The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-03-06
.- From the New York Evening Post.
THE LATE GEN. ELIAS b DAYTON

| THE LATE GEN. ELIAS B. DAYTON.
The following sketch Of the life and character oil
| a revolutionary officer, who has Just departed, is
| furnished by one who knew him we'll
perhaps there was no place in the old thirteen
States which exhibited more patriotic spirit dur
ing tho revolutionary war than Elizabethtown, in
New Jersey. Situated in the immediate vicinity OF
New York and Staten Island, which were in pos
session Of the enemy, the frequent and sudden in
cursions to which it was subject from the British
and refugees kept alive and stimulated the ardor of
the inhabitants. Although the population in that
time did not probably exceed fifteen hundred, i,
furnished twenty-nine commissioned officers to the
regular line of the army. Gen. Elias B. Dayton,
whose death occurred in this city short time since
at the age of eghtythree years. nearly the last
| Of those who from that gallant little town partci-
paed actively in the glorious struggle for liberty.
His father Gen. Elias Dayton, served through the
| whole of the war; part of the time as colonel of a
regiment, and afterwards as brigadier general and
commander of the Jersey Brigade was in nearly all
| the principal engagements, and had three horses
shot under him. His brother, the late Gen. Jona-
than Dayton, was captain in the continental line;
and his brother-in-law, Col. Matthias Ogden, COM
manded one of the Jersey regiments.
"The youth of the subject of this notice. and the
necessity OF some protection for his mother and her
infant children, prevented his enrolling himself in
the regular army; but the same zeal in the great
cause which animated the elder members OF the
family led him to volunteer upon several dangerous
| expeditions against the enemy He was one OF
party of thirty or forty men, who, under the
command of Captain afterwards GENERALLY Will
liam Crane, the father Of the present Commo-
dore Crane, captured two British gun-boats at
Staten Island. These gnn-boats were lying near
| the entrance of the sound from New York bay,
fully manned and equipped, and were to proceed
The next morning to cruise off Delaware bay, for
the purpose of interceptng American vessels. The
party crossed from Elizabethtown to Staten Island
about ~ O'Clock NIGHT and after prOceadinU
eral miles through the woods, made a sudden de-
| scent upon the boats while most Of their crews
were carousng at a house few yards distant; and
quickly overpowering the men who were left on
board, they pushed the vessels out into the stream,
and by daylight the next morning, had them safe
| ly moored at Elizabethtown, having passed n
British fort, and two or three armed vessels that
| were lying in the sound. Mr. Dayton the last
person who left the shore, having cut the fastening
Of one of the boats with a sword which was handed
him for that purpose
"On another occasion, having heard that some of
the refugees who infested the county Of Bergen
slept outside the fort, he determined to make an
tempt to surprise and capture them. Though but
eighteen years Of age, he furnished by an officer
Of the army with detachment Of a dozen men, part
Of whom were regulars and part militia. He cross
| ed Newark bay at night, in a boat which he had
procured for the purposes and after march Of some
miles, lie succeeded in taking i've or six prisoners
and FASTENED with them towards his boat. The
main body OF the refugees at the fort had become
alarmed, and sent strong detachment to intercept
the capturing party. They arrived at the waters
edge at about the same time with those Of whom
they were in pursuit. Mr.. Dayton, with his men,
sprang into the boat, taking the prisoners with them
and 30 sharp the fire OF the enemy from the shore
that but besides himself could be persuaded
to use an oar; the rest threw themselves upon the
bottom Of the boat. Before they were able to get
out Of reach, two or three Of the party were killed
and two or three others were wounded while he and
his fellow.oarsman, Luther Baldwin, ofNewark, }
though much more exposed, escaped without iniu-
ry, and arrived before daybreak with their prison
ers at Newark. .... ....n
"The principles which were early imbibed by the
subject Of this notice at the fountain Of the reyolu
tion, ceased to inspire his feelings and his
tons, His whole life was marked by an ardent
love ofcountry, and its close was trsnquilized by
the serene influence Of Christian faith