The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1784-07-05 00:00:00, page 1

Mr. COLLINS,
Please to give the folio-wing extracts from the Jour
nals of our Assembly, a place in your next Ga
zette, with the Certificate, Affidavit and Affirma
tion, corroborating therewith, together with the
titles of the several laws puffed by the Legisla
ture in almost Jimilar cases, refpeQing the un-
Jigned publick money being taken by the enemy in
December, 1776, all which Ifubmit to my fellow
citizens, without making any observations there
on, and shall begin with the resolve of the House,
and my affidavit made at a time when those mat
ters were frefh in my memory, therefore may be
most depended on.
Haddonfield, February 17, 1777.
nr^ HE House resolved itfelf into a Committee
of the whole House, on the evidence offered
? by Samuel Tucker, Esquire, refpeding the
loss of the publick money that was in his
hands ; and, after some time spent therein, Mr.
Speaker relumed the chair, and Mr. Harris reported
from the Committee, that they had come to two re
solutions, which, with leave of the House, he re
ported as follows :
lit Rtfolved, That the affidavit of the said Sa
muel Tucker, Esquire, and also those of Randle
Mitchel and Samuel Abbott, relative to the loss of
said money, be entered on the journals of this House.
2d. Refolded, That the publick be cautioned by
advertisements in the pubhek news-papeis, against
taking any of said money.
And the Committee desired leave to fit again, to
which the House agreed.
SAMUEL TUCKER, Esquire, one of the late
treasurers of the provincial congress of the colo
ny of New-Jersey, being duly sworn on the Holy
Evangelists of Almighty God, depofeth and faith,
That on being informed the Britifli army under Gen.
Howe was on their march through this province, and
that their design was to be at Trenton, where the de
ponent lives, thought it most prudent to remove all
his papers, with some of his most valuable effects,
out of Trenton, together with the unsigned publick
money; that he did accordingly, on or about the 30th
day of November, 1776, remove all his bonds, deeds,
books of accounts, together with those belonging to
Aiderfon and others estates, in his hands as an execu
tor, with ail his plate, his and his wife's clothes, with
sundry other valuable effects, one horse and phaeton,
some Maryland and Rw-Jerfey loan-office money,
to the house of Mr. John Abbott, about five miles
from Trenton, in the county of Burlington, with
about £. 5818 16 3 unsigned congress money, under
the care of John and hamuel Abbott; that General
Howe and his army arrived^ at Trenton on Sunday
the Bth of December Tait past ; that on Monday the
nth December, one lieutenant Hackfhaw, with a de
tachment of British troops, by order of lieutenant
colonel Robert Abercromby, came to the house of
Mr. John Abbott, in company with Mrs. Mary
Pointing, an inhabitant of Trenton, as this deponent
is informed and verily believes, and seized all the ef
feds at Mr. Abbott's the property of this deponent,
with those in trust in his hands, together with the
unsigned publick money, and carried the fame to the
house of Mr. Randle Mitchel, and shewed the money
to Mr. Mitchel, as this deponent believes and is in
formed, afterwards carried the fame, or part thereof,
to Princeton, and from thence to New-Brunswick,
where this deponent is informed, and now believes,
his effects, or part thereof, now remains, as part of
the clothes and linen was sent home, and his wife's
watch delivered her by lieutenant colonel Abercrom
by ; that this deponent left Trenton the Sth Decem
ber last, and took with him the signed publick mo
ney, amounting to £. 1504 4 0 with about £. 1000
more in trust in his hands as an executor; that he
paid the publick money to Mr. treasurer Smith ; that
he lodged the other money in such secure places as
was in his power, none of which has been loft as the
deponent believes; that on Saturday the 14th De
cember, on hearing that his wife and family was in
the most distressed condition with sickness, and that
his wife sent him word, begging he would return
N'T T A rt, IT CT-1 ri
[Vol. VIL]
TRENTON: Printed by ISAAC COLLIN S, Printer to the State.
MONDA Y, JULY 5, 1784.
home, he set off home; that about one mile from
Croffwicks bridge he was met by John Leonard, An
thony Woodward, and a number more, he believes
upwards of twenty, on horseback ; Leonard presented
a pistol to the deponent's bread, said he had General
Howe's order to take the deponent prisoner, and used
him with very ill language; detained him till Mr.
Robert Pearson gave his parole the deponent should
refnain on his farm until they gave further orders;
remained at Mr. Pearson's until ordered home by one
Mr. Broom, a Hessian lieutenant, on Monday; that
he applied for a protection, which was granted by co
lonel Rail the 17th December last ; that he then en
quired after his papers, found part left in colonel
Abcrcromby's lodgings in Princeton, and has since re
ceived a part found by one Mr. Leifter and carried
to Philadelphia; that he has since sent a letter to
lieutenant colonel Abercromby, which was delivered
by his neice Elizabeth G. White, requeuing he would
return his property and papers, particularly those be
longing to Anderson's and others estates in trust in the
deponent's hands, and got for answer, that they could
not be delivered with propriety until they knew the
part the deponent would take or a&; among the pa
pers already received by the deponent, not one re
lating to any of the edates in trust as he remembers
or believes, this deponent having good grounds to be
lieve that Mrs. Mary Pointing had informed the Bri
tish officers that the deponent's goods, &c. was at
John Abbott's ; and hearing that one John Jolly had
piloted them from Mr. Isaac Pearson's, was informed
by Jolly's wife that all the qaeftions they asked him
was, did he know the way to John Abbott's? he an
swered he did; they then pressed him along to shew
the way from Isaac Pearson's to Mr. Abbott's ; and
that Mrs. Jplly informed the deponent, was all they
said to her husband, as he informed her, and further
faith not.
s^n bfo ^ tbif ? Samuel Tucker.
l^th Feb. 1777, )
Ephraim Harris.
