Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1905-04-13


dried snake meat and other unmentional
offal, and that the present members of the
Cattell family repudiated Jonas Indian
blood.
Later, from a man yet living, who is
proud Of his Indian descent, Nathaniel G.
Sneathen, Hurffville, New Jersey. heard
the same stories, and who, no doubt, would
be able to give still more interesting ira
ditions of the notable Jonas Cattell.
Willamstown, formerly Squankum, has
a special interest in Jonas Cattel, from the
fact that this vicinity was favorite hunt
ing ground of his not only for foxes, but
also for deer. Washington A. Sickler, now
past IS years of age. tells me that Jonas
used to in bis older days come to Blue An
chor and stay two or three weeks at time
on hunting trips. Jonas brother, Nathan
Cattell, the o-igina discoyerer of glass
sand in this vicinity, lived at Loggerhead
Branch, Hospitality Mills, Brooklyn and
Blue Anchor, having in common with his
brother Jonas many Indian traits and hab
its, including the inordinate use Of Fire
Water but Jonas is never spoken of as a
drinking man.
OF the men living to-day who remember
Jonas Cattell would mention Washington
A. Sickler and Jacob Jennings, Sicklerville;
Clayton B. Tice and Charles Alexander, of
Wilhamstown.
Decended from Henry Jennings, of
Colonial note, Jacob Jennings was born in
1928, and spent about 20 years Of his early
life near neighbor TO Jonas Cattell. He
says there were three Jonas Cattell's,
Revolutionary Jonas, Lavender Jo-
mas, i" his son, and Young Jonas, y son of
Lavender. living between Woodbury. and
Almonesson, and were all three bulisd in the
Cattell burying ground, within Mr.. Jen-
ming recollection.
OF the eldest, .Revo utionary Jonas
Mr.. Jennings says: Jonas Cattell certainly
was half-bred Indian aud 10 ked like a
full blood 7 He also states that .Lavend
er Jonas had children, besides Young.
Jonas, Robert, Jacob, Charles, Mary and
Rachel, the last marring Clayton Shuster.
The Cattell homestead joined the James
Davis farm, about mile to the right
going west of the Woodbury. and Almon-
esson road, directly on the road from The
Buck Pike to Almonesson, when Mr., Jen-
nings lived there.
The bodies OF two Hessian soldiers were
found along James Davis fence and mus
ket picked up, shortly after the Red Bank
Battle, that is still in the family. Here, too,
was cut an immense cherry tree from the
lumber Of which was made table and
cradle, by old Jonas, both still in use, not
far from Williamstown, among James
Davis defendants.
While Clayton B. Tice does not remem-
Der that Jonas Cattell was half Indian,
Charles Alexander, who in company with
his mother, Elizabeth Alexander, (nee
McCully) often visited Jonas when he was
nearly century old, says that Jonas was
half Indian and that he lived later than
1850, though in his last years was unable
to 90 out from his home.
Miss Ellen Leaning Matlock, of Wood
bury, librarian Of the Gloucester County
Historical Society, by an interesting coinci-
dence, visited the grave of Jonas Cattell,
the same day that the writer interviewed
Jacob Jennings. She says, in letter of
March 26th, 1905:
To-day I made search for the burial
place of Jonas Catteli. He lies, so the
neighbors say, in little plot of ground,
fenced from the farm on the left hand side
Of the road going east from Woodbury.
toward Almonesson, possibly half mile
beyond the road leading to Westville, and
almost bordening on the road leading into
Woodbury. under the West Jersey Railroad,
in little wood not visible from the road.
I stopped at farmhouse on the Cooper
street road leading to Almonesson and they
directed me to the place saying that
would ma the CatIell plot.
There were quite a number Of the con-
yentional white marble slabs bearing that
name but only few little worn grave
stones without any lettering on them such
as were used century since.
Then l went to another farm where the
people told me that his grave had never had
"a stone other than an unsbappen boulder
though it was well known where his body
lay and that the General Howell Post, G.
A. R., always brought flowers and flag
each Declaration Day.
went back and found the spot, with a
small rod of iron divided thus: TT by the
side of the white stone. .
Mr.. Jennings also says that no regular
tombstone was pnt up at Jonas grave
down to the time when he last visited the
snnt