the origin of the pineys a local history legend (updated version)

7/21/2019 The Origin of the Pineys a Local History Legend (Updated Version)

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The Origin of the "Pineys":A Local History Legend

David Steven Cohen

Despite its great size -- ao!t one illion acres or one-#fth of the thestate$s land area -- there has al%ays een soething el!sive ao!t the &e% 'ersey Pine (arrens) &aed for its doinant tree species* the pitch pine+Pinus rigida,* the region is a osaic of s%aps* ogs* arshes* and forestsof oa* cedar* and pine) (elo% its sandy* poro!s soil is the Cohansey A.!ifer*an !ndergro!nd reservoir of fresh %ater) The region has een called a"arrens*" eca!se the initial ipression of /!ropeans %as that is %as nots!itale for faring) Today soe people prefer the ter Pinelands* or siply"the Pines)" The very o!ndaries of the region are vag!e* in part eca!se

vegetation regions* soil zones* and c!lt!re areas do have not e0acto!ndaries) The region has een deliited di1erent at di1erent ties) 2nl3l4 otanist 'ohn 5) Harsherger apped the region according tovegetation) On the east he dre% the o!ndary line 6!st %est of (arnegat (ay*on the so!th%est %ell north of Dela%are (ay* and on the north %ell into7ono!th Co!nty) The Pinelands &ational 8eserve* created y the 9nitedStates Congress in 3;<* di1ers signi#cantly fro Harsherger$s Pine(arrens) The 8eserve incl!des parts of (arnegat (ay and Long (each 2sland*the arrier island east of (arnegat (ay) On the so!th it reaches to the shoreof Dela%are (ay* !t only as far %est as the 7a!rice 8iver) On the northeastit e0cl!des the so!thern part of 7ono!th Co!nty incl!ded y Harsherger)

Harsherger$s ap follo%ed nat!ral o!ndaries* %hile the ap of thePinelands &ational 8eserve !ses high%ays as o!ndaries in soe place)

https://independent.academia.edu/wwwtalkinghistoryorgCohenhtml

https://independent.academia.edu/wwwtalkinghistoryorgCohenhtml



'ohn 5) Harsherger* The Vegetation of the New Jersey Pine-Barrens: An EcologicalInvestigation +Philadelphia: Chrisopher So%er Co)* 34,

5hen follorist Herert Halpert collected foltales and folsongs in the Pineset%een l3=4 and l3>* he con#ned his #eld%or to Ocean Co!nty and theeastern part of (!rlington Co!nty) His rationale %as that the region north ofthe 7!llica 8iver %as not s!ited for agric!lt!re and therefore %as the tr!ePine (arrens)? Ho%ever* %hen the Aerican @ollife Center of the Lirary of



Congress cond!cted the Pinelands @ollife Pro6ect in the fall of l3<=* they!sed the o!ndaries of the Pinelands &ational 8eserve) The point is not thatone set of o!ndaries is right and the other %rong it is that the region has

een perceived di1erent y di1erent people at di1erent ties)

http:BB%%%)!sgennet)orgB!saBn6Bco!ntyBatlanticBPinelandsBiagesBpinelands)gif

As el!sive as the region are the people no%n as the "Pineys)" 'aniceSher%ood of @ored 8iver* one of the fo!nding eers of the PinelandsC!lt!re Society* says: "5e 6!st #g!re if yo! gotta as %hat a Piney is* thenyo! haven$t een there long eno!gh to #g!re it o!t) (!t 2 thin a Piney is 6!sta little it deeper in the %oods than yo! are)" Social distinctions are ipliedin the c!rrent fol terinology: the "Pineys" are those %ho live in the interior*the "Cla Diggers" are the ayen along the coast* and the "8oc '!pers"are the farers so!th of the 7!llica 8iver)= 2n the late l3=s and early 3>s*%hen Herert Halpert ased %ho %ere the Pineys* he %as told that Pineys

lived f!rther so!th* !ntil he reached a point in his travels %hen he %as toldthat the Pineys lived f!rther north) Then no one adittted to eing a Piney) Today people fro all over so!thern &e% 'ersey call theselves Pineys) There are even "Piney Po%er" !per sticers and !ttons)

http://www.usgennet.org/usa/nj/county/atlantic/Pinelands/images/pinelands.gif

http://www.usgennet.org/usa/nj/county/atlantic/Pinelands/images/pinelands.gif



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The nae has had a shifting referent) Soe failies that have lived only oneor t%o generations in so!thern &e% 'ersey have adopted a "Piney" identity)@or e0aple* 'oe and Eeorge Alert* t%o rothers fro Sayreville in northcentral &e% 'ersey* fre.!ently visited the region on h!nting and #shinge0peditions) 2n 3=3 'oe Alert oved to 5areto%n to live in a cain he !iltthere) 2n the late 3Fs Eeorge Alert retired and oved in %ith his rother) Their cain* no%n as the "Old Hoe Place*" ecae the location of a %eely!sical gathering no%n as the "Sat!rday &ight 'aoree)" @ro thisinforal gathering evolved in 3;F the Pinelands C!lt!ral Society* %hichholds %eely perforances feat!ring local !sicians* incl!ding a string andno%n as the Pineconers) Eladys /ayre of the Pineconers is a descendant of

an old so!thern &e% 'ersey faily) Sa H!nt* the an6o player in thePineconers* %as 'oe and Eeorge Alert$s h!nting g!ide* !t he %as not ornin the Pine (arrens he oved to the (arnegat (ay vicinity as a oy)>

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http://www.princetoninfo.com/files/moreinfo/Sat._Night_Express.jpg



http://www.princetoninfo.com/files/moreinfo/Sat._Night_Express.jpg



The connotation of the nae "Piney" also has changed) Thro!gho!t thenineteenth cent!ry and %ell into the t%entieth* the nae had a negativeconnotation) 2t %as in !se as early as <44* %hen E) T) Le (o!tillier* a st!dent

at Princeton %ho %as sent as a issionary to the village of Shaong* %roteto 8ev) Allen H) (ro%n of the Presyterian Ch!rch in 7ays Landing:

The people %ho inhait this region are the original* %hohave long resided here and ne% coers %ho are rapidlyestalishing to%ns and villages here and there thro!gho!t it) The forer* coonly called "Pinies" are a sparse pop!lationliving and otaining a livelihood y aing charcoal* gatheringcranerries and h!cleerries for the arets) They are sadlyignorant* and s!perstitio!s* and degraded)F

A fe% years earlier* in <F3 5) @) 7ayer* %riting in the Atlantic Monthly * !sedthe ter "Pine 8ats" to refer to the people residing in the Pine (arrens) Hedescried the in the ost derogatory ters)

Copletely esotted and r!tish in their ignorance* they areincapale of otaining an honest living* and have s!pportedtheselves* fro a tie %hich ay e called ieorial* ypractising petty larceny on an organized plan) The Pine rat steals%ood* steals gae* steals cranerries* steals anything* in fact*that his hand can e laid !pon and %oe to the property of thean %ho dares attept to restrain hi)



Piney faily* Photo y Harry Dorer*Co!rtesy of &e%ar P!lic Lirary

The residents of the so!thern &e% 'ersey interior did not #t neatly into7ayer$s 'e1ersonian vision of idyllic farsteads* and so he advocated theirreoval fro the landscape)

5e shall not s!1er his copany !ch longer in this %orld*

-- poor* neglected* pitiale* darened so!l that he is* this fello%-citizen of o!rs) He !st ove on for civilization* lie a stern*prosaic policean* %ill have no idlers in the past) There !st eno vagrants* not even in the forest) ) ) 5e !st have fars here*and happy hoesteads* and orchards* ) ) ) instead of silent aislesand aven!es of o!rnf!l pine-trees* sheltering s!ch forlornicreations as o!r poor cranerry-stealing friendsG ) ) ) There isno roo for a gypsy in all o!r %ide AericaG The PineI 8at !stfollo% the 2ndian* -- !st fade lie reath fro a %indo%pane in%interG4

Other ters %ere less o1ensive) An <3 article ao!t "'ersey lightning"+apple6ac, in a (!rlington Co!nty ne%spaper !ses the nae "Pine-ha%ers)"

2n So!thapton* %here apple6ac is plenty and pine-ha%ers n!ero!s* it is invarialy prescried for chills and fever*grippe* co!ghs* colds and nervo!s prostration) O%ley Leon*



ing of the pine-ha%ers* %ho is no% ;4 years of age* has eendrining apple6ac reg!larly ever since the Civil 5ar roe o!t*and even no% can drin a .!art per day %itho!t the slightest

incovenience) ) ) ) Despite his years* he can ic higher* dancelonger and stand ore e0pos!re than any an in So!thapton)

2n an l<3= article on "'erseyiss" in ialect Notes* @rancis () Lee incl!ded theter "piners*" %hich he de#ned as "those %ho live in the 'ersey pines -- the$ridge$ sections +eastern and so!thern, of the state)" According to an <3>article in !ar"er#s New Monthly Maga$ine* "the ter $piners$ is synonyo!s%ith the ter $poor %hites$ in the So!th)";

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/lizaeth S) Jite* a sta1 eer of the Kineland Training School* ade

reference oth to "Pineys" and "Pine 8ats" in an article she %rote in 3=)

