History of Delaware : 1609-1888, Part 60

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898. cn
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Philadelphia : L. J. Richards
Number of Pages: 776

USA > Delaware > History of Delaware : 1609-1888 > Part 60

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).

Many records and traditions of the engagement

4 The number of the killed and wounded is only conjectural. Wash- ington Was unable to make a irstart of the American los un account . the confusion which f Hoved the de feat. maviy of the nu iti com &tf ts being changed by German, General thethe estimated the loss of the Americans in kill d, wonuded and [ ris sur rant 1_og, and towe repented

Thea lotdents ot tie Butish army, many of whom weir Hessians. wiert the battle enter I Wilmington, oripzing some of their watt. kol with them. The a' I Presbyterian Church of Market Street was being a hospital, and many houses were demanded to beopened for the care of the wounded

246

HISTORY OF DELAWARE.

survive in the Wilmington and Brandywine and killed. D'Auberteuil professed to have region. The hardest fighting occurred between received this story from companions of Lafayette. the Birmington meeting-house and the residences then occupied by Mrs. James Davis and Mrs. Jones. Many were killed near the meeting-house, which was situated about half-way between the Brandywine River and the Wilmington road. General Howe used it as a hospital, and several officers who died there were buried in the adjacant graveyard. Lafayette was shot through the leg after he had leaped from his horse, and, sword in hand, was endeavoring to rally the flying Americans. His aide, Gimat, helped him back to his saddle, and he rode to the rear, where his wonnd was dressed. On the morning of the battle Washington took his breakfast at the mansion of James Brindley, on the Wilmington side of the river, walking the floor in deep thought or standing with his cup of coffee in his hand, eating little and soon hastening on to Chadd's Ford.1

Washington's headquarters were at the house of Benjamin Ring, where Lafayette lodged with him the night before the battle, although the French- man's headquarters had previously been fixed at the residence of Benjamin Gilpin. Tradition says that Thomas Cheyney, a Delaware Whig, whose descendants still reside in Wilmington, gave Washington the first intelligence of the approach of the enemy. He was riding out alone and reconnoitering and came suddenly upon the British. They fired upon him, but he escaped to the quarters of Washington with his news. Cheyney was an active spy while the American army was in the vicinity of the Delaware and often suffered much from the Tories.

According to Hilliard d'Auberteuil, who pub- lished at Paris in 1782 his " Essais Historiques et Politiques sur la Revolution de l'Amerique," a ro- mantic incident occurred at the home of Wm. Harvey, upon the battle-field. Harvey's young and handsome daughter Molly had for a lover a young American soldier named Seymour, whory her father had discountenaneed because of his poverty. Sey- mour commanded a company at Brandywine, and after the battle was granted a brief leave of absence. Repairing to the house of his sweetheart, he found that the opposition of Harvey to their marriage had been overcome by his gallantry as a soldier and his promotion. The marriage im- mediately took place, but while a hastily impro- vised wedding feast was taking place two Ies-ian soldiers scouting in the neighborhood came upon the scene and endeavored to make a prisoner of Capt. Seymour. He resisted, and the bride. in rushing between him and the soldiers with whom he was struggling, was thrust through by a bayonet

1 Mrs. Elizabeth Montgomery's " Reminiscences of Wilmington," page 52.

General Howe remained in camp on the Brandy- wine, and on the evening after the battle sent a detachment of troops to Wilmington to size President John McKinly and secure such plunder as might fall in their way. They took the .Presi- dent from hi- bed at dead of night, and seizing a sloop that lay in the stream, loaded it with valu- ables stolen from the people, a large quantity of public and private money, many of the public and private records and all the papers and certificates of the loan and treasury offices. With the-e rich prizes the marauders returned to camp, but on the 12th and 13th Wilmington was occupied in force by the British, while the men-of-war " Roebuck" and "Liverpool" laid opposite the town. Many of the British wounded had been brought into Wilmington, and the people at least knew that they were safe from bombardment so long as any of their houses were turned into British hospitals. The two armies confronted each other on the 16th near Warren tavern, twenty three miles from Phila- delphia, and Congress, taking alarm from the near approach, on the 18th adjourned from Phila- delphia to Lancaster, where it assembled on the 27th, but after three days adjourned to meet at York, Oct. 1st. On Sept. 20th Wayne was de- feated at Paoli and five days later the British took possession of Philadelphia, while at the same time the whole British fleet, under command of Admiral Howe, appeared in the Delaware. There were no defenses of the river except the double set of chevaux-de-frise-one just below the mouth of the Schuylkill and protected by Fort Mercer, at Red Bank, on the Jersey shore, and one at Fort Mifflin, on Mud Island. The American flotilla consisted of the sloops-of-war " Delaware," " Mont- gomery" and " Fly" and a number of armed boats, all under the command of Commodore Hazlewood. On September 27th this fleet engaged the British batteries and was beaten off with the loss of the "Delaware." On October 2d, a party of the British crossing the river at Chester, the garrison at Billingsport spiked their guns and hastily fled. A panic seemed to prevail all along the river ; the militia who were to defend Red Bank (afterwards called Fort Mercer) dis- appeared, and those of New Jersey refused to do duty, while from the forts and flotilla there were numerous desertions. Washington having re- ceived intelligence that General Howe had detached a part of his force for the purpose of reducing Billingsport and the forts on the Delaware, called a council of war, the result of which was the decision to attack the enemy in and around Germantown. That battle was fought on October 4th and ended in the defeat of the Americans, although in the early part of the day

