F 144 
 .N5 U3 
 Copy 1 
 
Commanders of New Brunswick's Navy in 
 the War of the Revolution. 
 
 • •• 13 T ••• , 
 
 JOHN P. WALL. 
 
 Reprinted from the Minutes of the New Hrunswick Historical Club, 
 Meeting of January 19, 1905. 
 
 THE TIMES PUBLISHINO COMPANY. 
 190.5 
 
H^-w^ 
 
 Gift 
 \ uthor 
 
Commanders of New Brunswick's Navy in 
 the War of the Revolution. 
 
 At the outbreak of the Revolution we 
 find the citizens of New Jersey as- 
 sembling in New Brunswick for the 
 purpose of formulating plans for the 
 protection and support of the new- 
 born Republic. The different counties 
 of the State honored the old town on 
 the Raritan by making ii the meeting 
 place of the first Provincial Council of 
 the State, thereby marking it as one 
 of the spots that should become fam- 
 ous in the annais of New Jersey and 
 American history during this soul-stir- 
 ring period, but for some unaccount- 
 able reason, after this meeting the 
 name of New Brunswick scarcely ap- 
 pears on the pages of our country's his- 
 tory. This is not as it should be, for 
 this old Dutch town played its part, 
 and played it well, notwithstanding the 
 fact that it harbored within its walls 
 an element, wealthy and aristocratic, 
 who exerted an overshadowing influ- 
 ence over their less fortunate neigh- 
 bors, with the result that it was almost 
 impossible to tell "who were for or 
 against the patriotif' cause. Those of 
 wealth were avowed Tories, and were 
 to be feared, and although New Bruns- 
 wick has always held its own in the 
 patriotic cause, it must be admitted 
 that a number of its citizens who took 
 the oath of alle^'ance. were ever 
 treacherous subjects of a Repub- 
 lic they iiad sworn to support. 
 
 When this fact is taken into consid- 
 eration, it seems beyond reason to be- 
 lieve that New Brunswick should be- 
 come the harbor from which a band of 
 patriots sped forth from night after 
 night to harass the enemy and de- 
 
 stroy its shipping along the Long Is- 
 land and New Jersey shore. Yet this 
 is so, and I have taken the liberty to 
 style the men who undertook those en- 
 terprises as the "Commanders of New 
 Brunswick's Navy in the Revolution." 
 
 They were Captains Marriner, Hyler, 
 Dickie and Storer, and although they 
 were not connected directly with the 
 army or naval arms of the Republic, 
 they made such havoc along the coast 
 that their names became a byword. A 
 few of their exploits will show the 
 manner in which they conducted their 
 campaign. 
 
 On June 11, 1777, Marriner and Lieu- 
 tenant John Schenck, of the militia, 
 and twenty-six picked men, crossed 
 from New Brunswick to Flatbush in 
 tw^o flat bottom boats, arriving at their 
 destination about eleven o'clock in the 
 evening, ivlarriner states that the rea- 
 son this season was chosen was be- 
 cause there w^as no fishing on the 
 beach at night. Twenty-iour of the 
 party landed and two were left to take 
 care of the boats. The party marched 
 to the church unobserved, and divided 
 into four squaas. determined to take 
 Colonel Axtell. Mayor Matthews, who 
 divided his time between the village 
 and Wew York city, and Messrs. Sher- 
 brook and Bache. Each party was sup- 
 plied with a heavy post for breaking 
 doors. It was agreed that when the 
 party detached for Colonel Axtell 
 struck his door, each party should do 
 the same at the other houses. This 
 was done to admiration and every door 
 yielded at the first stroKO. Colonel 
 Axtell and Mayor Matthews were in 
 
New York, but Sherbrook and Bache 
 
 were taken. There was a bitter feel- 
 ing between bherbrook and Marriner 
 and as a sort of a balm for past injur- 
 ies appropriated ail of Sherbrook's be- 
 longings as his share of the plunder. 
 Sherbrook resided at the house of Geo. 
 Martense. At the first stroke on the 
 aoor, he fled to the garret, where he 
 was found benind a large Dutch chim- 
 ney, with his breeches in his hand. He 
 was taken to the church, the place of 
 rendezvous, where he put on his 
 clothes, and aiier the men were mus- 
 tered, all returned to the boats about 
 daybreak, arriving in New Brunswick 
 without further incident. 
 
