SOLDIERS STORY:
AN OLD HOUSE WITH A REVOLUTIONARY HISTORY:
The Mills House & Its Extended Family
The following report was written by Eric Olsen, Historian at Morristown National Historical Park. It is reprinted here with permission.
It’s older than the Ford Mansion or the Wick House. In fact, it’s the oldest standing house in Morristown. But most people don’t even know of its existence. It sits on Mills Street shoehorned in between an Italian Restaurant and a parking lot, across the street from an old elementary school. It a simple, plain house. Looking at the Timothy Mills House [above] you wouldn’t have any idea that the house, its occupants, and neighbors were all impacted by the American Revolution.
The Mills House was across the road from the Artillery Park
The Mills family, who lived in the house, could see the huts of the Artillery Brigade just three tenths of a mile away from their front door. That meant in 1780, there were always soldiers in the neighborhood. During the war militia troops quartered in one of the Mill’s outbuildings. The men of the Mills family and their apprentices had to serve in the militia. However, to maintain his tanning business John Mills often avoided militia duty by sending his apprentices as his substitute. Two of the apprentices died during their service. The other apprentice survived and when he was in his 70’s he applied for a veteran’s pension in which he told stories of his adventures as a militia soldier. Most of this paper is based on the pension application of that apprentice Israel Lee. His story and the testimony of the witnesses supporting his claim opened a window into the story of the occupants of the Mills House during the American Revolution.
The house was built by a shoemaker named Timothy Mills (1713-1803), around 1740. He left Long Island acquiring 60 acres of land on a hillside a half mile northwest of Morristown Green. He married a local woman, Phebe Lindsley, in 1742 and they eventually had nine children, all born between 1744 and 1766. In 1770, at the age of 60, Timothy moved from the old house to a new home on Basking Ridge Road.
Timothy’s son, John (1756-1837) and his wife Chloe Wines continued to live in the old house and raised their nine children there. John farmed the land and established a tannery [below], tanning between 200-300 hides a year. Like his father, John Mills also made shoes.
Timothy Tuttle, a young neighbor [born 1767, age 13 in 1780], described the extended Mills family and the neighborhood during the American Revolution. “although not old enough to perform Militia duty in the time of the revolutionary war yet I have distinct remembrance of many events of that war. My father Thomas Tuttle, a cooper by trade then lived in Morristown & was a near neighbor to John Mills, who was a Tanner of Leather & shoemaker. Mills had several apprentices learning his trade, who were intimate playmates with me & with my two older brothers Caleb & Silvanus Tuttle both of whom were soldiers bearing arms & doing more or less duty throughout the war. I well remember 3 apprentices of John Mills at that time, viz. John Freeman, Israel Lee & Walter Irwin all of whom were often from home, said to be gone soldering. Irwin was once brought home from soldering, very sick – lingered for some time & at last died at John Mills house.[Walter Irwin died October 16, 1776 at age 20 of consumption/ tuberculosis] Some of Mills children also died about the same time [Ezra, son of John Mills died of Inflammatory Fever April 23, 1776, no age listed] John Freeman was also brought home from a tour of soldiers duty, as was said, exceedingly low & more reduced in flesh than almost any person I have ever seen. He finally recovered – enlisted as was said & I believe in the regular army – again sickened & died in the service. Israel Lee, whom I then knew well… was often absent from Mr. Mills sometimes for a month & sometimes longer than a month – said to be out some with the Militia, on duty as a soldier. I sometimes saw him go & sometimes return with his gun, cartridge box, knapsack &c & have often heard him tell on his return, of his adventures, escapes from danger &c. whilst on militia tours. I verily believe that he was gone from Mr. Mills as I have before stated, several times in each year of the war & absent, as I have before also stated. My recollection of these particulars is clear & of many other counts in the war. The huts where the army encamped were in full view from my fathers house & from Mr. Mills’s. [Huts of the Artillery Brigade 1780] My father’s house, as well as his coopers shop, was often filled with soldiers & every floor at night covered with them, very much to the annoyance of the family & more especially of my mother. General Washington’s headquarters were at Morristown two winters beside being here himself several other times & at other periods. He quartered once during the winter at Arnold’s & Halsey’s tavern, one winter at the house of the widow of Colonel Jacob Ford & once for two or three weeks at the house of Colonel Benoni Hathaway, [ in July 1777 off Speedwell Ave. near Whippany River] near my father’s house.”