They are no%n as the "Pineys" or "Pine 8ats" and arerecognized as a distinct people y the noral co!nities livingon the orders of their forests* altho!gh their anner of livingaro!ses neither s!rprise nor interest* having al%ays een taen

http://lorrainestheplaza.0catch.com/ElizaKite1917C.jpg

http://lorrainestheplaza.0catch.com/ElizaKite1917C.jpg



.!ite as a atter of co!rse)

7iss Jite %as the #eld%orer on the 3= st!dy of "the heredity of

feeleindedness" in the Jallia faily) This st!dy %as cond!cted y theKineland Training School !nder the direction of Henry H) Eoddard follo%ingthe approach #rst !sed in the l<;s in the fao!s '!es st!dy of genetics ofcriinology in !pstate &e% or) The nae "Jallia" %as a pse!dony !sedto protect the identity of the real faily* !t it %as generally ass!ed thatthe faily %as fro the &e% 'ersey Pine (arrens) Psychologist ') David Sithhas proven concl!sively that the Jallia faily lived in H!nterdon Co!nty*%ell to the north of the Pine (arrens)<

The association of the Jallia st!dy %ith the Pineys ay have steedfro the fact that 7iss Jite %rote an article ao!t the Pineys !sing a siilar

approach) 2n it she reinforced the stereotype of the Pineys as shiftless anddegenerate) "The real Piney*" she %rote:

has no inclination to laor* s!itting to every privation in orderto avoid it) Lazy* l!stf!l and c!nning* he is a degeneratecreat!re %ho has learned to provide for hiself the arenecessities of life %itho!t entering into life$s sti!lating str!ggle)Lie the degenerated relative of the cra that ages ago gave !pa free roving life and* gl!ing its head to a roc* !ilt a %all ofdefense aro!nd itself* spending the rest of its life icing foodinto its o!th and en6oying the f!nctionings of reprod!ction* the

Piney and all the rest of his type have ecoe arnacles !pono!r civilization* all the higher f!nctions of %hose anhood haveeen atrophied thro!gh dis!se)

2n later years 7iss Jite attepted to odify the harshness of her stereotypeof the Pineys) 2n 3> she told follorist Herert Halpert* "&othing %o!ld givee greater pleas!re than to correct the idea that has !nfort!nately eengiven y the ne%spapers regarding a ost terrile calaity that thene%spaper p!licity too the ter and gave it the degenerate sting)"3 Halpert did not confront 7iss Jite %ith her %ords %ritten t%enty-seven yearsearlier)

Associated %ith the nae "Piney" is the legend ao!t the origins of thepeople of the Pine (arrens) The developent of this legend can e tracedthro!gh %ritten so!rces) 2n fact* there is no evidence that the legend eitheroriginated in or %ent into oral tradition) 2t %as created and s!stained ylocal historians and pop!lar %riters) Th!s* it is a local-history legend* not a



fol legend) 2 de#ne a local-history legend as a narrative set in the past* thatis loosely or not at all tied to historical doc!entation* and that is elaorated!pon in a chain of %ritten co!nication y local historians) A fol legend*

on the other hand* is transitted y a chain of oral co!nication)

The earliest ention of this local-history legend is in the <F3 article inthe Atlantic Monthly entioned aove) The acco!nt asserts that the Pineys%ere descendants of 8evol!tionary 5ar Tories %ho so!ght ref!ge in the Pine(arrens)

This e0traordinary race of eings are lineal descendants ofthe &e% 'ersey Tories* %ho* d!ring the 8evol!tion* ade thePines their ref!ge* %hence they sallied in perpet!al foraysagainst the fars and d%ellings of the partisans of the opposite

ca!se) Several h!ndred of these fanatical desperadoes adethe forest their hoe* and laid %aste the s!rro!nding to%nshipsy their s!dden raids)

The <3> article in !ar"er#s New Monthly Maga$ine disting!ished et%eenthe "Tory 8ef!gees" and the so-called "Pine 8oers*" %ho cond!cted raidson the s!rro!nding fars fro their ase in the Pines)

The 'ersey Pines %ere #rst ro!ght to the notice of the great %orldeyond the as a place of hiding of any Tory ref!gees d!ringthe %ar for o!r independence) These %ere (ritish loyalists %ho

helped to give 7ono!th Co!nty the character it earned as thechief s!1erer* in that loody contention* of the horrors thatal%ays attend civil %ar)

The a!thor noted that soe of the 8ef!gees %ere &e% 'ersey ilitiaen %hoecae Loyalists* others %ere renegades %ho %ere noinally Loyalists paidy Tories in &e% or to hide in the %oods and pl!nder the co!ntryside* andothers %ere ara!ders %ho escaped fro (ritish vessels to for"picarooning" ands) The 8ef!gees %ere no%n as the "'ersey Ereens" asdistinct fro the &e% 'ersey soldiers in the Continental Ary %ho %erecalled the "'ersey (l!es)"

These precio!s opponents of lierty did not pa!se at triMeslie !rdering sleeping en* !t they %ere charing %hencopared %ith the Pine roers) So desperately ad %erethese roers that they preyed !pon oth sides* and thenaes and deeds of their leader are ept in ind today



thro!gh the legends of old neighorhoods and thetraditions of old failies)

(y the tie of /lizaeth Jite$s 3= article* the legend had gro%n to incl!denot only Tories and Pine 8oers* !t also "$Diso%ned$ @riends* ) ) ) Hessians*8evellers fro 'oseph (onaparte$s Co!rt at (ordento%n* and other So%ers of5ild Oats*" in the %ords of Jite$s s!title) According to Jite* "in the Provinceof &e% 'ersey* it is certain that $diso%ned$ yo!th* cast o!t y the society of@riendsI did in soe cases etae theselves to the loose lives of thed%ellers of the Pines)" 2n addition* she %rote* "after the attle of Trenton*certain Hessian soldiers and other deserters fro the (ritish ary fo!ndsafety in the secl!sion of the Pines* and added still another eleent to tisalready i0ed pop!lation)" @inally* she contended:

2n the gay days %hen Prince 'oseph (onaparte held hisiniat!re co!rt at (ordento%n* any %ere the revels andh!nting parties in the Pines* %hich %ere ind!lged in y theeers of his s!ite) All these revelers cae ac*leaving a train of naeless o1spring to coplicate stillf!rther the i0ed social prole of the Pines* so thattoday* in tracing the ancestry of any partic!lar gro!p* oner!ns !p contin!ally against the ipossiility of provinge0act ancestry)?

2n 3=4 local historian Henry Charlton (ec de#ned the Pineys as those "%ho

lonely in lac of ed!cation* have lived ac in the 'ersey pine %oods* onhidden trails and eside disal s%aps)" He %rote that they are "thedescendants of #rst settlers* og ore iners* l!er-c!tters* glassaers*sailors and soldiers of 5ashington$s tie* Hessians %ho preferred to goaoc in the %oods to ret!rning hoe* andI slaves %ho so!ght strange%ays to celerate their ne%-fo!nd lierty)" /vidently* he %as inM!enced ythe stereotype of the Pineys fostered y /lizaeth Jite and others in hisreference to the Pineys as "the children and grandchildren of those to %hoseveral %ives for one an %as an accepted code)" He reco!nts one legendin partic!lar)

One story* perhaps the ost persistent in this regard* is%ell no%n) A (ritish soldier of good parentage !t %ith!ncertain ideas of living* ecae enaored of a araid ina %ayside tavern and %itho!t the tro!le of a %edding theyecae 6oint proprietors of the place) There cae a failyof eight children all of %ho %ere later fo!nd to have



ental de#ciencies or criinal inclinations) The soldier*tiring of this ode of life* %ent ac to /ngland* arried inhis rightf!l class and egan ane%) At hoe a faily of

three noral children res!lted)=

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This story is s!spicio!sly siilar to the genealogy of the Jallia faily*%hich* according to Henry H) Eoddard* descended fro a soldier %hoEoddard gave the pse!dony 7artin Jallia* Sr)

5hen 7artin Sr)* of the good faily* %as a oy of #fteen* hisfather died* leaving hi %itho!t parental care or oversight) '!st efore attaining his a6ority* the yo!ng an 6oinedone of the n!ero!s ilitary copanies that %ere foredto protect the co!ntry at the eginning of the 8evol!tion)At one of the taverns fre.!ently y the ilitia he et afeele-inded girl y %ho he ecae the father of a

feele-inded son) This child %as given* y its other* thenae of the father in f!ll* and th!s has een handed do%nto posterity the father$s nae and the other$s entalcapacity)>

5hile the soldier in the Jallia st!dy %as on the Aerican side* rather than

http://www.eugenicsarchive.org/images/eugenics/detail/1451-1500/1486d-i-The-Kallikak-Family-A-Study-in-the-Heredity-of-Feeble-Mindedness-i-by-Henry-Herbert-Goddard-selected-pages.jpg








the (ritish side in (ec$s version* the siilarity of the t%o stories s!ggeststhat (ec had piced !p a version of the Jallia legend and applied it to theorigin of the Pineys)

