Democrats & Union Men, continued

Here are some more of the Delaware Township gentlemen who took sides during the early years of the Civil War—men who joined the Democratic Club of Delaware Township in 1863, and also men living in the same vicinity who supported the Administration.¹

7th District, Sand Brook School at the intersection of Route 523 and Sandbrook-Headquarters Road.

Vice-president Henry Crum was born April 6, 1815 to Benjamin and Sarah Crum, and married Catharine Moore on Feb. 18, 1837. They had nine children, and lived on a farm on Biser Road. For a time, Crum was a storekeeper in partnership with John C. Fisher, but that was dissolved in 1840. Crum was still a Raritan Twp. merchant in the 1850 census, but by 1860 he was a 45-year-old farmer living in Delaware Township. That year he purchased the Huber farm on Biser Road, where he remained for the rest of his life. Henry Crum stayed out of politics for the most part. His wife Catharine died on Dec. 23, 1891, and Henry Crum died on Oct. 19, 1897, age 82. They were both members of the German Baptist Church south of Sand Brook and were buried in the adjacent cemetery known as the Lower Amwell Old Yard.

The Union men in the Sandbrook district were Jacob T. Buchanan and Hiram Moore.

I suspect that Jacob “T.” Buchanan was actually Jacob Fulper Buchanan (1804-1894) who lived on Route 523 near Sand Brook and near Buchanan’s Tavern. He as born Nov. 15, 1804 to Samuel Buchanan and Margaret Arnwine, and married Mary Gordon (d/o Othniel and Mary Gordon) in 1836. They had four children. Buchanan was tavern keeper at Buchanan’s tavern at the time he got married (1835-1837?). At the second Delaware Township meeting in 1840 he was chosen to be a commissioner to decide tax appeals. In 1850 and 1860 he was identified as a farmer. His farm was the old Fulper property a little south of Sand Brook, on the west side of Route 523.

At the Union Convention held at the court house in Flemington in October 1861, Jacob F. Buchanan was named to the committee for nominations for Delaware Township. The convention was held to nominate candidates for state office, and also to establish a strong support for the president and strong opposition to the secessionists. The language was pretty fierce. For instance, there was this resolution:

That there are but two parties in this great contest as there were in the first and second war for independence—the patriot and the traitor.²

Jacob F. Buchanan lived to a ripe old age of 89; he died on April 1, 1894 and was buried in the Sand Brook Cemetery, next to wife Mary who died on July 12, 1882.

Back to Jacob “T.” Buchanan—there was such a person. He was named as the heir, and was probably the son, of George Buchanan who died intestate in 1826, but I have not found any further information on him. The problem is that he would have been born around the same time as Jacob F. Buchanan, in the early 1800s. But Jacob F. Buchanan was so involved in Union politics, he must have been the one named to raise funds for volunteers in 1862.

As a sidelight, the other heir of George Buchanan was Amy Buchanan, most likely the sister of Jacob T. Buchanan. She was born March 28, 1808 and wrote her will on August 15, 1868, naming as her heirs and executors two of the children of Jacob Fulper Buchanan (i.e., Gordon and Elizabeth). She did not name Jacob T. Buchanan in her will, so he most likely had died before 1868.

Hiram Moore (1812-1893) was the second man named to raise funds from the Sand Brook District. A more prominent man for this neighborhood you could not find. He was born to David Moore and Elizabeth Hudnut, and was the brother of Rhoda Moore who married Albertus K. Wagner (see part one). Hiram Moore married Amanda Holcombe in 1835 (daughter of Robert Holcombe and Elizabeth Pidcock), and they had five children.

Hiram Moore bought the old mill property at Sand Brook from the estate of George Rea. By 1844 he was advertising a “High Bred” horse available for breeding at his stable located one mile north of Sergeantsville, and two more horses at a stable near the Swamp Meeting House [Locktown]. He was a life-long “great lover of fine stock, especially horses” according to his obituary.

