From Diary of the American Revolution, Vol II. Compiled by Frank Moore and published in 1859.
October 17.—Day before yesterday a party of refugees from Sandy Hook landed at Shrewsbury, in Monmouth county, New Jersey, and under cover of the night marched undiscovered to Colt’s Neck, near fifteen miles from the place of their landing, when they took six of the inhabitants from their houses. The alarm reached the Court House between four and five o’clock yesterday morning, when a small number of the inhabitants who were in the village of Freehold and its vicinity, (accompanied by Doctor Nathaniel Scudder, accidentally in the place that night,) went immediately in pursuit of them/hoping either to relieve their friends who had been stolen into captivity, or to chastise the enemy for their temerity. They rode to Black Point, the place where the refugees had landed, with all possible speed, fell in with, attacked the rear of the refugee party, and drove them on board their boats; in which skirmishing, to the great grief of our party, Doctor Nathaniel Scudder, whilst he was bravely advancing on the enemy, received a wound from a musket ball passing through the head, of which he instantly expired. His remains were removed from the place of action to his own house, with all the decency and solemnity suitable to so mournful and melancholy an event. To-day a most excellent and affecting sermon was preached on the occasion of his funeral by the Rev. Mr. Woodhull, from the following words:—”And all Judea and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah;” 2 Chronicles xxxv., 24th and 25th verses. After which, his remains, attended by the most numerous and respectable concourse of people ever known on a similar occasion in this country, were interred at the Presbyterian Church in Freehold, with the honors of war.
Few men have fallen in this country who were so useful in life, and so generally mourned in death. He was a tender husband, an affectionate parent, a sympathetic, generous, real friend, a disinterested, determined patriot, and has, since the commencement of the war, devoted his time, his talents, and a large part of a comfortable estate, to the service of his country, and what will add a lustre to the whole, we trust he is a finished Christian.
Thus has this great and good man fallen in the prime of life, and in the midst of his usefulness, having left behind him an inconsolable widow, five amiable children, and a very numerous acquaintance to lament his fall.1
1 New Jersey Journal, October 31.