THE SILVERSMITH THE GUNSMITH.
AFTER parting with his wife, Fitch plodded onward despondingly. During that afternoon he walked eight miles. The next morning he went on toward Albany. When he arrived at Pittsfield (now a township of Otsego County, New York,) he resolved to stay there for a time. He worked for three months, merely maintaining himself, and gaining nothing beyond his subsistence. He then went on to Albany, where, seeing no chances of obtaining work, he resolved to go to New York, and, if possible, procure passage to Jamaica, where his uncle Timothy Shaler, a man of considerable fortune, was settled at Savannah la Mar. His route was by land, and he cleaned clocks at the farm-houses which he passed on his way, and by that means reached New York better off than when he left Albany. He was disappointed in obtaining a passage from that port to Jamaica, and he determined to go on through New Jersey.
Elizabethtown Point was the place to which he had first determined to go. He walked along under great depression, and about two miles before he reached his proposed destination, stopped at a house where he obtained lodging and went to bed in keen distress. He thought of his child, his parents, and relations, and what might ensue if sickness should overtake him. After a restless night, he arose, and once more sought the road, undetermined what he should do. He was inclined to return to New England, but the people of the tavern where he had lodged had been informed whence he came, and whither he was going. He was ashamed to retrace his steps, while they were wondering at his seeming irresolution. He thought he would get out of the sight of the house, and return by a circuitous course, avoiding the tavern and gaining the road beyond. His mind was not resolved upon anything, and he walked on until he reached the village of Woodbridge, now a part of Rahway. He had carried a heavy bundle of clothes, and was fatigued. He stopped before the house of one Benjamin Alford, and determined to seek refreshment there. Passing through the gate and a little garden, he heard a noise within the dwelling. He had a mind to withdraw, but going up to the door, which was in two parts, according to the fashion of the time, he knocked against the lower half, and looked into the room through a space left by the upper half, which was open. He saw an old man sitting in the chimney corner, with his head against the back, smoking a pipe. There was an old woman and a young one in the room. The former was in high wrath, and scolding the old man with loud invective. This employment did not cease upon the appearance of the stranger. No notice was taken of him, and with a confidence which he soon regretted, he ventured to walk in. His adventure there, and the reception he met with, were afterwards related in a letter to his friend, Roswell Mills, in the following atrocious doggerel lines, which the reader will only pardon because they were the composition of the man, and the very best evidence that could be adduced that he was not born a poet:
SIRNOW I will a story tell, which does upon me centure: Near Wood bridge Town there I did meet a true but strange adventure.
It was a hot, long, melting day, and I grew almost weary; To a small house I did repair, thinking a while to tarry. I knocked and entered in the door, without either's permission, And when one moment's space I found, I spoke without commission.
Said I, " Good woman, tell me why that you live so uneasy Come try some other plan to live, and see if it wont please ye?" " No, faith," said she "no other plan shall ere come in my notion; For since he has a villen grown, this shall be his Portion." " Well, then," said 1, " now for your peace, let both consent for parting,
That the remainder of your days be not so full of smarting." They both consented to the thing, but she was for full hire One-half of all she did demand, before she would retire. Then my judgment soon was made (it was without permission), That the whole I'd rather give, than live in that condition.
Then quick her eyes like lightning streams began to be a flying: I was apprized of the same methought I was a dying. Then quick a Brand out of the Fire toward me was coming, And with my Pack I made a shield, and hindered it from humming Then soon I made toward the doorsure I was not for staying And when I made into the street, she followed me close after Had any one but seen the sight, I'm sure 't would made a laughter. The Brand soon coming 'bout my ears, and I for it was dodging, Which made me fly to quit the place, and seek for better lodging. If you think my courage was not good, permit me, sir, the favour To tell you true and honestly, I'd rather run and leave her.
If you will send a hero brave that will make her for yealding, One Guiney I will freely give, and pay the cost of healing.
But the last which I have said, I think is something jocking, For woman kind can't be subdued, without a little choaking.
