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Pages 81-84:

Robert Ogden, 2d, the eldest son and second child of Robert Ogden, 1st, and Hannah Crane, his first wife, was born at Elizabeth Town, Oct. 7, 1716. His grandfather and father were large land owners and both occupied prominent positions in the colony. His father was Collector of the County of Essex in 1720 and filled many similar offices. As was truthfully said upon his tombstone, he was "a pillar in both Church and State." He died in 1733, a few months after his own father (Jonathan Ogden), when Robert 2d was but seventeen years old. He left six children by his first marriage and three by the second, all under age.

Robert Ogden, 1st, devised to his son Robert, with other property, "All that house lot of land whereon my father's, Jonathan Ogden, dwelling house now stands.

" Beginning three rods and a half southward of my now dwelling house, and from thence to run easterly over a small rock to Joseph Ogden's fence, from thence southerly to the street and from thence as the street runs to the southwest corner of the said house lot, and from thence northerly as the street runs to the first mentioned place, together with all houses, buildings or other appurtenances and privileges thereunto belonging. (Which said house lot of land and premises is verbally given to me by my father, Jonathan Ogden, and designed by him to be given to me by his last will and testament.) And I also give unto my said son, Robert Ogden, the one-half part or equal moiety of my tanyard, bark house, bark mill, tan-fats, tanner's tools and all other appurtenances thereunto belonging or in any wise appertaining."

This house was on the northeast side of Elizabeth avenue, two blocks east of Broad street, and the tannery property was on the opposite side, running down to the creek.

Robert Ogden, 2d, appears to have enlarged his patrimony by his own ability, obtained an education, for those days a liberal one, and soon took a prominent place in the county and state. He married, when about twenty years of age, Phebe Hatfield, daughter of Matthias Hatfield. She was born Nov. 25, 1720, and died Dec. 22, 1796.

In 1745, when the struggle between the Elizabeth Town settlers and the Board of Proprietors was at its height, Robert Ogden was one of the commissioners appointed to raise money by subscription to carry on the litigation in behalf of the people, while his cousin, David Ogden, of Newark, was the counsel for the Proprietors.

Dec. 24, 1751, he was Recorder of the Borough of Elizabethtown, and this same year he was elected to the 18th Provincial Assembly. In 1755 he was Deputy Secretary of the Council, but soon after was elected to the Assembly in place of John DeHart, and then again elected to the 20th Assembly, serving in the latter as Speaker until he resigned in 1765, in consequence of his action in the first Colonial Congress.

Jan. 27, 1753, Governor Belcher appointed him a Surrogate, and Aug. 14th of the same year, "one of our Clerks in Chancery." He was a great friend of the Governor, and is named in his will as one of his executors. He really settled his estate. In his letter to Andrew Belcher, announcing the death of his father, which occurred Aug. 31, 1757, he says: "Madame Belcher is at my house, being Disconsolate, having Lost the kindest and dearest of Husbands, you have Lost a Tender and an affectionate father, and I have Lost a faithful and unalterable friend."

From 1757, through the French war, and until 1773, his papers show that he was Commissary and Barrack Master for the King's troops.

Aug. 3, 1761, he was commissioned Justice and Judge—he had been a Justice of the "Quorum" since 1755. Dec. 24, 1761, "Robert Ogden Gentleman" was commissioned Clerk of the Court of Essex County, and March 22, 1762, he was commissioned by Gov. Hardy one of the Surrogates of the Orphans' Court of the Province of East New Jersey.

In 1763 and 1766, as Ruling Elder, he attended the Synod of New York and New Jersey.

When the Stamp Act was passed and the people of all the Colonies rose in angry resistance to its operation, Robert Ogden was Speaker of the Assembly. Aug. 24, 1764, he wrote Cortland Skinner, Attorney-General of the Province and a fellow member of the Legislature, inclosing a copy of the communication sent out by the committee of the Massachusetts Representatives, for his perusal and advice. He says: "The affair is Serious and Greatly Concerns all the Colonies to unite and Exert themselves to the utmost to Keep off the Threatening blow, of Imposing Taxes, Duties, etc., so Destructive to the Libertys the Colonies hitherto enjoyed." (N. J. Archives, Vol. IX, p. 449.)