SAMUEL ABBOTT, one of the people called
Quakers, being duly affirmed, faith, that about
ten days before the enemy came to Trenton, Samuel
Tucker, Esquire, came to his house and brought with
him sundry chests and boxes ; that among them was
the box of his photon, in which said Tucker informed
him was the publick money, which was put in his
lodging room in the upper part of the house; that it
remained there till the day after the enemy came to
Trenton ; that on that day, about twelve o'clock, one
lieutenant Hackfhaw, with about twenty soldiers, came
to his house and enquired for Mr. dueler's goods,
(at which time Mrs. Pointing was there with a wag
gon to bring off some goods she had at the affirmant's
house ;) that they prefled his waggon and therein car
ried off from his house all the goods Mr. Tucker had
there, except one chest belonging to Mr. Tucker's ne
gro; that Mr. 1 ucker came to the affirmant's house
afterwards and enquired for his goods, and found only
the negro's chest left; that the enemy also took a
photon and one horse which he had in keeping for
Mr. T ucker, and further faith not.
Affirmed the 14th day of)
Feb. 1777, before me 3 .Samuel Abbott.
Ephraim Harris. )
RANDLE MITCHEL being examined, depofeth
and faith, that colonel Abercromby, with 500
men as was said, came to his house on Sunday the
Bth of December last, and staid there till the Satur
day following; and he thinks that on either Tuesday
or Wednesday after they firft came, some officers in
the room wheie he was shewed him some letteis di
reded to Mr. Tucker ; he allied them where they got
tlrc letters? They told him they had infoimation of
Mr. Tucker's goods, and that they were concealed in
Trenton ; that the lame evening he was called into
colonel Abercromby's room, who asked him if he
knew one Samuel Tucker ? he answered he did ; the
colonel then aiked him about the character and situa
tion of Mr. Tucker, and whether he was not a vio
lent rebel? he answered that Mr. Tucker was a man
of character and considerable fortune as he under
stood ; that he was a member of the provincial con
THE
grefs, and had been president thereof; that he had
formerly been sheriff of Hunterdon county, and a
member of assembly, but believed he had never been
a violent rebel, for he understood he, Mr. 1 ucker,
had been the chief cause of the last clause being in
serted in the constitution of New-Jersey. The colo
nel then shewed him a square black trunk, with a
great number of papers and parchment deeds, and said
he must have been a man of considerable consequence;
that they asked him to lock at some of the deeds, &c.
he told them there was no use in his looking at them;
they then pointed at a large parcel of printed paper
on the floor, and told him to look what a fine parcel
of money they had got ; it appeared to this deponent
to be about a ream of paper ; they then tock up feme
half fleets and counted how much a iheet amounted
to; he thinks they contained /. 20 2 0 ^-fo they
then gave him some of the money and defied him to
look at it, which he did, and found it fgned by only
two signers, and did not know it ought to be signed
by more; they asked him what be uvuld give for t,
he said he would not pi c any thing for it, ano look- d
on it not worth any :i.irg; he asked what they in
tended to do with Mw acker's papers and money ?
the colonel answered he r/cu.d pack hem in the trunk
again and fend them to general Howerfhe then left
the room and heard no more of it, but'feen the offi
cers reading letters directed to Mr. Tucker, and fur
ther faith not.
Sworn the 14th day of)
Feb. 1777, before me. RANDLE MITCHEL.
Ephraim Harris. )
House of Afembly, December 30, 1780.
Mr. Camp, from the committee appointed to join
a committee of council, for the purpose of fettling
the accounts of Mr. Samuel Tucker, late treasurer
of the provincial congress, reported a Rate of the fame
as follows, viz.
Dr. Samuel Tucker, late treasurer, in account
with the date of New-Jersey, Cr.
(1776) Sep. 28. By cash paid
Alexander Cham
bers, £.IOO 00
Off. 5. By do. paid
Thomas Reynolds'
certificate, 8 80
9. By do. paid Jona
than Bowen, Esq.
incidental bill, ' 010 0
10. By do, paid Anne
Burtlels, speaker's
order, - 2 10 0
28. By do. paid Da
vid Pinkerton, for
the committee of
Trenton, "a ^ Q
Dec. 2. By do. paid
Wm. Tucker, coin
miffioner, - 75 oo
8. By do. paid trea
surer Smith, 1504 4 0
By ditto paid Hugh
M'Lean's wife, a
foldicr in captain
Brearley's comp. 3 o o
By ditto paid John
Wilson, a soldier
in captain Brear
ley's company, 1 17 6
By unsigned money
seized by lieutenant
colonel Robert A
bercromby, at the
To balance of house of John Ab
account, as set- bott, in Notting
tied 18th Sep- ham, being the ba
tember, 1776, lance, allowing 4/3
by committee of for change, 5818 16 3
council and as- _
fembly, £.7544189 £• 7544 ^ 9
Note, There is yet some Errors excepted, as of
unsigned money in the 4th February, 1777.
hands of Sam. Howe, Esq. Samuel Tucker,
part of the £. 50,000 5 0 treasurer.
[Numb. 321.]