Mannahawkin, during the Revolution, was noted for the patriotism of its citizens. From a manuscript originally found in Congressional Records, but now in the library of the New Jersey Historical Society, it appears that the militia company here was called the Fifth Company of Monmouth, Reuben F. Randolph, captain, and Nathan Crane, lieutenant. Captain Randolph was originally from Middlesex county. About the time of the war, he kept the public house at Mannahawkin. His sons, Thomas and Job, were in his company. As the names of the heroic men of his company should be preserved as far as possible, and especially by their descendants, we give a list of such as we have ascertained.

Reuben F. Randolph, captain; Nathan Crane, lieutenant; James Marsh, ensign.

Privates - Michael Bennett, Jeremiah Bennett, Samuel Bennett, Israel Bennington, Joseph Brown 1st, Joseph Brown 2d, Joseph Camburn, Thomas Chamberlain, William Casselman, Luke Courtney, Seth Crane, Amos Cuffee, David Howell, David Johnson, Thomas Johnson, David Jones, Thomas Kelson, Philip Palmer, Jr., Benjamin P. Pearson, Benjamin Paul, Enoch Read, Job Randolph, Thomas Randolph, David Smith, Joseph Soper, Reuben Soper, Zachariah Southard, Jenny Sutton, Lines Pangburn, Sylvester Tilton.

Of the above, Reuben Soper was killed by the Refugees on Long Beach, in October, 1782. He left a son, named Reuben, who has children still living, among them Mrs. George W. Lippencott, of Tuckerton, who has preserved several interesting old-time relics; and her brother, also named Reuben Soper, inheriting the patriotism of his grandfather, enlisted in the Union army, in the Rebellion, was mortally wounded, and died three weeks after in Saterlee hospital. Lines Pangburn was killed in the skirmish at Mannahawkin, December 30th, 1781. Sylvester Tilton was dangerously wounded at the same time. One of the Cranes was wounded near his own residence.

The Rev. J. F. Halsey, who was for two years a pastor of the church, wrote to the editor of the Monmouth Democrat in 1873, giving him information relating to this historical old church, which we copy. He writes:

"In the early history of the Presbyterian Church in Monmouth county, N. J., a special meeting was held to pray that the Lord would send them a minister, and at that meeting a Mr. Carr was selected to go to the Log College (now Hartsville, Pa.), where the Father of the Tennents preached and taught. Though it was at harvest time, so eager was Mr. Carr to execute his mission that he started the very next day. When he had made known the object of his visit, he could get none of the sons to consent to go. But as he left to return home he said: 'So sure am I that I have come on the Lord's errand, and that our prayers will be favorably answered, that I shall not reach home before you will send for me and assure me that I have not taken this journey in vain,' and so bid them farewell.

"And sure enough, he had not gone on his way more than a few miles before a messenger overtook him, calling him back, and assured him that Rev. John Tennent would return with him as their minister, which he did. He lived and labored among them less than two years, and was succeeded by his brother, Rev. William Tennent, who labored at Freehold forty-eight years, and is buried in the aisle of the church.

"I said that Mr. Carr went on his mission to Neyhamings, Pa., leaving his harvest unreaped. When the farmers had hurriedly gathered in theirs, feeling that he had gone on their business as well as his own - that be was the church's servant - they turned out and cut his grain for him, and Mr. Carr, on his return, found it put up in shocks in the field. A sudden and long rain compelled him to leave it standing so, and so it happened that when the next season for sowing arrived the best seed grain was Mr. Carr's, as his neighbors had gathered in theirs before it was thoroughly ripened, and many applied to him for seed.

"Such was the tradition told me more than half a century ago by some of my aged elders, who themselves had been gathered into the church under the ministry of Rev. William Tennent.

J. F. HALSEY."

The author of the Field Book of the Revolution says:

"I visited the battle ground of Monmouth toward the close of September, 1850. and had the good fortune to be favored with the company of Doctor John Woodhull, of Freehold, in my ramble over that interesting locality. Dr. Woodhull is the son of the beloved minister of that name who succeeded Rev. William Tennent in the pastorial care of the congregation that worshipped in the Freehold meeting-house, and who, for forty-six consecutive years, preached and prayed in that venerated chapel. Dr. Wbodhull was born in the parsonage yet upon the battle ground, and is so familiar with every locality and event connected with the conflict, that I felt as if traversing the battle field with an actor in the scene."

