Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1906-01-18

Washington forwarded Lafay 70 report
to Congress, and intimated to that body the
advisability Of giving Lafayette q command
as well as commission. On December LIST
Congress complied with Washington's re-
quest, and passed the following:
ssResolred, That General Washington be in
formed 1t is highly agreeable TO Congress
that the Marquis de La Fayette be APP
pointed to a command Of a diyislon in
the Continental Army" o)
On December 4, 1777, Washington APP
pointed Lafayette to the command Of the
Virginia Division, just nine days from the
time when the Marquis 50 skillfully led the
Jersey militia to victory.
To complete the records, and as matter
of local pride it is but fair to, add that the
ssColouel Hitev to whom Lafayette refers,
was Colonel Joseph Haight, Lieutenant
Colonel Of the Burlington County militia,
(a) and the Colonel Ellis was Colonel
Joseph Ellis, Of the second battalion Of the
first division Of Jersey militia, and Glou-
cester County man. Isl
Colonel Ellis was one of the members Of
the Council Of Safety from Gloucester
County, in ITS and 1776 "a and while
acting as representative in the Provincial
Congress was elected Colonel in the militia.
On February Is, 1777 he was appointed
Brigadier General in the militia, but on
February 81, 1777 he declined this COM
mission, (u) and continued to serve as Col
onel. Gloucester County had four co,u-
panies of 81 men each in the militia.
To make this sketch more interesting we
have taken from Lafayette's original chart
of the engagement and surrounding coun-
try, and have placed on this map the old
road from Westville to Cooper's Ferry in
Camden, also the positions occupied by the
Hessians, the British, and the Continental
rifiemen, militia, and light horsemen, at
the first, second and third attacks, and the
routes taken by the British when they re-
treated to Gloucester, and the route to
Haddonfeld, taken by the Americans, at
the close of the engagements. We have
also outlined the route probably taken by
Lafayette and his scouting party of light
horsemen when they started from the Con-
tinental camp in Haddonfeld, and went
through Collingswood, City Line, Ferry
avenue and Sweet Potato Hill Gin the
lower part Of Camden to Sandy Point, at
the intersection of Newton Creek and the
Delaware River where the first reconnoiter-
ing was accomplished. This map was pre-
sented to the Society, and will, when
framed, be hung up in the Court House.
Taking the present bridge over Timber
Creek on the Woodbury. and Gloucester
Turnpike as starting point, the old road'
called at that time the Kings road crossed
Timber Creek about seven hundred and
fifty feet eastward Of the present bridge,
proceeding from thence northwardly it
passed between the houses now occupied
by the Vesper Country Club and
across the road leading from
Westville to Mount Ephraim, just east OF
the spot where the school house used to
stand, directly back Of the present house at
Browning, formerly owned by Daniel
Thackara, in nearly straight line to little
Timber Greek, from thence over the bridge,
directly east OF River View Heights in
Gloucester, to the westerly line of Cedar
Grove Cemetery as at present laid out, from
thence through to Market street, Gloucester
and out Market street to Gloucester Point,
which in Revolutionary times was at the
foot of Market Street, about fifty yards
from the spot where the wreck Of the frigate
Augusta now remains. Market street,
Gloucester City, lat the point where the West
Jersey Railroad crosses it, as now laid. out
is from ten to fifteen yards north Of the old
Kings highway. The brick house on the
Kay Farm on Timber Creek, about $50
yards Eastward from the old Kings high
way, was used as. a hospital to care for the
wounded Hessians after the engagement,
and tradition says the ghosts Of the Hessian
officers who died there, haunted the house
for many years afterward.
REFERENCES.
a-Barber's Historical Collections, page
221.
b-Irving's Life Of Washington, Knicker-
booker edition, vol 5, page 281.
c-Prowell's History of Camden County,
page IS.
Prowell's History Of Camden County,
page 6s.
Brooks True Story Of Lafayette, page
100.
f-Lossing's Field Book Of the Revolu-
tion, vol. 2, page SO.
g-New Jersey Archives, second series,
vol. |, page 497.
Towers Life of La Fayette, vol I
1,aoa 04q