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There was recently a flurry of misguided and misinformed posts that implied that New Jersey was a slave state or supported slavery. In the 1800's there was a federal law which allowed slave catchers to cross state lines and to enter non slave states. That did not mean that the states they entered supported slavery. In fact, the slave catchers took their lives in their hands when they entered NJ.
Down the road from me, about 5 miles from my home is a spot on the map[ and yes it's on the map] called Timbuctoo. Locally it's known as Bucto or Bucktown. It was a town founded in 1820 by free blacks and escaped slaves, supported by the Quaker community. Keep in mind that a large part of NJ was part of Wm. Penn's original land grant and was refd to as West Jersey. The Quakers were staunchly anti slavery and instrumental in the setting up and running of the Underground railroad.
In 1860, a group of catchers came north looking for a particular slave named "Simmons" that's all that's known about him. He was hiding out in Bucto. When the catchers approached bucto they were met by a group of armed free blacks and escaped slaves, supported by an equally large group of sympathetic whites, also armed. What followed is famous in NJ and known as "The Battle of Pine Swamp". There doesn't seem to be much record of the particulars of the battle itself, oral histories and local legend are about all there is. That several of the catchers were killed and several wounded is known. Casualties among the Anti Slave group aren't known. The catchers withdrew, actually it was more like running for their lives, as word was spreading into neighboring towns and more groups of armed anti slave folks were showing up. [Local legend has it that participating in the battle on the anti slave side was a group of Lenni Lenape indians who had opted to stay on their ancestral lands, just across the Rancocas creek from Bucto]
Slave Catchers thought long and hard about crossing into NJ after that event. It's interesting to note that, where NJ was anti slavery, that did not automatically mean they were anti south. Considering a small part of the state is below the MD line there were Southern Sympathizers. But to my knowledge, they weren't pro slavery.
Timbuctoo, the original settlement, no longer exists. It is now a historical site and has been excavated in an ongoing archaeological investigation, conducted by Temple Uni.
From WIKI- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timbuctoo,_New_Jersey - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timbuctoo,_New_Jersey
A comprehensive article from the Washington Post-
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/02/AR2010080205217.html - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/02/AR2010080205217.html
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"Arguing with someone who hates you or your ideas, is like playing chess with a pigeon. No matter what move you make, your opponent will walk all over the board and scramble the pieces".
Unknown.
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