USA > Maryland > Washington County > Hagerstown > A history of Washington County, Maryland from the earliest settlements to the present time, including a history of Hagerstown > Part 35
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"A few days after I arrived at Mount Vernon, Lord Sterling and Captain Foye, (the latter being the then secretary to Lord Dunmore, Governor of Virginia) being on their way from Williamsburg to New York, called on Col. Washington, with
whom they sojourned for three or four days, the weather being very tempestuous and sleety. A large company being at the supper table the last evening they were at Mount Vernon, Col. Washing- ton's well known servant man, named Billy, enter- ed the room from Alexandria, to which place he had been sent by Col. Washington for newspapers and letters, and delivered some newspapers to Coi. Washington, who cast them about midway the table, and requested those who took them up to read aloud such articles of intelligence as they might judge would be desirable to the company. I being seated in a chair which enabled me to lay my hand on one of the newspapers, took the liberty of so doing, and soon announced to the company a very interesting fact, to-wit: The destruction of the King of England's sloop of war, called Gaspee, by a party of Yankees; she having when in close pursuit (heavy gale of wind) of a Brother Jona- than coaster (smuggler) missed stays and. being so near to the shore, the commander of the Gaspee lost all command of her, and she was run ashore high and dry. The Yankees in a short space of time collected in sufficient force and burnt her. C'aptain Foye asked me to pass the newspaper from which I had communicated to the company the foregoing (1 will venture to say to him) bitter pill read the article and instantaneously declared ore rotundo, that blood must be drawn from the Yan- kces before they would be taught to conduct them- selves as obedient subjects ought to do; and inso- lently said that he, yes, that he would engage to put down all opposition to the execution of reve- nue acts which had been lately passed, by the King and Parliament of Great Britain; and more- over that he would undertake so to do at the head of five thousand British troops; which he would march from Boston to Charleston, South Carolina. Col. Washington was engaged in perusing one of the newspapers, whilst Captain Foye was uttering these insulting and audacious words. Col. Wash- ington withdrew his eyes from the newspaper, placed them steadfastly on Captain Foye, and ob- served that he (Col. W.) entertained no doubt that Capt. Foye could march at the head of five thousand British troops from Boston to Charleston, South Carolina, but added, that he should be obliged to Capt. Foye to inform him (Col. W.) whether he meant as a friend or as an adversary ! "If as an adversary," said Col. Washington, "and you, sir would inform me of your intention so to
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do, a few weeks previous to your entry into the ancient dominion, I would engage to give you a handsome check with the Virginia riflemen alone !"
There were, on the supper table, at the time when Col. Washington favored Capt. Foye with the above stated retort courteous, twelve or fifteen wine glasses and two or three decanters of excell- ent old Madeira. At the instant that Col. Wash- ington uttered the words Virginia riflemen alone, he struck the table with his right hand so violently that the decanters and glasses leaped from their proper places and I expected to have beheld then all prostrate on the table. Capt. Foye made no reply but immediately addressed his conversation to Mrs. Washington, at whose left hand he was seated; and during the remainder of the evening he observed a deathilike silence to Col. Washington. Capt. Foye and Lord Sterling departed from Mount Vernon immediately after breakfast the next morning .*
Mr. Galloway kept around him a large num- ber of slaves who had nothing to do and whom he greatly indulged. It was a common thing for `a long row of them to be seen lining the side of the house on Jonathan street, and enjoying them- selves in the sunshine. One of these slaves was a girl who was raised in the house as a family pet, and who frequently engaged in capers which would have made a Icss indulgent master sell her to the cotton fields. One day, in a fit of ill temper, this girl took a stick and punched holes through the family portraits which Mr. and Mrs. Galloway prized more highly than any other of their pos- sessions. The ruined portraits were boxed up and buried in the yard and the girl was in no wisc punished. Mr. Galloway possessed considerable wealth, owning about a thousand acres of land in Anne Arundel county, which he devised along with his other property to his wife for her life and then to James Cheston, the son of his sister Ann. Mrs. Henrietta Mariain Galloway possessed a great deal of property in her own right. Chew's farm near Williamsport containing about fifteen hundred acres had been devised to her by her uncle Bennett ('hew, and her father had given her a large tract. She died about 1847, and left most of her property to Peregrine, John and Benjamin Fitzhugh, the sons of her nephew William Fitzhugh.
