The Lebanon Lantern Spring 2016 6 High Street Lebanon, NJ 08833 (908) 236-2425 Fax (908) 236-2939 www.lebanonboro.com IT’S TIME TO SIGN UP FOR PARK SCHOOL!!! Early Bird Registration Deadline: April 30, 2016 Registration Deadline: June 20, 2016 Historical Committee LEBANON’S PATRIOTS It seems fitting with the 240th anniversary of the Fourth of July that we write about two of Lebanon’s heroes. They are the same two gentlemen who owned virtually all of Lebanon Borough. Major Walter Rutherfurd, hero of the French and Indian War, owned a “plantation” of 272 acres that included most if not all of the borough from Cherry St. East. Captain Thomas Jones, a hero of the Revolutionary War, purchased a farm west of Cherry St. that was 221 acres. Rutherfurd descended from a noble old Sottish family. We believe that Jones’ roots were humble and probably Welsh. Both men were very steadfast in their beliefs, Rutherfurd risked his life in 1756, and then his fortune in 1776, while Jones risked everything in 1776 by joining the Patriot cause. Major Walter Rutherfurd Rutherfurd’s history comes to us from multiple sources on both sides of the Atlantic. He was born in Roxburghshire, Scotland at the Rutherfurd ancestral estate of Edgerston. He was the sixth son of Sir John Rutherfurd and Elizabeth Cairncross. John was knighted by Queen Anne in 1706. John had twenty-two children, and at one point had eighteen sons and grandsons in the army, navy and East India service. Walter entered the army when he was fifteen and served on ships-of-war off the coasts of America, Spain and Portugal until 1746. Over the next eight years he served in the Royal Scots rising to the rank of lieutenant. When the French and Indian war broke out, he was ordered to America in 1756 with the rank of Captain of the Sixty-Second or Royal American Regiment, and subsequently was made Major. His distinguished service in that war included leading the Grenadiers of the Fourth Battalion were he led the charge of the French breastworks at Ft. Ticonderoga. His brother a major was killed at the same battle. He was the officer selected to demand the surrender of Ft. Niagara. When Montreal surrendered, the keys were delivered to Walter Rutherfurd. Walter married in 1758 the widowed Catherine Alexander Parker. She was the sister of a man we know as Lord Stirling, and the daughter of James Alexander. James Alexander was now a wealthy successful lawyer, had emigrated from Scotland in 1715, and had married into a very influential and wealthy Dutch family, the DePeysters. James furthered his connections when his children married into the very rich and powerful Livingston families. After twenty years of service, Walter retired from the military in 1760. Shortly thereafter, he built a fine home in lower Manhattan that was later removed and replaced by the Astor home. Catherine his wife inherited land from her father’s estate including the 272 acre tract in Lebanon. He built a very pleasant country estate that he named Edgerston after his family’s estate in Scotland. When war broke out in 1776, he decided to ride it out in the obscurity of the rural area. The King had given him a 5,000 acre land grant in New York state as a reward for his service, and possibly to keep him out of the patriot army. Walter, however, was loyal to the crown, but he played no part in the Tory mischief as all his relations were active patriots. In 1777, the British captured Judge Fell of Bergen county. He was the head of the Committee of Safety there, as such ridding the area of Tories was his charge. Another patriot, Van Zandt, was also imprisoned, and Gov. Livingston was led to believe that Van Zandt and Fell were being treated badly in captivity. Rutherfurd and James Parker (the brother of Catherine’s first husband) were asked to renounce their allegiance to the King. They both refused and were subsequently jailed in Morristown. This allowed the governor to show how serious he was about rooting out Tories. Rutherfurd’s wife was the sister of Washington’s most trusted general, Lord Stirling. Lord Stirling was married to the governor’s sister and another sister of Catherine and Stirling was married to the governor’s brother, Peter V B Livingston. There were more than a few intersessions to obtain Walter’s release, however, it didn’t happen until Fell and Van Zandt were released in December of 1777. After the war, life returned to normal. Rutherfurd’s lands were not confiscated and his son John was selected as U.S. Senator from New Jersey in 1790. Captain Thomas Jones Thomas owned a tavern in what is now Clinton Township, and he was a