USA > Delaware > History of the state of Delaware, Volume I > Part 10
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In June, 1778, an Act was passed to prevent the exportation of provisions from the State beyond the seas for a limited time. The flour mills on the Brandywine, at that time eight in number, were an important factor to the American army, especially during the trying winter of 1777-78 when the army was encamped at Valley Forge. Many of the public records and papers of the State had been captured and removed by the British when they raided the State in September, 1777. A year later General Samuel Patterson, who had been ap- pointed to recover the lost papers, reported to the Legislature that he had succeeded in procuring and bringing back to the State most of the records that had been taken, and his ex- penses, amounting to about $500, were paid by the State. On December 5th, 1778, an order was drawn in favor of Thomas Rodney for $10,000 to pay for clothing purchased for the Delaware Regiment.
On February 1, 1779, the Legislature gave legal permission for the quartering of " Pulaski's Legion of Cavalry " within this State, and while here the Legion was largely recruited.
Back in 1776, June 11th, a committee of one delegate from each of the colonies was appointed to prepare to digest the form of a confederation to be entered into between the colo- nies. Thomas Mckean was the member of the committee from Delaware. A plan was drawn by John Dickinson and sub- mitted on the 12th of July. This plan was not approved, and sixteen months elapsed before the plan of a confederation was reached. In November, 1777, the Articles of Confederation were transmitted to the several Legislatures of the colonies,
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with the recommendation that the respective delegates be authorized to ratify the same in Congress, and a circular letter accompanied the article, commending the plan as securing the freedom, sovereignty and independence of the United States, as the best adapted to the circumstances of all, as the only one which afforded the prospect of a general ratification, as essen- tial to the very existence of a free people, and without which they might soon bid adieu to independence, liberty and safety. As a result of this, by July, 1778, ten States conferred au- thority on their delegates to sign the articles. Of the remain- ing three, New Jersey ratified in November, 1778, Delaware in February, 1779, and Maryland in March, 1781. The Del- aware delegate objected to the method of voting in Congress, the rules for apportioning taxes, and the disposition of vacant western lands.
The State's quota of the Continental tax for the year 1778 was $60,000, and this was ordered paid on February 2, 1779, and also $150,000 for the year 1779. These amounts were used for national expenses. On February 3rd, $198,000 was ordered raised for the service of the State for the year 1779 by a general tax ; $66,000 to be raised in each county. The Clothier-General of the State was ordered to draw on the State Treasurer for 2500 pounds to provide linen for the Delaware regiment, and 850 pounds was ordered drawn and paid to the fulling mills for the cloth from which the Delaware regiment was clothed. In May, $12,000 was voted to the Clothier- General from the sale of forfeited estates in New Castle County for clothing for the officers of the Delaware regiment. In May, 1779, President Rodney suspended the prohibition of exportation of provisions from the state in relation to Massa- chusetts, as the latter was suffering for want of supplies, and a little later this suspension was also extended to Bermuda.
An Act for raising the further sum of $495,000 for the year 1779 by general taxation was passed in June.
On June 1st, Captain Allen McLane's partisan company of foot, reduced to nine commissioned and non-commissioned
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officers and 20 rank and file, was ordered to be annexed to the Delaware regiment. Congress had ordered this previously, and Washington had issued an order to the same effect. More will be said of this company later.
To encourage the officers of the Delaware regiment, an act was passed June 5, 1779, giving them extra rum, tea, coffee, chocolate and sugar, and pensioning them on half pay for life, instead of for seven years, from the end of the war, and if the officers should die in service, pensioning the widows of such officers on half pay for their lifetime also.
Much of the time of the Legislature during this summer, was spent in recruiting the Delaware regiment. General Washington was asked for more recruiting officers, and the bounty was raised to $80 besides the $200 allowed by Con- gress. Every officer was allowed $100 for each soldier he en- listed who passed muster. The embargo was continued on the exportation of wheat, rye, flour, corn, bread, beef, bacon and other provisions from the state, except for the use of the army ; but an amendment was added permitting exportation of grain and flour, provided vessels carrying them away should return with imports to be sold within this state. Thursday, December 9, 1779, was appointed a day of Thanksgiving.