Perhaps the ost %idely read version of the legend is fo!nd in 'ohn 7cPhee$s34; oo The Pine Barrens* %hich originally appeared in the New %or&erMaga$ine) He entions the Tories %ho "Med into the pines d!ring theAerican 8evol!tion) People %ith naes lie (ritton and (ro%er* loyal to theJing* and soeties covered %ith feather and tar* left their hoes inColonial cities and too ref!ge in the Pine (arrens)" He also entions theHessians) "After the (ritish defeats at Trenton and Princeton*" 7cPhee %rote*"Hessian soldiers deserted the (ritish Ary in considerale n!ers* andsoe of the %ent into the Pine (arrens)" He claied* for e0aple* that"Sooy is a Eeran nae ore coon in the pines than Sith)" 7cPhee

also repeated the part of the legend ao!t the N!aers) "Also d!ring theeighteenth cent!ry* %hen the farlands of %estern &e% 'ersey %ere heavilypop!lated %ith N!aers* the Pine (arrens served as a catch asin forN!aers %ho co!ld not live !p to the standards of the N!aer code)" Hecited the 8idg%ay faily as an e0aple) 2n addition* 7cPhee entioned/nglish* 5elsh* and Scots %ho cae priarily y %ay of &e% /ngland*incl!ding the Craner faily said to e descended fro Thoas Craner*the Archishop of Canter!ry* and @rench H!g!entos %ho settled at 7t)7isery* incl!ding the (ozarth faily) Soe lacs "Med fro slavery into thepines*" incl!ding Dr) 'aes Still* the so-called "Doctor of the Pines)" There%ere also descendants of Lenape 2ndians fro the (rotherton 8eservation)

"&!ero!s people in the Pine (arrens today are descended in part* fro2ndians %ho reained) Eeorge Cr!el* a charcoal-aer %ho lived in 'enins &ec* and %ho died there in 34>* %as the great-granson of 2saacCroo* a chief of the Leni Lenape)" @inally* 7cPhee entioned pirates*privateers* s!gglers* and Pine 8oers* incl!ding 'oseph 7!lliner* a leaderof a and of o!tla%s %ho "ecae a legend in the pines)"F



7ap of the (rotherton 2ndian 8eservationhttp:BBliiages)princeton)ed!Bloris?Be0hiits?@n6-historic-aps?@!rlington?@<<=-indian-reservation-lands)6p?Bf!llBG;F*;FBBdefa!lt)6pg

The assertion in the legend that the Pineys are descended in part fro2ndians on the (rotherton 8eservation is !nliely) The (rotherton 8eservation%as estalished at %hat is today 2ndian 7ills in (!rlington Co!nty in ;F<*d!ring the @rench and 2ndian 5ar) The 2ndians %ho resided at (rotherton%ere priarily fro central &e% 'ersey) (y the id-eighteenth cent!ry theyresided in t%o locations -- at (ethel or Cran!ry in 7iddelsse0 Co!nty and atCross%ics in 7ercer Co!nty) 2n ;>4 David (rainerd* a Presyterianissionary to the 2ndians at Cross%ics* estiated that there %ere ao!t t%oh!ndred and #fty Lenape 2ndians there) 2n ;F3 Eovernor @rancis (ernard

http://libimages.princeton.edu/loris2/exhibits%2Fnj-historic-maps%2Fburlington%2F1883-indian-reservation-lands.jp2/full/!750,750/0/default.jpg






%rote that the n!er of 2ndians at (rotherton "does not ao!nt to ? %hen 5e have gathered together all in the province they %ill not e =)" The iplication is that not all the Lenape in &e% 'ersey lived on the

reservation) There %as* for e0aple* a sall gro!p residing "o1 reservation"at 5eepin* ao!t ten iles fro (rotherton* near present-day Kincento%n) The pop!lation of (rotherton declined rapidly) 2n ;;> Eovernor 5illia@ranlin reported the pop!lation as eing only et%een #fty and si0ty) 2n<?* %hen the reservation %as disanded* a report to the governorentioned that si0ty-three ad!lts had rights to the land) 2t is reported thatseventy to eighty Lenape oved fro (rotherton to &e% Stocridge* &e% or* in that year)4

(y the tie of the (rotherton 8eservation* any of the Lenape had adopted/!ropean s!rnaes) 5e no% the naes of at least those 2ndians %ho

attended vario!s treaty conferences and signed the treaties) 7any of thesae naes appear on land deeds d!ring the sae period); Th!s* %e no%the naes of any of the last Lenape in &e% 'ersey) 2n the nineteenthcent!ry vario!s individ!als and gro!ps claiing 2ndian ancestry egan toappear on the fringes of the Pine (arrens) Their s!rnaes %ere not the saeas the no%n s!rnaes of the Lenape 2ndians at (rotherton) 7ost of thesenineteenth cent!ry 2ndians %ere listed in the an!script cens!ses as "lac"or "!latto)" Their descendants clai that the cens!s listed 2ndians*especially those %ho had a racially i0ed ancestry* as "lacs)" 2n fact* forost of the nineteenth cent!ry the 9nited States cens!s did not incl!de2ndians at all)



Eeorge Cr!el* charcoal !rnerhttp:BBlhF)ggpht)coBvCO?0A!7BST4Nv7ni2BAAAAAAAAA2>Bp70hHvSEzNBs>BCHA8COAL?7O9&D-C8977/L)6pg

One s!ch person %as Eeorge Cr!el* called y 'ohn 7cPhee "the 2ndianCollier of 'enins &ec)" According to local historians 8oert ') Si and Harry() 5eiss* Eeorge H) Cr!el %as orn near Syesville) His father* EeorgeHenry Cr!el* cae fro the vicinity of Hornersto%n and died ao!t 3F)

The << cens!s lists a Eeorge H) "Cro%ell" +not Cr!el,* age t%elve*residing %ith his parents Charles and Phoee Cro%ell in /astonto%n To%nship* 7ono!th Co!nty) Their race %as listed as "lac)" 2t is proalethat this %as the father of the Eeorge Cr!el entioned y 7cPhee and if this is tr!e* his grandfather %as not an 2ndian naed 2saac Croo* !t alac naed Charles Cro%ell) The nae 2saac Croo does not appear onany deeds or treaties) @!rtherore* the <= cens!s lists no Cr!els* !tit incl!des Cro%ells as "free &egro heads of failies" in (!rlington and7ono!th co!nties) A lac naed Oliver Cro%ell of (!rlington Co!ntyserved as a private in the &e% 'ersey Continental Line fro ;;; to ;<)He fo!ght at the attles of Trenton* (randy%ine* Princeton* 7ono!th* and

orto%n)<

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Hoe of 2ndian Ann* Dingleto%n* &'http:BB%%%)%est6erseyhistory)orgBiagesB(!rlingtonBshaongBdataBiagesBdinglet%nindiananho!s)6pg

Another person claiing 2ndian ancestry %as a %oan no%n as "2ndianAnn)" She %as a failiar #g!re in Kincento%n and 7edford aro!nd the t!rnof the cent!ry) She s!pported herself y aing asets and picingcranerries and l!eerries) One acco!nt states that she %as the da!ghterof a 8ancocas 2ndian naed Ash Taar) Another so!rce indicates that herfather %as Chief /lisha 7oses Ashataa* %ho lived at the tie of the 5ar of<? in /gg Haror) This sae so!rce said that she arried t%ice) Her #rsth!sand %as naed Peter Ereen* and her second h!sand %as 'ohn 8oerts*a lac) Ann 8oerts appears in the << an!script cens!s as living inShaong To%nship) She %as one of the only people in &e% 'ersey listed inthe nineteenth cent!ry cens!s as "2ndian)" (!t her place of irth %as listedas &e% or* %hich %as also the place of irth listed for her other andfather) Her %ill* dated <<>* entions three sons* three da!ghters* and aho!se and land in Shaong) The agreeent y %hich the 2ndians at(rotherton ceded their rights to their land %as signed y aong others aperson naed Ashatoa)3 2ndian Ann$s nae at least %as lined %ith ano%n 2ndian at the (rotherton 8eservation) (!t %as the cens!s %rong ao!ther place of irth and that of her parentsQ Or is the stateent s!spect thatshe %as the da!ghter of Ashatoa* an assertion that is !ns!stantiated yother so!rcesQ 5e do not no% for s!re) Certainly* she lived near 2ndian 7illsand follo%ed an occ!pation that %as traditional aong the Lenape in theeighteenth cent!ry)

http://www.westjerseyhistory.org/images/Burlington/shamong/data/images/dingletwnindiananhous.jpg






'aes Still

http:BB%%%)spectr!p!lishers)coBadinB!ploadB'aesStill-article)6pg

There %ere other individ!als claiing 2ndian ancestry) 'aes Still* %ho %asno%n as the "Doctor of the Pines*" entions in his a!toiography that there%as an 2ndian faily naed 7oore that lived neary %hen he %as gro%ing!p in Shaong To%nship) "O!r nearest neighors %ere an 2ndian faily* thenae of %hose head %as 'o 7oore) His eldest son %as naed 'o* and heand 2 %ere very social) 5e played together and #shed and h!nted %hen theopport!nity %o!ld adit)" 2n addition* Still %rote: "2 %as also afraid of 2ndian 'o) He %as a tall an* 2 thin si0 feet and si0 inches high) He %o!ld oftenget dr!n* and go %hooping ao!t in 2ndian fashion* %hich %as a great terror

to e)"?

o%ever* Still$s stateents are !ns!stantiated in other so!rces)

There are t%o gro!ps that lived on the fringes of the Pine (arrens thatclaied 2ndian ancestry) One gro!p resided in 7ono!th Co!nty in t%olocations: at 8eevyto%n in %hat is today Tinton @alls and at Sand Hill inpresent-day &ept!ne) Those in &ept!ne called theselves the "Sand Hill2ndians)" The s!rnaes associated %ith this gro!p incl!de 8eevy*8ichardson* and Cr!el) The naes 8eevy* 8ichardson* and "Cro%ell"appear in the <= cens!s as "free &egro heads of failies)" 2n the 3Fs*the "Sand Hill 2ndians" disanded* !t one of their descendants r!ns the &e% 'ersey 2ndian ORce* a private organization in Orange* &e% 'ersey) The other

gro!p is the Eo!ldto%n settleent near (ridgeton* C!erland Co!nty) Thes!rnaes there incl!de Eo!ld* Pierce* and 7!rray) These failies also %erelisted in the <= cens!s of lac) Soe of the have interarried %ith the&anticoe 2ndians* a racially i0ed gro!p in Dela%are* introd!cing thes!rnaes Haron and 8idge%ay)?

