Gloucester County Democrat., 1908-01-09
EContinued from First Page ].

ington, Bunker Hill, Saratoga Yorktown
listened to their thrilling stories Of Lex
and other famous places Of our American
Revolution. To behold and talk with
living witnesses OF she marshaIling of the
Continental armies, Of the hurrying Of the
minute Men'' and OF their clashing with
the pround sBritsishers, y to look into the
dim eyes which had sighted down the
barrels of the old flint lock muskets loaded
with ball and buckshots under the gallant
lead of Washington, Greene, Morgan,
Wayne and Lafayette, were chances never
to be forgotten. remember hearing from
the lips Of one OF the veterans the story of
the battle Of Fort Duquesne on the Ohio
river in the old French and Indian war Of
1755, where Washington, mere boy, was
a colonel Of Virginia troops and General
| Bfaddock was killed He had heard it
from one Of Washington's men, when
boy.
Though / had been taught the religious
faith of the Quakers which deprecates all
wars and fighting" and inculcates the
sublime doctrine of "peace on earth and
good will to all men, the words Of those
! lingering patriots kindled within me
military enthusiasm and desire TO see as
they had seen, actual battles and the other
circumstances Of war. My time had not
yet come. The terrible experiences of the
civil war, with its hard life, its fierce en-
gagements on many fields and its horrors
of military prison service were waiting for
me in the years further on.
When was in my cradle james Monroe,
fifth president, was chief magistrate of the
United States Thomas Jefferson and John
Adams were still living Both cf them
passed away on Independence day 1926.
Lafayette was on his second visit after the
close of the American Revolution, TO the
| land he had helped to save from British
oppression, nearly fifty years before. George
the Fourth was monarch on the British
/ throne The battle of Waterloo had been
/ fought but nine years before, and the
American Union had twenty three states
The states of Ohio and Indiana were still
out-posts of our advancing civilization
westward. Everywhere the talk was Of the
| s'New Countries" beyond the Ohio river, and
many old residents OF she county lured by
the florid accounts of she fertile lands aud
other favorable resources, made sales of
their effects and loading their families in
their sheet top wagons, with bedding,
cooking utensils and provisions, began
their long wearisome journeys over the
Allegheny mountains in quest of their new
heritages The exodus continued unabated
through number of years.
| The National Capitol had been laid out
on the Potomac, but it was as yet only a
city with avenues and parks on paper, little
more than clearing in the wilderness.
Few habitations had been erected there and
the streets were obstructed by stumps of
trees. The only way of travel was then
| by horse back, wagons and stages on land,
and sailing vessels on the water courses.
Not mile of railway had yet been laid
in any OF the states and the steam boat was
in its experimental and uncertain stage
| The largest part of the national currency
at that time was silver Spanish and Mexi-
can dollars, halves, quarters, bits and half
bits Some of them had been in circulation
in various parts of the world over two hun
dred years and by constant circulation had
become very smooth and of deprecated
IRyalue. Half pennies first struck in 1898
Ewere as common as pennies which were
first struck also in 1893 Occasionally one
of Mark Newby's half pence was seen. Mark
Newby was one OF the early settlers who
! came over in the year 1851 in the ship
| ''Owner's Adventure, y from Dublin, land
| ing first at Salem but soon after removing
| to Gloucester, where he with Thomas
Sharp Thomas Thackara, William Bates,
George Goldsmith, Robert Zane and
others began settlements on Newton and
Cooper's creeks not far from the Delaware
Their settlement was known as the Third
or Irish TENTH" comprising the areas of
the present countries of Gloucester, Cam
den and Atlantic. They were all members
t the society of Friend s and their first care
was to organize meeting for public wor-
ship, which has continued services regularly
through all the subsequent years.
Thomas Sharp one of these pioneers who
was very prominent in the first municipal
organizations of the county has left us this
quaint account Of the beginning of the
Newtown settlement.
''In eighty-one in Salem we did arrive.
At which time then the people began to thrive
| And had in store for to supply want,
! Which otherwise would have been rather
[scant
II to Burlington had gone as we were bound