The War With The Jerseymen

     For some years prior to 1700, and as late as half a century afterwards, the Minisink country was embroiled in a tedious conflict with their New Jersey neighbors, over the question of a boundary line between the colonies of New Jersey and New York.
The misunderstanding grew out of the difficulty of determining what was the “northwardmost” branch of the Delaware river.  Both parties started from the same point on the Hudson river, in latitude 40 degrees.  New York on the one hand contended for a line that would strike Big Minisink island, while New Jersey insisted the line should strike the Delaware river just below Cochecton, making a triangular gore several miles in width at its western extremity.
     The matter was brought to the attention of the General Assembly of each colony, and considerable spirit was shown in its consideration.  A committee appointed by the New York Assembly reported to the House, October 29, 1754, that they could not certainly discover what was the “Northwardmost branch of the Delaware River;” that they find Minisink, and lands to the northward thereof, have been held by New York patents for nearly seventy years, which are bounded south by New Jersey; that the patents of New Jersey, for many years after the “fixation” of said boundary, did not extend northward above said bounds, nor did they extend jurisdiction above these bounds.
     That of late years large bodies of Jerseyites have with violence taken possession of lands above these bounds; and that New Jersey has erected the county of Sussex in part above these bounds.
     That New Jersey Justices have assumed authority over subjects holding lands under and paying a submission to New York.
     Also, that New York Justices, officers, and even ministers of the Gospel in Orange county, have been seized and beaten, insulted, carried into New Jersey and held to excessive bail or confined in prisons, and prosecuted by indictments.
     That people of New Jersey have from time to time taken possession of vacant lands in Orange county, etc.
     New Jersey assumed and exercised the right to assess and collect taxes from people residing in the county of Orange, so that some chose to desert their possessions and move further north.
     Thus while the respective Colonial Assemblies were adopting active partisan measures in the controversy, it may be supposed that the people most directly interested, acting in the spirit of that semi-lawless age, did not always wait for the slow process of legislative enactment to settle their disputes, but took the details into their own hands for adjudication in their own way.
     By way of more effectually opposing the incursions of the Jerseymen, the people of Orange converted their dwellings into places of defense, armed themselves for sudden attack, and formed organizations for mutual aid and succor. Col. De Key, who was also a Justice of the Peace in and for Orange county, had settled upon lands within that county under patents granted by New York, where he had lived in peaceable possession for fifty years. Having been disturbed in his lands, and threatened with personal violence and ejectment, he proceeded to the residence of  James Alexander, Esq., an East New Jersey proprietor, to lay the case before him, and if possible bring about some agreement between the contending parties until the line could be definitely settled.  Col. De Key was told that if he would become a Jerseyman, and fight against the New York people, he should want neither commission nor money; that if he would do neither he would be dispossessed of his plantations. Col. De Key refused to accept of the conditions, went home, and prepared for war.



                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
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