The next year, 1833, another, and in 1834 two more Revolutionary characters died, both of them natives of Ireland. In October, Captain Robert Douglas died at the age of 85 years, fifty-nine of which he had passed in Hagerstown. He had for many years filled the honorable position of Justice of the Peace, and had served several terms in the Assembly. He had been a brave soldier in the Revolutionary war, and during his long residence in Hagerstown he was held in high esteem. In August, 1834, Patrick Garaughty, a native of Ireland and a soldier of the Revolution, died at his home ncar Hancock at the age of 82.
The death of the Marquis de la Fayette, which took place in 1834, was celebrated in Hagerstown as in all other towns throughout the United States by funeral meetings and processions, in which the militia companies took part, escorting a funeral car and a handsomely caparisoned horse. The mil- ' itary companies taking part in these funeral cere- monies were the Jefferson Greys and the rifle com- panies of Williamsport, Clearspring and Hancock. Christian Newcomer, the sheriff of the County, died in February, 1832. He was a prominent man and had several times been sheriff. The first of this numerous family to come to America was Wolfgang Newcomer, a native of Switzerland. He settled in Lancaster, Pa., in the latter part of the eighteenth century. His three sons, Henry, Chris- tian and Peter, all came to Washington County. Their descendants now living in the County are numerous, including not only those bearing the name of Newcomer, but many of the Ankeneys, MeLaughlins, and Rentches. Henry and Chris- tian settled on Beaver Creck and Peter near Boons- boro or Benevola. Christian was a Bishop in the United Brethren Church. Henry was the grand- father of the late Benj. F. Newcomer of Baltimore, and Alexander* and William of Washington County. Upon the death of Sheriff Newcomer, the Governor appointed William H. Fitzhugh to the office. Mr. Fitzhugh had just been elected to the Legislature, but he resigned his scat to accept the Shrievalty. A special election was therefore necessary to fill the vacancy in the Legislature. This was held in March, and Thomas Kennedy was elected over R. M. Harrison by a vote of 941 to 728. Mr. Kennedy died of cholera before he had
*Communication in the Hagerstown Torch Light, dated Dec. 21, 1818:
*To the late Mr. Alexander Newcomer the author is deeply indebted for valuable files of newspapers, which were of great use in the preparation of this history.
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OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, MARYLAND.
completed his term and Joseph Wcast was elected to fill that vaeaney. In January, 1834, Col. Dan- iel Malotte, who had just been elected to the Leg- islature, died, and Col. Wm. Fitzhugh, who was next highest on the poll, succeeded him.
In March 1832, the Washington County Bank of Williamsport, the sueeessor to the old Conoco- chcague Bank, was incorporated with a capital stoek of $250,000 in shares of $25. John R. Dall,
Danl. Wcisel, Matthew S. Van Lear, James Grimes, Michacl A. Finley, C. A. Warfield, of A, Abrani Barnes and Robert Wason were the committee to receive subscriptions. In November of the same year, the Bank organized. John Van Lear was president ; Chas. A. Warfield, J. T. Towson, D. Weisel, Robert Wason, John R. Dall, Jos. Charles, Jr., and Jacob Wolf were the directors.
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CHAPTER XIV
HE Potomac Company having signally fail- ed to realize General Washington's grand idea of uniting the West to the East by the bonds of commerce and common interests, and having instead thereof been an imperfect and costly method for merely lo- cal traffic in boats drawing one foot of water, it became the general desire to substitute some better method. This project took shape in 1823 and the proposition was to construct a canal along the Potomac river to its head waters and thence to the waters of the Ohio river. This scheme was brought before the Legislature of Maryland and met with general approval. The Legislature called a Canal Convention to take into consideration the practicability and expediency of uniting by canal navigation, the waters of the Chesapeake bay with those of the river Ohio, and to devise ways and means to effect that object. Delegates were sent from fourteen counties in Virginia, one in Pennsylvania, eight in Maryland and from the three cities of the District of Column- bia, Washington, Georgetown and Alexandria.
