USA > Delaware > History of Delaware : 1609-1888 > Part 79
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Jefferson Henri Noties, son of Captain Notes, was born in Philadelphia : served in the Mexican War ; was wounded at Pueblo, Mexico ; appointed a second lientenant in the Second Regiment of United States Artillery in 1847 ; resigned his commission in 1956. Has since been engaged in journalismı.
Washington 11 Noues, son of Captain Nones, was born in Phila-1. phia; entered the United states Navy as third assistant engineer ; dird at Pensacola, Florida, september", IS, of yellow fever.
John M. Nones, son of Captain Jones, made a voyage to China, and ou his return was appointed a third lieutenant in the United States Revenue Marine ; died, suddenly, on the Ist of September, 1-5", in the twenty-fourth year of Ins age, on board the cutter "l'orward," lying off Wilmington.
Albert South Nunes, son of Captain Nones, was born in Eastjuert, Maine, while his father wascommander on that station. Whentwoyears old his father was ordered to Wilmington, where the family have anice resided. He was educated at St. Mary's College, and when the war broke out he enlisted in the First Delaware Cavalry. In January, Ist he was commissionedl first lieutenant in the First lo ziment, Delaware In- fantry, and assigned as an ande-de-camp on the statt of General Thomas Smyth, and was beside that officer when he was killed at Funnville, Va. Having served till the Flow of the war in Io, he was commissioned a second bontenant in the Eighth Regiment, Imate A States Infantis In 1×47 he resigned from the army atl entered into civil pur-its. He was an ardert und active member of the Grand Army of the Republic, und an alle on the commander-in-chiefs staff at the time of his derease. Hle died at Wilmington April 21, last, after a brief illness, and was buried with military honors.
Eleventh Regiment of United States Infantry, ... with that command participated in the numerens engagements and triumphant march of Gen. Sent. . army from Vera Cruz to the City of Mexico. Tr .. was the only complete company from the State .. Delaware that went to the Mexican War. The braver of its men. in common with the entire Eleventh Re. . ment, was never questioned. Col. Graham, the : Heroie and much-loved commander. fell dead, pierce by twelve balls in the battle of Molino del Rey, in 1847. Many of the Wilmington boys became sick soon after their arrival in Mexico ; some of them die in the service, while numbers of them were killed w wounded in battle. Lieutenant Joseph S. Hedges. atter leading his company in the battles of Contreras. Molino del Rey and Cherubusco, fell sick of a fever. and returned home December 19, 1847. There were then thirty-five men in his company.
After the treaty of peace was signed the Eleventh Regiment was sent to Fort Hamilton, New York, where the officers and men were mustered out of service.
" A spontaneous meeting of citizens" was held at De Ilaven's Indian King Hotel, between Front and Second Streets, on Market, July 29, 1848. when it wa- decided to give the returning soldiers from the city an enthusiastic welcome. The reception committee was composed of twenty-eight citizens, with Mayor Alexander Porter chairman and William R. Sellars secretary. "The gallant men returned crowned with laurels from the field of glory " August 22, 1848, and they were tendered a banquet in the City Hall, and were received in a speech on behalf of citizens by HIon. John Wales. They were, Lieutenant Columbu- P. Evans, Sergeants Benjamin F. Handy and Abijah Jackson and f. L. Patterson; Privates. Joseph S. Wheeler, Samuel Paul, John Bailey, William Has-am. Levin Stevens, Matthew Gosling. Paul H. Carter. Isaac Hill. Samuel Taylor, Alexander Henderson, George MeMullen and John Crew of Chaytor's Com- pany F, Eleventh Regiment. A few other, returned a day or two later, but the entire number that came back was but a handful of those who went sixteen months before. Of those named two survive-Joseph S. Wheeler, of Wilmington, who did valiant service as an officer in the Civil War, and Benjamin F. Handy. now (1887) keeper of the lighthouse at Fort Mifflin. Sammel Jacobs, a member of the company from Sus- sex County, died at Lerma, Mexico, just as his cont- raules were leaving for home. Lieutenant Evans afterward became mayor of Wilmington.
