3 Bernard Bush, Laws of the Royal Colony of New Jersey 385-90 (1980)
| dc.coverage.spatial | New Jersey | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-06-03T22:20:40Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 1756 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Authorized New Jersey to raise 250 volunteer freemen to defend the Sussex County frontier against Native American attacks. The volunteers were organized into three companies, received pay and limited protection from civil debt collection, and could be supplied with colony-owned muskets if necessary. The law prohibited enlisting minors, slaves, servants, or apprentices without permission and imposed substantial penalties on officers who violated those restrictions. It also appropriated funds for soldiers' wages, provisions, ammunition, and other military supplies, and established procedures for managing and disposing of unused stores. | |
| dc.description.lawtext | WHEREAS the Savage Indians still continue their Murders, Cruelties, and Devastations, upon his Majesty's Subjects in the Colony of Pennsylvania, bordering upon the County of Sussex in this Colony of New Jersey; and also have begun the same Devastations in the Neighbouring Colony of New York; and it may with very great reason be supposed, this cruel Enemy would have entered this Colony long before this Time and committed equal Barbarities upon the Inhabitants thereof, had not the Legislature, by a timely Provision, prevented the same, by erecting Forts and Block-Houses at such Places as were most exposed to the Incursions of the Enemy, and supplying the same, with a sufficient Number of Forces. And whereas it hath been found by experience, that the supplying the said Forts and Block-Houses with Monthly Detachments, out of the several Regiments of the Militia, is very inconvenient and expensive, near one third of their Time being taken up in Marching and Re-marching to so great a Distance: Therefore for the preventing so much unnecessary Expences, and for other good Purposes hereby intended. BE IT ENACTED by the Governor, Council and General Assembly of this Colony, and it is hereby enacted by the Authority of the same, that two Hundred and Fifty Volunteers, consisting of able Bodied Freemen shall be raised by this Colony (exclusive of the Commission Officers) to be employed in the Defence and Security of the Frontiers of this Colony, in the County of Sussex, and Places adjacent, from any Encroachments or Invasions which may be made upon the same by the Enemy; and for such other Services as shall be herein after express'd: Which Forces shall be formed into three Companies, to wit, two of the said Companies shall consist of one Hundred Men each, and each Company shall be Commanded by a Captain and two Lieutenants; and the third Company consist of Fifty Men, to be Commanded by a Captain and one Lieutenant; all which said Officers shall be appointed by Commissions from the Governor, or Commander in Chief for the Time being; and that four Serjeants, and four Corporals, shall be appointed by each Captain, out of each of the said respective Companies, for the Service of the said Company. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED by the Authority aforesaid, that all and every Person, and Persons which shall be employed in any of these Services, shall be free from all Arrests in civil Actions, not amounting to upwards of Ten Pounds Proclamation Money, to any one Person, or upwards of Fifty Pounds Proclamation Money in the whole. And the Goods and Effects of all and every such Person and Persons, shall be free from Attachments, Executions, and other legal Process during their Continuance in the said Services. PROVIDED ALWAYS, that such Goods and Effects shall not be secreted or removed out of the City, Town, or Precinct, where the said Person or Persons resided before such enlisting as aforesaid; and any sale made of the same, is hereby declared to be void and of none effect. AND BE IT ENACTED by the Authority aforesaid, that it shall not be lawful to enlist any young Man under the Age of Twenty one Years, or any Slaves, who are so for Term of Life, bought Servants or Apprentices, without the express leave in Writing of their Parents or Guardians, Masters or Mistresses, first had and obtained. And if any Officer or others shall inlist any such young Men, Slaves, bought Servants, or Apprentices, as aforesaid, and upon Application and due Proof made thereof, before any one Justice of the Peace in this Colony, shall refuse to discharge him or them so unlawfully inlisted; then the said Justice of the Peace is hereby empowered and required to issue his Warrant to any Constable commanding him to take the Body of such young Man, Slave, Servant, or Apprentice, and deliver him to his Parent, or Guardian, Master or Mistress: And if the Officer or other Person with whom such Person is inlisted, shall notwithstanding, secret, detain, or carry away such Person, then such Officer or other Person so Offending, shall forfeit and pay, for every such young Man, under the Age of Twenty one