Black Revolutionary War soldier, who crossed the Delaware with Washington, honored in NJ

BURLINGTON CITY — The Daughters of the American Revolution recently honored a Black soldier of the Revolutionary War who crossed the Delaware with George Washington.

But they went beyond dedicating an historical marker at the home of Oliver Cromwell, celebrating diversity and clarifying history by highlighting the service by Blacks, Indians and others in the fight for independence from England.

About 24 Cromwell descendants were among more than 100 spectators who watched leaders of the New Jersey State Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) unveil a bronze plaque on Cromwell's home in the 100 block of E. Union St. in downtown Burlington, a Colonial city founded in 1677 along the Delaware River .

Pvt. Oliver Cromwell was a decorated patriot who fought in seven major Revolutionary War battles from 1776 to 1783. Gen. George Washington awarded him the Badge of Merit "for six years of faithful service" and signed Cromwell's discharge papers on June 5, 1783.

"Our society's core mission is to honor the men and women who achieved American independence. And so, we are proud to today recognize the faithful Revolutionary War service and inspiring courage of Oliver Cromwell," said Denise Doring VanBuren, president general of the National Society of the DAR.

VanBuren said DAR is committed to sharing the stories of men and women of color who fought for our country's freedom.

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Jane Fox Long, Cromwell's great-great-great-great granddaughter who was raised in Burlington near the river, spoke on behalf of the many family descendants.

"We are happy to have others recognize and know what we have always been told our entire lives. We didn't have all the history, all the facts and we didn't know all the battles (he was in), but one thing I was always told by my mother was that I should know and never forget I was a descendant of my four-greats grandfather who crossed the Delaware with George Washington," said Fox Long, who now lives in North Carolina.

A free Black born in 1753 in the Columbus section of Mansfield Township, Cromwell had 14 children and lived to be nearly 100 before his death on Jan. 27, 1853.

After crossing the Delaware with Washington on Christmas 1776 and fighting with the Colonial militia in two battles in Trenton and then in the Battle of Princeton in January 1777, he enlisted in the Second New Jersey Regiment and served in the battles of Short Hills, Brandywine, Monmouth and Yorktown.

He is believed to be buried in the Broad Street Methodist Church cemetery in Burlington with other Revolutionary War soldiers.

Ned Hector of Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, a re-enactor in the 1st Rhode Island Regiment Color Guard who posted the colors and carried muskets at the ceremony, focused his speech on diversity and inclusion. He said Washington had a very integrated army but lamented that Blacks and other minorities who fought were often overlooked in textbooks and history lessons.

"To win the war it took all of us coming together. We should revel in our diversity, but we don’t appreciate one another the way we should,” Hector said.

More: DAR to honor Black soldier of Revolutionary War after research

At least four Hutton family members from Burlington were among the Cromwell descendants in the crowd —brothers Mark and Rev. Timothy Hutton, pastor of the Mount Holly Second Baptist Church who delivered the event benediction, and their cousins, retired city police detective Edward Hutton III and his sister, Sharon Jones.

“We were very excited all of our lives about being paternal descendants. My cousin Eddie and I talked all through school about it, but a lot of kids and other people didn’t believe us,” Timothy Hutton recalled.

Burlington residents Clayton Sills and Richard Timbers Jr. founded the Oliver Cromwell Black History Society 38 years ago to research, preserve and promote Black history and tourism in the city.

Sills also kept to the diversity theme, telling the audience research by a director of Monmouth Battlefield State Park concluded that at that battle alone there were more than 800 Blacks among the troops who fought there.

Some recent studies by scholars have put estimates of minority participation in the Revolutionary War at 10 percent or higher.

Today the Cromwell duplex home is a private residence owned by longtime city resident and community activist Harry Heck, who lives next door.

After Heck purchased the house more than 20 years ago and renovated it as an apartment, he installed his own commemorative plaque honoring Cromwell, who lived there as a tenant rather than as a property owner.

There had never been an official one because while it was suspected Cromwell had lived on E. Union Street and possibly at house number 114, city officials said there was no documentation until NJDAR historian Deb Hvizdos recently confirmed that in a search of very old deeds for various properties on the street.

Heck was cited by the NJDAR along with the Cromwell society, city Mayor Barry Conaway, the Burlington County Historical Society and others for their roles in preserving history.

Heck said he bought the Cromwell home to save it as part of a longstanding and still ongoing preservation effort of older homes along quaint E. Union Street.

Living in Cromwell's house today is another war veteran, tenant Craig Clark, who served in both the Navy and the Army. The 44-year-old, originally from Cranford in Union County, fought in both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and was a homeless veteran before he found his home in Burlington via the Soldier On program.

Clark, who now works for the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, said it is quite an honor to live in a home of a patriot who fought for the country.

“I almost feel like his ghost is watching out for me."

Carol Comegno loves telling stories about South Jersey life, history and military veterans for the Courier Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal. If you have a story to share, call her at 856-486-2473 or email ccomegno@gannettnj.com.

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This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Oliver Cromwell honored as Black soldier of the American Revolution