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OCEAN AND MONMOUTH COUNTIES BOAST A PRESIDENTIAL HISTORY
By Keith Hagarty
 | | --Photo By Eric San Juan The annual re-creation of the Battle of Monmouth is a loud, colorful way for area residents to remember that the region's ties to American history run deep indeed. Both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, the presidents honored on President's Day, have ties to the Ocean/Monmouth area. |
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For most Americans, Presidents Day conjures up the usual thoughts: enjoying a Monday off from work or school, or attempting to take advantage of the retail sales that clog up the airwaves and newspapers.
However Ocean and Monmouth county can also claim the holiday for themselves with historical ties to two of the most notable presidents in American history: Abraham Lincoln and George Washington, the very men honored each President's Day.
While many of us may have the classic impression of Abraham Lincoln's legacy beginning in a log cabin in rural Kentucky, the 16th president of the United States actually had ties to our local area, according to J. Mark Mutter, a Toms River historian and a teacher of history at Ocean County College. Mutter credits Allentown- Upper Freehold Historic Society President John Fabiano for his expertise in exploring Lincoln's ancestral roots to the area, and uncovering his family lines.
The man perhaps most famous for passing the Emancipation Proclamation, the Gettysburg Address and being perhaps the most embattled president in American history, has a valued place in the legacy of the region.
"What is not generally known about Abraham Lincoln are his ancestral ties to our area," said Mutter. "What is often overlooked about Abraham Lincoln is the local support of him during a time of civil war."
As Lincoln sent out a call across the Northern states, seeking volunteers to serve in the Union Army at the start of the American Civil War in 1861, area residents heard his plea for help, and responded with a resounding yes.
"In Ocean County, area residents rallied to support Lincoln's call for volunteers," said Mutter, pointing to an article of the Ocean Emblem, a Toms River newspaper at the time, which declared: "The people of Ocean County are enthusiastically aroused, and fully determined to respond to the call of the president, in aiding to drive back the rebels."
In all, about 500 Ocean County residents served in the Union Army, with 50 of them known to have perished on the battlefields.
The link between Lincoln and the Ocean and Monmouth county area may seem remote, but the ties that bound the president's familial roots to the local area aren't as far-fetched as one would believe.
After residing in colonial Massachusetts in the 18th century, the Lincoln family moved to Imlaystown, now known as Upper Freehold, in Monmouth County where his great-great grandfather ran an iron forge. A burial marker for three-year old Deborah Lincoln has been in the town's Assunpink Wildlife Recreation Area since 1720.
Despite the strong support shown for Lincoln in south Jersey, with Ocean County throwing a plethora of votes his way in 1860, Lincoln did not receive enough support from New Jersey as whole. It was the only Northern state which did not vote for him as president.
"Despite New Jersey's opposition to him, Lincoln deliberately included Trenton on his railroad journey to inauguration day," said Mutter.
While in Trenton, Lincoln spoke before the assembly, who at the time were not shy about showing their displeasure with the president to be. Lincoln tired his best to express his passion for a peaceful resolution and promoting a spirit of cooperation among the states which did not give him resounding support.
Knowing that no good can be accomplished when men are at odds, Mutter said that Lincoln tried to heal the wounds and move forward as he addressed the assembly.
"He declared, 'I bear no malice toward any section. My prayer is to promote peace. It may be necessary, however, to set the foot down firm. It may be necessary to take a stand. Gentlemen, if you think I am right, you will stand by me, won't you? This is all I ask,'" said Mutter.
This impassioned plea was Lincoln's last visit to New Jersey before the first shot of the American Civil War rang out just a few short weeks later.
"As we remember his birthday," Mutter said of Lincoln, "Let us remember too that the long road of Abraham Lincoln began not far from here."
Lincoln is not alone in having ties to the area.
Before becoming the first president of the United States, George Washington etched his mark in area during one of the more notable victories of the Revolutionary War, with his commanding display of leadership at the Battle of Monmouth in May of 1788. Following his landmark crossing of the Delaware River and his victories at Valley Forge and Princeton, Washington knew the British were on the defensive after leaving Philadelphia on their way to New York City.
With a supply caravan stretched 12 miles long, Washington wanted to strike at their lines, picking a field in Manalapan as the perfect opportunity to catch the British regiment at their most vulnerable.
After several days of fighting and a total loss of about 350 soldiers on both sides, with countless wounded, the British retreated. Until the Battle of Monmouth, all of the American victories during the American Revolution had come through more guerilla tactics and finding ways to win when their number of soldiers and experience and skill was sorely waning.
Washington's victory in Monmouth was a watershed moment for the Continental Army and New Jersey militia, who soon realized they could stand toe-to-toe with the British troops without the advantage of surprise, providing the much needed confidence and motivation to continue the fight for independence.
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