John Van Kirk Infiltrates Pine Robber Gang

As discussed in a prior article, the first notorious Pine Robber gang, led by Jacob Fagan, came together in the summer of 1778. From a lair in the swamps of Shrewsbury Township, they committed a number of robberies, most famously that of Captain Benjamin Dennis’ family. They nearly hanged Mrs. Dennis. Fagan’s return to the Dennis house (to search for stashed money) was spoiled when an informer alerted Dennis. Dennis and the militia laid in wait and shot Fagan. But while Fagan met a bloody end, his outlaw gang remained at large.

John Van Kirk Infiltrates Pine Robber Gang

On February 3, 1779, the New Jersey Gazette printed “A Letter from Monmouth” dated January 29. The letter discussed how Captain Dennis and his militia “went in pursuit of three of the most noted of the Pine Banditti, and was so fortunate as to fall in with them and killed them on the spot.—Their names are Stephen Emmons, alias Burke, Stephen West and Ezekiel Williams.” As with the hated Fagan, the bodies of the dead outlaws would suffer, “two of them, it is said, will be hanged in chains.” According to the letter, the Pine Robbers were infiltrated by John Van Kirk who informed the militia of the Pine Robbers’ intended journey to New York “to make sale of their plunder.” Of Van Kirk, the report read:

He conducted himself with so much address that the robbers, and especially the three above named, who were the leading villains, looked upon him as one of their body, kept him constantly with him and entrusted him with all of their designs.

Van Kirk's identity was revealed. The letter discussed his need to flee:

The secret is out and of course he must fly the county, for the Tories are so highly exasperated against him that death will certainly be his fate if he does not speedily leave Monmouth. The Whigs are soliciting contributions on his behalf and from what I have already seen have no doubt that they will present him with a handsome sum.

The demise of the Pine Robbers was big news and reported as far away as Maryland, where the state’s Journal, reported on February 16:

A desperate gang of marauders, chiefly refugees, deserters from New York, were lately brought to condign punishment in a most striking manner. For months past, these miscreants had plundered Monmouth County with impunity, all measured to curb their excesses by their vigilance & sudden retreats into the Pine forests.

The shootings of Emmons, West, and Williams effectively ended Fagan’s gang. This was celebrated. The New Jersey Gazette reported: “I question whether the destruction of the British fleet could diffuse more universal joy through the inhabitants of Monmouth than has the death of the above three egregious villains.” The New Jersey Gazette reports were printed as far away as New Hampshire. The complete letter is in Appendix 1 of this article.

Another perspective on the death of the Pine Robbers was offered by Wiliam Corlies. Corlies was a Shrewsbury Quaker who had been captured, presumably while illegally trading with the British at Sandy Hook. He was jailed in Freehold when the bodies of the Pine Robbers were brought in; Corlies was asked to identify the bodies. He would testify about the incident three years later:

He saw a Captain Dennis of the Rebel Service bring to Freehold Court House three dead bodies; that Captain Dennis being a Neighbor of his (the Deponent), he asked where those Men were killed; he replied they were killed on the Shore.

Corlies testified on the brutal death of the Pine Robbers:

That on coming to the spot, he (Dennis) surrounded them [the Pine Robbers] with his party; that the Men...begged for quarter, and claimed the benefit of being prisoners of War; he ordered them to be fired on, and one of them by the Name of Williams fell; that they were all Bayonetted by the Party and brought to Monmouth, and that he (Dennis) received a sum of Money for that Action.

In a related incident, the Pine Robber, John Giberson, was killed a few weeks earlier: “John Giberson of the same group of villains, was killed about three weeks ago by a party of the militia near Toms River." A discussion of Giberson’s infamous career is in Appendix 2 of this article.

The Pine Robbers outlasted these defeats. Lewis Fenton, a likely associate of Fagan, would soon prove far more dangerous than Fagan, at least until his death in 1779. Jacob Van Note, “a noted Tory and horse thief” was killed by militia in 1780 after having a bounty on his head for more than two years. Another member of the gang, Jonathan West (brother of Stephen) would lose his arm, but remain an infamous partisan until he was finally killed near the end of the war. Other Pine Robber gangs—including those of William Davenport, and John Bacon would rise up in 1781. Their gangs would prove more prolific than Fagan’s.

