USA > Delaware > History of Delaware : 1609-1888 > Part 26
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87
Other cases were continually reported, and the depredations again began to excite much alarm. I. was reported that the famous pirate Teach, also known as Blackbeard, was in the vicinity, and the Governor at once issued a warrant for his arrest, but the rumor proved to be without foundation. It nevertheless became necessary to take special measures for the protection of the lower counties. Captains Raymond and Naylor were sent out with two sloops to clear the eapes of the pirates, and did their work very effectually, while many prosecutions against the pirates were conducted in the courts.
After these attacks a respite was secured from the piratical invaders, but it was more to the gradual increase of the population than to the Governor's proclamations that the termination of the exeesses was due. As long as the pirates were leniently dealt with, and allowed to go free on little more than their own promises of future repentance, they amused themselves by hoodwink- ing the officials, and without any seruples of con- science continued in their old trade They either re-engaged in it by taking an aetive part them- selves, or else kept their former comrades thoroughly informed of whatever action was taken again-t them, and furnished them with advice as to the best time to pounce upon their prey. The authori- ties finally discovered that they must deal >um- marily with the culprits and promptly hung them as they were convicted. After the first quarter of the eighteenth century the visits from the pirate- were few and desultory, but more trouble was suffered at the hands of the privateers. In 1752 the pirates were evidently reappearing, as the Conneil was obliged to furnish extra clothes during the winter for some who were lodged in gaol, but that they had lost the boldness which characterized their former exploits is quite clear.
By 1739 the privateers had begun to make their
105
PIRATES AND PRIVATEERS.
raids at regular intervals on the coast, and the and earnestly requested the people to exert them- Assembly of the lower counties took the matter in hand. The Governor was empowered to appoint two well qualified persons or officers to keep a constant watch at Lewistown. Each inhabitant was required to keep himself armed with a musket, cartridge-box, twelve charges of gunpowder and ball, three flints, and a worm and priming-wire, and every one was instructed to yield absolute obedience to the commands of the officers in every- thing pertaining to the watch or defense, under penalty of a fiue of five shillings. The officers called together all the inhabitants once a month between the 1st of April and Ist of October, and once every three months during the remaining period, for the purpose of drilling them and exam- ining their arms and ammunition. The firing of three guns successively and the beating of a drum was the signal for calling the people together in the market-place with their muskets, ready to defend the town at the command of the officers. The Quakers were exempted by special provision, as were also all persons under fifteen and over sixty-three. Pilots were prohibited from boarding an inward bound vessel without a permit from the Governor, to prevent their po-sible assistance to an enemy or pirate In the province, the appearance of privateers in the bay brought on the old trouble with the Quakers, who controlled a majority in the Assembly. In 1740, Governor Thomas urged them continually to deerea-e the dangers of navi- gating in the Delaware, and a long controversy resulted. The Governor was greatly enraged. and in a message to the Assembly indignantly asked them : " If your principles will not allow you to pass a bill for establishing a militia. if they will not allow you to secure the navigation of the river by building a fort, if they will not allow you to provide arms for the defense of the inhabitants. if they will not allow you to raise men for His Majesty's service, and on His Majesty's affectionate application to you for distressing an insolent enemy. if they will not allow you to raise and appropriate money to the uses recommended by His Majesty, is it a calumny to say that your principles are inconsistent with the ends of government at a time when Itis Majesty is obliged to have recourse to arms, not only to protect the trade of Great Britain and its dominions, but likewise to obtain redress for the injuries done to his subjects?" But with the ex- erption of raising seven small companies, there was nothing further done at the time.
