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From: "Lawrence Rush" <>
Subject: Re: [NJHUNTER] Revolution in NJ
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2004 20:31:22 -0400
References: <20040830200549.45090.qmail@web51403.mail.yahoo.com>


John: Attached below is a rather long account of one of my direct ancestors, John Rush, who served on several occasions in the Revolutionary War. The heading shows the proper credits for this article. I have much more on his ancestry and genealogy, if you need it.

Larry Rush
----- Original Message -----
From: john newman
To:
Sent: Monday, August 30, 2004 4:05 PM
Subject: [NJHUNTER] Revolution in NJ


Dear Listers,

As some of you may know, I have an interest in the Revolution. I am contemplating putting together a site which would help document our ancestors during the revolution through pension applications and other source documents. However, given the enormity of the task I am asking for help. Therefore, I am requesting that if anyone on this list has transcribed any revolutionary documents to please contact me. I would like to obtain copies of the transcriptions and copies of the original sources to compile into some organized format and to evenutally post onto a website.

Many of us only know a portion of the story of our ancestors. Through the use of multiple sources I believe we can establish a better understanding of their efforts, lend more credibility to the folklore and family myths of our ancestors, and perhaps we can better document the battles in NJ and the contributions of the NJ soldiers and militia.

I appreciate any items that the Hunterdon County List could contribute.

- John

P.s. For your information, I am affiliated with a Revolutionary lineage society, the Sons of the Revolution, and any material submitted may eventually be posted on their website.


---------------------------------





JACOB RUSH, SR.

1757-1835



By Helen Patrick Leedom

Peggy Warne Chapter, DAR, Phillipsburg, NJ







No great hero, not born to wealth or position, Jacob Rush, Sr. was among the legions of unsung who gave their all to a new nation with liberty and justice for all. Jacob was one of the four sons of Conrad Rush, who farmed land in the County of Morris, New Jersey, when the ominous signs of the times warned the colonists that war was in the air. No longer could they tolerate the oppressions of King George III of England, through the Prime minister, Lord North, and when the call to arms from Boston reached the hills and valleys of western New Jersey, Jacob shouldered his flint musket and went off to war.

When he reached his 76th year, Jacob set down for his family his war experiences - experiences that might have been told by thousands of his compatriots, the "little" men who fought the good fight, some like Jacob, to come back to till the soil once again, some to return no more.

Jacob's story starts: "I was born on 11th January 1757, at 9 o'clock at night in Lamington in Somerset County, New Jersey. The only record of my age is in a book of accounts in my possession, which I copied from my father's family bible, which he took with him when he moved to the West.

"I lived at Black River, now called Chester, in the County of Morris, when I first entered the service, and enlisted for 5 months. My first service was in what was called the Flying Camp, as a private under Capt. Nathan Luse, 1st Lieut. William Corwin, 2nd Lieut. George Hager, Ensign Victor King, and the other officers were Col. Ephraim Martin, Lieut. Col. Munson, Quarter-master

Sprowles, John Sapper Sargeant Major, Joseph King Adjutant, and General Sterling. We marched from Chester on the first of July 1776 to Morristown and were there reviewed; each soldier received a bounty of eight dollars. Same day marched on through different places, crossed at Panles Hook and arrived in New York the early part of July. I distinctly recollect being in New York then - that the troops were formed into a hollow square and made three cheers, with their hats off, when the declaration of independence was proclaimed to us; think there was from 10,000 to 15,000 troops assembled.

"We continued in the city and on Long Island until the battle of Flat Bush, which I think was in the latter part of August, I know it was after harvest time. In the battle Col. Martin was wounded with a musket ball in shoulder & I was also wounded with one, being a glancing shot on the side of my head. The ball made two holes in my hat and took the skin and flesh off the side of my head to the bone, and left a mark, which is still plainly visible. I bled so much and got so weak as hardly to be able to walk. We considered that Lord Sterling was a little treacherous and were glad that he was taken prisoner.



After the battle we returned to New York and laid there for some time during which the Jersey Blues & Riflemen and 12 of our Flying Camp, of which I was one, had a little squabble with the enemy - they had landed a few of their troops to plague us. Then we marched to White Plains where we had a battle with the enemy, this was in the fall of the year, which I recollect from the farmers being engaged in husking corn.

