Clinton Township Newsletter

2 5 M a r c h 2 0 1 6 2 0 1 6 h u N t E r d o N h u s k i E s F o o t B a L L & C h E E r r E g i s t r a t i o N Register today with the 11x National Cham- pion Hunterdon Huskies Youth Football & Cheer Program! Registration is now OPEN for the 2016 Season! Team sizes are limited, so register early! Youth athletes will work with the highest caliber coaches, receive premium technique and strategic instruction and participate in a commu- nity-orientated program. The nationally recognized Hunterdon Huskies football and cheerleading program is now accepting registrations from area athletes for the upcoming 2016 season. • Football -- For athletes ages 5 to 15 years old (as of 7/31/16). Flag football, ages 5- 6. Full equipment, instructional 7-year old tackle program is the only one of its kind in our area; also offering instructional tackle for 8 and 9 year olds with weight restrictions for player safety. For those with the desire and motivation to learn and play football at a high level of competition, we offer several programs for 9-15 year old players, also with weight restrictions for player safety. Safety-certified and experienced coaches at all levels. Coaches with 25+ years of coaching experience, coaches who have played at college and professional football levels, coaches with HS coaching experience, etc. Huskies Football earned 2 National Championship titles in 2015, as well as in 2007 and 2006; was 3rd in Na- tion in 2014, and was a National Finalist in 2005. • Cheerleading -- For athletes ages 3 to 15 (as of 7/31/16), our younger athletes will enjoy an instructional program focused on fun and the fundamentals of cheer. Older youth athletes will learn high-energy tightly choreographed routines that incorporate cheer, dance, stunts and tumbling. Safety certified and experienced coaches at all levels. Huskies Cheer earned National Championship titles in 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012 and 2010, 2nd in Nation in 2014 and 2005, and 3rd in Nation in 2015, 2013 and 2012. • Contender/Inspiration Programs -- We are proud to offer our community Huskies Contender Football & Inspiration Cheer teams. These awesome programs are open to all children with special needs of all abilities! Make sure to attend our Huskies Meet the Coaches Day! Meet the coaches, ask ques- tions and register in person on Saturday March 19, from 9:00 am - 1:00 pm, at the Huskies Field (Union Forge Field at 1 Wash- ington Avenue in High Bridge! (Rain location is at Custom Alloy, 3 Washington Avenue, High Bridge). Register Today! Visit www.hunterdonhus- kies.com for more information, to register online for the 2016 season and start your child on a winning path! If you have any questions about the Huskies, please call Huskies' President Dan VanVolkenburgh at 908.752.1175, Deputy Football Commis- sioner Elizabeth Lake at: 908.938.9829, or Cheer Commissioner Susie Lavigne at 908.304.4571. Go Huskies! C L i N t o N t o w N s h i p h i s t o r i C p r E s E r v a t i o N C o M M i s s i o N "Getting to Know your Township – An Historical Perspective – The Potterstown Skirmish" B y C h a r l e s r i d d l e 1777 – the third year of the A,American Revolution. The British would call it the "Year of the Hangman." For two men involved in the Potterstown Skirmish, it would be prophetic. In the early summer of 1777, four men from New Jersey made their way to the British lines on Staten Island. Three of these men, James Moody, Christopher Insley and John Mee came from Hunterdon County. On Staten Island they would meet with Colonel Joseph Barton, 5th Battalion, New Jersey Volunteers, a Loyalist regiment. These men were given "warrants" from Colonel Barton to recruit men for his regiment in Sussex County, Hunterdon County and Eastern Pennsylvania. These warrants also commissioned each of them as Lieutenants in the 5th Battalion. They departed Staten Island to carry out their mission. Moody and Mee would recruit in Sussex County. Insley would go to Eastern Pennsylvania and James Iliff would concentrate his efforts in Alexandria, Kingwood and Pittstown in Hunterdon County. Their recruiting efforts seemed to be successful and by early September they were ready to move. Christopher Insley and his Pennsylvania men crossed the Delaware River near Belvidere and joined with Moody and Mee's men near Oxford. A messenger was sent ahead to James Iliff setting up a meeting of the two groups on September 12 at Potterstown. Once they had united, their plan was to march