The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1901-02-22
"ARNOLD'S
TREASON"
Mrs. Richard A. McCurdy's
Paper Of Much Interest.

New Light on the Causes which
Led to a Betrayal of Country
''Norris' Tavern" One of the
Revolutionary Landmarks of the
Town.
On Tuesday, February 10Th, M Miss
Catharine Elmer Mills read at meet
ing of the Morristown Chapter of the
New Jersey Society of the Colonial
Danes of America, a paper by Mrs.
Sarah Ellen McCurdy, the wife of Mr.
Richard A. McCurdy, president of
The Mutual Life Insurance Company,
of New York. upon historical build
ing still standing in that town and
known during the period of the Revo-
luton as "Norris's Tavern. "
The building is on the corner of Spring
and Water Streets its color was once
yellow but the elements have not dealt
kindly with the old structure Strangely
enough, one of its present tenants is a
colored man named Preston Garland,
who celebrated his 101st birthday March
18th last.
1t is curious coincidence that this
ancient landmark should have passed,
about twenty years ago, through the
mutations of adverse fortune, in a
much dilapidated condition into the
ownership of The Mutual Life Insur-
ance Company by whom it was res
tored and put in habitable condition.
Without any knowledge of this cir
cumstance the wife of the president
of that company was requested by the
State officers of the Colonial Danes
at Trenton, N. j., to prepare paper
on this particular subject and by this
accidental selection of topic and of
writer was enabled to procure his
torical monograph of greater accuracy
and interest than probably could have
been secured from any other source.
Mrs. McCurdy's paper follows:
Headquarters, Morristown,
December 90, 1779.
The Court martial, whereof Major
General Howe is president, to sit
tomorrow morning ten o clock, at
Norris S Tavern.
Under this order of Washington,
Major General Benedict Arnold ap-
peared on Thursday morning, Decem-
Der 23, before the Court appointed for
his trial Further sessions were held
at the same place at eleven in the
morning each day, on December "a,
and on Tuesday, Wednesday and
Thursday of the following week, ad-
journing on the latter day, December
80, to enable General Arnold to secure
additional evidence. The Court con-
vened again at Norris's tavern three
weeks later, on Wednesday, January
10, 1880, and sat daily until the follow
ing Saturday, when the Judge Advo
cate, Lieut.. Colonel John Laurance
summedssup the case for the prosecu-
tion. The Court then adjourned until
Wednesday, January 26, when it held
it's final meeting at the same place
and rendered it's decision. AS this
court-martial undoubtedly led to
Arnold's treason in the following
September, it was probably the most
important ever held in America, al
though it is scarcely mentioned in
history, and what little is said of tits
usually derived from wholly incor-
rect account invented long afterwards
by M. Marbois, who had been the
secretary of the French Legation
at Philadelphia at the time of the
trial.
Norris's tavern the scene of these
imposing and even brilliant gatherings
of high officers in full uniform, is one
of the few building of the colonial
period which remains standing in its
original position in Moristown, indeed
the only one not private dwelling.
1t had been formerly known as Dick
erson's tavern. The owner was Cap
tain Peter Dickerson, who in his later
DAYS gave it over to the management
of Robert Norris. When Captain Dick
erson died in 1880, his widow resumed
the management. Captain Dickerson
was a substantial citizen, and had
established his tavern in what was
then the most available locality. 1t
stood and still stands on the east cor
ner of the roads now known as Spring
and Water streets. Another large
building connected with the tavern,
and doubtless used as coach house
and stables, stood on the north corner
ON the opposite side of Water street.
On the south corner, facing the
tavern, was the large general store
of Stephenson & Garfield, who dis
solved partnership about the time of
Arnold's trial, Stephenson remaining
and Garfield retiring to a smaller
store opposite, next to the tavern.
The other buildings in that neighbor-
hood were few and unimportant, al
though tradition says that the first
settlers of Morristown established
themselves in that quarter, close to the
river. This may have been the case,
&c. 4rocor Of tlat Grck