John Mott (June 18, 1734 – January 31, 1804) was a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

in the 1st Hunterdon Regiment of the

New Jersey militia The New Jersey Line was a formation within the Continental Army. A "New Jersey Line" was the quota of numbered infantry regiments that the Congress of the Confederacy assigned to New Jersey at various times. New Jersey Line, 1776 The first two ...

during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

. He served as a guide to

General George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

and the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...

during their march down along the Delaware River prior to the

Battle of Trenton The Battle of Trenton was a small but pivotal American Revolutionary War battle on the morning of December 26, 1776, in Trenton, New Jersey. After General George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American m ...

.Barber, William W.; Howe, Henry. Historical collections of the state of New Jersey: containing a general ... Newark, N.J. : B. Olds, 1844; New York : Pub. for the authors, by S. Tuttle, 1844.Stryker, William S. Official Register of the Officers and Men of New Jersey in the Revolutionary War. Trenton, N.J.: Wm. T. Nicholson & co., printers. 1872.

Early life

Captain Mott was born in Middletown Township

Province of New Jersey The Province of New Jersey was one of the Middle Colonies of Colonial America and became the U.S. state of New Jersey in 1783. The province had originally been settled by Europeans as part of New Netherland but came under English rule after the ...

. He was the son of William Mott of Middletown and Margaret Hartshorne. His father was a member of the

New Jersey State Assembly The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. Since the election of 1967 (1968 Session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for ...

from 1743 to 1754. John Mott had two brothers, Gershom and Asher, and a sister, Sarah.Stillwell, John E. Historical and Genealogical Miscellany: Data Relating to the Settlement and Settlers of New York and New Jersey, Vol. IV. New York, N.Y.: .n. 1903. John Mott moved to the Trenton area and purchased two flour or grist mills located along the River Road several miles north of Trenton. He lived near his mills and was a neighbor of

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

Philemon Dickinson Philemon Dickinson (April 5, 1739February 4, 1809) was an American lawyer and politician from Trenton, New Jersey. As a brigadier general of the New Jersey militia, he was one of the most effective militia officers of the American Revolutionary ...

, a militia officer. David Laning, another guide at the

, was a

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who lived nearby and worked at one of Mott's mills.Revolutionary War File, David Laning, W-3830, National Archives, Washington, D.C. In March 1776, John Mott, along with other members of the New Jersey militia, were on the

Committee of Correspondence The committees of correspondence were, prior to the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, a collection of American political organizations that sought to coordinate opposition to British Parliament and, later, support for American independe ...

for Trenton.

Early Revolutionary War

During the Revolutionary War, John Mott was a member of the 1st Regiment of the Hunterdon County Militia, which was under the command of

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

Isaac Smith. In June 1776, two companies of the 1st Hunterdon Militia were detached to become part of General Nathaniel Heard's Brigade. John Mott replaced Robert Hoops as a Captain of one of the companies that remained under Col. Isaac Smith in General Philemon Dickinson's Brigade.Revolutionary War File, Benjamin Titus, W-6287, National Archives, Washington, D.C.Revolutionary War File, William R. Green, W-7560, National Archives, Washington, D.C.Revolutionary War File, Andrew Reeder, W-4059, National Archives, Washington, D.C. Captain Mott's company was at

Perth Amboy, New Jersey Perth Amboy is a city (New Jersey), city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, New Jersey. Perth Amboy is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 55,4 ...

in July 1776 when the

Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence or declaration of statehood or proclamation of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the ...

was read to the militia.Revolutionary War File, Sgt John Burroughs, W-841, National Archives, Washington, D.C. Mott and his militia company participated in several skirmishes around the Perth Amboy and Elizabethtown area throughout the summer and early fall of 1776.Revolutionary War File, Isaac Reed, W-3868, National Archives, Washington, D.C.Revolutionary War File, Jesse Moore, W-1307, National Archives, Washington, D.C. This included a raid on

Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull an ...

led by Adjutant Elias Phillips (a guide at the Battle of Trenton) that resulted in several

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

prisoners being captured.

