Distinguished American Revolutionary War officer; born c.1752-3, lost in the Georgia wilderness during the post-war years.
The son and namesake of ardent American patriot John "Corn King" Burrowes, a wealthy Monmouth County, NJ, grain merchant, and Hope (nee Taylor) Watson Burrowes, John Burrowes Jr. followed in his father's footsteps, embracing both his trade and his political ideals. At the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, Burrowes fils joined the 1st Monmouth NJ Regiment with the rank of captain, and between the years 1776-78 married the teenaged Margaret Forman, daughter of his father's business partner, Judge Samuel Forman. Margaret was also a cousin of Gen. "Black David" Forman, so-called by the British troops and loyalists who feared and hated him. Serving as his cousin-in-law's right hand man, the bold and daring young Capt. Burrowes acquired the soubriquet "Black David's Devil", and his visits to his bride at the Burrowes family mansion were surveilled by local Tories. After he foiled a raiding party's attempt to capture him one night in 1778, the British officer in charge vented his frustration on his young wife, who had thrown a shawl over her nightdress when the raiding party broke in. When she refused the officer's demand to surrender her shawl to bandage a wounded raider--her patriotism as evident as her modesty--he struck her with the hilt of his sword. The raiders subsequently looted the home and set it afire, but succeeded in destroying only the furniture. Margaret Burrowes survived and bore at least two children in the remaining nine years of her short life, but remained traumatized by her injury. Promoted to the rank of major, John Burrowes Jr. went on to serve in Spencer's 5th NJ Regiment, which later joined the forces of General John Sullivan, and continued to win praise for his exploits in the Continental Army throughout the course of the war. After its end in 1783, and possibly after Margaret's death in July 1787, he went to Georgia. There, according to “Biographical Sketches of New Jersey Officers in the American Revolution"--an extract from "Journals of the Military Expedition of Major General John Sullivan" by Frederick Cook, published in Auburn, NY, in 1887--Maj. John Burrowes Jr. disappeared "after starting on a journey into the interior at an unhealthy season". It is unclear whether the timing of the trip was deemed "unhealthy" due to pestilence or to treacherous weather conditions, but the Major apparently died in the Georgia wilderness during the late 1780's, and his body was never recovered. He was between 30-40 years old at the time of his death. Two of his three children survived to adulthood: daughters Mrs. Jacob W. Hallett and Helen (Mrs. Sidney Breese), who had settled in Oneida, NY. The biographical information in the 1887 book was provided by his granddaughter Elizabeth Breese Stevens, also of Oneida.
However, another source, Findagrave member "Laura", #47123037, has reported that according to the Matawan Historical Society, John Burrowes Jr. died at sea with his father, John Sr. Both men were said to have been penniless at the time of their deaths.
The son and namesake of ardent American patriot John "Corn King" Burrowes, a wealthy Monmouth County, NJ, grain merchant, and Hope (nee Taylor) Watson Burrowes, John Burrowes Jr. followed in his father's footsteps, embracing both his trade and his political ideals. At the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, Burrowes fils joined the 1st Monmouth NJ Regiment with the rank of captain, and between the years 1776-78 married the teenaged Margaret Forman, daughter of his father's business partner, Judge Samuel Forman. Margaret was also a cousin of Gen. "Black David" Forman, so-called by the British troops and loyalists who feared and hated him. Serving as his cousin-in-law's right hand man, the bold and daring young Capt. Burrowes acquired the soubriquet "Black David's Devil", and his visits to his bride at the Burrowes family mansion were surveilled by local Tories. After he foiled a raiding party's attempt to capture him one night in 1778, the British officer in charge vented his frustration on his young wife, who had thrown a shawl over her nightdress when the raiding party broke in. When she refused the officer's demand to surrender her shawl to bandage a wounded raider--her patriotism as evident as her modesty--he struck her with the hilt of his sword. The raiders subsequently looted the home and set it afire, but succeeded in destroying only the furniture. Margaret Burrowes survived and bore at least two children in the remaining nine years of her short life, but remained traumatized by her injury. Promoted to the rank of major, John Burrowes Jr. went on to serve in Spencer's 5th NJ Regiment, which later joined the forces of General John Sullivan, and continued to win praise for his exploits in the Continental Army throughout the course of the war. After its end in 1783, and possibly after Margaret's death in July 1787, he went to Georgia. There, according to “Biographical Sketches of New Jersey Officers in the American Revolution"--an extract from "Journals of the Military Expedition of Major General John Sullivan" by Frederick Cook, published in Auburn, NY, in 1887--Maj. John Burrowes Jr. disappeared "after starting on a journey into the interior at an unhealthy season". It is unclear whether the timing of the trip was deemed "unhealthy" due to pestilence or to treacherous weather conditions, but the Major apparently died in the Georgia wilderness during the late 1780's, and his body was never recovered. He was between 30-40 years old at the time of his death. Two of his three children survived to adulthood: daughters Mrs. Jacob W. Hallett and Helen (Mrs. Sidney Breese), who had settled in Oneida, NY. The biographical information in the 1887 book was provided by his granddaughter Elizabeth Breese Stevens, also of Oneida.
However, another source, Findagrave member "Laura", #47123037, has reported that according to the Matawan Historical Society, John Burrowes Jr. died at sea with his father, John Sr. Both men were said to have been penniless at the time of their deaths.
