State Troops Raised for the Defense of Monmouth County

The April 5, 1778 British-Loyalist raid of Manasquan, during which 140 men completely destroyed the salt works there, proved that the Monmouth County shore was easily penetrated by a mid-sized raiding party. David Forman’s undersized and scandal-plagued regiment of Continental soldiers were recently removed from the area; local militia, stationed at Tinton Falls and Toms River, were too weak and distantly-posted to effectively defend the county’s long coastline.

The New Jersey government had previously allowed Monmouth County’s militia colonels to raise companies of State Troops for the county’s defense (including an “Artillery Company” raised by Joshua Huddy in late 1777). State Troops were militiamen who volunteered for six, nine or twelve months of continuous service during which the state paid them as Continental soldiers. Unlike Continental soldiers, State Troops remained under the command of local militia officers for local defense.

Following the April 5th raid, Monmouth County’s militia officers sought to raise two companies of State Troops. Recruiting occurred in May (with service to begin on June 1) amidst difficult circumstances. The imminent British withdrawal from Philadelphia would bring their army into New Jersey and preparing for that march was the top priority of the Continental and New Jersey governments. Defending the shore was not on the minds of state and national leaders. Further, Monmouth County had just sent thirty draftees into the Continental Army—men who would have been likely State Troop enlistees.

A handful of surviving lists document the recruiting efforts. The most complete is the list compiled by Colonel Samuel Forman, commanding the militia from Upper Freehold, Dover and Stafford townships. Forman recruited 45 men in total. The majority were young, 27 recruits were under 25 years old, including three 16-year-olds. The oldest recruit was 47-year-old Alexander Stewart, an Irish immigrant. Interestingly, the majority of Forman’s recruits were not from the townships where he led the militia: 14 were from Monmouth County’s other townships (Freehold, Middletown and Shrewsbury) and 18 were from Middlesex County.

Concurrently, Colonel Asher Holmes was raising men for the state troops. Holmes raised 29 men from May 14 – May 29. Thirteen recruits were from Freehold and Middletown townships (where commanded the militia), 14 were from Middlesex County (of which 9 were from South Amboy), one was from Shrewsbury Township, and one was from Salem County. As with Forman’s recruits, the majority of Holmes’s recruits were young men (18 or the 29 were younger than 25). An overlapping list shows 24 recruits being raised from captains who reported to Colonel Holmes—showing that Holmes delegated recruiting to several of his company captains.

The remaining militia regiment, under Colonel Daniel Hendrickson of Shrewsbury Township, apparently did not raise men for the State Troops. This was likely because much of Shrewsbury was disaffected. In contrast to the four men raised from Shrewsbury Township, 32 of the 74 State Troop recruits were raised from Middlesex County, mostly from the port towns of South Amboy, Perth Amboy and New Brunswick. The British naval blockade likely depressed the economies in these towns; short term military service was likely attractive for underemployed sailors and teamsters in these towns.

The most curious of the recruits was 25-year old Alexander Eastlick of Freehold. He enlisted on May 14 (the first day of recruiting) and then was listed as “absconded.” He likely collected a recruitment bounty and then went into hiding. Eastlick had been previously indicted for riot, suggesting volatile or even criminal behavior. However, by 1783 Eastlick had integrated back into the community—signing a petition urging the New Jersey Legislature to compensate citizens holding inflationary war-time currency.

Another interesting recruit was David Hill of Middletown. He applied for a military pension after the war in which he described his service in the State Troops: "joined a company of state troops raised… for six months… duties were to guard the shores & frontier of Middletown from the depredations of the enemy who were continually landing on the shores in small parties for the purpose of foraging and plundering the inhabitants.” Hill had been "taken prisoner in the early part of the war [at the Battle of the Navesink] and remained a prisoner until the month of May 1778, when he returned home." He apparently went right into the State Troops. Perhaps out of patriotism, but more likely because of the relative safety of living amongst a body of soldiers. Hill would rejoin the State Troops in 1779 and 1780.

The specific service of these State Troops in 1778 is unknown because they were treated as part of the militia in the orders and reports of the senior officers. However, they were not ready to offer resistance when a Loyalist raiding party attacked Middletown Point on May 27.

Caption: In May 1778, 74 men were recruited as State Troops for the defense of the Monmouth shoreline. 32 of these men were from Middlesex County, mostly from Perth and South Amboy.

Related Historic Site: The Proprietary House

Sources: List of Recruits, New Jersey State Archives, Dept. of Defense, Revolutionary War, Numbered Manuscripts, #3634; Samuel Forman, New Jersey State Troops, National Archives, Collection 881, reel 593; Muster Roll, Asher Holmes, National Archives, Revolutionary War Rolls, New Jersey, folder 58, #137; National Archives, Revolutionary War Veterans' Pension Application, Daniel Hill of NY, www.fold3.com/image/#24262324.