This adventure was a most unfortunate one in its effect upon his mind. Subdued by his situation and his lonely condition into a state of feeling in which his heart yearned for his home, the fierceness of the virago whom he encountered reminded him of the contentions which had driven him forth from his family. He was now resolved not to return to New England, and he offered himself as a laborer on a plantation; "but being slender made, and having the appearance of one considerably advanced in the consumption," he could find no employment. At Brunswick he endeavored to enlist in the king's service as a soldier, but he was refused for the same reasons which had caused his rejection by the farmers. He left New Brunswick for "Greggstown on the Millstone" (probably the present village of Millstone), where he got a clock to clean. The next day he went to Princeton, where he cleaned two clocks.
About the middle of May, 1769, he reached Trenton. Here he obtained the sympathy of one Matthew Clunn, a tinman, who was "a friend to strangers." Clunn was a generous-hearted man, and, wishing to give the traveller some encouragement, employed him to make a quantity of brass buttons. Such work was out of the usual line of business of Fitch; but he undertook it, and, although under many disadvantages for want of proper tools, he had the job completed in a short time. He did other work, and now essayed to make a set of watchmaking tools. Clunn had an old watch, which he ventured to trust to Fitch who took it apart and put it together again. This was the first time that the latter had ever touched a watch, although in Timothy Cheany's shop such work had been performed daily. The result gave him confidence, and he added the repairing of watches to the accomplishments which he claimed to possess.
Next door to Clunn lived one James Wilson, who, with few qualifications, was ambitious to have the character of a man who carried on a profitable business. He was a silversmith by trade, and the son of a rich man, who once owned the Amboy ferry. Being an only child, young Wilson had been too much indulged. He was at the proper age apprenticed to a silversmith at New York, to whom a large fee was given for his instruction. Wilson's board was paid by his father's estate; and, being a gentleman apprentice, the young man only worked when he chose, and his master paid little attention to him. He was now in Trenton, a silversmith in name, possessing a fine set of tools, but having only a small degree of practical skill. Clunn prevailed upon Wilson to engage Fitch, and the latter being very ingenious and observant, soon managed to pick up the trade. Wilson was deficient in the steady qualities which his journeyman possessed, and being addicted to dissipation, soon fell into trouble. The business was light, and with great economy Fitch restricted his expenses to three pence a day, which was within his income, and he subsisted mostly upon fruit. Business became so dull that he determined to travel in search of customers. With eight or ten shillings in his pocket, and with clothing much the worse for wear, he set out on the 4th of September, 1769, as an itinerant pedlar. His stock in trade was fifty or sixty pair of brass sleeve-buttons and with that small store he went into the townships of Springfield and Mansfield, Burlington County, hoping to eke out the profits of his adventure by cleaning clocks for the farmers, and without having any settled design of returning to Trenton. His success was gratifying. He sold all his buttons for 10d per pair, and cleaned twelve clocks while upon his circuit. After a tour of two weeks he returned to Trenton, and determined to try another trip as soon as he could prepare for it. He bought an old brass kettle and worked it up into sleevebuttons, with a supply of which he went some days afterward into Monmouth, where he did nearly as well as upon his first journey. He now hired a room of William Smith at Trenton, and went into the manufacture of brass and silver buttons, and in two weeks was off again to the Raritan, where he succeeded admirably. Meanwhile, Wilson had got into difficulties with one Daniel Pegg of Amwell, who had given him a watch to repair which was never returned. Wilson was arrested, and by way of compromise it was agreed that he should hire his tools to Fitch at a small rate, to be paid to Pegg, until the claim was satisfied. Other creditors were importunate, and in a short time afterward Fitch was induced to purchase the tools for 40 pounds, of which sum he paid 30 pounds in cash. He then congratulated himself that he had the finest set of tools in America. He was destitute of money to carry on trade, but went on in a small way, gradually increasing his stock and acquiring credit. He was soon enabled to borrow on occasion, and, being very particular in his payments was enabled to command the confidence of those capitalists to be found in all communities, who are always willing to lend money at round rates of interest. He employed Wilson as a journeyman, and afterwards others, and became a famous silversmith, having a greater run of business than any silversmith in Philadelphia, as his journeymen told him. He still continued his trips with his buttons throughout the surrounding country, often carrying a budget worth 200 pounds. By these means he waxed rich, and when the Revolutionary war broke out he estimated himself to be worth £800.
