Jersey City and Its Historic Sites

BERGEN.

March 1st, 1660, Tilman Van Vleck petitioned for permission to found a village near the maize land, a clearing and Indian corn field at and around what is now the junction of Montgomery street and Bergen avenue. He was refused and again asked, to be again refused, April 12th. A third application upon August 16th of the same year was successful. It was granted upon the following conditions: "The site should be selected by the Governor and Council; it must be a place easily defended; the land to be distributed by lot, and work on each plot begun within six weeks. Each owner of a lot to send one man able to bear arms. The houses were to be within a fortified village, and the farms were to be outside." It is highly probable that Governor Stuyvesant planned the new village, which was surveyed and laid out by Jaques Cortelyou, Surveyor of Nieu Netherland. This, the first village in New Jersey, was named Bergen, after a small town in Holland, the most important of the provinces constituting the United Netherlands. A square of eight hundred feet on each side was cleared and crossed with two streets that intersected at right angles. A plot in the centre of 160 by 220 feet was reserved for public use. On the exterior of the outer streets now known as Vroom, Idaho, Tuers and Newkirk, surrounding the entire plot, the stockade was erected, with gates at the cross streets, which are now known as Academy street and Bergen avenue. This was completed in 1661. Tradition states that on the corner of Vroom and Tuers streets was built a block house as a protection against the Indians. It was near the first church. Winfield thinks that the houses were of logs and probably thatched with cattails. It is an interesting fact that the first lot taken in the new village, now known as 201 Academy street, was bought by Cornelis Van Reypen, 1st. The house now occupied by Mr. Cornelius Van Reypen, 3d, is the second upon the lot, which has always been in the possession of and the home of the lineal descendants of the founder of the family in Bergen. It is also true of the Van Wagenens, Romeyns, and Van Winkels on Academy street, that they are living on the lands allotted to their ancestors at the founding of Bergen, which have never passed from the family possession. Representatives of the Sip and Newkirk families also still hold ancestral lands. In this respect Bergen has quite an exceptional record for an American town.

BERGEN COURT.

Here in Bergen the first local Court in New Jersey was organized in September, 1661, with Tielman Van Vleck as schout or sheriff, and Michael Jansen, Herman Smeeman and Casper Stynmets, as schepens or magistrates, something like justices or aldermen. The schout was afterwards authorized "to fill and execute the office of auctioneer." All criminal cases were referred to the Director General and Council of Nieu Netherland. Only minor offenses, such as brawls, slanders, scolding, threats, etc., could come before this Court. On July 19th, 1673, Mr. John Berry's house in Bergen was made "ye prison for the Province," until a house could be built for that purpose, and Adrian Post, the constable, was appointed keeper. Later a "lock up" was built on the easterly side of the square near the school-house. On the westerly side were the stocks and the whipping post. The stocks were still standing in 1824, and even later, and the whipping post was a terror to evil doers as late. In 1662, a well was dug in the center of the square. Troughs were placed around it for the use of the cattle, and a long sweep used to raise the water. This well was used into the present century, when it was covered and during the war of 1812-14 a liberty pole was erected in it. In 1870, when the square was paved the pole was taken down and no trace of the well is left.

Engelbert Steenhuysen was the first schoolmaster in Bergen, having been licensed October 6th, 1662. He was allowed two hundred and fifty guilders in wampum annually and "some other stipulations beside the school money, as reason and equity shall demand." It seems that he was required "to look out and procure a suitable place in which to keep the school." According to the Albany records (vide Winfield) the people of Bergen addressed a memorial to the Council that he might be obliged to fulfill his contract to act as Voorleezer and Schoolmaster for two years. The church records do not mention him as Voorleezer. In 1664 the first school-house was built on the lot set apart for school purposes on the northeast corner of the square. Mr. Winfield states that this school-house was of logs, but from the records in the Deacons Account books it evidently was not. It is not known positively whether it was of stone, brick, or frame, but several entries of "lbs. of nails," "whitewashing" and "nailing boards in the gable," are included in the account of work and repairs upon the building. Whatever it was, for about fifty years it was used, and then a new school building was erected on the site of the first. The records state that, "On Tuesday, May 11, 1708, Mathews Bensum had made a foundation, and Mr. Adrian Vermuelen, Voorleezer at Bergen, laid the corner stone."