The next session, for some unknown reason, began in Wil- mington, November 29, 1779, and on December 14th a com- plaint from the officers of the Delaware regiment was received, because the resolutions of the previous session regarding clothes and provisions for them had not been carried out. This appeal brought about an appropriation of 15,000 pounds to furnish the officers properly. On December 22, 1779 the two houses met in joint session and elected John Dickinson, Nicholas Van Dyke and George Read delegates to Congress for the ensuing year. Mr. Read declined further service in Congress, and Thomas Mckean was elected in his place.
The winter of 1779-80 witnessed great financial troubles. Massachusetts had proposed a commission to meet in Phila- delphia, to fix the prices of produce, merchandise and labor
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in each of the states, for prices had become very high, owing to the depreciated paper currency.
George Latimer and the three representatives in Congress were made the commissioners from Delaware, and while Dela- ware was ready to join in a general endeavor to restrict the cost of the necessaries of life, she resented any interference in private home affairs. Congress had enacted that any state failing to limit the price of articles to twenty-fold the prices in 1774, should be charged in the public accounts with the aggregate amount of the difference in prices paid after Febru- ary 1, 1780. Delaware had not so restricted her merchants and dealers, and there were many articles that cost forty or fifty times as much in 1780 as they did six years before. The Delaware delegates in Congress were instructed to procure the repeal of this "infringement on the rights and liberties of the people inconsistent with the freedom and independence thereof." This was not done, but Delaware passed an act establishing the profit which a man might make on an article which he bought to sell again, and providing fine and impris- onment for demanding a higher price.
On December 23, 1779, the guardhouse, magazine and works on Christiana Creek, near Wilmington, were ordered sold, as they were useless and going to ruin. An act for rais- ing $1,360,000 in the Delaware State between February 1st and October 1, 1780, for general service, was passed December 27, 1779. On December 29, each commissioned officer in the Delaware regiment, in addition to the clothing before allowed, was granted a hat, and the legislature then adjourned to meet at its next session in Lewes, Sussex county.
Congress had called each of the United States for their respec- tive quotas of $15,000,000 monthly from February 1st to Oc- tober 1st. Delaware's share, computed monthly, was $170,000, amounting in the whole eight months to $1,360,000, " for the purpose of carrying on the just and necessary war in which we are now engaged."
The Legislature of the State which met on March 28, 1780,
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conferred certain privileges and immunities on the subjects of his most Christian Majesty, the King of France, within this State; it also passed an act for furnishing supplies for the army of the United States for the ensuing campaign, and appointed Wednesday, the 26th of April, a day of fasting, humiliation and prayer. The legal tender function of the Continental currency was ordered enforced. This extra ses- sion ended on April 16, 1780.
The Legislature convened again in June, at Dover, and passed an act for furnishing the Continental Treasury with $132,800, by loan, on the credit of the State. Also, since by this time the Delaware regiment had joined the Southern De- partment, it was ordered that money be sent in place of stores and provisions to the regiment, because of the impracticability of sending the latter so far. For further recruiting the regi- ment the President was empowered to appoint one or more persons in each county to aid in filling up the regiment. One hundred and ninety dollars were allowed the recruiting officers for each man enlisted, who passed muster; and a bounty of $200 above the $200 allowed by Congress was given to every enlisted soldier. And an act for procuring an imme- diate supply of provisions within the States for the army of the United States was passed, June 21, 1780, and then the legislature adjourned.
At its session in November, 1780, two months' pay in specie was granted to the officers of the regiment made prisoners at the battle of Camden, and to Captain James Moore and Lieu- tenant John Hyatt prisoners on Long Island, and one month's pay, in specie, to the other officers of the command in the Southern Department. $85,000 was appropriated to buy the needful specie and the necessary supplies and stores for the men. The filling up of the regiment was aided by ordering all officers not assigned to particular duty to engage in recruit- ing. On November 4, 1780, an Act was passed directing President Rodney to arm and fit out a vessel of not less than sixty tons to cruise against the British and Tories, who were
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interrupting and impeding trade on the bay, and to ask Penn- sylvania and New Jersey to aid in this.