Henry Rumor, of Brandywine, who enlisted at Wilmington in the regular army, was mortally wounded in the battle of Molino del Rey. Corporal John McMahon an employee at Gareshe's powder- mills, William Russell, Foster Carson, James Dilke and John Schmidt were wounded in the engagement before the city of Mexico. Lieutenant James Tilton. formerly of Wilmington, but who enlisted in an Indiana regiment, was wounded at the storming of Chapultepec.
323
FROM THE TREATY OF GHIENT TO 1860.
John Koontz was killed while standing between Lieu- tenant Evans and Sergeant Jackson, at Cherubusco; - unnel S. Thompson was wounded by the same ball. ticorge Wiralle, Thomas Hughes and John File, natives of Wilmington. served under General Taylor m a regiment of "Louisiana Tigers." whose motto w. : "Do or die."
Sergeant Benjamin S. Hagany, a brave young Wilmingtonian, was killed in the battle of Buena Vista. He had left his native place some years be- fore the Mexican War opened and enlisted in a Mis- si-sippi regiment under the command of Jefferson Davis. He wasa son of John Hagany, a prominent local minister in Asbury Church. Two days before the battle he wrote to his brother in Wilmington, predict- ing that a battle would soon take place and that he would probably be among the -Jain. He bequeathed to his relatives his effects before entering battle.
John L. Donaldson, a native of Wilmington, en- listed in Louisiana and served under General Taylor in all the battles of his memorable campaign. He returned to his home July 9, 1847, and was welcomed by his former associates,
At a publie meeting held in the City Hall, at Wil- mington, April 12, 1847, Dr. James W. Thomson was president and J. W. Duncan, secretary. Congratula- tory resolutions were adopted in recognition of the brilliant victories of General Taylor at Buena Vista and General Scott at Vera Cruz. On April 15th there was a grand demonstration in the city in honor of those victories. One hundred guns were fired at corner of Fourth and Washington Streets by Artillery Company A. There was a parade of local military organizations in the afternoon. In the evening the words " Honor" and "Fame" were reflected upon canvas in front of the City Hall and there was a fine display of fireworks. The streets were brilliantly illuminated.
Midshipman Thomas S. shubriek was killed at the siege of Vera Cruz by a ball from the enemy while poising one of the guns of a battery to fire. He was about twenty-two years old. Six weeks before his death he was in Wilmington. His remains were brought home May 12, 1547, and received by the mayor, president of City Council and a committee of citizens, and by them attended to St. Peter's Catholic Church. The funeral ceremonies took place the next day, and thousands of citizens formed the procession, which moved to the family graveyard of the Du Ponts, on the Brandywine, where the remains were interred.
In the siege of Vera Cruz Midshipman Allen MeLane, a descendant of his namesake of Revolu- tionary fame, performed many chivalrous deeds.
Lieutenant Robert C. Rogers was taken prisoner in the same engagement. Lieutenant George MeLane Was wounded at Cerro Gordo, and afterwards showed great bravery in the engagement before the city of Mexico.
Samuel E. Chambers, known in Taylor's army as
the " Delaware hero," showed undaunted bravery at Monterey. He first mounted the enemy's breast- work-, obtained a foot-hold on the topof an eighteen- pounder and deliberately fired with great effect until the piece was captured by General Worth. Later he was wounded at the battle of Saltillo, and more se- riously wounded at Resaca de la Palma. He stood by Henry Clay's son when he was killed in battle. He brought home to Wilmington, as a trophy, a lance which he captured from Don Mantero, an officer of the Mexican lancers, who was soon afterward killed. The Philadelphia Ledger's New Orleans correspon- dent gives further details of the gallantry and dash of Samuel E. Chambers. He joined the army at Corpus Christi and went with Captain Walker's Texas Rangers to the Rio Grande. On the 1st of May, when Walker made the desperate attempt to ent his way through to Taylor's eamp for the pur- pose of opening communication, Chambers was one of the few men who went with him. In the encoun- ter with the Mexicans they lost all but fifty men ; Chambers had a horse shot under him. He captured another from a Mexican, which shared the same fate as the first, and was the last man to return to camp. Chambers did not admire the discretion of Captain Walker as much as he did his courage, and applied to Captain May for a place in his company in the ex- pected battles of the 8th and 9th. The application was granted, and Chambers was the second man that crossed the Mexican battery in May's charge. He was found, after the battle, lying under his horse, by the side of one of the Mexican pieces, with his shoul- der dislocated and much bruised, and entirely insen- sible. He was removed from the field, and has since recovered from his injuries. The correspondent adds that his comrades gave him the name of the " Hero of Delaware." Some of those who ob-erved his con- duet during the battle say he fought as if he intended to put to flight the whole Mexican army. With his sabre in one hand, he assaulted the men in charge of the battery, and with the other he discharged his pis- tols in their faces. Three bayonet wounds through the body which he received showed how desperate the contest was and how gallantly he stood his ground.
