1764 Benjamin Dennis and Hannah Little, both of Monmouth County, New Jersey, were married on January 6. [1]
A biosketch reports [2]:
Major Benjamin Dennis, son of Jacob (33), was bp. 6-21-1740, and was killed by Tory pine-robbers in July 1779. He married, 1-6-1764, Hannah Little, who died in 1835. She married as second husband, John Lambert, acting Governor of New Jersey. The children of Benjamin and Hannah Dennis were: Amelia, bp. 8-26-1764, died in Philadelphia after 1843, married a Mr. Coryeil, probably of Coryell's Ferry, on the Delaware; Jacob (106); John (107), born 3-23-1768, died 2-5-1847; Thomas (108), bp. 10-17-1771; and, Mercy (109), bp. 11-14-1773. From the beginning of America's resistance to British oppression, all through the opening years of warfare, down to his own untimely death—from the murderous muskets of British-backed felons—the career of Major Dennis, who, like so many other Monmouth men richly merits a separate monograph, was one of the most active, useful, and brilliant to be found in the patriotic annals of our Liberty-loving county. Here, there is room for mention of only the final episodes of his life.
On one Monday in late September, 1778, the arch-felon Jacob Fagan, the story of whose end has already been partially told, set out to rob the home of Major Dennis, he being at the time absent. This dwelling was south of the Manasquan river, and about four miles below Howell's Mills. With Fagan were two men, one of the Burkes, a fellow felon, and Smith, an honest man who had joined the little party with the hope of aiding the Dennis family. Smith succeeded in warning Mrs. Smith of her danger. This gave the daughter, Amelia, time to hide the family pocketbook, containing nearly a hundred dollars, in a safe place, and to run, with her younger brother, into the neighboring swamp. Mrs. Dennis after being questioned and threatened by the robbers, was strung up to a near-by cedar tree, in order to force her to tell where the money and other valuables were hidden. The unlooked for approach of a wagon, driven by one of the Holmses, John, I think, diverted the attention of the robbers for a time. Leaving Mrs. Dennis securely tied, as they thought, they opened fire on Holmes, who abandoned his wagon and made off into the woods. While they were engaged in examining the contents of the wagon, Mrs. Dennis succeeded in ridding herself from her bonds and in gaining the shelter of the friendly swamp. On his return Major Dennis removed his family and the more portable of his valuables to Shrewsbury for safety, but himself remained at home, to guard his goods and stock. The honest Smith, who still pretended to be one of the robber gang, got word to Dennis that another attempt would be made to rob his house on the following night. Major Dennis quickly summoned to his aid a party of militia, his own men, and on that night, Wednesday, lay in wait for the robbers along the only road by which the bouse could be approached. The party had not long to wait In ambush. Fagan and Burke appeared, on foot. They had with them a wagon, destined for the removal of their expected loot. The militia-men suddenly sprang to their feet and opened fire on the outlaws. These fled into the woods, apparently unharmed. Fagan had, however, been mortally wounded, and died almost at once.
About eight months after this, Burke, who was, I believe, sometimes called Emmons, and another of the gang, Fenton, formerly a blacksmith at Freehold, ambushed Major Dennis as he was returning to Shrewsbury, from a trip to the Delaware river, and shot him down. His wounds were mortal, and thus a most promising career was cut short. At the time of his death Major Dennis was just under forty, yet his had been a full life, and we owe to his memory a tribute of gratitude.
Benjamin Dennis was mentioned in a genealogy of the Little family [3]:
This committee divided Shrewsbury Township into districts; all able bodied men between 16 and 50 were enrolled in the Shrewsbury (later 1st Monmouth) Regt. of Militia under Col. Samuel Breese; In each district a company was assigned to assemble near a coastal beacon to be lighted when the British approached the shore. The committee appointed district assessors who raised money, provisions and war equipment for both the local militia and the Continental Army. The Committee established a system of intelligence within nearby State and Long Island by means of which they later kept Gen. Washington informed of British activities.
In 1775 John Little's son-in-law, David Knott, was a member of this committee; his son-in-law, Benjamin Dennis, was Captain of a troop of rebel horse; his son, Thomas Little, was 2nd Lt. Grenadier Co.; his son, Theophilus Little, was 1st Lt. in Captain Joseph Stilwell's Company, 1st Regiment Monmouth Militia; his son, John Little III, was 2nd Lt. in Col. Breese's Reg. Monmouth Militia and the Shrewsbury Presbyterian Church of which Judge Little was ruling Elder lent $600 English money to the Continental Congress.
Note: In Monmouth County the Presbyterians formed the hard core of rebellion against the British. The British officials in America constantly complained that the uprising against the English was "a Presbyterian plot" (Twin Rivers by Wildes p. 59).
Thus at the very commencement of the Revolution Judge John Little took the lead as an active member of the Shrewsbury Revolutionary Committee that directed the war of independence in the sea coast area from Sandy Hook to Barnegat Bay."
There was considerable loyal support for the British forces in the areas around Shrewsbury, and the Committee of Correspondence was hard pressed to prevent loyalists signalling to British ships offshore and keeping them supplied with provisions and fresh meats. Guards were eventually posted all along the Shrewsbury coastline and Captain Stillwell's militiamen garrisoned the Sandy Hool Light House Fort to attempt to disrupt communication between the loyalists and the British.
[1] William Nelson, Documents relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey. Archives Vol. 22. (Marriage Records, 1665-1800) (1900), 105, [HathiTrust], [GoogleBooks], [InternetArchive].
[2] William S. Hornor, This Old Monmouth of Ours (1932, reprint 1974), 389, [FHLBook].
[3] Donald Campbell Little, Descendants of Col. John Little, Esq., of Shrewsbury Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey (Forest Lake, Edwardsville, Kansas, 1951), pp 30ff.