As the political disputes between the Colonies and Great Britain arose into importance, Fitch became a strong partisan upon the American side. At an early stage of the contest, he petitioned for the command of a company in the Jersey line, and was assured of obtaining a commission. The members of the Convention of the Province, when the raising of troops was first proposed, were of opinion that every soldier should be compelled to furnish himself with arms, ammunition, and clothinga plan which would have been grievously burdensome upon the privates, most of whom were poor men. As they were not on an equality in point of means, it was obvious that there would have been such hardship by enforcing the order that the condition of the troops would have been demoralized at the beginning, and their effectual force would have been greatly weakened by the discontents which would have arisen, as well by the want of uniformity in equipment consequent upon diversity in pecuniary ability. Fitch was one of those who protested against the enforcement of that resolution, and the opposition evoked against it was successful in causing a reconsideration and recision of the regulation. When the first company was raised at Trenton, John Fitch was chosen 1st lieutenant, and Wm. Tucker 2d lieutenant. The latter was an old resident, whilst his superior officer was but a stranger. Lieut. Fitch was of opinion that his comrade ought to have the principal position, and he made a proposition that they should change places. This arrangement was agreeable to Lieut. Tucker and the company, and accordingly Lieut. Fitch was commissioned as second lieutenant.
Hardly had this arrangement been made before the Committee of Safety of the Province of New Jersey solicited Lieut. Fitch to undertake the duties of gunsmith for them; and in order to encourage artificers necessary for the efficiency of the troops, they passed a resolution that the gunsmiths should not be liable to be called upon to do military duty. Although this regulation exonerated Lieut. Fitch from service, he did not desire to avail himself of it, but attended company trainings as usual. He had begun the business of armorer according to the request of the Committee of Safety, and had several workmen employed. In the summer of 1776, a large number of the militia were ordered to go to Amboy, and Fitch was called upon for arms to fit them out. Not having sufficient, he went through the townships and obtained all the arms that were to be had with the consent of the owners. In this business he became involved in a dispute about a gun with Alexander Chambers, who had been Barrack-master of the King's barracks, and was then a commissary to furnish the provincial troops. The quarrel was further embittered by a demand made on Chambers by Fitch for blankets for the use of some poor soldiers, and which articles were, by the interposition of superior authority, obtained from the unwilling commissary. The result of these difficulties was, that from a friend Chambers became a bitter enemy of Fitch, and subsequently exerted his whole infiuence against him wherever it was possible to do so. At this time Lieut. Fitch took the temporary command of his company, and marched with it to Maidenhead, the place of rendezvous. There a new trouble arose about the rank of the officers. The first lieutenancy was now vacant, in consequence of the promotion of Lieut. Tucker to a captaincy. Lieut. Fitch was fairly entitled to the position, but enemies attempted to deprive him of it. Under the infiuence of Alex Chambers, jr., one John Yard, of the light infantry, was brought forward as the candidate for the first lieutenancy, to the exclusion of Fitch. There could have been no difficulty as to the right of the latter, who had the post by election originally, and now by seniority Gen. Dickinson hesitated what to do, and finally, - in a seemingly friendly way, advised him to leave the question to the vote of the company. He consented, and was beaten by Yard, who received a majority of two votes. The resentment and mortification of Fitch were very great at this result. He took his gun and knapsack, and marched back to Trenton alone. His presence was very much wanted there, and he was of infinitely more service to the State in the gun-factory than he could have been in the field. Troops were coming in daily from all quarters, and there was plenty of work to do in the repairing and fitting of arms of all kinds. To keep up with the demand for his labor, Fitch and his workmen were in the shop from early dawn until late night. He worked without intermission, on Sundays as well as weekdays, which course got him the enmity of the Methodist sect, with which he was then connected, and they expelled him from their society.