Several citizens, evidently gratuitously, carted materials to the site, in all sixty-three loads of stone, twenty-one loads of clay, five loads of sand, one load of lime. Repairs were made in 1782. In 1790 the Columbia Academy was erected on the same site and stood until 1857, when the present school-house, No. 11, was built. In the rear wall of this building are many of the stones used in the old Academy and it is ornamented with the same weather vane that adorned the former building. Tradition states that this is the veritable weather vane that first surmounted the steep roof of the Octagonal Church, then was removed to the second church, from which it was placed on Columbia Academy when the present church was erected in 1841.

In the early days of the little settlement, religious services were undoubtedly held in the school-house, and in the absence of a minister were conducted by the Voorleezer or clerk. In 1662 the schout and schepens of the village petitioned the Council for a minister, stating that certain persons had pledged themselves to subscribe four hundred and seventeen guilders in wampum annually for the support of a minister. But there was no local pastor of this first church in New Jersey until 1750. Until then the pastors from New York came over at stated times of the year, very often during week days, to administer the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper, admit new members, install the elected elders and deacons and to conduct special services. Also pastors from Long Island, Esopus, Fishkill, Tapan, Raritan and other places preached occasionally at Bergen. These visiting pastors received from the Bergen congregation from twenty-five to seventy-two guilders per service besides expenses and board. The accounts show that the New York ministers paid six guilders for ferriage and six guilders for a carriage from the ferry to Bergen. Twelve guilders for board was charged after every visit of a minister. From 1672 to 1680 Domine Van Nieuwenhuysen preached and administered the sacraments at Bergen three times a year on week days, for which he received "thirty bushels or fifteen bags of wheat."

THE FIRST CHURCH.

In 1680 the first church building was begun in Bergen, the total cost so far as it is possible to get at the figures, was two thousand six hundred and twelve guilders. It was an octagonal stone building with the roof sloping to a point and surmounted with a vane bearing a rooster. The windows were placed very high. In the summer of 1683 the first bell was placed in the high pointed roof, probably a gift from some of the members. The bricks in the windows and arch over the door were brought from Holland. Over the door was a stone with this inscription: "Kirk Gebouwt in Het yaer 1680." Domine Taylor gives an interesting description of the interior of the "little church" as it is often called in the account books. "The bell-ringer stood in the center of the church. Pews were placed around the walls and occupied only by the men; the women sat in chairs. The pulpit was high and reached by stairs; below and in front of the pulpit was a little pew with a book-board in front of it for the use of the Voorleezer, who had a long rod with a slit in the end which he reached up to the minister, who inserted in the slit notices to be read." The collections were in wampum for many years, and it was one of the duties of the deacons to sell the wampum to the heads of families, who each distributed it among the members of his family and they deposited it in the collection bags. These bags were of black velvet attached to a long pole. At the bottom of each bag was a small bell to arouse the people at collection time. The bags were hung on hooks in a suitable box beside the pulpit near the deacons' seat; at the proper time the deacons each with bag in hand presented themselves before the pulpit, received their charge from the minister and then went among the congregation and made the collections. The bags were spoken of as "the bell." This custom continued until 1800.

THE FIRST PALL.

The first pall the church was able to buy, cost, according to the Deacons account:

It was first used at the funeral of Engelbert Steenhuysen, January 16th, 1678. The rent of the pall was quite a source of income to the church. The price to an adult was fourteen guilders and to a child seven guilders, until June 14th, 1715, when it was reduced to six guilders for an adult and three guilders for a child. On January 17th, 1715, the second pall was bought for one hundred and ninety-five guilders, and the old one probably refitted to use at the burial of children. On January 1st, 1798, a fine large pall was bought for £5 11 s., 3 d. and a small one £2, 13 s., 10 d. The cost of the bier used at funerals was usually seventeen or eighteen guilders, and one lasted five or six years. On May 26th, 1678, Bergen's first communion set was bought at an expense of seventy-four guilders and ten stivers, and consisted of the following articles: "Eight pounds of pewter, being three plates and a pitcher of 6 guilders the lb., and two pewter beakers at 12 guilders apiece, and one el of Osnaburger linen." At the same time 11 el linen was bought for a table cloth, costing 5 guilders 10 stivers per el, or 60 guilders 10 stivers for the whole. On January 26th, 1731, the pewter cups were changed for two silver ones, bought of Hendrikus Boele and costing five hundred and nineteen guilders and ten stivers in wampum. The latter cups are still used at every communion service of the Bergen Reformed Church. A large Staten Bible was bought in 1620, costing sixty guilders and was probably used until the services were conducted in English.

THE SECOND AND THIRD CHURCHES.

In 1773 a new church building was erected in the second cemetery, which had been opened in 1738, on the southwest corner of Vroom street and Bergen avenue. It fronted Bergen avenue, about the center of the east side of the lot. The stone above the door of the first church was placed above the door of the second building with a stone beneath with the inscription: "Her bowt in Het yaer 1773." Both are now over the door on the south side of the present church building on Bergen and Highland avenues of which the corner stone was laid August 26th, 1841. This site is part of the land originally reserved for the pastor's use. In the walls of the present church are many of the sand stone blocks from glacial bowlders that were formerly built into the walls of the earlier church buildings. The third church was dedicated July 14th, 1842. The dedication sermon was preached in Dutch and understood by many of the congregation. Mr. Versteeg, in his translation of the Church Records states that Dutch ceased to be the language of the pulpit and of the church records May 26th, 1793, when Mr. John Cornelison was ordained and installed as pastor, although in some instances English and Dutch were used alternately in the records as late as 1805. Old residents tell me that they have heard occasional sermons in Dutch at a very much later date. In "The Annals of the Classis and Township of Bergen," Domine Taylor states that "singing in Dutch was discontinued about 1809, but preaching in Dutch continued for some time later." Two of the hymns sung at the dedication of the new church were composed by Mrs. Anna R. Taylor, wife of the pastor, the Rev. Benjamin C. Taylor. In the early days the Bergen Reformed Church required of the applicants for membership a very rigid examination before the minister and consistory in Bible history, evidences of the truths of Christianity, and the Doctrines of the Church as set forth in the Heidelburgh Catechism. The young people went at least once a week to "Catechism" to the pastor, the Voorleezer or an elder, until perfectly familiar with the Catechism.

THE VOORLEEZER.

The Voorleezer was a very important official in the Reformed Church and combined the duties of several offices. 1st, as Voorleezer or clerk, upon Sundays, before the minister entered the pulpit, the Voorleezer took his place at the desk in front of the high pulpit or "preaching chair," as it was called, and opened the services by announcing and reading a verse from the Psalms. He then led the congregation in the singing of it, which gave him the title of foresinger. After the verse had been sung he first read the ten commandments or the creed, and then a portion of the Scriptures. In the meantime the preacher had ascended the pulpit, a verse was again sung and the Voorleezer went to his seat in the pew set apart for the consistory. When the sermon, which usually lasted an hour and a half, was half finished the minister announced a Psalm verse, the foresinger returned to his desk and led the singing, while the deacons went around with the "bell" to gather in the collections. At the close of the services the Voorleezer again led in singing and the minister dismissed the congregation with the benediction. 2d, during the week days, the Voorleezer taught the village school, and was at the same time catechiser, using in early days of Bergen a question book written by Domine Johannis Megapolensis of Nieu Amsterdam. If there was no minister the Voorleezer took the place of a local pastor in all respects except baptizing children and administering the Lord's Supper. Not being allowed to ascend the pulpit he read sermons from his desk. (Among items charged in the Deacons Accounts were several books of sermons.) On Sunday mornings he held a service at Bergen and on alternate Sunday afternoons at some farm-house in Ahasimus and Communipaw. An hour-glass stood on the reader's desk and when the sand had run from the upper into the lower hollow he was to suspend services and dismiss the congregation.

