USA > Delaware > History of the state of Delaware, Volume I > Part 11
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single instance in which his spirit and zeal were not equal to those of any other officer of my brigade.
" I have the honor to be very respectfully your humble servant,
THOMAS MIFFLIN, Brigadier General."
The next service in which the militia is mentioned was when Howe landed at the head of Elk to march to Philadel- phia in September, 1777. Rodney hastened to collect all the militia that he could in Keut and New Castle Counties, and stationed himself south of Washington's headquarters in Wil- mington, at Noxontown, near Middletown. From Rodney's letters at this time there seems to have been considerable re- luctance in the militia, particularly in New Castle County, to come to the front. Now that the enemy was so near, the "noble ardor " had died out from a white heat to a very dull glow. However, Rodney had about four hundred men with him. The account of the movements at this time and at the battle of Cooch's Bridge is given elsewhere.
No further mention of the militia is found, but acts were passed in 1780, '81 and '82 for establishing and embodying the militia, each one apparently caused by some defect in the previous acts.
Before the Declaration of Independence a regiment was raised by Dr. John Haslet, of Dover, composed of eight com- panies and numbering eight hundred men.
Captain Enoch Anderson, in his " Personal Recollections," says : " I was appointed a second lieutenant in the first com- pany in the Delaware regiment in August or September, 1775. We had no arms, but were busy throughout the winter of 1775 and '76 training our men as well as we could without arms." The Council of Safety of the three lower counties on the Delaware recommended to Congress the names of several persons for officers, from whom Congress chose the following : Under date of January 19, 1776, the Journals of Congress say : " The ballots being taken, John Haslet was elected Colonel, Gunning Bedford, Lieutenant Colonel, and John MacPherson,
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GENERAL HISTORY OF THE STATE.
Major." However, the latter had been killed, as an aid to General Montgomery, in the storming of Quebec on December 31, 1775, but the news of his death had not reached Congress at the time of the election. On March 22 the Journal records the election of Thomas MacDonough as Major.
An old British Captain, Thomas Holland, left the British army " from principle," it is said, and joined the regiment. He was appointed adjutant, and being well up on on military tactics and a good disciplinarian, he made rapid progress in organizing and drilling the regiment.
The roll of the regiment in January, 1776, follows :
Date of Commission.
Colonel, John Haslet,
January 19, 1776.
Lientenant-Colonel. Gunning Bedford,
Jannary 19, 1776.
Major, Thomas MacDonough,
March 22, 1776.
Surgeon, James Tilton, M. D.
Chaplain, Joseph Montgomery.
Adjutant, Thomas Holland.
Quartermaster, Robert Bail.
FIRST COMPANY.
Captain, Joseph Stidham,
January 13, 1776.
First Lieutenant, Lewis Howell,
January 13, 1776.
Second Lieutenant, Enoch Anderson,
January 13, 1776.
Ensign, Thomas Holland,
January 13, 1776.
SECOND COMPANY.
Captain, Jonathan Caldwell,
January 15, 1776.
First Lieutenant, John Patten,
January 15, 1776.
Second Lieutenant, George McCall,
January 15, 1776.
Ensign, James Stevens,
January 15, 1776.
THIRD COMPANY.
Captain, David Hall,
January 16, 1776.
First Lieutenant, Jonathan Harney,
January 16, 1776.
Second Lieutenant, John Learmouth,
January 16, 1776.
Ensign, Cord Hazzard, .
January 16, 1776.
FOURTH COMPANY.
Captain, Henry Darby, First Lieutenant, Robert Kirkwood, Jr.,
January 17, 1776.
January 17, 1776.
Second Lieutenant, William Popham,
January 17, 1776.
Ensign, Peter Jaquett, Jr.,
January 17, 1776.
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GENERAL HISTORY OF THE STATE.
FIFTH COMPANY.
Captain, Charles Pope,
January 18, 1776.
First Lieutenant, James Wells,
January 18, 1776.
Second Lieutenant, Alexander Stewart, Jr.,
January 18, 1776.
Ensign, John Willson,
January 18, 1776.
SIXTH COMPANY.
Captain, Nathan Adams,
January 19, 1776.
First Lieutenant, James Moore,
January 19, 1776.
Second Lieutenant, James Gordon,
January 19, 1776.
Ensign, Thomas Nixon, Jr.,
January 19, 1776.
SEVENTH COMPANY.
Captain Samuel Smith,
January 20, 1776.
First Lieutenant, John Dickson,
January 20, 1776.
Second Lieutenant, James MacDonough, Jr.,
January 20, 1776.
Ensign, Abram Carty,
January 20, 1776.