Battle of Trenton

The companies in General Dickinson's Brigade were divided into two divisions that served on alternating one month tours of duty.Revolutionary War File, Joshua Furman, W-543, National Archives, Washington, D.C. The 1st Hunterdon Militia Regiment was one of the few regiments of the New Jersey Militia to turn out and serve all of their tours of duty throughout the summer and fall of 1776. On December 1, 1776, their service expired. Soon afterwards, both divisions of the 1st Hunterdon, including Captain Mott and his company, were called out to serve as volunteers. They crossed the

Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock (village), New York, Hancock, New York, the river flows for along the borders of N ...

during the first week of December 1776 and were stationed in

Yardley, Pennsylvania Yardley is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Yardley borders the Delaware River and Ewing, New Jersey to its east and Lower Makefield Township to its north, west, and south. The United States Post Office assigns many addresses in Lower Mak ...

. Their militia regiment was commanded by Col. Isaac Smith and Lt. Col. Joseph Phillips. General Philemon Dickinson also had his headquarters at Yardley, Pennsylvania. Some of the men in the 1st Hunterdon Militia made excursions across the Delaware River over the next few weeks to obtain intelligence on the British and

Hessian A Hessian is an inhabitant of the German state of Hesse. Hessian may also refer to: Named from the toponym *Hessian (soldier), eighteenth-century German regiments in service with the British Empire **Hessian (boot), a style of boot **Hessian f ...

soldiers due to their knowledge of the local area.Stryker, William S. The Continental Army at the Crossing of the Delaware River on Christmas Night of 1776. Trenton, N.J.: J. L.Murphy Pub. Co., printers, 1896. On one of these excursions, Adjutant Elias Phillips captured three British soldiers in his deserted hometown of

Maidenhead Maidenhead is a market town in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in the county of Berkshire, England, on the southwestern bank of the River Thames. It had an estimated population of 70,374 and forms part of the border with southern Bu ...

(now Lawrenceville). On another excursion, David Laning was caught by the British and taken to Trenton on around December 20, 1776. He escaped the next day and brought back valuable information. General Philemon Dickinson sent a letter to General

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

on December 24, 1776 which was carried by Capt. John Mott to introduce Mott and offer his service and that of his men as guides.Dickinson, General Philemon. Dec 24, 1776 Letter to General Washington. Library of Congress; see both pages http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/mgwquery.html; Transcription at ConSource http://www.consource.org/index.asp?bid=582&fid=600&documentid=53650&ssug=1 All of the guides except two were in the 1st Hunterdon Militia and all except one lived in

Hunterdon County, New Jersey Hunterdon County is a county located in the western section of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population was 128,947, making it the state's 18th-most populous county,McConkey's Ferry Washington Crossing Historic Park is a 500-acre (2 km2) state park operated by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources in partnership with the Friends of Washington Crossing Park. The park is divided into two sectio ...

on December 25, 1776 and crossed the Delaware River. General Washington's plan called for two guides to accompany each brigade. When the army divided at Birmingham, David Laning, John Muirheid, and John Guild rode in front of the army down the Scotch and Pennington Roads with General Washington and General Green's Division. Capt. John Mott served as guide to General John Sullivan's Division down the River Road. After the split of the two divisions of the army, Capt. Mott discovered that his priming powder was wet. He was then sent by Gen. Sullivan to ask Gen. Washington for orders since none of the rifles would be capable of being fired. Gen. Washington's emphatic reply was to "tell the General to use the bayonet and penetrate into the town; for the town must be taken and I am resolved to take it".Stryker, William S. The Battles of Trenton and Princeton. Boston & NY: Houghton, Mifflin & Company, 1898. Capt. Mott then continued to guide Gen. Sullivan's Division down the River Road passing his own house and mills as well as passing Gen. Dickinson's house where some Hessian Jäger were posted. Both divisions of the army attacked the Hessian outposts on the River Road and Pennington Road simultaneously at 8 a.m. after their four-hour march. They then continued into Trenton where the battle continued for over an hour. After the Battle of Trenton, Gen. Washington's army returned to Johnson's Ferry by the River Road along with their Hessian prisoners.

Remainder of the Revolutionary War

Capt. John Mott's company may have been involved in the

Second Battle of Trenton The Battle of the Assunpink Creek, also known as the Second Battle of Trenton, was a battle between American and British troops that took place in and around Trenton, New Jersey, on January 2, 1777, during the American Revolutionary War, an ...