In 1849, he and wife Amanda conveyed a lot to the followers of John A. Moore to create a separate German Baptist Church in Sand Brook. In the 1850 census, Hiram Moore was identified as a miller and a farmer. Apparently he did the farming, and left the mill work to an employee who lived in his household, David Hortman. This was also the case in 1860, when the miller was his son Robert H. Moore. Robert was living in his own household by 1870 and still running the mill. By 1880, Robert had moved back into his father’s household, and was still running the mill.

Hiram Moore was active in his community, but not in politics. In his later years, Moore was a director of the Hunterdon Co. Agricultural Society and was a stockholder in the company promoting a railroad to run from Flemington to Prallsville, a route that would have come very close to his property. Moore was also involved with the Delaware Township Vigilant Society and the Delaware Horse and Mule Mutual Insurance Company. In 1891, the Hunterdon Republican noted this incident: “Hiram Moore, of Sand Brook, while at work in his mill, fell and broke his arm. He is an aged man, about 79 years of age, which makes the accident more serious.”

Hiram Moore died on February 1, 1893, some years after the death of wife Amanda. They are both buried in the Sand Brook Cemetery.

8th District, Dry Brook School located on Route 579, north of Croton.

Vice president Bateman Hockenbury was born November 1817 to John Hockenbury and Sarah Sutton of Croton. About 1845 he married Rebecca Snyder and had with her ten children. He ran the sawmill at Croton for many years, and, in fact, was the last to do so. Egbert T. Bush wrote of him that he was “a reliable sawyer,” and “a good farmer too.” Virginia Johnson believes that although Hockenbury owned land in the district, his home was located elsewhere, possibly on Sam Levine Road.

I found nothing about him that suggested he was an active Democrat. Hockenbury was probably recruited for this position. He and wife Rebecca both died sometime after 1900, but I have not found their death dates.

No one from Dry Brook School District was raising money for volunteers.

9th District, Harmony School, another district that straddled Delaware and Raritan Townships. It stood on the Raritan Township side of Route 579 across from Stone Signpost Road.

Isaac Horne, Jr., the Democratic vice-president, was a chairmaker. He was born on November 1, 1809 to Isaac Horne, Sr. and an unknown mother. About 1835 he married Sarah Dunn, daughter of school teacher Hugh Dunn and Hannah Dilts. They had three children (Jeremiah T., Theodore M. and Charles). Horne was friendly with Benjamin Horn, another chairmaker (and possible relative) who served on the Township Committee in 1840. I found nothing to suggest Horne was actively involved in politics other than the Delaware Twp. Democratic Club. In fact, he appears to have stayed out of the public eye almost entirely. There was no obituary for him or his wife in the Hunterdon papers, and the only mention I found was in the Hunterdon Gazette when he was listed as a petit juror for the Hunterdon Court in 1859 and 1865.

Isaac Horne lived in the old Mattison house at the intersection of Route 579 and Harmony School Road. He died on Jan. 12, 1891, age 81, and his wife Sarah died on Oct. 1887, age 78. They are both buried in the Sand Brook Cemetery.

No one at the Union meeting of 1862 was named from this district.

11th District, Mount Airy School, in the village of Mt. Airy on old route 179.

John Barber was named vice president of the Democratic Club for Mt. Airy. There was no one listed in the Union meeting of 1862 for this district. However, at the Union Convention in Flemington in 1861, John Barber was named as a vice president. Was this the same man? or another John Barber? Exploring that question will require a separate post, to be published soon.

12th District, Supreme School, located first on Strimples Mill Road, and later moved to the intersection of Strimples Mill Road and Co. Route 519.

The Hon. Joseph Williamson (Justice of the Peace) was named vice-president of the Democratic Club. He was born Oct. 10, 1839 to Matthais Williamson and Susan Slack. He married Mary A. Gordon, daughter of John H. Gordon and Catherine Case, on Dec. 22, 1864. They had five children, including Franklin Pierce Williamson (1865-1946). In the 1860s he taught at the Oregon school and the Supreme school. He was a farmer all his life, beginning with his father’s property on Sanford Road until 1877 when he bought his father-in-law’s farm west of Sergeantsville and grew peaches there. He was profiled in Snell’s History of Hunterdon:

In politics Mr. Williamson is of the faith of his fathers,–a Democrat,–and is also a member of the Masonic fraternity. For two terms he has held the office of justice of the peace, and has been called to fill other offices of trust and responsibility in his township. He has frequently been a delegate to the county and congressional conventions, and has served the interests of his party and constituents with intelligence and ability. ³

Joseph Williamson died on July 30, 1900, age 60. His wife Mary died in 1908, age 69. They are buried on the Rosemont Cemetery.