He officiated as bell-ringer, kept the church records, took care of the Communion set, which his wife kept clean, the bier, and the pall, acted as bookkeeper for the Deacons and also served as Aanspreker or funeral director, in which capacity he kept the records of the dead. For services as Voorleezer and schoolmaster the salary exceeded ƒ600., and as bookkeeper and Aanspreker he charged for his services, and probably received extra fees for baptismal and marriage records. The first Voorleezer mentioned in the church records was Regnier Bastianse Van Giesen who served in that capacity from 1665 to May 12, 1707, when he died. He probably came from Utrecht in the Netherlands, lived awhile at Midwout, L. I., then came to Bergen. He was an educated man who wrote the language correctly and was evidently versed in the history of his country. These Voorleezers were men of great influence in the early days of Bergen, especially before there was a settled pastor. The office continued until 1789 when Mr. John Collard received the title of Clerk with the salary of £2, 15s. per annum.

After the receipts of the church began to exceed the expenditures the Deacons invested the surplus funds in cows which were rented out to responsible members of the congregation for 12 lbs. of butter per annum or its value in money. In 1679 butter sold at 22 stivers per lb. and the rent for one cow was 13 guilders, 4 stivers. After 1715 the Deacons gave up the "butter rent" business and loaned the church funds at 6% on the bond of the borrower and his securities, or upon personal property to the value of the sum loaned given as collateral security. In the early days for more than a century, accounts were reckoned in "guilders seewan" and wampum often accumulated in quite large amounts in both loose and braided. In 1691 ƒ4,000 in wampum was taken to Stephen Van Courtlandt to be exchanged for silver money. The Church Treasury has a package of $1,214 in Continental bills and $700 in worthless State and communal paper of still earlier date.

MARRIAGES—TOWN POOR.

Until October 3, 1681, all marriages in Bergen were performed in the school-house, thenceforth in the church, it was the custom to be married in the presence of the congregation either by the minister or the Voorleezer, if by the latter, the record bore the clause "in the presence of the Court of Bergen." In the early days the usual fee was ƒ6 in wampum, paid over to the church funds. Often a collection was taken up among the wedding guests for the poor. There are several instances of the kind on record. There was no almshouse until recent years, and in the early days the town paid for the board of the poor, but the method of arranging the matter sounds very strange nowadays. It seems from the records that the poor dependent upon the town were sold to the lowest bidder. Winfield quotes the following: "At Bergen Town meeting Dec. 15th, 1784, at a public Outcry is sold Enoch Earle to the lowest bidder for the sum of seven pounds, ten shillings, the conditions are as follows, the byer is to find the said Enoch Earle a Good Bed, Washing, Lodging and Victuals, and mending his close; the Overseers of the Poor are to find all the New Close and then the said Enoch Earle is to work for the Byer as much as he is able to do until the year's End."

BURIAL CUSTOMS.

The burial customs were probably the same as those of their fatherland and very peculiar in some respects. The most important character was the Aanspreker, upon whom rested the whole responsibility of the affair. Immediately upon a death he was notified, and at once repaired to the sterfhuis (house of the deceased) with a few sheets of mourning paper, upon which he took down the names of friends to be notified of the death, and marked those who were to be invited as bearers or as mourners. Until after the funeral he had full charge of all details. If necessary he appointed assistants, in case the deceased was very rich or very prominent there were often ten or even twenty Aansprekers employed to announce the death, and one, usually an old servant of the family, went in the middle of the street, walking slowly with bowed head and face buried in a large mourning handkerchief and led by two Aansprekers, one on each side, while the others were doing the "wete" or announcement at the houses. On these occasions all were dressed in low shoes, black stockings, black knickerbockers, a black cutaway coat covered by a long, flowing black mantle, with a white cravat or bands and a queer looking three-cornered hat or "steek," from one corner of which to the right floated a long black crape streamer, whilst upon the left corner was pinned a rosette showing the sex of the deceased and if married or single.