to New Brunswick, then to Perth Amboy where they would be ferried over to the British lines on Staten Island. The two groups came together as planned at Potterstown (near the present-day Spinning Wheel Diner) on September 12. In total they numbered about 100 men. However, they had been discovered. James Moody in his memoirs stated that one of the recruits deserted and informed the militia of their location. A Pennsylvania newspaper published an account that the Loyalists had been spotted by a local militia officer who spread the alarm. Regardless of which account is correct, the Loyalists faced a major crisis. The local militias were closing in. From the west came the Lebanon Township (now Clinton Township) militia commanded by Captain Thomas Jones, while from the east came the Readington/Tewkesbury militia commanded by Captain David Schamp. The fighting began in the late afternoon of September 12 in the Potterstown area. The Loyalists quickly realized that they had to try to break off the action and make an escape to New Brunswick. What ensued was a running battle that continued overnight into September 13, with militia units from Somerset and Middlesex Counties joining in the fighting. Finally – on the morning of September 13 near Piscataway – the Loyalists were surrounded and forced to surrender. James Moody, Christopher Insley and about eight others were able to escape and make their way to the British lines. Seventy-five, including James Iliff and John Mee, were captured. About 15 were unaccounted for and, whether they were killed, wounded or able to escape is unknown. The prisoners were first taken to the gaol in Trenton and held there from September 16 to the 24th. They were then transferred to the gaol in Burlington and confined there from September 26 to October 5, while in Burlington an additional nineteen Loyalists were placed in the gaol with them. The Committee of Safety ordered that all of these Loyalists be taken to Morristown to stand trial. On October 6, under heavy guard, the ninety-four Loyalists began their march to Morristown. After stops in Trenton, Princeton, Somerville and Pluckemin, they arrived in Morristown on October 13 and were placed in the Morristown gaol under the supervision of Sheriff Alexander Carmichael. Their trials began on October 16 and were completed by October 22, with verdicts being handed down on the 23rd. "Fifty nine were found guilty of misdemeanor – 'intending to join the Army of the King of Great Britain." For this they were required to take an oath of allegiance and pay a fine, after which they were released. Thirty-five were charged with treason – "being armed and arrayed in a warlike and hostile manner... did wage a publick and cruel war." James Iliff and John Mee were among those charged with treason. Of these 35, 8 were from Hunterdon County, 13 from Sussex County and 14 from Pennsylvania. The trials for those charged with treason began on October 29 and were completed by November 11. All were found guilty and sentenced to be hanged on December 2. They were ordered to be confined in the Morristown gaol until their date with the gallows. Between November 11 and December 2 the defendants, along with their family members and friends, petitioned the Governor (William Livingston), the Legislative Council and the court for clemency. John Mee's wife even paid a visit to Susannah Livingston, wife of the Governor, on November 30, to plead for her husband. However, all petitions for clemency for James Iliff and John Mee were denied, so they would go to the gallows on December 2. Petitions for the other 33 men were more successful. Prior to December 2, 24 were released under the following conditions: take the oath of allegiance, pay a fine and enlist in the Continental Army. The remaining nine were released on January 2, 1778, with 8 of 9 having to meet the same conditions as the first group. The ninth man, Dr. Aaron Forman, was not required to enlist in the army and allowed to return to his medical practice in Quakertown. Of the 32 required to enlist in the Continental Army, one died during his time in the army, five fulfilled their enlistment and returned home, the other 26 enlisted as required. However, within six months those 26 had deserted to the British. James Iliff and John Mee kept their date with destiny and were hanged on December 2. The reported last words of James Iliff were, "My only crime was being a loyal subject of His Majesty, King George III."

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