247

DELAWARE DURING THE REVOLUTION.

they had vietory within their grasp. The Dela- five thousand pounds upon the loan office of Kent ware battalion was engaged in the battle of County. By the signatures appended to these roco- Germantown, and lost a great number of its men lutions it appears that of the Council there were in killed and wounded. Col. Hall was so severely present valy George Read, Nicholas Vandyke, Thomas Collins, John Baning, John Jones and Peter Hyatt ; and of the House. Richard Lockwood, Samuel West, John Davis. John Clayton, Win. Mollestou, George Craighead, Robert Armstrong, Sanmel Patterson, James Black, Win, Clark, Isaac Lewis, Robert. Bryan and Jacob Stout. wounded that he was never able to take the field again. Capt. Allen MeLane, who commanded an independent company of light cavairy, piloted two regiments that struck the British at Mount Airy, on the Philadelphia road, and drove in the piekets there.

On Des. 24 the Legislature met again, and on the 17th clected Cesar Rodney, Nicholas Van- dyke and Thomas MeKean delegates to Congress for the ensuing year. A bill was passed to borrow from Vincent Loockerman, seven hundred and fitry pounds to purebase clothing for the Dela- ware regiment, then under the command of Lieut .- Colonel Charies Pope at Valley Forge, with Washington's starving and destitute army.

On Dee. 19th General Sullivan was relieved several others, which had broken through the of the command of his division, composed of the two Maryland brigades, then in camp at Valley Forge, and General Smallwood placed in con.mand, with orders to proceed to Wilmington and put "the place in the best postare of defence." He was directed by Washington not to " let any neglect or deficieney on his part impede" his operations, and was "vested with full power to seize and take (passing receipt:) sueh articles" as were wanted for the public service. He was also instructed " to keep officers and men to their duty and to avoid furloughs except in cases of absolute necessity," and was to use his utmost endeavors to collect all stragglers from both of his brigades and to get the men clothed in the most comfortable manner.

each recruit 845 and to allow an officer $35 for every man he might enlist ; the money, 840,000, was to be borrowed from Congress or from any individuals who might be willing to lend it.3 \t the March session the Legislature passed a bill pro- viding against desertion and the harboring of de-er- ters with heavy fines and long imprisonment. Mr. MeKinly being still in the hands of the British and Mr. Read requesting to be relieved of the duties of the executive office, Cæsar Rodney was, on March 31st, elected President for three years, receiving twenty votes out of the twenty-four

1 In the asstult ou Fort Mifflin Captain Hazzard, of Delaware, was wounded.

2 While stationed at Wilmington in April, 1575. General Small wood suppressed an insurrection of Tories at Jordan 's Island, about ten mil. 9 front Dover.

3 In June, 17-0, the allow ince to the recruiting officer for each adwer was intervved to one hundred and ninety dollars, and the sol lieis bonnity to two hundred dollars in addition to the two hundred dollars allowed by Congresd.