Phebe Hathaway [later Canfield] was a servant living in the Mills house and she added more details recalling, “in the early years of my life, between my 8th & my 18th years I lived in the family of John Mills,…It was in time of the war of the revolution & during that time, the army under General Washington was encamped on the hills in sight of John Mills house. Mr. Mills conducted a Tanyard, for making Leather & also carried on the business of Shoe making. He had several apprentices bound to him to learn the trade of Shoemaking & Leather dressing & among them were Israel Lee, John Freeman, & Walter Irvin & Timothy Mills all of whom were frequently called on to perform soldiers duty or militia duty & they occasionally left Mr. Mills employ to go on Militia tours, as I understood & believe. I remember that John Freeman was brought home to Mr. Mills after having been gone soldiering, as was said, for some months, very sick & greatly reduced in strength & flesh. He was nursed & treated with great kindness & attention in Mr. Mills family & restored to health. Such was his attachment to a soldiers life, that soon after recovering, he enlisted, as was said, in the army, left Mr. Mills family & not long after was again taken ill & died in the army as I understood & believe. Walter Irvin was also brought home to Mills house from a Militia tour of duty, as we understood, lingered for several weeks & died at Mr. Mills house. Some of Mr. Mills children viz. Haldah, Ruth & Ezra also sickened & died about the same time, & to all appearances of the same sort of disease [tuberculosis?]. Israel Lee… was often out from home, a month at a time & often longer, performing as was said, Militia duty, frequently every year whilst the war lasted. It was sometimes understood that he went out in the place & instead of his master Mills, whose care & attention deemed necessary at home & made & saw him start off with his musket & knapsack & often saw him return home after an absence of a month or longer. He often fired off his gun a rod or two before he reached the door & used to say to Mrs. Mills “here comes Israel again.”
While there is no account stating that there were soldiers inside the Mills house, they were nearby. Jacob Lacy, a militia soldier, served two one-month tours in Morristown guarding prisoners. He recalled, “our quarters was in the Bark house of John Mills tannery, near the town.” A neighbor Timothy Tuttle stated, “The [Artillery] huts where the army encamped were in full view from my fathers house & from Mr. Mills’s. My father’s house, as well as his coopers shop, was often filled with soldiers & every floor at night covered with them, very much to the annoyance of the family & more especially of my mother.” Silas Condict, another neighbor had officers in his home during the 1779-1780 encampment. His nephew Lewis Condict wrote, “the winter 1779-80…I distinctly remember Isaac Ashton, then called Adjutant Ashton was quartered in the family of an uncle of mine, Silas Condict, Esqr. (who stood to me in the relation of Father, having the charge & care of me, as an orphan of his brother) together with, Doctor Gavit Tunison,… & a Mr. Guion, called Ensign Guion all of them officers in the American Army. There was also a French captain of Dragoons or horses who was called Captain De Roche Fontaine who was quartered at my Uncle’s home a part of the same winter, but who left the house in consequence of a quarrel with Col. Stevens. The army was in Huts, built of logs, many of them distant not more than half a mile from my Uncle’s house [Artillery Camp] & these officers visited the camp almost daily & often recd. visits from other officers of the army, among whom I recollect Captain Doughty…. I was 7 years old (viz: in March 1780) & was much of a little Pet among all the said officers… Colonel Stevens had with him his Lady the others had no families with them. Genl. Washington’s headquarters were in the house of Col. Ford’s widow.”
During the 1779-1780 winter encampment there were over 1,000 artillery soldiers camped less than a mile away from the Mills house. Most likely the Mills family frequently saw soldiers around their property. While I haven’t seen any damage claims filed by the Mills family, most likely they suffered some loss or damages with so many soldiers nearby. Typically, soldiers stole fence rails for firewood and chickens disappeared to feed hungry soldiers. Again, I haven’t seen records to confirm this, but I wouldn’t be surprised if John Mills tanned leather for the army. The army slaughtered countless cattle to feed the soldiers. The hides of the slaughtered animals were then traded by the army with tanners like Mills for finished leather or shoes. Tanning leather and making shoes were the trades of John Mills and his apprentices.
Two of John Mills apprentices, Walter Irwin and John Freeman died while in militia service and I have not found any records that describe their service. But another apprentice, Israel Lee survived to give us accounts of militia service in his pension application. His account is full “of his adventures, escapes from danger &c. whilst on militia tours.”
Israel Lee recalled, “I was an indentured apprentice to John Mills living in Morristown, when the war began, having the trade of a Shoemaker, Tanner & Currier. The tannery required the time & personal attention of my Master Mills so much, that he could not be spared from it without much hazard: & at his request I performed several monthly tours of militia duty as his substitute, leaving him to take charge of the shop & tanyard.”