Thursday, the 7th day of December, was appointed a day of Thanksgiving and prayer, according to an Act of Congress, and the next session of the Legislature was ordered to meet in New Castle on January 13, 1781. The first thing of import- ance at this session was electing Thomas Rodney, Thomas McKean and Nicholas Van Dyke delegates to Congress for the year 1781, and during this session of Congress Thomas Mc- Kean was elected President of that body. A further Act for recruiting the Delaware regiment was passed. Bills of credit previously issued were called in and cancelled and new bills were emitted and funded, and for this purpose $2,266,666 was ordered to be raised in seven months. The Legislature ad- journed to meet in Lewes in June, 1781. It met again on June 5th. The enlisting and recruiting of men for the Dela- ware battalion in the South was pushed and three hundred men were recruited, but, as will be seen later, they did not join Kirkweed in the Carolinas immediately, but took part in the siege of Yorktown first. 7,875 pounds in specie was ordered raised by general taxation for the service of the year 1781. The Assembly convened again at Dover on October 25th, and as General Washington with a part of his army was expected to pass through this State on his way to the South, by way of Christiana Bridge, a committee was appointed to buy provisions and forage to the value of 1,000 pounds specie for the supply of the army while there. Provisions were made for protecting the trade of the Delaware Bay and River by ordering fitted out and put in proper condition "The State Schooner 'Vigilant,' now lying at Wilmington, her tackle, apparel and furniture, and such arms, ammunition and other articles as belong to her (this boat had been ordered fitted out just a year previously), and also the State Barge, or long boat, at the Cross Roads in Kent County, and 300 pounds in specie was paid out for this. The 13th day of December, 1781, was appointed a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, according
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to an order of Congress, and power was vested in Congress to levy a duty of 57 cents ad valorem on certain goods and mer- chandise imported into this State, and on prizes condemned in the Court of Admiralty. This was repealed in June, 1783. 23,625 pounds in specie was ordered raised for the service of the year 1782. 475 pounds was voted for clothing for the troops under Captain McKennan. S25 pounds for the same purpose for the regiment in the South under General Greene, and the Legislature adjourned on November 14th to meet again at Dover on January 9th, 1782. Four persons were to be elected as delegates to Congress for the year 1782, and Philemon Dickinson, Thomas Mckean, Caesar Rodney and Samuel Wharton were chosen on February 2nd. They were instructed to make such agreements among themselves that the State would always be represented in Congress, and to "strenuously promote, with the greatest diligence, measures efficacious for maintaining and securing the freedom, inde- pendence and happiness of the United States in general and this State in particular." They were to endeavor to amend the Articles of Confederation so as to have a final settlement of the boundaries of the States " whose claims are immoderate," and to bring up and have settled the subject of the property of the islands in the Delaware River. On February 5th the State Schooner Vigilant was ordered sold, and the first census of the State was ordered taken.
Meeting again in June, 1782, it was unanimously resolved, on the 19th of the month, that Congress alone had power to determine on peace and war and to enter into treaties and alli- ances, and that any man or body of men endeavoring to enter into a treaty of peace with Great Britain without the authority of Congress should be considered and treated as enemies of the States. An inviolable adherence between France and the United States was advocated, and the whole power of the States pledged to carry on the war until a peace consistent with the Union and National faith was obtained.
The minutes of the October session of the General Assembly
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are lost, but from the few papers extant it is found that Thursday, the 28th day of November, was appointed a day of Thanksgiving, and the State determined not to advance money, clothing or the necessaries as pay to any of the officers or men in the army of the United States, in accordance with an Act of Congress determining that " no money paid by any of the States, as pay for the year 1782, be considered as ad- vanced in behalf of the United States."