The Delaware regiment remained under Washing- ton, who quickly took position at White Marsh. within fourteen miles of Philadelphia. Howe find- ing it difficult to feed his army in the beleaguered eity, determined to open a passage for his fleet up the Delaware. On Oct. 22d Count Donop and his Ilessians assaulted Fort Mereer, but were re- pulsed and he was killed. Fort Mifflin, on the Pennsylvania shore, was bombarded by the ships- of-war "Augusta," "Roebuek," " Merlin" and

obstructions in the channel. These three of the British vessels grounded, and the morning of Det. 23d disclosed their perilous position. Commodore Hazlewood advanced to the attack with twelve galleys and two floating batteries. A hot engage- ment ensued, during which the "Augusta" was set on fire and blown up and the " Merlin" was burned by her own crew. Undaunted by the failure of this attack, Gen. Howe built shore batteries which commanded Fort Mifflin,1 and on Nov. 10th renewed the assault from them and from his fleet. On the 16th the Americans were compelled to evacuate the fort, and Fort Mercer was also abandoned, thus completely opening the river to the British. Commodore Hazlewood succeeded in sending twenty-five galleys and the On the reassembling of the Legislature in Feb- ruary, 1778, measures were taken to reinforce Smallwood's position at Wilmington2 and to bring the regular battalion up to its proper complement of numbers. To accomplish this, four hundred and "Province" sloop up the Delaware past Phila- delphia to a place of temporary safety, but the other American vessels were driven on shore and abandoned, and most of them were burned at Gloucester Point. The British were 'masters of twenty men were needed. and it was resolved to pay the river and bay from Philadelphia to the Atlantie.

The Delaware Legislature met at Dover Oct. 20th with Thomas MeKean, Speaker of the House of Assembly, acting as President of the State in the absence of Mr. MeKinly, who was still held prisoner by the British. George Read was elected Speaker of the Council. The presence of the enemy in the State had deterred many members from attending the session, and a memorial from the freeholders of Sussex County complained that on Oct. 1st they were prevented by an armed force from holding their election. On Oct. 29th it was resolved to raise six hundred militia for the defense of the State, to be paid by a draft of

248

HISTORY OF DELAWARE.

east in the joint convention, and Thomas Rodney vanced to Barren Hill, half-way between Valley was chosen judge of the Admiralty Court in Forze and Philadelphia. It was the first really his place. The President was authorized to raise a company of troops in each county to guard the Delaware shores and capture the Tories who were engaged in trade with the enemy. A long contro- versy ensued between the House of Assembly and the Council on a proposition emanating from the former to demand the resignations of Wm. Killen and John Cook as ju-tices of the Supreme Court, on the ostensible ground that they both resided in the same county, but really because they were aus- pected of disloyalty. The Council refused to assent to their removal in this manner, claiming that under the Constitution of the States they were entitled to impeachment and trial. On May 16th the bill for creating a militia establishment was passed, and in compliance with its provision- George Evans was chosen lieutenant, and Henry Darby and Samuel Smith sub-lieutenants for New Castle County ; Samnel West, lieutenant, anl Francis Manny and Benjamin Coombs sub-lieutenants for Kent; and Henry Neill, lieutenant. and Nathaniel Waples and Charles Moore sub-lieu- tenants for Sussex. Another measure of impor- tance adopted was that " for the further security of the State " which required all citizens to take the oath of fidelity to the Federal and State govern- ment and imposed the duty of bearing arms upon all except members of the Society of Friend-, who were, however, compelled to pay an equivalent for their personal service. A third act provided severe penalties for dealing with the British or furnishing them with supplies, and was accompanied by an act of amnesty to all previously disloyal persons who should consent to take the test oath. On June 20th, Wm. Killen was eleet-d chief justice of the Supreme Court, David Finney a ju-tice in the place of John Cook, and John Jones, the third justice; Killen and Cook having resigned in accord- ance with the request of the House of Assembly. Thomas Rodney was made chief justice of the Kent County Court, and George Craighead was elected commisary general of prisoners.

Strengthened by the recruiting measures taken by the Legislature, the Delaware regiment, now under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Pope,' was stronger in the spring of 1778 than it had been at any other period since its formation. It had shared in the rigid training enforced at Valley Forge by that veteran martinet. Baron Steuben, and out of a special loan of $75.00) made by the State, had received a good supply of arms and clothing. On May 18th it was placed in the corps of observation that, under Lafayette, ad