Van Kirk’s Difficulties after Gaining Notoriety

On February 7, Governor William Livingston wrote Deputy Quartermaster Moore Furman, a senior officer charged with raising provisions for the Continental Army, about the death of the Pine Robbers:

Sometime last month, Captain Dennis, who lately killed the infamous robber Fagan, with a party of militia, went in pursuit of the three of the most noted Pine-Banditti, and was so fortunate as to fall in with them and kill them on the spot.

The Governor noted the role of Van Kirk in setting up the event: "The robbers looked upon him as one of their party... kept him constantly with him, and entrusted him with all of their designs." But Van Kirk was now exposed, "He must flee the country. The Tories are so exasperated against him that death will certainly be his fate unless he speedily quits Monmouth." Livingston asked Furman to employ Van Kirk as a teamster for the Army because "he has formerly been in the forage & wagon department... I take the liberty to recommend him to you." It appears that Van Kirk was not hired.

On April 23, Van Kirk petitioned the New Jersey Legislature for assistance. He described why he was needed to bring down the Pine Robbers:

Robberies committed by the miscreants being so frequent and their outrages against persons and property of many respectable lives of this county, became so insupportable that the petitioner determined to have the said Tory banditti extracted, or lose his life in the attempt - he accordingly consulted with Colonel Hendrickson [Daniel Hendrickson] of the Shrewsbury militia, who greatly approved and offered all assistance.

Van Kirk then described infiltrating the outlaw gang:

[He] put his scheme so effectually into execution that three of the principal ring leaders were shot dead & a list of 15 or 16 names of others given to the grand jury at Monmouth court house. In all this petitioner has done little more than any true friend and lover of his country - but has by his action rendered himself obnoxious to the disaffected citizens of Monmouth County, so that his life is in danger by residing among them, & not only so obliged for his personal safety to relinquish his property at the salt works which was to him considerable.

As noted in a prior article, dozens of Monmouth County Whigs (supporters of the Revolution) from the shore moved inland for safety during the war. The actions that forced Van Kirk’s move were unique, but the decision to move inland was fairly common.

Finally, Van Kirk noted splitting the $500 bounty for the death of Emmons with Captain Dennis, but it was inadequate:

This contribution of 500 dollars which were equally divided between Captain Dennis and your petitioner will be far from indemnifying your petitioner for what he has suffered already in his property & absence from his father's family.... - he therefore humbly prays your Honorable board to take this case under consideration & make such further provision.

Van Kirk was allowed to present himself before the legislature’s upper house, the Legislative Council, on May 24. The Council’s minutes recorded hearing "from John Van Kirk praying a consideration for assisting in destroying the Monmouth robbers."

Van Kirk’s status continued to be a concern to Governor Livingston. On May 1, Livingston proposed a plan to George Washington in which twenty deserters of Count Kasimir Pulaski’s Legion would be embodied and turned into a posse to hunt down Pine Robbers:

They [the deserters] offer to surrender themselves on condition of being under the Major [former commanding officer Burchardt] & serving in New Jersey... They are well-acquainted with the County of Monmouth and would be of great use in taking the Robbers of the Pines, especially with the guidance of Mr. Van Kirk, who with great address lately took a party of them, & has deserved public notice.

Washington denied the request and the deserters were forced to return to the Continental Army.

Likely with the help of the New Jersey government, Van Kirk was finally set up with a job. On August 11, the New Jersey Gazette advertised that John Van Kirk, at Cranbury, will "carry the papers from the printing office [in Trenton] on every Wednesday for the following terms" which included a nominal fee for delivery to nearby and safe Allentown and a large fee for delivery to far off and dangerous Middletown and Shrewsbury. Van Kirk was likely unsuccessful in this venture.

That same month, William Barton, a Lieutenant in the Continental Army, wrote his father, Gilbert Barton, the influential tavern owner at Allentown: “I should be glad if you inquire to know what Van Kirk did with all of the money I sent in a letter directed to you for Able Ivins’ wife, was twenty dollars.” The following year, on August 22, Van Kirk, still at Cranbury, advertised for the return of a set of silver spoons taken from him in June.

In February 1782, Van Kirk enlisted for one year in the New Jersey State Troops under Captain John Walton. He was one of 33 privates—a low status, low pay position for someone who had been a hero three years earlier. While serving, the Middlesex County Sheriff seized his farm outside of Cranbury. The 150-acre estate was advertised for sale on June 5, 1782. The Sheriff would use the sale to settle Van Kirk’s debts on June 24.

