Year: 1879

New Jersey, as well as New York.
was originally settled by colonists
from Holland, and although the Eng
lish at one time got possession of the
territory, the Dutch regained it and
held it, under the name of Achter kol,
until 1873.


Among the early emigrants from
Holland was a family by the name of
kovenhoven, who took up lands in
what is now Monmouth county, near
the present village of Eatontown. Their
defendants, under the anglicized name
of Conover, live in the same regions to
this day.


In l777-7S this family had a farm on
the ocean shore, proba' ly within the
present limits of Long Branch At
that time the men folks were all away
with the Continental Army, under
Gen. Washington.


The family left at home consisted Of
the mother, a daughter of eighteen or
twenty years, a son of sixteen and an
other of ten. These contrived to sup
port themselves on the farm, and also
TO contribute literally to the Continen-
tai cause.


Notwithstanding the defenceless con-
dition of the place, with the enemy in
possession of the country, the kovenho-
ven homestead was an important post
in line of secret communication kept
hot hn of
and the East, and their friends beyond
the Delaware.


The elder of the kovenhOven boys,
though only growing lad, was trus-
ted messenger in this grapevine" pos
tai service, and by his skill and daring
in working through the British lines,
had already won the name of Katie ko-
venhoven, or, as we would now say,
Cool Conover.


Early in the summer of I77S, when
Gen. Clinton was preparing to abandon
the line of the Delaware and fall. back
on the Hudson river, a body of Hessian
troops was sent through the Jerseys to
open the way TO Sandy Hook, where
the army was to embark for New
York.


The Hessians harrIed the country to
some extent, foraginga as they advanced,
and making special efforts TO break up
the secret postal service known to be
maintained in spite of their utmost
yigilence.


The line was kept running at that
time, as may readily be supposed, with
redoLbled activity, and the messengers
spared neither risk nor hardship to get
their dispatches through.


The service was all the harder as the
activity of the enemy forced them to
seek roundabout ways, and travel long
distances. The route was turned down
through the pines, an unbroken viii
derness, extending, at that time, near
ly across the South Jerseys


One night in June, young COnover
returned home from a trip into the
pines weary and worn. He had ridden
many long mile through the soft
sands of the forest without daring to
wait for rest or refreshment.


Stopping at the bars and turning his |
tired mare into the salt meadow, he |
shouldered the saddle and carried it up |
to the barn.


He had an impOrtan. dispatch with |
him, fastened under his arm in a water
proof cover. Worn out with hard rid
ing from early morning till after mid
night, and with the constant strain of
anxious watchfulness, he felt relieved |
and thankful to get home in safety.


Sitting down on heap of straw, he
took off his heavy riding-boOts, and un-
buttoned his shirt to remove the prec-
ious package, and then, in an instant,
the reaction from over exertion con-
quered him, and he dropped into a
deep sleep.


He slept heavily until the first beams
of daylight began to shine through the
cracks in the barn. Then he was sud-
awakened by tremendous humping
close by MIN.


As he sprang up the butt of musket
broke through the door, ana instinct
lively the boy realized that Tor once he
had been caught mapping.


1t was his way to face danger when
he could not avoid it; SO he sprang to
the door, feeling for his package and
finding it safe under his arm at the
same moment.


Six men stood outside, and in the
dim morning light he recognized them
as a detail from a detachment of Hes
slams whom he hal been lodging all the
previous afternoon.


They addressed him roughly. and
one of them in broken English, COM
manded him to find forage for their
horses.


''Und, yunker," he added, ''rouse
der hause and get right away preak-
FAST


The boy brought out hay and grain
IN abundance for the horses, and then
led the way to the house. His sister
Katie was already astir, and immedi- :;