ind pen leat command of Lafayette as a major- general, and the trust repased in him largely grew out of the fact that on May 7th news had been received of thearmed alliance formed between France and the United States. Capt. Allen MeLane's independent corps of Delaware light cavalry was posted near the Ridge road, in com- pany with fifty Indian scouts, and threw piekets out farther into the forest. On May 19th five thousand British troops were ordered to surprise the camp at Barren Hill, but timely warning of their advance was given by MeLane's videttes and after a small skirmish Lafayette retired to Valley Forze. On June 18th the British began the evacuation of Philadelphia, withdrawing, of course, all the detachments that had haras-ed the country down to and across the Delaware line. Washing- ton crossed the river at Coryell's Ferry, some forty miles above Philadelphia, and in the last week in June the Delaware regiment formed a part of the advanced corps commanded by Lafayette, that the commander-in-chief pushed in the direction of Mommouth, N. J., with orders to " take the first fair opportunity to attack the rear of the enemy." This was the division of the army which was in a few days turned over to the command of General Charles Lee, whose disobedience of Washington's orders at the battle of Monmouth, June 29th, pre- vented the execution of the latter's plans and per- mitted the escape of Sir Henry Clinton's army. The Delawareans participated in this engagement, and marched with Washington to his camp at White Plains on the Hudson. By his order of Sept. 27th, announcing the disposition of the army for the approaching period of winter-quarters, they were assigned with the Maryland and Pennsylvania troops to the camp at Middlebrook, N. J., near the general head-quarters. In December, Col. Pope, Capt. Patten and other officers of the regiment united in petitions and letters to the Legislature representing their lack of clothing and supplies, which. on Dec. 9th, were presented to the Council. Copies were also sent to John Dickinson, who, on Jan. 18, 1779, was elected a delegate to Congress for a year, the other two chosen being Nicholas Vandyke and Thomas MeKean. On Jan. 21st the Legislature directed Mr. Craighead, the clothier-general, to deliver to each field-officer a full suit of clothes or £80 in money ; and also to furnish each field-officer with additional clothing at the prices prevailing when they entered the service, the State to pay the differ- ence between those figures and the present market priec of the goods.

The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union adopted by Congress were submitted to the Delaware Council and House of Assembly in De-

1 Charles Pope lived at Smyrua where he kept a general mer handise store previous to entering the military server. He remained with the regiment until tus resignation, which was accepted by the Legislature un Derember 29, 1779. Soon after the conclusion of the war be removed with bis family to a bow home in Georgia.

249

DELAWARE DURING THE REVOLUTION

cember, 1778, but were not taken into consider- ation until the succeeding month, when a strong objection to some of their features was developed in the Conneil and embodied in resolution- which declared :-

"That this State think it now esity for the peace and safety of the States to be included in the I mon, that a nunderaty extent of houts should be assigned for each of these sites as him to the Mass-ippi of South sea, and that the United States, th Congress assembled, should and ought to have the power of hyiny then westein limits.

"That this state consider theus Ises justly entitled to a right, in common with the other mendays of the Fourth, to that extensive tract of country which ties to the westward of the houtters of the Suited States, the property of which was not seat of the or granted to individuals at the commencement of the present war ; that the same hath beren or may hereafter be gamed from the King of tir . it Rotaam ot the native Indians by the blood an I treasure of all, and ought, therefore, to be a common estate, to be granted out on terms bonet. a to the United states

"That the courts of love mail nehod within the - state te competent for the purpose of determining all route nopjes concerning the private right of soil chame i within the sante, and that they now and it all tones hereafter, ought to have coquizence of all such controversies ; that the indeterminate provision proposed in the ninth article at the Pontedera- tion for deci ling upon controversies that may arise alont -out of those private rights of avit, ten h to tak . aw wy such cogniz itide all Is con- trary to the Declaration of Rights of this state, and, therefore, ought to receive an alteration."

Notwithstanding these objections to these Articles of Confederation which seemed to place no limit upon the westward and southern extension of the then frontier States, while the seaboard members of the Union were already confined to inelastic bound- aries, and the further objection of an invasion of State jurisdiction over internal questions, the Coun- cil satisfied itself with the quoted protest and at the same time authorized its delegates in Congres- to ratify the Confederation, " In firm reliance that the candor and justice of the several states will in due time, as far as possible, remove the objection- able parts thereot." The urzeney of tightening the bond of union between the States, which Wash- ington had forcibly pressed upon Congress and which was set forth in its resolutions, was palpable to the statesmen of Delaware, and with patriotic self- abnegation they waived the immediate interests of their own people for the general benefit of the American cause.

