John Neilson (colonel)

John Neilson (1745–1833) commanded the New Jersey militia in the northern part of the state during the American Revolution, served in the New Jersey legislature during and after the Revolution, and was one of the earliest trustees of Rutgers University. He is also notable for one of the earliest public readings of the Declaration of Independence, which was recently immortalized in a statue located at Monument Square Park in New Brunswick.

John Neilson
Born	Raritan Landing
Parent(s)	John Neilson (father)

Early life

Neilson was born in Raritan Landing to Dr. John Neilson, an Irish physician who emigrated to the Colonies in 1740, and Joanna Coeymans of Dutch ancestry.[1]

Neilson's father died eight days after his birth. He was admitted to the University of Pennsylvania in 1758, but he did not complete his studies.[2]

Reading of the Declaration of Independence

Neilson, on July 9, 1776, stood on a table in front of the White Hall Tavern on Albany Street in New Brunswick, read the Declaration of Independence aloud for the third official (and approved) time. The audience consisted largely of supporters of American independence who cheered at the conclusion of the reading, though several Loyalists were present. On July 9, 2017, a statue entitled The Third Reading of the Declaration of Independence depicting Neilson was unveiled at Monument Square Park.[3]

Career during the Revolutionary War

Prior to the Revolution Neilson worked as a merchant in his uncle's shipping business in New Brunswick and in ownership of a salt mine in Toms River operated by Major John Van Emburgh.[4]

At the beginning of the Revolution Neilsen, in his own words, bitterly resented "the attempt of a venal Parliament, bought by an oppressive minority, to tax his country." In 1775 he raised a milita and was active throughout the conflict. On August 31, 1775, Neilson was commissioned by the Provincial Congress of New Jersey and appointed Colonel of a battalion of Minutemen for Middlesex County.[5] He achieved the rank of Brigadier General in February 1777 after achieving an early battle success.

One of Neilson's earliest engagements was the Battle of Bennett Island, located on the Raritan River and key to the defense of New Brunswick, in early 1777. Leading the Second Regiment of the Middlesex militia, he and his force of 150 militiamen (reinforced in part with help from General Israel Putnam and 50 Pennsylvanian riflemen), used intelligence from a defector to attack a Loyalist regiment of the New Jersey Volunteers led by Major Richard Witham Stockton, a first cousin of Declaration signer Richard Stockton. With only losing a militiaman, Neilsen's forces successfully captured Major Stockton along with Captain Asher Dunham, Lieutenant Fraser, and 62 Loyalists. The officers were transferred to General Putnam's control where he was stationed 15 miles south at Princeton. Neilson's victory was noted by George Washington to Congress soon thereafter. [6] [7]

In 1778 he was appointed to the Second Continental Congress, but he elected not to serve. In 1779 he represented Middlesex County in the New Jersey State Legislature.

Family

In 1768 Neilson married Catharine Schuyler Voorhees, a descendant of the Schuyler family. They had 12 children, six of which survived past infancy:

• Colonel James Neilson (1784-1862), who married four times.
• Abraham Schuyler Neilson (1792-1861), who married Catherine Stevens Grant.
• John Neilson (1775-1857), who married Abigail Bleecker.
• Joanna Neilson (1786-1858)
• Gertrude Neilson (1780-1862), who married Rev. George Spofford Woodhull

Michael Douglas is a descendant through his mother Diana Dill whose mother was Ruth Neilson.

References

1. Documents Related to the Revolutionary History of the State of New Jersey. Volume IV, 1918, page 402
2. Jensen, Becker, DenBoer, and Hagermann. The Documentary History of the First Federal Elections, 1788-1790. University of Wisconsin, 1978, page 186
3. Revolutionary Moment Comes to Life, 241 Years Later Retrieved May 25, 2020
4. Gigantino, James J. The American Revolution in New Jersey. Rutgers University Press, 2015, page 63
5. History of Union and Middlesex Counties with Biographical Sketches, 1882, page 468.
6. The Battle of Bennett’s Island: The New Jersey Site Rediscovered Journal of the American Revolution. Retrieved May 25, 2020
7. McBirney, Christian. Abductions in the American Revolution. McFarland & Co, 2016, pgs 44-46.

External links

• Media related to John Neilson (colonel) at Wikimedia Commons
• John Neilson at Find a Grave