"We then marched to Tarrytown, near the river, & encampt on the high ground near the town. There we had orders and marched to King's ferry, crossed there one night, then had orders to hurry down to Fort lee, which we did to reinforce Fort Washington but when we arrived it was too late. We then, after some time, marched to Newark, Elizabethtown, Woodbridge, New Brunswick & Six Mile River in New Jersey, where our time being up, we were discharged 3 Dec. 1776, being 5 months from the time we were received at New York, and I arrived home in Morris County on the 5th.

"I had not been home a month when the militia of the county was all classed into two classes. This was in January, 1777, which I recollect from its being very soon after the Hollow-days.

"I volunteered, despising the idea of being compelled to go, and having been delighted with a soldiers life in the 5 months service. I went out 1 month as a private under Capt. Stark. We laid with the whole brigade among the farms back of Woodbridge, toward New Brunswick. During the month we took 800 cattle and sheep from the British, who had kept them under a guard of 12 men at Woodbridge. We fired on the guard and they left them, then we drove them back in the country. It was advertised for all that had had them stolen to come in and take their own, which was done and the rest chiefly sold and consumed by the soldiers, and disposed of for their benefit. I recall that we had a good deal of snow.

"I was home but 5 days when I went a month more as substitute for my father, Conrad Rush, under Capt. Smith. We joined Col. Seeleys Regt. At Elizabeth-town and was all the month at or about that place. We had one alarm during the month, the British came over and fired at us, but none killed. I got home in March and I recollect it was very sloppy and muddy.

"I continued at home until the 1st of May when there was another call of half the militia and I volunteered and was out 1 month as a private in Capt. Jones Company. We laid at Woodbridge and part of the time at Elizabeth-town. During the month we were over on the island and had a little brush with the British who attacked our rearguard on the way home. No one killed and I returned home in June.

"I continued at home until we got our harvest in and had commenced at the hay in bottom meadows, about the first part of August 1777, when I volunteered again upon a call of half the Militia, and I was out 1 month again as a private under Capt. Dickerson and was at Elizabeth-town about half the time, and the remainder of the month at Woodbridge and Boundbrook, and that neighborhood.



"When our month was up I sent word to my father that if he would bring me some clothes down, I'd stay in his place the next month, which he was glad to do, and I was equally pleased to stay. I had now got so delighted with a soldiers life, and loved my country so well, that I had come to the conclusion that I had rather any day fight for my country than eat. I staid the month out and returned home early in October, before husking time came. (Ed. Note: It is interesting to read that farmer Jacob uses the sowing and reaping seasons as his measurement of time).

"My next term was for 1 month as a private under Capt. Smith. We marched to New Windsor in New York and returned the last of November. I recollect the weather being middling cold. While we were there we heard of the Battle of Germantown.

"I staid at home until just after the Holler-days, in January 1778, when I again volunteered as a private and served 1 month under Capt. Sowers. We went to Bottle Hill and laid the whole month there and in that neighborhood.

Upon my return home in February 1778, William Smith, Elisha Drake and myself made it up that we had rather fight for our country all the time, rather than be off and on so often, and we wrote to Gov. Livingston that if hed send Smith a commission as Captain, Drake as Lieutenant & myself as Ensign, that we would enlist a full company and serve for 3 years. He wrote back for us to go on and enlist 45 or 50 men and he would send us the commissions. We immediately commenced, had........Plains in Morris County as our place of Rondervous, and soon enlisted the required complement, wrote to the Governor informing him that we had enlisted the men for 3 years, if we all lived, for guard and sentry duty and scouting partys, & called Rangers, but if either of us died the men were to be at liberty to return or continue, as they pleased. We got our commissions by return of mail as Rangers, Smith as Captain, Drake as Lieut. And myself Ensign. We went on and by the 20th March 1778, we h!
ad 72 men enlisted. We marched to Morristown and thence to army near Elizabeth-town, to Gen. Dickens & Gen. Hurd, who commanded the militia at that place. They approved of us and professed themselves well pleased with us. General Washington also afterwards fully approved of us as Rangers and we continued busily engaged, going out night after night, on scouting parties. I recollect distinctly we were at Springfield when we heard of the battle of Monmouth in June. We were at Bottle Hill about the 1st of April which I recollect from them just beginning to plow for oats and flax and were there at Springfield until after June. Several times we were close to the enemys lines and they fired on us and we on them. On one occasion one of our men and 2 of theirs were killed. We continued in that same district of country, moving about continually until the month of September, when we marched to Newark. We were in Newark and in that vicinity about a month. Then we marched back and were!
at and about Elizabeth-town until the last of November. While there w
e had a little scratch with the British, a good deal of powder but not much loss of life on either side. One of our men was wounded and several of the British. They was layin at night, when no moon, along the fence on the road from Elizabeth-town to Morristown, in ambush. Our company got close by them when one of their men coughed, they immediately raised and fired, but understanding their manuver, we fell as they raised - they shot over us, we then routed them. About the 1st of December we marched to Bottle Hill and staid there under command of Gen. Wines, whose quartermaster drew provisions for us until January 1779. While there we had several little skirmishes with foraging parties. Towards the last of January our company went to Woodbridge, thence to Amboy, or rather the neighborhood of it. The British drove us from it and we returned to Woodbridge and there joined Gen. Wines again, thence to Bottle Hill,



