On June 28th, 1778 the Revolutionary War took a change for the better, as General George Washington (coming to the aid of Charles Lee) met the British in the Battle of Monmouth and drove the British away. In a day with over 100 degree heat, the two armies, 25,000 people in total, met resulting in an estimated 700 killed (probably much more), 700 wounded and countless captured.
Standing on the outskirts of the battle still stands the historical Old Tennent Church which played a role in the battle and holds many of the dead who passed away.
The church was built in 1751 and replaced a smaller church built by immigrants who arrived in the 1670’s.
famously it acted as a field hospital during the Battle of Monmouth where the building was hit with cannon fire and musket-balls. Among this gunfire comes the legend of Captain Henry Fauntleroy.
As the battle took place in front of him, he stood his place in the back lines resting on the graves of the fallen. While he sat a stray cannon ball came flying in and took out the soldiers leg and the gravestone. The solder screamed in pain, falling into shock at the sight of his now removed leg.
His fellow soldiers rushed Henry into the church where medics worked to save him. Unfortunately, due to the severity of the injury Henry passed away due to the massive blood loss. The saw marks and remnants of the blood can still be seen in the church.
It is said that on warm summer nights if you look into the graveyard you can still see Henry walking around in search for answers, calling out for other lost souls. Other legends speak of a more “dark” history.
One of which, an old witch, named Alice who used to live in the town. She was accused of practicing dark magic. In the early 1700’s the local towns were facing a plague which wiped out many of the local farms crops. According to the stories she was blamed for the incident and attacked by a gang of men and hanged on one of the trees within the cemetery.
She was thrown into an unmarked grave and damned for eternity. No sooner after her death, did the food begin to blossom. It is said that on nights when the moon is full you can see her hovering the graves, with eyes like dark sockets screaming out for revenge on the souls of her killers.
There are several other stories, and experiences that have taken place at this church. None of which pleasant.