At the funeral all gathered at the sterfhuis, the closest friends a little earlier, who were served with beer or spirits and long clay pipes or segars; when all were gathered the chief Aanspreker made a few consolatory remarks or offered a prayer, then signalled the bearers to carry out the bier and martialed the relatives and guests in order, the youngest members of the family coming first. All the mourners and bearers, and sometimes the driver of the hearse, were either dressed as the Aansprekers or else wore rosettes pinned upon the sleeve or lapel of their coat. The Aanspreker wore white or black gloves according to the sex of the deceased. One or two Aansprekers led the procession, the bearers walked beside the hearse; if there were other Aansprekers, they went between the hearse and first carriage and the procession slowly wended its way to the cemetery. All people meeting a funeral stood still with bowed head and doffed hat until at least the hearse had passed; at the cemetery gate the bearers bore the coffin to the grave, and the Aanspreker made a prayer. After the coffin was lowered and covered with earth, all filed out in the same manner as they had come and returned to the sterfhuis. Here refreshments were served by the women, who as a rule did not go to the cemetery.

To be buried within the church, in or before the baptistery, was a great honor and showed deep veneration by the congregation and was usually accorded only to ministers or men prominent in the church, an extra price being paid for the privilege. The record is effaced of the first burial within the Bergen Church; but the second was a little daughter of Enoch Michielse Vreeland on August 1st, 1682; the third, on September 4th of the same year, was Peter Mercelis. On June 21st, 1683, was "buried the corpse of Maekje Baltusen, daughter of Baltus Bartensee, the sixth in church, and the first with knell." The last burial in church mentioned in the records, was that of "Anntje Jackson, aged forty-nine years, who died on Friday, January 13th, 1738, at about 8 A. M., and was buried on Sunday, January 15th, in the church in the baptistery." It was not compulsory that interments should be made in the cemetery or church and many burials were made upon bouwerijen or farms. It was an old Dutch custom lasting until quite recent times, to have burial clothes prepared and kept in store for each member of the family.

The following account of the burial of a pensioner of Bergen Church is dated 1690:

CEMETERIES.

The first cemetery of Bergen was on the south side of Vroom street, just outside of the southeast corner of the palisade of the new town, where it is said there was a little fort for protection against the Indians. In this burial ground the first church was built, on the site now occupied by Dominie Cornelison's family vault, and fronting on Vroom street, facing Tuers avenue. After the cemetery had been used over seventy years, in 1738 the second burying ground was opened on the southwest corner of Vroom street and Bergen avenue. These older cemeteries were not laid out in family lots, but the graves were made in any place convenient, and thus the last resting places of the different members of a family were seldom near together.

For nearly two centuries these two burial grounds were the only ones in this vicinity. In the fall of 1829 an episode occurred which led to the opening of the Jersey City Cemetery. One morning a passer-by saw the body of a drowned man washed ashore at Harsimus; he drew it up on the grass, and after a little several others gathered there and in the discussion that followed it was decided to give the body suitable burial and mark the grave with a stone that it might be identified in case any friends of the dead man might eventually be found. The little group contributed a sum sufficient, as they supposed, to make the desired provision, and a committee was appointed to attend to the matter, and see that the body was properly buried in the cemetery of the Bergen Church. The sexton charged $12 to open a grave, which seemed to the people of Jersey City such an enormous price that it aroused universal indignation, which resulted in a public meeting at Hugh McCutcheon's Farmer's Hotel at 42 York street (quite a celebrated tavern of the day), at which it was decided to open a new cemetery and no longer be dependent upon that of the Bergen Church. Subscriptions were taken and a cemetery company was formed of which David C. Colden, one of the associates, and at that time Mayor of New York, was President, Robert Gilchrist was Treasurer, and J. D. Miller was Secretary. The result was the purchase of five and a half acres on the hill-side south of the Newark Turnpike, and the Jersey City Cemetery was opened, at that time a quiet, country place, where under the drooping willows, many families, prominent in the early life of Jersey City were laid to rest far from the noise of the young city; but with the passing years, the city has extended out to and far beyond their resting place, all about them are city streets and a railroad now runs along at the foot of the hill.