On Jan. 25, 1779, President Rodney trans- mitted to the Assembly the request of General Washington for authority to quarter Pulaski's legion of cavalry within the State, and on Feb. Ist the necessary legislation was passed. It was recruited quite largely while stationed in Delaware. Money was still wanted to procure clothing for the troops in the field, and it was ordered that twelve thousand dollars be appropriated from the fund derived from the sale ot forfeited estates in New Castle County, and the action of Col. Pope in seizing cloths and linen- from various fulling-mills was indorsed.

At the May session of the Legi-lature in this year an art of Congress, passed on the 16th of the preceding December, for annexing Capt. Allen MeLanes company to the Delaware regiment was presented. Washington had already issued an order to the same effect, and Capt. MeLane had

sent in a petition to the Legi-lature praying its sanction to such a disposition of hi- command. This assent was at once granted by resolution of June 1st, and thereafter the company lost its sepa- rate identity. It had become reduced to a -kele- ton foree through hard service, its muster-rolls for March. April. May and June, 1779, showing that while it had nominally nine commissioned and non- commissioned officers, its rank and file numbered but twenty. These rolls embrace the following names :

Captain, Allen MeLine, commissioned January 13, 1777 ; First Lieu- tenant. A. M Dann, commissioned January 11. 1777 ; Second Lieuten- ant, Was. Jones, commissioned January 14, IFHT, killed at Wyoming, April 17, 1770 : First Sergeant, John Edenfield , Serond Sergeant, John Hegan; Third sergeant, George Ruwan ; Pontth sergeant, Robert Farrell, Fuet Corporal, Matthew Cusack; Second Corporal, John Vandergrift ; Drummer, Phuhp Whoylon ; Fifer. Firazer traue.

Privates. James Back, Lillard Berry, Edward Hours, Thomas Finn, Thomas Wells Johu Rowles, Wm, Stratton, Robert soloway, Perry Scott, Charles Me Momgill, Thomas Parker, Barret Alley, Francis Bul- stone, Ezekiel Clark, Lazarus Carmody, James Longo, Heury Haruey- man, Moses Mr Lane, Patrick Dagney an I John Butcher.

Early in June, 1779, the Delaware regiment left Middlebrook and was transferred to the vicinity of Washington's new headquarters, New Windsor, the Commander-in-chief having quitted the Jerseys to take position at the entrance of the Highlands of the Hudson. On the 19th of July, Capt. Me- Lane's company was detailed to the expedition unler Col. Henry Lee that surprised and defeated the British at Paulus Hook, now the site of Jersey City. The command was made up of Capt. Levin Handy's two companies of the Fifth Maryland Regiment, three hundred Virginians and MeLane's Delawarean -. They formed at New Bridge, on the Hackensack River, on the afternoon of the 18th, and took up the line of march at five o'clock for Paulus Hook, twenty miles distant. The troops were divided into three commons and the British works were to be carried at the point of the bay- onet. It was planned that the attack should be made shortly after midnight, but the progress of the Americans was so much delayed that it was after four o'clock on the morning of the 19th before they charged the fortifications. "We," wrote Capt. Handy in a private letter, "advanced with bayonets fixed, paus open, cocks fallen, to prevent any fire on our side ; and believe me when I assure you we did not fire a musket." The as-ault was completely succe-tul. The garrison, which consisted of a detachment of the Sixty-fourth Brit- ish Regiment and a few Hessians, made a stubborn resistance, in the course of which tifty were killed by the American bayonets. About one hundred and sixty prisoners were taken, while Lee's los was but twenty. By daylight he was on the way to the east side of the Hudson, making a march over mountains and through morasses and defiles, his rear threatened by a strong force of the enemy.

After the Paulus Ilook atfair Washington es- tablished his headquarters at West Point and re-

164

250

HISTORY OF DELAWARE.

mained there till December, when the army went into winter-quarters. Throughout the summer much trouble existed in recruiting the regimert to its proper number of men. The Legislature stiove diligently to fill the ranks. By an act passed June 3d it requested President Rodney to apply to General Washington to order three or more officers of the regiment into Delaware on recruit- ing service, and the President was authorized to appoint mustering officers in the State. A bouuty of $80, in addition to the 8200 given by Congress. was offered to each enlisted man, and each officer was promised 8100 for every man whom he evall enlist that might pass the muster. The zum ut 836.000 was appropriated for the execution of these measures and the expenditure placed wkelly in the hands of the President .!

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.

History of Delaware : 1609-1888, Part 60

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898. cn Publication date: 1888 Publisher: Philadelphia : L. J. Richards Number of Pages: 776

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898. cn
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Philadelphia : L. J. Richards
Number of Pages: 776