The first session of the year 1783 met at Dover in January, and on January 14th John Dickinson announced his election as President of the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsyl- vania, and resigned his office as President of the Delaware State. John Cook, of Kent County, the Speaker of the Coun- cil, became President and the executive head of the state, having really held the position since November 4th of the previous year. Announcement was also made of the arrival of the Delaware regiment from the South at Christiana Bridge on the 8th of January. A bill of 481 pounds was paid to the Clothier-General of the State for the regiment. On February 1, 1783, Nicholas Van Dyke was elected President of the State by a vote of eighteen out of thirty cast, and Caesar Rodney, James Tilton, Eleazar Macomb and Gunning Bedford, Jr., were chosen delegates to Congress for the year. That the in- terest and patriotism of the state did not abate, when the reg- iment was no longer in service, is evidenced by an act for enlisting fifty-four men to fill up the regiment again, and providing half pay for the widows of the officers killed in the service. On tlie reassembling of the Assembly in the last of May, 1783, nothing of importance occurred until June 5th, when President Van Dyke officially announced the treaties of peace between Great Britain and the United States. 12,000 pounds were ordered paid the national Superintendent of Finance, in compliance with a requisition of Congress, and during this session the mucli-agitated question of the lands northwest of the Ohio was brought up again ; the Legislature of Virginia having ceded this land to the United States. The
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Delaware Assembly instructed their delegates to Congress to demand a part of this land for Delaware. A tombstone was ordered to be erected over the grave of Colonel John Haslet, the commander of Delaware's first regiment, and 20 pounds was voted to defray the expense. Even at this time the boun- dary line between Delaware and New Jersey was debated, for the delegates to Congress were appointed commissioners June 21, 1783, to join with like commissioners from Pennsylvania and New Jersey, for the purpose of settling and establishing the line of jurisdiction between Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and for ascertaining and establishing the right of this State to the islands in the Bay and River of Delaware. No mention is made of their meeting or acting in any way. An Act was passed for raising 22,500 pounds for the service of the year 1783.
The Council of Safety was a body about which very little information can be obtained-indeed only an occasional meil- tion of it is found here and there-but this body was of much importance in the State. It was composed of seven members from each county, and was charged with the safety of the col- ony by the General Assembly. Its duties, of course largely military, are uncertain and perhaps were indefinite; but it seems to have spent most of its energy in raising and embody- ing the militia, in examining men suspected of treason and in compelling retraction by those uttering treasonable sentiments. Notice of several recantations and apologies are found in the old newspapers.
However, the militia was the greatest care of the Council of Safety. The militia had existed before the Revolution called it into active service. Watson's " Annals of Philadelphia " state that in 1704 three companies were raised in New Castle County, two in Kent and two in Sussex, but nothing more is heard of it until 1755 when an Act was passed reviving a previous Act for establishing a militia within this government. In 1756, the Lieutenant-Governor was ordered, in pursuance of an Act of the General Assembly for " ordering and regulat-
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ing such as are willing and desirous to be united for military purposes," to unite the militia companies of each county into one regiment to be called by the name of the county, provided there were eight companies in the county. In 1757, after the Lieutenant-Governor had urged on the Assembly the need of re-establishing the militia, another Act was passed for that purpose.