The father of the " Hero of Delaware" was Isaac Chambers, who resided in the State, though some- times living in Philadelphia.
Lieutenant Robert C. Rogers, " whose career in the - Mexican War teemed with adventures equaled only in the pages of romance," arrived in Wilmington Christmas day, 1847, from the " seat of war." He was most enthusiastically received by his friends in Wilmington and New Castle.
In November, 1846, while on board the "Somers," he assisted in destroying the Mexican barque " Cre- ole," near the harbor of Vera Cruz. In the mean time his own vessel was wrecked, and he lost all his effects. Soon afterward he was captured while trying to save a brother officer. He was taken to Vera Cruz and condemned to death as a spy by a civil tribunal,
325
FROM THE TREATY OF GHENT TO 1860.
muse, lest his usefulness in that great question should be in any degree contracted. In the course of a short titise ---
. Mr. Calhoun -'The first conversation was in January, when soll amounted the fact : and the second conversation was in February.
" Mr. Clayton .- ' Yes, the Senator is right. Thus, Mr. President, I f-It exonerated from all responsibility in the matter." . . . On the 24th of April, and between the hours of 12 and i o'clock that day, I was talking with my friend from kentucky ( Mr. Morehead) and I said I had no doubt that we were then at war with Mexico, and Loaded, ' I be- love we have bad a fight." Sportively we land asmall waget on the matter, and it turned ont afterwards, for I made a minute of it, that 1 won the bet by about four houts, for Thompson's dragoons -were ent np dwut four o'clock on the morning of the sune day Well, these events pr called and impressed upon my muing tons great fact . that, while the houses of Congress remained in ignorance, and those who knew conbl not move, the President of the I'nitel States wasordering the army of the I'nited States upon the Rio Grande, and taking a step of which the mevitable consequences proved to be war . . . At the time war was Io lared. I denounced it as the act of the President of the United states. Unt I avowed myself, then, and I have ever since avowed myself ready to vote supplies for the war. I hhjeve that the war was brought on by this thing of marching the army, without any herevity, from Corpus Christi to the Rio Grande ; done, too, while Congress was in spy- sion, without one word having been communicated as to the intention of the President of the United States, either to the Senate or the House, ur to any committee of either House of Congress, or, as far as I have been able to judge, to any member of either House of Congress. Under these circumstances, Mr. President, the responsibility of the war will probably rest on him who ought to bear it."
It was in February, 1846, that John B. Gough lee- tured for the first time on temperance in the Hanover Street Church, Wilmington ; he returned in December of the same year and lectured again.
