The Lambertville record., 1889-11-27
THE SIX ROADS GHOST.

"If you look sharp around here you
may be able to see very fine article of
ghosti'
The above was the remark made by an
old friend as they drove along, approach
ing the south branch of the Railway
river at the Six Roads.
"Ghosta Whose ghost2" was the nat
ural query.
II have never seen the unquiet shade
myself, but popular tradition assigns the
specter to a handsome British officer
who had his career summarily adjourn
ed sine die, at this first bridge while he
was busy trying to coerce the revolu-
tionary rebels into love and duty for his
master, King George III"
By the time he had made this explana-
ton we were across the bridge, and our
horse had given spasmodic jump as
though he had seen the ghost, but it was
only ruminative COW that breathed a
sigh in the nearby pasture.
"Well, regarding your ghost. What is
its history and who has seen it9'
Several people claim to have seen it,
and 1t Is also fair to say that there are
quitea number more who are willing to
swear thatthey have not seen it, although
they have looked for it tconscientiously.
belong to the latter class myself. /
look for that ghost every night that
cross that bridge. Not that particularly
want to see it or that have any special
business with either British officers or
their unquiet shades, but because it is
very natural that, when man is told
that u ghost may be seen in a certain
place, he will look forit there, and at the
same time solemnly asseverate that he
don't believe in ghosts in any form.
Nov, as to the history of this particu-
lar ghost, IL a ghost can be said to have
history, which / claim is open to doubt,
/ will give you the tradition the folk lore
of the vicinity furnishes. Before the
iron horse knocked the business and the
romance out of many o country tavern,
the locality known as the "Six Roads"
was quitea place. Previous to the build
ing of the turnpike road, in 1910, the
cross roads at that place was the rally
ing center for a large district of coun-
try. Some of the earliest Fourths of
July the country owned were celebrated
there with great pofnp and ceremony,
and the patriotic glories of 'trainin' day
always drew there crowd who feasted,
fought, drank and made merry with
great heartiness. Even before the Rev
olntionary war there was blacksmith
shop and several houses, besides the tav-
ern, to give the place importance, and
during the time that tried mems souls
some tragic events transpired near the
old tavern.
"The south branch of the Railway
river runs about four hundred yards
south from where the old revolutionary
tavern stood, and dividing itself on this
low ground, required then, as now, two
bridges. In the revolutionary days, and
for many years after, the bridge furthest
from the tavern was a single arch stone
structure, several feet higher than the
road leading to it from the south.
"At the time the British army lay
around New Brunswick and Perth Am
boy, Washington found his force too
weak to risk battle, and he retired to
the mountains in the rear of where
Bound Brook and Plainfeld now flourish.
He could easily defend himself there. and
the British had the rare good sense to
know that to tackle George up among
those hills would be most unhealthy
and Improbable investment of time,
talent and Hessians that cost too much
to be wasted.
"They were anxious, however, to draw
him out. and to that end frequently sent
out troops to make threatening demon
strations in that direction. These move
ments Gen. Washington could see from
what is now known as 'Washington's
rock, back of Plainfield, which has of
late years become very popular as q place
Of resort for special picnickers who de-
sire to get rained on.
Washington viewed these British
demonstrations apparently with exasper-
ating calmness; but he sometimes sent
Gen. Morgan down to interview the in
sruders, whereupon the British suddenly
discovered that they had pressing bust
ness at Perth Amboy, and lost no time
N getting there.
Zone day small British command
with two pieces of artillery was cut on
one of these raids, and came down from
towards the Six Roads. On
the way they stopped and fired round
shot over towards the old tavern. What
they did 1t for, nobody knows, as there
was no one in sight. The ball finding
nothing else to assault, struck rock out
BY the barn and knocked chunk off it
rs big as a flour barrel, and the piece
les there yet.
"An old continental soldier, who passed
away many years ago, has left upon rec
,rd that he saw the ball strike the rock,
md that the pieces flew and hummed
ike the nation. A few minutes after
ie saw young British officer come
lown the road riding very fine horse.
lie was a good rider and the horse was
,oing at smart trot as he passed the
I'D tavern; but few minutes later he
anne on the full run and with an empty
addle. A patriot sentinel stood on tho
i'll by the school house, near where the
3ramhall house is now, and when tho
'fficer got to the stone bridge and was
bout to cross it, that sentinel shot him
lead.
"The circumstances would probably
lever have excited especial interest in
hose piping times, full of the stirring
Incidents of vindictive warfare, had it
lot been that, after waiting for the dis
,usted royalists to retire, the sentinel
vent to look for his game and could not
Ind 1T The body of the British Of
lcer had mysteriously disappeared, and
hough an active search was made it
ever was found.
"Years after, when the old tavern was
applejack amid scenes Of pas
oral peacefulness, an old continental
older who resided in the neighborhood, !
nd was familiar with the story Of the
hooting and the missing body, started