The circular letter of the House of Representatives of Massachusetts, signed by the Speaker, recommending a congress of deputies from all the Colonial Assemblies to meet in New York in October, to consult on the present circumstances of the Colonies, was laid before the Assembly of New Jersey, June 20, 1765, on the last day of the session. The members evidently were not ready to act. In a minute made at a later session of the Assembly they say: "This House acknowledges the letter from the Massachusetts Bay: that it was on the last day of the session, some members gone, others uneasy to be at their homes; and do assert, that, the then Speaker (Mr. Ogden) agreed to send, nay urged, that members should be sent to the intended Congress," but when this minute was made their refusal to comply with the recommendation having been condemned by the people, they threw the blame on the Speaker, as follows: "But (the Speaker) changed his opinion upon some advice that was given to him: that this sudden change of his opinion displeased many of the house, who seeing the matter dropped were indifferent about it."

Mr. Ogden, as speaker, replied to the letter of the Massachusetts House and said: "That though they are not without a just Sensibility respecting the late Acts of Parliament affecting the Northern Colonies, yet apprehending, whatever Reasons may be thought proper to be urged against them may be better received after some Time elapses; our Assembly, on that Account, and because the Trade of this Province is insignificant in comparison of others, are unanimously against uniting on the present Occasion. They, however, cannot but wish such other Colonies as think proper to be active, every Success that they can loyally and reasonably desire." (N. J. Arch., Vol. IX, p. 496.)

This action or want of action on the part of the New Jersey representatives was not pleasing to their constituents and evidently not more so to the Speaker. Richard Stockton in a letter to him dated Sept. 13th, 1765 (printed in full on pages 149 and 150, Vol. II of the proceedings of the N. J. Historical Society), says, "They (the representatives of the people) ought to complain constitutionally; they should complain to the King, not to the Parliament whose authority they do not, and ought not to acknowledge. . . . but humbly and sensibly petitioning the King, I think, might be of great service. . . . Suppose you should apply to half a dozen members, and sign a request to the Governor to call you immediately that you may reconsider the propriety of sending deputies to New York."

"On his own authority" Mr. Ogden reconvened the Assembly, summoning the members to meet at Amboy. All the members did not heed this irregular summons. Governor Franklin, in his report of it to the Board of Trade, says: "About 12 of them accordingly met and were prevailed upon to appoint three of their members a committee to go to New York." This assembly appointed as delegates Robert Ogden, Hendrick Fisher and Joseph Borden. The following is a copy of their instructions:

"At a meeting of a large number of the representatives of the colony of New Jersey, at the house of Robert Sproul, October 3d, 1765.

"At the desire of the speaker of the house of representatives as aforesaid; and at the earnest request of many of our constituents, to consider of some method for humbly, loyally and dutifully joining in a petition to his majesty, that he would be graciously pleased to recommend to the Parliament of Great Britain to redress our grievances by repealing several of the last acts of parliament affecting the northern colonies, particularly that called the stamp act.

"Robert Ogden, Esq., Hendrick Fisher, Esq., and Joseph Borden, Esq., were directed to attend at the congress now met at New York, and join the measures there to be concluded, for the purposes aforesaid, and to make report of their proceedings therein, at the next meeting of the general assembly.

"Signed by order, John Lawrence."

This first congress of the American Colonies met at New York, October 7th, 1765, four days after the meeting at Amboy. Nine only of the Colonies were represented, but the Assemblies of New Hampshire, Virginia, North Carolina and Georgia wrote that they would agree to whatever was done by the Congress. The three delegates from New Jersey were present. On the 19th, Congress agreed upon a declaration of rights and committees were appointed to draft petitions, one to the King, one to the lords in Parliament, and one to the House of Commons. When they came to sign these addresses a difference of opinion arose. The majority were of the opinion that they should be signed and transmitted by the Congress. Timothy Ruggles of Massachusetts, the speaker of the Congress, and Robert Ogden thought that they should be forwarded by the Assemblies of the different Colonies and they therefore refused to sign them.