thence to Springfield and so backwards and forwards, having frequently little scratches with the enemy during the whole Summer season. We were truly Rangers, for we were continually ranging about wherever our services were wanted. In September we were at Springfield where our Captain took sick and died. The Lieut. immediately told the men that the Captain had enlisted, that they were at liberty to go home or stay with us. But they, all except seven, preferred staying and did stay with us.

"A short time afterwards, toward latter part of October and when we had been out exactly 1 year and 7 months from the time we had reported ourselves to Gen. Dickerson and Hurd, we were out on a scout one night when I was taken prisoner. We had got close to the enemy on a dark night before we saw or heard them, and when we turned to escape, I caught my foot in a root & fell down, where they caught me. They kept me in close confinement about 6 weeks and almost starved me to death, destroyed my commission and discharge from the 5 months service, and all my other papers, and often made offers to enlist me, which I refused. At last, seeing no prospect of escaping while confined, I agreed to enlist, and when they came to swear me, I swore to be true to them as long as I served. I continued with them from near to hollowdays when I enlisted, continued to regain strength and performed some duty. Tried to get into favor as much as possible. I went with them every where, they at la!
st trusted me on guard. I knew the country well where we were, having travelled it by night and day. They were then between Bottle Hill and Elizabeth-town. As soon as it was a little dark I determined to leave them and watched my opportunity. I got about 50 steps from my station, looked back and could see no one, and I gave them leg and went in earnest, carrying musket, cartouch box, etc., all with me.

"When I got to our Sentinels they haulted me and I gave myself up as a prisoner, was kept all night and next morning was taken to Gen. Dickerson and Hurd, who both recollected me. To them I told the whole history and they fully applauded me. I shall never forget Gen. Dickerson slapping me on the shoulder and saying he always took me for a soldier, now he was sure of it. They said I must go home and never come out again, that if they caught me again they would massacre me. I was anxious to stay but they would not hear of it. They then made me a discharge and gave me a pass, and I started home. It was the latter part of March when I got home, I know it from the farmers just beginning to plow for oats and flax.

"When I had been home two weeks or there abouts, my desire to get back to the camp was so great that I could neither sleep or rest. I recollect telling my mother, in answer to her objecting to my return, that the British had no bullet with my name on it, and I really thought so."

(Then followed several months of service for himself and father, returning home about New Years Day in very cold weather with plenty of snow on the ground.)

"I continued at home all the remainder of the winter, and the next spring my father removed to Bethlehem, in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. We had just got moved in April, 1781, when we were classed in the Militia and I volunteered and served 1 month under Capt. William Bassett. We started early in May just as they were trying to plant corn, we marched to Boundbrook, thence to Woodbridge and a little time at....., where our time expired and I returned home.



(Spelling is Jacob's own.)



Jacob Rush died on March 4, 1835 and it is believed that he lies in an unmarked grave in the Old Straw Church cemetery, Lopatcong twp., Warren County, New Jersey, where eleven other Revolutionary War soldiers are buried. Peggy Warne chapter, DAR, marked this cemetery with a plaque in 1934.


















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