James HERBERT

My Revolutionary and War of 1812 Patriot Ancestors

So far, I've identified between three and five ancestors who served or could have served in the Revoluton and at least two from the War of 1812. Surprisingly, at least one was also a slaveholder. Details below:

* George Cook (1748-1808) was an lieutenant and adjutant to Colonel Foreman in the Monmouth county milita in 1776, and was taken prisoner in 1780. He was also an early militia volunteer, signed a petition to better outfit the militia, and sold produce to the Continental Army. [Stryker's New Jersey Officers and Men of the Revolution. pp. 371, 424; Adelberg's Roster of Revoltionary People of Monmouth County, p. 60]. Three black slaves are mentioned in his will, including a black man he instructed be freed when he reached the age of 28. [Genealogies of New Jersey Families, Vol. I, p.163.]
* James Herbert (1744-1814) was a private in the Monmouth Militia, major Walton's light dragoons. He also signed a petition opposing the mamumission of slaves and the June 1779 Articles of Retaliation. [Adelberg p.142; DAR membership file 116331.] Symmes' History of Old Tennent Church quotes a letter to James Herbert inquiring about the purchase of a slave. The source also notes that it was common for the members of that church to own slaves, and to have them baptized as church members [Vol. II, p.465.]
* Thomas Luker (1763-?) Adelberg lists a Thomas Luker from Monmouth County as a private in the Militia. These stanzas from the epic poem of the Luker family refers to his service:
Grace and I have been Heaven blessed
With a Little Tommy, too,
We fear his life span
Will be very short.
For at the age of
Sixteen years and four short moons,
He's been called to defend our fort.

A bloddy battle is raging on,
Against our very own kith and kin.
We never know from day to day
When the fires will come raging in,
We pray to "Our Maker" in Heave above,
To let us live through this firey rage,
And let our own dear son
Live to reach a manly age.

* Thomas' son, James Luker (1788-1872) was a member of Capt. Butcher's company, first regiment, Monmouth Brigade, 1814-15. The unit was made up of men who worked at Butcher's iron works, and was ordered to guard the coast from Long Branch to Deal to Barnaget Inlet during the War of 1812. It participated in one engagement, during which it repelled several landing parties from the British Man-of-war "Effivire" from landing near the Squan River. [Records of Officers and Men of New Jersey in Wars 1891-1815, pp. 140-141.]
* Joseph Thompson (1743-1808) served as a private in Capt. Waddell's company, Monmouth militia [Ellis' History of Monmouth County, p. 239; Adelberg, p. 271; DAR membership file 14225.]
* Joseph's father Thomas Thompson Sr . (1715-1793) was arrested for disaffection in 1777, hired a substitute for the militia in 1778, was indicted for seditious words and high treason (1778), and sold produce to the Continental Army in 1780 [Adelberg, p. 271.]
* Joseph's grandson, Joseph H. Thompson, served two tours during the War of 1812 in Captain Thomas White's Infantry Company (May through September 1813.) A Thomas Thompson is also listed, but it is unclear if that was Joseph H.'s father.[Records of Officers and Men of New Jersey in Wars 1891-1815, pp. 45-48.]