The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1895-03-29
ROMANCE OF THE REVOLUTION
The Story of Joseph CrOwell and
Eunice Bloomfield.

A Middlesex County Boy and Captain Ma
thaniel Fitz RandOlph-A Bible of 1857
stolen by the British and Recovered
Bold and successful Scheme to Effect an
Exchange of Prisoners.
Mrs. j. R. B. Moore, wife of Col.
Joseph F. Moore of Morris avenue, is
great grand daughter of Eunice Bloom
field, and the following account, taken
from the history of Eunice Bloomfield's
ancestors, published sometime since, is
full of great interest and plainly shows
the courage possessed by our Revolution
airy ancestors:
Colonel R. C. Crowell of Kansas City, Mo-,
is the owner of a rare old Bible. Its corners
are faded and time-Worn. Its dogs cared, we'll
thumbed pages are yellow with age, Upon
its title page, printed in heavy old English
type, is this Inscription: London: Printed by
Mark Basket. Printer to ye Kings Most Elk
cellent Majesty by We Assigns of Robert Bias
kett, mdcclvii. IS The book has history which
is full of interest. A tradition of the Crowel
family ancient, quaint and romantic, cllngs
to it. It was captured in q raid by British
soldiers in the War of the Revolution. 1t was
rescued by a brave and pretty colonial girl.
The story of the happy love affair OF TINS
bright-eyed maiden is interviewer with the
story of the old Bible
In l777, a year and more after the bell OF
liberty has been cracked in ringing to the
world the glad news of American lndepend-
ence, Joseph Crowell, STRIPPING OF IL, lived
upon his fathers farm in Middlesex county,
New Jersey. During the months of early
spring q company of volunteers was organ
lied to protect the Jersey shore from
threatened invasion of the Tories, who had
taken refuge with the British on Staten Island.
Young Crowell, seized with the heroic spirit
of those heroic times, shouldered a musket
and went to the front. While on this way to
hamlet of Amboy to join his troop, he met two
girls strolling down a lane, laughing and talk
ing as they gathered flowers from the fence
corners. One of them was unusually pretty
was the color of gold, where the sunlight fell
upon it. Her cheeks were kindled with the
flush of health and youth. Her gown of
lowered brocade, caught in above the waist,
fell about the very trimest and neatest of
girlish figures. And the young soldier, gaz-
ing upon her from bonnet to dainty slippers:
thought that he had never seen anything half
SO pretty in all his life. But he was very bash
ful-was this plowboy from the furrows-and
he found it hard to pluck up enough courage
to ask the girl, in awkward fashion, how far
must ne travel before overtaking his COM
mand. But he blushed through the terrible
ordeal at last and the little miss dropped him
q curtsy in a way that set his heart a-futter
and told him what be wished to know. The
incident was not an especially exciting one
fbs TOT t ne e0s an9 y + 6ny
ward. The soldier rode on, and though he
rode far upon dangerous adventures, he could
not ride out of the maiden life. And the mem
DRY of the chance meeting remained with him
It was with him on the midnight foray and in
the clash and close of battle. 1t made him
drawer end manlier. And when the campaign
ended he came back from the war with
never wound except that at his heart. which
bright eyes had made, and wooed and won the
girl he had met gathering flowers in that
picturesque by-road in the country.
In the spring of ITS, Crowell Joined COM
pany of mounted volunteers under the COM
AT-kl IL
and saw much hard service. Under this en-
terprising and daring leader he took part in
memorable fight of Monmouth and cheered as
loud and fought as hard as any hero in the
ranks. when General George Washington with
such splendid courage went riding down be-
tween the lines OF fire. After this in sharp
British and Tories, Captain Randolph, Crow
ell and many others were taken prisoners
and confined for several months on board a
prison ship, moored In one OF the numerous
harbors along the New Jersey coast. There
were other prisoners already upon the ship
Among them were Timothy Bloomfield and
his son, Charles Bloomfield, a lad of Is.
Both had served in the American army. Their
home was at Metuchen, four miles from New
Brunswick. Timothy Bloomfield was a type
of the stern, fearless revolutionary patriot
Three times he had been strung up at the
yard-arm in an effort to extort from him a
pledge that he would never again bear arms
against the British. And three times with the
life half choked out of him, he held bravely by
his principles and declared that he would fight
for his country so long as there was strength
in his arm to use musket: Between the two
youthful prisoners, Crowell and Bloomfield a
friendship sprang up, which the years that
followed but served to ripen.
Meanwhile the British were securing the
country about New Brunswick in pursuit of
plumber. On one of these raids, the insolent
red coats descended upon the Bloomfield
farm. They ran Off cows sheep and hogs and
ravaged the poultry yard. They found only
women and the black serYitors of the house at
home, and the arrant rascals entered boldly.
on the dresser, rified the toothsome stores of
the larder and took possession of whatever
article of finery struck their eye. Among the
things carried away was the old family Bible,
which WAS an heirloom, handed down from
generation to generation. The book was dear
ly priced by the Bloomfields, and they deter
mined to bring about its return if possible.
Miss Eunice Bloomfield, the very same little
lady whom the young volunteer had met on
his way to the war, resolved to recover it her
self. AS rule, the officers of the British army
treated women with the chivalrous Difference
of cavaliers. Upon this spirit of gallantry
the girl depended for success. So fine
morning she set out on horseback for the
British headquarters, twelve miles distant, on
Staten Island. A young lady and negro ser
want accompanied her. At Blazing Star Ferry
the negro stald behind to tend the horses,
while the girls crossed over the bay and made
their further way on foot three miles to the
British camp. The commandment, in his BRAY
cry of scarlet coat buff breeches and top
boots, received them with knightly courtesy.
Making sweeping bow with his plumed hat,
he the ODJ6Cb OF LuelT MISSION. WIN
engaging simplicity, Miss Eunice answered
She told the story of the raid upon the Bloom
field homestead. OF the valuable property
confscated, she asked no restoration. Living
in those turbulent times, she knew full well
that to the captors belonged the spoi1s of war
Her errand was but to request the return of
the family Bible. She trusted in the generosity
of her entertainer to grant so small boon.
The officer was touched He replied, with a
smile and another courtly bow, that he would
make inquiry, and if the book could be found
it should be restored to them. Having made
the young ladies comfortable in his tent, he |
put off in small boat to transport lying in |
the road. When, within an hour, he returned |
he was carrying the dear old book in his arms |
The girls received it from him with many pro-
testants of obligation and bore it back to the |
Bloomfield home. The British soldiers had |
disfigured 1t in slight respects. The margins
of the leaves were found defaced with rude |
sketches and uncouth jests, which referred to |
Timothy Bloomfield and his rebel boys. The |
marks still remain, which were scrawled in /
the tents of the British soldiers, with no /
doubt many a merry fling, and guffaw of
boisterous mirth, in the old times, when the /
Republic was fighting for its independence |
On account of its capture and return, the |
value of the volume became much enhanced |
in the eyes of the Bloomfield family. Miss