Military preparations for the Revolution began in the state before the battle of Lexington, and arrangements for enroll- ment and equipment were carried out. On December 21, 1774, the New Castle County Committee of the Council of Safety met and resolved that the militia was in excellent con- dition, and recommended the inhabitants of the County between sixteen and fifty years of age to assemble on the sec- ond Tuesday in January, 1775, to enroll themselves into com- panies, to choose officers and to endeavor to master military exercises ; and further recommended that each man be pro- vided with firelock, bayonet, powder and horn, and lead and bullet pouch. Evidently this was done, not only in New Castle County but in the other counties also, for the captains and subaltern officers of New Castle County met at Christiana Bridge March 20, 1775, and, having divided the county into two divisions, elected John McKinly Colonel, James Latimer Lieutenant-Colonel and Thomas Duff Major for the upper di- vision, and Thomas Cooch Colonel, Samuel Patterson Lieuten- ant-Colonel and Gunning Bedford Major for the lower division; on March 25th, the officers of twenty companies of Kent County militia met at Dover, divided the county into two divisions and chose Caesar Rodney Colonel, Thomas Collins Lieutenant-Colonel and French Battell Major for the upper division, and John Haslet Colonel, William Rhodes Lieuten- ant-Colonel and Robert Hodgson Major for the lower; and Sussex County organized in convention at Broad Creek on June 20, 1775, with Colonel John Dagworthy as chairman. As this was simply for organization, no election of field officers was held (this was done afterwards, as will be seen later), but
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the minutes report that "military preparations for self-defence against the bloody attacks of an infatuated British ministry are being carried out with great spirit, and it is expected to have fifteen hundred or more well-trained militia, and the committee are endeavoring to obtain the necessary supplies of military stores." Dr. James Tilton wrote to Dr. Jonathan Elmer, of New Jersey, about this time, "Our militia is now completely formed throughout the government and it com- pletely disgraces a man not to enrol." The Assembly pre- viously had assented to keeping up an armed force, and unan- imously assumed its share of the expense.
The Council of Safety held a meeting at Dover on Septem- ber 11, 1775 and at that time John MeKinly was President of it. The time of this session was spent perfecting the military organization which embraced at this time nine battalions. Three of New Castle County, commanded by John McKinly, Thomas Cooch and Richard Cantwell were formed into one brigade with McKinly as brigadier. This would indicate that since March another battalion had been raised in this County. Two in Kent County under Caesar Rodney and John Haslet, with the Western Battalion of Sussex County, were made one brigade under Rodney. And in Sussex, three under John Dagworthy, David Hall and Jacob Moore were organized into a brigade under Dagworthy. Subsequently Rodney was made Major-General, and, as such, was in entire command of the State militia, and Thomas Collins was chosen to the Brigadier- Generalship thus vacated. As commander, Rodney twice led some of the troops into active service ; once during the Prince- ton campaign of January, 1777, when he was in command of the post at Trenton, holding this for two months, and again during the invasion of this State just before the battle of Brandywine.
McKinly, in a letter to George Read from Wilmington, December 4, 1776, says, " Many of the militia in this place and around here liave discovered a noble ardor to go and as- sist, as far as is in their power, their brethren of Philadelphia,
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but will not enter for the time proposed by the Committee (of Safety). Some proposed that I should issue orders calling fortlı the militia to march, but this I could not in the present case apprehend that I could properly do-so I thought it better to wait until the General Council have met." The mil- itia was called ou at this " darkest hour of American liberty " and Thomas Rodney (Caesar's brother) with a Dover com- pany, and Major Duff with three New Castle County com- panies left to join Washington's army on the west bank of the Delaware River opposite Trenton. That was all that could be embodied immediately, but more companies under Thomas Collins followed, and Caesar Rodney, as has been said, was in charge there with the Delaware militia after the battle.
McKinly's attitude, as expressed in his previous letter, seems to have been misunderstood, for Duff thought he was discour- aging the men from marching. Probably something was wrong with the mode of enlistment, for another Act for estab- lishing a militia and a supplement to the Act were passed in this year, 1777. As has been said, Major Duff with his com- panies did not reach the army until after the battle of Trenton, but joined it shortly afterwards, for there is a letter extant from George Evans, a captain of the militia, to George Read, from Morristown, the headquarters, dated January 16, 1777. He mentions the desertion of some and the sickness of others, remarking that the number of the militia was thus depleted.
This detachment returned home about February 1, 1777, bearing this letter from General Mifflin to George Read :
31st Jan., '77.
" Dear Sir : I have the pleasure to inform you that the detachment of Dela- ware militia, commanded by Major Duff. from your State, have served the term of their enlistment with credit to themselves and satisfaction to me under whose command in New Jersey they happened to serve.
"The officers in particular deserve the thanks and esteem of their country for the readiness shown by them to turn out on all occasions. Major Duff, by a mistake in orders, was prevented from joining me on the march to Trenton ; but I have every reason to believe that he exerted himself on all occasions when his duty and my orders were clearly made known to him, and I do not recollect one
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