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A message from the Commander, for July 4, 2026

Dear fellow members of Outwater’s Militia,

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.That they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain inalienable rights,That among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

We have heard these words many, many times in our lives, so much so that the import of their meaning has faded. But, in the eighteenth century, these were fighting words, not just because the colonies were using them as a reason for asserting independence, but because it flew in the face of the established world order. For hundreds of years prior, the worth and prospects for a man was determined by his birth. Whether he was of noble origin or that of a gentleman or a commoner, would determine the prospects laid before him. This would determine his future and that of his family and his children's’ family- whether they would live an accomplished, civilized life full of hope, or a hard life, poor with routine hard labor, subject to the approval of his “betters”. That all men are created equal, was a threat to the established order, including the right of kings to rule throughout the world. These words were so radical that the European powers spent the next one hundred years trying to snuff us out. More astonishing, is that the men who signed this document were fully aware that they would be branded as traitors. To many, the issue was not “independence”, but “treason”.

King George made it very clear the previous January that those found in opposition to the Crown would suffer death by hanging. Yet they signed it anyway. I wonder what the present generation would have done.

Even more astonishing is that while they were signing the Declaration, the world’s largest armada of war ships ever to gather in the history of the world, since the time of the Spanish Armada, and which would never be seen again until D-Day in World War II, was gathering off the coast of Sandy Hook. Thirty thousand of the best trained soldiers in Europe were poised to land and assert control on behalf of the King.

Those men signed the document anyway. Again, I often wonder what we would do under similar circumstances. Many paid the price.

As we achieve the 250th anniversary, let us not let the words of the Declaration wash over us again without appreciation, without gratitude and without feelings of a “new birth of freedom”. Together, let us “pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.”

Robert Shanahan, Commander

2026, America's 250th!

Quote about an original NJ Militiaman

He shouldered his musket in the days of his youth against a cruel, powerful and unrelenting foe who were wasting, spoiling and destroying his oppressed country; burning her houses and defenseless towns and exposing her helpless citizens to indescribable miseries. He exposed his life and endured the privations of the soldier, the toils of the field and garrison to achieve the independence of these United States. And led on by the immortal Washington and other dauntless heroes through sanguinary trials, he now beholds the fruits of his labor: the freedom of his country from the chains of the tyrant. May kind Heaven preserve his beloved country from the calamities of such another war.
(Jonathan Doty Senr. S5356)

A Hessian Captain about the NJ militia

In the Diary of the American War, Hessian General Johann Ewald stated years later: "What can you achieve with such small bands who have learned to fight dispersed, who know how to use every molehill for their defense, and who retreat as quickly when attacked as they advance again, and who will always find a space to hide. Never have I seen these maneuvers performed better than by the American militia, especially those of the Province of New Jersey. If you were forced to retreat against these people, you could certainly count on having them around you."

-Previous to this writing, Ewald was a Captain of the Hessian Jaegers during the war, who led the attack on the Bridge at Bound Brook as well as many other actions during the Revolution.

Receipt for 18th Century Dutch crackers

Start one day in advance.

1 tsp. of yeast
1 cup of water
3 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup of rye flour
2 tsp. salt
1 tbl. sesame seeds
1 tbl. fennel seeds
1 tbl. poppy seeds
3 tbs. olive oil
1/4 cup white wine.

In a small bowl dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup of the water and add a few pinches of the four. Combine all the dry ingredients, including the seeds, in a medium mixing bowl. Using a fork, stir in the remaining 1/4 cup of water, olive oil, wine, and dissolved yeast, and knead for 10 minutes. You will have a stiff dough. Place it in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in the refringerator overnight.

The next day, heat the oven to 400 degrees. Keeping the dough as cold as possible while your work with it, form it into a log and cut it into 8 roughly equal pieces. Roll each piece through a pasta machine or roll by hand to 1/16 inch thinckness. Lay two sheets of dough at a time on an oiled baking sheet, brush lightly with olive oil, and season with kosher or sea salt. Bake for 15-17 minutes until nicely browned and crisp. Keep whole or break into pieces to serve.
Yields about 3 dozen pieces.

Obviously, some of these ingredients were hard to come by on the run. People in the 18th century were big fans of sesame seeds. But, feel free to leave out what you will.

If you are trying to make "Ships Biscuit", leave out all of the seeds. Bake these several times to dry out all of the moisture.

