The Ohio star. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1830-1854, 1853-03-02
Correspondence of the Ohio Star.
MoRRIsTowN, n. J., Feb. 2Ist. 1853.

MORRIsTowN, n. j., Feb. 2lst, 1858.
Ms. uALL:--The State of New Jersey has
within its li,niis, many field haowed with The
blood of our Revolutionary fathers, made sacred
by their struggles f,r freedom. Here lie the en-
sanguined fields of Trenton, Princeton, Mon
mouth and many others,w dear lives were Of
fered burning sacrifice upon the altars of liberty
iD yindication Of That truth orduined of Heaven,
word, that al men are endowed by their creator
with the inalienable right 10 life, liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness.
| The mere fact. that hostile armies here met, in
fierce and sanguinary conflict, TINT " blood and
carnage clothed the ground in crimson, is not what
attaches sacredness, sole mnty, to these spots
that impresses him who treads them, that he
treads as it were, on holy ground )" but it is the
fact that our fathers here struggled for an undy
ing, everything principle, no less than the principle
of eternal Justice and Fright. This and this alone
IS what the mind of the patriot, robes these
fields of carnage with their tue interest-their
real glory, and marks them as SO many imperish-
able monuments, "sacred to the memory of the
heroes, who there fought and fell preferring death
to slavery.
One of these spots, though never the immedi-
ate ,heater of battle and strife where the fuot of
Immortality has trod.' had the high satisfaction
| Of witnessing this afternoon. It was no less than
the identical house, unaltered, unchanged, which
Gen. Washington occupied as his 'head quarters, >
duringthe winter the = hard winter" of 1880.
1t was built, as Mr.. David Morrow in IA tempo
rary occupant TO whom am indebted for many
interesting facts) eighty years ago, in l77a, by
Col. Jacob Ford, (the grandfather Of H. C. Ford,
the present pioprietor,) who in the early part of
The Revolution commanded the the first Regime Mt
| of Morris county militia, and who. US his monu-
mant shows, .depalted this life 10th of January,
A. D. 1777, and being then 10 The service of his
country was inferred in this place, with military
! konors."
This monument stands in the "old Morristown
grave yard" and the following lines enchiseled in
the marble, for their aptitude and beauty, will
herein SO far digress, as 10 trnnscribe
{" In vain we strive by human skill,
To avoid the shafts OF death,
Heavens high decree all must fulfil.
And we resign our breath.
i The friends who read our tombs and mourn,
i And weep our early fall
i Must be, iamented in their turn
I And share the fate Of ALL"
4 At the time Washington made mis- head quarters
here, this house was in the occupancy of Mrs.
Ford, the widow of Col. Ford. 1t is situated q
little more than half mile east of the "yiIlage
green" n,"-Moristown- an eminence which af-
fords commanding view Of the town of Fort
Prospect, and Prospect mountain where the mer-
ican army was eutrenched at the time. and the sur
rounding country, for several miles in extent
This bouse is large its being forty by fifty feet
the posts twenty feet high; with long, two story
wing extending TO the east It was mos. firmly
Enthusiastically built, its frame of wood. " filed
10 with BRICK sided and painted white. 1t has
/ surprisingly wiihstood the encroachments of old
father time. The same windows that were placed
IN and the same siding nailed upon the house more
) than three quarters of century since, now re-
} main. Upon one Of the siding read the following
"G. w. 1777," said to be inscribed there by
Washingtop himself. The letter G'' was scarce.
ly discernable but the Nv" " and the numerals
were distinctly seen. l nlso read the name
Peggy Sellen," imprinted on pane of glass, in
the window Of the room which Gen. w. occupied
for an Office. at is the name,'' was told, so
belle" of rs; +" and was written there by q
, beau, who had been wounded with an arrow from
Cupid's quiver.' 1t seems by this, then, an indis
pensable pert Of history that ns long ago as the
revolution, cupid was archer and good shot. >
I No wonder he "shoots to the dye now.'' The
book in the ofice-the table in the hall, ant
the mirror in the pnrlor, used by Washington, be
ing 'ieir loons," ct u to be seen 10 their res
peetve places This venerable gloss being point
? Cd out to me, as the which had often, in the
same spot, mrored tho noble form, and artistic