The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1874-07-15
MISCELLANY.
NOW TORIES WE'RE PUNISHED IN NEW
JERSEY

Z
An illustration is furnished of the doubt and
suspicion which prevailed, and of the sum-
mary modes that were resorted to by the pa
triots to intimidate the disaffected Tories, by
letter written at the time from New Jersey
by British officer to friend in England,
which we find in The Scots Magazine for 1776.
Every thing" he says, is transacted by
the Committee referring to the Committee OF
Safety appointed by the Provincial Congress,
which is composed of BARRIERS, tailors, cord
wainers, ETC., whose pertness and insoience
would raise any Englishman's indignation,
for the better sort endeavor to keep their own
necks ont of the halter, and make use of these
fellows as cats paws. One of our friends had
got several thousand in the back country
brought over to our interests but about a
month ago mob OF about one hundred DISCO
Lutte fellows surrounded his house, with an in
tention to tar and feather him upon which
he came out armed, and while he was reason
ing the case with them at the door he was
knocked down with the butt end of a musket
then laid like calf across horse, and tied
to tree while yet insensible, and tarred and
feathered."
Another instance is related by still another
British correspondent, who quotes from a
" rebel newspaper, as follows: :" At Quib-
bietown, in Middlesex County, New Jersey,
Thomas Randolph, a cooper, who has public
ly proven himself an enemy to his country by
reviling and using his utmost endeavors to OPP
pose the proceedings of the Continental and
Provincial conventions and committees in de-
fence Of their rights and liberties, and he be-
ing judged person of not consequence
enough for severe punishment, was ordered
to be stripped naked, well coated with tar and
feathers, and carried in a wagon publicly
round the town, which punishment was accord
ingly inflicted and as he soon became duly
sensible of his offence, for which he earnestly
begged pardon, and promised to atone for as
far as he was able by contrary behavior for
the future, he was released, and suffered to re-
turn to his house in less than half an hour
The whole was conducted with that regular
ity and decorum that ought to be observed in
all public punishments."
A glimpse is given of still different form
Of "public punishment" inflicted by the in
dignant patriots on their Tory neighbors, in
another letter of an officer of the British
army printed in The Scots Magazine for Oc-
tober 1776. Under date Of August 18th, 1776,
he writes "The prosecutions of the loyal
lists continue unremitting. Donald Maclean,
Theopilus Hardenbrook, Young Fenter, the
silver smith, and Rem Rappalgc have been
cruelty rode on rails--a practice most painful,
dangerous and peculiar"
Even the boys shared the sympathies and
antipathies of their fathers, forming them
selves into bands for elderly " on the one
side, and the ssking" on the other, which re-
suited in innumerable blackened eyes and
broken heads. have heard my grandfather,
the late Jacob Durham, M. D., of New
Brunswick, New Jersey, relate that when he
was lad of eight or ten years old, and went
to school in that place, his preceptor, much to
he disgust of the great body of the scholars,
was loyalist, and outspoken in his disap-
prevail Of the irregular " proceedings of the
Wings The boys, initiating the spirit Of
their elders, determined on a public punish
ment, Suitable to school boys ideas Of jus
tice. Overawing into silence the few Of their
comrades who sympathized with the mas
ter" they prepared large placard, on which
they printed in huge letters the obnoxious
word "TORY.l" and seizing the opportunity
on the dismissal of school at noon, they