Distinguished American Revolutionary War officer; born c.1752-3, lost in the Georgia wilderness during the post-war years.
The son and namesake of ardent American patriot John "Corn King" Burrowes, a wealthy Monmouth County, NJ, grain merchant, and Hope (nee Taylor) Watson Burrowes, John Burrowes Jr. followed in his father's footsteps, embracing both his trade and his political ideals. At the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, Burrowes fils joined the 1st Monmouth NJ Regiment with the rank of captain, and between the years 1776-78 married the teenaged Margaret Forman, daughter of his father's business partner, Judge Samuel Forman. Margaret was also a cousin of Gen. "Black David" Forman, so-called by the British troops and loyalists who feared and hated him. Serving as his cousin-in-law's right hand man, the bold and daring young Capt. Burrowes acquired the soubriquet "Black David's Devil", and his visits to his bride at the Burrowes family mansion were surveilled by local Tories. After he foiled a raiding party's attempt to capture him one night in 1778, the British officer in charge vented his frustration on his young wife, who had thrown a shawl over her nightdress when the raiding party broke in. When she refused the officer's demand to surrender her shawl to bandage a wounded raider--her patriotism as evident as her modesty--he struck her with the hilt of his sword. The raiders subsequently looted the home and set it afire, but succeeded in destroying only the furniture. Margaret Burrowes survived and bore at least two children in the remaining nine years of her short life, but remained traumatized by her injury. Promoted to the rank of major, John Burrowes Jr. went on to serve in Spencer's 5th NJ Regiment, which later joined the forces of General John Sullivan, and continued to win praise for his exploits in the Continental Army throughout the course of the war. After its end in 1783, and possibly after Margaret's death in July 1787, he went to Georgia. There, according to “Biographical Sketches of New Jersey Officers in the American Revolution"--an extract from "Journals of the Military Expedition of Major General John Sullivan" by Frederick Cook, published in Auburn, NY, in 1887--Maj. John Burrowes Jr. disappeared "after starting on a journey into the interior at an unhealthy season". It is unclear whether the timing of the trip was deemed "unhealthy" due to pestilence or to treacherous weather conditions, but the Major apparently died in the Georgia wilderness during the late 1780's, and his body was never recovered. He was between 30-40 years old at the time of his death. Two of his three children survived to adulthood: daughters Mrs. Jacob W. Hallett and Helen (Mrs. Sidney Breese), who had settled in Oneida, NY. The biographical information in the 1887 book was provided by his granddaughter Elizabeth Breese Stevens, also of Oneida.
However, another source, Findagrave member "Laura", #47123037, has reported that according to the Matawan Historical Society, John Burrowes Jr. died at sea with his father, John Sr. Both men were said to have been penniless at the time of their deaths.
The son and namesake of ardent American patriot John "Corn King" Burrowes, a wealthy Monmouth County, NJ, grain merchant, and Hope (nee Taylor) Watson Burrowes, John Burrowes Jr. followed in his father's footsteps, embracing both his trade and his political ideals. At the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, Burrowes fils joined the 1st Monmouth NJ Regiment with the rank of captain, and between the years 1776-78 married the teenaged Margaret Forman, daughter of his father's business partner, Judge Samuel Forman. Margaret was also a cousin of Gen. "Black David" Forman, so-called by the British troops and loyalists who feared and hated him. Serving as his cousin-in-law's right hand man, the bold and daring young Capt. Burrowes acquired the soubriquet "Black David's Devil", and his visits to his bride at the Burrowes family mansion were surveilled by local Tories. After he foiled a raiding party's attempt to capture him one night in 1778, the British officer in charge vented his frustration on his young wife, who had thrown a shawl over her nightdress when the raiding party broke in. When she refused the officer's demand to surrender her shawl to bandage a wounded raider--her patriotism as evident as her modesty--he struck her with the hilt of his sword. The raiders subsequently looted the home and set it afire, but succeeded in destroying only the furniture. Margaret Burrowes survived and bore at least two children in the remaining nine years of her short life, but remained traumatized by her injury. Promoted to the rank of major, John Burrowes Jr. went on to serve in Spencer's 5th NJ Regiment, which later joined the forces of General John Sullivan, and continued to win praise for his exploits in the Continental Army throughout the course of the war. After its end in 1783, and possibly after Margaret's death in July 1787, he went to Georgia. There, according to “Biographical Sketches of New Jersey Officers in the American Revolution"--an extract from "Journals of the Military Expedition of Major General John Sullivan" by Frederick Cook, published in Auburn, NY, in 1887--Maj. John Burrowes Jr. disappeared "after starting on a journey into the interior at an unhealthy season". It is unclear whether the timing of the trip was deemed "unhealthy" due to pestilence or to treacherous weather conditions, but the Major apparently died in the Georgia wilderness during the late 1780's, and his body was never recovered. He was between 30-40 years old at the time of his death. Two of his three children survived to adulthood: daughters Mrs. Jacob W. Hallett and Helen (Mrs. Sidney Breese), who had settled in Oneida, NY. The biographical information in the 1887 book was provided by his granddaughter Elizabeth Breese Stevens, also of Oneida.
However, another source, Findagrave member "Laura", #47123037, has reported that according to the Matawan Historical Society, John Burrowes Jr. died at sea with his father, John Sr. Both men were said to have been penniless at the time of their deaths.
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