EIGHTH COMPANY.
Captain, Joseph Vaughan,
January 21, 1776.
First Lieutenant, Joseph Truitt,
January 21, 1776.
Second Lieutenant, John Perkins,
January 21, 1776.
Ensign, William Vaughan,
January 21, 1776.
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Captain Caldwell's second company in this regiment was the one from which the name " Blue Hen's Chickens" is de- rived. Tradition says that Captain Caldwell took with his company game roosters from the brood of a blue hen, justly famed for their fighting qualities, and that the officers and men when not fighting the enemy, amused themselves fight- ing chickens.
Considering the scarcity of food at times, it is doubtful whether the chickens, if they existed, could have lived long. There is another tradition that their flag bore the inscription " Blue Hen's Chickens," and this is more likely, though it would seem to be the effect and not the cause of the name. The best explanation is that their grit and dash earned for them the name of "Caldwell's Gamecocks," which by reason of their blue uniforms changed to " Blue Hen's Chickens," and this was soon extended to the regiment, and the State that sent out so many brave men was called the " Blue Hen." It is said of Caldwell's company that they would dance around
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GENERAL HISTORY OF THE STATE.
their campfires to the music of a fiddle when every one else was tired out and asleep.
In May, 1776, the regiment was completed at Dover, and shortly afterwards guns and accoutrements were procured for about two hundred men. Their first work was in their own state. The Tories on the eastern shore of Sussex began to make hostile movements, and Major MacDonough was sent to Lewes with armed men to menace the Tories, and if need be protect the Whigs. No violence was offered, but they were in rather a perilous situation with British men-of-war lying in the bay, and the malcontents on the land side. Indeed a Pennsylvania regiment of riflemen was sent to reinforce them, but they arrived after an agreement for peace had been reached. The detachment, having been there about a month, rejoined the regiment at Wilmington by way of boats up the Delaware, being nearly shipwrecked by a storm on the way. This was in June, 1776.
After the battalion left Lewes, Henry Fisher, a prominent man and a noted pilot from that town, with the permission of Congress, raised a company of one hundred men for the de- fence of the cape and the near country, and armed them at his own expense. He was given the entire command of Lewes and of all pilots on the river, and the sole control of the arrangements for receiving and exchanging prisoners.
A small naval battle was fought off our shores at this time, for on May 8, 1776, Congress sent to General Washington an account of a conflict between two British ships, the Roebuck of forty-four guns and the Liverpool of twenty-four guns, and a fleet of thirteen gondolas or row-gallies, large open boats, the largest of which required twenty oarsmen and carried a " ten- pounder " in the bow. The row-gallies, it appears, forced the British ships to fall back to Reedy Island, from the mouth of the Christiana Creek, and then the fight was stopped by darkness.
Haslet's regiment spent the 4th of July, 1776, in New Castle. " We took out of the Court House all the insignia of monarchy
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GENERAL HISTORY OF THE STATE.
-all the baubles of royalty, and made a pile of them before the Court House, set fire to them and burnt them to ashes. A merry day we made of it," says Enoch Anderson in liis Journal.
A few days later they marched for headquarters at New York. The first day they came to Philadelphia and were completely armed and fully equipped for war. They arrived at New York in a short time, probably the last of July, 1776, the exact date it is impossible to ascertain. Here tents were given out, and they encamped about a mile north of that city. The enemy with a large fleet of men-of-war and transports lay in the harbor, and had occupied Staten Island, but had not yet landed on Long Island. The Delaware regiment was brigaded with four Pennsylvania regiments and Smallwood's Maryland regiment under Lord Stirling in Major-General Sullivan's Division.
A short time before the battle of Long Island the troops were ordered on the island, and on August 27, 1776, certainly not more than five weeks, and probably less, after leaving home, the Delaware regiment fought its first battle.
The enemy landed during the night, and a little before day the American army marched to meet them. The Delaware regiment and Smallwood's Maryland regiment were ordered to a high commanding liill shortly after daylight, and Captain Stidham with his company of Delawareans was ordered ahead to skirmish. They soon met the British, and after a short exchange of shots fell back to the main body. The British pressed hard in superior numbers, but our soldiers held their ground until three o'clock in the afternoon when a retreat was ordered. During this the Delaware regiment was surrounded and separated from Smallwood's men. "The Delawares being well trained kept and fought in a compact body the whole time, and when obliged to retreat kept their rank and entered the lines in order, and were obliged frequently while retreat. ing to cut their way through bodies of the enemy," says Whitely.
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GENERAL HISTORY OF THE STATE.
