Life in Trenton in September and early October 1776 continued to become increasingly complicated as the military activity of the Revolution intensified and came nearer to the town. Men struggled to maintain their families while dealing with many complications. There was also an increasing fear of the military activity becoming a direct threat to their community.
Throughout September, the Trenton residents witnessed the creation of the new state government for New Jersey. At the same time, they had family members serving in a variety of ways and intensities with the military forces confronting the British attempt to seize New York for use as its headquarters for pursuit of the war to prevent independence of the 13 North American colonies. In the same instant others were protecting New Jersey from British foraging attacks in the northern part of the state.
Sergeant John Dougherty of Captain William Tucker’s company was serving a Flying Camp tour near the New Blazing Star Ferry, connecting New Jersey to Staten Island, in early September when an accidental discharge of his musket put the ball through his right hand. A tailor by trade, this wound rendered Dougherty unable to earn a living. There was no system yet to compensate him for this wound, so Captain Tucker wrote a note for Dougherty to take to the new General Assembly in the hope that they would take him under “further care.” It is not clear that they did.
Innkeeper Henry Drake was another Trenton resident who returned home from military service during September and found himself in a difficult situation. He had been serving in the five-month levies as a “volunteer lieutenant.” He had not been a commissioned officer in the levies, just a civilian volunteer, who had joined to serve for just two months, not five. His two months of service ended coincidentally just after the disastrous Battle of Long Island where he and other Trenton men saw heavy action at the end of August. During his two months with the army, Drake had not requested or accepted any pay or rations from the army. He now considered himself free to go home after donating two months of military service. However, the number of desertions from the army increased greatly after the defeat at Long Island and his departure was seen as desertion. Drake found himself accused of leaving without permission and was court martialed on September 26 not long after the battle of Harlem Heights. Drake’s fellow Trenton innkeeper Ensign Joseph Clunn served as adjutant for the five-month regiment and supported Drake’s defense. After suffering through a trial, Drake was acquitted, but his case indicated just how confused things were at that time.
At the time of Drake’s service and trial several Trenton men including John Anderson and nineteen-year-old Isaac Reed were out on militia duty with Trenton’s Captain John Mott in northeastern New Jersey guarding against any British incursions. Towards the end of September, General Philemon Dickinson informed Governor Livingston that the heavy calls upon his militiamen and the departure of their supporting troops, such as the Pennsylvania militia, sent to aid New Jersey was making it very difficult to get the next one-month rotation of the New Jersey militia to turn out.
Because so many men had been removed from the regular militia to serve in the five-month levies, the monthly rotation for active duty within it could not help but be difficult. The regular militia structure became very confused. When militia “division one” was called out for its second tour in October, Lieutenant John Fitch, the Trenton metal craftsman, was apparently appointed by Colonel Isaac Smith to lead one of the three makeshift composite companies. Because only two captains had turned out, Smith wanted Lieutenant Fitch to command the third company. However, several key men opposed this appointment and recommended Ralph Jones, a younger man, to command the company. Colonel Smith left it to a vote of the regiment officers, who chose Jones. Fitch’s response was to let Colonel Smith know that he would not serve under Jones. Fitch did not question Smith’s authority but intended to appeal the situation to the Committee of Safety. Instead of appealing, however, he offered his services to Colonel Smith as his adjutant. When Smith rather brusquely declined Fitch’s offer, Fitch did not attend muster in Trenton, causing Colonel Smith to order Captain Tucker not to recognize Fitch as an officer and elect another lieutenant to command the company without a captain. Despite the frantic need for the militia active service, Fitch asked for a court-martial that never took place and eventually just dropped away from active militia duty to concentrate on creating muskets for Patriot forces. He felt doing that would be a greater contribution to the cause.
After passing a September 19 law requiring people renounce British authority and take an oath of allegiance to the new State, October then saw the new government of New Jersey pass a law outlawing any verbal or written statement, or any action geared to “maintain and defend the authority, jurisdiction or power of the King or Parliament of Great-Britain, heretofore claimed or used within this State.” Violation could result in a fine of up to £300. Repeat offenders would be “set in the pillory, and imprisoned for any term not exceeding one year.” Also prohibited were actions contemptuous of the State government or Continental Congress, or “which will encourage disaffection, or manifestly tend to raise tumults and disorders in the State,” or “maliciously and advisedly spread such false rumours” concerning military affairs, or attempt to “alienate the affections of the people from the government.” Anyone judged potentially dangerous by any two justices of the peace could be summoned by the justices and required to take an oath of abjuration.
Obtaining and keeping enough men in the Flying Camp to carry out its functions was clearly a continuous problem. A General Return of the Flying Camp on October 8 shows Trenton Colonel Isaac Smith’s Regiment at Woodbridge. This was, of course, a combined regiment of officers and men from both the First and Third Hunterdon regiments and it looks like there were four companies and a total of 221 privates. Illness was a serious problem and 25 privates in Smith’s regiment were sick, while three were on furlough. Among the First Hunterdon militiamen included on that return was Trentonian Joshua Furman of Captain Mott’s company, then out on duty in the vicinity of the Blazing Star Ferry near Elizabethtown.