 Some time after Marriner made an- 
 other attack. At his landing he left ' 
 his boats under guard of five men, | 
 while ne visited the interior, but the j 
 guard hearing a firing, which was kept 
 up on Marriner by the Flatbush 
 guards, while he was taking his pris- 
 oners, concluded that he was taken, ' 
 so without ceremony, they took one of 
 the boats and made their escape. The 
 o'her boat, as Marriner reached the 
 shore, was just going adrift. The 
 I arty was much crowded in her, but it 
 was fortunately very calm, otherwise 
 the boat could not have weathered it. 
 Marriner's party staid over two hours 
 in Flatbush, for they were there some 
 time before an alarm was given, and 
 there was afterward time to dispatch 
 an express to Brooklyn, who brought 
 a detachment of the 35th Regiment un- 
 der the command of Captain Drew. 
 Marriner had wished to liberate his 
 friend, Captain John Flahaven, of the 
 New Jersey militia, who was billeted 
 on Jacob Suydam, but as he had chang- 
 ed quarters Lieutenant Forrest was 
 taken in his stead. One of the most 
 noted prisoners captured by Marriner 
 was taken on this raid in the person of 
 Major Moncrieff, of the British army. 
 He took his capture in the best of spir- 
 its, and said that it was one of the 
 chances of war and as it was his mis- 
 fortune to fall into the hands of the 
 enemy, he was going to make the best 
 of the situation. He was the father of 
 the famous beauty, and first love of 
 
 Aaron Burr, Marguerite Moncrieff, who 
 later married John Coglon, an officer 
 in the British service. Her married life 
 was not of the most pleasant kind, so ' 
 she left Coglon, went to London and 
 later became one of the most noted 
 characters in Europe, spending most ; 
 of her time in Paris. | 
 
 It was deemed impossible for Marri- ' 
 ner to march to Flatbush unobserved 
 by the people. Therefore those who 
 knew or had seen the party were ac- 
 cused of treason, for not giving the 
 alrm. Col. Van Brunt, his brother Ad- 
 raiu. Rem Van Pelt, his brother Aert, 
 were taken on suspicion and confined 
 separately in the provost. Col. VanBrunt 
 when arrested, took the precaution of 
 providing himself with a purse of gold, 
 and inquired of the sergeant of the 
 provost if he could furnish him good 
 provisions for breakfast, dinner and 
 supper. The sergeant said yes, he was 
 given a guinea and sent the fare by 
 his wife. The colonel also gave her 
 a guinea to provide food for his fel- 
 low prisoners and inquired how they 
 fared. The woman returned and said 
 they were fearful and sad. The col- 
 onel begged of the sergeant an oppor- 
 tunity of seeing his neighbors private- 
 ly. They were brought in about mid- 
 night, and agreed to deny all knowl- 
 edge of the affair. At the examination, 
 which was separate, all agreed in their 
 story. Nothing appeared against them 
 so they were discharged. The ser- 
 geant and his wife received a liberal 
 reward for their kindness. 
 
 On November 3, 1778, Marriner with 
 seven men of I ord Stirling's division 
 landed at New Utrecht and brought off 
 Simon and Jacques Cortelyou, two fa- 
 mous Tories, specie and other prop- 
 erty to the amount of $5,000. The pri- 
 soners were taken to New Brunswick 
 wherp they were paroled and later on 
 exchanged for two officers of the New 
 Jersey line. Marriner kept up this 
 method of warfare whenever opportu- 
 nity afforded, until he was finally cap- 
 tured and paroled. 
 
 William Marriner was a shoemaker 
 by trade, but at the outbreak of hos- 
 tilities joined Lord Stirling's regiment. 
 