Extracts from two letters from Caesar Rodney, who at that time was in command at Philadelphia forwarding troops and supplies as fast as they were enlisted and procured, to his brother Thomas, at home near Dover, speaks of the regiment's behavior. The first is dated October 2, 1776 :
"One paragraph of the old man's (?) letter is very full- of the great honor obtained by the Delaware battalion in the affair at Long Island, from the unparalleled bravery they showed in view of all the generals and troops within the lines who alternately praised and pitied them."
A little later he writes :
" The Delaware and Maryland regiments stood firm to the last ; they stood for four hours drawn up on a hill, in close array, their colors flying, the enemy's artillery playing upon them ; nor did they think of quitting their station until an express order from the General commanded them to retreat. The standard was torn with shot in Ensign Stevens' hands."
They lost thirty-one in this battle, including Lieutenant Harney of the 3rd Company and Lieutenant Stewart of the 5th Company, and a number were wounded. Neither Colonel Haslet nor Lieutenant-Colonel Bedford were present at this battle, both sitting in a courtmartial of a New York officer in New York, but evidently Major MacDonough was fully competent to handle the regiment, for he afterwards received Gen. Washington's thanks for the admirable behavior of the troops under his command.
A few days later the American army withdrew in the night, and our regiment was the last to leave the lines, thus holding the post of honor. Under a thick fog they moved off the island to the New York shore, and Haslet's regiment marched to King's Bridge, north of the city, near the North River, where entrenchments were thrown up. General Washington evacuated the city of New York. A few skirmishes occurred between our out-parties and the British, and a British man-of- war passed up the river and fired on our camp, injuring the tents. One bomb fell among them, but a Delaware soldier ran and pulled out the fuse.
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GENERAL HISTORY OF THE STATE.
They remained here until General Howe sailed up the river with a fleet of transports and landed at Throgg's Neck, a few miles above the Americans. Our army marched at once to White Plains and threw up entrenchments. This was on October 28, 1776. Some militia was ordered on a hill on the right, bnt the entire left wing of the British force bore against them, and after a hot cannonading the fire with the small arms began. "The commanding position of Chatterton's Hill attracted the attention of General Howe, who supposed its de- fenders might be dislodged with ease. Washington ordered the Delaware regiment to join the militia posted there to de- fend the hill. The militia was soon scattered by the British dragoons. The hill-top being meanwhile gained, the Dela- ware regiment was attacked; a part were driven across the Bronx, the residue placed by Haslet behind a fence were firm. Twice the foremost chasseurs and light infantry were repulsed when the dragoons returning from the chase of the flying mil- itia mounted the hill and were again about to charge. Few in number and despairing of the hill, the few remaining mil- itia first, then Haslet's men retired, joining the troops of New York and Maryland."
Anderson describes briefly, but graphically, the action of one of our soldiers. " A soldier of our regiment was mortally wounded in this battle. He fell to the ground ; in falling, his gun fell from him. He picked it up, turned on his face, took aim at the British, who were advancing, fired, his gun fell from him, he turned over on his back and expired. I forget his name."
A retreat was ordered. This was done in good order, but on arriving at camp they found that the baggage had gone, and they slept for some nights in the open, although one night it snowed.
The army now moved to North Castle, above White Plains, and soon after moved up the river again, and crossed into Jersey. A distressing retreat across New Jersey followed, and in the beginning of December, 1776, they arrived in Bruns-
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GENERAL HISTORY OF THE STATE.
wick, some without shoes, and some even without shirts. Here part of our regiment was oncamped in barracks and the rest in tents in front. The British appeared on the banks of the Raritan in the afternoon of the 5th of December. Lord Stirl- ing's brigade was ordered in front of the barracks, and a heavy cannonading followed, with several killed and wounded on our side. Near sundown a retreat was ordered, our regiment again bringing up the rear. The tents of the regiment were burned to prevent the enemy from seizing them, for our men had no wagons to carry them. "We were encamped in the woods with no victuals, no tents, no blankets. The night was cold and we all suffered much, especially those who had no shoes." (Anderson.)
The next day, December 6th, the American army arrived at Princeton and our regiment was comfortably quartered in the college. But the British being close behind, these com- forts did not last, and the retreat was continued to Trenton, our regiment still in the rear, and Washington with pioneers behind it cutting down trees and tearing up bridges to impede the enemy. The night of December 7th was spent in Trenton, and the next afternoon they crossed the Delaware River into Pennsylvania. A few hours later, the British appeared on the opposite banks but could not cross, for Waslington had taken all the boats. But their intention was to cross as soon as the river froze over. This was the crisis of American dall- ger. "This night we lay among the leaves without tents or blankets, laying down with our feet to the fire. It was very cold. We had meat but no bread. We had nothing to cook with but our ramrods which we ran through a piece of meat and roasted it over the fire, and to hungry soldiers it tasted sweet." (Anderson.)