Lee started his militia service in August 1776 guarding the shore at Elizabethtown Point. He was with the Morris Militia when they formed the rear guard of Washington’s army in their retreat across New Jersey. The retreat was referred to as the “Mud Rounds.” When the army reached New Brunswick the Morris Militia broke off and returned to Morris County. Soon after, he was with the militia under Colonel Jacob Ford when they stopped a British advance at the first battle of Springfield in December 1776. Then under Ford’s replacement, Colonel Spencer, Israel Lee took part in the capture of 70 or 80 Waldeckers near Springfield in January 1777.
Lee gave this description of a raid he took part in later that winter, “Capt. Benoni Hathaway of Morris County conceived the project of attempting to take a strong picket guard of the enemy stationed near the mansion house of Governor Livingston which he had evacuated & which was near Elizabeth town. I volunteered to be on the party with him. As we approached the sentry & came near him, our Captain being in front the sentry perceived Hathaway by the light of the fire (burning the fence behind which we were partly concealed) The Sentry & Capt. Hathaway both fired at the same instant as tho it even but one report . The sentry was killed & Hathaway dangerously wounded in the side of the neck & near the ear. We all rushed in with fixed bayonets, killed several & brought off 30 or more prisoners & our wounded Captain.”
Later Lee and his militia company were sent south along the Delaware River, “he was in a Small engagement with a British foraging party at Bourdon town New Jersey in which the loss on the side of the United States was 10 or 12 killed & some wounded…He well recollects one circumstance which took place when he was retreating with Thomas Mitchell as he & Mitchell were getting over a fence together Mitchell accused him of striking him on the back, which he denied, where on examination Mitchell found a bullet which had struck him on the back, passed through his blanket & entered & lodged in a piece of pork which he had in his knapsack.”
He also fought at the battle of Monmouth and slept on the field among the dead, “He on the twentieth of June 1778 he was drafted & he again entered the said service & …Marched from Morristown to Basking Ridge thence to Allen town where the company came up with the main army, under the command of George Washington, then moved on with the army near Monmouth, he then marched with General Lee who made an attack on the British army early in the morning was ordered to retreat which was done until met by the main body. The company to which he belonged was attached to General Scott as he now thinks in the afternoon of that day. He remained on the Battle ground until ten o’clock next day & among the Slain of the British.”
Sometimes Lee’s month-long militia tours were served in Morristown. He wrote, “I performed several monthly tours of guard duty at Morristown…This place was considered safe as regarded visits from the British,…Prisoners, in considerable numbers, were often sent to Morris – some lodged in the jail, some in barns under strong guard & some in private homes. Large Military stores, of clothing, provisions – shoes – ammunition &c. were kept at Morris & strong guards were thought necessary, to secure them against the designs of Tories & Refugees.”
Lee was involved with the confinement and execution of two of New Jersey’s most famous Loyalists, Illif and Mee. He testified, “One of these tours was performed in guarding the jail, when there was a large number of Tory or Refugee prisoners, who, as was said, were executed as soldiers for the enemy’s army in Sussex County, under a Captain Iliff & a Captain or a Lieutenant whose name was John Mee. They were making their way in disguise toward the enemy then on Staten Island & New York & were all made prisoners & brought & lodged in Morris Jail. There was a Doctor, or Surgeon among them whose name I believe was Furman, said to be a very reputable man. They were all tried before Judge Morris convicted & condemned to death. Doctor Furman was pardoned through the _____ of friends & promise of reformation – the privates were also pardoned on condition of enlisting in the American Army. The two leaders or officers, Capt Illif & Mee were said to be found with British commissions about their persons & were hanged by Sheriff Carmichael on Morristown Green in the presence of a large multitude. I guarded the jail at this time a full month, under Capt. Beach.”
On another occasion he recalled what sounds like an attempted jail break while serving as a guard in the jail, “In one of the tours when guarding the prisoners at the jail, the jail being all filled, there [were] several who slept in the large Court room [Below – Courthouse & jail were in one building] – some on the table & some on the seats. Among them, was one whose name was Smith – genteely dressed & of good appearance. I was stationed with my gun & fixed bayonet near the door. Smith I observed one evening, did not take off his coat as usual when he lay down – was wakeful & frequently at the window. In the latter part of the night, I heard a horse stop in the street, directly under a window of the Court room, where Smith had been standing. He called on me for permission to go down stairs, pretending an urgent call of nature. I refused & ordered him back to his place. He then approached near me, drew out his watch & offered it to me, if I would permit him to go down stairs. I presented my bayonet & threatened him with death if he did not instantly go back to his place & he then obeyed.”