He was of a most daring and adventur- 1 
 ous spirit and as a result was given a 
 free swing in his manner of harrassing ' 
 the British. In this his success was ] 
 phenomenal, but like everything hu- 
 man, it had its end, which came when 
 he was captured on one of his raiding 
 expeditions on the Long Island coast. 
 
 Marriner was one of the prizes the 
 
 British were anxious to capture. He 
 
 was obroxious to the New York mag- 
 
 istra es, ard would not have been ex- 
 
 ■lai.. ed by General Clinton had not 
 
 oloiiel Simcoe explained that he had 
 ?.ved his life, when a soldier was 
 ': out to 'layone him as he lay sense- 
 
 -■ on the :round. After the close 
 : ihe war. Marriner went to live in 
 
 }w Yoik. where he kept a public 
 
 .u.-e on John street, near Nassau. He 
 
 e;'. m 1814, age 85, from injuries re- 
 :^- ;)y 'leing thrown from his wa- 
 gon. 
 
 lairiner now introduces us to two 
 
 01 e of New Brunswick's navy. On 
 '.li] 1. l^Sl, the papers contained an 
 account of the capture of a sloop off 
 the Coney Island shore, by two whale 
 boats. Marriner as usual was credit- 
 ed with the act. to which he made a 
 vigorous protest, which the following 
 letter shows: 
 
 Brunswick, April 24, '81. 
 To Mr. Loring: 
 
 Sir — In a New York paper it is said 
 I was concerned in taking a sloop. 
 Such a report is without foundation. I 
 am on parole, which I shall give the 
 strictest attention to. She was taken 
 by Hyler £ind Dickie. 
 
 Yours, etc., 
 WILLIAM MARRINER. 
 
 Captain Dickie was one of the as- 
 sociates of iviarriner. He was fearless 
 and commanded numerous expeditions, 
 which left tnis city under the direc- 
 tion of Marriner and later on by his 
 -v.cresvov. Captain Hyler. He was not 
 ns active as his associates, but could 
 be depended on to carry out any in- 
 3'ructions that were given to him. 
 
 The rapture and parole of Marriner 
 rem.oved him from all active participa- 
 tion in any more raids, so one of the 
 best known of New Brunswick's Re- 
 
 volutionary names comes to the front. 
 It is Captain Adam Hyler. He was 
 one of the most daring American offi- 
 cers in this part of the country, and 
 had the rare laculty of infusing into 
 his men his own spirit of venture and 
 daring. His usual plan was to glide 
 out of his hiding place, pass quickly 
 down the river, make his captures and 
 leturn . The enemy having heavier 
 vessels, did not dare to follow, owing 
 to the shallow and treacherous chan- 
 nel of the river. A few of his exploits 
 v>ill prove him to be a patriot whose 
 memory should be perpetuated. 
 
 On Sunday night, April 15, 1781, he 
 
 ent over to Long Island and brought 
 off a Hessian Major and ensign with 
 heir waiters. The following week he 
 raptured the pilot boat of Captain Da- 
 vid Morris, and two other boats be- 
 ween Robins Reef and Yellow Hook. 
 Morris's boat was plundered and later 
 on ransomed for $400. 
 
 On June 14 he took two of his whale 
 noats and visited Nicholas Schenck, a 
 Tory, who lived about three miles 
 south of Flatbush and took away every 
 thing he could carry in the line of plate 
 and money. On the same evening he 
 surprised the guards at Captain 
 Schenck's. He seized the arms, and 
 after jesting with the guard, borrowed 
 the silver spoons, took all the musk- 
 ets and a few other articles and made 
 one prisoner. He then sent the guard 
 to report themselves to Colonel Axtell. 
 On the night of August 4, 1781. Hyler 
 .vith his wonted spirit of enterprise, 
 went over to Long Island, marched 
 about three and a half miles into the 
 country, carried off Colonel Lott and 
 two slaves. The colonel was known 
 
 o be rich. His person and money 
 were the objects desired. His cup- 
 board was searched for money and 
 -ome silver found. On further search 
 two bags, supposed to contain about 
 
