsbury and the ocean side. It\\npassed north of Morristown, crossed the mountains west of\\nSpringfield, followed Rahway River, and passed the Rari-\\ntan at a place known as Kent s Neck, about four miles\\nWest of Amboy. But it was not in any sense a road.\\nThere was a kind of road or way yyhen the country was\\ndiscovered, between the Raritan and Delaware, kuown as\\nthe Indian Path, which seenjs to have been formed by the\\naboriginees for the purpose of transition to the sea shore.\\nIt diverged from the jiresent road about 300 yards west of\\nthe mile run brook, and ran in a more northerly direction\\nbetween the present French and Somerset streets, passin-g\\n\\\\i\\\\ front of Mr. French s residence to the river, a short dis-\\ntance above the Ferry and below the ford, wher^i the Indi-\\nans had long crossed at low tide. The French house stood\\non the right side near where the residence of Judge T^r-\\nhune is now located. He was a highly respectable citizen,\\nbut his house was humble and unostentatious, consisting\\n\u00e2\u0080\u00a2of wood, long and low, and of one story only. Indeed\\nthere were few which aspired so higli as have added to them a\\nsecond story. The well which supplied water is the same\\nthat contains to day the pumj) in Washington street, a tew\\nfeet west of George street in New Brunswick. It stood as\\nlate as the year 1812. Philip French owned in 1745, 400\\nacres of land in Franklin Township, and was a prosperous\\n)pulent farmer. Just beyond the mile run bro \u00c2\u00ab)k: in earlj", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0149.jp2"}, "150": {"fulltext": "142 SOxMEKSET CUUNT Y,\\ndays, a Public House was in exisfeucii call Frtmcli s Mile\\nRun House. The earliest names which occur as land\\nowners along this road are John Van Houten, Tunis\\nQuick, Dollius Hagcman, Frederick Van Liew, Jacob Ben-\\nnet,. Abraham Bennet, Fulkard Van Nostrand.\\nAlong the Indian path the first settlers in Franklin\\nTownship purehasini lands and built houses. When it\\nbegan to be passable for vehicles we are not able to state,\\nprobably soon after 1699. In that year there is an account\\nof a traveller named Edmonson, wli attempted to pass\\nfrom the Raiitan to the Delaware, and procured an Indian\\nguide to conduct him, but he lost his way, and aftn* a fa-\\ntigutiing march through the forests found himself some\\nwhere beyond iSix Mile Bun, overtaken by the closing day,\\nand after encamping all night in tlie woods, succeeded in\\netlecting a return to Innian s Ferry the next day. Later,\\nJvalm, a tSweedish traveller, coming from Princeton says\\nthe country is pretty well peopled there were however,\\ngreat Avoods in many ])laces. The ground was level and\\ndid not seem to be everywhere of the richest kind. Al-\\nmost near every farm house were great orchards the hous-\\nes commonly built of timber and at some distance from\\nthemselves stood the oven for baking, consisting common-\\nly of clay.\\nPrevious to 1675 and 1677, when the legislature adopt-\\ned some general regulations for the opening of roads, the\\nonly road laid out properly within the limits of New Jer-\\nsey, appears to have been that by which the inhabitants at\\nNew Amsterdam communicated with their settlements on\\nthe Delaware. It ran from Elizabeth Point, o\\\\ its neigh-\\nborhood, to where New Brunswick now stands and was\\nprobably the same as that since (widened and improved)\\nknowh as the old road or Indian path between those places.\\nAt New Brunswick the river was fordable at low water,\\nand the road thence ran almost in a straight line to the\\nDelaware, (above where Trenton is now situated,) which\\nwas also fordable. This was called the upper road,\\nwhich branched off about five or six miles from the Rari-\\ntan, took a sweep toward the east, and arrived at the Del-\\naware at the site of the present Burlingtou. These roads", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0150.jp2"}, "151": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 143\\nhowever, ^ere very little more than foot-paths, and so con-\\ntinued for many years, affording facilities f )r pedestrians\\nand horsemen })rincipally. Even as late as 1716, when In-\\nnian s firrv had been established at New Brunswick for\\ntwenty years, provision was only made, in the rates allow-\\ned by the assembly, for horse and man, and single per-\\nson. Previous to -that tinie, the road had been improved\\neastward, and was considered the main thorough hire to\\nPennsylvania for, in 1695, the Inkeepers at Piscataway,\\nWoodbiidge and Elizabethtown, were taxed for five years,\\nto prevent its falling into decay. The sura required at\\nthat time, was only ten pounds. An opposition road was\\nopened by the Proprietaries, in the hope of drawing the\\nprincipal travelling to Amboy, their seat of government\\nbut without success. They express a wish to Deputy-gov-\\nernor Laurie, in July, 1683, that it might be discovered\\nwhether there may nor a convenient road be found between\\nPerthtowu (Perth Amboy) and Burlington, for the enter-\\ntaining of a land conveyance that way. This was done by\\nLaurie the ensuing year, and he connected with the road a\\nferry boat, to run between Amboy and New York, to en-\\ntertain travellers. Finding however that the other road\\ncontinued to be preferred. Gov. Basse, in 1698, was direct-\\ned to bring the matter before the assembly, and have an\\nact passed that would cause the public road to pass\\nthrough the port-town of (Perth Amboy,) from New York\\nand New England to West Jersey and Pennsylvania but\\nBasse s authority was of such limited duration that noth-\\nwas done.\\nkSuch were the two routes travelled between New York\\nand Philadelphia, under the Proprietary Government\\nbut no public conveyance for the transportation of either\\ngoods or passengers existed in either place. One Delaman\\nwas permitted by Gov. Hamilton to drive a wagon on the\\nAmboy road about this time, but had no regular prices or\\nset time for his trips.\\nIn April, 1707, the assembly, enumerating their griev-\\nances to Lord Cornbury, complained that patents had\\nbeen granted to individuals to transport goods on the road\\nt roni Burliugton to Amboy, for a certain number of years,", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0151.jp2"}, "152": {"fulltext": "144 SOMERSET C0U:NTY.\\nto the exclusion of others which was deemed not only\\ncontrary to the statute respecting monopolies, but also de-\\nstructive to that freedom wliich trade and commerce ought\\nto have. The governor, in Ids reply, gives us an insight\\ninto the facilities afforded by Dehiman s wagon. After\\nHtating the difficulties which had previously attended the\\ncarriage of goods upon the road, he says, *at present, eve-\\nry body is sure, once a fortnight to have an opportunity of\\nsending any quantity of goods, great or small, at reasona-\\nble rates, without being in danger of imposition and the\\nsettling of this Avagon is so far from being a grievance or a\\nmonopoly, that by this means and no other, a trade has\\nbeen carried on between Philadelphia, Burlington, Amboy\\nand New York, which was never known before, and in all\\nprobability never would have been. As none of the griev-\\nancts suffered under Lord Cornbury s administration were\\nremoved until his recall, in 1710, it is probable this wagon\\ncontinued to perform its journey once a fortnight till then,\\nif not longer. Soon after, however, the road seems to have\\nbeen more open to competition.\\nThe first advertisement respecting the transportation\\non this route, which I have met with, is in Andrew Brad-\\nford s Philadelphia Mercury, of March, 1732\u00e2\u0080\u009433. It is\\nas follows\\nThis is to give notice unto gentlemen. Merchants,\\nTradesmen, Travellers, and others, that Solomon Smith\\nand James Moore of Burlington, keepeth two Stage Wag-\\nons intending to go from Burlington to Amboy, and back\\nfrom Amboy to Burlington again, Once every Week or\\noflft er if that Business presents. They have also a very\\ngood store house, very comodious for the Storing of any\\nBort of Merchants Goods free from any Charges, where\\ngood Care will be taken of all sorts of Goods.\\nAbout this time, also, aline by the way of New Bruns-\\nwick commenced, and in 1734 another via Bordentown\\nwas established, running from South river, the proprietor\\nof which would be at New York once a week, if wind and\\nweather i)ermit, and come to the Old-slip.\\nIn 1744 the stage wagons between New Brunswick and\\nTrenton ran twice a week.", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0152.jp2"}, "153": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 145\\nIn October, 1750. a new line was estalilished, the owner\\nof which resided at Perth Aniboy. He informed all gen-\\ntlemen and ladies who have occasion to transport them-\\nselves, goods, wares, or merchandise, from New York to\\nPhiladelphia, that he had a stage boat well fitted for the\\npurpose, which, wind and weather permitting, (that never-\\nforgotten proviso,) would leave New York every Wednes-\\nday for the ferry at Amboy on Thuisday, where, on Fri-\\nday a stnge wagon would i)e readv to proceed immediately\\nto Bordentown, whi-re they would take another stage boat\\nto Philadelphia nothing being said of the time when they\\nmight expect to arrive there. He states, however, that\\nthe passages are made in forty eight hours, less time than\\nby any other line. This was probably the case, for the\\nroute was so well patronized that, in 1752, th^^y carried\\npassengers twice a week instead of once, endeavoring to\\nuse people in the best manner, keeping them, be it observ-\\ned, from five to seven days on the way.\\nThe success of this line seems to have led to an opposi-\\ntion, in 1751, originating in Philadelphia, which professed to\\ngo through in twenty-four or thirty hours, but which nev-\\nertheless, appears to have required the same number of\\ndays as the other. Great dependence was placed u})on the\\nattractions of the passenger boat between Amboy and New\\nYork, described as having a fine commodious cabin, fitted\\nup with a tea table, and sundry other articles.\\nIn 1756, a stage line between Philadelphia and New\\nYork, via. Trenton and Perth Amboy, was established, in-\\ntended to run through in three days. This was followed\\nin 1765, by another to start twice a week but nine years\\nhad worked no increase of speed. The following year a\\nthird line of good stage wagons, with the seats set on\\neprings, was set up, to go through in two days in summer,\\nand three in winter. These wagons were modestly called\\n^Flying Machines. The title soon became a favorite with\\nall the stage proprietors. These lines ran, I believe, by\\nthe way of Blazing Star Ferry and Staten Island, and soon\\nput an end to the transportation of passengers on the old\\nAmboy route.\\nFrom 1765 to 1768, attempts were made by the legisla-", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0153.jp2"}, "154": {"fulltext": "14G SOMERSET COUNTY,\\ntare to raise funds, by lottery, for shortening and improv-\\ning the great thoroughfares but without success. Gov.\\nFranklin, alluding to them, in a speech to the assembly,\\nin 1768, states that even those which lie between the two\\nprincipal trading cities in North America, are seldom\\npassable without danger or difficulty. Such being the\\nconilition of the roads it was a great improvement to have\\nJohn Mersereau s flying machine, in 1772, leave Paulus\\nHook three times a week, with a reasonable expectation\\nthat passengers would arrive in Fhiladelphia in one day\\nand a half This time, however, was probably fjnnd too\\nshort, for two days were required by him in 1773 74.\\nThe mails, being carried on horseback, moved at this\\ntime with rather greater speed than passengers but they\\nhad been a long time acquiring it. To Col, John Hamil-\\nton, son of Gov. Andrew Hamilton, of New Jersey, (him-\\nself at one time acting governor, as president of the coun-\\ncil,) were the colonies indebted for devising the scheme\\nby which the Post-Offlce was established. This was about\\nthe year 1694. He obtained a patent for it, and afterward\\nsold his right to the crown. It is presumed that it was soon\\nmade to carry the mails regularly but speed was little\\nregarded.\\nIn 1704, in the pleasant month of May^ a New York\\npaper says, the last storm put our Pennsylv::nia post a\\nweek behind, and is not yet com d in.\\nIn 1717, advices from Boston to Williamsburg, in Vir-\\nginia, were completed in four weeks, from March to Decem-\\nber, and in double that time in the other months of the\\nyear; but there is a probability that th3 mails south of\\nPhiladelphia d d not continue to be carried regularly until\\nsome years later.\\nAbout 1720, the post set out from Philadelphia every\\nFriday, left letters at Burlington and Perth Amboy, and\\narrived at New York on Sunday night; leaving there Mour\\nday morning, on its journey eastward.\\nIn 1722, a Philadelphia paper states that the New York\\nPost was three days behind his time, and not yet arrived.\\nInT729, the mail between the two cities went once a\\n\u00c2\u00bb,week in s-ummer, and once a fortnight in winter; and thi*", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0154.jp2"}, "155": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 147\\ncontinued to be the case till ).7. 54, when Dr. Franklin be-\\ncame snnerintencienb, and improved the condition of the\\nPost Office materially. In October, notice is given that un-\\ntil Christmas the Post would leave the two cities three\\ntimes a week, at ei^lit o clock, A. M. makini^it thirty three\\nhours After Christmas, being frequently delayed in\\ncrossing New Yoik Bay, (the route being via. Blazing\\nStar ferry,) it would leave only twice a week. Further im-\\nprovements were made in the foHowing years, and in 1764,\\nif weather permitted, the niaiis were to k^ave every alter-\\nnate day, and ^o through in less than twenty-four hours\\nand such was the rate at vvliich they travelled until the\\nrevolution put a stop to their regular transmission.\\nIn 1791, there were only si.x: Post-offices in New Jersey\\nNewark, Elizabethtcwn, Bridgetown, (now Rahway,)\\nBrunswick, Princeton, and Trenton. Somerset seems to\\nhave had no mail facili*^ies at all. The total of the re-\\ncdipts, for the year ending October 5th, 1791, was $530,\\nof which the postmasters received $108.20 leaving\\n$421.80 as the nett revenue.\\nThe first road along the Raritan branced off from what\\nwe have called the old road at New Brunswick, and fol-\\nlowed the north side of the river uj to the junction of the\\ntwo Branches, from which it ran west to New Hope, on\\nthe Delaware. Below Bound Brook its location has not\\nbeen altered in any essential particular up to the present\\ntime but the opening of the New Jersey Turnpike led to\\nits being closed westward of Bound Brook. Its location\\nwas south of the turnpike all the way between Somerville\\nand the turnpike gate at Bound Brook just north of the\\nfarm houses on the banks of the river; and it came into\\nSomerville where the shop of Leonard Bunn still stands;\\npassed quite close to the front of tlie Brick Church, and\\nwent north of the houses in Main Street, crossing the\\nturnpike again where John Whitenack s shop was since\\nbuilt, and so continued up until near Raritan, where ttie\\npresent road is located. Opposite the mansion of the late\\nGen. John Frelinghuysen it th -ew off a branch which r;iw\\nto the Mills at North Branch, and on to Easton. How\\nsoon, after the first families settled on the Raritan, this", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0155.jp2"}, "156": {"fulltext": "148 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\nroad was opened we are not informed. It was probably a\\ngiadual alfair. The earliest legislative action in reference\\nto roads in Somerset County which we have seen was in\\n1694 and it refers to a previous action of the same char-\\nacter, by which John Royce, Peter Vaness and John T uni-\\nson were appointed commissioners of highways, in the\\nplace of several who had died; and it was enjoined upon\\nthem not to change the localities of roads without necessi-\\nty, and to lay out and open new ones wheie required.\\nThese acts jM obably mark the time when what were really\\nroads, first began to be formed for the convenience of the\\nresidents of Somerset County.