Van Kirk was still living at Cranbury in 1789. That year he submitted a claim to the state for goods taken from him by Loyalists in January 1777. He claimed that he lost: 1 1/2 bushels of corn, 150 "sheaves of rye," and 2 barrels of cider. The value of the taken goods was less than L3.  Van Kirk noted that "he never received any satisfaction" for these losses. He probably would have offered similar sentiments regarding his service in breaking up the Pine Robber gang.

Caption: Quartermaster officer Moore Furman was asked to hire John Van Kirk after he infiltrated a Pine Robber gang and relocated inland for safety. Furman declined to do so and Van Kirk fell into debt.

Related Historic Site: Shark River Park

Appendix 1: New Jersey Gazette Report on the Death of Pine Robbers

Extract of a Letter from Monmouth dated January 29, 1779

"The Tory freebooters who have their haunts and caves in this place, and have for some past been a terror to the inhabitants of this county, have, in the present week, met with a very eminent disaster. On Tuesday evening last, Captain Benjamin Dennis who late killed the infamous robber Fagan, with a party of militia, went in pursuit of three of the most noted of the Pine Banditti, and was so fortunate as to fall in with them and killed them on the spot.—Their names are Stephen Emmons, alias Emmons, Stephen West and Ezekiel Williams. Yesterday they were brought up to this place and two of them, it is said, will be hanged in chains. This signal piece of service was effected through the instrumentality of one John Van Kirk, who was prevailed upon to associate with them on purpose to discover their practices and to lead them into our hands. He conducted himself with so much address that the robbers, and especially the three above named, who were the leading villains, looked upon him as one of their body, kept him constantly with him and entrusted him with all of their designs.

Van Kirk, of proper reasons, gave intelligence of their movements to Capt. Dennis, who conducted himself accordingly.—They were on the eve of setting off for New York to make sale of their plunder, when Van Kirk informed Capt. Dennis of the time of their intended departure, (which was to have been on Tuesday night last) and of the course they would take to their boats in consequence of which, and agreeable to the directions of Van Kirk, the Captain and a small party of militia planted themselves at Rock Pond near the shore, and shot Burke, West, and Williams in the manner above related. We were in hopes at first of keeping Van Kirk under the rose, but the secret is out and of course he must fly the county, for the Tories are so highly exasperated against him that death will certainly be his fate if he does not speedily leave Monmouth. The Whigs are soliciting contributions on his behalf and from what I have already seen have no doubt that they will present him with a handsome sum.—I question whether the destruction of the British fleet could diffuse more universal joy through the inhabitants of Monmouth than has the death of the above three egregious villains.—A certain John Giberson of the same group of villains, was killed about three weeks ago by a party of the militia near Toms River."

Appendix 2: The Pine Robbers John and William Giberson

Historian David Fowler researched the Giberson family of Upper Freehold. John and William Giberson, and many in their family, were Loyalists. John Giberson joined New Jersey Volunteers but, as with Jacob Fagan, he apparently deserted. John and William Giberson were apparently leading a Pine Robber gang along the Jersey shore by late 1778. John Giberson was killed near Toms River in early 1779. The New Jersey Gazette reported: “A certain John Giberson of the same group of villains, was killed about three weeks ago by a party of the militia near Toms River."

William Giberson became infamous in December 1780 when he led twelve Loyalists across the state in an attempt to capture a New Jersey leader, likely William Livingston or Chief Justice David Brearley (also of Upper Freehold). He was indicted for horse stealing (a capital offense) shortly thereafter, but apparently remained an active horse thief through the first half of 1781 and he may have worked with William Clark and the Raritan Bay horse thieves. In August 1781, Silas Deane of the Continental Congress complained that "the trade of horse stealing flourishes amazingly" and called for a bounty on the head of "one Giberson of Monmouth." Governor Livingston responded on August 31 by placing a $200 bounty on the head of Giberson for "diverse thefts, robberies and felonies."

By now, Giberson was operating from Clamtown (Tuckerton) in Burlington County, just south of Monmouth County. He was indicted in the Burlington County Courts that December for "waging war against the State." Antiquarian sources offer colorful stories of Giberson clashing with militia and narrowly escaping capture in two separate incidents in 1781.

