The largest family bearing the "Honeyman name in America belongs to the branch of which John Honeyman, known in history as "the Spy of Washington," was progenitor. It includes all the Honeymans now resident in New Jersey and nearly all who have ever resided in this state. Some of his descendants, however, are in the state of New York, and some are scattered throughout the West.

John Honeyman was born about 1729, but the exact date, as well as place, is unknown. As will be seen later, he is stated to have been born in Armagh, Ireland. Investigation in Armagh, however, have not disclosed the presence there of any family of that name at this early period. From his having named his first son John and his second son James, it is reasonably certain that one of these names was that of his father.

THE MAIN FACTS OF HIS LIFE

In brief, the facts concerning John Honeyman, as told more at length by his grandson, the late Judge Van Dyke, may be thus recapitulated:

He enlisted from Armagh, Ireland, in 1758 as a soldier under General Wolfe. On his voyage across the Atlantic, his gallantry to the General was rewarded by his being made on of Wolfe’s bodyguards. He was present in 1759 at the famous battle on the Plains of Abraham when Wolfe fell, being one of those who carried the bleeding General off the field and was afterward honorably discharged from the service. He then went to Philadelphia, where he married Mary Henry, an Irish girl from Coleraine, Ireland, who was eight years his junior and whom he may or may not have previously known. He probably married her about the year 1764. So far as we know, he continued to reside in Philadelphia, and, as his trade was that of a weaver, he doubtless continued pursued that occupation. He here is stated to have become acquainted with Washington, an acquaintance which afterward enabled him to be of signal service to the cause of independence.

Some time near the beginning of the Revolutionary War he moved to Griggstown. Whether he went there for the express purpose of assisting Washington in securing and furnishing information concerning the British army which had invaded New Jersey, cannot be told, but such is the conjecture. Being a man of great courage, he certainly carried out with Scotch tenacity the difficult role, that of a Spy, and his knowledge of camp life and of military movements must have stood him in good stead. The story of that role is fully related below.

After the war, probably in 1793, perhaps earlier, he removed to, and then purchased and occupied a large farm in the upper part of Somerset county, in Bedminster township, near Vliettown, on the road toward Peapack. It has been somewhere stated that the time of his removal from Griggstown was in 1777, but this I believe to be an error. He attended Lamington church, but his name does not appear upon the records of that church as a pew-holder and contributor until 1793.

The farm he purchased consisted of three different tracts, contiguous, the whole making an estate of about 400 acres. His first purchase was, Jan. 4, 1793, of John Bryant and Robert Blair of Bedminster, previously owned by David Henry. It contained 202 acres and the cost was 6 742.0.4. The next was, Mar. 20, 1797, Lot No. 19 of the "Peapack Patent," from James Parker, of Perth Amboy. Its acreage not stated, but the purchase price was 6 500. On the same date he bought of John Smyth, of Middlebush, 166 acres; consideration, 6 500. He must have owned in all, therefore, over 400 acres. The deeds were not recorded until Mar. 27, 1811. (Somerset Co. Deeds, Book F., pp. 322, etc.). These lands were bounded by the Lamington river land lands of Simon Hegeman and Hugh Barklay.

On this estate he resided for nearly thirty years. A portion of the farm passed from his hands before his death, but the main portion was held at his death, and is at present owned by Mr. C. McMurtry, a Mr. Rhinchart and a Mr. Crater. Mr McMurtry lives in the house which stands on the site of the old mansion, and it may well be that the kitchen portion formed part of the original house, although this is uncertain. Here John Honeyman was both farmer and weaver: apparently he could not give up his old occupation.

In 1801 his wife, Mary Henry, died and probably within a year or two later he married Mrs. Elizabeth Burrows, widow of a Mr. Burrows of near Harlingen, Somerset Co. At the time of this second marriage he was over seventy years of age, and his wife was some twenty years his junior. The maiden name of Mrs. Burrows was Estel. The only other facts known of her are that at the time of her marriage she had two daghters, one of whom married a Henry S. Terhune, and the other a William Paterson. According to Judge Van Dyke, who remembered her well, she was "ill-temperate, petulant and stingy, though her new husband got along with her pretty well." She outlived her second husband, and returned to the neighborhood of a former home, but when she died cannot be stated.