He was back on guard duty at the jail in 1781, “I performed a month’s tour of guard duty at the jail in Morris town in the fall of the year 1781 under Capt. Beach – During the tour a man whose name was Richard Dove Stevens was hanged by Sheriff Jacob Arnold, having been convicted & condemned on the charge of either passing or making & passing Counterfeit paper money. I was of the guard under Capt. Beach, who conducted Stevens from the jail to the gallows. A large number of other prisoners were also in confinement at the same time & was regularly mounted guard every night till we were relieved at the end of the month & discharged.”
Not Israel Lee, but Samuel Downing, a veteran of the Revolutionary War
At war’s end Israel Lee most likely finished his apprenticeship. Then “about five or six years after the revolution then moved to the Town of Minisink Orange County New York & in the year eighteen hundred and seventeen moved to Cuthhasin, Tioga County New York.” Where he applied for a veteran’s pension in 1832. But “I had no comrade to refresh my recollection & recall to my rememberence the scenes of the revolution. I have now visited the County & neighbourhood in which the days of my apprenticeship were spent [Morristown] & when I first took my musket against the enemy of our Country. To my surprise I have found some few of my comrades & fellow soldiers living. The rehearsal of our militia services & the sight of the places on which we stood in revolutionary days have brought fresh to my memory some services & duties which I know I actually performed which I did not remember when I made my Declaration in Tioga & which of course were not then stated by me. I trust however, that neither the Secretary of War nor the Commissioner of Pensions, will be reluctant or unwilling to hear patiently this my supplemental or additional Declaration of services not before stated because not then remembered, but which I know were actually performed for my Country, some part of which, if not all, I hope I may be able to prove by living witnesses & for which I hope to receive the benefit of the law of June 7th 1832. For the services stated in my original Declaration, a pension Certificate to me at the rate of $34.99 cents pr. Annun , dated January 17th 1833 which I now surrender & forward herewith – hoping to receive an enlargement of my pension, according to the whole of my services, stated in this & in my former Declaration.”
Meanwhile Lee’s former master and the owner of the old house, John Mills gained prominence in Morristown serving in various civic posts including, Tax Assessor, commissioner of the Roads, Pound keeper, Overseer of the Poor, and County Loan Officer. Like his father before him he was also a trustee of the First Presbyterian Church in Morristown. John Mills built a new brick house near the old wooden house after his children were grown. His son, Silas, occupied the old house which passed through the family until 1880.
After 140 years, the old house [below] passed out of the Mills family possession. It has had various owners up to the present-day and remains a private home.
Timothy Mills House in Morristown
Sources
Israel Lee Morris County Militia – Israel Lee Pension application S. 23767
Timothy Mills House – Wikipedia
3b4c9682-89e1-4d43-9e57-0da25004a63e (nps.gov)
nj0680data.pdf (loc.gov) HABS-MJ-632
Timothy Mills – Pension Number S.2,826
Jacob Lacy Pension S 4498
Historic American Building Survey
The Timothy Mills House 27 Mills Street Morristown, Morris County, Hew Jersey HABS-MJ-632
National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form 1975
75001153_text (nps.gov)
Illustration Sources
HABS NJ,14-MORTO,6- (sheet 4 of 11) – Timothy Mills House, 27 Mills Street, Morristown, Morris County, NJ (loc.gov)
Washingtons position at Morristown 1780 : Headquarters at Fords house. | William L. Clements Library Image Bank | University of Michigan Library Digital Collections (umich.edu)
Colonial Sense: Society-Lifestyle: Signs of the Times: Tanning
The Citizen-Soldier: Militia in Early America – Warfare History Network
Asset ID: 1fe9320d1eac4365bf72e0008903de0f
Title: Reconstruction of the Pennsylvania Line encampment which consisted of about 200 log huts.
Citizen-Soldier-Militia.jpg (652×479) (warfarehistorynetwork.com)
Prints, Drawings and Watercolors from the Anne S.K. Brown Military Collection. Brown Digital Repository. Brown University Library. https://repository.library.brown.edu/studio/item/bdr:233249/
Brown Digital Repository | Item | bdr:233249
Drawing of Courthouse – NPS
Samuel Downing – photograph
ttps://explorethearchive.com/6-revolutionary-war-veterans-survived-long-enough-to-be-photographed
Photograph of Timothy Mills House – Domestic Architecture in Colonial New Jersey O Janet W. Foster O GardenStateLegacy.com Issue 6 O December 2009
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, May 7, 2011
Timothy Mills House Historical Marker (hmdb.org)
HABS NJ,14-MORTO,6- (sheet 7 of 11) – Timothy Mills House, 27 Mills Street, Morristown, Morris County, NJ (loc.gov)
