The following is from an ancient paper published in 1782, just previous to the close of the war.

"We learn that the brave Captain Storer, commissioned as a private boat-of-war under the State, and who promises to be the genuine successor of the late Captain Hyler, has given a recent instance of his valor and conduct in capturing one of the enemy's vessels. He went in two boats through the British fleet in the Narrows and boarded a vessel under the flag staff battery. He captured the vessel without alarm. She was a sloop in the Engineers' department of H. B. M. service, and was carried away safely."

Captain Marriner lived in New Brunswick during the war. From notice of him in ancient papers, we find he was another brave enterprising partisan, as the following extracts will show. The first is from a letter dated June 17th, 1778.

"William Marriner, a volunteer, with eleven men and Lieutenant John Schenck, of our militia, went last Saturday evening from Middletown Point to Long Island, in order to take a few prisoners from Flatbush, and returned with Major Moncrieff and Mr. Theophilus Bacho (the worshipful Mayor and Tormentor-General, David Matthews, Esq., who has inflicted on our prisoners the most unheard of cruelties, and who was the principal object of the expedition, being unfortunately in the city,) with four slaves, and brought them to Princeton, to be delivered to his excellency the Governor. Mr. Marriner with his party left Middletown Point on Saturday evening, and returned at six o'clock next morning, having traveled by land and water above fifty miles, and behaved with greatest prudence and bravery."

The following is from an official naval work in the Library of Congress:

"The privateer Blacksnake was captured by the British, but in April, 1780, Captain William Marriner, with nine men in a whale boat, retook her. Captain Marriner then put to sea in his prize, and captured the Morning Star, of 6 swivels and 33 men, after a sharp resistance, in which she lost three killed and five wounded; he carried both prizes into "Egg Harbor."

After the war Captain Marriner removed to Harlem, where he lived many years.

The Daniel Matthews above spoken of was the Tory Mayor of New York, during the Revolution, and noted for his enmity to all favoring the Americans.

"December 18th, 1782.- Capt. Jackson of the Greyhound, in the evening of Sunday, last week, with much address, captured within the Hook, the schooner Dolphin and sloop Diamond, bound from New York to Halifax, and brought them into Egg Harbor. These vessels were both condemned to the claimants, and the sales amounted to £10,200.

In the following item from the Packet Jan. 1779, no names are mentioned.

"Some Jerseymen went in row boats to Sandy Hook and took four sloops, one of which was armed. They burned three and took one; also nineteen prisoners.

The share of prize money per man, was £400."

Toms River appears to have been occupied by the Americans as a military post during the greater part of the Revolution. The soldiers stationed here were generally twelve months men, commanded by different officers, among whom may be mentioned, Captains Bigelow, Ephraim Jenkins, James Mott, John Stout and Joshua Huddy. Captain Mott had command of a company called the "Sixth Company" of Dover, and Captain Stout of the Seventh Company. The Fifth Company was from Stafford, and commanded by Capt. Reuben F. Randolph. These companies all belonged to the militia organization of old Monmouth.

The duties of the militia stationed at Toms River, appear to have been to guard the inhabitants against depredations from the refugees; to check contraband trade by way of old Cranberry Inlet to New York, and to aid our privateers who brought prizes into the Inlet, which was a favorite resort for New Jersey, New England and other American privateers.

By the following extracts, it will be seen that old Dover township was the scene of many stirring incidents during the war.

About the 1st of April, 1778, the government salt works near Toms River, were destroyed by a detachment of British under Captain Robertson. One building they alleged belonged to Congress and cost £6,000. The salt works on our coast at Manasquan, Shark River, Toms River, Barnegat and other places, were so important to the Americans during the war that we propose to notice them in a separate article.

May 22d, 1778, it is announced that a British vessel with a cargo of fresh beef and pork, was taken by Captain Anderson and sixteen men in an armed boat, and brought into Toms River.

In the early part of August following, the British ship "Love and Unity," with a valuable cargo was brought into the Inlet; the cargo was saved but the ship was subsequently retaken by a large British force; the particulars of the capture and recapture are as follows from ancient letters:

"August 12th, 1778. We learn that on Thursday night, the British ship "Love and Unity" from Bristol, with 80 hhds of loaf sugar, several thousand bottles London porter, and a large quantity of Bristol beer and ale, besides many other valuable articles, was designedly run ashore near Toms River. Since which, by the assistance of some of our militia, she has been brought into a safe port and her cargo properly taken care of."

The cargo of this ship was advertised to be sold at Manasquan, on the 26th of August, by John Stokes, U. S. Marshal. The articles enumerated in the advertisement show that the cargo must have been a very valuable one. The Americans were not quite so lucky with the ship as with the cargo, as will be seen by the following extract:

"Friday, September 18th, 1778. Two British armed ships and two brigs, came close to the bar off Toms River (Cranbury) Inlet, where they lay all night. Next morning between seven and eight o'clock, they sent seven armed boats into the Inlet, and re-took the ship Washington formerly "Love and Unity" which had been taken by the Americans; they also took two sloops near the bar and captured most of the crews.

The captain of the ship and most of his officers escaped to the main land in one of the ship's boats. After they got ashore a man named Robert McMullen, who had been condemned to death at Freehold but afterwards pardoned, jumped into the boat, hurrahing for the British, and rowed off and joined them. Another refugee named William Dillon, who had also been sentenced to death at Freehold and pardoned, joined this party of British as pilot."

By the following extract it will be seen that the renegades McMullen and Dillon, had been out of jail but a very few weeks, when they aided the British in this expedition:

"July 22d, 1778. We learn that at the Court of Oyer and Terminer, held at Monmouth in June last, the following parties were tried and found guilty of burglary, viz: Thomas Emmons alias Burke, John Wood, Michael Millery, William Dillon and Robert McMullen. The two former were executed on Friday last, and the other three reprieved."