This action on the part of Robert Ogden was misconstrued by the people of New Jersey and the popular rage was kindled against him. He was burned in effigy and from being one of the most popular men in the state he became for a time the most hated. Sabin in his "Loyalists," on this slender foundation, has classed him as one of that number. Indignant at this treatment, Mr. Ogden resigned his position as Speaker of the Assembly, and Cortland Skinner was chosen to succeed him. Popular judgment was more than usually at fault in this case. A few years after, while Ogden, his sons and sons-in-law were the most active and zealous patriots in New Jersey, Cortland Skinner was in command of a loyalist regiment making depredations on the people who had honored him.

Mr. Ogden's letter resigning his seat in the Assembly is as follows: '' Gentlemen:

"The present meeting is in consequence of the application of myself and several of the members of this House, to his Excellency, who was pleased at our desire to appoint it. The House have now an opportunity to consider deliberately on the best methods to procure relief from the late Acts of Parliament, an affair of as delicate a nature, and of as much importance, as ever came before the Representatives of this, or any other Colony.

"The gentlemen appointed to attend at the Congress at New York will lay before you the several addresses agreed to there, whereby you may judge whether our joining in the general addresses is so likely to produce an alleviation of the burthens we so justly complain of.

" I was clearly of opinion, that separate addresses from each Colony would have a greater probability of succeeding, and therefore I declined signing them: considering that as a majority of your commissioners had joined therein, the Province would partake of all the benefits resulting from the general addresses, and if this House should not adopt the sentiments of the Congress, they might be at liberty to make a separate application to the Crown.

" I am so unhappy as to find that my conduct, which was the consequence of this opinion, formed on the most deliberate, impartial, and disinterested reasoning on the subject, has been put in an unfavourable light, and has made me the object of too general a resentment; I trust that Providence will, in due time, make the rectitude of my heart, and my inviolable affection to my country, appear in a fair light to the world, and that my sole aim was the happiness of New Jersey. But, as at present, there appears a great dissatisfaction at my conduct, that has spread even among some of my constituents, whom I have served many years in General Assembly, to the utmost of my abilities, I beg leave of the House, to resign my seat in it, whereby my constituents may have an opportunity of sending another person in my room, who may act more agreeable to their present sentiments: though I am well assured, that no person can be found, who will study their welfare more sincerely, nor pursue it with more steadiness and integrity than I have done.

" I thank them for the confidence their frequent elections has shown they placed in me, and which I never abused, and impute it to error in judgment only, to which all men are liable. As I have frequently experienced the good disposition of this House towards me, I hope they will indulge me, by accepting the resignation of my seat in the House, and with ordering this short and true account of my conduct to be entered on their journals."

After his resignation, Mr. Ogden resumed his private business at Elizabethtown, and continued to act as Commissary for the King's troops stationed in New York and New Jersey. When the battle of Lexington occurred and committees of observation and correspondence were formed, he was a member of the committee for Elizabethtown.

In 1776 he was Chairman of the Elizabethtown Committee of Safety. His son, Matthias, was Col. of the 1st N. J. Regt. His sons-in-law, Col. Oliver Spencer and Maj. Francis Barber, and his son, Aaron Ogden, were officers in other New Jersey regiments.

Had Robert Ogden not thought and acted as he did, however, no doubt he would have represented his State in the National Congress, whose members signed the Declaration of Independence.

But Elizabethtown, after the battle of Long Island and occupation of New York and Staten Island by the British, was no longer a safe place of residence for one so prominent as he on the patriot side. In the capture of the British Store Ship, "The Blue Mountain Valley," in January, 1776, he and members of his family had been very active. As Chairman of the Elizabethtown Committee, under date of Feb. 10, 1776, he gave the President of Congress a complete account of the taking of the vessel, which may be found in the Am. Archives, 4 Ser., Vol. 4, page 987.