The Legislature assembled on the 5th of January and elected Dr. William W. Morris Speaker of the Senate; John M. Patterson, clerk ; John Ellegood, sergeant-at-arms; and Lewis Thompson, Speaker of the House; N. B. Smithers, clerk ; and Captain S. Murphy, sergeant-at-arms, All the officers were Whigs. The elcetion of Senator resulted in the election of Presley Spruance by sixteen votes over Martin W. Bates, who received fourteen votes. Thomas Clayton declined re-election. On the 19th of February the House of Representatives of the State passed a bill for the gradual emancipation of slaves.1
A tornado passed over Wilmington on Friday afternoon, June 5, 1846. The day was warm and beautiful, but towards evening clouds appeared in the west and within half an hour a violent storm burst upon the city with terrific fury. Trees in large numbers were blown down, awnings were torn from houses, many roofs removed and a number of houses blown down. It was the universal opinion of all the oldest inhabitants that the city was never before visited by such a storm. The range of it was two miles in width and that part of the city below Seventh Street suffered the greatest injury. The large new covered shed of Betts, Harlan & Hollingsworth's ship- yards was reduced to a perfect wreck. Twenty men were at work on a new iron steamer in the building ; in attempting to escape, two of them were erushed to death by the falling building. The ship-house of Messrs. Thatcher was also entirely destroyed. The workmen all escaped unhurt except two who were
1 Henry Swayno, of Centreville, New Castle County intputuced a hill in the General Asembly February 19, 1-15, for the abolition of .lavery, but it fuled in the senate by the vote of Speaker Morris Mr. "wayne was also antler of the resolution adopted by the Assembly the sume month, committing the State agmust the introduction of slavery into the Territories.
wounded. Asbury Church, the building of the Colored Odd Fellowa on Fifth Street, between Or- ange and Shipley Streets, and many dwellings were uuroofed. The brig "John M. Clayton," the schooner "Gen. Jackson," the steamboat " W. Whill- din " and other smaller vessels were capsized. Dur- ing the same month violent storms visited other places .:
On June 23, 1847, James K. Polk, President of the United States, arrived in Wilmington ou a special train on a trip northward. He was met at the rail- way station by a reception committee of citizens, the City Council, compo-ed of Dr. Henry F. Askew, Spencer D. Eves, John Rice, James Hanly and Wil- liam F. O'Daniel.
The President, his Attorney-General, Nathan Clif- ford, of Maine, mayorof Wilmington, and the president of the City Council rode in an open barouche up French Street to the Brandywine and returned down Market Street to the City Hall, followed by a number of car- riages containing citizens, The President entered City Hall and was greeted by an address from Colonel S. B. Davis, to which he responded briefly. After dinner he left in the steamer "Washington " for Philadelphia, accompanied by the following gentle- men of Wilmington : Alexander Porter, Henry Hicks (collector of the port), William R. Sellers, Edward G. Bradford, William P. Chandler, Charles Gordon, John Wales, John Connell, William Camp- bell, William G, Whitely, Jeremiah W. Duncan and James A. Bayard.
The President rode from Baltimore to Wilmington in an elegant ear which was made by Bush & Lob- dell, and this was its first trip. It was forty-eight feet long. eight and a half feet wide, with seating ca- paeity of forty-six persons.
Lewis Cass, in 1848, as the Democratic candidate for President of the United States against Zachary Taylor, visited Wilmington. He was accompanied by I'nited States Senators Benton, Allen, Houston, Ilan- negan and Foote. They arrived from Washington at 1.30 r. M., were escorted to City Hall, where James A. Bayard received them with an eloquent speech. Fifteen hundred people crowded into the hall. Gen- eral Cass responded to the address of welcome. He mentioned in his speech that just fifty years before he had been a teacher of a school in Wilmington. A few of his pupils were in the audience. Ile was then sixty-eight years old. Short speeches were made by all the distinguished men who accompanied him. In the evening the party, escorted by a delegation under the lead of Vice-President George MI. Dallas, pro- ceeded to Philadelphia.
: The Philadelphia Keystone, June 12, 1416, ignorantly says: "It is now ascertained beyond a doubt that the telographie wire now in oper .- Holt between Philadelphia, New York, Wilonington and Badtiminge ts the curse of the heavy and repeated rains we have had ever since they were erected. The eleetry thud is attracted by their zalsahte power and that sympathy watch exists between gasse, added to the wonderful an I mysterious opp iation of tritare, produce this worlditut phenomena which we leave for the philosopher to explain more fully and scientih cally."
326
IHISTORY OF DELAWARE.