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http://www.spectrumpublishers.com/admin/upload/James_Still-article.jpg



The Eo!ldto%n settleent is especially interesting eca!se of the legendao!t its origins) According to a tradition going ac to a nineteenth cent!ryhistory oo* the co!nity descends fro an illicit !nion et%een the

grandda!ghter of one of the proprietors of 5est &e% 'ersey and a lac annaed Eo!ld)?? +See* /ergent &ative Aerican Ero!ps in &e% 'ersey,) Thesiilarity of the Eo!ldto%n legend to the Jalliat legend aes one s!spectthat perhaps the t%o %ere related in soe %ay)

The part of the legend ao!t the N!aers is essentially tr!e) 7any of thefaily naes of the people in the Pine (arrens are fo!nd thro!gho!tso!thern &e% 'ersey) Tae for e0aple the 8idge%ay* Craner* and Ongfailies) Local residents tae pains to disting!ish et%een 8idge%ay %ith an"e" and 8idg%ay %itho!t the "e)" The #rst 8idg%ay in the region %as aN!aer naed 8ichard 8idg%ay* %ho %ith his %ife /lizaeth* cae fro

5elford* /ngland* to (!cs Co!nty* Pennsylvania* in l4;;) He resided inPennsylvania !ntil ao!t l43* %hen he oved to (!rlington Co!nty* &e% 'ersey) He served as a 6!dge in (!rlington Co!nty fro ; to ;?) He diedin ;?=) Soe tie prior to ;>* Thoas 8idg%ay of !pper (!rlingtonCo!nty* proaly a relative of 8ichard* settled in Little /gg Haror) He %aslisted as a eer of the @riends 7eeting in T!certon) The Craner failydescends fro 5illia Craner* %ho %as an early settler at So!thold* Long2sland) He oved to @ored 8iver and then to Cedar Cree* &e% 'ersey* inthe late ;>s) He %as listed also as a eer of the @riends 7eeting at T!certon)

Ong is a fao!s Pinelands s!rnae* eca!se of the place nae Ong$sHat* iortalized y a place-nae legend retold y local historian HenryCharlton (ec) Lie Thoas 8idg%ay* 'cao Ong cae fro !pper (!rlingtonCo!nty and settled in Little /gg Haror) He and his %ife /lizaeth %ere eldersin the @riends 7eeting at /gg Haror) 2n ;?F he left /gg Haror to settle inPennsylvania) He ret!rned in ;?< and left again for Pennsylvania in ;=F*this tie never to ret!rn Ong$s Hat %as proaly naed for 'aco Ong* eventho!gh the Ong faily did not reain in the Pines) This genealogicalinforation s!pports Pa!line 7iller$s contention that any of the Pineyfailies are ranches of N!aer failies that settled along the coast)Considering 'ohn Sinton$s stateent that the predoinant religio!s

denoination of the interior ecae 7ethodis after the Second EreatA%aening in the early nineteenth cent!ry ecae 7ethodis* there is soetr!th to the legendary assertion that "disa1ected" N!aers %ere one strain inthe Piney ancestry)?=

On the other hand* the part of the legend ao!t the Hessian soldiers has no

https://www.academia.edu/3690101/Emergent_Native-American_Groups_in_New_Jersey

https://www.academia.edu/3690101/Emergent_Native-American_Groups_in_New_Jersey



asis in historical fact) Herert Halpert collected a cycle of tales ao!t 'erry7!nyh!n* "the %izard of the Pines*" %ho %as said to e a tricster andagician) One of Halpert$s inforants* Charles Erant* called 7!nyh!n an

"old Hanover Hessian*" eca!se stories ao!t hi %ere associated %ith theHanover iron f!rnace in the Pines) Other said that 7!nyh!n %as either 2rishor lac) Ho%ever* there is no evidence that 'erry 7!nyh!n %as a realperson)?>

@!rtherore* no Pinelands s!rnaes appear on the lists of Hessian soldiers%ho fo!ght in the Aerican 8evol!tion* and those Pinelands failies tho!ghtto e Hessian do not have Eeran naes) @or e0aple* the Clevengerfaily* said to e Hessian y one local historian* has een traced to /ngland) The #rst Clevenger in Aerica %as a Eeorge Clevenger* %ho resided in oners* &e% or* efore 4<?) His son* 'ohn Clevenger* %as orn in 4;<

and oved to 7ono!th Co!nty* &e% 'ersey* in 433) 2n ;F; 'ohnClevenger %as living in &e% Hanover To%nship* (!rlington Co!nty) The Sooyfaily* said to e Eeran y 'ohn 7cPhee* %as in fact D!tch) Theirancestor* 'oost Sooy* %as orn in Holland in 4<F and iigrated to Aericaao!t ;F) He %as a ariner-erchant %ho %as listed in the records of theOld D!tch 8efored Ch!rch in &e% or) He and his faily igrated toCheese.!ae Cree in 7ono!th Co!nty and then to Lo%er (an on the7!llica 8iver in (!rlington Co!nty He and his sons p!rchased tho!sands ofacres of land in 5ashington To%nship) He died in ;4; and %as !ried atLo%er (an) The (ozarth faily %as @rench H!g!enot* as 7cPhee stated)Sion (ozoth of /vesha o!ght land in (!rlington as early as ;F* %ell

efore the 8evol!tionary 5ar) He died in (!rlington Co!nty in ;F=*according to faily records) The faily nae is vario!sly spelled (osserdt*(oshart* and (!ssart,)?F

2t is of note that the legend ao!t the origin of the 8aapo 7o!ntain Peoplealso involves the assertion of Hessian ancestry) /vidently* the story of theseEeran ercenaries %ho fo!ght on the (ritish side d!ring the Aerican8evol!tion has had a special appeal to local historians* %ho sa% the asseletons in the closets of ore than one isolated gro!p in &e% 'ersey)

The part of the legend ao!t pirates is a i0t!re of soe historical

fact* soe is!nderstanding* and a lot of roantic elaoration) 2t is tr!ethat soe pirates operated o1 the coast of &e% 'ersey in the earlyeighteenth cent!ry) According to colonial ne%spapers* in ;; a pirate sloopcoanded y a captain naed Pa!l 5illias raided t%o sloops and arigantine o1 Sandy Hoo* and in ;?? a pirate rigantine and sloop cr!isedin and o!t of Dela%are (ay over a period of three %ees) Ho%ever* legends



ao!t treas!re !ried y either Captain Jidd or (laceard have not asis inhistorical fact) (oth 5illia Jidd and 5illia Teach +alias (laceard, %erereal people) Captain Jidd lived in &e% or City* and %as tried for piracy and

hanged in /ngland in ;)

As historian ') @ranlin 'aeson noted* the di1erence et%een piracy andprivateering %as not al%ays clear) (y la% a privateer %as a privately o%ned*ared vessel granted a letter of ar.!e* a!thorizing it to coit acts of%arfare against an eney) 5illia Jidd had s!ch a letter of ar.!e froLord (elloont* the governor of &e% or) Ho%ever* Captain Jidd$sprivateeringBpiracy activities %ere con#ned to the coast of Africa* d!ring theheight of the 7adagascar slave trade and Jing 5illias 5ar) Siilarly*5illia Teach$s activities %ere con#ned priarily to the Cariean and thecoast of &orth Carolina) As %ith Captain Jidd* there is no historical evidence

that either an ever cae to &e% 'ersey* let along !ried treas!re here)?4

&evertheless* legends e0ist ao!t treas!re !ried y either Captain Jidd or(laceard along the 'ersey Shore and Dela%are 8iver) 9s!ally* the !riedtreas!re %as to e protected y the ghost of a cre%an %ho %as illed forthis p!rpose and !ried %ith the treas!re)