In 1831 or thereabouts, the third burial ground of the Bergen Church, east of Bergen avenue and south of Vroom street, was bought of Aaron Tuers for $500, and surveyed and laid out in fourteen foot lots by Colonel Sip. These lots were sold at $5 each, the gore lots being reserved for the poor. In 1849 the New York Bay Cemetery was opened; it is one of the largest Protestant cemeteries in the county, embracing about one hundred acres, sloping to the waters of the bay, a very beautiful location on Ocean and Garfield avenues. About 1857 Abraham Spier, while acting as sexton for the Bergen Church, laid out a burying ground south of and adjoining the west end of the second church cemetery, which is still known as Spier's Cemetery. Since then the Catholics have opened a cemetery south of Communipaw avenue, and west of West Side avenue. Jersey City has other cemeteries outside of the city limits, of more recent organization.

PAULUS HOOK.

Paulus Hook was a circular piece of upland lying east of what is now Warren street, and consisted of sand hills, some of considerable height. On the north was Harsimus Cove, First street; on the east the river, on the south Communipaw Cove, South street; and to the west, salt marsh, which was covered with water at high tide. It was sold by the West Indian Company to Abraham Isaacsen Planck, May 1st, 1638, for the sum of four hundred and fifty guilders, calculated at twenty stivers to the guilder. It remained in the Planck family until August 2d, 1699, when it was sold to Cornelius Van Vorst for £300 "current money of New York." During this time it was used as farm land until 1794, as most of it continued to be until 1804.

Early in 1764 a new Post route was established between New York and Philadelphia, and Abraham Messier, who owned a wharf at the foot of Cortlandt street, New York, and Michael Cornelissen made arrangements with Cornelius Van Vorst for a landing at Paulus Hook (foot of Grand street.) The boats were two periaugers, which made the trips across the river "as the wind served." The Ferry Company was to keep in repair the causeway leading out to the road to Bergen. The new Post route to Philadelphia was by way of Bergen Point and Staten Island. Formerly travellers from New York to the south had gone by boat to Amboy, thence by stages to Philadelphia and other points. Just when the Post route was changed I have been unable to ascertain, but in 1715 commissioners were appointed to lay out a road across the meadows, intersecting the Bergen Point road, with ferries across the Hackensack and Passaic. The road was nearly the same as the one since known as the Newark plank road. Mr. Thomas Brown, one of the commissioners, owned the land from New York Bay to Newark Bay. He owned what is known as the Gautier house, and on his land on Newark Bay side built the ferry known as Brown's ferry. After the completion of this road and ferries the Post route came by the mill and church road to Bergen, thence by the road across the meadows. The stages stopped over night at Princeton.

Van Vorst laid out a small park, semi-circular in shape, at what is now the foot of Grand street. Michael Cornelisen built a tavern just north of Grand street, near the water, a low frame house about forty feet in length, with a porch in front over which projected the extended Dutch roof. In 1800 this house, used as a tavern and ferry-house, with several spacious barns, stables and a store-house, were the only buildings on the Hoeck. In 1769 Van Vorst laid out a race course one mile long around the sand hills and along the edge of the upland; this was in use, except during the war, until the founding of Jersey City in 1804. This was the only race course in Jersey City until the Beacon Race Course was established on the Hill in what was later Hudson City, about 1837-38, and discontinued about 1845. It was located southeast of where the reservoir now stands and was the scene of some very celebrated races. It was here on August 1, 1839, that Dutchman, trotting against time, made three miles in seven minutes, thirty-two and a half seconds. Hiram Woodruff claimed that he could have done it in seven minutes, twenty-seven seconds, or better; this record was not beaten until by Huntress at Prospect Park, September 21, 1872.

The ferry was leased to several different parties. In 1771 Abraham Messier obtained a lease for three years; this was renewed in 1774 and as he died soon after his widow remained in charge, probably during the war subject to military control. Soon after the war her name is connected with the ferry, and in 1786 she petitioned for repairs to the ferry stairs on the New York side.

REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD.