\\nThere was a road at any early day from New Brunswick\\nto Millstone by way of Middle bush; and the road from\\nBound Brook to Pluckamin was also opened before the\\nRevolution. From the Raritan road there also branched\\noff another which crossed the river a little west of the old\\nchurch, and went to Millstone. On this road the first\\nbridge across the Raritan was built, some time before the\\nRevolution, but what year we have not ascertained. This\\nbridge was situated some distance below the site of what\\nwe now call the old bridge. The church stood in the\\nsecond field east of the present road, not near the river,\\nbut on the high ground north of it. By this bridge Wash-\\nington s army crossed after the battle of Princeton on their\\nway to Pluckamin; but the exact line of march we are not\\nable to point out if by the usual public highway then it\\nmust have been through Somerville, along the road to the\\nmountain by Fritt s Hotel. The road from the uppt^r part\\nof the village is later in time and it could not have been\\nby this, because not then in existance\\nThe Landing bridge was begun previous to 1772, as is\\nevident from the fact, that in that year, an act was passed\\nto enable the inhabitants of Middlesex and Somerset to\\ntax themselves to complete that bridge, said to have been\\nalready begun. These bridges continued for many\\nyears to be the only points of passage along the river the\\nother places of crossing were fords. The New Jersey\\nTurnpike built their bridge about 1809, and the covered", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0156.jp2"}, "157": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 149\\nbridge, at first m chiiin bridge, was erected in 1815 or\\n1816.\\nHow the first settlers made their way up to Bound\\nBrook and Somerville, we are left to conjecture. It may\\nhave been on horseback, and it may have been by means\\nof canoes or small boats both w.^-e used in transporting\\ntheir produce to a considerable extent in early times and\\nin winter they had a splendid road on the ice and used it\\nto their comfort and advantage. Wheat and corn are\\nknown to have been brought down, even out of the South\\nBranch in boats in the early days, when the water in the\\nriv r was full,\\nThe necessity of the case, made the work to be done,\\ndifficulties notwithstanding.\\nThe road from Brunswick to Pluckamiii ought to be mem-\\norable for a Revolutionary incident, which, singularly\\nenough, has found no record in any history of those times.\\nWe refer to a visit of ceremony and congratulation made\\nto Major McDonald, of Pluckamin, by a company of\\nmounted men from Gen. Howe s army at New Brunswick.\\nIt must have been in the autumn of 1776 or the spring of\\n1777. As a matter of precaution, on their way up, they\\nthrew out videttes on both sides of the road tVom Bound\\nBrook upward but they were not mcjlested until they ar-\\nrived at LafFerty s Hill immediately east of the village,\\nwhen they were fired upon by some person or persons con-\\ncealed in the woods on the mountain side, and one of the\\nparty was wounded. This attack incensed them greatly\\nand when they arrived at the hotel in Pluckamin, then\\nkept by Christian Eofi they were very violent and noisy,\\nand forcibly possessed themselves of some of the sheets from\\nthe beds in the house, which they tore up for bandage? for\\nthe wounded soldier, Having provided lor fiis immediate\\nwants, they repaired to Major McDonald s house, and sa-\\nluted him It is understood that he had been an officer\\nin the British service, in his early life, and was living here,\\nprobably on half pay. He received the compliment, and\\nto show his appreciation of it, rolled out a barrel of whiskej\\nfrom his cellar, and gave them such refreshments as could\\nbe extemporized for the emergency. After tasting the", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0157.jp2"}, "158": {"fulltext": "150 SOMERSET COUNTY,\\n;ipl)le jack and consumin i^ the bread and cold liani oifer-\\nered to them, they again mounted rather hastily, calling in\\ntheir videttesas tlipy proceeded on their return. At Bound\\nBrook, a few men had collected, hut niaUing a iiish. they\\npassed that point in safety, and reached the canjp at New\\nBrunswick without any serious molestation The fact\\nwas, that the inhabitants had suffered so severely from the\\nBritish foraging ])arties, in the autumn, winter and spring\\nof 1776 and 1777 that they were afraid to molest ;iny com-\\npany of military men, for it only provoked them to inflict\\nincreasing damages. The people were at their mercy and\\ncould only endure. The time had not yet arrived for them\\nto avenge their injuries but it came ami bi-jf )re the y(^ar\\n1777 closed, Gen. Howe had evacuated New Brunswick,\\nh aving Somerset County to return no more forever. Tiie\\nquestion of where was the McDonald House, seems to be\\nsettled by the fact that he is represented as owning a Mill\\non Chamber s brook. This Mill stood east of the little\\nbridge over Chamber s brook on the roa l along the moun-\\ntain from Somerville to Fluckamin. It seems to have\\nbeen afterwards called the Laffertv house.", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0158.jp2"}, "159": {"fulltext": "CHAPTER Xill.\\nWASHINGTON IN SOCIAL LIFE.\\nWhen the Pennsylvauid troops revolti d on the 21st of\\nJune, 1783, the Congress was in session at Trenton and\\nthe disaffected men, three hundred in number, marched\\nthither, surrounded the State House, phiced guards at the\\ndoor, and demanded a redress of their grievances within the\\nspace of twenty minutes, at the peril of having on enraged\\nsohliery let in upon them. But Congress was firm in the\\npressing emergency, refused to act under restraint, declar-\\ned that ihey had been grossly insulted and adjourned to\\nmeet in Princeton.\\nOn the 26th, after the mutiny had been quelled, they\\nre-assembled therf-, holding their sessions in the College\\nbuildings. Tiiither Washington was summoned from\\nNewburgh to consult with them on important matt^^rs i-ela-\\ntive to tlie close of the war. Leaving General Knox in\\ncommand of tlie army, he repaired to New Jersey, in obedi-\\nance to this request, accompanied by Mrs. Washington and\\na part of his miiitary family. He fixed his qijarters at\\nRocky Hill, in a house OP the east side of the Millstone\\nriver, about one-eighth of a mile from the present village,\\nthen the residence of Judge Berrian, a description of it has\\nalready been given. Here he remained until November,\\nwhen he returned to Newburgh, preparatory to the enter-\\ning of the army into the city of New York after its final\\nevacuation by the British troops, on the 25tL of Novem-\\nber 1783.\\nWhile residing in this house Washington was in the\\nhabit of riding in company with some of his aids into\\nPrinceton almost every morning, for the purpose of confer-", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0159.jp2"}, "160": {"fulltext": "152 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\nencc with Congress, on the many new and important ques-\\ntions, which pressed tor a solution in the existinj^ emergen-\\ncies and as he had always, atter such conft-rence, the\\nleisure of the whole day to dispose of. he indulged himselt\\nin social intercourse with the different ftimilies residing in\\nthe village and in its vicinity 1 Among these was that of\\nMr. John Van Horn, a wealihy and intelligent farmer liv-\\ning near his quarters at Rocky Hill.\\nWashington frequently after his morning ride, called on\\nMrs. Van Horn, and spent an hour in conversation with\\nher and the ladies of the family. He delighted in this way\\nto unbend himself from the dignity of commander in chief\\nand give })lay to his social spirit and it is sufficiently at-\\ntested, that grave as he was in his public life, there could\\nbe no more fascinating gentleman in the social circle, than\\nhe, on such occasions, showed himself to be.\\nOn one of the mornings when he calUd on Mrs. Van\\nHorn, a ludicrous incident occurred, the description of\\nwhich has been preserved by Dunlap the painter, in his\\nReminescences of Washington. He was a mere youth\\nat the time, and had taken board for a few weeks at Mrs,\\nVan Horn s, at Rocky Hill. His object in visiting Prince-\\nton was to take the portraits of some of the members of\\nCongress; and he found the ftirmer s house and table, most\\nappropriate and convenient both to his means and to the\\nleisure which he required, in order to be better able to se-\\ncure the needed progress in his work. We shall now let\\nhim speak in his own words, because no others could more\\ngraphically describe the scene. It throws at least a new\\ngleam of light upon the character of the man in whom all\\nfeel so deep an interest; but who is not fully and familiar-\\nly known, even by those who have been most careful in\\ns .udying the numerous biographies which have been writ-\\nten of him. Circumstances not unfrequently reveal us to\\nourselves, and they do so also to others. Washington at\\nVan Horn s is a new revelation of the hero and the sage.\\nLet us hear Dunlap\\nBefore I left Princeton for Rocky Hill, I saw for the\\nfirst time the man of whom all men spoke whom all wish-\\ned to see. It was accidental. It was a picture. No", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0160.jp2"}, "161": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 153\\npainter could have grouped a cnrapaay ot military men\\nbetter, or selected a background better suited for etfect.\\nAs I walked on the road leading from Princeton to Tren-\\nton, alone, for I ever loved solitary rambles, ascending a\\nhill, suddenly appeared a brilliant troop of cavaliers,\\nmounting and gaining the summit in my front. The clear\\nautumnal sky behind them equally relieved the dark blue\\nuniforms the buff lacings and glittering military appenda-\\nges. All were gallantly mounted all were tall and grace\\nfill\u00e2\u0080\u0094 but one towered above the rest, and I doubted not an\\ninstant, that I saw the beloved hero. I lifted my hat as I\\nsaw that his eye was turned toward me, and instantly eve-\\nry hat was raised and every eye was fixed on me. They\\nfiassed on and I turned and gazed as at a passing vision.\\nI had seen him; although all through my life used to the\\npomp, pride and circumstances of glorious war to the\\ngay and gallant Englishman, the tarrared Scott, anJ the\\nembroidered German of every military grade; I still think\\nthe old blue and buff of Washington and his aids, their\\ncocked hats worn side long, with the union cockade their\\nwhole equipment, as seen at that moment, was the most\\nmartial of any thing I ever saw.\\nA few days after this incident I took up my abode at\\nMr. John Van Horn s by invitation, within a shord dis-\\ntance of the head quarters of the commander-in-chief. He\\nhad frequently called when returning from his ride an I\\npassed an honr with Mrs. Van Horn and the other\\nladies of the family, or with the farmer if at home. I was\\nof course introduced to him. I had brou^rht with me ma-\\nterials for crayon painting and ommonced the portrait of\\nMr. and Mrs. Van Horn these were admired far beyond\\ntheir merits and shown to all visitors, I had also with\\nme a iSlute and soms music books. One morning, as 1 cop-\\nied notes and tried them, the General and suite passed\\nthrough the hall, and I heard him say the love of music\\nand painting are frequently found united in the sime per-\\nson. The remark is common place, but it was delightful\\nto me at that time.\\nThe assertion that the great man never laughed, must\\nhave arisen trom his habitual^perhaps his natural reserv-", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0161.jp2"}, "162": {"fulltext": "154 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\nedness. He had from early youth been conversant with\\njiiiblic men and employed in public affairs in affairs of\\nlife and death He was not an austere man, either in\\nap})jarance or manners, but was unaffecteilly dignified and\\nhabitually polite. But I remember, during my opportuni-\\nty of observing his deportment, two instances of unre-\\nstrained laughter. The first and most inodeiate was at a\\nbon mot, or an(^cdote fi om Judge Peters, then a member\\nof Congress and dining with the G-eneral the second was\\non witnessing a scene in front of Mr. Van Horn s bouse\\nwhich was, as I recollect it, sufficiently laugh-provoking\\nMr. Van Horn was a man of uncommon size and strength,\\nand balky with all. His hospitable board required that\\nday, as it often did, a roasting pig in addition to tbe many\\nother substantial dishes, which a succession of guests, civil\\nand military put in requisition. A black boy bad been\\nordered to catch tbe young porker, and was in full but un-\\navailing chase, when the master and myself arrived from a\\nwalk. Pooh, you awkward cur, said the good natured\\nyeoman, as he directed Cato or Plato (for all the slaves\\n\u00e2\u0096\u00a0were heathen ])hilosophevs in those days), to exert his\\nlimbs but all in vain the pig did not choose to be cook-\\ned. Stand awa} said Van Horn, and throwing off his\\ncoat and hat, he undertook the chase, determined to run\\ndown the pig. His guests and his negroes stood laughing\\nat his exertions, and the pig s manifold escapes. Shouts\\nand laughter at length proclaimed thesuccess of chasseur,\\nand while he held the pig up in triumph, the big drops\\ncoursing each other from forehead to chin, over his mahog-\\nany face, glowing with the effects of exercise, amid the\\nsquealing of the victim, the stentorian voice of Van Horu\\nwas heard, Pll show you how to run down a pig, and as\\nhe spoke he looked up in the face of Washington, who with\\nhis suite had trotted their horses into the court-yard un-\\nheard amid the din of the chase and the shouts of triumph-\\nant success. The ludicrous expression of surprise at being\\nso caught, with his attempts to speak to his heroic visitor,\\nwhile the pig redoubled his efforts to escape by kicking and\\nsqueaking, produced as hearty a burst of laughter from the", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0162.jp2"}, "163": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. If).\\n(li j^uifie l Wivshiiigton, ;i.s iitiy that shoook tin; sides of tho\\nmost vulgar s[)t (;t;i,tur\u00c2\u00abtt thr scene.\\nAn anecdnte ot ii diffreiit character is tokl of the Blath-\\ner of his Country, whil-r he was living in Mew York, in a\\nhouse on Brnidway oi)]) )site the Bowling Green, (ie was\\nin the habit of walking in the ganh^n fnr recreivtiun, with\\nhis hands crossed behinti him, and lixdcing down on the\\nground before hiuj, in a serious and ensive mood. Among\\nthe dticers wlio were in attencianco on him and admitted to\\nterms of intimate and confidential course, tiiere was one\\nwiio p-oposed as a joke, to com- up b.^hitrl him and as he\\nstoojH d somewhat, to h^ap upon his back. A bet was\\nmade that m* one among them (hired to attempt sncii a\\nthing. The young officer accepted it and the nexc day\\nwhen Washington had again c)min.-nced his walk up and\\ndown tne garden |)ath, he stoh^ softly up and leaped upon\\nhis back, and clasped his arms around his neck he straigh-\\ntened himself up, shook the intrutler off, and facing him\\ngave him such an annihilating look that the young man\\ntied in terror and afterward averred that the indignation\\nexpressed in Washington s countenance frightened him to\\nsuch a degree that no amount of money could ever induce\\nhim to attempt a similar familiarity. If the pig chase\\nniadi- him lau;h heartily, the unwarranted familiarit} call-\\netl forth siimething which sent terror into the lieart of the\\nthoughtless young man. His indignation was as prompt\\nand decisive us his mirth. He was iti fact nut a tame man\\nin any moode,", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0163.jp2"}, "164": {"fulltext": "(JIlAPTKLi XIV,\\nTHE OLD RED SCHOOL HOUSE,\\nIn the period which elapsed before tlie Revolution, but\\nlittle p: ogress had been wiide in providing for the proper\\neducation of the young, in Somerset County. Circumstan-\\nces were such as to make any proper provision almost im-\\npossible. The popuLition was sparse, the people were poor\\nand had to struggle hard to build themselves houses and\\ncultivate and iuiprove their homesteads. Hence, sciiool\\nhouses were few, and it was no common tiling for children\\nto be obliged to walk two and three miles in going and re-\\nturning from school. Even when they had a school to at-\\ntend, only the mere rudiments, such as reading, writing\\nand arithmetic, were taught even in the best schools. The\\nteachers were generally emigrants from Ireland, England,\\nand Scotland, and they took upon themselves the ttisk ot\\ngiving tuition mostly as a mode of self su})port, in prefer-\\nence to manual labor, or mechanical industry. New Eng-\\nland had not yet sent forth her young men and maidens to\\nenlighten their country and occupy its places of influence.