The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-09-29


horseback, eager to carry information tc
the enemies of our country, and traffic
and trade with them. Their love fol
British gold and government, outweighec
everything else. From the days of Judas
Iscariot to the present time, people have
existed II win not call them men, who
would sell their miserable souls for a few
dollars. Instead of obeying the COLDER
rule stDo unto others as you would have
them do unto you," their whole stock in
trade is Misrepresentation, utilization anc
SANDER With canting hypocrisy, they
roll their hate as q sweet morsel under
their foul tongues and arc never satisfied
better, than when they can pull Others
down to their own dirty level. They
were known everywhere in that day a.
/ Tories, and represented the narrow view.
of the illiberal party in England, of tha
name, that, up to this time, has perpetu
ated itself by trampling on the rights O
the common people. Gladstone has beer
striking ponderous blows In the interest o.
Liberty and Home Rule, but has been de.
| feated alter great struggle. This grand
old man of the 10th century, though van
| quished for the time, will come to the
front again. God speed the day when
tyranny shall crumble into dust, and men
of more enlarged ideas fill their places
Then comes the deluge. May we all live
to see it-Freedom everywhere in the
universe. To be Tory in tho Revolu-
tionary period, was synonymous with be-
ing false to friends and to Liberty. We
may never know how many noble plans
we're frustrated, or how many brave lives
were stamped out by their treachery.
Nearly all the fighting was planned on
the banks of the Delaware. Every effort
was made, by either side, to get and re.
tain control of the river. Some of the
earthworks can even yet DO seen neal
New Hope. Nearly all, however, have
been levelled in the march Of improve
ment. Here and there spot is marked
out where some brave fellow has beer
laid to his quiet sleep, and is no longer
remembered, except by some vague tradi.
ton.
| There were the Colonial troops, the
State troops and Minute men in that day
The latter frequently went on tours of a
months service. When their services
were imperatively needed, they acted 10
conjunction with the other troops. They
| procured recruits to fill the ranks decm.
ated by sickness and death, and those
whose terms had expired. Their famii.
arity with the country, rendered their SER
vices invaluable to Washington. They
acted as foragers, and many q train OF
ammunition and provisions, was captured
by them. When not otherwise engaged,
they would come home and raise corn
pork and potatoes. which they sent down
to the troops. My grandmother (old
| RFn ~ mil Al.n., H.
more than one lnsey suit for the soldiers
of the neighborhood, and it is proper to
say here, that she always spun and card
ed the wool and did her own weaving
All the girls Of that period down to 1890
did the same thing, and not one out of q
hundred, but got married before they
were twenty years old. When my grand
mother Bray was married she was only q
little over Is years of age. Under the in
tiuences have named, how could theiI
descendants be other than they PROVED
themselves at Gettysburg, Lookout Noun
tain and Richmond. In these tours, they
carried out Washington's orders implicit
ly. There was no red tape in those days
1t was .go' and "come" To enumer
ate the events that transpired would bl
difficult and tiresome. Most that woulS
interest you has long since been covere,
by the mantle of oblivion
Seven years had elapsed since tho smoke
at Lexington had lifted, and need we won
der that people began to feel dispirited
No substantial advantage had been gain
ed. Hope was giving way and gloom fas
settling on the heart. The malcontents
or Tories, plundered the house of Capt
Jones about thus time, who lived near TIL
Bears Head Tavern, and boldly declares
their intention of joining the Births
army. Hk z
/ December I'd, the Legislature adjourn
ed from Burlington, each one going HON
to look after his own affairs 1.-THE historic
says until the Goth of December, whe
the tide of war turned to Trenton. Me-
Jersey might have been considered
conquered Province. Even Samuel Tucl
or, of our county, chairman of tho Com
n,ittee of Safety and Judge of tho ST
: preme Court, took protectioniof theiBr
ish. Open insurrection broke out
, some places. Now we are coming to th
turning point of the great struggle. 1t
said that the darkest hour is Just befor
daylight, though there is not much phil
osophy in it. General Washington rea
lied that some grand thing must be don,
and that quickly, or he was gone. 1t wa
selfevdent. His men were dying !
camp and he knew well the condition o
affairs and the gloom settling on the pull
lie mind. So he determined to risk a
in one grand stroke for Liberty or pei
ish. All the men he could get were mass
ed together. His objective point wa
Trenton. Only n few trusted officer
knew his plans. Ilo knew that the offcc
would be electrical il he could only sue
coed. But the trouble was that Their
were no boats TO cross with, except one a
the ferry at Taylorsvlle. Tho army, thu
artillery and camp equipago, horses, &c.
would have TO be gotten over, and an.
hitch in the plan would be most DISASTROUS
General Washington and Major Ma
thanie Petit had already made arrange
ments to secure the boats. II would no
do to appropriate the boats at the differ
ent ferries along here, so they consulted
with my grandfather, then Capt. Bray
who gladly entered into the arrangement
though fraugbt with great peril. Il will
now read you an extract from SHELLS His
tory of Hunterdon and Somerset, page
4S: This service was assigned to Capt
Daniel Bray, afterwards General Bray, o
the N. j. Militia, Capt Gearhart ant
Capt. Thomas Jones, who collected al
the boats on tho upper waters Of the lie
high and Delaware and brought them dowr
to CoryelPs Ferry (now Lambertville.
The boats were hidden behind Malti
Island, just below the Union Paper M ills
below New Hope. The island was then
densely wooded, so that the boats coult
not be seen by the enemy from the Jerse,
heights. These boats were thus secured
for the famous crossing Of Christina
night. Capt. Bray was native of King
wood and familiar with every boat ant
crossing along the river. Capt. Gearhar
was from Pennington. To procure thes,
boats, to conceal their plans from TIN
Tories, who were lurking about, ant
ready to betray them, to cut them out il
the darkness of the cold Winter nights
to float them down through the drift ic,
and darkness amid the rocks aud throug
the rapids, was task most difficult an
dangerous. But it was successfully &C
complished. CORVALLIS was apprised @
it, and sent detachment TO seize th
boats. But they couldn't find them, o