Contrast to the aove stereotyped iage of pirates* there certainly %ass!ggling and privateering along the &e% 'ersey coast) According to localhistorian Arth!r Pierce* &e% 'ersey had only three legal ports of entry d!ringthe ;4s: Perth Aoy* Cohansey* and (!rlington) The 7!llica 8iver (asin*especially in the vicinity of Little /gg Haror* ecae the center for

s!ggling) Charles 8ead* collector of c!stos at (!rlington* %rote in ;4=that "any vessels trading to Plantations not elonging to the Jing of Ereat(ritain* ret!rning %ith cargoes of 8!* S!gar* 7olasses* have fo!nd eansto s!ggle the sae into his 7a6esty$s Plantations* %itho!t paying the Jing$sD!ty)"?; This s!ggling sho!ld e vie%ed in the conte0t of the (ritish&avigation La%s* %hich %ere eing circ!vented y soe of the ostrespectale citizens in the Aerican colonies* incl!ding 'ohn Hancoc)S!ggling in &e% 'ersey %as also an assertion of econoic independencefro the doinance of the ports of &e% or and Philadelphia)

5ith the o!trea of the Aerican 8evol!tion* any of those %ho had een

s!gglers ecae privateers* incl!ding 'oseph Sooy of Little /gg Haror)Privateering %as s!ch a prole for the (ritish that in Septeer ;;< theydispatched fro &e% or an e0pedition of three h!ndred (ritish reg!larsand ao!t one h!ndred &e% 'ersey Loyalists !nder Captain Patric @erg!sonto "clean o!t the nest of 8eel pirates" at Chestn!t &ec and then to proceed!p the 7!llica 8iver to destroy the iron %ors at (atsto and the ilitary



storeho!ses at The @ors) Eovernor 5illia Livingston of &e% 'erseydispatched Co!nt Casiir P!lasi to intercept the (ritish* !t P!lasi got lostand ended !p in T!certon) Three privateers and an ared pilot oat

anaged to escape efore the (ritish arrived at Chestn!t &ec) The (ritishdestroyed the village* %hich Captain @erg!son descried as "the principalresort of this nest of Pirates)"?< 5hat the (ritish considered piracy* theAericans considered patriotis) 2t %as possily this conf!sion et%eenpiracy and privateering that led local historians to repeat stories ao!tpirates and !ried treas!re in so!thern &e% 'ersey)

The part of the legend ao!t Tories* Pine 8oers* and 8ef!gees has soeasis in historical fact) According to historian David ') @o%ler* &e% 'ersey hada disproportionate n!er of Tories* res!lting in !ch civil violence alongthe coast and in the Pine (arrens) 7!ch of this activity occ!rred et%een the

(ritish s!rrender at orto%n in ;< and the signing of the treaty ending the8evol!tionary 5ar in ;<=) Soe Loyalists fo!ght in organized !nits* s!ch asthe &e% 'ersey Kol!nteers) Others* no%n as "8ef!gees*" fored less foralands* soeties n!ering as any as one h!ndred) 7ono!th co!nty%as a center of 8ef!gee activity* oth in the Pine (arrens and at Sandy Hoo)2n ;<? Captain 'osh!a H!ddy %as hanged y a and of 8ef!gees) There%ere also the so-called Pine 8oers* or "Pine (anditti*" %ho seeed to etaing advantage of the !nstale sit!ation to raid oth the Tory and 5higsides) The distinction et%een the 8ef!gees and the Pine 8oers %as notso clearly dra%n)?3 T%o Pine 8oers are of special interest to the legend ofthe origins of the Pineys) One %as 5illia Eierson the other %as 'oseph

7!lliner)

Eierson %as an old Pine-(arrens nae) Herert Halpert collected a cycle ofstories ao!t Sa "the @iddler" Eierson) The Eierson faily %as in factD!tch the nae %as originally Eysertse) 2n 4=> L!ert Ei6erts* a%heel%right fro (laric! in the province of &orth Holland* cae to8ensselaers%yc) 2n ; a 'ohn Eysertse of 7iddleto%n %as entioned ina land deed) The faily had ties to the village of @lat!sh on Long 2sland)(y the tie of the 8evol!tion there %ere Eiersons living also in OceanCo!nty) 5hile the Eierson faily is fo!nd thro!gho!t So!th 'ersey* there isno evidence that any of the are direct descendants of 5illia Eierson* the

Pine 8oer)=

Legends ao!t 5illia Eierson date ac to the id-nineteenth cent!ry) 2n<>F local historian 2saac 7icle %rote that a sept!agenarian inforantdescried Eierson as "a large an of alost incredile strength andactivity) 2t is said that at a r!nning 6!p he co!ld clear the top of an ordinary



/gg Haror %agon)" 7icle provided an acco!nt of ho% in Deceer ;<?5illia Eierson %as capt!red y soe ilitiaen coanded y Captain 'ohn Davis) They had een sent to /gg Haror to stop the 8ef!gee activity

there)

On one occasion his lie!tenant* (en6ain (ates* %ith8ichard Po%ell* a private* called at a ho!se %here Davishad een infored* overnight* that t%o 8ef!gee oRcers%ere lodging) (ates got to the ho!se efore any of thefaily had risen e0cept t%o girls %ho %ere aing #re inthe itchen) He in.!ired if there %ere any persons in theho!se esides the faily* and %as ans%ered* "none*e0cept t%o en fro !p in the co!ntry)" He ade the girlsto sho% hi %here they %ere* %hich they did) 2n passing

thro!gh the roo separating the itchen fro theedroo* he sa% the pistols lying on the tale)

Jnocing at the door* he %as at #rst ref!sedadittance* !t #nding hi deterined to enter* the t%o8ef!gees #nally let hi in) They ref!sed to tell theirnaes !t %ere after%ards fo!nd to e 5illia Eiersonand Henry Lane* 8ef!gee lie!tenants* the forer anotorio!s rascal %ho had coitted any o!trages* andilled one or t%o Aericans in cold lood) On their %ay tothe .!arters of Davis$ copany* Eierson called (ates$

attention to soething he pretended to see at a distance)Eierson started in another direction* and eing a very fastr!nner* altho!gh (ates #red his !s.!et at hi* ade hisescape) Davis on eing infored of %hat happened* told(ates to try again the ne0t night)

Accordingly* the ne0t night he %ent to the sae ho!se)5hile in the act of opening the door he heard the clic of a!set coc* ehind a large tree %ithin a fe% feet of hi*and t!rning aro!nd* sa% Eierson 6!st taing ai at hi)He dropped on his nees and the all c!t the ri of his hat)

Eierson started to r!n* !t efore he had gone any rods(ates gave hi a load of !cshot %ith roe his leg) He%as %ell g!arded !ntil he co!ld e reoved %ith Lane to(!rlington gaol)=

According to David @o%ler* this incident is con#red y the pension



application #led in <= y (en6ain (ates) 2t reco!nts essentially the saeincident* !t adds ho% Eierson later escaped fro the (!rlington Co!nty 6ail dressed in his sister$s clothing) "He %as after%ard taen to the (!rlington

Co!nty Eael* %here he a1ected his /scape* his siter having een perittedto visit hi* they e0changed clothes) He %ent o!t and she reained inprison and the plot %as not discovered !ntil he had got too far to eovertaen)"=? This is the st!1 fro %hich legends are ade* yet thispostscript did not ecoe part of the Eierson local-history legend)

2n the 3?s local historian Alfred 7) Heston reco!nted the capt!re of 5illiaEierson in his t%o oos 'outh Jersey: A !istory +3?>, and New Jersey(aggon Jaunts +3?4,) He added another incident to the legends ao!tEierson* %hich changed fro fro a %orthless rog!e into an o!tla% %ith aheart of gold)

2t is related that one day a lad %as g!nning in T!certon (ay*%hen he %as s!rprised y the appearance of Eierson and hisgang in a oat) They ade the oy a prisoner and too fro hihis fo%ling piece) Then they ordered hi to pilot the to T!certon landing) 8eaching %hat %as called "sco% landing*"they oored the oat and %ent to the tavern recently !ilt yDaniel @alen!rg* the #rst inn eeper in Little /gg Haror) Assoon as the ref!gees reached the tavern they ind!led in adr!nen revel) Soe of the residents sent a essenger to7anaha%in* %here there %as a copany of ilitia* and

infored the of the presence of the ref!gees in T!certon)A s.!ad of soldiers arched to%ard the place to capt!re ordisperse the revelers* !t a Tory infored the o!tla%s of theircoing and ao!t the tie the ilitia reached T!certon theref!gees Med to the landing) Seizing their g!ns they too anadvantageo!s position in the oat) The ilitia arched do%nEreen Street to%ard the landing* and as they cae near thecree* the ref!gees po!red the contents of their heavily chargedg!ns into the rans of the ilitia %ith s!ch f!ry and precisionthat the latter %ere forced to retreat follo%ed y the o!tla%s*%ho p!rs!ed the to 5est Cree) Seeing the retreating ilitia

on the opposite side of the cree* Eierson and his victorio!sand ret!rned to T!certon to go aoard their oat)