\\nThere is evidence however to show that if learning was\\nnot deep, it was good as far as it went, and answered sub-\\nstantially the pirposes of the honest yeomanry of that day,\\nand of their children. There was not much improvement\\nbefore the commencement of the present century, but edu-\\ncation was not entirely neglected, and there was some", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0164.jp2"}, "165": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET.COUNTY. 107\\nprogress. The i)ulatiMir of our country was alimst\\nt^utirely Dutch {Uicl PreshyU-rian, ixwl the early teachings\\nat home and in the church led to the desire for further at-\\ntainments.\\nThe good old custom, inherited from their ancestors, of\\nmaking the iSabbath evening a seasi)n for reciting the cate-\\nchism, was almost universally })revalent, and then when\\nthe pastor came on his accustomed rounds to hear the pt)r-\\ntions Committed to memoiy, and eX])lain the doctrin(^s\\ntaught in them, tiiere was an interest which brought the\\nold as well as tht^ young to hear and profit. It was a\\nblpssed custom, and tended largely to perpetuate the truth\\nand preserve the unity of the Church, (iur youth may\\nlearn more of the Bible but thin* fail to attain that sys-\\ntematic knowledge of what the Bil^le teaches, which those\\nwho carefully committed the catechism were sure to ])os-\\nsess. It was laying di^ej) and broad a foundation for f;iith\\nand practice, which certainly made many eminent Chris-\\ntians men who were largely concerned in preparing for\\nthe more extended privileges which vve enjov.\\nAt the period to which we refer, school houses were not\\noidy few in number, but very unconif irtable and ill con-\\ntrived, if indeed theie was anything like contrivance about\\nthem. It is impossible at this time to give all the differ-\\nent localities in Somerset County, and we must confine\\nonrselvL to a few of those of which we have the bt: st in-\\nformation ither by history or tradition.\\nThere was a school house at Karitan, now Somerville,\\nin which English was taught until the Acarlemy was built\\nin 1801, after vvhich the English school was transferred to\\nthat building. Tlie last teacher before its removal was a\\nMr. Tenard, who gave an evening exhibition in the Com t\\nHouse, which was the first of its kind, and the wonder of\\nall the [)eople. There was a school house also at Bound\\nBrook, Pluckamin and near the Two Bridg^^s, of which no\\ntrace now remains. There was one on the mountain road\\nnorth of Someiville, which remained staniling yet as late\\nfts 184). It was the scene of an outrage during the Kevo-\\nlutioii, when a tory had given him a coat rf tar and feath-\\ners by some entlmsiastic p itri )ts. It was an outbroalc td", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0165.jp2"}, "166": {"fulltext": "158 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\ntemper, xcascd in some measiite by the times and circum-\\nstances, but still an outrage of perf.onal and indiviilual lib-\\nerty, which cannot be justified There was a fourth on\u00c2\u00bb\u00c2\u00bb\\non the south side of the river situated on a little knull on\\nthe roadside, near the point where the properties formerly\\nof Jacobus Quick and Peter Dumont joined. It was small\\nand unpretending- and was abandoned as a school house to-\\nward the latter ])art of the last century, and occupieil for\\nsome years afterward by a poor and wwrthy family of the\\nneighborhood. It is understood that at an early day one\\nWilliam Parrish taught in this house, and fr\u00c2\u00ab m papeis\\nonce in our possessi in, it would S( em that he was a man\\nof considerable attainment. Owing to changes continually\\noccurring in the neifrhborhood, it was concluded to build a\\nnew school house about a mile turther west, so as to accom-\\nodate the peo[)le from what is now called the South Branch\\nand castas far as the farm of Mr. H. V-^ghte on the river\\nbelow, and also the back neighborhood. In that district\\nthere was at that time a large number of children.\\nA little srrip of land between the road and the river\\nbank on the north end of the farm then owned by John\\n,Van Middleswoith, was chosen for the site of the new\\nhouse. Near it on the east was a small stream, tributary\\nto the Raritan, known by the Indian name of Paw-ne-pack.\\nIt was then a constantly running brook, taking its rise in\\nthe hills and large tracts of woodland to the south. A\\nfine row of cedar and hemlocks graced the river banks to\\nthe west for some distance above, and on the opposite side\\nof the road was a row of walnut trees in full growth. The\\nspace between the river and road was large enough for a\\npleasant play ground, and the urchins of that day enjoyed\\ntheir ball plays quite as much as the base ball champions\\nof the present time can do.\\nThis new school house was built about the year 1795. It\\nwas perhaps 24 feet square, having one room only, and one\\ndoor. On one side of the room there was a spacious fire\\n})lace, which would hold wood of almost any length. Tho\\nfurniture of the room was of the simplest kind. Plain\\nwooden benches, without backs, sufficed for the younger\\nscholars. A long table with benches on each side was de-", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0166.jp2"}, "167": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 159\\nvoted to such as could write and ciplK^r, wliile near the\\nphice for the teacher vveiv two square tables ot diffi.M-ent\\nhei!j;hts at which were phiced the little out-s who were \\\\k^-\\n!;iiinini; to write. In outward a;)))earance the hou^e was\\nm advance ((fall others in that vicinity. It was built of\\noood materials, and more than all was painted reel, and\\nwith white casinj^s to the doors and windows Eroui this\\nit touk the name of thr Red School House. In later\\nyears, when the gereration which wa. first gathered with-\\nin its walls had passed into the busy crowd of men and\\nwomen, and those who had built tiie house had disappear-\\ned, it was known as the -Old tied School House, antl by\\nthat familiar name we propose to speak of it\\nIt was opened for scholars, (or as we would now say, in-\\naugurated) in the spring of the year above referred to. The\\nyoungest scholar was called on to say the first lesson in it,\\nand it is from this source, that most of the particulars in\\nthis paper have been derived. John Warburton better\\nknowu as -Master VVarbui ton presided in the school.\\nHe was an Englishman by birth, and was supposed to\\nhave been attached to the^ British army in the war of^ the\\nrevolution, and to have remained here after the close of the\\nwar. He had tau ;ht in tiie nei rhborhood at the old sch ^ol\\nhouse, and was respected and well known to parents and\\nchildren. He was a man of more than middle age, of\\ncareful habits and respectable deportment, decided in the\\ngovernment of his school, sometimes hasty, but generally\\npleasant and encouraging. He was kind and affectionate\\nto (he younger chiklreu and made the school attractive to\\nthem. The master was a firm believer in the eflicacy of\\nthe birch when necessary. A rod nicely trimmed was kept\\nnear him as he sat in his leather seated arm chair in one\\ncorner of the room, and close by were two ferrules, a large\\nand a small one the latter oiie having as he said a hard\\nside and a soft side, by which he graduated or pretended\\nto graduate his punishments. Master Warburton was not\\na mere pretender. What he taught was thoroughly\\ntaught, and he made no pretentions of teaching what he\\ndid not know. The English Primmer, Dilworth s Spelling\\nbook and Arithmetic, the New Testament and then the", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0167.jp2"}, "168": {"fulltext": "IGO SOMERSET COUNTY.\\nBil)l(^ \\\\v(Te all the books knoT^n in the school. Dilworth\\nhas \\\\o\\\\\\\\ siiK^e been siipersinled, tlionoh as some siii)})ose(l\\nnot improved on. Webster s s[telling book made but slow\\nprogress in that conuDunity,\\nTf.e indiments of education had been faitht ally attend-\\ned to iVom the early settlement of the country. We have\\nseen ancient documents, with the signatures of whoh neigh-\\nbo- hoods attached to them, audit was remarkable with\\nwhat strength and boldness, thej)eo()le wiote, not a marks-\\nman was found among them.\\nThe general charactei- of instructi(\u00c2\u00bbn throughout the\\ncommunitv was about the same as in the Hed School\\nHouse. In some schools the catechism was taujjht, either\\nHellenbrook or the Westminster, but profane history, geog-\\nraphy and m;ithemat cs were of no account, and yet the\\nmen of that day were not ignorant men. Their minds\\nwere not enlarged by much reading, but they were strength-\\nened and built up by reading a few good books and read-\\ning them well and by observation and thought. They\\nwere honest, industrious, faithful men, not given to strife\\nor sedition. TiuMinpress of theii- character is still visible\\nin the old po|)ulation and their descendants. The parents\\nof that day took an interest in their children s education,\\nj)lain as it was. They felt it to be their duty. Th y se-\\nlected their school masters, and attended to their moral\\ncharacter.\\nWe have made gn^at chaiigvis an l improvements in our\\nsystem of common school education of late years, but it\\nis still a [)roblem whetiier the abandonment of individual\\nand parental responsil)ility. and holding up the idea that\\neducation is a matter that belongs to the public or the\\nk tate to regulate and (enforce, will bring with it the bene-\\nfit so fondly anticipated by n^auy. If we look back to the\\ncommunity in which stood tiie old Red School House for\\nso many years, and s\u00c2\u00ab;e who they were that received their\\nlearning within its walls, we may well doubt whether sound\\nli-arning has advanced as mu(;h as some imagine. The\\nsame r mark may no doubt be applied to other parts of\\nthe c )untry. The old ciMumon school, with its elementary\\ninstruction, and the pulpit, have made the {)eo{)le of this", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0168.jp2"}, "169": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 161\\ncountry what they are. The precepts of the inspired\\nbooks, which were constantly read, ma(h} iinprcv^sioiis\\nwhich were never hist. Will the time ever come when\\nthese books shall be l)anished from oar schools.\\nThere are some things connected witii the (dd Red\\nSchool House, which although local and personal we may\\nbe excused for noticing. Every one who has knowledge of\\nthis ancient seat of learning, associates with it the charac-\\nter, if not the person, of the good old master to whom we\\nhave referred, and who for years led the children up the\\nlittle hill of science for steep they cei tainly were not.\\nWe have spoken of liim somewhat, but we could add, that\\nhe had quiliries well fitted to his vocation. His great\\npoints were order an 1 method. He allowed no sloveliness\\nin his school. Exact himself in all that he did, he requir-\\ned exactness in his scholars. The writing books and cyph-\\nering books of the children were patterns of neatness.\\nEvery line was fixed by scale and dividers, and every figure\\nhad its proper phice. In this quiet way he made the\\nchildren proud of themselves and of their work, and incul-\\ncated useful habits. At the call for *M)ook in the morn-\\ning, all took their places at once. When the shadow at\\nthe door mark high twelve a tap of the ruler gave notice\\nofit, andthe hour-glass was turned. Tiiis glass deserves\\na passing notice. It was an old clumsy affair, as though\\nmade for hardships. It always stood upon the master s\\ntable, and was an object of great interest to the scholars.\\nThey all thought that I y long use, the passage way for\\nthe sand had become enlarged, and that they lost at least a\\nquarter of an hour by it. Sometimes the master, if in a\\nvery good humor, would ])retend not to see that the up{)er\\nend of the curious machine was empty, but generally when\\nthe last sand dropped, the call was made for books, and\\nthe lessons of the afternoon commenced.\\nThe manners and morals of the pupils were carefully\\nattended to. In this duty he was aided by the fticility he\\npossessed of gaing the affection, of the very young, and by\\nsetting a proper example to all.\\nIt was the custom in early days ft)r country teachers tp\\nboard alternately, week by week, among their employers\u00e2\u0080\u0094", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0169.jp2"}, "170": {"fulltext": "1S2 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\nthus lessening the expense of eiliication by t;-ivin x free\\nhoard. The practice of Mr. Warbiirt.on, in regards to this\\n\\\\v;).s jK culiar. lie lived aIto :;ether in the school house, ft\\nwas his abide by day and hy night, but he was su[)p1ied\\nwith food by tlie employers, and after this fashion Each\\nemployer I urnished him provisions for a wek. On every\\nSunday morning !?e would rejiair be+ ore bieakfast, in his\\nbest attire;, which was v^-ry ])!ain and neat, to the house of\\nthe person who was to supply him fir the week, carrying\\nwith him a small sized wicker basket and a handsome\\nglass bottle, that would hold about a quait. He would\\nbreakfist witU the family, and as his c;)ming was known,\\nparents and children were careful to receive him very\\nkindly. It was quite an event. After breaki ast his bas-\\nket would be tilled with the best the hous(^ could afford,\\nsuitable f )r his coiufort, and his bottle filled with rich\\nrnilk. After a little conversation, he would take his leave\\nand retiie to Ids quiet home. The next moining a fresh\\nbottle of milk would be cari ied to him by tiie children, and\\nSt) he would be siipplied daily with all he desired, and\\nmuch mor(; both of meat and drink. His favorite diet\\nWas milk and brown bread. He never visited except on\\nthe occasions referred to. In the school house was a gar-\\nret, which was reached through a trap door by tiie aid of a\\nsmall ladder. In ihis he may have slept at times, but he\\nhad no bed, and usually slept in the school room. Two\\nbenches [)laced side by. with a couple of blankets, formed\\nhis resting place for many years Th garret was his sanc-\\ntum, and many were tlie conjectures as to what was in it.\\nIt was generally suj)pose(l there wa money concealed some\\nwhere. Once on a time the school house was left unguard-\\ned, and was entered by some country burglar, (^uite a\\ndarcel of old i)istareens and quarteis, and other sm.-ill\\nchange was fumd upon the culprit, and it was said they\\nha 1 been discovered stowed away in little nooks and corn-\\ners all around the garret where they might best be con-\\nC aled Fortunately the whii)pirig-i)i)st was in fashion in\\nthose days, and thirty nine lashes were laid on, served as\\na j rotection against future anoyance.\\nThe old master was never known to go to church. The", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0170.jp2"}, "171": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 163\\nRchnol room was liis temj)le, and miiny curious speculations\\nwere iiululged iu as to what his religion was. He had on\\na particular part of his table, a cou[)Ie of very nice lookinjjj\\nbooks, the contents of which w^-e a mystery to all. Some\\nsupposed that as hd was an Englishman, they were the\\nBook of Common Prayer and some other g;ood book used\\nin the English Church, and that he worshiped according\\nto that forni, although no one seemed ho know what the\\ntorm was. Among the suj)erStitious it was reported that\\nstrange noises were heard at different times in the night,\\nand it was even whispered by the more censorious that the\\nold master must have some communication with evil spir-\\nits. Such imaginings, which always attach to persons who\\nlead somewhat of a hermit life, did not effect the character\\nof the good man. Whatever may have been his eccentrici-\\nties, ur his religiiMis creed, he wtis a good preceptor, and\\nresj)ected by all who knew him, foi- his probity ana up\\nriglitiiL SS, He had strong filial treblings, and htis been\\nknown to walk to New Brunsv/ick and back in a day to\\ndej)osit in the post offict^ a smtdl remittance for his aged\\n[)arents in England.\\nFor a series oi years the old master had charge of the\\nchildren in the Red School House and its vicinity. Scarce\\nany are left who i-emember him, but his name was as fa-\\nmiliar as a household word. The effect of his teachings\\nwill out live his memory. Late in life he left the little\\ntenement on the river bank, and taught for a time in a\\nschool house, near the old Raritan bridge. He had saved\\nup a little [)roperty, with which he bought a few acres of\\nland on the mountain north of Somerville There he had\\nj)Ut up a small house, near to which was a cave construct-\\ned for his own use at, t)art.icular seasons. To this place he\\nfinally retired, living a lonely life during the residue of his\\ndays. A few tried friends who had long known him at-\\ntended to his wants. Nature at last gave wfiy. His spir-\\nit departed, and he vvas laid to rest in his ujother earth.