The Jersey City news., 1906-05-07
Revolutionary Documents
Describe Events In New
Jerseys Past
MANY NEVER PUBLISHED
ONE OF THE COLLECTION is BY
BENJAMIN FRANKLINS SON.
THE LoYALIsT GOVERNOR OF
THE STATE {

| Letters that have bearing on the
early history of New Jersey are becom-
ing great rarities, not on account of the
buying of these documents by public in
stitutions and societies, as would natur-
ally be expected. but because of the
| avidity with which private collectors
seize upon anything that can add to the
4 Importance of their collections or the
fund of their knowledge. There are,
however, many of these documents
afioat in places where few persons
would think to look for them. and as
these come to light the history of this
! state is made more lucid.
Several of these letters and docu-
ments, some of which have never been
published, are included in sale thar
will take place in New York. Among
the very first items mentioned by the
catalogue is a letter from General Jo-
seph Bloomfield, governor of New Jer-
sey from 1901 to 1912. inclusive. 1t is
noto state document. however, but is
a two-page letter, dated November 10,
tl716, from Tineonderoga. 1t tells of the
capture and plundering of Sir William
Johnson's-he of notorious Cherry VAL
ley memory-home, Johnson hall, and
the conduct of the troops at that time.
General Bloomfield emphatically denies
that his men We're active in looting,
except as to a few medals and goods
intended for Indians. This, he appears
to have believed, was not looting in it's
strictest. sense.
'The Soldier Parson," chaplain of the
New Jersey Brigade during the Reyolu-
tion, the Rev. James Caldwell, of Now
i put Watts into them fame at the battle
of Springfield n. j., is also represented
in the collectiin, an excellent autograph
letter being included. 1t was written ON
single page to Elias Dayton. and bears
no date, although it was probably writ
ten in 17T6. In part the grave parson
] writes: 'sThe Declaration of Independ-
ence has given us high spirits We shall
to the health of the Delegate to Conti-
! mental Congress whose name was not
sent before. N. Jersey has formed a
Charter of Privileges. All Religions
Tolerated All persons attached to the
King, or who comfort our enemies de-
clared by Continental Congress Guilty of
High Treason
/ Caldwell was killed in camp during an
| alteration with sentry. His auto
graph is rarely met with.
One of the longest letters in the col
lection is written by no other person
| than Sir Henry Clinton, commander of
the British forces in New York c.ey.
1t is two-page folio closely written,
being Opinions given by Sir Henry
| Clinton to Lieutenant General Robert
son, at his own desire, on the Sd of
May. 1882
1t relates to the defense of the city of
i New York, and has some interesting
references to New Jersey. General
| Clinton thought that forti6cationos in
Brooklyn and Long Island were desir-
able but did not think that the risk
run would be compensated by gaining
la foothold in Bergen Neck (Bayonne)
nor in Staten Island. Curiously enough,
! he thinks that Snake Hill would be a
good vantage point to hold. The letter
is imbued throughout with fear that
New York might be taken ff he at
! tempted any sortie from that city. In
| Revolutionary days. Snake Hill, sur
rounded by water, swamps and expanses
of marsh land, would have been an ad-
mirable place to sustain a siege. Today
a few long-range guns on the Orange
mountains would have very little trouble
in blowing the eminence to pieces.
A letter written to Benjamin Frank
Inns son, William Franklin. last Loyalist
Governor of New Jersey, is also among
the documents of this collection 1t is a
three-page folio written to- Jonathan
| Trumbull, Governor of Connecticut, and
is dated at Litchfeld Gaol. September
/ Is, LIT. It announces the death of the
i younger Franklin's wife, and his great
need of the necessities OF life. He says
that his treatment in prison has been
such that he would much prefer that the
authorities take him out and kill him.
He also requests to be allowed the use
of pen and ink and paper to draw up
yindication Of himself to General Wash