In the year 1809 John Honeyman and Elizabeth, his (second) wife, sold a tract of land of nearly fourteen acres out of his farm to David Van Nest of Bedminster. In 1817 his eldest son, John, became financially embarrassed, and his father, who had been security for him, either declining or being unable in cash to pay the amount of the indebtedness, suffered a sale of the tract of 166 acres by the sheriff of Somerset to his second son, James, of New Germantown. It was sold in 1825, by the Executors of James to Dennis Hageman.

One of the most interesting features connected with the history of John Honeyman relates to the subject of he became possessed of sufficient money to purchase this large landed estate in Bedminster Township, especially when it is know at Griggstown he was in moderate circumstances. It is not believed that he inherited any money from Ireland; in fact there is no evidence that his parents were other than persons of the most moderate means. The suggestion of Judge Van Dyke, on a subsequent page, that the money was supplied to him by Washington is a reasonable one, and heightens the romance of the "Spy’s" life.

Not until one year before his death did John Honeyman connect himself with the church at Lamington of which he had been for many years a pew-holder. Then (1821) he joined that church under the pastorate of the Rev. Horace Galpin.

On Aug. 18, 1822, the venerable old man, in his ninety-third year, passed away, without leaving behind him, so far as anything was recorded from his own lips, the secret of his most interesting and romantic career. He was peculiarly close-mouthed about his own doings. The father of the writer, who was twenty four years of age at the time of the death of this veteran, and who had lived more or less with his grandfather on the Bedminster farm, knew nothing of his history. It remained for Judge Van Dyke to narrate it, and now it will be well to give it in full in the Judge’s own words.

"AN UNWRITTEN ACCOUNT OF THE SPY OF WASHINGTON"

(From "Our Home," Oct., 1873)

"There are doubtless, many persons in the State of New Jersey who have read with interest and pleasure, as well as with excitement and wonder, the story of the deeds of that wonderful personage described in Cooper’s Spy, as ‘Harvey Birch,’ and have grown ardently patriotic over his heroic acceptance of sacrifice, trial and danger, on account of his struggling and imperiled country. But there are probably few in this state who are aware that upon it’s own soil, and among its own people, there lived and died a spirit as faithful and as brave as that of the real or fictitious "Harvey Birch," a part of whose Revolutionary life was also as romantic, perilous and important as his, indeed, strikingly similar in character, having the same objects in view, and being conducted under the immediate supervision of the same great Chief.

"The writer makes no claim to the power of invention. He proposes to create neither persons nor circumstances, but being in possession of a number of facts, with which he has long been familiar, derived from the most unmistakable sources, he will simply attempt to narrate them in the plain way in which they were received. He was also personally well acquainted with the subject of this narrative, was with him very often during the last fifteen years of his life, and saw his eyes closed in death.

"Some time in the year 1758, there arrived in the waters of the St. Lawrence the English frigate Boyrie. The great conflict between the French and English for the mastery on this continent was then raging. Braddock had been defeated and slain. The massacre at Fort William Henry had shocked the whole country, and the tomahawk and scalping knife of the savage were reeking with the blood of the helpless and the innocent. On board the vessel were not only a number of soldiers, but also Gen. Abercrombie, and a somewhat youthful Colonel, afterwards known as the brave Gen. Wolfe, the hero of Quebec, who were all to participate in the bloody strife. Among the soldiers was a young Irishman, born in Armagh, but of Scottish ancestry, and of the Covenantor faith. He was possessed of a tolerable education, spoke the english language correctly, but had in his speech much of the Irish brogue, which might easily have been mistaken for Scotch. He was tall and commanding in stature, agile in movement, and possessed a strong and athletic frame. Although entertaining no good will toward his British neighbors, yet, under the inflexible conscription of Chatham, the great War Minister, he was forced into the army of the crown. He was quite too sagacious to betray the unwillingness of his service, but performed with alacrity all the duties imposed upon him.