\\nPeace to his memory\\nThe school house, after master Warburton left it con-\\ntinued to stand on the little knoll by the road side. It\\nwas used for a time as a place to teach in. The Sunday", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0171.jp2"}, "172": {"fulltext": "164 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\nSchool of tlie neisjhbnrhood was for a time hold in it, and\\nthen some little family would occupy it by permission\\nof the iniiahirants. But t^era seemed to be no one to\\nkeep it up. The paint wore off, the weather boards loos-\\nened, and all parts of it showed marks of decay. Year af-\\nter year it became more and more ruinous and desolate,\\nand there was a sympathy in many hearts attendinti; this\\ndesolation. The hemlocks and evergreens that had adorn-\\ned the river bank, were from time to time washed out by\\nthe current, until cnly here and there (me remained. The\\nwalnut trees, with their grateful shade, wasted gradually\\naway. The Pawneoack, from natural causes, became\\nsmaller and smaller, until it almost ceased to flow. A few\\nyears later, and the house itself disappeared, It had ful-\\nhlled its office.\\nIf there be a gray-headed pilgrim who spent joyous days\\nin and around it in early life, and who shall })ass by it\\nnow, he will pause, while memory traces the scene as it\\nwas, and shed a tear over the sad change which has taken\\nplace. For many years to come the inhabitants of that\\nbeautiful valley will point the passing stranger to the sa-\\ncred spot where in early days the fathers learned their first\\nlessons under the good Master Warburton, and where once\\nstood so long the Old Red t^.chool House.\\nWe have experienced a special gratification in giving these\\nremeniscences from the pen of Gov. P. D. Vroom of his\\nearly school days. We have a i)leasant recollection of the\\nOld Red School House, as it stood 46 years ago in its de-\\nserted dilapidation, a monument ol the past. It hid an\\nimportant influence in its time. Men and women were\\neducated in it who acted prominent parts in active life. If\\nit were proper we could give a list of names which would\\nbe recognized by the present Uving as conferring no small\\nhonor on this humble Seminary, because it was the place\\nwhere they acquired the rudiments of a culture which gave\\nthem prominence and influence in their subsequent life.", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0172.jp2"}, "173": {"fulltext": "CHAPTER XV.\\nSOMERVILLE,\\nThere were at least three farm houses in the vicinity as\\nearly as 1683, yet it is not one of the oldest towns in the\\ncounty. It was first known as Raritan, then the Court\\nHouse. The ])resent name when first proposed was not\\npopular. It was considered to be too fine, or fanciful, and\\nit took a \\\\ourr time to reconcile the popular mind to its\\nuse, B )und Brook. Millstone and Pluckamin are all older\\nin point of time. In the times of the Revolution there\\nwere only two houses within the present limits of the\\nvilliige. One is now the eastein part of Fritt s Hotel,\\nth other the west end of what was long called the Low-\\ner Tavern. B-side these the Tunisonfauiily lived in a\\nhouse were John Garretson, Esq., now resides. There was\\nalso a house near the Cemetery in which the Fulkerson s\\nhad lived at an earlier day, a house part of which remains,\\nwhere Col. Southard once lived; the Parsonage built by\\nRev. John Frelinghuysen in 1751 and 1752, a small stone\\nhouse where Caleb Miller lives, which was removed and\\nthe present housp built in 1777 or 1778 by William Wal-\\nlace, and not yet finished in the winter of 1778 and 1779,\\nana a small house owned by Derrick Middagh, where\\nJohn M Mann formerly resided. A little later than the\\ntime we are speaking of a two story house was built where\\n.Duniont Frelinghusen now resides and was occupied by", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0173.jp2"}, "174": {"fulltext": "lf)6 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\nShpiiff H;inlen1)iirg]i, Tlii.-? house remained until 1834 or\\n1835 when it was reniovf^d hy Rev. Charles Whiti^liHiul and\\n*the presen* mansion erected Jn its place. This i ab )ut\\nwhat tlien^ was of SomtM-vim^ when the Kevolution o[)ened.\\nAftrr the destruction of the Court House at Millstone by\\nCol. Simcoe, Oct. 18. 1779 the seat of justice was removed\\nto teomnrville. In 1789 affi.lavits in the Orphan s Court\\nwere taken by Frederick Frelin^huysen as Surro ;ate at\\nMillstone. In June, 1794 th_Te was a Court of Common\\nPleas setting in Bridgewatrr, the Judges bein. jj, Robert\\nStockton, Robert Blair, Nicholas Dub.)ise, John Stryker\\nand Archibald Merc^T. The removal must have taken\\nplace between these two dates.\\nAt first the courts were held in a small building, which\\nhad stood on Mount Pleasant and had been known as the\\ncourt martial house, and after its revoval stood on the\\ncorner at present occupied by the store belonging to Mrs.\\nKeed, It was removed and fitted up at the joint expanse\\nof the Freeholders and the Consistory of the Church, at\\nRaritan. After being abandoned by both the County and\\nthe Church it was nMUoved across the street and fitted up\\nas a store house. In it for many years Mr. Latourette and\\nsubsequently Willi irn J. Hedges transacted mercantile\\nbusiness. It was finally taken away and the present build-\\ning owned by William C. V^-ghte erected in its place.\\nTl)e road through Somerville crossed the brook near the\\nR. R. Bridge and entered the present street nearly where\\nLeonard Bunn s shop was located, thence it passed near\\nthe front of the Brick Church, and onwards where S,\\nS. Hartwell s office stood, back of all tie houses in the\\nmain street and coming into it again where John Wiiite-\\nnack s carriage shop stands at present. The laying of the\\nTurnpike in 1807 or 1808 was the occasion of its being\\nchanged to its present course.\\nPrecisely where the road from Pluckamin united with\\nthe Raritan road, we are not able to say, probably where\\nit is now, between Mrs. Reed s store and the Hotel of\\nJacob A. Fritts.\\nPrecisely when the village received its present name is\\nnot known. The oldest documentary evidence dates July", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0174.jp2"}, "175": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY, 167\\n18. 1801, After tlie Bevolution the extreme admiration\\nfor every^ hing French, excited by the aitl extended to our\\nslru2; :lin jr colonies in their efforts for independence, made\\nit ahnost a necessity to liave a ville, attached to the\\nname of of every town however insignilicant, and so the\\ncountv seat of Somerset, came natarallv to be called Som-\\nville.\\nThere was early a Post Office opened in the vil^ago kept\\nby a Mr Mcldrnm, and a semi-weekly mail from New\\nYork Probably this had a tinal effect in bringing the\\nname into general use. In the time I f William Mann it\\nwas kept in his bar, the whole business anjounling to\\nsome dozen letters a week. The first thing which ri ally\\nensured its prospeiity and growth, wa.s the fact that i li\\n1778 the Raritan Congregation determined to build their\\nChuich here. They had o?en without a suitable place to\\nhold religious services in ever since November 18, 1779.\\nPerhaps it was procrastinated by the circumstance that for\\nsome time their services had been held in the small I rame\\nbuilding called the Court House. It had been so long\\ndeferred because the Revolutionary war left every one poor\\nin money at least but now they were encouraged and\\ndetermined to build a respectable house 40 feet by GO, of\\nbrick, surmounted by a cupcla with a bell. It was the\\nfirst church in the county pretending to anything like the\\nsame elegance and expensiveness.\\nTen years more elapsed and the Freeholders of the\\nCounty determined to erect a respectable Court House.\\nThe motion created great division of sentiment on the\\npart of the inhabitants of the North and South side of the\\nriver. Meetings were held, discussions had, advice asked,\\nbut decisions could not be reached. The Board of Free-\\nholders was equally divided. At length one of the mem-\\nbers of HilLsboroLgh decided the question by voting in fa-\\nvor of Somerville, and the work was undertaken and finish-\\ned. The walls of this house still stand, and although\\nmany alterations have been made internally, and some ad-\\nditions externally, the building remains essentially the\\nsame as it was in the beginning. It has become one the\\nold land marks of the old village.", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0175.jp2"}, "176": {"fulltext": "16S SO-MEUSET COUNTY.\\nBefore the Court House there had been erected fi build\\niug at the lower end of the viUarije, connected with a tan\\nyard. It was occupied once by Samuel Hall, and directly\\nt)])pi)site to it, in early days there was a sni;ill house in\\nwhith dosiah Bryan resided.\\nNearly cotemporary with the buildini^ of the Court\\nHouse, was the erection of the house opposite to it by Mr.\\nIsaac DaVis, and afterwards occui)ied by Jacob R. Hiirden-\\nbur^h, Esq., as a store. Daniel LaTourette lived in it,\\nand then for niany years William J Hed ijes. The lot ex-\\ntended from the west line ot J u li^e Van Derveer s proper-\\nty, to the road leading fron. ilie covered biidge. The barn\\nwhich was large, was finally converted into a house and\\nnow forms a part of th(i County Hotel. This change was\\nthe work of Mr, LaTou)-ette, and was effected about 1805\\nor 1806.\\nIn the meantime Job Van Arsdale bought a lot and\\nerected a small two story house, on the corner where S. iS.\\nHartwell s residence stood. He was a blacksmith, and\\nhad his shop a little further west, and next to it Abel Stu\\nart built a house. This house was subsequently enlarged\\nhnd converted into a hotel, lirst kept by Meldrum, and af-\\nterwards by Daniel Sergeant. In this house the first meet-\\ning in reference to the formation of the Somerset County\\nBiblt^ Society convened October 1, 1816. The meeting\\nwas organized by appointing Peter B. Dumont chairman,\\nand John Frelinghuysen secretary, and then f )rmed a com-\\nfuittee consisting of Rev. Peter Studdiford, Rev. John S.\\nVredenbnrgh, Rev. Robert Fin ley, Rev. Peter Labaugh,\\nwith Mnssrs. John M. Bayard, John Frelinghuysen and\\nPeter E lmendorf to draft a constitution and report at a\\nsubse(iuent time The final meeting for adopting the\\nconstitution was held in the church December 10th, 1816,\\na Board of Managers was tht-n appointed for the year, viz\\nBridgewatef, Rev. Peter Studdif rd and J. Frelinghuysen\\nHiHsborough, Rev. J. Zabiiskie and Nicholas Dubois,\\nEsq. Franklin, Rov. Mr. Huntington, and J. M. Bayard,\\nEs(|. Bernards, Rev. Charles Hardcnburgh and Joseph\\nAnnin Bedminsttjr. Rev, Horace Galpin and Nicholas\\nArrowsmith Warren, Alexander Kirkfoatrick and Fred-", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0176.jp2"}, "177": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY, 1G9\\nerick Vermenle. The Bofird wpre to serve until the third\\nTuesday of August, which had been fixed upon as the\\nday for the first annual meetitii^ of the society. In this\\nunpretending way an oiganization was set in motion,\\nwhich has been as a fountain of lite in Somerset County\\neve/ since. The little hotel perished in the flames some-\\ntime afterwards, but the action will give its memory so\\nmuch interest as to keep it bright in many coming years.\\nThe academy was built in the sumUier of 1802 and\\nabout the same time Isaac Vactor, a tailor, built a small\\nhou5e nearly opposite to it, in which he resided for many\\nyears. Feihaps a year or two anterior to this a house in\\nwhich Philip Tunison lived, in the lower part of the village\\nwas built. He was sexton of the church, and his widow\\nlived there for a long time. It was removed for the pur-\\npose of o[)ening a street only very recently. The Dav n-\\nport house, in which Dr. Vredenburgh resided was coteui-\\nporary or nearly so with the last mentioned. Then, next\\nin point of time, came the tlulofsen h Uise, once the Up[)er\\nTavern, the Van Natta house, the George Van Neste\\nhouse, forming a pajt of the large house second bjlow\\nFritt s Hotel. There was also at the same time, a small\\nhouse converted into a store, and belonging since to Henry\\nCook, in which Ricliard Compfeon and his wife lived. She\\nwas known as Aunt Yauney, and kept ginger cake and\\nspruce beer. Here the young gentlemen of tliat day es-\\ncorted their lady loves on Sunday, during intermission,\\nto regale them with her savory stores It was a noted\\nplace, and Aunt Yauney was a noted woman. In all\\nthe surrounding community none were more so in her day.\\nCotemporary with the days of which we are now writing\\nthe Stewart bouse was built on South street, in which his\\nwidow and family resided until a very recent period. It is\\nnow owned by Mr. Onderdonk. Samuel Brant built a\\nshop about the same time next below Greorge Van Keste s\\nhouse, and manufactured chairs. He was a brother of\\nMrs. Stewart, and a long time resident of Somerville. In\\n1809 Peter B. Dumont built a house opposite the hotel of\\nMr. Fritts and George McDonald erected the house next", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0177.jp2"}, "178": {"fulltext": "170 SOMERSET COUi^TY.\\njibovcit, in wliich Goy. VroDin re.s uled many years and\\nHiibscquently John M. Mann lived an.l died there.\\nTlien nixt in point of time came the store and dwellin;^-\\nof 0. ixi.Tnjiison and Soniervilie bej^jan really to he w )r-\\nthy of its name. Those who art. living can write the re-\\nmaining history of its growtii.\\nThe charter iW an Aqneduct Company was obtained in\\nthe fall of 1807, and an enterprise soon completed wliicli\\nin that day was a grand effjrt for the few who composed\\nthe inhabitants of onr village. Water was brought in )):^r-\\nforatt-d pine logs from the nionntain north of the town,\\nand a fine stream could bo s(^en constantly gushing out\\nfrom a pen stnck near Fritt s Hotel, then kej t by William\\nMann, si)aikling as bright and as pr.re as its mountain\\n.^oui ce Uiiibrtunatcly the weight of the column intro-\\nduced through the logs, was too much fm* their adhesive\\n])roperties and a break was the consequence. These\\nbreaks soon became so frequent that the logs were aband-\\noned and clay pipes tried without success. Then an etTi rt\\nwas made to procure pure water by boring down deep\\nthrough the red shale. The well of Ferdinand Vander-\\nveer was selected for the })urpose. and a bore of many feet\\nmade, but finally abandoned. Since Ihis time no effort\\nhas been made to supjdy our village with {)ure wat(n-. It\\nis one of its most important enterprises waiting completion.\\nHalf the effo t made in that eai^ly day by a few enterpris-\\ning men, would now be enough to rt-medy the deficiency.\\nIt is vvonderiul how content men can become, under a\\nnuisance, when they are once accustomed to it. Waiter\\nand gas are now the pressing demands of the *own and\\nthey ought to be both introduced before another year ends.\\nIt is a reproach to our enter[)rise that they are not and\\nthe want of them dei)resses the value of our property in\\namount more than their cost.\\nThe Water Power at Raritan was incorporated by an\\nact of the Legislature, Feb. 28, 1840, by appointing John\\nGaston, Gari it D. Wall, Samuel L. Lyman, Luther Loom-\\nis, Kobert Van Rensalaer. Abraham Suydani, Rynier\\nVeghte, Thomas A. Hartwell and William Thompsun in-\\ncor J );-a.t rs, wifh a eipitii f ,\u00e2\u0080\u00a2$2)0,01),), Thss company", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0178.jp2"}, "179": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 171\\nformed the canal from head of Raritan and commenced\\nactiv ^e operations in carrying out the phm of m ikino;, what,\\nis now the village of Raritan, a manufacturing centre; but\\nfailed. Auditors were appointed and finally the new act\\nwas obtained in which Jo\u00c2\u00abhua Doughty, John M. Mann,\\nBezekiah B. Loomis, John M. Martin, Steven B. Ransom,\\nEdward F. Loomis, and Hugh M. Gaston are named as\\nincorporators, and the title is changed to the Raritan\\nWater Power Company, and is dated March 24th, 1863.\\nUnder this act the original design has been carried out\\nwith some success and a village has grown up, which\\npromises to be a flourishing place of business and manu-\\nfactories.