selves to the utmost in maintaining as many privateers as possible and promi-ing his personal tissistanee whenever it would avail the least, As was to be expected, the French and Spanish retaliated, and the American coast swarmed with them, the people suttering the insults and gibes of their enemies, as well as losing their property. These outrages assumed their worst form on the Delaware during the summer of 1747. It became necessary late in June to place vessels bearing flags of truce under rigid restrictions before they could come up the bay, in order to guard against every possibility of surprise. Pilots were not permitted to conduct any ship up the Delaware River or Bay without a permit from the Council, and any ship coming up without obeying the regu - lations fixed was subject to capture. But it was impossible to keep the privateers out of the way. On July 12th a company of about fifteen or twenty men, either French or Spaniards, lauded near New Castle and plundered the houses of James Hart and Edmund Liston, carrying off most of their property and slaves. Abont one o'clock in the afternoon the party came on shore in an open boat and landed about four miles above Bombay Hook, near Liston's house. They ran to a place where his daughter and a negro girl were crabbing and seizing the negress, bound her and put her in the boat; they then went up to Liston armed with guns, cutlasses aud pistols, and admit- ting they were privateers, demanded his negroes, money and keys. He quickly complied, and they went through the place. taking clothes, bedding, furniture and whatever else they discovered, as well as a negro woman and two children. Having put these in the boat, they placed their pistols against Liston's breast and compelled him to lead them to Hart's plantation, about a half' a mile distant. Hart saw them coming and elosed his house and bolted the doors. They first chased a negro girl until they caught her, and then called out to Hart that unless he admitted them they would fire the house. He still refused and they commenced to bombard the house. A bullet struck his wife in the hip, and she bled so profusely that he surrendered and opened the doors. He was securely bound and the marauders then plun- de red the house, taking away the negro, all the wearing appeal, some gold buttons and other articles, valued in all at about seventy pounds. They forced Hart to return with them to Liston's, and after packing up all the booty gathered at both places they Set out again for their boat. Liston and Ilart at once informed Messis. Jehu Curtis and John Finney of the affair, and the particulars were di-pached to President Am hony l'almer and the Council. Several members of
The wars in which the mother country became involved shortly after this gave an impetus to privateering expeditions on both sides. George H. i -- ued a special probunation. praying his subjects to fit out privateers for action against his enemies, which was read throughout the British Empire. Governor Thomas aunouneed it in Pennsylvania, the Assembly of the province were summoned, 73
1
106
HISTORY OF DELAWARE.
including Messrs. John Kinsey, the Speaker, led through the capes. In September the wate Thomas Leech, Joseph Trotter, James Morris and Oswald Pecle. A conference was held between these members and the Commeil and measures neces- sary for defending the inhabitants were taken under discussion. As the Assembly controlled the fonds, the Council was powerless to take any step incur- ring expense without their assent, and they had been summoned to state what measures they were willing to take. But the serupks of the Quakers again proved a stumbling block. The members of the Assembly at first refused to act at all. assert- ing that as they were then without authority from their Assembly, it would be useless to act in their private capacity, and on being pressed by the mem- bers of the Council, only gave the vague-t notions of what they might be willing to do. The priva- teers continued in their work without meeting with sufficient opposition to inconvenience them in the least. One of them manned a Cape May pilot- boat and sent it up the bay as far as Bombay Hook, plundering several of the best plantations in the lower counties on its trip.
Governor Reading, of New Jersey, was re- quested to give the New Jersey pilots instructions similiar to those issued in Pennsylvania re-pecting the license required by vessels bearing flags of truce, and accounts of the troubles were also sent to the proprietaries, with a request for a-sistance. In the mean time the enemy continued plundering the colonists. The party who had robbed Hart and Liston, in sailing out of the bay, met a valuable ship bound for Philadelphia from Antigua, and carried her off. The Council continued to ask as- sistance from the Assembly of the province, as it was feared that at any moment the enemy might sail up to Philadelphia and sack the town. In their messages to the Assembly they pictured the effect of such an event in the most vivid manner, reminding them of the ruin and bloodshed that would follow; but the Assembly was not easily moved. They admitted that the enemy had been bold and ruthless in its actions, but thought it would " be difficult, if not impossible, to prevent such accidents." The length of the river and bay they considered ample guarantee against the de- struction of Philadelphia, and they reminded the Council that their continuing to spread abroad re- ports of the "defenseless condition of the province," by sending messages to the Assembly, would have a great tendency to induce the enemy to attack them.