5hen they reached the landing the oat %as soe distanceo1) 2n their asence t%o of their corades* %ho %ere too dr!nto 6oin in the p!rs!it had ecoe soer eno!ght to !noor the



oat and %ere paddling the craft do%n the cree* sho!ting astheir copanions cae in sight* "%e are the oys to hold theoat)" The ret!rning o!tla%s istaing the for their eneies*

ran along the cree in p!rs!it) They #red and illed oth of theen efore discovering that they %ere of their o%n gang) Afterthis the ref!gees ret!rned to the tavern and #nished theirdea!ch) (efore leaving T!certon* Eierson h!nted !p the oyfro %ho he had taen the g!n* and ret!rned it to hi and alsopresented hi %ith a Spanish dollar)==

Th!s* in the nineteenth cent!ry 5illia Eierson %as considered a r!thlesso!tla%* aleit colorf!l y virt!e of his strength* agility* and daring in thet%entieth cent!ry he ecae a sort of 8oin Hood #g!re) One possilereason for this transforation %as that in the <>s* %hen the legends ao!t

Eierson %ere #rst %ritten do%n* soe people %ere alive %ho hade0perienced #rst-hand the 8evol!tion* and Aericans %ere not ao!t toae a hero o!t of soeone %ho %as on the other side) /ighty years laterlocal historians looed ac on the 8evol!tion thro!gh a nostalgic androantic #lter)

A siilar transforation occ!rred in the legend ao!t 'oseph 7!lliner) The7!lliners %ere an /nglish faily that cae to Little /gg Haror efore the8evol!tionary 5ar) 'oseph 7!lliner left no progeny* !t his rother* 7oses7!lliner* arried 7ary Holden* and their children arried in the Sho!rds*7athis and 8idg%ay failies)=> 2n ;< 'oseph 7!lliner %as arrested for

treason) He %as tried y the (!rlington Co!nty Co!rt of Oyer and Teriner*convicted* and hanged) 2n his o%n day 7!lliner %as considered a rog!e yoth 5higs and Tories* at least according to the New Jersey )a$ette* %hichreported on A!g!st <* ;<* on 7!lliner$s trial as follo%s:

At a special co!rt held in (!rlington* a certain 'oseph 7!lliner*of /gg-Hao!r* %as convicted of high treason* and issentenced to e hanged this day) This fello% had ecoethe terror of the part of the co!ntry) He had ade apractice of !rning ho!ses* roing and pl!ndering all %hofell in his %ay* so that %hen he cae to trial it appeared

that the %hole co!ntry* oth %higs and tories* %ere hiseneies)=F

Adittedly* the )a$ette %as a 5hig ne%spaper* !t there is no evidence that7!lliner* lie Eierson* %as celerated in his o%n day or d!ring thenineteenth cent!ry)



2n the 3?s* ho%ever* local historians egan to elaorate !pon androanticize the 7!lliner legend) Alfred Heston descried 7!lliner as "a

yo!ng an of good address and attractive personal appearance*" %ho "%orean oRcer$s !nifor* %ith a pondero!s s%ord at his side and a race of pistolsin his elt)" Heston added a %ife and a faithf!l dog to the legend) "7!llinerhad a dog to %hose nec he attached an ingenio!sly constr!cted collar* andhaving trained the dog as a co!rier* %hen he %ished to co!nicate %ithhis %ife -- and thro!gh her %ith soe of his asent and -- he %o!ld %rite aessage* fasten it to the collar and then start the dog across the river)" Aeas!re of his ne%ly fo!nd legendary stat!s %as the fact that conMictingclais developed as to %here 7!lliner %as !ried) Heston arg!ed that7!lliner %as !ried at Pleasant 7ills* and in <4 he reains %ere e0h!edand re!ried at the (atsto 2ron 5ors) 2n 3>Q local historian Henry Charlton

(ec noted that there %ere clais that 7!lliner %as "hanged in three placesand !ried in t%o)"=4

2n the hands of Henry Charlton (ec* 'oseph 7!lliner ecae a handsoerog!e %ho %o!ld appear !nanno!nced at co!ntry taverns and dance %iththe prettiest girls) (ec$s *orgotten Towns of 'outhern New Jersey +3=4,contains the follo%ing narrative ao!t 7!lliner)

2t %as a story night and dar %hen 'oe s!ddenly appeared*his co!ntenance radiant %ith rain and his sile revealing t%oro%s of perfect teeth) As soeone gasped* "'oe 7!lliner*" the

#ddler stopped and the dancers* oving in the di-lit parlor ofthe inn* sh!ed !ncertainly) 7!lliner instantly ade a deandthat the !sic go on and that the est-looing girl step o!t todance %ith hi)

2t %as an old deand and the dancers of all the old to%ns andtheir stage-stop hotels %ere !sed to it) (!t tho!gh !0odasels after%ard oasted a dance %ith 7!lliner they never%illingly ans%ered his invitations) On this occasion there %asconsiderale rel!ctance) S%ains held their girls tight and then7!lliner* %hipping o!t his shooting-iron* gave the en a in!te

to disappear)

2t is a story that has een %orn %ith !ch handling !t notyet has it een called a fale) A tiid dancer* a chap perhaps%ho had een trying for any years to get !p the nerve todance* stayed in the roo and de#ed the gang leader)



"7y* y*" la!ghed 7!lliner* s!rprised) "And have all the oldfello%s vanished* have all the ha%s Med to cover* leaving this

chicen-hearted fool aong the %enchesQ"

He of the alleged chicen heart dropped the hand of hispartner and s%!ng his o%n Matly across the face of the intr!der)2nstead of #ring* 7!lliner la!ghed long and lo!d) Then he shoohands* declaring that so fearless "a little anta" !st have theest girl present) And taing the slapper$s partner* he danced aro!nd or t%o and vanished into the night)=;

According to (ec* 7!lliner %as capt!red %hile dancing %ith a girl at one ofthese taverns)

The ost fao!s incident associated %ith 'oseph 7!lliner %as the !rning of the 5ido% (ates$s ho!se* cited y (ec and other local historians) A localhistory of Pleasant 7ills narrated the incident in the follo%ing %ords:

A %ido% naed (ates o%ned a sall far near the@ors) ) ) ) She had eight sons* fo!r of %ho %ere servingin the Aerican ary the others* eing too yo!ng forilitary d!ty* assisted her in tilling the little far %hichyielded the a cofortale livelihood) ) ) ) 8et!rning froeeting one S!nday afternoon she fo!nd her hoe in

possession of 7!lliner$s gang* tho!gh 7!lliner hiself %asnot %ith the) They had ransaced the ho!se and helpedtheselves freely to her pigs and po!ltry and aong thepl!nder ade !p to e carried a%ay she sa% her precio!ssilver%are) This %as too !ch and stepping for%ard the!nda!nted %oan tossed the vials of her %rath and gavethe and a terri#c long!e lashing)

"Silence ada*" said the leader soe%hat nettled yher #erce tirade* "silence or %e$ll lay yo!r d--d ho!se inashes)"

"T%o!ld e an act %orthy of co%ardly c!rs lie yo!*"snapped the %ido%* "yo! ay !rn y ho!se* !t yo!$llnever stop y o!th %hile there$s reath in y ody)"

One of the ref!gees entered the ho!se* too a #rerand



fro the hearth and applied it to the !ilding) 5ith e.!alproptit!de* 7rs) (ates seized a pail of %ater and dashedit on the rising Mae %hile her oys lie st!rdy little

patriots assailed the eney %ith a volley of stones theirpl!c ho%ever* availed !t little* they %ere speedily seizedand held fast %hile the other %as dragged across theroad and o!nd to a tree) The ho!se %as again #red andthe faily copelled to loo helplessly on !ntil it %asentirely cons!ed) They %ere then released and theref!gees departed %ith their ooty)

The story of 7rs) (ates$ isfort!ne spread far and %ide*a host of friends cae to her assistance* and in a fe% daysa rooy log ho!se stood on the site of the !rned d%elling)

Sypathetic neighors donated f!rnit!re s!Rcient to #t it!p sn!gly and a1airs at the little far %ent on pretty !chas efore) A fe% %ees later 7rs) (ates received the s!of three h!ndred dollars fro 7!lliner had taen thiseans of atoning for soe degree for the isdeeds of hisfollo%ers)=<

The anonyo!s gift in the aove acco!nt reconciles the contradiction inaing 7!lliner a hero despite the fact that he %as on the %rong side of the8evol!tionary conMict)

The acco!nt of the !rning of the 5ido% (ates$s ho!se originates in #ction*not history) The incident #rst appeared in a <FF novel titled +ate Aylesford*%ritten y Charles ') Peterson of Pleasant 7ills) S!titled A 'tory of the,efugees* the novel contains a character ased on 'oseph 7!lliner) Thecharacter$s nae is &ed Arrison* %hich ay or ay not e a veiled referenceto 5illia Eierson) o! ight reeer that (ates %as the nae of thean %ho capt!red Eierson) Ho%ever* the characterization of Arrison isanything !t a 8oin Hood) He is descried as "a short* thic-set an) ) ) %itha co!ntenance %hich had never een pleasing* !t %as no% er!ited yinteperance and other vices)" He o%ns a ferocio!s loodho!nd naed Lion*proaly the precedent for Heston$s clai that 7!lliner had a dog) He plots

to idnap the heroine* Jate Aylesford* %ho is resc!ed y the hero* anAerican oRcer naed 7a6or Eordon) 2n the novel the 5ido% (ates$s ho!seis roed and set a#re %hile she is at the N!aer eeting* !t &ed Arrisondoes not ae any restit!tion) As one character in the novel says ao!tArrison* "&oody !t a villain %o!ld ro the %ido% and the orphan)/specially a soldieer$s %ido%) 2t co!ld only have een the ref!gees)"