In the Supreme School District the Union men were H. P. Cullen and Asher Wolverton.

Judge Henry Pool Cullen (1824-1907) was mentioned in E. T. Bush’s article on the Supreme School District. Cullen was born to Joseph Cullen and Agnes Lee of Kingwood (later Franklin) Township. About that time he purchased his farm on Route 519 north of Rosemont, he married his wife Theodosia Grant Reading on October 1, 1851. She was the daughter of Samuel Ryerson Reading and Susannah Rittenhouse.

H. P. Cullen was a trustee of the Supreme School District in 1856 even though his children were then too young for school. He was not really involved in politics, but he did become a prominent lawyer and judge in Hunterdon County. In 1884 he was appointed a lay judge for Hunterdon County, and served on the Court of Common Pleas until his retirement ten years later. He was also a Justice of the Peace for Delaware Township from 1876 on. He had other interests—like Hiram Moore, he supported the Flemington-Delaware Railroad, and was present for the organization of the Delaware Valley Farmers and Mechanics Agricultural Society. He joined the new masonic lodge in Stockton in 1874.

Theodosia Cullen died, after a few years’ illness, on Dec. 31, 1873, age 57. Henry and Theodosia had five children (Henry, Theodore, Susan, Joseph, Harvey and Ida). Two of them died as infants and a third age 5. This left Theodore Large Cullen, born 1854, and Susan Reading Cullen, born 1855 and never married.

In 1887, at the age of 63, Judge Cullen married his second wife, Mrs. Sallie E. Cherry (maiden name not known by me), and apparently gave up farming as it was about this time that he moved to the village of Stockton. He was just in time for the huge explosion that took place there in 1888. According to the Hunterdon Republican, his windows were all blown out. Maybe that was what inspired him to become one of the original trustees of the Stockton Fire Company in 1896.

Henry P. Cullen was buried in Rosemont Cemetery next to his second wife Sallie. Where his first wife Theodosia was buried I cannot say.

Asher B. Wolverton (1812-1897) was the son of Samuel Wolverton and Mary Johnson, and grandson of Martin Johnson, who left him $1,000 in his will of 1825. He was also a grandson of the wealthy John Wolverton (whose will did not mention grandchildren). In 1850, Asher and step-brother Morris/Maurice Wolverton bought the old Howell farm near Stockton from Thomas P. Holcombe. The next year, Asher conveyed his rights in the farm to Morris. (This is where the Wolverton Inn is now located.) Asher’s own farm was part of his father’s estate—the old Reading farm at the southwest corner of Rosemont. He prospered and in 1870 had real estate worth $20,000, and personal property worth $30,000.

In 1860, at the age of 48, Asher Wolverton married Anna Gearhart, ten years younger than him and widow of Johnson Fisher of Brookville, who died in 1859 of typhoid at 43 years of age. They had two daughters: Mary Bell, who died an infant in 1867, and Mary Kate, who later married George W. S. Allen. (Anna had two children from her first marriage: Wilson Fisher who died in 1867, age 22; Sarah Elizabeth Fisher, who married David Lawshe; and Charles T. Fisher, 1851-1893.)

Despite his advanced age of 52, in 1864 Asher B. Wolverton was on the list of draftees for Delaware twp. There was a younger Asher Wolverton, born about 1831 to Job Wolverton and Catherine Servis, but he was not listed.

In 1883, Asher B. Wolverton was one of the surviving trustees of the Presbyterian church of Rosemont when a lot was conveyed by them to the Rosemont Cemetery. In his last years, he counted on the assistance of son-in-law David Lawshe to manage his farm and his stone quarry. He had fallen on the ice in 1893 and broken his hip. Payment was promised to Lawshe but never delivered, so, after Asher Wolverton died in 1897, a case was taken to court. Lawshe assigned his interest over to Judge Henry P. Cullen, who sued Asher’s administrator, step-brother Maurice Wolverton, and won the sum of $975.