But no measures which the Assembly or Coun- cil or proprietaries took could prevent the pilots from refusing to earn a fee by objecting to conduct vessels into the bay, whether they were enemies or not. These pilots were, in fact, more willing to serve the enemy than the British, since the former were always willing to pay a larger sum for being
at Lewistown was kept busy for several weeks .; pecting an attack, and on one day they repris two sloops putting up the bay, each attended b; pilot. Sometimes, however, even the well-inte tioned pilots were deceived by the fake color- of the privateer, and by the British .... men on board, some of whom were always read. to turn traitor for money. Several cases of the. sort came under the notice of the Council Inet. instance they learned of the particulars thron_n the deposition of William Kelly, late iu 174; Kelly had been taken from the sloop " Elizabeth, off the coast of North Carolina, by a French priva- teer, " Marthel Vodroit," Captain Lehay. The vessel was of about ninety or a hundred guns, and after Kelly's capture, took six English prizes, on. a sloop, about fifteen leagues off the capes of Dela- ware, and two ships in Delaware Bay, commandol respectively by Captains Lake and Oswald Eve-, The privateer put into Cape May, and hoisted the English colors. There were Englishmen, Irish- men and Scotchmen in the crew, and when they were met by Pilot William Flower, the captain sent one of the Englishmen to give instructions. The pilot was naturally deceived. and obeyed his instructions, taking them into Cape Henlopen. Kelly informed him that the vessel wasa privateer, but it was then too late, in the mind of the pilot ; but nevertheless he promised to take the ship so near to the shore that Kelly might make his escape by swimming to land. When coming around towards Cape Henlopen they were boarded by another pilot, Luke Shields, who proved to be quite a different character He and Flower were jointly placed in command of the pri- vateer, but he refused to go near enough to shore to let Kelly escape, declaring that he proposed to take the vessel where she could capture the most prizes, since that was the purpose for which she had come, and no persistence on the part of Kelly could induce him to desist from this. It would therefore appear that to the venality of their own pilots the colonists could attribute much of their annoyance by the privateers. The pilots were no doubt doubly rewarded for leading the vessels clear of all opposition to those points most likely to con tain a prize, and least apt to be defended.
During the summer of 1747 these attacks con- tinned, keeping the inhabitants in the lower coun- ties in a constant state of dread and terror. One or two incidents occurred to show the barbarous cruelty of these scoundrels, who shared no man- feelings and left nothing behind which it was pos. sible to carry off. JJohn Aris, a Philadelphia pilot, was coming up the bay one evening, having taken a ship beyond the capes, when he was hailed by some one on board a pilot-boat, when about tot miles below Reedy Island. A boat soon cate alongside, and a-number of Spaniards came on
107
PIRATES AND PRIVATEERS.
board, and, with little ceremony, took his ring from his finger, his buckles and over three pounds in money. They also carried off his clothes, all the food on board, and all the sails belonging to the boat. They left him some mouldy bread and greasy water, and then retired, firing at him as they left. It was a curious coincidence that near- ly every one who reported having suffered at the hands of the privateers reported that while a ma- jority of their assailants were usually foreigners (Spanish or French ), yet there was always some one in the party who used good English. It was concluded from th s that there were many of the colonists, or perhaps British sailors, who were det- ing with the enemy,-a fact which might also have accounted for the successful manner in which their expeditions usually terminated These cowardly and traitorous proceedings were carried on to au alarming extent, as the experience of the ship " Mary," of London, will illustrate. The captain, Bernard Martin, was just entering the Delaware capes, when he was hailed by a privateer of ten guns. He managed to elude ber, however, but was met by a pilot-boat, which he knew, as well as the captain, who had often taken him up the bay. Martin allowed her to come alongside and threw him a rope, seeing no one on board except three or four Englishmen. But suddenly about thirty five Frenchmen and Spaniards sprang from the hatches, where they had been concealed, and boarded the ship, driving the crew before them at the points of their pistols. Martin offered some resistance, but they at once opened fire on him, wounding him in the cheek, in the arm and side aud then knocked him down. They took command of the vessel, cruised off the capes for a few days and then placed Captain Martin and seven men on the pilot-boat and abandoued them.