\\nIn 1809, John Davenport, who owned one hundred\\nacres of land fronting on the main street in Somervide. had\\nit divided off in lots and streets in the form of a village,\\nand disposed of the whole in the form of a lottery Every\\nticket costing thirty dollars was assurt-d to draw a prize,\\nand fortunate ones might become entitled to the htuise in\\nt^.omerville^ or to one of the lots fronting on the main\\nstreet. Most of the tickets were sold in New York ami\\nthe land itself was thrown out and bec me a village com-\\nmon, and is known as the Lottery Field. It has in late\\nyears been appropriated principally by the colored popula-\\ntion. It was a fine speculation in its day, but the effect of\\nit has by no means tended to increase the pros[)erity of\\nSomerville.\\nAbout 1807 the need of books being much felt, anJ el-\\nfort was made to establish a public library in the village.\\nQuite liberal contributions were made for that day, and a\\nrespectable number of books were purchased, a book case\\nwas procured, and they were kept in Mr. LaTourette s\\nstore. 1 wouhl give a great deal for a catalogue of those\\nbooks, just to see how they would contrast with books of\\nthe present day used in libraries. There was some of the\\nbest historical works, ancient and modern, Shakespear and\\nthe best of the English Poets, and the Essayists such as\\nJohnson, Addison, Steele, c.^ an aportioument uf good\\nsermons, besides other rural and religious works, books ot\\ntravel, and others of a lighter kind. It was an important", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0179.jp2"}, "180": {"fulltext": "172 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\nacquisition to the neio;hborhood, and was kept for a num-\\nber of years, but after the generation that had gotten it\\nu]), had passed away, it began to decline, and there being\\nno one to take care of it, there was a kind of distribution\\nof the books made that had been preserved, and that was\\nthe end of it.\\nAt an early day tho importance (^f a newspaper was felt.\\nThe Somerset Messenger was not the fir t paper printed\\nin Somerville. The first one was CDinianiced ab.).ifc 1814\\nOf 1815. It was called the Intelligencer or Sonierset In-\\ntelligencer. James E. Gore commenced the publication of\\nthe Messenger as a continuation of it, as early as 1822,\\nand it is still ])ublished.\\nThere is a history about the old Hotel. When I first\\nrecollect it. which was about 1800, it was kept by John\\nMeldnim, and well ke{)t. He was a jolly old soul and\\nhis family respectable, everybody liked them. The prop-\\nerty was owned by an association of gentlemen, called the\\nSomerset Hotel Company, consisting chiefly of the public\\nmen in the county, and some of the lawyers who attended\\nthe Courts. About 1800 Judge Van Derveer removed\\nfrom Cooperstown, N. Y., and purchased a property\\nwhich comprised quite a little farm, running back some\\ndistance North, beyond the brook. He som3 timi after-\\nwards traded the tavern house with Gilb.u t A, Line of\\nthe North Branch, for his farm, afterwards owned by Ar-\\nthur Schenck. Lane removed to Somerville and kept the\\nHotel. Meldrum s friends were unwilling to lose him and\\nhis family, and procurred for him the house that Job\\nVan Arsdale, a blacksmith, had built, where T. A. Hart-\\nwell lived, and some additions having been made to it, he\\nmoved there and kept it until he died, some years after.\\nLane was not calculated to keep a public house, and the\\nold Hotel passed from him to William Mann, tvho occupied\\nit until about 1823 or 1824, when it passed into the hands\\nof John Torbet, and since Jacob Fritts has occupied it.\\nThe County House was of a later date, and was built and\\nowned by a company called the Hotel Company. It has\\nhad many owners in its time.\\nWith these notes of some of The First Things, in", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0180.jp2"}, "181": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 173\\nour beautiful village, vvtxlisniiss the subject and hand it\\nover for completion to those who ra;i.y come after us. Our\\npurpose is only to put on record such things as are in dan-\\nger of being lost, for the information of some one who\\nmay undertake to write the history of our county as it\\nought to be written.\\nTHE ACADEMY.\\nAny account of Somerville would be incomplete that\\ndid not embrace a notice ot its Academy. In the early\\nhistory of the village it was a prominent feature. The\\nidea of erecting such a building and attempting to main-\\ntoin a classical school, in which young men could by fitted\\nfm* college, at such an early day was an honor to the in-\\nhabitants of the village.\\nIt came in this wise A nuiuber of gimtlemen from\\nSomerville and its vicinity met together to celebrate the\\nFourth of July, 1801. Some suitable preparations had\\nbeen made to give interest to the occasion. The public\\nexercises of the day were held in the church. Two young\\nb.ys, one a son of J. R. Hardenburgh, Esq,, and the other\\na son of Col. Peter D. \\\\^room, made each an oration one\\nupon the discovery of America, the other on the death of\\nGeorge Washington. These juvenile orators afterwards\\nbecame conspicuous citizens of the county of Somerset.\\nOne was Cornelius L. Hardenburgh of New Brunswick\\nthe other Peter D. Vroom, Esq,, Governor of the State,\\nand Envoy Extraordinary and Ambassador to the King-\\ndom of Prussia,\\nAfter the exercises in the church the gentlemen repaired\\nto the hotel, where a dinner had been prepared. Among\\nthem weie several who had sons to be educated. After a\\nfree conversation on the subject of education, it was re-\\nsolved to make an effort to establish a classical school\\nwhere young men might be instructed in Latin and Greek,\\nand prepared to enter college. Immediate action was ta-\\nken, and on the eighteenth of July, at another meeting,\\na constitution was adopted^ which provided for the erec-\\ntion of a building and the organization of an association", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0181.jp2"}, "182": {"fulltext": "174 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\naiding in its support and patronage. The preamble re-\\ncites that ^Svhernas an attempt had been made by the in-\\nhabitants of Somerville and vicinity, to raise by subscrip-\\ntion in shares of ten dollars each, a sum sufficient to erect\\na suitable building for a classical school, and had succeed-\\ned so far as to warrant the commencement of such build-\\ning that, theref)re, it becomes necessary to form a con-\\nstitution for the government of the said association. The\\nfirst article fixes as its name The Proprietors of the\\nAcademy of Somerville, and defines it as an institution\\nexpressly set apart for the instruction of youth in the\\nlearned languages, the English, the arts and sciences, and\\npublic speaking each proprietor to be entitled to one\\nvote for each share of tpn dollars. Aftpr the usual officers\\nfor such an association had been provided for, the annual\\nmeeting was fixed for the first day of April. The instru-\\nment was signed by Peter Studdiford, John Bryan, John\\nFrelinghuysen, Andrew Howell, Jonathan Ford Morris,\\nThomas Talmage, John Elmendorf, Jacob R. Harden-\\nburgh, John Simonson, John VV. Hall, Joseph Doty,\\nDickenson Miller, Cornelius Van Deventer, Brogun Bro-\\nkaw, Edmund Elmondorf, John Brokaw, John Cox, Gaij\\nret Tunison, Philip Herder, Roelnf Nevius, Peter B. DiH\\nmonf and Matthew A. Lane. The subscription amounted\\nto $1,701. Besides the persoDS who subscribed the Con-\\nstitution, there were present at this meeting John Wort-\\nman, James Van Derveer, John Meldrum, Israel Harris,\\nRichard McDonald, John Whitenack, Joseph Annin,\\nWilliam McEowen, Andrew Coejeman, and Johannes\\nVan Neste,\\nThe officers of the association who were first elected\\nwere Peter Studdiford, President John Bryan, Vice\\nPresident John Frelinghuysen, Treasurer, and Andrew\\nHowell, Sec y. The Board of Regents consisted of Jona-\\nthan F, Morris, John Wortman, Thomas Talmage, John\\nVredenburgh, John Elmendorf, Jacob R. Hardenburgh,\\nDickinson Miller, John Simonson, Garret Tunison and\\nthe President.\\nAt an adjourned meeting on the fourteenth of Decem-\\nber ensuing, Messrs. Studdiford, Vredenburgh, and Har-", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0182.jp2"}, "183": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 175\\ndenburgh wore appointed a committee to contract for the\\nerection of a suitable building for the contemplated school.\\nThe price of tuition in the Latin and Greek lauj^iuages\\nwas fixed at four dollars per quarter, nnd the canunittee\\nwere authorized to offer fifty dollars in addition to the tui-\\ntion fees, to procure a suitable teacher to open tlie school.\\nOn the first of March, 1802. at a meeling of the associa-\\ntion the accounts were referred to a committee consisting\\nof Andrew Howell, Thomas Talmago and John Elmendorf.\\nand an order made to have the house lathed and ])lastered\\nand the wood work painted also to erect a suitable form\\nand benches. The accounts were to be submitted to an-\\nother meetinj; on the second Mondav in April. This meet-\\ning was convened, officers appointed and the exeicises in\\nthe school commenced almost immediately The teacher\\nemployed, we learn, was Lucas George, an Irishman, who\\nproved himself to be a fine scholar and an efficient in-\\nstructor. The school went into operation in MavorJune\\nof 1802.\\nLucas George remained at its head for some four years,\\nand the Regents then raised the price of tuition to five dol-\\nlars per quarter instead of four. In 1804 the incorpora-\\ntion of the association was effected under the laws of the\\nState, and a general satisfactory progress was made in all\\nthe afi\\\\iirs of the school. Mr. George resigned at the\\nclose of 1804, and in March, 1805, Jacob Kirkpatrick was\\nengaged as principal, at the rate of $182 per half year.\\nThen W. C. Morris, a sou of Dr. J. F, Morris, taught\\nfor a time. Then on November 26th, 1808, Stephen\\nBoyer, was engaged as Principal. He was still principal\\nin 1810. Afterwards Isaac N. WyckofF and Rev. John\\nCornell taught, and the school had flourished extensively.\\nIt had no rival except Baskingridge, and enjoyed an ex-\\ntensive patronage for some time. Somerville, in that day,\\nwas a point to which many eyes were directed and it was\\nA power in the State. It had in it, and around it, a num-\\nber of citizens of large influence and commanding force of\\ncharacter.\\nAfter the days when Rev John Cornell had charge of\\nthe school, Rev. Peter Studdiford taught in it, then Mr.", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0183.jp2"}, "184": {"fulltext": "176 SOM E PtSET COUNTY,\\nNevil, then John Walsh, then William Thompson, then\\nCharles Hageman, then William D. Waterman and John\\nL. See. But ultimately other views be;^an to be entertain-\\ned by many of the citizens of the vilhige other wants\\ngrew up Young men began to look more to business\\nthan a ccllege diploma, and the importance of the Eng-\\nlish department over-lopped the classical in public esti-\\nmation. The building itself grew to be too contracted for\\nthe number of pupils desiring instruction and the en-\\nlarged views of education prevalent in the community\\npointed to another school. The following minute records\\nthe mode in which it was abolished.\\nWhereas, on the 16th day of April 1804 the original\\nConstitutiori of said association was by the Stockholder s\\nthereof altered and amended as follows, to wit\\nIf it should so happen that a sufficient sum arising\\nfrom the tuition of students in the said institution, and\\nfrom voluntary subscription, shall not be procurred suc-\\ncessively so as to enable the trustees to procure a teacher\\nof competent abilities for instruction in the dead languages,\\nit shall in such case be the duty of the trustees for the time\\nbeing, to dis[)0se of the ])roperty belonging to the associa-\\ntion, by way of public vendue to the highest bidder and\\nfor the best price that can be procurred for the same, and\\nthe net proceeds arising from such sale shall be divided\\nby the number of shires subscribed. The product thence\\narising shall be the same each subscriber shall be entitled\\nto receive for each and every share by him or her subscribed.\\nAnd it shall also be the duty of the sfiid trustees to give\\npublic notice in a newspaper printed at New Brunswick,\\nin one of the newspapers printed at Trenton, and also in\\none of the newspaper printed in the city of New York,\\nfor the space of one month, what may be the dividend eaidi\\nshare is entitled to receive, and requesting the proprietoi s\\nto call f )r the same in six months from the (Lite, or it will\\nbe considered a donation and appropriated to the founding*\\nof an English school in the neighborhood of Somerville.\\nAnd VVhereas, the Trustees of said association have been\\nunable to obtain and procure a sufficient sum from the\\ntuition of students in the said institution, and from volun-", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0184.jp2"}, "185": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 177\\ntary subscriptions, so as to enable them to procure a teach-\\ner of competent abiHties for instruction in the dead hm-\\nguages, for any part or portion of the period of four full\\nyears next before tiiis tune, therefor.\\nResolved, That the said property belonging to the said\\nassociaticul be sold and the proceeds be disposed of pursu-\\nant to the power and direction contained in the said arti-\\ncle of association.\\nAt a meeting of the Trustees, at the office of S. S. Hart-\\nwell, December 4th, 1855, it was on motion resolved that\\nthe resolution of the board of trustees on the 5th day of\\nSeptember 1855, be confirmed and carried out in all things,\\nand that the real estate of the Academy lot be disposed\\nof at Public sale, at the house of Jacob A. Fritts, Inn\\nkeeper, in Somerville, on Tuesday, the 19th day of Feb-\\nruary next, between the hours of two and five P. M., and\\nthat the same be advertised according to law.\\nIn conformity with these resolution, a decree in Chancery\\nwas obtained directing the sale of the property and the di-\\nvision of the money among the original stockholders and\\ntheir heirs, and after due notice, the house and lot was sold\\nto S. S. Hartwell.", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0185.jp2"}, "186": {"fulltext": "(JHAPTER XVI.\\nBOUND BROOK.\\nThe earliest settlem(?nts in the county of Somerset, were\\nmade in the village of Bound Brook and its vicinity. The\\noldest land title, dated May 4, 1681, in tins portion of the\\nState, secured at once all the land on which the villao-e\\nnow stands, extending from Bound Brook to Middle-\\nbrook and from the North side of the River to the Moun-\\ntain. We have given in another j)lace the names of the\\nIndian grantors and the purchasers.\\nOut of this tract the proprietors to(dc 1,170 acres, em-\\nbracing the site ol the village and after being surveyed\\nby Phillip Wells, surveyor, September 25th, 1683, it was\\npatented to Thomas Rudyard, an eminent lawyer of Lon-\\ndon.\\nThe only one of tiie proprietors under this Indian grant\\nwho actually settled on any part of it, was Thomas Cod-\\nrington. He had 877 acres apportioned to him Septem-\\nber 25th, 1683 and built a house upon it soon after, and\\ncalled his place Racavvackhana, He also owned 1,000\\nacres more, lying on the rear of his farm, running uu to\\nthe apex of the mountain.\\nThomas Codriny-ton was livinij: at Racawackhaua on the\\n26th of November 1684, and was at that date appointed\\none of Governor Barclay s council. He was a man of in-\\nfluence in his time, and received the same appointment", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0186.jp2"}, "187": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 179\\nfrom Lord Neil Camj)b( ll, Oct 18th, 1686, and again from\\nGovernor Bass, May 6, 1G98. The place was owned about\\nthe commencement of the present century, by Alexander\\nCampbell.\\nThomas Rudyard, who owned the land uj)on wli ch tJie\\nvillage now stands, was one of the twenty-four projirietorH\\nto whiim the Duke of York confirmed March 14th, 1682,\\nthe previous sale of the Province of East New Jersey, by\\ngiving them a new grant. Under this grant Robert Bar-\\nclay was appointed governor for life, September 16th,\\n1782, with peimission not to reside in the Province, and\\nThomas Rudyard becan)e his deputy. He arrived in the\\nProvince November 13th, of the same year having with\\nhim as Surveyor General, Samuel Groome, also one of the.\\nProprietors. He was superceded in 1685 and went to\\nJamaica, West Indies. He resided at Amboy and had\\nwith him two ot his daughers, ladies of education and cul-\\nture named Anne and Margaret. They were great\\nprizes in such a land, and w^re soon woo d and won, by\\ntwo gentlemen from New York City. Anne marri.