The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-12-26

:
returned to their posts III New YORK. In
July. 1777, the British army again started
through Brunswick towards Princeton,
in order to draw Washington south of the
Raritan and give him battle, but they
were outgeneraled and finally drew back
to Staten Island. Again the tide turned;
the American army crossed the State and
the Delaware River at CoryelPs Ferry,
now Lambertville, and marched towards
Philadelphia. In June. IT'S, after
winter of revelry in Philadelphia,
the British crossed the Della
ware at Gloucester Point, and marched
through Burlington and Monmouth
counties and finally sailed for New York.
The American army leaving the cold
and hunger and wretchedness OF Valley
Forge crossed the Delaware, and passed
through Hopewell and Princeton to the
fight at Monmouth Court House, and
thence by Brunswick to the Hudson
river below West Point. In May 1879,
The New Jersey Continentals marched
from Elizabethtown to Easton on their
way to the campaign against the Six Ma
tIons, and i'll October they returned from
their successful expedition, and with a
large division of the American army
marched from EaSton to Morristown.
In the last week of February, General
Lafayette, with his battalion of light
infantry, crossed the State from Pomp-
ton to Trenton, and passed over at Tr4n-
In August of the same year the army.
under General Washington, with a
splendid French contingent, passed over
the same route to join the advanced de-
tachments before Yorktown. Latter in
the fall they again crossed the State TO
winter in their huts at Morristown.
The marching and countermarching of
the contending armies across our soil In
f1cted great distress upon our people.
The American army had to be clothed
and fed, and clothing and food had to be
taken by force when 1t could not be pur-
chased with deprecated currency. When
the enemy crossed it's soil their rapacity
was boundless. and their plunder lndis-
crIminate. The despoiling of homes,
burning of churches, plundering of
friends and foes alike, fell with more
sorrowful and disastrous effect upon our
people than any of the great battles upon
our soil.
New Jersey also has most interesting
history as the camping ground of the
Revolution. In December, 1776, the
British army settled down in their posts
across the State, and on the lower Della
ware. prepared to enjoy winter of pleas
ure and ease. In 1777 the American army
was encamped on the hills around Nor
ristown. In the winter of 1880, in their
encampment in Morris county. they suf-
fered almost as much as the army in their
encampment at Valley Forge in the win
ter of 1777 and ITS. In 1881 the Ameri-
can army again encamped at Morristown
to await the return of peace.
The situation of New Jersey naturally
exposed her to forage parties of British
troops. The records of Bergen county
show that almost weekly raids were made
there for food ane forage by the British
from their headquarters in New York
city. The history ofMonmouth county is
full of nightly attacks of British in search
of supplies. The British army in Phila-
delvhia subjected the people of the coun-
ties of Burlington. Salem and Gloucester
to repeated pillage, and Hancock's bridge
and Quinton's bridge, near Salem. form
most interesting pages IN our history.
| Our own troops also occasionally, when
| hard pressed. foraged upon the country.
| Life was not pleasant in the Jerseys dur
| ing this period.
! Not only can New Jersey boast of
marches. encampments and forage on her
| soil, but history will assign her the glory
| of being the great battle ground of the
war of the Revolution. On the soil where
| this monument will stand. the first real
victory of the war was gained. Here
Washington risked all, and today we are
commemorative the victory gained by
| the Continental army on the streets OF
| this historic town, December 26, 1T76.
| Greene and Sullivan led the. irresistible
| forces of the American army, and in
| a brief hour success came to
what was then almost hopeless
cause. This was really the most important t
victory of the American Army, for it is
| almost certain that if Washington had
ness and despair would have followed. 1t
was the dawn of brighter day; it gave
| new hope to the struggling patriots. anG
was the first of a series of victories which
ended in the surrender OF CORVALLIS at
Yorktown. One week after Trenton's
AL Va 6nfnofa6 a q
of the best regiments of the British line
at Princeton. Again, on that sultry
summer day in 171S, with weary
| ill-clad men, poorly armed but full
of courage. he gave battle in the open
| field against well disciplined British
| forces, and again and again repulsed their
attack By his bravery and the valor OF
his troops he changed an unsuccessful
morning to glorious victory in the after
ternoou, and in the evening camped upon
the battle field Every patriotic student
will feel the deepest interest in the vary
ing fortunes Of the fight near Springfield.
The CRY at Red Bank of mo quarters
given" and the death of the leader
Of the assaulting column fills one OF the
bloodiest records of the war. The night
surprise near old Tappan in Bergen
county, where flowed the blood of the
best of the patriots, will ever make that
massacre one Of the most thrilling Incl
dents of the war. Down ON the marshv
! land of Egg Harbor Inlet the murder of
| Pulaskrs men fixes the students atten-
ton. The bloody fights of Huddy with
| his Tory neighbors on the shore lands of
| Toms River. fill with incidents and
romapces the last days of the conflict of
| the war.
These are but few Of the many scenes
and incidents in our State, where the
opposing armies struggled during seven
long years of conflict. The battle ground
is now the peaceful homes of citizens VINO
are Justly proud of her advancement and
her greatness, and who are full OF patri-
otic pleasure in recalling the incidents
of the Revolution, and in their name
aud as their representative, l have this
day, as Governor of the State, laid the
cornerstone of this monument which is
to commemorate one of the most brilliant
victories of the war of the Revolution.
Nav it stand through all the years to
come, appealing to the noblest instincts
of our people. an inspiration to patriotic
feeling and love OF country.
FEAsTs OF THE DAY.
The ben ediction was pronounced by
| Bishop NJ. j. O'Farrell and a salute of
| rorty-four guns was fired
| After the address the guests repaired to
| the various hotels selected. where they
| dined. The Sons of the American Revo-
luton feasted at the American House,
| where their principal guest, John White
| head of MorrisJown, President of the
| New Jersey Order, delivered a brief adj
dress and was followed by Colonel Paul
| Revere. grandson of the revolutionary
4 cira who made the famous ride from