In the early spring of 1776, Lord Stirling, then in command of the American forces in this locality, took measures to put Bergen and Paulus Hoeck in condition of defense, and to open means of communication with the interior of the State. A fort was built at Bergen Neck, later called Fort Delancy, to prevent the English from coming over from Staten Island. It was located on the rising ground now bounded by 44th and 45th streets and Avenues B and C in Bayonne, one quarter of a mile below the canal. After it was given up by the Americans it was held by the Tories until September, 1782. Lord Stirling personally examined the grounds and proposed to have the militia of Bergen, Essex, and Middlesex counties build broad, good roads from Paulus Hoeck to Brown's Ferry on the Hackensack, and from Wiehawken Ferry to Hackensack Ferry. Upon the arrival of Washington, the immediate construction of works at Paulus Hoeck was ordered as "of great importance." These were soon completed and troops from New York and Pennsylvania stationed there, under command of General Mercer, the veteran of Culloden and De Quesne.

On July 12th, 1776, the batteries of the new fort opened fire on the British men of war, the Phoenix of forty guns and the Rose of twenty guns, as they came up the Bay to New York. The fire was returned with broadsides as they passed. That same evening Lord Howe sailed up the harbor to New York. Troops were stationed at Paulus Hoeck and Bergen ready to reinforce Washington. After the battle of Long Island these orders were countermanded and the troops were stationed at Paulus Hoeck and Bergen Neck. On the 15th of September, the British captured New York City and again the Paulus Hoeck troops had a little skirmish with the enemy. Occasionally Washington came over from his camp at Harlem to reconnoiter along the Jersey shore as far as Paulus Hoeck. Recognizing that the fort could not be held, preparations were made for its evacuation. General Mercer removed all guns, stores and troops with the exception of a small guard under orders to leave upon the first appearance of the enemy. On the afternoon of September 23d, 1776, the English ships cannonaded the fort for half an hour or more, then landed a force. About twenty boats also came over from New York. They found nothing but a few guns unfit for use. General Mercer and his troops retired to Bergen with an outpost at Prior's Mill. October 5th, the American troops left Bergen to join Washington in his retreat to the Delaware.

For a long time Paulus Hoeck was the only British stronghold in New Jersey. They greatly strengthened the defences built by the Americans and made their landings at this point. At high tide boats could pass over the marsh and even over the causeway that connected Paulus Hoeck with the main land. An elevated foot path or board walk had been made parallel to the road to enable people to pass at all stages of the tide. This was still in use well into this century.

I quote Mr. Winfield's description of the fort: "It was a very strong position with the waters of the river and coves on the north, east and south, and on the west a marsh, with a creek running near the westerly edge of the upland from near Montgomery street southwesterly into the southerly cove near the foot of Van Vorst street. This creek had been connected with the Harsimus cove by a ditch about on the line of Warren street. Over this ditch on the line of Newark avenue was a drawbridge with a barred gate. Thirty paces inside of the ditch and the creek was a row of abattis extending into the river. The main works were in the line of Sussex street extending from about St. Mathews Church easterly to Greene street. The barracks were at the intersection of Essex and Warren streets. From the main fort a redoubt extended southerly along Washington street to a half moon fort on the southerly side of Essex street. There was one fort on the north west corner of Grand and Washington streets. Some block-houses had been constructed north of the main works, and one of them north of the road leading to the ferry. The burying ground was on the west of Washington street, extending from Sussex to a short distance south of Morris street."

BATTLE OF PAULUS HOOK.

At four o'clock on the afternoon of August 18th, 1779, Major Henry Lee, with four hundred infantry and a troop of dismounted dragoons started from New Bridge (Hackensack), on a march of fourteen miles through the woods to make an attack upon the fort at Paulus Hoeck. He detached patrols of horse to watch the communication with the North River and stationed parties of infantry at different roads leading to Paulus Hoeck. At Union Hill he filed into the woods where by the guide's timidity, or treachery, the march was prolonged to three hours before gaining the right road. The same night Colonel Van Boskirk left Paulus Hoeck with a force of one hundred and thirty men to make a raid upon the English neighborhood. Fortunately the two parties did not meet. Major Lee and his men reached Prior's Mill at 3 A. M., August 19th; at 3:30 they reached the ditch at the intersection of Newark avenue and Warren street. The tide was rising but Lieut. Rudolph found the canal fordable, and led by Lieuts. McCallister and Rudolph the troops pushed through and soon gained possession of the outer fort. Major Sutherland, who was in command of the fort, retired into a small redoubt with a few officers and forty Hessians. It was nearly daylight and Major Lee had no time to dislodge them. He had intended to burn the barracks, but on finding sick soldiers, women and children in them he refrained. He retreated, carrying with him one hundred and fifty-nine prisoners, officers and men; he lost two men killed, and had three men wounded.