In the autumn of the year 1776, three companies were called for, out of the battalion to which he belonged. Col. Smith, the commanding officer, appointed Fitch to the captaincy of the third company. No sooner was this known to Green, Smith, and Chambers, than they set up a candidate for the commission, and endeavored to persuade the colonel to degrade Fitch. The new aspirant thus brought out was one Ralph Jones, a younger officer than Lieut. Fitch. In consequence of this, a dispute arose which occupied two hours, and was only stopped by Col. Smith declaring that he would recall the appointment and defer the nomination to the voice of the officers present. Here again Fitch unwisely submitted, if the power of legal resistance was in him. Ralph Jones was appointed, and Fitch, a second time disgraced and unjustly used, determined to have nothing more to do with the campaign. In due time his commission was vacated, and a new lieutenant elected in his stead. Meanwhile the factory had been carried on with fidelity, and it was continued until the approach of the enemy rendered further labor dangerous. In the latter part of November 1776, the British were approaching Trenton, occupying successively, as they progressed, the principal points between the Hackensack and the Delaware. On the 8th of December, Washington crossed the Delaware, and took post on the right bank between Coryell's Ferry and Bristol. At this time all active Whigs evacuated New Jersey. Fitch fled with them, and took refuge with John Mitchell, at the Four Lanes End, in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Whilst there, his battalion was at Yerley's Ferry. He was uncertain what to do, and was vexed by the conflicting counsels tendered him. At one time he prepared a petition to Gen. Dickinson, that he might be brought to trial by a court-martial, but was persuaded not to present it. At another time he draughted a memorial asking to be reinstated, but withheld it from like influence. Meanwhile his character suffered, and although his services as armorer exonerated him entirely from military duty, some of his enemies did not scruple to call him a deserter. He expected a weary, disagreeable round of disputes if he went to camp, and whilst in a state of irresolution as to his course of action, time went on, and exciting incidents changed the position and the relations of his countrymen who were in arms. Meanwhile, he had obeyed the orders upon the inhabitants of Bucks to muster in the militia, and had been at training in a company commanded by Capt. Hart.
Whilst he remained in Bucks County he devoted himself to study, according to the opportunities which he could obtain, at a time when books were scarce.
Mr. William J. Buck says of him in the "History of Bucks County," Part II. Chapter xxvi., published in 1855, in the Bucks County Intel1igencer:
....During his residence here (Warminster), as I learn from the minutes of the Hatborough Library, he became one of its members in November, I778 having purchased the share of James Ogleby. It further appears that, at the annual meeting of November 6th, 1779, "The Company taking into consideration the depreciation of the currency, conclude that the fines on delinquent members are too small; they therefore choose Samuel Irwin, Daniel Longstreth, and John Fitch a committee to regulate and fix the fines according to the currency." There is no report from this committee in their records. We next learn that, at a meeting of the directors on the 6th of May, 1780, John Folwell, making it appear that he had purchased the share of John Fitch, is admitted a member." These records also contain his autograph, which is written in a neat hand. He was a member of the library company about a year and a half. As I had a desire to know what books he had out, on examination, found the following entry:
"John Fitch. 17th of 11mo.Du Pretz His. Lousiana; returned ye 22nd of 11mo., 1779. 22nd of 11mo. Life of Charles XII. King of Sweden, returned 4th of 12mo. 4th of 12mo. History of Late War."
By his love of history we see the practical turn of his mind. Soon after, in 1780, he went to Kentucky as a surveyor. . . . His prevailing temperament seems to have been of a melancholy cast; nor need we be surprised at this, for his whole life appears to have been a continual series of misfortunes....