Abraham Lincoln, while a member of Congress from Illinois, in 1848 during the political campaign which resulted in the election of President Tayior, made a speech from the balcony of the Atheneum, which stood at the east end of Fourth Street Market-House, Wilmington. Very little is recorded or remembered of what he said, except that it was one of his character- istic speeches which made him famous as a campaign orator.
His remains vere conveyed through the city in at special train from Washington to Philadelphia, Fat- urday evening, April 22, 1565. Hundreds of per- sons from Wilmington went to Philadelphiat the next day to view the remains as they lay in State at Inde- pendence Hall.
The long-standing controversy between the United States and the States of Delaware and New Jersey, for the ownership of the Pea Patch Island, in the Delaware River, was submitted to the sole arbitra- tration of the Hon. John Sergeant, a distinguished lawyer of the Philadelphia bar, before whom the merits and law of the case were argued at great length by James A. Bayard and John M. Clayton, on the part of the United States, Messrs. George M. Bibb and John II. Eaton on the part of New Jersey. Mr. Sergeant delivered his award on the 15th of January, 1818, in favor of the United States. The boundary line between New Jersey and Delaware, as determined in this award, starts from the highest part of the Delaware where it touches New Jersey, down to within twelve miles of New Castle, the mid- dle of the river being the west boundary of New Jersey. From that point, south for the next twenty- four miles, the State of Delaware runs entirely across the river to low-water marsh on the Jersey shore. After that, the middle line of the river (or bay, as it soon becomes) is again the boundary and so continues till its termination in the Atlantic Ocean.
The largest publie meeting that, perhaps, was ever held in the State,'assembled in Wilmington on January 21, 1848, of the friends and supporters of General Taylor. General N. Young presided, and resolutions were adopted recommending General Taylor for the President of the United States as the people's candidate. Meetings throughout the state were advised to be called. The meeting was address. ed by J. Wales of Wilmington and P. K. Smith of Philadelphia.
Soon after the early and successful battles in the Mexican War and before the Presidential question had been much agitated, the name of General Taylor be- gan to be mentioned in connection with the Presi- deney of 1848. The Whig National Convention met in Philadelphia on June 7th, and he was nominated on the 9th, John M. Clayton of Delaware receiving one vote. Messrs. Cass and Butler were the Demo- eratie nominees. At the fall election P. Reybold, Samuel Cotts and G. 11. Wright, the Whig electors, carried the State, also the Whig Representative in Congress, and elected a majority of that party in the
Legislature. In 1850 a Temperance party was or- ganized in the State, which nominated Thomas Lockwood of Frederica, Kent County. for Governor. and Dr. Waite of New Castle for Congress. A Bani- ber of the Whigs supported this ticket, which result. ed in the election of Williams 1. How, the Ihmno- cratie nominee for Governor, by a small majority ; Mr. Riddle for Congress and the rest of the Demo- cratie ticket. The Democrats had now for the first time in many years entire control of the State Government. Hon. John M. Clayton entered Presi- dent Taylor's Cabinet March 7, 1819, but upon the death of the President, July 9, 1850, and the acce- sjon of Millard Fillniere,' he was succeeded on July 20, 1850, by Daniel Webster. As soon as Mr. Clay- ton retired from President Taylor's Cabinet he re- turned to Delaware and immediately assumed the leadership of his party, which was now on the wane. The Legislature had passed a law for the convening of a convention to amend the Constitution of the State. This was not as was alleged in accordance with the provision contained in the Constitution of 1851, and as Mr. Clayton was bitterly opposed to the calling of a convention, he fought the campaign of 1852 on that issue. The Whigs carried the House of Representatives by a majority of three, but as the Democrats had six members of the Senate who held over, they still had a majority of one on joint ballot.
