The patriots of Monmouth promptly and freely contributed to the suffering inhabitants of Boston. In forwarding their first contribution "they entreated their brethren not to give up, and if they should want a further supply of bread to let them know it."

On the 21st of October, 1774, a letter was written on behalf of the Bostonians, to the citizens of Monmouth, in which they say:

"The kind and generous donations of the County of Monmouth in the Jersies we are now to acknowledge and with grateful hearts to thank you therefor, having received from the Committee of said county, per Captain Brown, eleven hundred and forty (1140) bushels of rye and fifty barrels of rye meal, for the suffering poor of this town, which shall be applied to the purpose intended by the donors; and what further cheers our hearts, is your kind assurances of a further supply, if necessary, to enable us to oppose the cruel Parliamentary Acts, levelled not only against this town, but our whole Constitution."

           "COMMITTEES OF OBSERVATION AND INSPECTION." 
                          "FREEHOLD December 10th 1774.

"In pursuance of the recommendation of the Continental Congress and for the preservation of American Freedom, a respectable body of the freeholders of Freehold township met at the Court House and unanimously elected the following gentlemen to act as a Committee of Observation and Inspection for said township:

           John Anderson          Hendrick Smock 
           John Forman            John Covenhoven 
           Asher Holmes           Dr. Nath'l Scudder 
           Peter Forman           David Forman 
                     Dr. T. Henderson. 

"The committee were instructed by their constituents to carry into execution the several important and salutary measures pointed out to them by the Continental Congress and without favor or affection to make all such diligent inquiry as shall be found conducive to the accomplishment of the great necessary purposes held up to the attention of Americans."

Upper Freehold, Dover and Middletown formed similar committees, and notified the Freehold committee.

Shrewsbury however failed to appoint a committee. This may have been owing to the prevalence of Quaker principles in the township. An attempt by the patriots of Shrewsbury was made to have a Committee appointed, as will be seen by the following copy of an advertisement put up in this township:

                   "ADVERTISEMENT. 
                    "SHREWSBURY January 2nd 1775. 

"Agreeable to the Resolutions of the late General Continental Congress- The Inhabitants of the town of Shrewsbury, more especially such as are properly qualified for choosing Representatives to serve in the General Assembly are hereby warned to meet at the house of Josiah Halstead, in said Shrewsbury, on Tuesday the 17th of this instant January at noon, in order to choose a Committee for the several purposes as directed by the said Congress.

"As the method ordered by the Congress seems to be the only peaceable method the case will admit of, on failure of which either confirmed Slavery or a civil war of course succeeds; the bare mention of either of the two last is shocking to human nature, more particularly so to all true friends of the English Constitution.

"Therefore it becomes the indispensable duty of all such to use their utmost endeavors in favor of the first or peaceable method, and suffer it not to miscarry or fail of its salutary and much desired effects by means of any sinister views or indolence of theirs. Surely expecting on the one hand to be loaded with the curses arising from slavery to the latest posterity, or on the other hand the guilt of blood of thousands of their brethren and fellow Christians to lay at their door and to be justly required at their hands.

"Think well of this before it be too late and let not the precious moments pass."

A number of the citizens of Shrewsbury assembled at the time and place mentioned in the advertisement but they failed to appoint a committee. The following shows the conclusion to which the meeting came. It concludes more like a Quaker Meeting epistle than a town meeting resolve:

"Extract from a letter to a gentleman in New York dated Shrewsbury N. J. January 18th 1775.

"In consequence of an anonymous advertisement fixed up in this place, giving notice to freeholders and others, to meet on Tuesday the 17th inst. in order to choose a Committee of Inspection, etc., between thirty and forty of the most respectable freeholders accordingly met and after a few debates on the business of the day, which were carried on with great decency and moderation it was generally agreed (there being only four or five dissenting votes) that the appointment of a committee was not only useless, but they were apprehensive would prove a means of disturbing the peace and quietness which had hitherto existed in the township, and would continue to use their utmost endeavors to preserve and to guard against running upon that rock on which, with much concern, they beheld others, through an inattentive rashness, daily splitting."