Years, so inlisting contrary to the true intent and meaning of this Act, the Sum of five Hundred Pounds; for every Slave so inlisted, the Sum of one Hundred Pounds; and for every such bought Servant or Apprentice, the Sum of Twenty Pounds, to be recovered in any Court of Record where the same is Cognizable in this Colony, with full Costs of Suit; and to be paid so much thereof to the Person complaining, as his or her Damages, by the said Court shall be adjudged, and the residue thereof to either of the Treasurers of this Colony, to be applied as by Act of General Assembly shall be hereafter directed. And in Case the Body of such Officer or other Person Offending cannot be taken; then it shall and may be lawful for the Person aggrieved to proceed against him by attachment, against the Offender's Goods and Chattels, Lands and Tenements, in manner and form as is directed by an Act, entitled, "An Act for the better enabling of Creditors to recover their just Debts, from Persons who abscond themselves," saving that the Person complaining shall not be obliged to make the Affidavit therein directed, and the forfeitures recovered, shall be paid as aforesaid. And for a further Encouragement to two Hundred and Fifty Volunteers to enter into the said Service, BE IT FURTHER ENACTED by the Authority aforesaid, that the Treasurers of this Colony, or either of them, out of the Ten Thousand Pounds lately made Current in Bills of Credit for the Defence of the Frontiers of this Colony, shall pay to Jonathan Hampton, who is hereby appointed Commissary of the Stores and Musters, and Pay-Master of the said Forces, or his Order, such Sum and Sums of Money as shall be found necessary for the Payment of the aforesaid Officers and Soldiers, in the Proportion and Manner following, to wit, to each Captain during his continuance in the Service upon the Frontiers, the Sum of four shillings Proclamation Money per Day; and during his Continuance in the Service on the intended Expedition, after the rate of Ten Pounds one shilling Proclamation Money per Month. To each Lieutenant during his continuance in the Service upon the Frontiers, the Sum of three shillings Proclamation Money per Day; and during his continuance on the intended Expedition, after the rate of seven Pounds Ten shillings and nine-pence Proclamation Money per Month. To each Serjeant, and each Corporal two shillings and six pence Proclamation Money per Day; and to each Volunteer, who shall equip himself with a good and sufficient Musket, Cutlass or Hatchet, Cartouch Box, Powder Horn, Blanket and Knap Sack, two shillings Proclamation Money per Day. BE IT FURTHER ENACTED by the Authority aforesaid, that if any of the two Hundred and Fifty Men, so inlisted as aforesaid, should on examination, be found not provided with a sufficient Musket, that then it shall be lawful for the Commissary, to furnish every such Man so unprovided with one of the Muskets of this Colony; and as Security for his returning the same in good order, to retain in his Hands so much of every such Man's Wages, as will fully pay for every such Musket; and in Case he returns it in good order, then to pay him such Deduction in full of his Wages as directed by this Act. And for purchasing the necessary Provisions intended for the said two Hundred and Fifty Men, BE IT FURTHER ENACTED by the Authority aforesaid, that the Treasurers of this Colony, or either of them, out of the aforesaid Ten Thousand Pounds, shall pay or cause to be paid unto the Commissary aforesaid, or his Order, such Sum and Sums of Money as the said Commissary shall from Time to Time find necessary for the use and Service of the said Forces, agreeable to the true intent and meaning of this Act; with which said Sum and Sums of Money the said Commissary shall from Time to Time purchase such Ammunition, Stores, Provisions, and other Necessaries thereunto appertaining as may be wanted for the proper use of the said Forces, during their continuance upon duty as aforesaid, and the said Commissary shall deliver out the same daily or weekly as he shall think most proper and convenient. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED by the Authority aforesaid, that if any of the Ammunition, Stores, Provisions, and other Necessaries so purchased as aforesaid, shall remain in the Hands of the Commissary, and shall not be wanted, that then the said Commissary shall dispose of all such Ammunition, Stores, Provisions and other Necessaries, as shall then remain in his Hands, and shall pay the produce thereof into the Treasury, retaining two and a half per Cent Commissions. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://dspace.firearmsresearchcenter.org/id/frc0001/5911 | |
| dc.rights | CC0 1.0 Universal | en |
| dc.rights.uri | http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ | |
| dc.subject | MILITIAS | |
| dc.subject | MILITIAS - MINORS | |
| dc.subject | MILITIAS - ENSLAVED PERSONS & OTHER MINORITIES | |
| dc.title | 3 Bernard Bush, Laws of the Royal Colony of New Jersey 385-90 (1980) |
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