McMullen probably had some connection with the expedition, perhaps to spy out the whereabouts of the captured cargo, as he would not have been in that vicinity unless assured that a British force was at hand.

One tradition states that when he jumped into the boat he was flying for his life- "that he was pursued by the Americans and escaped by swimming his horse across the river near its mouth to a point which he called Goodluck Point to commemorate his escape."

Goodluck Point near the mouth of Toms Paver, undoubtedly received its name from some person flying for his life in the above manner, and it is possible that it might have been McMullen.

"On the 9th of December, 1778, it is announced that a British armed vessel, bound from Halifax to New York, and richly laden, came ashore near Barnegat. The crew about sixty in number, surrendered themselves prisoners to our militia. Goods to the amount of five thousand pounds sterling were taken out of her by our citizens, and a number of prisoners sent to Bordentown, at which place the balance of prisoners were expected. About March, 1779, the sloop Success, came ashore in a snow storm, at Barnegat. She had been taken by the British brig Diligence, and was on her way to New York. She had a valuable cargo of rum, molasses, coffee, cocoa, &c., on board. The prize master and three hands Were made prisoners and sent to Princeton. In the case of this vessel and the one previously mentioned, it is probable the Toms River militia aided, as the name of Barnegat was frequently applied to the shore north of the inlet, both on the beach and on the main Land.

Feb. 8th, 1779, the sloop Fancy and schooner Hope, with cargoes of pitch, tar and salt are advertised for sale at Toms River by the J. S. Marshal. They were probably prizes. The Major Van Emburg mentioned in the following, belonged to the 2d Reg. Middlesex militia; he was taken May 14, 1780.

On the 5th of June, 1780, an ancient paper says: "On Sunday morning, Major Van Emburg and eight or nine men from West Jersey, on a fishing party, were surprised in bed at Toms River by the Refugees, and put on board a vessel to be sent prisoners to New York, but before the vessel sailed they fortunately managed to escape."

Toms River then did not seem quite as desirable a place for pleasure resort as it is in the present day. History does not tell us whether the Major was successful in catching fish: all we know is that he got caught himself.

About the middle of December, 1780, a British brig in the West India trade, was captured and brought into Toms River. This brig was short of water and provisions and mistaking the land for Long Island, sent a boat and four men ashore to obtain supplies. The militia hearing of it manned two boats and went out and took her. She had on board 150 hhds of rum and spirits, which our ancestors pronounced "excellent," by which we conclude they must have considered themselves competent judges of the article! With the British, rum must have been a necessity, as in every prize taken from them rum was an important part of the cargo.

The British brig Molly, was driven ashore in a snow storm near Barnegat; her prize crew were taken prisoners by the militia and sent to Philadelphia.

In December, 1780, Lieut. Joshua Studson of Toms River, was shot by the refugee Bacon, inside of Cranberry inlet. The particulars of this affair are given in a notice of Bacon's career, and therefore it is unnecessary to repeat them.

March 19,1782. The privateer Dart, Capt. Wm. Gray, of Salem, Mass., arrived at Toms River with a prize sloop, taken from the British galley, Black Jack. The next day he went with his boat and seven men in pursuit of a British brig near the bar. Unfortunately for Capt. Gray, instead of taking a prize he was taken himself. For a long time after, the Toms River people wondered what had become of him. In August following they heard from him. After getting outside the bar he was taken prisoner, and carried to Halifax, and subsequently released on parole. He stated he was well treated while a prisoner.

A few days after Capt. Gray was taken, the British attacked and burned Toms River. This was the last affair of any importance occurring in the immediate vicinity of Toms River during the war. But south of Toms River, several noted affairs afterwards occurred. Davenport burned the salt works at Forked River, and was himself killed in June; in October, Bacon attacked and killed several men on the beach south of Barnegat lighthouse; in December, occurred the skirmish at Cedar Creek, where young Cooke was killed; on the 3d of April following, (1783,) Bacon was killed near West Creek.

The original and following certificate is in possession of Ephraim P. Empson, Esq., of Collier's Mills:

                                    Providence, Feb. 21, 1777.

This may certify that Messrs. Clark and Nightingale and Captain William Rhodes have purchased here at vendue, the schooner Pope's Head, which was taken by the privateers Sally and Joseph (under our command) and carried into Cranberry Inlet, in the Jersies, and there delivered to the care of Mr. James Randolph by our prize masters.

                                    James Maro. 
                                    John Fish.

During the war there were interesting events occurring at Toms River, outside of military and naval matters.

In January, 1778, the sloop, Two Friends, Capt. Alex. Bonnett of Hispaniola, was cast away near Barnegat, with 1,600 bags of salt, 49 hhds. molasses, also a lot of rum, sugar, &c. Only 160 galls, rum saved. The shore people went to their assistance, but one man was lost. The Capt. of the Two Friends, Alex. Bonnet, then shipped as a passenger in the sloop Endeavor of Toms River, for New York, but sad to relate, while she lay at anchor in the inlet, a storm at night parted the cable and all on board were drowned in the bay.

In December, 1778, Capt Alexander of the sloop Elizabeth of Baltimore, was taken by the British, but he was permitted to leave in his small boat, and landed in Toms River inlet.

It was during the war, in the year 1777, that Rev. Benjamin Abbott, expounded the then new principles of Methodism, to the people of Toms River, first at the house of Esquire Abiel Aikens, and then at another place when "a Frenchman fell to the floor, and never rose until the Lord converted his soul. Here (at Toms River), we had a happy time," so says Abbott in his journal.

During the war there was of course no communication with New York, but the people of Toms River had considerable overland intercourse with West Jersey, Philadelphia and Freehold.