The Freehold Committee of Observation and Inspection at a meeting held March 17th, 1775, took up the case of Shrewsbury township, and after stating the subject in a preamble they resolved that from and after that day they would esteem and treat the citizens of Shrewsbury as enemies to their King and country and deserters of the common cause of Freedom; and would break off all dealings and connections with them "unless they shall turn from the evil of their ways and testify their repentance by adopting the measures of Congress."

The New Jersey Provincial Legislature, in May following, authorized other townships to appoint delegates for Shrewsbury, but the same month the refractory township, as will be seen by the following, chose delegates and also a committee of Observation, and so the unpleasantness ended.

"At a meeting of Freeholders and Inhabitants of the the township of Shrewsbury this 27th day of May 1775, the following persons were by a great majority, chosen a committee of observation for the said town agreeable to the direction of the General Continental Congress held at Philadelphia September 5th, 1774 viz.

          Josiah Holmes            John Little 
          Jos. Throckmorton        Samuel Longstreet 
          Nicholas Van Brunt       David Knott 
          Cor. Vanderveer          Benjamin Dennis 
          Daniel Hendrickson       Samuel Breese 
          Thomas Morford           Garret Longstreet 
                      Cornelius Lane. 

"Ordered: That Daniel Hendrickson and Nicholas Van Brunt, or either of them, do attend the Provincial Congress now setting at Trenton, with full power to represent there, this town of Shrewsbury. And that Josiah Holmes, David Knott and Samuel Breese be a sub-committee to prepare instructions for the Deputy or Deputies who are to attend the Congress at Trenton.

"Josiah Holmes was unanimously chosen chairman.

                                JOSIAH HOLMES. 
                        "Chairman and Town Clerk." 

                                     MARCH 6th, 1775. 

A Tory pamphlet entitled "Free Thoughts on the Resolves of Congress by A. W. Farmer" was handed to the Freehold Committee of Observation and Inspection for their opinion. The committee declared it to be most pernicious and malignant in its tendencies and calculated to sap the foundation of American liberty. The pamphlet was handed back to their constituents who gave it a coat of tar and turkey buzzard's feathers, one person remarking that "although the feathers were plucked from the most stinking of fowls, he thought it fell far short of being a proper emblem of the author's odiousness to the friends of freedom and he wished he had the pleasure of giving the author a coat of the same material."

The pamphlet in its gorgeous attire was then nailed to the pillory post.

The same committee severely denounced a Tory pamphlet written by James Rivington, editor of Rivington's Royal Gazette, the Tory paper, printed in New York.

By the following resolves it will be seen that the citizens of Upper Freehold favored arming the people if necessary, to oppose the tyrannical acts of Great Britain. A striking illustration of the stirring events of that perilous time is found in the fact that before a year had elapsed some of the prominent men in this meeting were aiding Great Britain to the best of their ability by voice, pen, or sword:

"May 4th 1775. This day, agreeable to previous notice a very considerable number of the principal inhabitants of this township met at Imlaystown.

"John Lawrence Esq. in the chair: When the following resolves were unanimously agreed to:

"Resolved, That it is our first wish to live in unison with Great Britain, agreeable to the principles of the Constitution; that we consider the unnatural civil war which we are about to be forced into, with anxiety and distress but that we are determined to oppose the novel claim of the Parliament of Great Britain to raise a revenue in America and risk every possible consequence rather than to submit to it.

"Resolved. That it appears to this meeting that there are a sufficient number of arms for the people.

"Resolved. That a sum of money be now raised to purchase what further quantity of Powder and Ball may be necessary; and it is recommended that every man capable of bearing arms enter into Companies to train, and be prepared to march at a minute's warning; and it is further recommended to the people that they do not waste their powder in fowling and hunting.

"A subscription was opened and one hundred and sixty pounds instantly paid into the hands of a person appointed for that purpose. The officers of four companies were then chosen and the meeting broke up in perfect unanimity.

                           "ELISHA LAWRENCE, Clerk."