1782 Capture: Harry

Title

1782 Capture: Harry

Identifier

NJS-EVE-00770

Source

Receipt issued to Jacob Van Dike related to Harry, a Black man carried away by followers of the British army

Receipt issued to Jacob Van Dike related to Harry, a Black man carried away by followers of the British army, June 17, 1782. Van Dike Family Papers, 1711–1838 (MC 505). Box 1, Folder 3: Jacob Van Dike Papers, 1766-1819: Deeds, Bonds, etc., Papers relating to his estate 1809-1819. Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University Libraries.

Event Description

On June 17, 1782, enslaver Jacob Van Dike paid 8 pounds and 9 shillings proclamation money of New Jersey for the capture and return of a Black man named Harry. The men who captured and returned Harry were James Dunn, Joseph Thickstun, and David Dunham. The three of them issued a receipt to Jacob Van Dike for the money they received. The receipt mentioned that Harry had been "carried off by the followers of the British army" in 1776 and that he was lately "apprehended with a detachment of the British army."

Evidently, Harry was with the British troops for several years from 1776 to 1782. It is unclear whether Harry was taken by the Loyalists against his will or left with them willingly to escape from his enslaver.

The exact location where Harry was captured is uncertain, and no location is listed on the receipt. Harry's enslaver Jacob Van Dike lived around the area of Ten Mile Run and Rocky Hill.

Event Type

Violence: Capture

Date

1782

Location of Event

Ten Mile Run, Franklin

Preceding Event

1776 Capture: Harry

Primary Participant

Harry

Enslaver

Jacob Van Dike (1723-1809)

Additional Participant

James Dunn

Joseph Thickstun (1753-1830)

David Dunham (1745-1807)

Frederick Van Dike

W. Robert Morris

Participant Details

DETAILS FOR PRIMARY PARTICIPANTS:

*** Harry ***
Role: Captured Person
Age category: Adult
Status: Enslaved
Enslaver(s) of this participant:
- Jacob Van Dike (1723-1809)
Verbatim description from source:
"negro man Harry carried off by the followers of the British army"

==========

DETAILS FOR OTHER PARTICIPANTS:

James Dunn
Role: Captor

Joseph Thickstun (1753-1830)
Role: Captor

David Dunham (1745-1807)
Role: Captor

Frederick Van Dike
Role: Witness

W. Robert Morris
Role: Witness

Jacob Van Dike (1723-1809)
Role: Enslaver

Record Contributor

Daniel Dias

Jesse Bayker