"This young soldier was John Honeyman, afterward ‘the Spy of Washington.’ When crossing the Atlantic, and while young Honeyman was keeping guard on the deck, Col. Wolfe, who was about to descend the stairway, tripped or stumbled, and would have been precipitated down the descent, had he not been caught and saved by the strong arm of the young conscript. The Colonel spoke to him most graciously, thanked him kindly, told him he had saved his life, inquired his name, took a not of it in his memorandum book, and promised to remember him.

"The first service which devolved on the officers and soldiers of whom we have spoken, was the attack upon Louisburg. After the storming and capture of that stronghold, Wolfe was promoted for his bravery and skill to the office of General, and was placed in command of the army to attack Quebec, which was to decide the great issue between the French and the English. He now made Honeyman one of his body-guard and a sort of member of his military family, and required him to remain at all times as near his person as possible. The English were at first defeated before Quebec, but Wolfe, not discouraged, determined at the risk of his life to scale the formidable heights of Abraham, which, up to that time, had been deemed inaccessible. This would bring him to a level with the city walls. For this purpose he landed his army at Point Levi. In crossing the stream to reach the side on which Quebec stands, Honeyman was one of the oarsmen in the boat that bore the General and some of his officers to the scene. While rowing an officer, sitting behind and a little above him, was struck by a cannon ball, which carried away the upper part of his head. As he fell forward, his brain was deposited over the head and clothes of our hero. This lead him often to remark that ‘a man had more brains than an ox.’ The army, however, was landed, and Honeyman, in the deep gloom of the night, with cat-like tread, by the side of his General, whom he had learned to love, groped his way up the perilous ascent, till they reached the plains above. Here, in the purple dawn of a September morning, was seen the British army already arrived in safety. Thousands of red-coats soon flashed in the rays of the ascending sun, while the British Lion, in his silken folds, waved his threatening mane in the morning breeze most defiantly. But Wolfe and his army did not have to wait long.

"The French commander soon offered them battle. Here our youthful soldier joined in the frightful carnage that ensued. He saw his General fall, and aided in bearing the dying chieftain from the field, "walking,"as he often said, "most of the way in blood." These two scenes – the one at the boat, and the death of Wolfe – seemed to have affected him more than anything else during his life. He often recalled and related them after he was ninety years of age, but always with faltering voice and tearful eyes. The victory this time was with the English. The French commander was also killed, the city was at once surrendered, and, with the fall of Montreal the next year, the conflict ended. Then Honeyman was honorably discharged from the service.

"We must now pass over a period of some eight or ten years, during which little is known of the doings and whereabouts of this young Scotch-Irishman, but, as early as the year 1774, he had found his way to Philadelphia, carefully carrying with him his discharge from the army of Gen. Wolfe: also the letter of that General, requesting him to become a member of his body-guard, and an attendant on his person when desired. These documents were known to be in his possession long after the close of our Revolutionary war.

"From the fact that he had been bred to the trade of weaver, as well as to that of butcher and dealer in cattle, before coming to this country, and from his habits of industry and thrift, it is supposed that the interval between 1763, when the peace between France and England was announced, and the year 1775, when we find him in Philadelphia, had been spent in pursuing his early avocations. In Philadelphia he met and married Mary Henry, and intelligent, strong-minded Irish girl, whose birth-place was Coleraine, near the Scottish borders. She was of his faith and courage, and in after years endured hardship and peril with as much fortitude and heroism as her husband.

"In Philadelphia, Honeyman first saw Washington, of whom he had previously heard as having been engaged in the same war with himself on a different field. The troubles between the Colonies and the mother country were then rising to fever heat. In them Honeyman took and felt an intense interest, and when Washington was appointed Commander-in-chief, he earnestly sought an opportunity to be presented to him. His efforts were successful, chiefly through the letter of Gen. Wolfe, the relation which he had borne to that great and accomplished office, and his honorable discharge from the army, which, under Wolfe, had destroyed the power of the French. These interviews were repeated, but what transpired at them is not now certainly known: but will probably appear, as we proceed, that the sagacious Chief understood his new acquaintance, and gave him his confidence.

"We have said that Honeyman was in Philadelphia as early as 1774, but it is certain that he was there and was married several years before, as in the early part of 1776, he, with his wife and several young children, had removed to and made their residence at Griggstown, Somerset County, New Jersey. What connection this removal had with the interviews in Philadelphia, before referred to, may be left to the conjecture of the reader, after I state what followed.