On Christmas night, 1776, at three o'clock in the morning, Washington recrossed the Delaware River and before day- break of December 26th, had surrounded Trenton and sur- prised and captured the garrison of Hessians. Colonel Haslet in a letter written shortly before his death, to Caesar Rodney,
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GENERAL HISTORY OF THE STATE.
says : " I'm sorry to inform the General (Rodney) that Captain Holland, Ensign Wilson, Dr. Gilder and myself are all (of the Delaware regiment) who have followed the American cause to Trenton, two privates excepted."
What had become of them all? They had gone through the battles of Long Island, White Plains and the numerous skirmislies in the retreat across New Jersey. Many were sick from lack of proper food and shelter. And the remainder, as their term of enlistment was nearly up, January 1, 1777, had left to obtain positions in a new regiment which was being raised at home. The Delaware Assembly on November S, 1776 passed a resolution that a battalion of eight hundred men be enlisted from this State, agreeable to an Act of Congress of September 16th, and had appointed a commission to ascertain how many officers in Haslet's regiment were willing to con- tinue in service in this new one. Naturally, the rank and file left too, and this accounts for the terrible depletion of the original regiment.
Haslet, later in his letter to Rodney, which was written a day or so before the New Year, says : "I have General Wash- ington's leave to return and superintend the recruiting service at home, but cannot go for a few days longer." The address on this letter is gone but it is endorsed " 1st Jan, 1777, Tren- ton, Colonel Haslet to Caesar Rodney, a few days before he fell at Trenton." On January 3rd, in the battle of Princeton, Haslet was in command of a Continental brigade which un- fortunately was obliged to retreat ; and, while endeavoring to rally his men, he was shot and instantly killed. In his death, Delaware lost a brave soldier and leader, and a true patriot. After this battle, Captain Holland alone remained, and he was sent home on recruiting service.
However, Delaware was represented by another company at Princeton. Congress had appealed to the state for aid, and three companies of New Castle County Militia under Major Thomas Duff, and a Dover company under Thomas Rodney, Caesar's brother, marched from their respective homes about
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GENERAL HISTORY OF THE STATE.
the same date, December 14, 1776. Through a mistake in orders, Major Duff's command did not reach the main army until after the battle, but Rodney's did. Through another mistake in orders, Rodney's company did not march on Tren- ton, although they crossed the river ; but with a Philadelphia Light Infantry Company, led the van against Princeton, took a conspicuous part in the battle, and after the withdrawal to Morristown, was appointed General Washington's guard, be- cause it had so distinguished itself in the battle preceding.
In the meantime the celebrated Flying Camp had been formed, to which Delaware contributed a regiment. On June 1, 1776, Congress resolved to establish a Flying Camp of ten thousand men, which could be sent wherever needed. This was deemed necessary, as the army under Washington was occupied in the north of New Jersey defending New York. The shores of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Mary- land were practically open to the British to disembark any- where and attack Washington's army in the rear, and get into the very heart of the colonies. Therefore this Flying Camp was ordered to be raised from the middle colonies to serve as a protection for them. These troops were to serve until at least the first of December following. Pennsylvania was to furnish six thousand, Delaware six hundred and Maryland three thousand four hundred. Delaware furnished more than her proportion. The battalions were to be militia or state troops, but were to serve under the orders of Congress and in its pay. The following officers were in command of the Dela- ware regiment of the Flying Camp :
Colonel, Samuel Patterson. Lieutenant-Colonel, George Latimer. Major, Henry Neill. Adjutant, James Lukes. Surgeon, James Tate. Surgeon's Mate, Edward Duff. Quartermaster, John Watson. Paymaster, William Millan. Chaplain, Samuel Eakin.
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GENERAL HISTORY OF THE STATE.
Captains:
Thomas Kean, William Moody, Joseph Caldwell, Nathaniel Mitchell,
James Dunn, Matthew Manlove, John Woodgate, Thomas Skillington.
From his letters we judge that Colonel Patterson had at first trouble with his men. The mode of enlistment and the term of enlistment were fatal to discipline. But later he apparently succeeded better, and towards the last he speaks well of his men. They spent most of their time in New Jersey under the command of General Mercer, and so far as can be found their only conflict was with the British and Hessians on Staten Is- land. During part of the time Patterson was in command of the entire brigade, and it behaved creditably, driving back the British from their position. Later, the Americans withdrew from the Island as nothing could be gained by holding it. Through all this our regiment behaved in such a manner as to elicit their commander's approval.