Mr. Lossing next speaks of a heavy storm which compelled him to take shelter in the old Tennent church; resting his portfolio on the high back of an old pew he sketched a picture of the neat monument erected to the memory of Rev. John Woodhull, D. D., who died November 22d, 1824, aged 80 years. He next refers to Rev. William Tennent who was pastor of that flock for forty-three years, and then says:

"When the storm abated we left the church and proceeded to the battle ground. The old parsonage is in the present possession of Mr. William T. Sutphen, who has allowed the parlor and study of Tennent and Woodhull to be used as a depository of grain and of agricultural implements! The careless neglect which permits a mansion so hallowed by religion and patriotic events to fall into ruin is actual desecration, and much to be reprehended and deplored. The windows are destroyed, the roof is falling into the chambers, and in a few years not a vestige will be left of that venerable memento of the 'field of Monmouth.'

"We visited the spot where Monckton fell; the place of the causeway across the morass (now a small bridge upon the main road); and after taking a general view of the whole ground of conflict and sketching a picture, returned to Freehold.

"It had been to me a day of rarest interest and pleasure, notwithstanding the inclement weather, for no battle-field in our country has stronger claims to the reverence of the American heart than that of the plains of Monmouth. * * * * * * *

"The men and women of the Revolution, but a few years since numerous in the neighborhood of Freehold, have passed away, but the narrative of their trials during the war have left abiding records of patriotism upon the hearts of their descendants. I listened to many tales concerning the Pine Robbers and other desperadoes of the time, who kept the people of Monmouth county in a state of continual alarm. Many noble deeds of daring were achieved by the tillers of the soil and their mothers, wives and sisters; and while the field of Monmouth attested the bravery and endurance of American soldiers, the inhabitants, whose households were disturbed on that memorable Sabbath morning by the bugle and the cannon peal, exhibited in their daily course the loftiest patriotism and manly courage. We will leave the task of recording the acts of their heroism to the pen of the local historian."

The following item we find published in a magazine:

"Attention has lately been called to the condition of the grave of Colonel Monckton, in the burial ground of the Freehold Meeting House, in Monmouth county, N. J. It should be properly cared for, for Monckton, though a foeman to the Americans when he fell mortally wounded at the battle of Monmouth, was a gallant officer, and a man of irreproachable moral character."

Lieutenant-Colonel Honorable H. Monckton, generally called Colonel Monckton, according to both written and traditionary accounts was one of the most honorable officers in the service of the British - accomplished, brave, of splendid personal appearance, and of irreproachable moral character. He was in the battle of Long Island in August, 1776, when he was shot through the body, and lay for many weeks at the point of death. He recovered, and for his gallantry on that occasion was promoted from the Fifth Company, Second Grenadiers, to be Lieutenant-Colonel, and was in command of the battalion at the Battle of Monmouth, in which the First and Second Royal Grenadiers bore a conspicuous part, and in a charge the heroic Monckton and the greater part of the officers of the Grenadiers - the flower of the British army - fell from a terrible fire from the Americans under General Wayne. The spot where Colonel Monckton was killed is said to be about eight rods north-east of the old parsonage of the Tennent Church, and he was buried about six feet from the west end of the church. About thirty years ago a board was set up to mark his grave by William R. Wilson, a native of Scotland, who will long and favorably be remembered by hundreds of citizens of Monmouth and Ocean as a successful teacher and for his many good qualities of head and heart. He died at Forked River, in Ocean county, thirty-five years ago, and the respect retained for him by his old scholars near the battle-ground and elsewhere in Monmouth, was evidenced by the fact of their sending for his body and giving it a suitable final resting place in the vicinity of his first labors in this county. Mr. Wilson, or "Dominie" Wilson, as he was familiarly called on account of his once having been a clergyman, deserves a more extended notice than we have space to give.

On the board prepared and set up by Mr. Wilson was inscribed:

Mr. Wilson may have been induced to put up the board by noticing that in the reminiscences of the battle published by Henry Howe, who visited the ground in 1842, attention was called to the fact that no monument marked the grave.

In 1850, Benson J. Lossing visited the battle ground and made a sketch of the head-board which was given in his valuable work, the Field Book of the Revolution, and it is also given in a late number of the American Historical Record. Mr. Lossing says that when he visited the grave "the only monument that marked the spot was a plain board painted red, much weather worn, on which was drawn in black letters the inscription seen in the picture given. The board had been set up some years before by a Scotch schoolmaster named William Wilson, who taught the young people in the schoolhouse upon the green near the old Meetinghouse." In speaking of Colonel Monckton he says: "At the head of his grenadiers on the field of Monmouth, he kept them silent until they were within a few rods of the Americans, when waving his sword he shouted, "Forward to the charge!" Our General Wayne was on his front. At the same moment "Mad Anthony" gave a signal to fire. A terrible volley poured destruction upon Monckton's grenadiers and almost every British officer fell. Amongst them was their brave leader. Over his body the combatants fought desperately until the Americans secured it and bore it to the rear."