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The Democratic Club of Delaware Twp, 1863

June 5, 2015 By Marfy Goodspeed in Delaware Twp, Hunterdon, Sergeant Tags: Civil War, politics

1863Club

The most recent issue of the Hunterdon Historical Newsletter (vol. 51, no. 2) includes an article by me on the Democratic Club of Delaware Township. I thought the story an important one, so, for the benefit of those who do not subscribe to the newsletter, I am also publishing it here on my website, with a couple additional notes.

(I do hope you will consider becoming a member of the Hunterdon County Historical Society, which includes a subscription to the newsletter. It’s a great way to support the preservation of Hunterdon County history. Here’s their website: Hunterdon History.)

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The Civil War in 1862

May 29, 2015 By Marfy Goodspeed in Delaware Twp, Hunterdon, Locktown, Warford Tags: Civil War

Lincoln-Antietam2

as seen through Benjamin H. Ellicott’s eyes

This post provides transcriptions of Benjamin H. Ellicott’s notes on the Civil War from March to December 1862. (I have kept Ellicott’s spelling, and inserted questions marks for words I can’t read.) For most of this time, Ellicott and his family were living in Locktown, New Jersey. Baltimore was their home, but they left it in 1861 after the attack on Fort Sumter. The family returned to Baltimore on September 24, 1862, and remained there until 1863, when they resettled in Hunterdon County.

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Ellicott’s Diary, Local News

May 22, 2015 By Marfy Goodspeed in Delaware Twp, Hunterdon, Locktown, Warford Tags: churches, Civil War, Ellicott's Diary, flora and fauna, old ways, politics

Recently I wrote about the diary of Benjamin H. Ellicott, a Baltimore man who married into a Hunterdon family, and traveled with his family from Baltimore to Flemington in 1861.1

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“Copperheadism” in Locktown

May 15, 2015 By Marfy Goodspeed in Carrell, Delaware Twp, Heath, Kugler, Locktown Tags: churches, Civil War

John Moore Woodward age 24 copy

During the Civil War, Republicans called Democrats who opposed the war “Copperheads,” likening them to poisonous snakes. Many of these “Copperheads” could be found in Northern States like New Jersey, and in Hunterdon County.

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“California” in Franklin Township

May 8, 2015 By Marfy Goodspeed in E. T. Bush, Franklin Twp, Historians Tags: flora and fauna, schools

Sloane-Saw 1

Bewick OakThe following is one in a series of articles that Mr. Bush wrote in which grand old trees were the primary theme. Those magnificent trees are no longer around to inspire us the way they did Mr. Bush. Seeing the world through his eyes reminds us of what has been lost.

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Elisha Warford

May 1, 2015 By Marfy Goodspeed in Croton, E. T. Bush, Locktown, Warford

1873 Croton

In his diary, Benjamin Ellicott made several references to his father-in-law, Elisha Warford. Warford is a legendary figure in the history of the Locktown-Croton vicinity, so it seems appropriate to publish Mr. Bush’s recollections of the man. He was a controversial figure, extremely wealthy, and extremely litigious. He never hesitated to take his debtors to court, as the papers in the Warford Collection at the Hunterdon County Historical Society will attest. Warford was a difficult personality that Mr. Bush managed to write about without casting aspersions. But then Egbert T. Bush was always a gentleman. As usual, I will take the liberty of making comments and annotations.

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Query: Who Was William Nixon?

April 17, 2015 By Marfy Goodspeed in Hunterdon Tags: queries

William Nixon was the tavernkeeper in Locktown in 1861 when Benjamin Ellicott and wife Mary Ann Warford set up residence there. The story of the family’s move from Baltimore to Locktown can be read here: Benjamin Ellicott’s Diary.

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Benjamin Ellicott’s Diary

April 17, 2015 By Marfy Goodspeed in Delaware Twp, Flemington, Hunterdon, Locktown, Warford Tags: Civil War, Ellicott's Diary

Diary open

While processing the reams of archived material at the Hunterdon County Historical Society, archivist Donald Cornelius came upon a handwritten diary composed during the years of the Civil War. He was stunned and thrilled by what he found, a personal journal from a resident of Locktown written during those stressful years, 1861-1863. I am equally thrilled that he shared his find with me. Since the Civil War officially ended 150 years ago on April 9th, I would like to share with you the first pages of this fascinating document, written by Benjamin Harvey Ellicott.

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