^ d JohU;\\nWest Margaret became the wife of Samuel Winder, and\\nresided on a plantation near Middletown, in Monmouth\\ncounty. The. Episcopal Church at Perth Amboy is even at\\nthis day enjoying the fruits of her liberality. It does not\\na\\\\ pear probable that Thomas Rudyard ever resided ia\\nBound Brook not even that he ever visited it.\\nAs early as 1700, or before that, the lands of Rudyard,\\nwith 877 acres adjoining it, belongmg to John Royce, were\\n])urchased by a company consisting of George Cussart,\\nSamuel Thojnpson and Jacob DeGroot. Rudyard s orig-\\ninal 1,170 acr(- s were divided between Thompson and\\nDeGroot equ illy, but the Royce land was held iu company.\\nThere is no authentic record of their havmg sold any pare\\nof this land previous to 1720. The highway thmugh\\nBound Brook was laid out bv this company, and was known\\nas the Great Raritan Road, })revious to which the travel\\nhad been on the banks of the river near the stream. The\\nThompson residence, built at an early day, stood on the\\nroad just where the railroad now crosses it, and was pur-\\nchased by the company and demolished to form their", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0187.jp2"}, "188": {"fulltext": "180 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\nroadway. This property was conveyed first to Thomas\\nOlawson, then to William Wortman, then to David Mc\\nKinney, then to Michael Shoolev, and then March 27th,\\n1786, to Clarkson Freeman, M. D.\\nOn the Royce plot, Yivdd as early as 1720, John Ander-\\nson, whose residence was just south of the lane leadin r to\\nthe late Thomas Codring^on residence, and on the east\\nside some remains of this house are still standing Then\\nIsrael Brown built a house where Peter Brown now resides.\\nThen next Joseph Bonney lived in the present Rockafellow\\nhouse. The rear part of this building is the old Bonney\\nhomestead. Then next was the residence of Garret Van\\nWagener, M. D., next below Bonne} s on the opposite\\nside and then Daniel Van Corts, where A. Cammann at\\npresent resides. These were the first houses in Bound\\nBrook\\nOn the Codrington plot was the house of Wi liara Har-\\nris, who built the Middlebrook Hotel. It continued in\\npossession of the Harris family as late as 1815, when Isra-\\nel Harris, sheriff of Somerset county, was its landlord.\\nOn the same plot resided Thomas McElworth, in the house\\nwhere Stephen Brown lived.\\nThe Codrington homestead, Racawackhana, was own-\\ned in 1700 by Aaron Lazarder then about ]720 by his\\nson Moses Lazarder then by his son David Lazarder\\nafterwards by Michael Van Tyle, Alexander Campbell and\\nSamuel Swan, M. D.\\nJacob DeGrool s land, including 1,023 acres, extended\\nto the mountain and the old house, in which Jacob De-\\nGroot, Esq., a grandson lived, and died there July 22,\\n1843, aged 94 years, was only recently burned to the\\nground.\\nGeorge Cussart s house is now the Bound Brook Hotel.\\nHe sold three hundred acres to Ebenezer Trimbly, which\\nwas inherited by his son Peter, who died May 20, 1797,\\nand left it to his two daughters, one of whom married Tu-\\nnis Ten Eyck, and the other Col. John Staats.\\nWm, Dockwra resided betow the village ou the South\\nside of the Raritan, as early as 1703 he had purchased\\n900 acres of the Proprietors in 1682. The house is still", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0188.jp2"}, "189": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUISTY. 181\\nstanding It was long the ivsidencd of Hendrick Fisher,\\nand is now owned by A. J. Brokaw. Dockvvra returned\\nto London, and died in 1717. He was a Scotchman, l ut\\nbefore becoming interested in lands in Somerset County,\\nhad been employed in mercliantile pursuits. Some ot the\\nfirst permanent settlers in Bi)und Brook, besides those al-\\nready named, were Hendrick Hendrickson, Pleudrick Van-\\nderbelt. Fletcher Van Nortwick, Jan Van Doren, Pieter\\nJansen Van Deventer. Garrei Garretson, Jan An ten.\\nIn the year 1700, the 1,171 acres of the original propri-\\netors were purchased as we have said, bv George Oussart\\nand Jacob OeGroot. In 1720 Ebenezer Triuibly, Hen-\\ndrick Harpending, Tornelius Prant, Hendrick Fisher,\\nWilliam Riddle and John R. Meyers had become purch;is-\\ners of parts of this original tract, and subsequently, in\\n1746. Peter Williamson, James Hude, Esq., Anthony\\nBlackford, Bartholomew Kelso, Char/es McEvers, Thom-\\nas Irvine, Josepli Stansberry. David Cussart, Tobias Van\\nNorden, Thomas (Jooper and John De Groot occuj)ied parts\\nand parcels belonging to it the particulars cannot be more\\nminutely specified.\\nIn the days succeeding the revolution there were three\\npublic houses of entertainment kept in Bound Brook, viz\\nThe Middlebrook Hotel kept by Israel Harris, thn Fre-\\nlinghuysen Hous^^, the site of which was occupied by the\\nhouse of B. B. Mathews. It swung out a greaf. sign con-\\ntaining a portrait of Major-Cxeneral Frederick Frelinghuy-\\nsen, and was k q)t by Peter flarpending, son of Hendrick\\nHarpending, a cord-wainer from Lingery, Holland and\\nthirdly the Washington Hotel. At this house Col. Sim-\\ncoe halted on his way to Van Veghten s Bridge and Mill-\\nstone\\nJohn Campbell s house built as early as 1685, on the\\nbanks of the Raritan, has long since disappeared. It was\\na mansion of some pretentions in its day, and served to\\nshield an unfortunate exile from turbulent Scotia, during\\nmany a lonely year. His remote descendants are yet\\namong the citizens of Bound Brook.\\nMajur-General Benjamin Lincoln had his quarters at the\\nhouse yet standing at the east end of the village. It was", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0189.jp2"}, "190": {"fulltext": "182 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\nthe only house having two stories which Boiuul Brook\\ncould boast. It was inhabited at the time by Peter\\nWilliamson, General Lincoln himself, when giving an\\naccount of his retreat from this place uses the following\\nlanguage Being stationed at Bound Brook on the Kari-\\ntan, he had an extent of five or six miles to guard, with a\\nforce of less than 500 men fit for duty. On the 13th of\\nApril; 1777, owing to the negligence of his patrol, he was\\nsurprised by a large party of the enemy under Cornwallis\\nand Grant, who came upon him so suddenly that the Gen-\\neral and one of his aids had barely time to get on horse-\\nback the other aid was taken, as were also a few pieces\\nof artillery.\\nNear this house, a blockhouse or fortification had been\\nerected commanding the crossing over Bound Brook creek,\\nconnected with an earthwork reaching to the banks of the\\nriver.\\nIt stood on the ground occupied at present by the old\\nshop which Mrs. Giles owns. When Gen. Lincoln letreat-\\ned, the inhabitants all fled to the mountain leaving a dead\\nsoldier s corpse in the block house, as the only occupant of\\nthe village. It would be possible to detail a great variety\\nof reminiscences of family and personal history belonging\\nto these times, but properly they do not belong to our sub-\\nject.\\nThe first school house in Bound Brook stood a little\\nwest of the Presbyterian Church, Its site is now included\\nin the church grounds. It was a low one story building,\\nand used also as a rpeeting house by the early settlers.\\nThe first teacher was called John Wacker. His name oc-\\ncurs as early as 1742. When he came, and when he re-\\ntired from his position, are things not known. He was\\nsucceeded by William Hedden, who resided in a small\\nhouse standing on the site of the lecture room of the Pres-\\nbyterian church. Hedden sold this property to Thomas\\nCoon, tvho again sold it to Ambrose Cooke, M. D. The\\nhouse was subsequently removed to the rear of the lot, and\\nforms part of a carriage house. Hedden continued to act\\nas principal of this school until 1768, when he removed to", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0190.jp2"}, "191": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 183\\nNewark. An interesting; notice ot him was published in\\ntue Newark Sentinel during the list winter.\\nHe was succeeded b} Pester Walsh, a Scotchman, who\\ncontinued to teach in the same buildinj;, until the erec-\\ntion of the buildino; known as the Academy. This\\nhouse, like others, has been demolished and has\\nmade room for a better structure. It was a respectable\\nbuilding of two stories, with a small cupola and the old\\nbell of Kidl s Hall, rang thi; children to their morning and\\nafternoon exercises, it was built in the year 1800 in pari\\nfrom money bequeathed for thh,t purpose by Michael Fii^ld.\\nThe object of the bequest is conveyed in the words of his\\nwill. I give the sum of \u00c2\u00a3i50v) lawful money of the State\\nof New Jersey, towards a free school, that may be erected\\nhereafter within the Presbyterian congregation of Bound\\nBrook, which my executors are hereby required to put in-\\nto the hands of the trustees of the congregation aforesaid,\\nand the trustees are required to put the same at interest,\\nand to ket-p the interest money arising therefrom in their\\ncustody and possessit)n, until the said Free School House\\nshall be built, and tlien apply the said interest money for\\nthat purpose, and supporting said school, and for no other\\nuses. This was dated on October 14tli, 1791. and Mr.\\nField died on the 13th of January, 1792, aged 97 years.\\nPeter Walsh was the first teacher employed after the acad-\\nemy was built and \\\\va succeeded by Isaac Toucy, Presi-\\ndent Buchanan s Secretary of the Navy. During the pe-\\nriod in which Mr. Toucy was in charge a female depart-\\nment was in existence on the second floor, under the super-\\nvision and instruction of Miss Joannah Deeds. This ven-\\nerable structure, so long a land mark in the village, was\\nfinally demolished in 1857, and succeeded by the present\\nbuilding.\\nReligious services were commenced in Bound Brook, as\\nearly as 1700, and resulted in the formation of a Presbyte-\\nrian Church, which has been among the most respectable\\nand intelligent congregations in the State, but as our prov-\\nince is not to write the ecclesiastical hist.ry of our county\\nwe forbear. We give however a single remenit cense. The\\nRev. Mr, McOrea. the father of Jane McCrea was ordain-", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0191.jp2"}, "192": {"fulltext": "184 SOMERSET UOUJSTY.\\neel by the Presbytery of New Brunswick, Anccust 4, 1741,\\nserved the church at Bound Broiok until 1749, wlien he\\nwas succeeded by Rev. Israel Reed, Avho was installed pas-\\ntor DecrmberGti), 1749\\nThe story of Jane McCrea, as told by Lossinfi^, who had\\nit from a grard-daughter of her friend Mrs. McNeil, with\\nwhom she was staying at the time of her death, is a simple\\ntale of love and misfortune and her death an accident of\\nthe war of the revolution, not ])remeditated even by the\\nIndians, and. resulting from the effort made by her in-\\ntended husband, Capt. David Jones, of Burgoyne s airay,\\nto rescue her from the dangers by which she was surround-\\ned. Her father was also for a time the minister of the\\nPresbyterian Church at Lamington, and died a widower\\nprevious to the unfortunate uealh of Jane, his daughter\\nv,t Paulis Hook, now Jersey City, May 10, 1769. It was\\nthe occasion of her going to Fort Edward to reside with\\nMrs. McNeil. Jones was a neighbor of the McNeil s, and\\ninclined to the side of the King. When the rev )lution\\nopened he joined the paitv of the British and obtained the\\nposition of Ca})tain in Burgoyne s army. He was so\\natfected by the death of Jane McCren that he left the army,\\nwent to Canada, and never saw Fort Edward again.\\nRev. Israel Read, installed pastor of the Bound Brook\\nPresbyterian Church in 1750, sleeps quietly in the rear of\\nthe church, over which he had presided for nearly half a\\ncentury, commencing his pastorate at a time when the\\nfrontier line of civilization was within bow shot of the\\ntombstone that now marks his grave. During his\\nministry the wilderness around Bound Brook way changed\\nto fruitful fields, in which thousands were added to the\\nsettlement, in which hundreds of marriage ceremonies were\\nperformed by the minister children were baptised and\\nthe word ot God planted in the hearts of many. Mr.\\nRead was thrown from his carriage near Raritan Landing,\\non Novemoer 25, 1793, and fatally injured. He died\\nthree days afterwards, aged 75. His monument records\\ntliat he was the first settled minister of this church, in\\nwhich he was faithful to his divine master to death. He\\nL^ft one daughter named Mary, who subsequent to the", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0192.jp2"}, "193": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 185\\ndeath of her father, became the wife of Capt. John Pow-\\ners. John Powers was born in North Carolina, and com-\\nmanded a company in a ref^iment from that State, during\\nthe revolntion. He bore a distiugnished part in the for-\\nlorn hope at the battle of Stony Point, Jily 15 and 16,\\n1779, for which he, in an official document, received the\\nthanks of Gen. Wayne. He c.ime to Bound Brook at tlie\\ntime of thedisbandment of the army, aiul was soon after-\\nwards united in marriage to Mrs. Elizabeth B )uney, who\\nat that time was the widow of Benjamin Bonney, whose\\ntragical death by ihehand of the notorious Tory Bill Stu-\\nart, is still chronicled among the traditions of tiie place.\\nShe died September 10th, 1795, aged 45 years, Ca{)t.\\nPowers afterwards wooed and wed Mary, (hiughter of the\\nRev. Israel Read. She died May 4th. 1819, and sleeps by\\nthe side of her father.\\nAt the time of the Revolution the inhabitants of Bound\\nBrook were, with a few exceptions, on the Patriot side,\\nand suffered as much, if not really ni )re than others, from\\nthe war. The a.-my was quartered near them twice, and\\nduring the military operations in Somerset County in 1776,\\nthey were for a time alnaost directly between the two ar-\\nmies, and exposed in every possible way to annoyance from\\nboth\\nPerhaps one of the most interesting incidents illustra-\\nting what we have said, may be told in the following words:\\nWhile a party of Washington s army was stationed at\\nPluckamin, a company of British cavalry made a raid from\\nNew Brunswick through Bound Brook, accompanied by\\na number of Tories, among them the noted Bill Stewart.\\nOn aeaching the house of Benjamin Bonney, he took his\\nlittle son Peres, then about four years of age and secreted\\nhimself in the cellar of his house. Stewart prowling round\\nthe house saw him sitting on the steps of the cellar and\\nfired upon him while the child was on his lap. The ball\\ntook effect in his left groin, just missing the child. Bon-\\nney died of this wound after the third day. This catas-\\ntrophe occurred in what is now the Rockafellow house, and\\nthe room to which he was taken and in which he died, ex-\\nists still in the rear of the building. From Bonney s resi-", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0193.jp2"}, "194": {"fulltext": "186 Sf)MEESET COUNTY.\\ndence they went to DeGrroats, brolce open the cellar, con-\\nsumed all the i)rovisions, threatened and attempted to\\nstrike DeGroat with a sword which his wife turned aside\\nby seizing it, but cut her hand ba ily. They then obliged\\nhim, by threatening his lite, to swear allegiance to the\\nKing, and also committed violence upon Archibald Van\\nNorden. On their return however, they were met below\\nBound Brook by Col. John Staats, attacked so fiercely\\nthat they lost all their plunder and their prisoners escaped.\\nMischief had been done, liie sacrificed and property de-\\nstroyed but any benefit to either of the contending [)ar-\\nties it is difficult to indicate.\\nDuring the troublesome tim.z-s the sabbath worshipers\\nin Bound Brook often came to church on Sunday armed,\\nand their muskets could be seen at the end of their pews\\nor perhaps some leaned upon them when in the act of\\nprayer. They had faith in God, but like Cromwell, be-\\nlieved in keeping their powder dry, and in the safety of a\\ngood musket held firmly in hand as a defense from enemies.\\nOn the Sabbath day two services were attended before\\nthe people were dismissed. During the intermission of\\nhalf an hour an old colored woman remembered as OM\\nSusanna, stood ready by the side of the church to refresh,\\ncustomers with ginger cake and spruce beer The young\\ngentlemen and their sweethearts were her best customers,\\nand to spend sixpence in treating the girls was considered\\nan act of noble generosity, if not really a little extravagant.\\nHow things d( change.