Asher Holmes

He was born to Samuel and Hulda Holmes (nee. Mott). His birthplace was a plantation called the Scotchester in Pleasant Valley, Marlboro Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey. He was married to his wife Sarah (nee. Watson) on February 21, 1771 and had four children. They lived in the Pleasant Valley section of Marlboro Township in a house he called "Old Kentuck". He is buried at the Holmdel Baptist Church cemetery. He was a land surveyor by trade.

Overview

He served primarily in the 1st Regiment, Monmouth County Militia during the American Revolutionary War. General Lafayette, in a letter to General Washington described the Militia commanded by Asher Holmes:

I found the rifleman even above their reputation, and the militia above all expectation I could have formed of them

List of commands

His list of commands was as follows:

• Captain, First Regiment, Monmouth County Militia
• First Major, First Regiment, Monmouth County Militia - November 28, 1776
• Colonel, First Regiment, Monmouth County Militia - March 27, 1778
• Colonel, Regiment of New Jersey State Troops - October 9, 1779
• Colonel, Battalion of NJ State Troops - June 7, 1780

Battle involvement

He was noted in the Battle of Germantown and the Battle of Monmouth, Navesink, Conushonk and Pleasant Valley engagements. He captured a frigate in Deal Lake and commanded a militia to responded to the Pine Robbers attack in Pleasant Valley in 1778. He was known to have made a failed attack on a British baggage train with a loss of one man on his side and four British soldiers. In 1779, a raiding party 800 people strong, Commanded by a Colonel Hide raided multiple areas of Monmouth County. They created skirmishes in Middletown, Red Bank, Tinton Falls and Shrewsbury. They were met by a Militia commanded by Col. Asher Holmes and Captain Burrowes and pushed back to Staten Island. In 1779, he captured a British Ship, the Brigantine Britannia in the Sandy Hook bay. It had just arrived from England with supplies. He was also noted to have been involved with militia officer exchanges when an officer was captured.

He was one of 436 signers of the document which suggested that "For every article of personal property so taken from good subjects, reprisals shall be made of loyalists."

In 1774, he was appointed to the Committee of Correspondence and then the Committee of Observation and inspection (a forerunner to the Continental Congress). Following the Revolutionary War, he was a Justice of the Peace and then High Sheriff of Monmouth County. He was a member of the New Jersey Legislative Council from 1786 to 1787.

Asher Holmes Elementary School, located in Marlboro Township, New Jersey