Elijah Holcombe

     In Lambertville is the grave of Elijah Holcombe, a sergeant in the New Jersey Continental Line.  The grave is in the small cemetery adjacent to the First Presbyterian Church of Lambertville, New Jersey.  We will let him tell of his Revolutionary War experience in his own words, taken from his pension application:

"that he served as a private soldier in the Revolutionary War in the continental establishment  - that he enlisted on or about the month of February 1776 in the company commanded by Capt. Beatty, in the 5th Regiment Pennsylvania Line, for the term of one year - that at the expiration of the year he returned home, having been taken prisoner by the enemy & made his escape --- the North River by swimming to a boat in the River; - that he enlisted  --- time in Capt. Anderson’s company in the 3rd Regiment, Jersey Line on or about the month of June 1778 - that he was discharged at the expiration of the nine months by Col. Thompson of the aforesaid Regiment at Newark in State of Jersey - that he is now in his 68th year of his hage - that he has no convenient evidence to offer, excepting this his own statement - and that he is now in need of his country’s assistance for support by reason of his reduced circumstances in life."

     The North River was how the Hudson River was then known.  His first application was made in Ohio in 1818, and the second one in 1820.  The source is files.usgwarchives.ne.

     It is easy to get caught up in the  rhetoric, mythology and iconography of the Revolution.  Sometimes it's good simply to listen.