Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1904-07-14
GLOUCESTER COUNTY
HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
July MEETING ON RED BANK
BATTLE FIELD.

Il
ciety was held on the battlefield Of Red
Bank last Monday. the business meeting
being at II a. M, on the lawn in front of
the historic Whitall mansion, and the
oratorial program in the grove within the
rifle pits Of Fort Mercer. 1t was a splendid
day, and the whole program was splendidly
carried out. After the business program,
the members and friends were invited to a
lunch spread in the mansion and under the
ancient trees After lunch the party moved
up to the grove arriving just in time to
meet jennings famous band of Camden
coming into the grove, and the first arrivals
of visitors for the afternoon program. Spec
ial cars on the trolley brought hundreds of
these who spent an hour viewing the points
of interest or enjoying the concert. Prompt
" at Is o'clock the meeting was called to
order and Rev. J. S. Howard, of Kemble
Memorial Church, offered prayer. Hon.
John Boyd Avis, Of this city, made a brief
opening address. Rev. John Handley, of
Long Branch, then made an eloquent ad-
dress on the Battle of Red Bank, which
was followed by an historical address by
Francis B. Lee, on 'Tne Place Of Red
Bank in the American Revolution
Each of these addresses is worthy Of
publication and preservation among the
archives of this society, but for lack Of
space we are enabled in this issue to give
but one, that of Mr.. Lee, which follows,
verbatim
Frequently has it been observed by the
pAilosophic and military historians Of the
American Revolution, that the City Of
Philadelphia was the true centre of that
stupendous political and economic upheval.
There it was. that the movements to secure
independence had crystalzed in the early
sessions of the Continental Congress; while
independence, itself. had been declared
within the walls of Pennsylvania State
House. The city was the home of Benia-
min Franklin, whose diplomacy had won
the friendship of France, Holland and
SPAIN and of Robert Morris without whose
financial guidance the war itself would
have ended for the Revolutionists in COM
plete disaster Philadelphia gave place to
no other community in the New World in
the activities of her literary, scientific and
artistic life, and with 80, 600 people was in
point Of population the chiefest city in the
Americas. In brief, Philadelphia was to
the 13 colonies what Berlin is to the Ger
man Empire; Paris, to France, or Vienna
to Austro- Hungary. An examination Of
the military operations of the great war
shows quite coneiusively that from Boston
to Monmouth Court House, the purpose of
the commanders was to control or defend
secure or RETAIN the City of Philadelphia.
This has been we'll said by Governor Penny
packer, Of Pennsylvania, in an address up
on'sGeorge Washington in Penna, recently
delivered in the university Of our sister
commonwealth. In reviewing the positions
occupied by the Wings and Tories toward
Philadelphia, he observes =:
s'It was believed by the Reyolutionists
that the retention Of the possession Of the
city was essential to the success Of their
cause. The Royalists believed that if it
could be captured the war would be speedily
terminated, and the Rebellion end in early
dissolution z
The attitude of Philadelphia during the
early years of the war is of interest. Not
only was the city leading the colonies in
matters of literature, science and art. but
in the broad operations of foreign and do
mestic commerce, her. interests were large
and varied To her markets, came the
produce of the valleys of the Delaware and
Susquehanna. Her ships were to be found
from Nova Scotia to the West Indies and
her Conestoga wagons bad passed to the
eastern edge Of the Mississippi valley.
Diversified industries were hers, as much
then, proportionately, as to-day. Her
population was cosmopolitan, composed in
part Of decendaats of the Swedes and Of the
German Palatines. There were also Eng
lish, Irish, Scotch Irish, and Welsh emf
grants, and children Of emigrants. Beneath
all these, however, Philadelphia was con-
servatige, with that conservatism in thought
and action of any community where one
finds wealth and the dominancy of the
teachings Of an inherited religious belief
In Philadelphia that belief was represented
by the Society Of Friends, who, with the
tenets Of non-combataney, opposition to
military service, and a generous regard for
the protective power Of constituted govern
ment, preferred to bear the ills they had,
than fly to others they knew not Of. Com
mon interests, in the matter Of stable
ownership Of real and personal property,
.rlnnu ,ers Of the Society into asso-