There is a scene set in a co!ntry tavern in %hich the clientele isostly "oistero!s tars" fro the privateers lying in the ay and several

co!ntryen fro the sall fars in the interior) A lac #ddler plays %hile astor rages o!tside) A challenge leads to a contest et%een a sailor and aco!ntryan in %hich they dance the "tie honored dance* %hich is no%n tothe initiated as a $'ersey @o!r)$"=3 Siilar dancing contests %ere descried inan <<3 g!ideoo to the &e% 'ersey coast and the Pines)

2n the old days* %hen the f!rnaces %ere in operation*n!ero!s taverns %ere scattered thro!gh the pines) They%ere called "6!g taverns*" eca!se their entire stoc-in-trade !s!ally consisted of a 6!g of apple-6ac* o!t of %hich*ho%ever* the proprietor %o!ld po!r any li.!id refreshent

called for* ranging fro leonade to randy* and eveni0ed potales) ) ) ) The chief a!seents in those days%ere h!cleerry parties in s!er and oyster s!ppers in%inter) The latter %ere held in the taverns and %erepreceded and follo%ed y dancing) A #ddler enthroned ina chair* %hich had een elevated on to a tale* scrapeda%ay at "Hi* (etty 7artin*" "Capto%n 8aces*" and the"Straight @o!r*" dances %hich %ere perhaps varied y a"challenge 6og" et%een t%o e0perts of the Pines) 5henthe #ddler disappeared !nder the tale* as he invarialydid* the girls sang the airs and dancing contin!ed all the

sae)>

The fact that 7!lliner ecae no%n as a dancer at co!ntry inns ay haveeen inspired y the novel or y descriptions of the dance contests)

2t is not !n!s!al for an incident in a novel to ecoe the asis for a legend)@ollorist Henry Elassie sho%ed the sae process in &orthern 2reland inreference to the so-called "rapparees*" eers of the 2rish (rigade d!ringthe 5illiaite 5ar* %ho too to the hills to ro fro the rich and give to thepoor) Elassie collected tales ao!t t%o rapparees* (lac @rancis and 5illy8eilly* %hich originally appeared in a novel title (illy ,eilly and !is ear

oleen Bawn* %ritten y 5illia (arleton circa <FF) Elassie$s inforant*H!gh &olan* in Elassie$s %ord* "reorganized and recoposed the novel)"> Asiilar process appears to have een at %or %ith local historians %ritingao!t 'oseph 7!lliner and 5illia Eierson) Eenerally considered rog!es intheir o%n day* these ref!gees ecae heroes in o!r ties)



Th!s* the parts of the legend ao!t Lenape 2ndians* pirates* and Hessiansoldiers are !ntr!e the parts ao!t N!aers* Loyalists* privateers* and Pine8oers are essentially tr!e* !t roanticized) Ho%ever* ore iportant

than %hether the legend is tr!e or false is the fact that people elieved it toe tr!e) The legend* %hich sees to have een created y local historians ina chain of %ritten* rather than oral* co!nication* reveals !ch ao!t theattit!des of o!tsiders to%ard the people of the Pine (arrens) Over thecent!ries these attit!des !nder%ent changes* %hich are reMected in changesin the legend)

The negative iage of residents of the &e% 'ersey seacoast and Pines*according to David ') @o%ler* %as a reMection of a negative stereotype offorest d%ellers that can e traced ac to the seventeenth cent!ry Aericaand even earlier in /!rope)>? 2n the nineteenth cent!ry a strong dose of

Social Dar%inis %as added) This is seen in the vie% of the Pineys associally* entally* and orally inferior thro!gh generations of inreeding andiscegenation* as eodied in the pse!do-scienti#c Jallia st!dy) Here thelegend reMected the racial and social pre6!dices of the %hite iddle class inthe late nineteenth and early t%entieth cent!ries) Starting in the l3?s* localhistorians toned do%n the ore sensational aspects of the legend and too aore roantic and nostalgic approach to the past) This can e seen ostclearly in the #g!re of 'oseph 7!lliner* the Pine 8oer* %ho %as transforedfro a traitor and rog!e into a colorf!l 8oin Hood hero)

@ollorist Henry Elassie has arg!ed that the distinction et%een history and

legend is ethnocentric) He %rites that "%hat %e call legends in othersocieties are precisely %hat %e call histories in o!r o%n)" 2t is "snide*"Elassie arg!es* to lael "legend" %hat other people elieve ao!t the pastand "history" %hat %e elieve) And so he refers to his legend-tellinginforants in the to%n of (allyenone in &orthern 2reland as "historians)"

There is one past !t any histories) 5e thin of one ofthe -- o!r o%n -- as "history" and others as "folhistories*" !t they are either all histories or all folhistories) All involve collecting facts ao!t the past andarranging the artf!lly to e0plore the proles of the

present) Acadeic historians create a history appropriateto their needs* and no less serio!s historians of places lie(allyenone do the sae they create one that s!itstheirs)>=

The legend ao!t the origin of the Pineys* ho%ever* s!ggests ho% iportant



it is to aintain the distinction et%een history and legend) 8ather thansho%ing that legend is really history* it s!ggests that soe local history is infact legend)



1&otes) 'ac 7cCoric and 8ichard T) T) @oran* "2ntrod!ction: Location and(o!ndaries of the &e% 'ersey Pine (arrens*" in Pine Barrens: Ecosyste. and/andsca"e* 8ichard T) T) @oran* ed) +&e% or* San @rancisco* and London:Acadeic Press* 3;3,* p) 000vi 'ohn 5) Harsherger* The Vegetation of the New Jersey Pine-Barrens: An Ecological Investigation +Philadelphia: Chrisopher So%er

Co)* 34,* pp) F-4 &e% 'ersey Pinelands Coission* o."rehensiveManage.ent Plan for the Pinelands National ,eserve 0National Par&s and,ecreation Act1 23456 and the Pinelands Area 0New Jersey Pinelands Protection Act1 23436 +&e% Lison* &)'): The PinelandsI Coission* 3<,* plate l)

2) Herert &oran Halpert* "@oltales and Legends fro the &e% 'ersey Pines: ACollection and St!dy" +Ph)D) diss)* 2ndiana 9niversity* l3>;, 2:F-4)

3) N!oted in 'ohn 5) Sinton* ed)* Natural and ultural ,esources of the New

Jersey Pine Barrens +Poona* &)'): Stocton State College* 3;3,* p) 4F DavidSteven Cohen* The *ol&lore and *ol&life of New Jersey +&e% (r!ns%ic: 8!tgers9niversity Press* 3<=,* p) ??)

4) To Ayres* "Pinelands C!lt!ral Society: @ol 7!sic Perforance and the8hetoric of 8egional Pride*" in Sinton* Natural and ultural ,esources of the PineBarrens* pp) ??4-; Ang!s Eillespie* "@ol and Hillilly 7!sic in the Pines: Eladys/ayre and the Pineconers$ 8epertoire*" in iid)* p) ?=4)

5) N!oted in 7artin () 5illias* "The Spirit!al &eeds of Shaong and the Pine(arrens in <44*" New Jersey *ol&lore +3;3,: F-4)

6) 5) @) 7ayer* "2n the Pines*" Atlantic Monthly = +l<F3,: F44-<)

7) N!oted in Harry (ischo1 5eiss* The !istory of A""le7ac& or A""le Brandy in

New Jersey fro. olonial Ti.es to the Present +Trenton: &e% 'ersey Agric!lt!ralSociety* 3F>,* pp) ??-= @rancis () Lee* "'erseyiss*" ialect Notes +<3=,:==? '!lian 8alph* "Old 7ono!th*" !ar"er#s New Monthly Maga$ine <3 +<3>,:==;)

8) /lizaeth S) Jite* "The $Pineys$: Today 7orons esterday O!tcasts* $Diso%ned$@riends* Land Pirates* Hessians* Tory 8ef!gees* 8evellers fro 'oseph (onaparte$sCo!rt at (ordento%n* and other So%ers of 5ild Oats*" The 'urvey * Octoer >* l3l=*&e% 'ersey State Lirary* Trenton* &)') +typescript, Henry H) Eoddard* The +alli&a&

*a.ily: A 'tudy in the !eredity of *ee8le.indedness +&e% or: 7acillan*3=, 8oert L) D!gdale* The Ju&es: A 'tudy of ri.e1 Pau"eris.1 isease and!eredity +&e% or: E) P) P!tna$s Sons* <;;, ') David Sith* Minds Made*ee8le: The Myth and /egacy of the +alli&a&s +8ocville* 7d): Aspen SystesCorp)* 3<F,* pp) <=-ll=)

9) Jite* "The Pineys*" pp) 3- N!oted in Halpert* "@oltales and Legends frothe &e% 'ersey Pines*" 2: -?)