\\nThe prosperity of Bound Brook dates from 1830 when\\nthe Delaware and Raritan Canal was begun. Previoifs to\\nthis time it was as ragged a little town as one would wish\\nto see. What the canal began, the raiiroatl comi)lete(i,\\nand Bound Brook is now one of the most prosperous vd-\\nlages in the State.\\nWe append a note endeavoring to offer a meaning to\\nthe four Indian names associated with Bound Brook.\\n1. Sacunk seems to be a compound of clsqua, muddy\\n\u00c2\u00bbx\\\\d conk or tonk or tmik, a stream, a slow sluggish stream,", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0194.jp2"}, "195": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 187\\nand so means the stream of mud, or stream flowing\\nthrough the mud.\\n2. Kaca-hova-wallaby. Baca is a loomy piece of\\nland, hogua bent like a fish hook, wallaby, deep water,\\ni. e., Tht; round plain by the deep crooked water.\\n3. Kha-weigh-weiros. Ragaioeighioeros running from\\na deep hole or gorge.\\n4. Raca-wack-hanna, Raca loomy again, waqua, flat\\nor low, hanna rivulet or brook, a loomy flat by a running\\nbrook or by a rapid noisy rivulet.\\nAnd so we see all these words are expressive of the nat-\\nural features of the places which they designate.", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0195.jp2"}, "196": {"fulltext": "CHAPTER XVII.\\nIn the brief sj^ace which is left me, a few words can only\\nbe said of\\nBASKINGRIDGE.\\nIt was settled by imigrants from Scotland and the north\\nof Ireland, probably as early as 1730. Alexander Kirk-\\npatrick came to Mine Brook and bnilt a log house in 1736.\\nIn his memoir no mention is made of any families in that\\nvicinity. He travelled on foot from Bound Brook over the\\nmountains and through the woods, reaching at last a\\nspring of water on the South side of Round Mountain, he\\nadmired the out look and determuKHl to settle there. The\\ntitle to his land was not secured until Nov. 24, 1747. At\\na later date, 1762, Lord Sterling (Wm. Alexander) com-\\nmenced to build a mansion on his property, which ivas long\\nknown as Sterling s buildings. Between these datos the\\nlands seem to have been taken up and settlers located The\\nfirst names include the Southards, Linn. Bavkely, McEown,\\nGuerin. McMartin, Ayres, Johnson, Whitecar, Oonklin,\\nCross, Mehidm, Dayton, Annin, Lewis, G-aston, and others.\\nA Presbyterian Church was oi-ganiz^d, and was served by\\nRev s. Cross, Kennady, Finl \\\\v, Brownlee, Sso. Its nr^st\\nprominent feature was the Academy, commenced by Fin-\\nley, and continued by Brownlee, in which many young men", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0196.jp2"}, "197": {"fulltext": "SOMERSET COUNTY. 189\\nafterwards eminent iu the learned professions, reopiv^ed\\ntheir early trairiing. The region has always been distin-\\nguished by the. intelligence and the decided christian char-\\nacter of its inhabitants.\\nLAMINGTON\\nHad a Church organized as early as 1740. Its early set-\\ntlers were of the sann^ national itv of those at Baslcingridg\\nHenry, Logan, Suydam, McKinstry, Kennadv, Diinha-n,\\nMcDowell, Sloan, Boylen, Todd. McBride, Field, Blair,\\nBlackwell, Vandervoort. and others, are names which are\\nto be found engraven on the niDnaments in the grave yard\\nbeside the church. Kev. Jaraes McCrea, Jeremiah Hals^ y,\\nWilliam Boyd, Horace Galpin and VVni. Blauvelt have\\nserved this church. Boyd, like Finley, devoted himself to\\nteaching the classics, and prepared a number of young men\\nfor college, who were eminently useful in their day in\\nchurch and state. We may mention John and Wm. Mc\\nDowel, J. T. Field, Sloan, J. C. Vandervoort, and\\nl^rown as among his students then subsequently S. C.\\nHenry, Oliver Ogden, Abm. Hageman, who served in the\\nchristian ministry and did honor to their native place.\\nSomerset County has from its first days been distin-\\nguished for its religious character, its pure morals, its in-\\ndustry and thrift, and its general prosperity. It embraces\\na population which in wealth, intelligence, virtue, respect\\nfor law, and general culture is not excelled by any other\\ncommunity in our State. Fewer great crimes have been\\ncommitted, fewer public executions have taken place, few-\\ner great scandals have occurred. Its public men have been\\neminent, filled places of honor which are a source of pride\\nto all right thinking men. Occupyino; a central place, it\\nhas been denominated the garden of New Jersey, it is cer-\\ntainly not behind the foremost or the best. Its churches,\\nschools, roads, and public improvements are abreast of the\\ntimes, if not actually in advance. Hence its verdant\\nplains are being sought as a residence by many from the\\noverflowing cities on its borders. Its climate is mild and\\nhealthy, not subject to contamination from malarial influ-\\nences. In a word it offers as many advantages and enjoy-", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0197.jp2"}, "198": {"fulltext": "190 SOMERSET COUNTY.\\nmeats to those who are seekino^ homes as can he found iu\\nany portion of our proud old State.\\nThe Rail Road facilities of the County are ahundant. We\\ncannot say that every man has them at his door, but he\\nat least has them within an easy distance. Hence prop-\\nerty has advanced in every part of it, and capitalists who\\nhave invested their funds have not h-id occasion to\\nrecjret their action. Its fature is bright and encouraging.\\nIt will not be long before many of its choice locations will\\nbe occupied by mansions, and improvements which will\\nat once gratify and enrich its prosperous inhabitants. In-\\ndeed, when ail its advantages are properly estimated, it\\npresents attractions to the public which few can offer to\\nan equal extent. All honor to our goodly land may its\\nfuture be equal to the highest wishes of those who love it\\nbest.\\nIts past memories are a proud inheritance, and we fondly\\nhope its future may not develope anything to mar or de-\\npreciate them and when another Centennial has arrived,\\nmay those who celebrate it feel as much pride in their an-\\ntecedents as we really feel now in ours. Let them emu-\\nlate our example, and they will not fail to enjoy the ani-\\nmating distinction, which has been so unanimously conce-\\nded to us, their antecedents.\\nIndustry never looses its reward. Public virtue is a\\npublic blessing. Temperance and good morals are essen-\\ntial elements in the prosperity and happiness of every com-\\nmunity. Political integrity is as important as the equal\\nadministration of justice. As long as these virtues are\\ncultivated by a people and demanded from those trus-\\nted with influence and called to offices of profit and honor,\\nive may hope to see our good county advancing and pros-\\npering as she has until now done. The school, the church\\nand the law, can operate in perfect harmony, and be made\\nto combine in maintaining correct principles and public in-\\ntegrity and all those who have intelligent conceptions of\\ntheir own best interests, will unite in upholding them and\\nextending these influences in their separate flelds of opera-\\ntion.\\nSomerville June 17, 1878.", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0198.jp2"}, "199": {"fulltext": "APPENDIX.\\nWhen the spirit of resistance to British oppression h;ul formed itself\\ninto a resolution to contend, preparations weie made to oriranize, and to\\ncall out the military of the country. The first public act looking to ii\\nplan for regulatinjr the militia of the colony, was passed iu the Pro-\\nvincial Congress, at Trenton, June 3J, 1775. Tinder this act two Regi-\\nments were raised in Somerset Co.; August 16, nii), five companies\\nfrom Somerset were added to the former enrollment.\\nWhen the first Batallion was formed, William Alexander (Loid Ster-\\nling) was made Colonel, Stephen Hunt, Capt, Col.; Frederick Freling-\\nhuyson, Capt. Col. Abraham Ten Eyck, Lieut. Col.; Derrick Middah,\\n2d Maj. Lieut. Col James Linn. Capt. 1st Maj.; Rich. McDonald, Capt.\\n2d Maj,; Thomas Hill, Cipt. 2d Maj.\\nOf the 2d Batallion, Abraham Quick was made Col.; Hendrick Van\\nDyke, Col.; Berij. Barrd, ~nTlPniJTTeter D. Vroom, Capt. 1st Maj. Lieut.\\nCol.; William Verbryck, Capt 2d Maj.; William Baivd, Capt. 1st Maj.;\\nEnos Kelsey, 2d Maj. For a complete list of all the oftioeis and men\\nwho served in the Revolutionary War, we can only refer our readers to\\nAdj. G-en. Stryker s official Register, published in Trenton, in 1872.\\nThe foUowiiJg Resofutic)ns of a meeting iu Hillsborouirh Township,\\nshow the form i;i which action was taken in enrolling the Militia in\\nSomerset County. They are interesting as being the only memoranda\\nreferring to this early period in the action of the people in defense of\\ntheir liberties. The oriirinal was found accidentally among some old\\noapers on a book stand in New York.\\nAt a meeting of the principal Freeholders, and Officers of Militia., of\\nthe Township of Hillsborough, County of Somerset and Piovince of New\\nJer.sey, held this 3d of May, 1775, at the house of Garret Garrison, it was\\nagres;d as follows, viz\\n1st. That the Companies of Militia this day assembled here, do choose\\nofficers for their respective Companies.\\n2d. That the officers so devised, shall choose officers for a Company of\\nMinute Men, who are to beat up for volunteers to raise said Company\\nto consist of GO men, who who are to be exercised twice per week, and to\\nbe ready at a minutes warning to march in defence of the liberty of our\\ncountry.\\nSd. That (the men so voluntarily enlisting in said Company, shall\\nreceive one shilling aud six pence for every pan, of a day they are cm-", "height": "2801", "width": "1757", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0199.jp2"}, "200": {"fulltext": "2 APPENDIX.\\nployo.i in l.cinjf oxercised by any of rhf ir uftii.ers, luid the (.ffic\u00e2\u0096\u00a0.el\u00e2\u0096\u00a0^* in\\nprop(irti(iii.\\n4ih that ill case waid Compiiny .shall march in defense ot their country,\\nthe C.ipuiin t receive six Khillmgs, the 1st Lieut, five shilliiiirs. t.h 2d\\nLieut, torn- MhillinjfH. and etch ot the interior offi !ors, three shilliiiir.s, all\\nI roc. per day with provision-* and aminuiMtion. and t( those who are\\nable. Amis and all the above money to bo raised by tax ii the inhabi-\\ntants of .said To wuship, in the same manner the Provincial Taxes are\\nraised.\\n5tb. In pursuance of the first article of the above a rreemcnt, the Oom-\\nt u ies here assembled choose the following rentlemen their oflicers, viz\\nbOH THS. HiLi.sHOitoUGii CoMP.VN Y.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 John Ten EycK, Capr. Pctor\\nVroom, Lieut. Jacobus Quick, 2d Lieut.\\nFou THE Mll.LSTONK CoMP.\\\\NY. Ilendrick Probasco. Capt. Jidn.\\nSmock, 1st Lieut.; Casparus Van Nostrand, 2d Lieut.\\nFoH THE Sh.vnnuk CoMi ANY.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 William Vcr Bryck, Ctpt.; Roelif\\nPeterson, 1st Lieut.; Cornelius Petersim, id Lieut.\\nP ou THE CoMi .vNY OK GuENADiEus.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 Cornelius Lott, Capt.; .lohn\\nBennet, Lieut.; Cornelius V^m Darv er, 2d Lieut.; Garret Garrison,\\n;M Lieut.\\n6th. The above officers proceeded accordiiiij to the authority iven\\nthem in the second article, to the choice of ofSceis for the Company of\\nMiuute Men, when the foUowinj? men were uiianimously chosen For\\nCapt., Cornelius Lott for lat Lieut., John Nevius for 2d Lieut., Gar-\\nret R. Gar-iuon.\\n?th. The officers of the Militia, and the Committee of Observation are\\ndesired to meet together and appoint a Committee to provide the above i\\nCompany with Arms and Ammunition.\\nMay 16, 1775. The Officers of the Militia, and the Committee of Ob-\\nservation having met, unanimously, chose Hendrick Van Middlesworth,\\nConrad Ten Eyck and Dirck Low,fo provide ammuKition for said Com-\\npany, and arms for those that are not able to buy for themselves, and\\nthe aforesaid ijentlcmen are desired to take \u00c2\u00a340 Proc, in money on the\\ncredit of the Township, to buy 140 pounds powder, 420 pounds lead, and\\n210 flints and if the said Company .should be called to march in de-\\nfense of their country, if not provided for, then the aforesaid Hendrick\\nVan Middlesworth, Conrad Ten Eyck and Dirck Low, are to find pro-\\nvisions on the credit of the township as above said.\\nIt is further agreed that the above agreement thall be subject to such\\nalterations, and additions as the Provincial Congress shall think proper.\\nBy order of the As.sembly,\\nJohn Baptist Dumont, Chairman,\\nPeteu D. Vroom, Clerk.\\nWe give a list of the members of Capt. P. D. Vroom s Company, en-\\nrolled after the above action it is evidently not complete, but it con-\\ntains all now recoverable\\nJacobus Amerman. Albert Amerman, John Amerman, Thomas Auten,\\nJohn Br.c^kaw, Lieut, Capt. Vroom s Co. killed at German town, Oct. 4th\\n1777 Abraham Brokaw, Peter Brokaw, Corp l George Brokaw, Jaco-\\nbus Bergen, Corp l Jacob Cook, Jacob W. Cook, Jacobus Corshow, Ber-\\nprun Coevert, Fifer Thomas Coevert, Corp l Poier Ditmas, Nicholas\\nDubois, Peter J. Dumont, Thomas Dwore, Jacobus Dubois, Minne Du-\\nbois, Serg t William Grijfge, Augustus Hartshough, Harmon A. Hoag-", "height": "2822", "width": "1737", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0200.jp2"}, "201": {"fulltext": "APPENDIX. 3\\nland. Lucas Hoatrlnml, Peter HoagUind, Dirck Huif, Abrain Low, Peter\\nLeyster, Hujrh MoAUum, Hendrick PdsI, Ser j t Peter Perlee. Thom-\\nas Skillraan, Joakira^Qnick, Eti-iirii Peter Quick. Serg t Abr.im Stry-\\nker, Jonathan Spader, Albert Stotliott, Benjamin Taylor, Serjf t Willet\\nTayL r, Abram Taylor, Abraham Van Arsdalcri. Ser j t; John Van\\nArsdale, Garret Van ATfiilaie, Jolia Van Dyok, William Van Dyck, An-\\ndrevv Var Middlesworth. Serjj t Tunis Van Middleswortb, -lacobus\\nVan Nuyse, Coert Van Wairgoner, JacoVms Voorhees, Rynier Veyrhfe,\\nLieut 2d Batallion. Capt. ditto Peter Voorhees. Peter Vroom, Jacob\\nWinter Corp Peter Winter Goert Van Voorhees.\\nWe Hive the followint; enrollment subscribed by the men who enlisted\\nin Gapt. Jacob Ten Eyek s Company ot Somerset Miliiia.\\nWe the subscribers do coluntirily enlist our^idvos in the Gi)mpa iy of\\nCapt. Jacob Ten Eyck, in the Township of BriJg Wite in the County\\nof Somerset, under the coinmmd nf G S eplien Hunt, and do promise\\nto obey our offi !ers in such servii .e-t as thev shall app tint, us, a.^^reeahie\\nto the wishes and orders of the Pidvineial Gcngre.-^s. Witne.-is our hands\\nthis 2M day of June 1785\\nCapt., Jacob Ten Eyck. tal Lieut., Abm. Puinont, 2cl bleul .rolui Rrokaw, Kn-\\nslgn, Isaac Vauarsdalen Sergeants. Derlck Dnmont. ni. Van Dine, I hlilp Falk,\\nJacob Ten Eyck. Jr., AnJreas Ten Eyck, Jacobus Voorliees C or|ioralp Daniel\\nAmmerman, John Dow, Jr., George .Anten, Abrani Van Voorhees Diinimer,\\nFred. K. Dltiuars Privates, Peter Low, Aaron Craig. AialrewTeu Eyck iariufi,\\n\u00e2\u0080\u00a2loUn Tunison, Jacob Ten Eyck Tartus, Morines Miller, Jolin_Evens, John Dowty\\nJr., Henry Brokman, 2\u00c2\u00abickolas Broknian, Thomas I mphrey. Godfi ey Clear, 1-eier\\nPost, Wlillam \\\\Vllson, John Beeknian, John Uownc, Cornelius Suyri; ni, Peter\\nBodlne, Fulkert Dow, David Helebmnt, John Stnait. Jas Wintfrsteln, lavld\\nVanarsdalcn, Chrs. McMons, Peter leeple, Mlnard Johnson. Peter Sutphen. JeMs-\\nmlah Doty, Christian Frazer, George A an Neste, Hugh Clark.. Jacobus Van Voor-\\nhees, John Storm. John .Myers, Amos .Smalley, cor. Van Dike, .lohn Mortinan,\\nJohn Ross, Luke Teeple. Peter Ten Eyck, Peter Duniont. Abm. Billion. Heiidrlck\\nSuydam, Jeremiah Britton, Samuel Williamson. Jamc Koss (;ilberl Lane. Barn-\\nard Klsden, Nls C, Hendrick Teeple. Jacob Sneiloker. James Duycktiick. William\\nMilllken, Evert Brokaw, Samuel Brittaln, Lucas Vosseller, Jacob Vo^ seller. Lewis\\nHeartsont, Ambrois .\\\\pplebee, BoLuid Cihaml^ers, Ulcharrt Brokaw, Kdwaid Mon-\\ntanye, Dlrck Dowe, Peter Van Derbarge, John Powelson. Abraham Btiton.\\nCoMMiTTKE Chamber. Hkidegwatkk, Feb. 2-ith !T7(\\nWhereas, by the orduances lately made by the Provincial Congress, for n gt-la\\nting the Militia of New Jerse.^ It ai)pears necessary that (-ach Caplaii) sliould\\nhave a District for the Company he eoinnntnds, we the committee. ac(;or(lingly\\ngrant unto Capt. Jacob Ten P^yck. the command of all the men within ilie follow-\\ning bountlaries or District Beginning ai the line of Hunterdon Co.. on the river\\nAllamatunek, thence down said river and also down the North Bvniich to the\\nmouth ot Chamber Brook, then up the said brook to the phne where Wllliarii\\nMcDonal s MUl formerly stood, then to th(^ top of the moiinialn to Capt. Stile s\\nline, then on a direct line down between Philip A an Narsdalen, and Chris. Van\\nNarsdalen s, \\\\\\\\esterly of Win. Black Halls, to the rear of Karltan River Lots, then\\nalong the real of said Klver Lois to a line of William Laee s B1\\\\er lot, then\\nnortherly and westerly, then down said branch to the line which divides the\\nlands ot Borgen Brokaw, and Mr. Conovers, then along said Utie to liunteidon\\nCo., line, then along the same to the beginning.