Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1904-01-21
Continued from asst Page.

QedVOF TO give at least nail OF her lltaS
| to serious and woeful consideration
/ for she was very good company ana
often found herself really enjoying
things that might possibly not be ap.
proved by meeting. 4 often think
+ / could be SO fixed as to never laugh
or smile | should be one step better
Our Lord pronounces a woe against
them that laugh Solomon said o
laughter, 1T is madness" Then sh
wonders il it be her duty to cry day
and night, or at least, twelve hours o.
he twenty-four in order TO render hes
self worthy of heavenly consideration
/ But when the woeful time really
came, Ann had no leisure for tears nor
meditations, but proved her efficiency
and capacity in emergency. realizing
| that home duty outweighed all other
considerations. Upon her own hearth
stona she, in her energetic and practi
cal way, became a heroine whose fame
has outlived that of those dolorous ann
sanity Friends whom she had Oft
times hoped to emulate.
/ Then came rumors of war, followed
| by active preparation at her threshold
for just opposite, at the mouth Of the
Schuylkill river, on Mud Island, Fort
Mifflin was built, and Fort Mercer was
thrown up in Whitall's apple orchard
on the bluff. Their log barn was torn
out to furnish timber for the stockad.
! that was constructed within three hun
dred feet of their dooc-sil. For had
rot General Washing on said tina
without the free navigation OF the
Delaware I am confident that General
Howe will never remain in Philadel-
phia," hence, in order to hasten his
departure, the Americans were contriy-
ing to make Lord Howe's stay as un-
pleasant as possible. To quotc a
Quaker historians quaint version
written in scriptural style:
Now, the people of the provinces
| had laid impedimeDts in the way o.
| the ships of the King of Britain, so
hat they could rot get to the city, ano
the hosts of Britain were sore troubled
because of these things.
And the victuals and all the nipple
ments of war that were wanted in the
host, they brought in carriages to tn
city, and the charge thereof was great
land the arrival of the carriages uncer
tain.
~
Now, the implements that were eu-
into the river to keep the ships of tbs
King from coming to the city were
kstrorg and many.
They were made of the large fiji
trees of Columbia, and they were put
lone upon another, az i large pieces %
barbed iron were fastened thereto; and
when they were fashioned together
they were let down into the waters OF
he river.
"And the machines with the barbed
ron pointed towards the ships, and 10
when the ships came upon the point o.
the barbed iron, they we're marred, AMI
the waters Of the river rushed into tbs
ships and they were filed with tbs
waters of the river"
Ann Whitall's brother, the fearless
John Cooper, Who openly espoused
The cause, being a member of both
Provisional and Continental Congress,
had the better of the argument when
she called his attention to his duty as .
Friend to guard against approving Or
rhowing the least connivance at war
for he reminded her that she was pro
ected by two forts and chain across
he river.
Some years prior to the Revolution,
ohm Cooper built the brick house or
the east side of Broad street, Wood
bury, opposite the County Monument.
There he lived ard died. During tn.
winter of 1777-7S, Lord CORVALLIS
/ seized the property and occupied
turing his stay in this neighborhood
hence it has been known as the Brit
ish headquarters, aad later as thu
AMOS Campbell home. It has been said
that this same John Cooper bnilded
Aetter when he drafted the Constitu-
Ition of the State of New Jersey-thT
state that recorded herself as third
@tar in that brilliant constellation that
Tunes the whole world-the UNITED
/ STATES OF AMERICA:
BARRIERS History records that this
Fort Mercer was no hing more tina "a
1 good earthen rampant raised to the cor
dor, a fosse ard an abattis in front
This constituted the whole strength o.
the forth which were 300 men and
'ourte pieces of cannon. This corps
vas from Rhode Island, ard mainly
regroes ard mulattoes. who we're in q
ragged, destitute condition.
AS first arrar ged, Fort Mercer was
llarger than could be maaned by Col
lonel Greene's small force, so wher
Nanduit du Plessis arrived at the fort
ne corvirced Colonel Greene of the ne
eessity of streng henirg the fortified
tio~ s by intersection, which transform
I'd Fort Mercer to large redoubt O.
per tagona al form.
fence was built across the sout1
nd Of the redoubt with 1000 feet o
Whitalrs boards and strengt hened witt
5000 of his oaken slaves; the canpo-
I we're concealed with apple-tree brush
hay, ETC., giving the place the appear
arces of a farm brush-heap.
1777, 9th mo- 22d was "a pleasant
| ard fair day''-the English were IRE
norted to be near"-so James Whital
and his son Job drove twenty-o,t
head of cattle TO urcle David Cooper's
1t woodbury." This was apothel
brother OF AIMS; he was known as tht
wise David, to whom al applied fol
.advice in cases Of difficulty.
ffor.S df1,rnr T0b,c CoroF G;1