This celebrated convention met in the Capitol at Washington on the 6th day of November 1823, and reassembled on the 6th of December 1636. Washington County was represented at the first session by Casper W. Wever, Otho H. Williams, Thomas Kennedy and Frisby Tilghman .- At the second session, three years later, there were seven- teen delegates, Franklin Anderson, Marmaduke W. Boyd, Wm. Fitzhugh, Jr., George Hedrick, Samuel M. Hitt, Thomas Keller, Thomas K.en- nedy, John Reynolds, Frisby Tilghman, Matthew S. Van Lear, Otho H. Williams, John Blackford,
Thomas C. Brent, Thomas Buchanan, John R. Dall, Wm. Gabby and David Schnebley. The con- vention was presided over by Governor Joseph Kent, of Maryland and Walter Jones, of Washing- ton City was the secretary. Among the delegates were James M. Mason, Bushrod C. Washington and G. W. Parke Custis. At the last sitting five counties of Ohio and twelve of Pennsylvania were represented. There was presented to the conven- tion at its first sitting a communication from citi- zens of Belmont County, Ohio, setting forth that the canal would in their opinion be the outlet for all the trade of the Ohio river above the Falls, and they anticipated a great advance in the value of their lands when the work was in operation. They urged its extension to the waters of Lake Erie and believed that in that way the trade of all the great lakes could be commanded.
After a three day's session and an earnest and dignified debate the convention adopted a series of resolutions setting forth that a connection of the Atlantic and Western waters, by a canal lead- ing from the seat of the general government to the river Ohio, regarded as a local object was one of the highest importance to the States, immediately interested therein, and, considered in a national view, is of inestimable consequence to the future union, security and happiness of the United States. It was therefore resolved unanimously that it was expedient that such a canal should be made. The Legislature of Virginia had already passed an Act on Feb. 22. 1823, incorporating the Potomac Canal Company. That act was to be accepted as the charter of the company with certain modifications. Among these was a change in the name to the
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"Chesapeake and Ohio Canal." That the canal should not be less in width than forty feet at the surface and twenty-eight feet on the bottom nor the depth of the water less than four feet. That the maximum profit of the company should not exceed fifteen per cent. per annum, a caution, which in the light of subsequent history proved unnecessary. A subscription to the capital stock of $2,750,000 was suggested. Two elevenths of this sum was apportioned to Maryland, three clev- enths to the State of Virginia, four elevenths to the United States, two elevenths to the District ('ities. After the appointment of a number of committees, including one to urge the State of Ohio to contribute toward the construction of the canal, the convention adjourned.
. The Legislature of Virginia passed a law on the ?ith of January, 1824, incorporating the canal. The capital stock was put at six millions of dollars, divided into sixty thousand shares, to be paid in money or certificates of stock of the Potomac Com- pany, which had already assented to the incor- poration of the new company. There were to be elected by the stockholders a President and six Directors ; each stockholder should have one vote for each share up to ten and one vote for every five shares above ten, and no official of the com- pany should be allowed to vote any stock but his own. To constitute a general mecting of the stockholders the major part of the stock must be represented. The canal and its accessaries werc to be vested in the stockholders as tenants in com- mon, according to the amount of stock, and the shares were to be forever exempted from the pay- ment of any taxes, and the Directors were allowed to fix and collect tolls, which should not exceed the rate of two cents per ton per mile. Should the net profits of the canal exceed ten per cent. on the shares which had been paid for in money, the excess should go to the payment of a dividend up to six per cent. on such shares as had been paid for in the stock of the Potomac Company. Any further excess should go to the construction of the western section until it should be completed. Long and minute provision was made for the future dis- tribution of surplus revenue. The canal conipany was required to maintain the Potomac river in a navigable condition until canal navigation should be prepared and the right to all the streams in the mountain west of Cumberland necessary to the construction and operation of the work also con- ferred, and the canal was declared a public high-
way. Provision was made for the condemnation of land required, and it was enacted that on pay- ment of the awarded damages the company should be seized of the land as of an absolute estate in perpetuity, or with such less quantity and duration of interest or estate in the same, or subject to such partial or temporary appropriation, use or occu- pation as shall be required and described as if conveyed by the owner to them. The required dimensions were those recommended by the canal convention, forty feet in width at the surface, twenty-eight at the bottom and four feet of depth. At the suggestion of the United States, these di- mensions were afterwards increased and the canal was finally made six feet deep throughout.