Two letters, to be found in Haines' "Hardyston Memorial," pages 49 and 50, one written Oct. 7, 1776, to his son-in-law, Maj. Francis Barber, and the other from his son, Col. Matthias Ogden, just after the battle of Princeton, throw light upon his removal first to Morristown and then to Sussex County, and his connection with the army. To Col. Barber he writes:

"We still continue in the old habitation, though almost surrounded by the regulars (British troops). They have been on Staten Island, a month on Long Island, and three weeks in possession of New York, a large part of which is burned to the ground. A very serious part of the story—our troops yesterday evacuated Bergen—carried off the stores and artillery, moved off as many of the inhabitants as could get away, and fired all the wheat and other grain.

"Your mother still seems undetermined whether to stay here by the stuff, or remove to Sussex. A few days will determine her, but perhaps in a few days it may be too late to determine a matter of this importance."

The other letter is as follows:—

"Morris Town, January 6, 1777.

"Honorable Sir: I send you Mr. Lowrey's letter, who, since it was written, has desired me to inform you that the way he does and the method you must take, is to apply to General Washington, who will give a warrant for any sum of money you may apply for necessary for carrying on your commissary department. I am informed there is a complaint here for want of flour, and I think it best you should attend here yourself as soon as possible— where you will receive help from the military by General Washington's order, to take wheat or any other necessary for the army from such persons as have it to spare without distressing their families. General Washington will be here about noon. Forty Waldeckers were brought in yesterday by the militia. The killed, wounded and prisoners of the enemy at Princeton were about 600; our loss of men was about ten or twelve, and of officers six or eight, among which was General Mercer.

"From yours dutifully, M. Ogden.

"To Robert Ogden, Esq., Sussex."

He owned large tracts of land in Sussex, extending from the head of tne Walkill to Franklin Furnace, and upon the mountain to the east. He built his house at Ogdensburgh, his wife calling it Sparta, in the hope that there might be inspiration in the name. The name has, however, travelled several miles to the southward and the vicinity of Mr. Ogden's residence is called after him. This house was built of squared logs in 1777, according to a date which was cut upon the chimney. Mr. Chambers, in the Sparta Memorial, says: "It stood across the road on the hill, a little to the south of a spot exactly opposite to the present Hoppaugh residence." One of his descendants wrote of it: "I have often been in the house, but before my advent it was handsomely covered with weather boards and wainscotted and plaistered within. The house was a large one, with a hall running through the center. Four rooms were on a floor and a very large kitchen. My great-grandmother and her sister, Bettie Hatfield, made this house and its surroundings very beautiful. There was a large lawn and garden. Around the lawn were set rose bushes, lilacs and syringas in regular order. The whole country was at that time a dense forest." This house was destroyed by fire in 1845.

Dr. George W. Dubois writes:

"I recently gathered from the ruins a few of the blue colored bricks which originally marked on the outside of the chimney in large figures the date of the erection of the building, viz: 1777. Close by stands the house subsequently built by his son, Robert Ogden, and in which my mother lived until her marriage."

Here took place the celebrated robbery by the gang of cowboys under Claudius Smith, a very graphic description of which is given by Mr. Haines in his "Memorial."

The cowboys ransacked the house of everything valuable, but knowing they were recognized, compelled Mr. Ogden, by threatening to kill him, to take a solemn oath not to divulge who they were or seek their punishment, an oath he religiously observed. An alarm was sounded the next morning, however, and pursuit was made. A silver sugar bowl, which the thieves had dropped, was recovered and is now in the possession of one of the family in Ohio. Other plunder was subsequently recovered. Mr. Ogden afterwards barricaded his doors and windows with two-inch plank and was not again disturbed.

