The Penn's Grove record., 1906-06-29
A New Monument Unveiled.

at Red Cank, Battle Field to commem-
crate the victory of the Colonial troops
W. the Hessians on October %, 1777,
was a historic event on Thursday of
last week. A large crowd of people
from the surrounding country witness
ed the ceremony.
Woodbury. was in holiday attile and
after the belated arrival of some of the
officials the parade started near 100
out Hessian Avenue to Red Bank in
the following line:
Chief Marshal Brigadier Quincy O'Malley
Gilmore
Aide to Marshai-Lewis Starr
Clayton Concert Band
Detachment League Island Marines
dmiral Craig and staff
Troop b, Rhode Island Militia
Governor George H. Utter, staff and official
Rhode Island party
First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry
Governor Pennypacker and Staff
Jennings Third Regiment Band
Second Troop Cavalry, of New Jersey
Governor Stokes, staff and Official Party
Third Regiment, N.G. Nj, command OF Col
onel John A. Mathers. Jr.
Battery Field Artillery, Third Regiment
Battalion of West Naval Reserves OF New
Jersey
William b. Hatch Post, No. 81, G.. A. R., of
Camden
Veteran Legion, Sons of V %eteranS, and details
from Civic Organizations.
The arrival of the procession at the
monument was heralded by a salute
from the cruisers Dixie and Tacoma,
which were anchored in the Delaware
River off Red Bank. Next came the
most spectacular feature of the eXer-
cises, the sham battle, which was as
neal as possible a repetition of the ORR
ginal fight. The attack was made by
II companies of the Third Regiment
Infantry and the Second Troop Cavalry
of the New Jersey State militia. Bat
terry B, field artillery, of Camden, oc
cupied a trench and was supported by
the battalion of naval reserves and the
marine detachment. The cruisers Dix
lie and Tacoma represented the British
men-of-war. Following a band con-
cert, a reception was rendered to Gov
ernOrs Stokes of New Jersey, Penny
packer, of Pennsylvania and Utter OF
Rhode Island, the three States that
were chiefly represented in the battle.
The programme for the unwilling was
as follows: Prayer, Rev. Edward Dill
Ion, of Woodbury.; address, "Rhode Is
land at Red Bank" Governor Utter;
address, pennsylvania at Red Bank
Governor P~ennypacker; address, New
Jersey in the Revolution" Governor
Stokes; presentation of the monument
by Governor Stokes to the county of
Gloucester; unwilling of the monument
by Miss Virginia Andrews, Of Wood.
bury; acceptance of the monument, on
behalf of the county, 10y David O. Wat
kins, commissioner of banking and in
surance of New Jersey; benediction,
Rev. J. L. Howard, of Woodbury..
The monument is a granite shaft, six
ty feet high, surmounted by a Cont
mental soldier. 1t is erected on a bluff,
overlooking the Delaware near old Fort
Mercer, and between the trenches that
still remain as distinct as when thrown
up M hundred and thirty-five years
ago. Snelbaker Bros, of Woodstown
and Woodbury. erected it.
An unfortunate incident occurred at the
unwilling which might be classed as a
providential rebuke to those in charge.
Miss Virginia Andrews, astep daughter to
ID. o. Watkins, State COMMISSIONS OF
Banking and Insurance, was chosen to
have the public honor of unwilling the
monument. When she pulled the rope
it came off leaving the large flag still on
the monument. The lower part of the
flag was torn into shreds before it was
finally pulled off to reveal the statue, af-
ter a suggestion from Edward Duffy, a son
of Erin, of Woodstown, was acted upon.
As at the unwilling, it was the Irish
American blood behind the guns that
made the Revolutionary War a success.
The sentiment. to erect Revolutionary
monuments is usually created by Daugh-
tiers OF the American Revolution and
other patriotic s%ocities. In this case the
political d%aughter5 was to receive the
honors. Woodbury. has a chapter of the
d. A. R of which Miss Matilda Whitall
is a leader. Her father John Whitall
lived in the old mansion on the battle
field for years where the wounded were
cared for by Mrs Job Whltall after the
battle. Miss Whithall is her great grand
daughter.
The fact that all the honors of the
monument and unwilling of the noun
ment were monopolized by the politicians
and d. A. R.. G. AR. and other patriot
ic s%ocities together with persons OF Revol-
ution ancestry were ignored has created
much comment in and around Woodbury..