From Georgetown to Harper's Ferry, sixty miles, it is sixty feet wide at the top and forty-two at the bottom ; from Harper's Ferry to dam No. 5, forty-seven miles, it is forty feet wide at the surface and thirty-two on the bottom; from dan No. 5 to Cumberland, seventy-seven and a half miles, the top width is fifty-four feet and the bot- tom thirty feet. To all eases arising from contro- versies about the condemnation of lands coming up in the courts precedence was to be given over all other cases so that the work might not be de- laved. The canal was to be divided into the first and second or Eastern and Western Sections-the former to extend from tidewater in the District of Columbia to the mouth of Savage river in the north branch of the Potomac at the base of the Allegany mountain, second or Western Section to extend thence along the Savage river as far as practicable to reach some convenient point for connecting the eastern and western waters by a tunnel through or an open cut across the dividing ridge between the same, and thence, after crossing said ridge, to the highest steamboat navigation of the Ohio river or of some tributary thereof. The Legislature of Pennsylvania passed an act Febru- ary 9th, 1826, incorporating the canal, and as- sented and adopted section after section and par- agraph the act of Virginia of 1824, but with the condition that the company should extend the canal to Pittsburg. On the 21st of January, 1828, at a general meeting of the stockholders of the canal, it was resolved, in accordance with the re- quirement of this act, that whenever the Western section "shall be constructed, the Western termina- tion, thereof shall be at Pittsburg." The Virgina act of 1824 further required the company to begm operations within two years and to complete one
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OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, MARYLAND.
hundred miles within five years and the whole Eastern section within twelve (12) years from commencement of the work upon pain of forfeit- ure of the charter. This time was extended from time to time by subsequent acts. Should the West- ern section not be begun two years after the com- pletion of the Eastern and finished within six years after it was begun, all rights as to that section should lapse. The right to use the waters of the Potomac in constructing any lateral canals was conceded to the States of Maryland and Penn- sylvania.
In December, 1824, the General Assembly of Maryland passed an act confirming the Virginia charter, reciting the whole of that act, after which it was enacted and declared that by confirming the Virginia act it is was not intended to deny to Congress the right to legislate on the subject of canals and roads and the express right of the State of Maryland to construct a lateral branch from the canal to Baltimore was declared. On the 3d of March, 1825, the President of the United States signed an act of Congress confirming the charter in order to grant the right of construction and operation within the District of Columbia, and granting to the State of Maryland the privi- lege of constructing the lateral canal to Baltimore should it be ascertained by three skillful com- missioners to be appointed by the President that such a branch to Baltimore was feasible and would not be injurious to the Chesapeake and Ohio Ca- nal.
The three States of Maryland, Virgina and Pennsylvania and the Congress of the United States all joined in incorporating the canal because it was believed at that time it would be in the territory of each. It was not finally decided for some years afterwards whether the canal should be made on the north or south bank of the Potomac west from Harper's Ferry. On the 6th of March, 1826, the General Assembly of Maryland passed "an act for the promotion of internal improve- ment," incorporating the Maryland Canal Com- pany to construct a canal from the terminus or some other point on the Chesapeake and Ohio Ca- nal to Baltimore, and directing the treasurer of the Western Shore to subscribe for five thousand shares of the capital stock, and also for a like amount in the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, and also to subscribe to the latter canal the stock held by the State in the old Potomac Company. The
subscription for the five thousand shares in the Chesapeake and Ohio C'anal was, by the terms of the act, to be inoperative unless the United States should take ten thousand shares and enact a law securing to the State the right to continue the canal through the District of Columbia to Balti- more. Several acts were passed modifying and explaining the portion of the act of 1826 relating to the State subscription-one of them passed March 10, 1827, and another December, 1827. The State subscription was ratified and accepted at a general mecting of stockholders held June 23, 1828. At the December session, 1826, the charter was amended so as to terminate the eastern section at Cumberland and to allow greater discretion in locating the Western portion, and shortly after- wards Virginia gave its assent. At the December session, 1827, an act was passed permitting aliens to subscribe to the capital stock. February 26, 1828, Virginia assented to this amendment. The Congress of the United States passed an act May 24, 1828, authorizing a subscription for ten thou- sand shares of the stock of the company and im- posing certain conditions as to the dimensions and elevations. The same day the President approved an act authorizing cach of the three cities of the District of Columbia to subscribe to the stock of the canal. Under authority of acts passed by Congress, Maryland and Virginia the following commissioners for receiving subscriptions were appointed : By the President of the United States, Samuel H. Smith, Anthony C. Cazenove and Clem- ent Smith, of the District of Columbia; by the Governor of Virginia, John C. Hunter, Wm. Ell- zey, Rd. H. Henderson ; by the Governor of Mary- land, Samuel Sprigg, Frisby Tilghman, Philip E. Thomas.