In July 1782, Giberson robbed the Burlington County collector, prompting another militia campaign to capture him. Militiaman Benjamin Bates described the capture of Giberson in his postwar veteran’s pension application. He also described Giberson’s remarkable escape in December:

I found a villain by the name of Giberson, who was a noted refugee. He made his escape from the house and got into the woods. After searching a long time for him, I gave up and returned to our quarters. When I told Captain Davis that I had seen Giberson, he sent me back again to look for him, whilst engaged in searching for him, he suddenly jumped from behind a large black oak, he presented his gun and fired at me. As he presented, I drop down upon my knees and the load passed over me without hurting me. He then ran, I fired upon him and wounded him so that he fell and then went up to him and took him prisoner. He was afterwards taken to Burlington County Gaol where effected his escape, his sister having been permitted to visit him, they exchanged clothes. He went out and she remained in prison and the plot was not discovered until he had got too far to be overtaken.

Bates’s story is corroborated by two other militiamen who remembered taking Giberson. John Pease recalled skirmishing "with a party of Tories at Clam Town, Little Egg Harbor, in Burlington County, when his party captured a Tory, one William Giberson, who was badly wounded in the skirmish, and was shot through his hip, and was carried and lodged in Burlington jail." Enoch Young recalled that he “was engaged with a party of refugees at Little Egg Harbor near Tuckerton in which the enemy was beaten and in which they broke the thigh of their captain, William Giberson, of the refugee company, took him prisoner, together with three of his men, and took the prisoners to Burlington jail.”

Sources: Damages by British, Middlesex County Ledger, p 237, New Jersey State Archives Damages by British, Middlesex County Ledger, p 237, New Jersey State Archives; Library of Congress, Early American Newspaper, New Jersey Gazette, reel 1930; Maryland Journal, February 16, 1779; Franklin Ellis, The History of Monmouth County (R.T. Peck: Philadelphia, 1885), p197; New Hampshire Gazette report in Frank Moore, Diary of the American Revolution (New York: Charles Scribner, 1865) v2, p125; Transcript of the Court Martial of Richard Lippincott, http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/halew/Lippincott.html; Edwin Salter, Old Times in Old Monmouth (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1970) p 37; William Livingston, Carl Prince, Papers of William Livingston (New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 1987) vol. 3, pp. 30-1; Petition, Monmouth County Historical Association, Haskell Collection, folder 22, document B; The Library Company, New Jersey Votes of the Assembly, April 23, 1779, p 72; William Livingston to George Washington, Carl Prince, Papers of William Livingston (New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 1987) vol. 3, pp. 80-1; Journals of the Legislative Council of New Jersey (Isaac Collins: State of New Jersey, 1779) p56; Library of Congress, Early American Newspaper, New Jersey Gazette, reel 1930; Letters of Lt. William Barton, son of Gilbert Barton, 1777-1779, American Revolution Institute, Society of the Cincinnati, 13 A.LL.S., Washington, DC; Library of Congress, Early American Newspaper, New Jersey Gazette, reel 1930; Muster Roll, National Archives, Revolutionary War Rolls, Coll. 89, p2, 6, 9, 11; Library of Congress, Early American Newspaper, New Jersey Gazette, reel 1930; David Fowler, Egregious Villains, Wood Rangers, and London Traders (Ph.D. Dissertation: Rutgers University, 1987) p 169; Edwin Salter and George C. Beekman, Old Times in Old Monmouth ( Freehold, NJ: Monmouth Democrat, 1887) p 38;  Lorenzo Sabine, Biographical Sketches of Loyalists of the American Revolution, 2 vols. (Boston: Little, Brown, 1864) vol 2 p 413; E. Alfred Jones, The Loyalists of New Jersey (Coll. of New Jersey Historical Society, Vol. X, 1927) p 264; Van Note’s death discussed in Nathaniel Scudder to John Scudder, New Jersey Historical Society, Letters: Nathaniel Scudder.

Appendix 2 Sources: David Fowler, Egregious Villains, Wood Rangers, and London Traders (Ph.D. Dissertation: Rutgers University, 1987) p 120-135 and note 27; Library of Congress, Early American Newspaper, New Jersey Gazette, February 3, 1779, reel 1930; Edwin Salter, History of Monmouth and Ocean Counties (Bayonne, NJ: E. Gardner and Sons, 1890) p 174-80; National Archives, Revolutionary War Veterans' Pension Application, Benjamin Bates of NJ, www.fold3.com/image/#  NJ 11027010; National Archives, Revolutionary War veterans Pension Applications, New Jersey - John Pease; National Archives, Revolutionary War Veterans' Pension Application, Enoch Young of NJ, www.fold3.com/image/#  24155756.