\\nBy order of the Committee.\\nED BVNX. Chairmati.\\nBoundaries of the Millstone Company.\u00e2\u0080\u0094 At a meeting of the Coumilttee of the\\nTownship of Hillsborough held at the house of Garret Garret on. the 3d day of\\nJuly, 1775, It was unanimously agreed that the boundaries of the Company called\\nMillstone Company, are as follows, viz Beginnin.g at the mouth of Millstone\\nKlver, thence along the said river to the house ofGeretie Cornetry. then along\\nher westward bound to and still continuing westwardly to the house of Ccuri,\\nVan Vorehase, then westwardlv to a small brook, and thence down the said\\nbrook to the Ainwell Road, then westwardly along the said road till it comes tn\\nthe 2 rod road that leads to Millstone road, contimiine along said road, thence\\nalong Millstone Road to Uaiitan Bridge, thence along the Karltan River to the\\npJ ice of beginning. PETER D. vnoo.M.", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0201.jp2"}, "202": {"fulltext": "4 APPENDIX,\\nA ll.st or tinf ni -n \\\\v!io served under Capt. .J;i-ob Ten Tyck in the lieroluUouarj-\\nW.ir, liOM ilie yiMr i7T5 to r.he y ;iir ITsi, at dUTcrenl tliiirs\\nArasraltli Kdiiiiin, Andr.nv.-. Joliii. An Irews Malcolm, Abiiylon Aaron, Aiifen\\nriK);niis, Andrews Koliert. Aiiitn .Idini, Applenian David, Uerii.oii .Jeremiah.\\nJjrolvuvv IMeliurd, I .erit m S unuel. Beriron David, llroKaw Dirk, Drokaw JJer), en.\\n1$ nil lie idrl -k, tiuine r Garret. Kodlue CDrnelle.s. Hin-anan Aihmi. Ho ert ;is-\\nl)-it, l!,is f;)rt I eler, Berp iUJenidls. IV.Uiim J.ihn, Buiin Kdward. Bodine .Tohn.\\nBrawer illl.iiM, Bo.iiiie AhralKini Boss ii I .eliiis, r(iwn Abraliani. Buss C or-\\nii lH!.s, BnsliMtl 1 l le)ni i.s. BaniHr I, \\\\vls. Btiim llenr.\\\\. Burner Besijandu, JJiowu\\n(ir I a. Bum r (i. orj^. Biii ^ODii.s Irederli-K Brown Jolin. Buorun Hi-nrw Beiiier\\nK .chird, B.iclilcw ured k, Bulrner Itob rt. Brewer (i^orffe. Brewer Wliliiin. Brii\\\\-\\nI n .l.mi s. Colter, John, cauipb-il Archibald, (Miandler John, 4_;uini.iloa IM-hard.\\n()m -H i{|enai-di, in s Charles.- Cr.it, .lehn. (.^asbern CiirisTbplier. Toruellson\\n.fiiiin, Colter Alexan ler. Cornelison WlUiini. Cla\\\\*!-rin Henjjniin. Clawson B irnet\\nCnrn lis()n (iarret colli-r Peter. Chtvns William. Caslner.Idhn. Chandier.sWllliaiiii\\nConine David, Coole I eier. Clawsnn Bra I. Calwell .folin, rii;,inbns Jri-;eph. CoUer\\n.Ml:hael, (;hapnian John, Doty .ferMulaii, Iniyekins James, llerrod John. Hoatr-\\nlind Sinniel, Henry Job. 1, Mall (i 0!-;:e. llo .ri- James. lluiT John. Ileipencllnj; l\\nter. Hall Isaae. Hay A llliaui, Harris Benjiini!), Hail Wiiliani. Hal! Nieols. Hesa-\\nmen Jun^s, HoiiJland William, Hoaj,rland Derrick, Iladenbreok I eter, Hall Thom-\\nas. Hadentirook Isiv. Harris J mies, llarrlni John. Harris Joiin. Johnson Mlnanl.-\\nJohns )n Wiliiam, .roitnson, James, .lemlman Jaeobns, Jones Benjamin, KeUe\\\\\\nD ivid, Kln David. ICInjj ITiomas. Kirkpatrick Andrew, Lane Tunis. Damoni\\nJolin, Damont Klbert, Dow P lilkcrt Dennis Kubin, D.ieker I eter, Dailey William,\\nDoiiKhtv iSkiUinan. Drene Thomas Drake Dirk. Defraste Isaac. Duyekinan John.\\nDnyekman Williaiii. Davis (Jairei. Davii John. Kwlns John. Klveiv John. Fiaser\\nChristopher. Kusler laike. Ful.ls Jere.niaii. Fulker Pder, Fnsler JaVob, Fulkerson\\nHenr.v. French William, (Joldtraii Jonn. (Jorden John, Carrel son Jeremiah. Cilmer\\nTimthey. Helcbrant D ivid, Harlson Lewio, Harris Carnt. Ilerutu^-h 1 ewis, Liieas\\nJohn, I.onjj William. Lon^ John. l.ane Tlioma.-:. I.fddlc Hobcrt. Le(? I homa.s, Lane\\nJohn, Lane Jacob. Lellls .laines. More John. .Mapes Heiirv. .Miiuir Samuel. Mulner\\nJoseph, Montlninore William, MeMurtry TliOinas. McKinslev SauiueL ^Ma-iwll\\nRobert, Misbet Peter. More Luke. .McDowell Kiihraim. Mali^ -li rohii, .Millln Janies.\\nMechleni-alh i luiin if+, IMulbrln John.Oilaw ful Samuel. .Maybeck John. Mnrfey\\nThomas. Messier Cta-neiious, Mannin Isaac. McDonald Sainuei. .Mi all^h l et( r. Mii-\\n--Un John, McMans WUll.im. iMcCraln Daniel. Mccarty HuHh, .McDowel Joim. Mea-\\nbeaeh John, Kortwlek John. Nevlus Christopher, Nevus John. Off Chrlsloplier.\\nOliver Nicolas, Prine John, I owelson Henry, Post I cter. Prav.l L -aae. Packsen\\nWilliam. Probasco Garret. Poner William. Fowl Arelilbald, Powel James. Peaeh\\nWilliam. Powelson Mina, Probiise o Christopher. I ossJohn, Uoss J.imes. IHchson\\nJoseph. Kolan John, Kiinyon IHchard, Koscbome Hendriek. Hoseboiue Hoberl.\\nP.lirhtmer James, Klekey Israel, Heimir Benjamin. Bunyon Vincent. Bolan I eter,\\nSiekel Zaehariah, strvker Barrant, Stryker Chrl.stopher. Stuard John. Suvdani\\nt:oriiilHis. Suydam Byke. Storm Jolin, Smnlley Amos.^itgiil ilohn. Smo k Banant\\nsuydain Charles, Stephens Joseph, Sebrlnj? Fnlkert, StuIT Josenh, SHiiKerlan\\nHenry. Scuyler liarrant. sparks .lolin, stul John, Sebron GcoiKe, Stephens Henrv,\\nSuddard Kiehard. Sm.illey Jonas, Stuart James, soms .Andrew, harp Johii.\\nSharp Matthias, simasnn John, Si brln Abraham. Sparks Gabriel, Stephens Joseph,\\nSchenk Abrah;ini, Sill !)hen Glsbirt. Smith John. SnialUiy Isaac, Stillwell John,\\nTen Kyck Peter, Tunlson John, Tee)ile Luke, Tecple Luke. Teeple Hendricks.\\n\u00e2\u0080\u0094Thompson Thomas, Teeiile (!eort;e. Todd .Ceorffo, t mphrey Tliomas. Van Nars-\\ndalen Dow, Van Nest (J oive. Van Dike Cornelius, Van DebeVfce Peter, Van Nars-\\ndalen (Miri.stopher, Van Debrodk Peter, Van Nest Peter, Van Narsdalen John. Van\\nHorn Janies, Van Narsdalen Perlck, Van Xarsdalen Hendriek, Vossler Peter.\\nValentine .Jacob, Van Natten John. Van Cort John, Van Nest Barnard, Van Camp\\nJohn. Van Nest Abraham. Van Doren Ciirlstopher, an Vest .Liromas, Van Nars-\\nIrand Jacob, Van Nest Frederick. Van Nest Cornelions, Van Deventer Aliraliam,\\nVan Vln^-ie Isaac, Van Tln^rle Abraham, Van I)e\\\\cntcr I eter, Van lingie John.\\nVan Wa ener Coonrad, Van Narsdalen Philip, Voorliees Fulkert. Van Doren Lsaac,\\nVan Pelt RullIT, Van Cort Michael, Van Deveer Matthew. Nan Norilen Toblah,\\nan Doren Bergen. room IhMidrlrk. rooin (icorne, \\\\room .lohn, Voorliees Isaac,\\nVan Hoiilen John, Van Nortwiek John, Wormian John, Wilson William, Wlnter-\\nsleln Janies, Williamson Samuel, WyckolT ,101111. Wlte Matthew, Williamson Cor-\\nnelius, Walker Thomas, Waldron Wllllar:. Whealer James, Wooderd Daniel,\\nWortman Andrew, WInans William, Worley Pcier. Wilson John, Waldron Cor-\\nnelius, Wortman Peter, Younjjc George, Young- John.", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0204.jp2"}, "203": {"fulltext": "APPENDIX. 5\\nMembers of Capt. Conrad Ten Eyck s Company\\nDavid Am merman, Powel Aminerman, Benjamin Arrosmlth, John liPimet2tl\\nLieut., Daniel Blew, Hendrick Blew, John Board, Oeorge Brewer, Abraham Bro-\\nkaw, corsparus Brokaw, Adain Uallas, .lacob Coach, Henry Cook, Abraham Co-\\nshaw, Tliomas covert, Tunis covert. Samuel Davis. John Decamp, John Decker,\\nIlencliick Duinon, Peter Dmnon, Mancias Dnboys. Seig t Abraham Dumott, Ben-\\njamin Dumott, Lawrence Duiiiott, Henry Fislier, Joseph I- reneh, Fnlkert Fulker-\\nson, Chvl^llan Herder, Heruianus iloagland, J()luinn( s Hong-la id, John Hoagland,\\nI unis Ho j:laud, Nicholas Huff, Klchaid Huff, H nry KiuneUy, Tliomas La\\\\vker-\\ninan, Thomas Light, John Lotev,. Jr., \\\\lirahim Lott, Abraliam Low, D:!niel\\nMcKwen, Simon Van Nortvvick, Thomas Peterson, Abrahaiiri Post, Peter I cryn\\n(Perrlne), Jolm Powek-on, I-eroy Kalpli, Hendrick Hosebroom, John H. Sihenck,\\nserg t, Hoellf Sebrlng Thomas Skillman. Isaac Strykcr, John Stryker, Andries\\nTen Ryck, Garret I erhune. Cornelius Van Aisdalen. /Isaac Van Cleefe, Corpwal,\\nParyas Van Cleer, Abram Van Arsdalen, Corporal, Jifcob Vauderbilt, Chrystoyan\\nVan Dorn, John Van Dorn, ornellus Van Dorn, Abufiham Van Dorn, Ensl iy Cor-\\ntii iius Van Dorn, John Vandike, John Van Houten, .Tohn Van Mi1rilesworth,i l hom-\\n:is\\\\ a i Middl -svvorth. Hendri k Van Xoitwick, John Van Nortwlck, Ensign, Jarob\\naii Xuvs. John Van Voorliecs, Conrad l (!U Kyck, Ensign, Conrad Van Wagoner,\\n.-\\\\bfahaui Voorhecs. Corp 1, Jacob Voorhecp, Peter Vooi-hees, John Van Ars.lalen,\\nSerg i, Adolphus Weavour, William Whllson, Jacob Wintei Barent Dumott.\\n:o:-\\nMinutes of the First .Meeting of the Iiihabitaats of\\nthe Township of Bridgewater, after it had been\\nfornned.\\nThr Township of Bridgewater, 1750.\\nAt a meeting lieM this 12th day of March, 1750, att the\\nHouse of Greorge Middagh, l)y the Inhabitants tiforesaid,\\nfor chusing othcers according \\\\o the Patent Granted as\\naforesaid, and according to an act of Assembly provided\\nfor that purpose, c., Viz\\nJohn Broughton Chirk.\\nDaniel Blackford Constable,\\nRichard CoixLpton, Henry !:*tevens and John Vroom\\nFreeholders\\nThomas Authen, Jr,, Lucas Tipple, John Harris, Lucas\\nBelyou Commissioners, of which two is to be choesing by\\nye Court.\\nFrancis Cossart Assesr^- fjr the Township.\\nTobias Van Norden Collector for aforesaid.\\nHendrick Van Stay and Abraham Bodine, Lsaac s son\\nAssessors for the Poor.", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0205.jp2"}, "204": {"fulltext": "6 APPENDIX,\\nOverseers of ye Highway, for ye year 17S1.\\nFor Overseers of the Highway,\\nHarjjer Hoes In the room of Frederick Boilirie.\\nEdward Hall In the room of Richard Hall.\\nSamnel Stats Coejamin\u00e2\u0080\u0094 In the room of Jeretniah\\nVan Nest.\\nJames Willson In the room of Andris Cossiue.\\nAndris Ten Eyck, Jr. In the room of Wm M. Kinney.\\nliynear Van Nest In the room of Jerry Reemer,\\nPowel Autheu In the room of John Nealor.\\nDenicp Tnnison In the room of Folkert 8ebring.\\nJohn Sebring In tlie room of Joseph Colter.\\nThe aforesaid meeting of the Inhabitants is adjourned\\ntill on the second Tuesday of March next at the hour of\\nten a Clock in the morning, according to an act of Assem-\\nbly provided for that purpose, att the time and place\\naforesaid, c.\\nJOHN BROUGHTON,\\nClark.\\nCOMMOM PLEAS JUDGES.\\n1778, 79, Peter Schcnck, 1778, 79, so, .facob Bergen, 1778, Abrabani Van Neste.\\n1779, 80, 81, Nathaniel Ayers, 1779, Kllslia Ayers, 1780, si, 82. S3, Wm. Verbryckf\\n1781, Roellfrsehrlnjf, 1782, 83, 84, 85, 80, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91. Tliomas Berry. 1782f\\n83, 84, 87, 89, KotMTt StOCklon. 1783. 84, 85, Sf, 88, 90, iM, Mo.scs ScOtt, 17S5, 86,\\nMatttilas Bilker, IT^^S 89, 90, 91, 92, 9.5, 96, 97, 98, 99, isoii, NMchohis Dulxils, 1788,\\n\u00e2\u0096\u00a0m9, 90, isiio, I ftcr I) Vroom, 1788, 89, 90, 91, 92, 9:^, 9^1, .I(is |)h Annln. 1789, 91,\\n\u00e2\u0080\u00a292, I{olj M-l (Jaslon, 1791, 92, 93, 94, 95. 97, 98, 99, Arclilb.ikl M Tccr, 1792, 94, 96,\\n97, HolXTt Blair, 1792, 93, 9. 9C,, Jolin Beatty, 1793, g. i, 90, Uoljcrl Stockton, 1795,\\n96, 97, 9S, ISOO, Ol, 02, IKt, 04, OS. OO, (17, Ds, 09, Davlcl Kelly, 1795, oo, 97, Johii\\nStrykpr, 1795, W., 97, 98. m, Pet^r Diiinont, 1797 to IHoo. .JoUn Biiyard, 1798 to is04.\\nJohn Bryant, lH(n to 1806, Jacob K. Hardenbergh.\\nSHERIFFS.\\n1777, 78, 79. Pct^r Duiuunt, l7so, Peter T. Schenck. 1781, 82, 83, Peter I). Vroom\\n1784, HTy, Hobert Stf)ekton, I7.so, \u00e2\u0080\u00a2n7. .fohn HarclenberKh, 17ss, 89, 90, William Wal-\\nlaee, 1791. 92, 93, John Hardenbergh, 17W. 95, 96, Joseph Annln, 1797, 9s, Kobert\\nBlair. 1799, 1800. Joseph Doty.", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0206.jp2"}, "205": {"fulltext": "APPENDIX. 7\\nSomerset County Its Physical Aspect.\\nIt contains about 189,800 acres, and 297 square miles,\\nHtid is divided into nine Townships, viz Bridijewater.\\nBedminster Bernards, Warren, North Plaiufield, Frardilin,\\nHdlsborough, Montijjomery, and Branchbur ^h. Its cen-\\ntral Latitude is 40 deg. 34 ruin, Longitude 2 deg. 15 luin.\\nThe clinjate is mild and most healthfuL The whole Coun-\\nty rests on and is composed of the seccmdary or transition\\nformation, of the old red sand stone, or red shale. The\\nnorthern pait is hilly or mountainous, the central undula-\\nting, and a part of the southern is i f tht^ sa ue character\\nIts mountains are of Tra[) f)rmation rising from lot) to\\n300 feet, but they nowhere exhibit any ot^the columnar form\\nwhich the Basalt or Trap sometimes assumes. North of\\nSomerville there is a double range of Tiap Mountains.\\nThe first mountain begins near Pluckamin, lying in the\\nform of a horse shoe, and extending to Paterson. The\\nsecond commences at Bernardsville, and terminates at the\\nlittle falls of the Passaic Between them there is an\\nelevated valley from a mile to halt a mile in width, in\\nwLich, at different places, grey flag and building stone is\\nobtained. These two ranges are almosL unbroken, and\\nhave had the effect of changing the course of all the small\\nrivers which flowed off the primative granite and gneiss\\nhills north of them, and f(jrcing them all to the north east,\\nunil thfy reach Paterson Falls, over which the Passaic\\nprecipitates itself on its way to the ISea. Dead River evi-\\ndently at first flowed into the Raritan at Bound\\nBrook.\\nAll these Trap Hills were unquestionably protruded from\\nbelow by volcanic force in a semi-fluid state. In many\\nplaces portions of the trap includes broken pieces of red\\nshale, hardened by the effect of heat until almost vitrified.\\nThe Neshanic Mountain, on its northern extremity, show.s\\nthe effect of intense heat, and the loose shale is burnt to\\nsuch an extent that it rings like clink stone or cast iron.\\nIt is, in many respects, a curious formation, coming al-\\nmost to a point on its northern end, and spreading out\\nlike a triangle to the south, broken in some places and fur-\\nrowed by the action of water.", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0207.jp2"}, "206": {"fulltext": "8 appp:ndix.\\nIll the little valley at Chiiniujy Rock, the place vvlien\\nthe Tiap was protruded is luaiked [)y the falls of the east\\nbranch of Middlebiook creek, and the overlapin^ of the\\nred shale is ])lainly marked for more ihan a hundred yanl.N.\\nThere is also another lower range noith of Princeton,\\nknown as Rocky Hill, through which the Millstone has\\nfound an outlet, where the same thing, though not so whII\\ndefined, may be seen. It it weie not for tiie conchoidal\\nfracture of the Traj), it would be a most useful and excel-\\nlent building material being less dense than granite and\\ngneiss, its temj^erature is higher, and consequently a house\\nbuilt of it would condense less moisture and be dryer and\\nmuch morci healthy\\nThe Red k liale of our County is compcjsed of silicious\\nand angilacious substances, and its color is owing to the\\npresence of the red oxide of iron in small quantities. It\\nhas sometimes been ground fine and used as paint, but it\\nis not valuable as a pigment.\\nAs it lies in the central ])arts of our county, it has a\\ngeneral dip or inclination of about fifteen degrees to the\\nnorth west, and everywhere exhibits the effect of disturb-\\nances being broken up and uneven on its surface.\\nAt some remote period it has evidently been denuded oi\\nthe superabundent material whicii originally rested on it.\\nThe Sand Hill west of Soihervllle, that at the Compton\\nburying ground on the noith, the hill west of the North\\nBranch at Milltown, and the one north west from the\\nNorth Branch Church, are instances of the character of the\\nmaterial which originally rested on it and has been re-\\nmoved in some way^ not now recognizable.\\nIt has resting on it clayey loom, forming the soil of th\\nendulating grounds wiiich rises above the alluvial along\\nthe water courses. It varies in thickness from a foot to\\ntwenty or thirty feet, and is capable of being made ex-\\nceedingly fertile and valuable for agricultural purposes.\\nIn the valley of the Peapack, there are extensive beds of\\nlimestone, which are used extensivi-iy in enriching the soil^\\nas well as for mechanical })urposes. Copper ore exists in\\nthe mountains north of Somerville, but has not been ol\\ntained in quantity to make it valuabb\\\\\\nitiJejA", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0208.jp2"}, "207": {"fulltext": "", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0209.jp2"}, "208": {"fulltext": "", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0210.jp2"}, "209": {"fulltext": "", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0211.jp2"}, "210": {"fulltext": "", "height": "2822", "width": "1838", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0212.jp2"}, "211": {"fulltext": "", "height": "2852", "width": "1777", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0213.jp2"}, "212": {"fulltext": "", "height": "2989", "width": "2020", "jp2-path": "centennialhistor00mess_0214.jp2"}}