To his Sussex home Mr. Ogden carried with him the religious habits and zeal which had always characterized him. Mr. Chambers in his "Sparta Centennial" says: "In the record of the first meeting held to organize the church of Hardyston, which was the name by which this church was then called, the residence of Robert Ogden, Esq., is spoken of as 'the present and most usual place of meeting of said congregation.' This was Nov. 23, 1786, and it is said by good authority that meetings were held and preaching services con. ducted from the year 1780. The regular organization was undoubtedly an outgrowth of the godly zeal of the above Robert Ogden and his wife."

Robert Ogden died January 21, 1787, and was buried a little in rear of the meetinghouse, then not yet completed. His wife survived her husband and died, as has been stated, December 22, 1796, and was buried beside him in the Sparta churchyard.

On his tombstone is inscribed:

"In public life both in Church and State he filled many important offices with ability and integrity. In his private business he was upright, eminently useful, active and diligent. He was temperate and humane. A friend to the poor, hospitable and generous. A most faithful, tender and indulgent husband and parent, and above all, his life and conversation from his youth was becoming a professor of religion and a follower of the blessed Jesus."

Upon the tombstone of Mrs. Ogden is inscribed:

"The righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance. Sacred to the memory of Mrs. Phoebe Ogden, widow of Robt. Ogden, Esq., and daughter of Matthias Hatfield, Esq., and his wife, Hannah Miller, of Elizabethtown, N. J.

"She adorned the various relationships of daughter, sister, wife and mother, friend and christian, by affection and love, sincerity and intelligence, resignation and charity, meekness and piety in a very eminent degree. During the course of a long life, she was beloved, respected, and honored by an extensive acquaintance and numerous progeny."

CHILDREN (Chart 1):

307. Phebe Ogden, b. Jan. 24, 1737; d. Apr. 27, 1790; m. Col. Thomas Mosbly, M.D.

308. Anna Ogden, b. Dec. 29, 1740; d. May 25, 1823; m. Col. Oliver Spencer.

309. Rhoda Ogden, b. Sept. 28, 1742; d. Nov. 2, 1822; m. Timothy Edwards.

310. Robert Ogden, 3d, b. Mar. 23, 1746; d. Feb. 14, 1826; 1st m. Sarah Platt; 2d m. Hannah Platt (sister).

311. Jonathan Ogden, b. Jan. 15, 1748; d. same year.

312. Jonathan Ogden, 2d, b. Sept. 2, 1750; d. June 4, 1760.

"Last Wednesday evening the son of Robert Ogden, Esq., of Elizabeth Town, a boy of about ten years old, was drowned in the creek in this place [Elizabethtown] as he was bathing."—New York Mercury, June 10, 1760.

313. Mary Ogden, b. Sept. 18, 1752; d. s. p. Oct. 7, 1773; m. Col. Francis Barber, b. 1751; d. Feb. 11, 1783. He later m. wife's cousin, No. 326, Anne Ogden.

314. Matthias Ogden, b. Oct. 22, 1754; d. Mar. 31, 1791; m. Hannah Dayton.

315. Aaron Ogden, b. Dec. 3, 1756; d. Apr. 19, 1839; m. Elizabeth Chetwood.

316. Oliver Ogden, b. Jan. 16, 1760; prob. d. y. (Not named in father's will.)

317. Hannah Ogden, b. Mar. 27, 1761; d. unm. Nov. 1, 1789.

Frank C. Ogden, of Elizabeth, N. J., has in his possession letters written by Hannah to her brother Col. Matthias, while the latter was with the Jersey troops at Springfield, N.J. These letters are very patriotic, full of grit and encouragement, telling him not to worry about them at home, and that they kept the horses saddled, ready to flee, should it become necessary. A short time later the family hastily removed to Sussex Co.

318. Elias Ogden, b. Nov. 9, 1763; d. Mar. 31, 1805; m. Mary Anderson.

319. Jonathan Ogden, 3d, b. Oct. 17, 1765; d. Sept. 16, 1766.

Eight others were still-born, also an unnamed dau. between Aaron and
Oliver, b. Dec. 10, 1758, and d. Dec. 30, same year.

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