As the winter of 1747 approached, the stress of weather put a check upon the privateering opera. tions for a brief season. Most of them sought shel- ter in the West Indies, but reports continually reached the Delaware that a great raid was being planned for the opening of spring. The Philadel- phians were especially alarmed at this. Associa- tions were formed to defend the city, and applica- tion was made to secure cannon to be placed at proper places along the river. But the Assembly remained inexorable. Several companies were formed within the province and the lower counties and the construction of batteries was begun at dif- ferent points on the river.
Rowland. Samuel Rowland, Jr., William Rowland, Situon Edwar le, John Baily. John Manl, John Adams, all pilots at Lewistown. They also le- que-ted that istlo ove eight be brought to bear on the Governor of New Jersey to prevent the Jersey pilots from carrying on the same abuses Both of their requesta were complied with, but the restric- tions in New Jersey remained loose and inopera- tive. As spring approached the privateers reap- paral, and for three months their incessant attacks rendered matters worse than they had been on any previous occasion. As early as the 15th of May, Captam Pyrami- Green was chased off Cape Hen- lopen by a French privateer, mounting fourteen carriage and sixteen swivel guns, and with a erew of one hundred and seventy-five men. His schooner, the " Phoenix," was laden with bread and Indian corn, and after the privarcer had captured him they took the bread on board their own boat and threw the Indian eorn overboard. They then piaced about ten Frenchmen on board the schooner and sailed up the bay, stopping to attack a brigan- tine. While the men were boarding this the ropes gave wey, and Captain Green was left in charge of his boat and made his escape An account of this was sworn to before John Finny, David Bush, James Armitage and Win. Patterson, of New Castle County, and sent to the Council. On this the Council made another attempt to seeure assistance from the Assembly, but for a reply that body quietly stated that they did " not see what prudence or policy could be done in the present emergency. To send a vessel in pursuit of a privateer supposed to be at the eapes, a late example may convince us that the privateer, might and very probably would be out of reach before any vessel could get thither. And to keep a vessel constantly at our capes to guard our coast must be introductive of an expense too heavy, as we conceive, for the province to bear." And so they did nothing. About the middle of May His Majesty's s'oop, the " Otter," arrived under Captain Ballet, with instructions from the Admiralty to cruise off the Delaware capes and protect the coast from the privateers. On his voyage, however, he had encountered one of the chemy in a four hours' engagement and was so much disabled that it required some time to make the necessary repairs. In the mean time the ont- rages continued. Toward the end of May a priva- teer captured the sloop " Three Brothers" off the capes. They took off all but the captain, George Porteous, his wife and son and an old man, and put on board three Frenchmen. They steered for the capes, accompanied by the privateer, but were separated from her in a storm. Porteous, his son, and the old man managed to secure the French- men, and put into Lewistown for a pilot, bringing the three prisoners up the bay with them. Soon
In April, 1748, the pilots of Sussex County sent in a petition to the Council. a-king them to repeal the orders issued as to pilots conducting inward bound vessels, in order to enable them to earn a legitimate living in competition with the traitors who refused to obey the proclamations. This was signed by William Field. Luke Shield, Samuel afterwards New Castle was threatened with de-
1
108
HISTORY OF DELAWARE.
struction by the arrival of a Spanish privateer brig of fourteen guns and one hundred and sixty men. She had anchored off' Elsenburg, about ten miles below New Castle, giving an English pris- oner, George Proctor, an opportunity to escape by swimming to shore. He proceeded to New Castle, and informed the authorities that the captain of the brig, Don Vincent Lopez, hild entered the river with the intention of capturing the large ship then ly- ing near New Castle, and afterwards plunder and destroy the town. He had already been cruising off the capes and had captured several vessels and a pilot boat, but was now in pursuit of larger prey The privateer came up under English colors, within gun-shot of New Castle, but the people were pre- pared and opened fire from several puns. Lopez finding that his reception would be rather warm if he ventured nearer, slipped hi- cables and dropped down the river, huzzaing as he left, and hoisting the Spanish colors in place of the English. But this was not the last that was heard from Lopez. Captain Nathaniel Ambler reported shortly after- wards meeting with the Spaniard. that resulted more favorably for the latter than his New Castle expedition. On May 25th Ambler was anchored off Reedy Island, in company with three Boston sloops, which had been driven in by the privateers. Late in the evening three boats, from the Spanish privateer, approached them and captured all four sloops, stripping the crew and taking off all their clothes, only leaving each captain a pair of breeches. Captain James White also had an en- counter with Don Lopez's men, about thirty of whom boarded his schooner off the high land of Bombay Hook, with pistols and cutlasses, phin- dered her and took the captain and his men on board the privat-er. The long list of outrages of this character was daily increased by reports of others more daring and impudent. About the 1st of June, Abraham Wiltbank, a pilot of Lewistown, was appointed to command an intelligence boat He plied up and down the river and bay from the capes to Philadelphia, reporting the force and movements of all privateers within sight. At New Castle there was, to be sure, a fort, but there were only four guns to be raised in the whole town. This number was increased by four six- pounders from Philadelphia, where they could ill be spared. The defenseless condition of the coast can therefore be well understood, and it is not to be wondered at that the privateers entertained no fear of whatever opposition might be offered.
