Program

Patriot Burials

Subject

Cemetery, People, Site

Location

Us-9 235'n of, Hilliard Dr, Stafford Township, NJ 08050, USA

Lat/Long

39.698523329412, -74.257526355561

Grant Recipient

NJ Society Sons of the American Revolution

The origins of the American Revolution can be traced back to 1775, when the first shots were fired between colonial and British forces at the Battle of Lexington and Concord. Soon after, the American Colonies declared their independence from Great Britain on July 4, 1776. As the newly formed United States went to war with Great Britain, hundreds of men across the Thirteen Colonies joined the fight. These men came from different walks of life; some were farmers, others were tradesmen, lawyers, doctors, and merchants. Despite their differences they desired the same thing: freedom and independence. Colonial forces faced severe challenges, including lack of supplies and military training; however, in the face of obstacles they were undeterred. After nearly 8 years the colonies defeated Great Britain and successfully achieved their independence. It is important to remember the lives and sacrifices made by those who fought for American freedom.

Manahawkin Baptist Cemetery (sometimes referred to as Manahawkin Old Baptist Cemetery, Old Manahawkin Cemetery, or Manahawkin Baptist Church Cemetery) is the final resting place of the community’s early residents. Among those buried here is Revolutionary War Veteran Private Silas Crane.

The cemetery and adjacent church, which was acquired by the Stafford Township Historical Society and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is believed to be the site of a skirmish which occurred CA. 1781 between the local militia and a band of “Pine Robbers” or “Refugees”—gangs who raided communities throughout Monmouth County and the New Jersey Coast as either loyalist sympathizers or opportunists—led by the feared Captain John Bacon. In the skirmish a watch guard named Linus (or Lines) Pangborn was killed, and another man, Sylvester Tilton, was wounded as the militia held off a much larger force. It also appears as if Silas Crane may have been wounded in either this conflict or one immediately after as well, as in a pension application a witness to the skirmish describes a thigh injury suffered by Crane at the hands of the Pine Robbers in Manahawkin.