, but it is not clear. It is possible that he and his men were at the battle and remained at Trenton (due to their knowledge of the area), allowing Gen. Washington and the army to march towards

Princeton, New Jersey Princeton is a municipality with a borough form of government in Mercer County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It was established on January 1, 2013, through the consolidation of the Borough of Princeton and Princeton Township, both of whi ...

. Capt Mott's company may have then crossed back over the Delaware River. His company was apparently not at the

Battle of Princeton The Battle of Princeton was a battle of the American Revolutionary War, fought near Princeton, New Jersey on January 3, 1777, and ending in a small victory for the Colonials. General Lord Cornwallis had left 1,400 British troops under the comman ...

since they were on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware River guarding the baggage wagons and supplies. As part of the foraging war in early 1777, Capt. Mott and his company were in the 1st Hunterdon Regiment under Col. Joseph Phillips. They helped Gen. Dickinson harass the British coming out of

New Brunswick, New Jersey New Brunswick is a city (New Jersey), city in and the county seat, seat of government of Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Battle of Somerset Court House in January 1777 and the

Battle of Short Hills The Battle of Short Hills (also known as the Battle of Metuchen Meetinghouse and other names) was a conflict between a Continental Army force commanded by Brigadier General William Alexander (American general), William Alexander ("Lord Stirling" ...

in June 1777. When the Continental Army left New Jersey in the fall, Capt. Mott's company remained in New Jersey with the rest of the New Jersey militia to help protect that side of the Delaware River. John Mott became a Justice of the Peace for Hunterdon County in September 1777. For a week in early June 1778, Capt. Mott's company provided bodyguard protection for Gen. Dickinson. They then participated with the General and the rest of his New Jersey militia in harassing the British, who were crossing New Jersey after their evacuation of

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. This included skirmishes at Crosswicks and Englishtown. Mott's company participated in the

Battle of Monmouth The Battle of Monmouth, also known as the Battle of Monmouth Court House, was fought near Monmouth Court House in modern-day Freehold Borough, New Jersey on June 28, 1778, during the American Revolutionary War. It pitted the Continental Army, co ...

in June 1778 and the

Battle of Springfield The Battle of Springfield was fought during the American Revolutionary War on June 23, 1780, in Union County, New Jersey. After the Battle of Connecticut Farms, on June 7, 1780, had foiled Lieutenant General Wilhelm von Knyphausen, Wilhelm, B ...

in June 1780. In March 1781, Capt. Mott was on the Board of Court Martial of Lt. Col. William Chamberlain along with Col. Joseph Phillips, who was president of the board.Scott, Austin. Documents Relating to the Revolutionary History State of New Jersey Vol V, Newspaper Extracts Relating to New Jersey, Oct 1780 – July 1782. Trenton, N.J.: State Gazette Publishing Co., 1917. In June 1781, Capt. Mott became a recruiting officer for Hunterdon County. Gershom Mott - Brady-Handy

After the war

John Mott became a Justice of the Peace for Hunterdon County, New Jersey again in June 1782. He married Eleanor Johnson Alexander, the widow of

Continental Navy The Continental Navy was the navy of the United States during the American Revolutionary War and was founded October 13, 1775. The fleet cumulatively became relatively substantial through the efforts of the Continental Navy's patron John Adams ...

Captain Charles Alexander, on June 7, 1784. Mott and his wife had two sons, Gershom (born 1785) and William (born 1790). Gershom Mott married Phebe Rose Scudder, the granddaughter of guide Amos Scudder, and was the father of Union

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

General

Gershom Mott Gershom Mott (April 7, 1822 – November 29, 1884) was a United States Army officer and a General in the Union Army, a commander in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. Early life General Mott was born in Lamberton, New Jersey, a to ...

. John Mott and his wife, Eleanor, joined the

Quakers Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abil ...

in Trenton after the war, as did Gen. Philemon Dickinson and his wife. All four were buried in the Quaker burial ground in Trenton.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mott, John New Jersey militiamen in the American Revolution Continental Army officers from New Jersey People from Middletown Township, New Jersey 1734 births 1804 deaths Burials in New Jersey People of New Jersey in the American Revolution