UNION COUNTY — At a glance, Union County's official seal isn't anything special — the same boring logo for an equally boring form of government.

But zoom in a little closer and you’ll see there’s more to this story: Murder.

The seal depicts the shooting death of Elizabethtown’s Hannah Caldwell during the Revolutionary War, said to be an assassination carried out by a British solider. Her death was a flashpoint that turned many wavering Jerseyans against their occupiers and ignited fury across the colonies.

"Her murder was a terrible event," explained historian Charles Shallcross. "It was a terrible shock to the public and it galvanized them against the British."

Now the seal itself is the subject of a battle — this one in federal court.

Last year, Union County went after political activist Tina Renna’s depiction of the seal — with a spotlight shining on it — during her local access program in Cranford. The county contended that, because it had a pending trademark application for the logo, it was a protected work and she couldn’t use it on the show.

That, and other exchanges since, drew the attention of the Virginia-based Rutherford Institute, a conservative-leaning civil rights law center. In a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court, an attorney for Renna — a vocal critic of county government — contends her First Amendment rights were violated.

"There are certain citizens who are thorns," John W. Whitehead, the institute’s president and founder, said last week. "And this lady here is obviously a thorn in their side."

It’s not the first time there have been arguments over Union County’s seal. Some have said it’s depiction of a homicide is inappropriate for a symbol of government. Others have said it’s a remarkably important moment in the history of Union County, New Jersey and even the nation. Then there are those who think it should just be fixed because its portrayal of Caldwell’s death is inaccurate.

One thing that is clear, according to Shallcross, is that it’s one of a kind. "Out of thousands and thousands of county seals, it’s the only one that portrays a murder," he said.

Hannah Caldwell, the wife of Rev. James Caldwell, pastor of the Presbyterian Church in what is now Elizabeth, became a martyr of her time. The couple had moved to the area in the 1760s. James Caldwell became a well-known figure in New Jersey, as a spiritual leader and a revolutionary. He was assassinated not long after his wife.

While there has been, at times, confusion about how she was killed, the prevailing belief today is that she was shot while inside the couple’s home on "Connecticut Farms," an area that is now present-day Union Township. Catherine Benward testified that she was at the woman’s side when a shot was fired through a window into a bedroom, striking Caldwell.

Historian and author Elizabeth F. Ellet summed up the death in "Women of the Revolution," a book she published in 1865, like this:

"Few occurrences in the history of ancient or modern warfare have so strongly influenced the public feeling — have excited so universal a sentiment of horror, or such deep resentment towards the authors of the crime — as the deliberate and barbarous murder of Mrs. Caldwell.

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"It was perpetrated not only as an act of vengeance upon an individual, but with the design of striking terror into the country, and compelling the inhabitants to submission. So far, however, from producing this effect, it but roused the indignation of the whole community, filling all with one spirit — one desire to avenge the deed, and drive the invaders from their soil."

Over time, her death became a forgotten moment in most circles, relegated to the b-rolls of American history. But in 1933, Union County Historical Society member Callahan J. McCarthy and others revived her memory, successfully lobbying the freeholder board to adopt a design for a new county seal, one depicting her death, said Shallcross, a past president of the society. That seal had been in use by just the clerk’s office until that time, according to current County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi, who said she’s not a fan.

"It’s not that I don’t like it" she said. "I don’t think it portrays the county or is a symbol of everything the county is. I think it’s very important to honor people, and especially Hannah Caldwell, but not in such a negative way."

The lawsuit over the seal is in the early stages. County officials say they were just recently served with the complaint alleging Renna’s First Amendment rights were violated. They believe Renna’s use of the seal on her show — which was mostly consumed by her reading of government resolutions and ordinances — may have tricked some viewers into believing she represented the county.

"You think you’re watching an actual county government show," spokesman Sebastian D’Elia said.

He also said the county’s quest to trademark the seal is being revived. It had been labeled abandoned by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in May because the county failed to respond for six months to a note refusing to register the seal "because the applied-for mark consists of an insignia of a U.S. municipality."

It’s a pointless quest, according to Whitehead, the Rutherford Institute president. He said it belongs to "the people," and views the county’s effort to stop Renna’s use of it as an attempt at censorship.

"We’ve had a few of those issues with the seal. They had one here in Virginia that we’re still litigating. It seems to be reaction to criticism of government. They want to make sure they can’t be criticized," he said. "Basically, the First Amendment protects free speech. It would be like you couldn’t show the presidential seal and criticize Obama. That’s absurd."