 3.000 in gold, were discovered. In the 
 morning, on their passage up the Rari- 
 tan, Hyler and bis crew agreed to 
 count and divide the guineas. The 
 bags were opened and to tae mortifica- 
 tion of the crew were found to contain 
 only half-pennies, belonging to the 
 
 
 
church at Flatlands. A contented 
 smile seemed to steal over the face of 
 the colonel as he discovered that his 
 guineas were safe at home. Hyler 
 compelled the colonel to ransom his 
 negroes when he returned home on 
 parole. Captain Lott and John Han- 
 Idns, a captain of a vessel, were also 
 captured the same evening. 
 
 The British were hot after Hyler and 
 exerted every means to effect his cap- 
 ture. On January 7, 1782, a party of in- 
 fantry, under the command of Captain 
 Beckwith, embarked in six boats from 
 New York and arrived in New Bruns- 
 wick about five o'clock the following 
 morning, where they landed and 
 brought off all of Hyler's boats. This 
 was a hard blow to the venturesome 
 captain, but a little thing like that did 
 not discourage i..m. Not at all, he just 
 went to work to rebuild his little navy 
 and on February 21st he launche 1 a 
 ne V boat, rowing thirty oars. Early 
 in July we find him back at his old 
 tricks again. On the eleventh of the 
 month he captured two fish'n.;^ boats 
 near tie Narrows. They were afttr- 
 wards ransomed at one hundr-'si dol- 
 lars each, I 
 
 On July 21st, Hyh^r, with Captain 
 Dickie, and three lar^-e twenty-louj- 
 caied boats made an attack on th-^ gal- 
 ley stationed at Princess Bay. There 
 being little or no wind he came upon 
 tlio enemy wiih a good deal of rcsolu- 
 Tiori. but the British guns w^jre too 
 heavy lor him. Captai^^ Cusnn.an. of 
 the galley Lt.ition, gave him an '•-i'i!.'^- 
 een pound shot, which went through 
 the stern of one of the boats and ob- 
 liged Huyler to put ashore on the Is- 
 land, where after a sharp combat he 
 was obliged to leave one of his boats 
 
 and make the best of his way home 
 with the other two. On his way up, 
 John Altliouse, who had charge of a 
 guard boat, spied the two boats under 
 the South Amboy shore. It was calm. 
 A twenty-four pound ball was sent 
 through Hyler's boat, his crew was 
 taken into Captain Dickie's and all 
 made off for New Brunswick with Gen- 
 eral Jacob Jackson, whom they cap- 
 tured in bouth Bay and kept prisoner 
 until he was ransom^ed. This was 
 about the last raid that Hyler made, 
 as he iccidentally wounded himself in 
 the knee while cleaning his gun, which 
 resulted in his aeath, Septem- 
 ber, 6, 1782, after a tedious and 
 painful illness, which he bore with all 
 the fortitude of a soldier. His many 
 enterprising acts endeared him to the 
 patriotic portion of his acquaintances. 
 He was survived by a wife and two 
 children. His remains were interred 
 with all the honors of war, in the 
 Dutch graveyard. 
 
 Hyler was at one time connected with 
 the royal service. His death removed 
 the principal leader from this band of 
 free lances. His place was taken by 
 Captain Storer, who was commissioned 
 as the captain of a private boat of 
 war. under the States. He promised 
 fair to be a genuine successor of Hy- 
 ler, but the spirit of venture in Hyler's 
 men died with him. They either went 
 i^.'^o the regular service or drifted to 
 other scenes of excitement and it was 
 not long before New Brunswick's small 
 but active and destructive navy be- 
 came a matter of unrecorded history. 
 It deserved a better fate and the time 
 has arrived when the deeds of New 
 Brunswick's sons and their associates 
 ought to be looked up and preserved 
 for posterity. 
 
LB D '05 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
 014 207 135 6