"But one meeting is know to have occurred in New Jersey between him and Washington prior to the close of the war. This was near Fort Lee, and shortly before the retreat of the American forces across the State into Pennsylvania. The interview was hurried, but continued long enough to adopt a plan of operation. He was to act the part of a spy for the American cause in that part of New Jersey where he was most familiar. As he was a Scotch-Irishman, who had already been in the British army, and witnessed its triumphs, it would not be considered strange if he still adhered to their cause, as did many other in the country. It was this position he was to assume: To act the part of a Tory, and quietly talk in favor of the British side of the question. In the capacity of butcher he was to commence some trade with them, and to furnish them cattle and horses when their armies came into the State, which was certain to speedily take place. This course he was to pursue while he resided within the American lines, so long as it should be safe to do so, and, if danger at home became too threatening, he was to leave his helpless family amidst its angry foes and go entirely over within the British lines, there to continue his occupation of butcher, and to supply the British with cattle. This would probably furnish him with a wider range of travel within the line of the enemy, and an excellent opportunity for the observation and discovery of their force, positions, officers, probable action and movements, etc. As soon as he could learn anything with reasonable certainty, which was important for Washington to know, he was to venture, as if by accident, and while avowedly looking for cattle, so far beyond the army lines as to be captured by the Americans, but not without a desperate effort to avoid it. Washington was to offer, if need be, some reward for his arrest, but always with the imperative direction that he should betaken alive and brought at once before him in person, his object being not only in some way to protect his agent, but to receive his communications in the absence of all listeners, and then to devise some unsuspected means for him to make his escape back to the British lines.

"One great feature of the arrangement was to have it explicitly understood and believed on both sides of the line, that Honeyman had gone fully over to the English, and was exclusively in their service. Consequently, the greatest possible secrecy had to be preserved, and, until the particular service was no longer needed, the arrangement was only known to Honeyman and his faithful wife, and to Washington himself. Any other course would not only have frustrated the whole plan, but would probably have resulted both in the destruction of the spy and in injury to the American cause.

"The interview spoken of near Fort Lee occurred in the early part of November, and shortly after Washington had retired to that place. His army, such as it was, after its retreat through New Jersey, had safely crossed the Delaware about the 8^th of December. Some two weeks later Honeyman was moving along with the British army, in pursuit of the Americans, sometimes in one place and sometimes in another. At Trenton, as in other places, he seems to have had the privilege of going pretty much where he pleased in pursuit of his business. Having been compelled to enter and remain within the British lines almost from the moment of making the arrangement before mentioned, having ascertained the position and danger of Washington, and the condition of the British at New Brunswick and Trenton, being also aware that the discipline at the latter place was very lax, knowing too that the holidays were approaching, when a still greater indulgence would probably be permitted, and having in his perambulations, as a butcher, in and about the city, obtained such a knowledge of its localities and of the roads leading to it, as would enable him to make a pretty correct diagram of them if desired, he resolved to take the first perilous step to communicate with the Commander-in-chief, as agreed upon between them. With a large cart whip in one hand and a rope in the other, a rather greasy-looking coat on his back, and apparently in search of cattle, he turned his steps toward the Delaware. After proceeding for some time along or near the bank of the stream, he perceived, at some distance, what seemed to be two dismounted horsemen in American uniform, partially concealed by some bushes. For once his heart throbbed violently, and his courage almost forsook him. But his business was urgent, and time was pressing, and he could not forego the offered opportunity, so he nerved himself accordingly. Fortunately a farmer’s cow presented herself before him. Summoning all his energies and patriotism his pressed her into his service, and, seeing that he was not observed by the horsemen, he commenced driving her past them. When he had got about even with them, the cow all at once became unruly, and he gave a sharp crack of his whip and a loud shout to the animal to hurry her along. The horsemen, who had been seated on a log, now sprang to their feet, and almost at the same moment were in their saddles. Honeyman passed along for a few steps, feigning not to see them, but as they broke through the bushes he dropped his rope, and took to his heels with his utmost speed. The horsemen soon overtook him, but it was not so easy a matter to capture him. By the free use of his whip, and by sudden dodgings and turnings he at first successfully evaded them, and was rapidly nearing a fence, when he suddenly slipped on some ice and fell heavily to the ground. Before he could rise one of the troopers was upon him. By the time the other had reached them, Honeyman was again on his feet, and the struggle of two to one, for a time doubtful, was decided by the majority finally prevailing. Then he was again thrown to the ground, where, with two pistols pointed at his head, he finally surrendered, but with many protestations that he was only a poor butcher, trying to make an honest living for his family, and had not tried to hurt anybody, but the contrary old cow had forced him a little out of his way. The butcher was firmly bound with his own rope and mounted behind one of the troopers, while the other rode by his side with the other end of the rope fastened to his saddle-bow. He was taken across the river and borne in triumph to the headquarters of Washington, with some demonstrations of satisfaction. The Commander had already admonished his troops to look out for such a person, who was understood to be dangerous, to arrest him if possible, and without fail to bring him to him instantly.

