MEMORIALS OF COL. JEHU EYRE.

CONTRIBUTED AND EDITED BY

PETER D. KEYSER, M.D.

(Concluded from page 307.)

Having finished his labors at Fort Pitt, Mr. Eyre returned to Philadelphia in December, 1760, and again went to work at the ship-yard of Richard Wright in Kensington, with whom his brother Manuel had remained. On January 8, 1760, Manuel married Mary, and Dec. 28, of the same year, Jehu married Lydia, daughters of the said Richard Wright. They both entered into the business with him, and succeeded him a few years afterwards.' About this time their youngest brother, Benjamin George Eyre (who became Colonel and Aid-de-Camp to General Washington at Trenton and Princeton), came to them from Burlington, N. J., where their father had died Jan. 14, 1761, to learn ship building. The three brothers carried on the business together for some years, until the early part of 1777, when they separated, Manuel going into the Navy Board, and Benjamin G. remaining in the Army.

Jehu remained at the old place in Kensington, on the river just above the present Hanover Street, near where the Wm.

The first large vessel that Manuel and Jehu Eyre built after succeeding Richard Wright in the business, was a barque called the "Truelove." I have often heard my mother say that the first large vessel her grandfather launched was a barque named "Truelove," and that the first one built by her father, George Eyre, the oldest son of Jehu, and successor to his business, was a barque named the "Three Brothers," after his father Jehu, and uncles Manuel and Benjamin G. This barque "Truelove," I suppose, was the vessel that came here to our docks from Greenland or Iceland in 1873, then spoken of as being 109 years old, and having been built in Kensington, Philadelphia.-P. D. K.

His name is not in the list of Aids given by Sparks, but the tradition that he acted in that capacity is supported by the fact that his portrait is to be found in Trumbull's picture of Washington at Princeton.-P. D. K.

Penn Treaty Monument stands. His dwelling house is still standing in its primitive style; a two-story brick, with large cut stone copes over the door and windows.

After the news of the battle of Lexington, companies of minute men and associators for military purposes were being formed throughout the Colonies, and the citizens of Philadelphia became very active in such movements. One of the first to take a prominent part in them was Jehu Eyre, who formed his ship carpenters, workmen, and apprentice boys into a military company for the protection and defence of the city and county, he being the captain commanding them. From his Orderly-Book we find that on Aug. 30, 1775, Capt. Jehu Eyre's men on guard at the State House

Again on guard at the same place Sept. 21, 1775—

In July, 1775, the Committee of Safety of Pennsylvania, being desirous of having gunboats built for the defence of the Delaware River, invited certain shipbuilders to present models for the same. Manuel Eyre, the senior of the three brothers, presented a model, which, being approved by the Committee, the order was given to the firm on the 10th of July to build one according to it, and on the 26th of the same month it was launched from their yard, and called the Bull Dog. They afterward built "The Franklin" and "The Congress." At the time Gen. Washington was preparing to make his attack on Trenton, N. J., to capture the Hessian soldiers at that place, he was so short of troops that the militia of Pennsylvania and New Jersey were ordered to reinforce his army, and the Council of Safety of Pennsylvania issued the following appeal:—

The calamities of war having spread through the neighboring State to our very borders, and our metropolis in danger of

1 Christopher Marshall recorded in his diary under date of April 5, 1776: "I went to Dr. Young's; not at home. We went up to Kensington; found him and several friends there at work on board the frigate building by Messrs. Eyre. We joined them in assisting what we could till night. Then came home." On the 6th he wrote: "Near two, set off for Kensington, in order to assist in getting the lower deck beams on board the frigate building by Messrs. Eyre. I presume there came not short of one hundred, who stayed until they were all put on board. In which were included three parts of the Light Infantry of First Battalion, who came in warlike array."

being reduced, and had it not been for the spirit and virtue of some of our brave Countrymen, who with the blessing of Almighty God, have checked the progress of our enemy, it might now be in their possession; but while they can maintain, without interruption, a Port within a day's march of this City, we ought not consider ourselves in safety, nor should any man be allowed to withhold his service from the Public, or to indulge himself in a pusilanimous neutrality, when he must reap all the advantages that will be derived from the virtuous struggles of those in the Field; therefore

Resolved, that Colonel Cadwalader send an officer from his Brigade belonging to each district in this City, the Liberties, and townships of Moyamensing and Passyunk, who are hereby authorized to call out all the able-bodied men in their districts by a written or printed notice left at each of their respective habitations, and to enroll and form them into proper companies under the officers already chosen; and when so enrolled they are to be subject to such military duty as the militia now in service. If any persons should be so lost to a sense of their duty as to refuse or decline to obey such notification, they shall be considered as Enemies to this State, and shall not be intituled to any protection under this Government, either for their persons or property. Such Persons whose passive conduct, from the commencement of the present contest with G. Britain have manifested Religious Scruples against bearing arms, are excepted, as well as those whose age and bodily infirmity render them unfit for duty, or are in public offices and have exemptions from this board.

Under this order the ranks of the military organizations were filled up, and Capt. Jehu Eyre's company was soon ready for service. When the call was made for the militia to march, Capt. Eyre with his company, formed and officered as follows, started Dec. 6, 1776, to join the army near Bristol:

This Company was formed for artillery service, Capt. Eyre having no doubt learned the handling of guns while under the English in Fort Pitt in 1760.

Arriving up nearly opposite Trenton he reported for duty with his command, and was placed with that of Gen. Ewing who was to cross just below Trenton, to intercept the retreat of the Hessians in that direction.

As it was necessary to cross the river in boats through the floating ice, and an inspection of such as they could gather was necessary, Capt. Eyre on the 23d of December detailed the following men, who were boat builders, from his company, to repair the defective craft at "Trentown ferry:" John Ogborn, Geo. Pfister, John Mosley, Joseph Smith, Mathew Remer, Roger Palmer, and Jacob Hanshew.

After the return of Washington with his troops and prisoners to the Pennsylvania side of the river, the evening of the day of the battle, the following guard of Capt. Eyre's men