captain in the local militia. In 1776, he was attacked by a neighbor and a gang of two dozen club wielding Tories. This story is well told in Don Sherbloom’s book about the 1759 house that is on Grayrock Road in front of the Middle School building. The mob’s intention was to deliver a severe beating, which would discourage Jones from any further recruiting. It failed, Jones escaped, the mob was arrested and fined, most of them over the next few months left the county and went to New Brunswick to fight for the British as part of the NJ Volunteers. That same December, Jones took part in a series of events that plays a role in saving the patriot cause. He is one of several soldiers who rounded up all the boats on the Delaware River. The purpose was twofold; first to provide Washington’s army with boats to cross the Delaware and escape the British, and second to leave no boats on the Jersey side and prevent the British pursuit of the ragtag remnants of the Continental Army. Those same boats were used on Christmas Eve to cross back over to NJ and surprise the Hessians at Trenton, the turning point of the war. That was quite a feat, but Thomas Jones was not finished yet. Historian Charles Riddle has a great talk that describes the Potterstown Skirmish. In 1777, the British issued warrants to four NJ Tories, who had reached the British lines at Staten Island. The warrants gave them the charge to travel to Hunterdon County and eastern Pennsylvania, and recruit for the Loyalist regiment. The four men and their recruits arranged to meet on September 12th at Potterstown, and then march to New Brunswick, then Perth Amboy to be ferried over to the British lines in Staten Island. They met as planned - a total of 100 men. However, they were discovered and the Readington/Tewkesbury miltia led by Captain David Scamp came at them from the east and the Lebanon Township militia led by Captain Thomas Jones came from the west. The Loyalist realized they needed to break away, and this created a running battle that lasted overnight into the 13th of the month. At Piscataway, the Loyalists were surrounded and forced to surrender. Eight Tories escaped, seventy-five were captured with about fifteen unaccounted for. They and nineteen other Tories were eventually tried at Morristown fifty-nine, were found guilty of a misdemeanor, and were fined and required to take an oath of allegiance. They were then released. Thirty-five were charged with treason, found guilty and sentenced to be hanged! Intersessions to the governor from family and friends saved all but two. Those spared paid a fine, swore allegiance and enlisted in the Continental army. James Iliff and John Mee two of the four recruiters were hanged on December 2, 1777. Watch for the Branch Pick-up Schedule on our website, www.lebanonboro.com, and on the Electronic Board on Main St. No Branches larger than 4 inches in diameter. Each Street will be picked up ONCE!! Bright Horizons at Lebanon Open House April 11-15, 2016 Bright Horizons Early Education and Preschool is located at 1388 Route 22 West, Lebanon, NJ Lebanon Reformed Church Pastor Thomas E. Jones 100 Brunswick Ave, Lebanon, NJ 08833 (908) 236-6167 Lebanon Reformed Church will host the 2nd Annual “We Shall Over-Run”. 5K Run and 1 Mile Fun Walk to benefit Hunterdon Hospice on Sat. May 14, 2016. Information and registration forms can be found at www.lebanonreformedchurch.org. LRC members and friends enthusiastically welcome Daren McCann as our new organist/music director. He is a native of the Finger Lakes Region of NY State. Remarkably, Daren is a self-taught pianist and organist. He played for services at his home church from the age of 10. Daren taught Jr/Sr. high school music and has previous experience as church music director/organist. Daren now teaches voice and piano privately. In addition, he is founder/director of the Somerset County based choral ensemble, The Deer Ridge Singers. Daren enjoys antique and classic cars as a hobby. Visitors are welcome to attend LRC’s Easter services, beginning with Palm Sunday, March 20. Maundy Thursday evening service March 24 is at 7pm. Easter Sunday, the church will be decorated with flowers. You will hear special music by both the chancel and hand bell choirs. Come alone or bring your family. Sunday worship service starts at 10:30 am. Nursery care with Miss Melanie is available as an option for your young children. Afterward, you are invited for coffee and refreshments served in fellowship hall. The community is welcome to attend LRC Outdoor Worship Service on June 26, followed by the annual church picnic on the lawn.