In July a whole fleet appeared off the southern coast of the American colonies, under the leader- ship of Don Pedro, and for a time navigation was completely at a standstill. A part of the British squadron in New England was sent down and cap- tured several of the privateers, and manned them to oppose their old allies, and in this way the robbers
were once more dispersed. At Wilmington 1 arations to meet them were made by the cr. of a bomb-proof magazine and battery on . rocks of Christiana. In a note to President P mer, of the Council, from David Bush. . I. MeKinly and Charles Bush, they state that i battery had been viewed by many, and the my versal opinion was that it equaled, it'not exceed. " any on the continent for strength and bemr . But to the two men-of-war, the " Hector" s. "Otter," was really due the credit of finally che ing the bay and capes of Delaware of the pri teers. They captured a number and disab .. others, so that before the close of the year 174- those that remained unhurt had sought more hir- pitable regions and the people were once more 1. lieved from the strain incident upon the alme- continuous pre-ence of their enemies for two year- This was the last of the attempts, either of pirate - or privateers, to make any concerted attack on Delaware, practically blockading the mouth of the bay. At rare intervals thereafter they would apparently spring out of the boxom of the wave- and sweep down on an unsuspecting vessel; bis they no longer acted with their former audacity. and scarcely ever came within reach of shore. . 1- late as 1788 we learn of James MeAlpine being convicted of piracy on the Delaware, but with this the curtain falls on this romantie and inter- esting phase of the history of Delaware.
CHAPTER XI.
BOUNDARY DISPUTES AND SETTLEMENT.
THE State of Delaware to-day could not well be made the subject of a boundary controversy, with its stiff, straight lines on the south and west, it- short, regular curve on the north, and Delaware River and Bay and the ocean on the cast, to mark its separation from any gra-ping neighbors. It lies between latitude 889 29 and 899 47' S. and longitude 74º 56' and 75° 46' W. This is in- deed detinite enough, but the disputes and conte-t- between the several claimants of the territory, and the letters, documents and depositions that are- out of the boundaries of the territory upon Delas- ware, forms the story of a long and bitter struggle. which, on some occasions, did not fall short . bloodshed. If any palliating reasons are to b sought, we can only trace the origin of these troub !. - to the numerous changes in the proprietorship .. the dispute ! ground, which took place so frequent's for nearly a century after Hudson's advent, m 1609, and so deeply entangled had the claims and counter-elainis laccome, that a second century was
109
BOUNDARY DISPUTES AND SETTLEMENT.
drawing rapidly to a close before a pacific arrange- ment was finally agreed upon. In its checkered passage from the hands of the aborigines to the Dutch, then to the Swedes, and once more to the Dutch, then to the Duke of York and finally to Penn. it was more than likely that the title to this valued property should not remain indisputable. Surveying was rendered doubly difficult by the un- explored condition of the country, and inaccuracies in this quarter furnished a frequent source of controversy. But, above all, when grants and titles were issued by authorities three thousand miles distant, without facility for receiving any other information except the testimony of the applicant, it was not improbable that a single-strip of land might be granted to two or even a greater number of petitioners.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.