-Bob Shanahan

Petition of Peter Wilson and Note Attached of John Outwater

[New Barbadoes, September 8, 1781 ]May it please your Excellency, The perilous Situation of the frontiers of this County has induced me to make this Application to your Excellency at the Request of the Inhabitants, that a part of the Militia of the State should be called out to the Assistance of the twelve Months Men stationed here for the defence of the County. This Measure has become the more necessary as the few Men who were raised for a Year are reduced in Number by Enlistments into the Continental Army. One hundred & twenty Men were designed for the Protection of this Frontier, not above one fourth Part of which are now on duty here, while Closter which is also very much exposed, is entirely open to the Depredations of the Refugees, who are indefatigable in making nocturnal Expeditions for Horses, Cattle, & Prisoners.(1) On the 9th. of August they carried off fourteen Prisoners & a very considerable Number of Cattle & Horses-the greater Part of the Stock they were obliged to quit, but the Prisoners were safely lodged in the Sugar House, and on the 30th. ult. they made another Attempt upon this Quarter but were forced to leave all the Cattle & Horses they had taken, & in Spite of the Fire of their Gun-Boat, & Grape Shot to make a precipitate Retreat with the Loss of three men killed, & 6 or 7 wounded two of whom, one of them the Capt. of the Gun Boat, are since dead, some of the Others dangerously wounded, and one taken prisoner. Capt. Outwatcr who commandcd the Year'.s Men & Militia of the Vicinity who turned out On the Instant, had one man wounded thro' the Thigh, & two others slightly scratched. A small party of them succceded better at Closter last Wednesday night the 4th. Instant having carried off 10 head of Cattle & 4 Horses, & taken five white Men & a Negro prisoners. One Cole,(2) of the Militia of that Neighbourhood, who had deserted to the Enemy a few days before was their Conductor.
The Militia of this County have done so great a Surplus of Military Duty that I could wish, if the Governor's Ideas coincide with mine, to have one Class from one of the Regiments of the County of Somerset, & one Class from this County called to our assistance, to be Stationed at this Place & at Closter.

I am with the greatest Respect your Excellency's very humble Servant

PETER WILSON [Bergen County, September 10, 1781 ]

I am Parsaonelly Acquainted With the General Desire of the Publick, In Regard to An Augmentation of the Guard, On this frontier, Your Excelency I Am Convinced, Wants No Information, In Regard to the Situation of this County from Your Parshaonel knowledge of the Strength of the De[ . . . ] under my Command, & Capt. Demarests (3) at the Bridges, You take the mater In Your Serius Consideration & Grant the Above Request.

I Am With the Gratest Respect Your Excellency's most Obedient & Very Humble Servt.

JOHN OUTWATER

ALS, NN.I. For a report of earlier Loyalist raids into Bergen County see Petition of the Inhabitants of Bergen County, June 26, 1781.

British regulars, Loyalists, and refugees not only attacked and looted Bergen County towns through the spring and summer of 1781, but in May had established a blockhouse at Fort Lee. The Bergen County militia, under thc command of Capt. John Outwater, had reduced the blockhouse even before receiving George Washington's orders to do so (Fitzpatrick, Writings of Washington, 22: 94-95).2 Probably Benjamin Cole, a private in Col. John Lambs Artillery of the Continental Army, who had deserted prior to Sept. 4th, 1781 (NJA, Newspaper Extracts, 5:294)
3 David Demerest

(note, Outwater commanded the State Troops in Bergen County in 1781, and in 1782, Peter Ward took command. (Glenn Valis)

The British monetary system in the 18th Century.

There are 4 farthings in 1 penny, 12 pence in 1 shilling,
and 20 shillings in 1 pound.
A guinea is 21 shillings, or L1. s1. (1.1.0), and there are
4 crowns in a pound (1 crown being 5 shillings).

A half-crown, therefore is s2.d6, or 2 shillings, six-pence.

With this knowledge, we can convert pounds into shillings, shillings into pence, & pence into farthings.

Two Pence was called 'Tup-pence' and three was 'Thrup-Pence.'

Converting Spanish dollars into British cash took some figuring! Paper money, which changed value faster, took even more care and knowledge.

The Minutes of the Council of Safety and Provincial Congress up to 1777

NJ Published, for historical record, the Minutes of the Provincial Congress and the Committees of Safety and Correspondence, for the period beginning in 1774 up to March 1777, in a volume made in 1879. There had previously been made a column with the minutes from March 1777. This was as result of "An Act for the better preservation of the early records of New Jersey" approved April 6, 1871.

It is available to read online on GOOGLE BOOKS, free, as a pdf.

Sed pede ullamcorper amet ullamcorper primis, nam pretium suspendisse neque, a phasellus sit pulvinar vel integer.