Asher B. Wolverton died on Jan. 28, 1896, age 83, and was buried in the Rosemont Cemetery next to wife Anna Gearhart, who died on March 25, 1896, age 73.

13th District, Ringoes School, in Ringoes Village on Route 579, just east of Larison’s Academy (now Harvest Moon Inn).

Democratic Club vice-president was John Fisher. There were so many John Fishers in Hunterdon County that I despaired of figuring out which one belonged to the Club. My best guess is that this was the John Fisher who was born March 25, 1830 to Wm. Peter Fisher and Sarah Wilson. Cornelius W. Larison wrote of him in his genealogy of the Fisher family. About 1855 he married his third cousin, Martha H. Fisher, daughter of John C. Fisher and Catharine M. Skillman. As far as I can tell, his only occupation was that of a farmer, and breeder of Southdown sheep. In 1867 he bought a tract of 105 acres on Toad Lane in East Amwell and ten years later built “a substantial mansion” on that property. He died on that farm on Aug. 28, 1920 and was buried at the Larison’s Corner Cemetery (Amwell Ridge). His wife Martha had died on April 29, 1906 and is also buried there.

No one on the list of people raising money for volunteers was connected with the Ringoes school district.

14th District, Oregon School on the Locktown-Sergeantsville Road, just north of the intersection with Meszaros Road.

The Democratic vice-president was Andrew Bray Rittenhouse, born Nov. 22, 1807 to Edward Rittenhouse and Elizabeth Bray, and married to Elizabeth Mettler in 1832. They had 7 children, including daughter Amy who married John Bellis. Rittenhouse began his adult life as a Baptistown storekeeper and postmaster, and, according to John Bellis, was “an ardent Whig.” But his politics certainly changed by the time of the Civil War. Of the various Vice-Presidents, Rittenhouse was the one who had the closest association with the district he represented, as he was the one to lease a lot for the Oregon School in 1848. ⁴

Rittenhouse served as Freeholder for Delaware Township from 1851 to 1853, and again in 1862-63. He served as County Clerk from 1864 to 1869. It was said of him that “No man ever held the office who sustained himself and the interests of the county more creditably.”⁵ After his term as County Clerk ended, he retired to Raritan Township and died suddenly on Sept. 22, 1872, age 64. His wife Elizabeth died five years later, on Feb. 20, 1887, age 70. The two were buried in the Mt. Pleasant cemetery of the Presbyterian Church.

The Union men in the Oregon School District were Charles Warrick and John T. Risler.

Charles Warrick was born June 30, 1799, but where and to whom I cannot say. It is possible he was the son of Jonathan and Sarah Warrick, who were living in West Bethlehem, Washington County, PA in 1820. By 1830 the Warricks were living in Amwell Township, listed on the same page as residents of the area between Sergeantsville and Locktown. Jonathan Warrick appears to have been in the same location in the Delaware Township census records of 1840 and 1850. He was 86 years old in the latter census, living with John Warrick, age 63. When he died in 1859, he got an obit in both the Democrat and Republican newspapers, but the only information was that he lived in Delaware Twp. and was 97 years old, a very old man.

In 1823, Charles Warrick married Elizabeth Hatfield (1805-1890) who is also a mystery. Perhaps this couple came from Bucks County. Their first child appears to have been born about 1825—son Charles A. Warrick. They had six other children from 1828 to about 1845. I found no evidence in the newspapers that Warrick was politically active. He seems to have been a simple farmer who stayed out of trouble.

Charles Warrick appeared at Saxtonville as early as 1830, when the census was taken for Amwell Township. He was listed on the same page as other Saxtonville residents.

In 1851, “C. Warrick” was shown on the Cornell Map living at the intersection of Ferry Road and Locktown-Sergeantsville Road, where he had a farm. But by 1873 (Beers Atlas), he was no longer there. But he was still living in Delaware twp. because he was counted there in the 1880 census as a retired farmer, age 80, living with his wife Elizabeth, age 75, but no one else. Perhaps they had moved to Stockton (still a part of Delaware twp.) or some other small town.