Captain Forsyth was ordered to Prior's Mill to collect such men as were most fit for action and take a position on Bergen Heights to cover the retreat. This position was in the woods near Bergen and Sip avenues, said to be about the site now occupied by Dr. Hornblower's house, 631 Bergen avenue. Dr. Hornblower's grandmother was then a little girl, Anna Merselis, and that morning in looking for a cow, she came upon Lee's soldiers, who detained her while they waited, to prevent her carrying any report of their presence to possible enemies. The troops remained there until messengers had been sent to ascertain if the boats that Major Lee had arranged to have in waiting for him at Dow's Ferry were there. He had intended to cross the Hackensack and by the Belleville Turnpike reach the high ground east of the Passaic, and thus return to New Bridge; but the boats had been removed to Newark, and Major Lee with ruined ammunition and tired men, encumbered with prisoners, was obliged to return by a route liable to be interrupted by troops from New York. With undaunted courage and wise precautions the brave troops started on the return march of fourteen miles to New Bridge; at "Weehock" Captain Catlett came up with fifty men and good ammunition. At the Fort Lee road Col. Ball met him with two hundred fresh men, and Major Lee and his men safely reached New Bridge about one o'clock in the afternoon. The English were greatly annoyed and the Americans exceedingly jubilant over the affair.

In a letter to Congress General Washington said: "The Major displayed a remarkable degree of prudence, address and bravery upon this occasion, which does the highest honor to himself and to all the officers and men under his command. The situation of the fort rendered the attempt critical and the success brilliant." On the 24th of September, Congress passed the following resolutions respecting the affair:

"Resolved, That the thanks of Congress be given to His Excellency General Washington for ordering with so much wisdom, the late attack on the enemy's fort and work at Powles Hook.

"Resolved, That the thanks of Congress be given to Major General Lord Stirling for the judicious measures taken by him to forward the enterprise and to secure the retreat of the party.

"Resolved, That the thanks of Congress be given to Major Lee for the remarkable prudence, address and bravery displayed by him on the occasion; and that they approve the humanity shown in circumstances prompting to severity as honorable to the arms of the United States, and correspondent to the noble principles on which they were assumed.

"Resolved, That Congress entertain a high sense of the discipline, fortitude, and spirit manifested by the officers and soldiers under the command of Major Lee in the march, action and retreat, and while with singular satisfaction they acknowledge the merit of these gallant men, they feel an additional pleasure of considering them a part of an army in which very many brave officers and soldiers have proved, by their cheerful performance of every duty under every difficulty, that they ardently wish to give the truly glorious examples they now receive.

"Resolved, That Congress justly appreciates the military caution so happily combined with daring activity by Lieuts. McCallister and Rudolph in leading on the forlorn hope.

"Resolved, That a medal of gold emblematical of this affair be struck, under the direction of the Board of Treasury, and presented to Major Lee.

"Resolved, That the brevet and the pay and subsistence of Captain be given to Lieuts. McCallister and Rudolph respectively."

Congress also placed in the hands of Major Lee $15,000 to be distributed among the soldiers engaged in the attack. On one side of the medal awarded to Major Lee is a bust of the hero, with the words "Henrico Lee, Legionis Equit Praefecto, Comitia Americana. The American Congress to Henry Lee, Colonel of Cavalry." On the reverse, "Non Obstantib fluminibus vallis astutia et virtute bellica parva manu hostes vicit victosq armis humanitate devinxit. In mem. pugn. ad Paulus Hook, die XIX August, 1779." "Notwithstanding rivers and entrenchments, he with a small band conquered the foe by warlike skill and prowess and firmly bound by his humanity those who had been conquered by his arms. In memory of the conflict at Paulus Hook, nineteenth of August, 1779."