The Potomac Company, on the 15th of Au- gust, 1828, exccuted a deed surrendering their charter, property and rights to the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Company.
After the charter had been granted and every- thing was in readiness to receive subscriptions and organize, the Canal Convention already referred to reassembled at Washington December 6, 1826, and approved the charter, and a general and very intelligent discussion of the whole canal question, including the proposed extension to Baltimore and the subscriptions by the States, District cities and General Government took place.
It was not until June, 1828, however, that a
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sufficient amount of the stock had been taken and the company was formally organized and ac- cepted the charter.
At this time 36,089 shares of the capital stock, amounting to $3,608,900, had been taken. The State of Maryland had subscribed to five thousand shares, the United States to ten thousand, Wash- ington, Georgetown and Alexandria, the District cities fifteen thousand, and individuals five thou- sand, three hundred and sixty-two. Constructing according to the dimensions first proposed, it was estimated that it would require less than eight hundred thousand dollars in addition to this to complete the work to Cumberland, but by adopt- ing the suggestions of the committee of Congress and making the depth six feet instead of four, and greatly increasing the width, the cost was enor- mously increased.
At the first meeting of stockholders held in the City Hotel in Washington, beginning June 21, 1828. Charles F. Mercer, of Virginia, was elected President. The directors were Phineas Janney, of Alexandria, Joseph Kent of Maryland, Peter Len- ox and Frederick May, of Washington, Walter Smith, of Georgetown, and Andrew Stewart of Pennsylvania. Clement Smith, of Georgetown, was the clerk. At. this meeting, which began June 21st and continued on the 23rd and on July 3 and 10, it was determined to select the route surveyed by the U. S. engineers and by Messrs. Geddes and Roberts, and which had been communicated to Congress by the President. On the 4th of July, 1828, the work of construction was formally begun at Georgetown with imposing ceremonies, in the presence of a great concourse of people and with an exhibition of the florid oratory of that day which makes curious read- ing in this more practical time. Thirty miles distant at the same hour ground was broken for another enterprise in which the people of the State of Maryland and of Washington Coun- ty were deeply interested, but which was then considered of vastly smaller consequence than the canal-the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
The first spade full of earth in the construc- tion of the canal was removed by no less a person- age than John Quincy Adams, the President of the United States. At the proper time in his carefully prepared speech he received "the hum- ble instrument of rural labor, the symbol of the favorite occupation of our countrymen," from General Mercer, the President of the canal, and
proceeded to bury it into the earth. But the spade struck a root and did not sink in. "Not deterred by trifling obstacles," says the newspaper account of the day, "from doing what he had deliberately resolve to perform, Mr. Adams tried it again with no better success. Thus foiled, he hastily threw down the spade, hastily stripped off and laid aside his coat and went seriously to work. The multi- tude around and on the hills and trees, who could not hear because of their distance from the open space, but could see and understand, observing this action, raised a loud and unanimous cheering, which continued for some time after Mr. Adams mastered the difficulty."
The procession to the place for beginning the work was formed in Washington, which was at that time separated from Georgetown by a consid- erable intervening space, and with no better metli- od of communication between the two cities than stages on an execrable road. And the President of the United States. together with the representa- tives of foreign countries, the high officials of the Government, the officials of the canal company, companies of militia with bands of music and many distinguished personages, came around to Georgetown in boats and landed a considerable distance above that city, and proceeding to the spot designated by Judge Wright, the chief engi- neer of the canal, for the beginning of the work, and not far from the eanal of the old Potomac Company. Here a hollow square was preserved in the crowd, and in the midst stood Mr. Adams and Gen. Mercer. "At that moment," says the account already referred to, "the sun shone out from behind a cloud and, amidst a silence so in- tense as to chasten the animation of hope and to hallow the enthusiasm of joy, the Mayor of George- town handed to Gen. Mercer, the President of the Chesapeake and Ohio C'anal Company. the conse- crated instrument, which having received, he step- ped forward from the resting column and address- ed as follows the listening multitude:
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