As we approach the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, many critics and historians evaluate the legacy of the American Revolution based on tumultuous layers of strengths and weaknesses.
The cost of founding a republic faced overwhelming odds. Those founders were defying their king from abroad. Loyalists contested that such defiance to the crown was a fool’s errand.
How could colonies of unorganized farmers and merchants forfeit their livelihoods and lives against the strongest military power in the world? How could the colonies be defended when forms of communication were challenged by terrain, distance, and other obstacles?
American struggles weren’t just against the superpower of the 18th century. Within familiar surroundings, they were deepened by resistance and fear. Sometimes as close as an unassuming neighbor.
In 1780, a group of Whigs set out to collect militia fines from the Tories in the rolling farmland of Chesterfield. Captain Jones who was in charge of the local militia gave orders to confiscate two cows from Anthony Taylor at Brookdale Farm (Taylor-Newbold House).
As the leader of the local Tories, Taylor gathered friends and family to oppose the confiscation of his property. When Saturday morning arrived, so did Taylor with 40 men and a dozen women prepared for battle against 30 or more Whigs.
The account says: “The onset was begun by General Taylor who with a club broke the jaw bone of a Whig and lay him for dead. The Women play’d their part to a miracle, scalding several so that their clothes were obliged to be cut off. Stone, Brickbats, Axes, Hoes, Wagon Tires, hinges, stalk Knives, Hot Water etc. etc. Flew to and frow for about half an Hour incessantly.”
Another account stated that Taylor’s daughter played a major role in the fight, “wielding a club in one hand and a urinary in the other.” Eventually the clan took refuge in the house, and the Whigs collected the two cows.
The amazing part of this story is the fact that these were civilians, neighbors, and fellow farmers. As we fast-forward 245 years later, one can’t help to think that there are still residents in Chesterfield who had ancestors on opposing sides that unconventional day. Neighbor against neighbor. One loyal to the crown. One loyal to the cause. No matter how significant, struggles influence the course of society.
Eric Orange is a historian with Burlington County Parks.
The historic Taylor-Newbold House in Chesterfield, also known as Brookdale Farm. (Wikipedia/Wikimedia Commons photo.),