"Honeyman entered the apartment of the great Chief with trembling limbs and downcast eyes, as if trying to sink through the floor. Here his long-continued and violent resistance to capture was duly announced. Washington looked unusually grave, but spoke calmly to the spy, telling him it was painful to see him in such a plight: that he had heard of him before, and that his troops had for some time been trying to arrest him. The General, after some unimportant questions, directed all his attendants to withdraw, but to surround and guard the quarters, and shoot the prisoner if he attempted to escape. The interview lasted some half and hour, or till about sunset, when the guards were recalled, and directions given to furnish the prisoner with food, put him in the log prison, lock the door and safely guard on the outside till the morning, when a court-martial would be convened to try the guilt of the prisoner, of which he was satisfied from his own story.

"This prison was a sort of log-cabin, then recently and strongly built. There was but a crevice for a window, and one ponderous door. In the uninviting apartment the spy was placed, the door securely locked, the key taken out, and a guard placed on either side. Late in the night, when all were quiet, and the camp asleep, except here and there a guard whose tramp could be plainly heard, a fire was observed to be breaking out near by in a dangerous place. It was small, and could be extinguished in a few moments if done at once. No one was near to do it. The guards, who were awake, hesitated for a moment, but flames ascended rapidly, and then they instinctively rushed to the fire. In a short time it was subdued. They now returned to and remained faithfully at their posts till morning. When the morning came the door was still locked, but the spy was not there. He had escaped, but no one seemed to know how. ‘He must be a burglar,’ they said, ‘as well as a traitor, and was doubtless armed with false keys.’ The camp was soon in great commotion. Washington seemed exceedingly angry. But three days afterward the latter was with his army in Trenton, the city with its Hessian occupants being captured. Rahl was slain, and the country was saved!

"Although the spy had escaped, he was not among the captured at Trenton. He well knew that was not a safe place for him.

"The mode of escape was entirely planned by Washington and, of course, the guards were not very close to the line of travel which the spy was to pursue. There was a slight alarm at some outer point, and a few guns were fired, but Honeyman easily eluded pursuit and reached the river in safety. This he crossed partly on the ice and partly through the icy waters. When he reached the British pickets he was almost breathless. He first surrendered himself to them, and then told the story of his arrest, marvelous escape, and all that he had seen, with whatever glow and fervor his shivering body and limbs permitted. The guards were in transports of joy, and Honeyman himself was easily persuaded to be carried to quarters of the Colonel before morning. He, in fact, desired an apparently unsought interview with him as speedily as possible that he might be discharged and get out of the way of a new capture, when Washington should reach Trenton. Col. Rahl, on being informed of the arrival of so important a visitor, arose from his couch to receive him. The captive repeated his story, Rahl censured him for needlessly exposing himself, but was delighted with the escape. He cared less for the particulars of either, however, than he did to learn all that the butcher had heard and discovered in the American camp. On this point the spy became somewhat reticent, for, although he was anxious enough to tell all he knew, and perhaps more, about the condition of the army, yet, to avoid suspicion afterwards, he did not wish to volunteer a very disparaging statement about it, such as would be disproved in a very short time. But the Colonel, as was expected, plied him with questions until he drew from him a description of the most deplorable condition of the American camp upon which Rahl exclaimed that ‘no danger was to be apprehended from that quarter for some time to come.’ Homeyman was now discharged, and at once made his way to New Brunswick, for him a place of greater safety.

