The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1904-07-26
SKETCH OF THE
REV. JOHN GAN0
"A Morristown Preacher Of the
Early Day. One Of Wash
ington's Chaplains.
BY Ex-MAYoR NORMAN FOX
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK.

loyal subjects Of the British king. The
flag, if there was one, floating over
the settlement was the British flag
nor had the people OF Morris county
the remotest idea that they should
ever live under any other. When he
began to preach in New York, two
years after the taking OF Quebec, and
the year after the accession Of George
III, all was the same. But In about
1--WE years there began an alienation
from the mother country and when he
had been preaching there some fifteen
years his ministry was interrupted by
the war.
Hostilities which broke out in Lex
ington Id April ITS, conferred for a
year around Boston. In April 1776
Washington moved his headquarters
to New York. On August 9th oc-
CURED the battle of Long Island, on
Sept. 18th, the battle of Harlem
Heights and on October 2sth the bat
tie Of White Plains, the island being
abandoned by the Americans late jn
November.
Mr.. Gano writes
The war now coming on, obliged
the church to separate, and many
moved from the city, in almost every
direction, through the Union. | was
invited BY Peter Brown, Of Horseback,
Iii the edge Of Connecticut, to remove
my family to his house, as he under
stood was determined to remain In
( the city, till the enemy entered it.: the
British feet were in the NarroWs, and
part Of their troops were LANDING on
Long and Staten Islands.
was invited to become Chaplain
oil the regiment belonging to Colonei
Charles Webb, of Stamford, and Lieu
tenant Colonel Hall. This / declined.
They then proposed to me, to come to
their regiment, which lay little dis
lance from the city, and preach to-
Them one sermon on Lords day, and
ATTEND them every morning, TO this
/ aoceded.
The enemy's shipping, took pos
session both of the North and East,
Rivers, and clearly evinced their de-
termination Of landing their troops.
X This left me no possible opportunity,
Of getting my household furniture; |
was Obliged therefore to retire precipi-
lately to our camp. The next day,
after little skirmishing the British
took possession of the city.
ION the heights Of White Plains,
we had d warm, though partial battle !;
for not a third Of our army, or proba-
bly, OF theirs, was brought into action
My station, in time Of action, / knew
to be among the surgeons; but in this
battle. /, somehow, got in the front OF
the regiment yet / burst not quit my
place, for fear Of damping the spirits Of
the soldiers, or Of bringing on me an
imputation of cowardice. Rather than
do either, / chose to risk my fate.
This circumstance, gave an Opportun-
fly to the young officers OF tai king and
/ believe it had q good effect upon
some Of them
We read further:
6 General Washington, had passed
over the Delaware with a part OF ms
army, and encamped in Newton, In
PENNSYLVANIA and had ordered the re-
mainder, which ] belonged to, and
which General Lee commanded, to
come after him. We marched through
MOrriStOWn, and BaSking Ridge, in
New Jersey, where General Lee was
taken, In the night, in the outskirts of
our army. The command then de-
vOlved on General Glover, who led US
through Amwell, over the Delaware,
to General Washington's army"
The battles OF Trenton and Prince
ton now occurred. He further says:
" Six weeks being now expired, and
we about to return home, the colonel
and officers of the regiment, requested
TO know, If would join them provided
they should raise another body of men.
/ assured them in the affirmative but
on my return home, ! found a letter
from Colonel Dubosque, who was
stationed at Fort Montgomery, on the
bank Of North River, opposite Fish
kill. On the receipt OF this letter, 1
refuse the invitation therein con-
tanned. On my arrival there, found
General James Clinton, in company
with the Colonel, both of whom, urged
me to accept the Office of chaplain, in
SO forcible manner, that ] finally
consented. REPAIRED to the fort, where
I remained, till the British took 1t
from us by storm"
His account of the loss of Forts
Montgomery and Clintonis as follows :
G We had, both in Fort Montgomery,
and Fort Clinton, but about seven
hundred men. We heard of
the approach OF the enemy, and that
they we're about mile and half
from Fort Clinton. That fort sent
out small detachment, which was
Immediately driven back. The British
army surrounded both our forts, and
commenced an universal firing. was
walking on the breastwork, viewing
their approach, but was obliged to
Quit this station. as the musket balls
frequently passed me. l observed the
enemy marching up a little hollow,
that they might be secured from our
firing, Till they came within eighty
yards Of u.s. Our breastwork, imme-
diately before them was not more than
waist-band-high and we had but a
few men. The enemy, kept up q
heavy firing, till our men, gave them
well directed fire, which affected
them very sensibly. just at this time,
we had q reinforcement from re-
doubt, next to us, which obliged the
enemy to Withdraw. walked to an
eminence, where j had d good pros
pecb. and saw the enemy advancing
towards our gate. This gate, faced
Fort Clinton, and Captain Moody who
commanded a piece of artillery at that
fort, seeing our desperate situation
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