When the term of enlistment was up, December 1, 1776, the entire battalion went home in spite of Washington's great need of men. However, winter had set in, and that served equally well for the purpose of the Flying Camp to protect the Middle Colonies and Washington's rear.
Congress before this time realized that the army must be reorganized, and on September 16, 1776, it resolved "that eighty-eight battalions be enlisted as soon as possible to serve during the present war, and that each state furnish their re- spective quota." The officers were to be commissioned by Congress, but their appointment, except general officers, was left to thie several states, and each state was to provide arms, clothing and ammunition. There was much opposition to this plan, but nevertheless Delaware filled her quota of six hundred men.
This regiment is the one usually spoken of as the " Dela- ware Regiment." The roll of field, staff and company officers was as follows :
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GENERAL HISTORY OF THE STATE.
Colonel, David Hall. Lieutenant-Colonel, Charles Pope.
Major, Joseph Vaughan. Adjutant, John Lucas. 1
Paymaster, Edward Roche. Quartermaster, James Trusamn.3 Surgeon, Reuben Gilden. Surgeon's Mate, John Platt.
FIRST COMPANY.
Captain, John Patten. Second Lieutenant, George Purvis. First Lieutenant, Genethan Harney.3 Ensign, Benjamin Mclane.
SECOND COMPANY.
Captain, Robert Kirkwood.
Second Lieutenant, Paul Queenault.
First Lieutenant, Alexander Stewart. 3 Ensign, John Betson.
THIRD COMPANY.
Captain, James Moore. Second Lieutenant, James Bratton. First Lieutenant, John Willson. Ensign, Thomas Berry.
FOURTH COMPANY.
Captain. Enoch Anderson. Second Lieutenant, Henry Duff. First Lieutenant, John Corse. Ensign, James Campbell.
FIFTH COMPANY.
Captain, Thomas Holland.
Second Lieutenant, Caleb Brown.
First Lieutenant, John Rhodes. Ensign, Caleb P. Bennett.
SIXTH COMPANY.
Captain, John Learmouth.
Second Lieutenant, Griffith Jordan.
First Lieutenant, Wm. McKennan.
Ensign, Joseph Hosman.
SEVENTH COMPANY.
Captain, Cord Hazzard.
Second Lieutenant, Joseph Wilds.
First Lieutenant, Daniel P. Cox. Ensign, Elijah Skillington.
EIGHTH COMPANY.
Captain, Peter Jacquett. Second Lieutenant, John V. Hyatt. First Lieutenant, Richard Wilds. Ensign, Charles Kidd.+
Patten's company was mustered in November 30, 1776, and Kirkwood's on the next day, December 1st. Anderson's was
' Lucas resigned about a year later.
' Or Tresham.
3 These were reported killed at Long Island, but their names are on the original roll, by Caleb P. Bennett.
+ From the original roll. by Caleb P. Bennett, in the Archives of the Delaware State Society of the Cincinnati.
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GENERAL HISTORY OF THE STATE.
complete early in the spring of 1777, and he and Kirkwood were ordered to join Washington's army or General Putnam's division at Princeton, stopping at Philadelphia to be fully fitted out. In May the remaining companies marched and the complete regiment joined Washington at Middlebrook, New Jersey, sixteen miles from Brunswick. General Howe came out of Brunswick, and this brought on the battle of Short Hills. No mention of the Delaware regiment can be found in this, but they must have taken part, and, judging from their records in other battles, creditably. After Short Hills nothing further was done for six weeks, when on July 23, 1777, Howe, embarking in transports, set sail from New York.
Just previous to this, the Delaware regiment was in a de- scent on Staten Island with some Maryland and New Jersey troops. One company, Anderson's, secured some plunder, the remainder got nothing, and some of the Marylanders were captured. Most of them, however, retreated in safety.
Howe, on July 30th, appeared in the Delaware Bay, but finding the river so obstructed, he did not sail up far, much to the relief of the inhabitants thereabout. Washington moved his whole army to Neshaminy, in Bucks County, Penn- sylvania, about twenty miles north of Philadelphia, and for some time lay there in uncertainty. On August 22d news was brought that Howe had appeared in the Chesapeake and anchored off the Patapsco. Washington immediately pro- ceeded to Wilmington and established his headquarters on West Street, between Third and Fourth Streets, and his army encamped on the high ground lying north of the present Del- aware Avenue, between Harrison and Clayton Streets. Later the army took post on the north side of White Clay Creek, and the east side of Red Clay Creek near Stanton and Kiamensi, with pickets out as far as Christiana Bridge. Washington kept his headquarters in Wilmington until September 9th.
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