The Whigs nominated Mr. Clayton for United States Senator, but the Democrats refused for several weeks to go into joint ballot. In the mean time a violent attack was made upon the honor of Mr. Clay- ton in the United States Senate by Messrs. Stephen A. Douglas, Lewis C'ass and Mason, of Virginia, charging him with duplicity in the Clayton-Bulwer treaty negotiations. As soon as John Sorden, a
1 Millard Fillmore, the thirteenth President of the United States, and his entire Cabinet, on their way to New York, stopped at Wilmington for one hour on Monday, May 12, 15H. Mayor Columbus P. Evans, the City Council and a committee of citizens went to Elkton in a special var to meet the distinguished ports. At Elliton they were received in a best speech by Hon. John Wales, president of the citizens' committee, and at one o'clock the train arrived in Wilmington. A procession was formed which moved to City Hall, where the mayor delivered an address of welcome and the President responded as follows :
"MR. MAYOR, -Permit nie, str. to return yum my most cordial and heartfelt thanks for this generous reception, and could I for a moment suppose that it was to me personally I should be overwhelmed. It is but a tribute from the authorities and citizens of Delaware to the government under which we have, and an evidence of her devotion to the glorious Union midler which we have so long prospetell You say truly that Delaware set her first seal to the national constitution, and when I look around me and are the intelligence of this noble state here assembled I can well believe that she will be the best to disgrace it. Other states may excel in jogadlation, hint nune can sorjeis Jon 11 justriotisto. I minst neain reiterate my warmest thanks for thi- go the tous reception, bune on behalf of my associates than myself."
Hon John F. Crittenden also made a speech. A delegation fr m Phila- deldon, headed by Mayor Gifjan of that city, a native of Wilmington. arrived to meet the President at the morning boat, and were entertained at Foster's Italian Ogren Hotel. At two del ek the President and the entur party left on the teamboat " Roger Williams" top Philadelphia A- they passed to the bod the revenge datter " Forward" and a national salute. A rich banquet, prepared for the cureation, was partaken of ull the way up the Belowue. The members of President Fillmore . Clouet who are unpainted hon were banned Webster, Seinetary of State. Thomas forwin, secretary of the Pressing ; John f. kento by secretar of the Nasy , Thomas Ewine, Seenbay of the InterFE; Jeim J fattomolen, Attorney-General Daniel Walter in the evening made a great speech in front of the Ufoted states Hotel in philad. hdit ..
Peter A Causey
327
FROM THE TREATY OF GHENT TO 1860.
De mocratie member of the State Senate and a per- . mal friend of Mr. Clayton, heard of the charges made against Mr. Clayton, he annonneed his deter- mination to vote to go into joint ballot so as to en- Me liim to vote for his friend that he may go back to the Senate and defend himself. The dead-lock w., thus broken and Mr. Clayton was elected United whites Senator. Franklin Piercel was elected Presi- Heut in 1853, having received the electoral vote of Delaware. The campaign was the In-t fought by the Whigs, as the majority of that party drifted into the " American" party. This party was very -neves-ful in the campaign of 1854, electing P. F. Causey Governor and the entire " American " ticket. hy an aggregate majority of about one thousand votes. Peter Foster Causey, who was elected Gov- ernor of the State from 1sotto 1ss, was in many respects a very remarkable man. He was born near Bridgeville, in Sussex County, January 11, 1801. He was the son of Peter F. and Tamzey Causey. Ilis father early in life was an intelligent and progressive farmer and a man of fine capabilities. When the son was four years old his parents moved to Caroline County, Maryland, and his father there engaged in agricultural pursuits until 1815, when they moved to Milford. The bent of mind of both father and son was to engage in a business, giving an opportunity for the development of their native energy and capacity more than farming afforded in that early day. The edneation of the son was completed by the time he was sixteen years old. and he then began a brilliant and prosperous career in the mercantile business at the present site of the First National Bank of Milford, the firm from 1817 to the time of his father's death being Peter F. Causey & Son. The merchandise sold in their store was purchased in Philadelphia and New York, and the son, when in his seventeenth year, regularly thereafter went to those cities to make the purchases. His knowledge of business seems to have come to him by intuition, a- his transactions at so early an age were marked by that quickness of perception, extraordinary jung- ment and keen foresight, which were his distinguish- ing traits through life. The trip to New York was then made by stage, ta'ling nearly a week from Mil-
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