"The news of the capture and escape of Honeyman speedily reached his own neighborhood of Griggstown, where the indignation and excitement reached the highest point. It was well know there that he had gone over to the English army, and he had already received the title of ‘Tory John Honeyman:’ but now, ‘British spy, traitor and cutthroat,’ and various other disagreeable epithets were heard on every side. His house was surrounded at midnight by a crowd of his exasperated neighbors, who, by arrangement, had approached it from different directions, supposing he might be there. They demanded the surrender of the traitor, or that the premises should be thoroughly searched, and perhaps reduced to ashes. His wife protested that she new nothing of his whereabouts, and seemed grieved at his misconduct, but this only increased the demand and tumult. She soon after unlocked the door, and, waving her hand, asked the crowd to listed a moment. The became quiet, and she inquired who was their leader. The answer, ‘John Baird,’ came from all directions. Now John Baird was one of her well-known neighbors, a young man only eighteen years of age, of stalwart frame, unshrinking courage and unexceptionable character, who had from the first espoused the cause of the Colonies with all the energy and enthusiasm of youth. He was afterward in the service, and came out of it bearing the title of Major. In his old age he received an honorable pension from the Government. The write was well acquainted with him during his later years, and he was one of the persons from whom much of the information herein narrated was received. When the wife of Honeyman heard the name of Baird her apprehensions subsided, for she knew him well, and knew no harm could come to her or her children so long as he controlled affairs. She invited him to her. He Went. She handed him a paper, and asked him to read it aloud to those outside. He did so after first carefully looking it over himself. The paper which he read was as follows:

‘American Camp,

‘New Jersey, Nov. A.D., 1776.

‘To the good people of New Jersey, and all other whom it may concern:

‘It is hereby ordered that the wife and children of John Honeyman, of Griggstown, the notorious Tory, now within the British lines, and probably acting the part of a spy, shall be and hereby are protected from all harm and annoyance from every quarter, until further orders. But this furnishes no protection to Honeyman himself.

‘Geo. Washington,

‘Com.-in-chief.’

"After the reading of this paper the wife invited Baird and his associates to make such examination of the premises as they thought proper, but no one seemed anxious to proceed any further. A long silence ensued. The assemblage was somewhat confused and confounded, and soon after gradually dispersed.

"This paper was not only signed by Washington, but was all written by him, and remained in the family for many years afterwards. It was seen and read by the children as well as by many others. Although the feeling of the neighbors toward the family became quiet, and even kind, yet, toward the head of it, it in no way abated, and there was no time, until the close of the war, when his life would have been safe had he been taken in the neighborhood of his house.

"According to the plan referred to, the theatre of Honeyman’s action was confined essentially to New Jersey, with the soil of which he had made himself fully acquainted, and could only be carried out when the English army was in possession of some part of it, and when so near to Washington that he was certain, if arrested, to be carried before him.

"Consequently, when the British had been driven from the State, in 1777, and Washington had removed with his army from Morristown to the Delaware, for the defense of Philadelphia, there was little if any opportunity for the spy to perform his part of the great drama any further. Nor did any such opportunity again occur, so far as is known, during the war. Nor is it now know where Honeyman was, or what he was doing all that time. He certainly did not reside with his family, for it could not be known at what moment his services might be needed, and it was not then safe to raise the veil which hung around his strange conduct. It is believed he remained with the British forces, and probably maintained his character and business of butcher and trader with them. It is also probable that he at times saw or formed plans of communicating with his family, and furnished them the means of subsistence. But when the strife was ended and peace proclaimed, and the great Chief himself raised the mysterious veil, then John Honeyman returned to his home the greatest hero of the hour. The same neighbors who had once surrounded his humble dwelling and sought his life, again not only surrounded it, but pressed vigorously for admittance, not to harm, but to thank and bless and honour him, and to congratulate and applaud his long suffering but heroic wife. Many American officers came to visit him, Washington himself being among the first."