10) 7ayer* "2n the Pines*" p) F44)

11) 8alph* "Old 7ono!th*" p) ==;)

12) Jite* "The Pineys*" pp) >* ;* -)

13) Henry Charlton (ec* *orgotten Towns of 'outhern New Jersey +3=4 8eprint*

&e% (r!ns%ic: 8!tgers 9niversity Press* 34,* pp) 3-)

14) Eoddard* The +alli&a& *a.ily * p) <)

15) 'ohn 7cPhee* The Pine Barrens +34; 8eprint* &e% or: (allantine (oos*3;,* pp) ?=-?;* =4-=<)

16) /d%ard 7c7) Larraee* ,ecurrent The.es and 'e9uences in North A.erican

Indian-Euro"ean ulture ontact * Transactions of the Aerican PhilosophicalSociety* vol) 44* part ; +Philadelphia: Aerican Philosophical Society* 3;4,* pp) >*F* =* F* ;)

17) Sa!el Sith* The !istory of the olony of Nova-aesaria1 or New Jersey ) ) ) +;4F 8eprint*Spartan!rg* S) C): The 8eprint Co)* 344,* p) >>?n 8oert Steven Er!et* "$5e Are &ot So Ereat@ools$: Changes in 9pper Dela%aran Socio-Political Life* 4=-;F<" +Ph)D) diss)* 8!tgers9niversity* 3;3, @ran H) Ste%art* Indians of 'outhern New Jersey +5ood!ry* &)'): Elo!cesterCo!nty Historical Society* 3=?,* pp) <?-4)

18) 8oert ') Si and Harry () 5eiss* harcoal-Burning in New Jersey fro. Early

Ti.es to the Present +Trenton: &e% 'ersey Agric!lt!ral Society* 3FF,* p) ; 9)S)Cens!s* <<* &e% 'ersey* 7ono!th Co!nty +an!script,* p) F Carter E)5oodson* *ree Negro !eads of *a.ilies in the nited 'tates in 25;< +5ashington*D)C): The Association for the St!dy of &egro Life and History* 3?F,* pp) ;F-4 <@rances D) Pingeon* Blac&s in the ,evolutionary Era* &e% 'ersey$s 8evol!tionary

/0perience* no) > +Trenton: &e% 'ersey Historical Coission* 3;F,* p) ?)

19) Mt= !olly !erald* April F* 3=?* p) = Ste%art* Indians of 'outhern New Jersey *p) << 9)S) Cens!s* <<* &e% 'ersey* (!rlington Co!nty +an!script,* p) =Agreeent y (rotherton 2ndians to Sell Land at the (rotherton 8eservation* 'an!ary F* <?* &e% 'ersey Division of Archives and 8ecords 7anageent* &e% 'ersey Departent of State* Trenton* &)') Ann 8oerts* 5ill* A!g!st ;* <3>)Division of Archives and 8ecords 7anageent* &e% 'ersey Departent of State* Trenton* &)')

20) 'aes Still*I Early ,ecollections and /ife of r= Ja.es 'till1 252>-255? +<;;

8eprint* 7edford* &)'): 7edford Historical Society* 3;,* pp) 3-?)

21) 5oodson* *ree Negro !eads of *a.ilies* pp) ;4-;* < C) A) 5eslager*elaware#s *orgotten *ol&: The 'tory of the Moors and Nantico&es +Philadelphia:9niversity of Pennsylvania Press* 3>=,)

22) Theophil!s E) Ste%ard and 5illia Ste%ard* )ouldtown: A Very ,e.ar&a8le

'ettle.ent of Ancient ate +Philadelphia" ') () Lippincott* 3=,* pp) >3* 4?-=)



23) Lelah 8idg%ay Ko!ght* ,idgway-,idgeway *a.ily !istory +n)p): Lelah 8idg%ayKo!ght* 3;=,* pp) 4* ;* Leah (lacan* A !istory of Egg !ar8or Townshi" ) ) )+Trenton: Trenton Printing Co)* 34=,* pp) ;<* 3>-F* 33* == /d%in Salter* A!istory of Mon.outh and @cean ounties +(ayonne: /) Eardner Son* <3,* p)00i-00ii (ec* *orgotten Towns of 'outhern New Jersey * pp) 3-?=)

24) Halpert* "@oltales and Legends fro the &e% 'ersey Pines*" 2:33)

25) !essiche Tru""en i. A.eri&anischen na8hangig&eits&rieg +7ar!rg*Eerany: Archivsh!le 7ar!rg 2nstit!t @!r Archiv%issenschaft* 3;?,* F vols)Eeorge P) EriRths* levenger1 Pioneers and escendants +(altiore: Eate%ayPress* 3<,* pp) F* 4-;* ?* ?? 2r%in Eladstone Sooy* "Eenealogical 8ecordsof the Sooy @aily*" (!rlington Co!nty Historical Society* (!rlington* &)')* 3>+typescript,* pp) -? Sooy @aily Data* Division of Archives and 8ecords7anageent* &e% 'ersey Departent of State* Trenton* &)')* Lier (((* p) >;(ozarth @aily* (!rlington Co!nty Historical Society 7ss)* (!rlington* &)') Sion(ozarth +c) 43-;F=,* http:BB%%%)geni)coBpeopleBSion-

(ozorthB4><=>4>4 8alph (eaver Strass!rger*Pennsylvania

)er.an Pioneers) ) ) +(altiore: Eenealogical P!lishing Co)* l344, 2: ?;3 Heinrich8ee* "/igration 7aterials fro Laschei in the Palatinate*" in ,hinelandsE.igrants /ists of )er.an 'ettlers in olonial A.erica* Don oder* ed)+(altiore: Eenealogical P!lishing Co)* 3<,* p) )

26) 5illia &elson* ed)* ocu.ents ,elating to the olonial !istory of the 'tate of New Jersey * vol) News"a"er Etracts* vol) ;>-;=3 +Paterson: The Press Printing and P!lishing Co)* <3>,*

pp) >=->* 4?-= 'ohn @ranlin 'aeson* Privateering and Piracy in the olonialPeriod) ) ) +&e% or: 7acillian* 3?=* pp) i0* 0ic* 3-?F; 5illia 5esteran*"&e% 'ersey Pirate Lore: Captain Jidd*" New Jersey *ol&lore < +3<=,: ?-F)

27) N!oted in Arth!r D) Pierce* '.ugglers# (oods: Jaunts and Journeys in olonial

and ,evolutionary New Jersey +&e% (r!ns%ic: 8!tgers 9niversity Press* 34,* p)3 See also 'aes H) Levitt* *or (ant of Trade: 'hi""ing in New Jersey Ports12C5<-245; +&e%ar: &e% 'ersey Historical Society* 3<,* pp) <-?)

28) Pierce* '.ugglers# (oods* p) F?)

29) David ') @o%ler* "$&at!re Star &aed$: A Social History of the &e% 'erseySeacoast and Pine (arrens* 43-<" +Ph)D) diss) proposal* 8!tgers 9niversity*

3<l,* pp) ?3-=>)30) Carl (oyer* cop) 'hi" Passenger /ists: New %or& and New Jersey 02C<<-

25>?6 +&e%hall* Calif): Carl (oyer* 3;<,* p) >< Salter* A !istory of Mon.outh and@cean ounties* p) 00i0)

31) 2saac 7icle* ,e.iniscences of @ld )loucester +Philadelphia: To%nsent 5art*<>F,* p) <F)

32) 9) S) &ational Archives* 8evol!tionary 5ar Pension and (o!nty-Land 5arrant

http://www.geni.com/people/Simon-Bozorth/6000000004008346046






Application @iles +7icro#l,* #l ?;* reel ;=)

33) Alfred 7) Heston* ed)* 'outh Jersey: A !istory1 2CCD-23>D +&e% or andChicago: Le%is Historical P!lishing Co)* 3?>, 22: ;43n)

34) (lacan* A !istory of /ittle Egg !ar8or * pp) =>4-;)

35) New Jersey )a$ette* A!g!st <* ;<* p) =)

36) Heston* 'outh Jersey * 22: ;;* ;; Henry Charlton (ec* "Hanged in ThreePlaces* (!ried in T%o*" New %or& *ol&lore uarterly ? +3>;,: ?>?-4)

37) (ec* *orgotten Towns of 'outhern New Jersey * p) ;)

38) Charles @) Ereen* Pleasant Mills and /a&e Nescochague -- A Place of the @lden

ays +&)p) : n)p)* n) d),* pp) >-F)

39) Charles ') Peterson* +ate Aylesford: A 'tory of the ,efugees +Philadelphia*

(oston* and &e% or: T) () Peterson* Phillips* Sapson and Co)* ') C) Dery*<FF,* pp) F-F)

40) E!stav Joe* The New Jersey oast and Pines: An Illustrated )uide-8oo& +Short Hills* &)'): E) Joe* <<3,* p) 3?)

41) Henry Elassie* Passing the Ti.e in Bally.enone: ulture and !istory of an

lster o..unity +Philadelphia: 9niversity of Pennsylvania Press* 3<?,* p) ?>)

42) @o%ler* "&at!re Star &aed*" pp) =-4)

43) Elassie* Passing the Ti.e in Bally.enone* pp) 4F* ;>4n)

the origin of the pineys a local history legend (updated version)

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