Warrick still owned some property in 1884, because in that year he sold a 30-acre farm to Asa H. Holcombe for $2800. His obituary, dated August 18, 1886, said he was “of Sandy Ridge.”

Warrick died on August 14, 1886 in Delaware twp., age 87, and was buried in the Sandy Ridge Cemetery. His wife Elizabeth died on August 26 1890, and was buried next to him. Four of their children are also buried there: son Judson, died 1837 and daughter Sarah C. died 1840 as infants; son Charles A. Warrick, who died in 1850 age 25; and son Lemuel, who died in 1913 age 77. I do not know where children Harriet, Hester and Susanna were buried. I did not find an estate for him in Hunterdon County—perhaps he was too old.

John T. Risler was born Jan. 16, 1799 to Jacob Risler and Mary Taylor of Lebanon Twp. Father Jacob died in 1811, when John was only 12 years old (Jacob’s will named son John along with sons William and Thomas). He chose his uncle William Risler as guardian, and received his share of the estate in the form of $200.

In 1820, John Taylor Risler worked as a schoolteacher at the log house near St. Thomas’ Church. In 1827, when he was 28 years old, he advertised in the Gazette that he had lost a note of hand against Nathan, Elizabeth and Abba Risler, jointly for $50, which had been paid in full. These were children of Peter and Mary Risler, John T. Risler’s uncle and aunt.

Risler seems to have moved from Lebanon to Amwell about this time, for on February 9, 1828 he married Keturah Rittenhouse (1807-1889) daughter of Elisha Rittenhouse and Isabel Miller of the Locktown vicinity. (Keturah died on Jan 18, 1889 and was buried in the Rosemont Cemetery.) It appears that his new father-in-law conveyed a farm formerly owned by Thomas Shearman to the new couple, located on Featherbed Lane.

John T. and Keturah Risler had seven children from 1828 to 1844. They were Charles W., Harriet, Stacy Bray, Henry, Emily, Sarah and John T. Jr. All but Henry lived to adulthood.

John T. and Keturah Risler were very pious members of the Locktown Baptist Church. John served as deacon for many years. He was among those who remained with the Old Schoolers during the schism of 1839.⁶

In 1866 Risler bordered property being sold by the estate of John Warrick dec’d on the Locktown-Sergeantsville Road.⁷ John Warrick was the son of Jonathan Warrick, mentioned above.

In the 1870 census, John T. Risler was 71 years old, still a farmer, but only moderately prosperous. Wife ‘Katurah’ was 63, son John was 23 working on the farm, and daughter Sarah was 30 (she married Charles Sydney Johnson later that year; their first child was named Risler Johnson).

John T. Risler died on September 2, 1873 and was buried in the Rosemont Cemetery. In 1876, his widow Keturah conveyed their farm to their son John. In the 1880 census she was living with John T. Risler, Jr. and his family; oddly enough she was identified as “mother-in-law,” age 72. (Perhaps it was John Risler’s wife, Annie Hume Francis, who gave the enumerator the family information. She was the sister of Elder Aaron Bise Francis, pastor of the Locktown Baptist Church from 1870 to 1881.)⁸

Keturah Risler died on Jan. 18, 1889, age 81, and was buried in the Rosemont Cemetery next to her husband. Not many photographs are available for the people mentioned in this article, so I felt compelled to include the one of Keturah R. Risler, found on “Find-a-Grave.” She appears to have been uncomfortable in front of a camera. One would expect there to be a photograph of her husband—no doubt one was made, but I have not seen it.

Two school districts did not have vice presidents to represent them: the 10^th, which was the Kuhl School, on the border with Raritan Township, and the 15^th or Rocktown District, on the border with West Amwell.

The last article on this subject will be a short biography of the John Barber who volunteered to raise money for Union Army volunteers and the John Barber who was named a vice-president of the Delaware Twp. Democratic Club. They were most likely two different people.

Footnotes: