USA > Maryland > Cecil County > History of Cecil County, Maryland, and the early settlements around the head of Chesapeake Bay and on the Delaware River, with sketches of some of the old families of Cecil County > Part 40
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Robert Evans, the youngest of the three brothers before- mentioned, settled on the Big Elk, west of Cowantown, where Parke, Smith & Co.'s rolling-mill formerly stood, upon three hundred acres of land, which he purchased in 1730. He was a tanner, and had a tan-yard on the west side of the creek, the site of which was covered by the water of the rolling-mill dam. He seems to have been very suc-
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cessful in business, for he became the owner of large quan- tities of land at the Head of Elk, in New Munster and else- where. He married Margaret, a daughter of John Kilpat- rick, as has been stated, and died in 1775, leaving two sons, Robert and John Evans, and six daughters, Jean Evans, who afterwards married Henry Hollingsworth, of Elkton ; Hannah, who married Rev. James Finley, pastor of the Rock church ; Mary, who married Zebulon Hollingsworth, of Elk Landing ; Isabella, who married William Montgomery ; Mar- garet, who married James Black, the grandfather of Mrs. John C. Groome; and Elanor, who married Amos Alexan- der, of the Alexander family of New Munster.
John and Robert Evans inherited the tan-yard on the Big Elk. Robert was commissioned lieutenant in a military company early in the Revolutionary war, but was thrown from his horse and killed while riding home from Cowan- town before he entered the army. John, the surviving brother, continued to reside upon the family homestead on the banks of the Big Elk, where he engaged in the manu- facture of bar iron and nails, and subsequently in rolling copper. He and the celebrated Paul Revere, the hero of Longfellow's " Midnight Ride," are believed to have been the only rollers of copper in the United States at that time, and all the vessels of the American navy are said to have been coppered with material of their manufacture. Revere's mills were about seventeen miles from Boston, and it may be mentioned as an interesting historical fact, that Dr. Amos A. Evans, the son of the proprietor of the copper-mill on the Elk, with the consent of the firm of Revere & Co. and at the instance of his father visited the works of Revere for the purpose of observing his method of working copper, and while there made sketches of the works.
John Evans married Mary Alexander, one of the Alex- ander family of New Munster. They were the parents of Amos Alexander Evans, who will shortly be noticed at length ; Sarah, who married Robert Gallaher; Robert, who
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married, and with his family removed to Iowa; John, who was one of the " glorious nineteen ;"* Jane, who never mar- ricd, and died early in life; Levi Hollingsworth, who was State Senator and Judge of the Orphan's Court of this county ; George, who went to Mexico and died in the city of Matamoras; and William and Mark, both of whom died young.
AMOS ALEXANDER EVANS,
the oldest son of John Evans and Mary Alexander, was born November 26th, 1785, at the residence of his parents on the banks of the Big Elk, about five miles north of Elkton. When a boy he was sent to the Academy at Newark, Delaware, then a very noted school, where his dilligence and good conduct enabled him to acquire as good an educa- tion both in the English branches and in the classics as that school was capable of giving. In March, 1804, when in the nineteenth year of his age, he commenced the study of medicine with Dr. George E. Mitchell, who was then practicing his profession in Elkton, with whom he continued to study for three years; he also attended the lectures of the celebrated Dr. Rush (a signer of the Declaration of Inde- pendence), and the lectures of the other professors at the University of Pennsylvania, where his attention to study and his dilligence were such, that he took, in manuscript, three considerable volumes of notes of Dr. Rush's lectures which are still preserved. He showed the like zeal, industry
* Previous to 1836, the senators of Maryland were elected by an elec- toral college, composed of forty electors; each county electing two and Baltimore City and the city of Annapolis, one cach. The constitution provided that not less than twenty-four members of the college should constitute a quorum. At the election in 1836, the Whigs elected twenty- one and the Democrats nineteen members of the college. The latter re- fused to go into an election until they had a guarantee from the Whigs, that certain amendments to the constitution should be made, allowing the people to clect the governor and senators by a direct vote. The Demo- cratic members have since been known as the " glorious nineteen."
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and dilligence, in taking a volume of manuscript notes of the lectures of the learned Dr. Jackson, of Boston, which have likewise been preserved.
Having been fully endorsed by his learned preceptors whom he had assisted in his practice for some time, and having been licensed to practice his profession by the medi- cal and chirurgical faculty of his native State, and having also passed a creditable and satisfactory examination by the board of medical officers, and having been appointed sur- geon's mate to the 49th Regiment of Maryland militia in 1807, he was appointed, by President Jefferson, an assistant sur- geon in the U. S. Navy, on the 1st of September, 1808. On the 25th of the following October, he sailed from Baltimore for New Orleans, in the brig Adherbal. He remained in Louisiana at Bay St. Louis and New Orleans ; Natehetz, Miss .; St. Maries, in Georgia, and other places where duty called him until some time in the year 1811, having in the mean- time, on the 20th of April, 1810, been commissioned as sur- geon, when he returned home but was unfortunately ship- wrecked during the voyage upon the coast of North Carolina.
During all the time of his sojourn in the southern coun- try, though the yellow fever was raging, he entirely escaped any attack, which he principally attributed to going into the sunshine only when covered by an umbrella, avoiding the night air as much as duty would permit, and to tem- perate habits.
After Dr. Evans returned from Louisiana, he was ordered to, and joined the frigate Constitution, then at Washington city, and sailed from that place on a cruise, on the 11th of June, 1812. From the 16th to the 19th the famous chase of the Constitution by the British fleet took place, of which the journal kept by Dr. Evans gives a graphie account. He concludes in the following manner: "thus terminates a dis- agreeable chase of nearly three days attended with inexpres- sible anxiety, and alternate elevation and depression of spirits, as the winds were propitious or otherwise; we had
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many times given over all expectation of making our escape, and had it not been for uncommon exertion we must inevi- tably have fallen a prey to the superiority of our enemy."
The Constitution after the chase stood into Boston harbor, and again went to sea, and on Wednesday the 19th of Au- gust, 1812, came into action with His Britannic Majesty's ship, the Guerriere. The Constitution fired her first gun: at fifteen minutes past five, P. M., and came into close action at six o'clock, and the Guerriere struck her colors twenty-five minutes afterwards. From the firing of the first gun to the termi- nation of the action was an hour and ten minutes. The Constitution had been on fire a few days before and in ex- tinguishing the flames, Dr. Evans had badly injured his right hand ; notwithstanding this he was assiduous in atten- tion to the wounded of the enemy as well as our own men, and kept his daily journal as usual, writing with his left hand. Owing to the fact that the Guerriere was so badly injured that it was with difficulty she could be kept afloat, and because the ocean was then swarming with British cruisers, it was determined to destroy her, and about three or four o'clock on the morning after the action, she was set on fire. Dr. Evans gives the following account of the matter : " Having got all the men from the Guerriere, we set her on fire and before the officer had time to get on board our ship with the boat, she blew up, presenting a sight, the most in- comparably grand and magnificient I have ever experienced. No painter, no poet or historian, could give on canvass or paper, any description that could do justice to the scene."
Captain Hull resigned the command of the Constitution to Captain Bainbridge, not without trouble on the part of the crew, who were strongly attached to him, and on Tues- day, the 27th of October, 1812, the ship stood to sea, Dr. Evans being her surgeon, and on December 29th, on the coast of Brazil captured His Britannic Majesty's ship, the Java, Captain Lambert, who was killed in action. In this action Commodore Bainbridge was wounded by a piece of copper
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from the copper railing around the after hatchway, which lacerated the muscles of his thigh in a terrible manner, not- withstanding which he refused to leave the deck or have his wounds dressed until long after the close of the action. Dr. Evans was assiduous in his attention to him, and thus began an intimacy between these distinguished men that only terminated with the life of the Commodore, as is shown by the following letter selected from many similar ones in the possession of the family of Dr. Evans:
" MY DEAR SIR :
" Enclosed are several letters from me which I hope will procure you the station you desire, and also pleasure from my friends. I beg of you to deliver the letters. 11- though we part at present I still hope we shall meet on ser- vice at some future day ; at all events, I pray you to be as- sured of one truth-that in me you have a warm and affec- tionate friend, and at all times I sincerely hope you will consider me as such; recollect the promise I made to you. At any time when you require the fulfilment of it, com- mand it without reserve. May you be as happy as I sin- cerely wish you. In great haste but sincerely yours,
" WILLIAM BAINBRIDGE.
" DR. EVANS,
"Surgeon U. S. Navy, 25th March, 1813."
For his services Dr. Evans was by vote of Congress pre- sented with two valuable silver medals, one for the Guer- riere and the other for the Java. Only twenty-six medals have ever been given by vote of Congress, and they have attained at this day a high value as works of art. The medals presented to Dr. Evans are about two and a half inches in diameter, and contain on the obverse, the one a handsome bust of Commodore Hull; the other a bust of Commodore Bainbridge. And on the reverse, highly artistic representations of the vessels engaged in action. The one in commemoration of the capture of the Guerriere was ac- companied by a letter from the Secretary of the Navy, of which the following is a copy :
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" NAVY DEPARTMENT, February 10th, 1820.
" Sir :-- In compliance with a resolution of the Congress of the United States, the President directs me to present to you a silver medal in testimony of the high sense enter- tained by Congress of your gallantry, good conduct, and ser- vices in the conflict with the British Frigate Guerriere. I have the
" Honor to be very respectfully your obt. servt, "SMITH THOMPSON.
"DR. AMOS A. EVANS, "Surgeon U. States Navy, Elkton, Md."
The following is a copy of the inscription on the reverse of this Medal :
HORAE MOMENTO VICTORIA
INTER CONST. NAV. AMER. ET GUER. ANGL.
The obverse contains the following inscription :
PERITOS. ARTE. SUPERAT JUL. MDCCCXII AUG. CERTAMINE FORTES ISSC U. S. HULL.
The inscription on the obverse of the other medal is as follows :
GULIELMUS BAINBRIDGE PATRIA VICTISQUE LAUDATUS.
On the reverse,
PUGNANDO INTER CONST. NAV. AMERI. ET JAV. NAV. ANGL. DIE XXIX DECEM. MDCCCXII.
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HISTORY OF CECIL COUNTY.
In May, 1813, while on a visit to his relatives in the vicinity of Elkton, Dr. Evans served as a volunteer for a short time in the fort at Frenchtown. For some reason the militia that were stationed at that place were removed the evening before the arrival of the British to Fort Hollings- worth, at Elk Landing; whereupon the doctor repaired to the residence of his father, on the Big Elk, where he spent the night; hearing the firing the next morning, he mounted his horse and rode to Fort Hollingsworth, and in company with the late H. D. Miller, and two or three others procured a boat and rowed down the river to Frenchtown, being the first to arrive there after the British had embarked on their barges, which were still lying in the river not far from the ruins of the town. It was upon this occasion that the Brit- ish fired one of their swivel guns at them while they were standing in the road near the ruins of the town. The ball struck the ground near them and scattered the gravel all over their persons.
After the close of the war, Dr. Evans was stationed at Charlestown Navy Yard, and having ample leisure availed himself of the opportunity to attend the medical lectures at Harvard University, where he graduated with much dis- tinction, on the 30th of August, 1814.
But war having been declared against the Barbary States on the northern coast of Africa on account of their un- provoked and piratical attacks upon our commerce, Dr. Evans, on the 2d of July, 1815, sailed with commodore Bainbridge in the Independence, seventy-four, as fleet sur- geon in the war against the Algerines. He was the first of this rank in the navy, and the Independence, seventy-four, the first ship of the line.
While crusing in the Mediterranean during the war with the Barbary States, Dr. Evans had an opportunity of visiting many of the old historic cities along the shores of that sea, and his journal is replete with beautiful and classic deserip- tions of many of the places he visited, which shows that he
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was not insensible to the charms of nature nor forgetful of the heroes of antiquity.
On his return from the war with the Barbary States, Dr. Evans was again stationed at the Charlestown Navy Yard, and while there made the acquaintance of Miss Mary Oliver, of Boston, a beautiful and highly cultivated and educated lady, whom he married on the 28th of March, 1816. Some- time after his marriage he applied to be relieved from duty at the Charlestown Navy Yard and proceeded to Elkton, on leave, where he entered upon the practice of his profession, in which he continued until the time of his death.
Though asked to accept the position of Governor of the State and frequently pressed to accept other honorable po- sitions, he firmly declined all political preferment and honor, choosing rather to minister to the wants and alleviate the sufferings of his numerous patients, who loved and revered him both as a physician and a friend.
About the year 1823, he was ordered to the charge of the Philadelphia Navy Yard, which he declined, unless the Navy Department would promise a permanent position at that place. This not being in its power, Dr. Harris was appointed, and from his private practice accumulated an ample fortune. In 1824, he resigned his position in the navy, against the earnest remonstrance of the secretary and the department.
During nis term of service the pay of a surgeon was trivial in comparison with what it has since become, being (as is thought) only about nine hundred dollars a year when he was fleet surgeon.
He died on the 15th of January, 1848, beloved and re- gretted by the whole community, which showed their sorrow for his loss and their respect for his memory by voluntarily closing every place of business in the town upon the occa- sion of his funeral.
Mrs. Evans survived her husband many years, and died in Baltimore, on the 4th of January, 1881. Their children
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were Alexander Evans, Andrew W. Evans, (now of the United States Army), and Mary Evans, who was married to the late James W. Clayton, all three of whom are still living.
THE MITCHELL FAMILY.
THE Mitchells, of Cecil County, are of Scotch-Irish extrac- tion, and are the descendants of Dr. Abraham Mitchell, a cele- brated physician and native of Lancaster County, Pennsylva- nia, who settled at or near the Head of Elk, as Elkton was then called, some time previous to 1767, at which time he was practicing his profession near that place. But little is known of his early history, except that he was a cousin of the Rev. Alexander Mitchell, a distinguished Presbyterian minister who for many years near the close of the last and in the early part of the present century, was pastor of the Doe Run and Upper Octoraro churches, in Chester County.
Dr. Mitchell was about twenty-five years of age when he came to this county ; and there is a tradition in the family, that having completed his medical studies, his father pre- sented him with a horse, saddle and saddle-bags, and five hundred dollars in cash, when he started out to seek a favor- able location to practice his profession. He soon lost the money in his possession by going security for a friend, but being of robust constitution and possessed of great energy, nothing daunted, set himself to work manfully to repair the loss.
In 1769 he leased a lot in Elkton, and subsequently erected thereon the dwelling-house on Main street, now owned and occupied by James T. Mccullough, Esq., who, in 1845, married his granddaughter, Catharine W. Mitchell. Elkton was an insignificant village at that time, and prob- ably did not contain more than five or six good houses, among which were those now occupied by Dr. R. H. Tull ; the old post-office building, which was built in 1768; and the houses now occupied by John Partridge, Esq., Hon. Alexander Evans, and Colonel George R. Howard. It is
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worthy of remark in this connection, as showing the insig- nificance of the place, that the lot before-mentioned is described as being near Glover's Hill, which is the hill west of Little Elk Creek, now owned by Alfred Wetherell.
Dr. Abraham Mitchell seems to have been fond of agri- cultural pursuits, a trait that has been inherited by most of his descendants, for he subsequently leased a large quan- tity of land near the mouth of Mill Creek, which empties into the Little Elk near Glover's Hill, and in 1779 pur- chased a hundred acres, part of New Castle back landing, which was situate on the Elk River, next above French- town.
Dr. Mitchell was one of the most distinguished physicians of his time, which is shown by the fact that his practice ex tended over the greater part of Cecil and embraced part of Harford and New Castle counties. He was a true patriot, and showed his devotion to the cause of his country during the Revolutionary war by converting his house into a hos- pital for the use of the wounded soldiers of the Continental army, many of whom availed themselves of his kindness and professional skill.
On the 19th of November, 1772, he married Mary Thomp- son, daughter of Dr. Ephraim Thompson, who was the son of Richard, who was the son of Richard, who was the son of the John Thompson who married Judith Hermen, the second daughter of Augustine Hermen, the founder of Bo- hemia Manor.
In 1781 he purchased two hundred acres of land at Fair Hill, and some time afterwards removed there, but subsequently re- turned to Elkton, and for a time resided in the Mansion house, on Main street, now occupied by Dr. R. F. Tull. He sub- sequently returned to Fair Hill, and in the latter part of his life became a member of the Rock church. He had previ- ously, in 1777, been a liberal subscriber to the salary of the Rev. Mr. Thompson, rector of North Elk parish.
He died at Fair Hill, September 30th, 1817, in the eighty-fourth year of his age.
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HISTORY OF CECIL COUNTY.
Dr. Abraham Mitchell and wife were the parents of eight children, two of whom died in infancy. Of his sons, George Edward was born March 3d, 1781, and will be noticed at length hereafter. Ephraim Thompson, born March 17th,1783, was endowed by nature with considerably more talent than generally falls to the lot of man. He studied law with William Pineney, and practiced his profession in this county, and died in the service of his country in the last war with Great Britain, on Lake Erie, on board the transport Lady Provost, en route from Detroit to Fort George. Abraham David Mitchell, their third son, was born on the 1st of Decem- ber, 1786. He married Jane Evans, daughter of Robert and Margaret Evans .* They were the parents of nine children as follows : Ephraim Thompson ; Robert: Abraham David ; Alexander ; John Jay ; James Evans ; and Mary, the wife of Judge James M. Evans; Jane Evans, wife of William T. West, and Margaret, wife of Richard D. Hall. Abraham D. Mitchell was a member of the company of light horsemen, commanded by John R. Evans, t of this county, in the war of 1812, and participated in the defense of Baltimore. He was one of the delegates that represented this county in the Legislature in 1814 and the two following years, and was for many years a leading member of the Rock church and one of the elders of that church at the time of his death which occurred in 1841.
COLONEL GEORGE EDWARD MITCHELL.
GEORGE EDWARD MITCHELL studied medicine under the tuition of his father, and also attended the lectures at the
* See sketch of the Evans family.
+ John R. Evans, was a son of Samnel Evans, who for many years re- sided at Prospeet Hill, now owned by H. D. Miller. He is believed to have been related to the other Evans of this county, but the degree of relationship between the families, if any exists, is not certainly known. He was a man of some distinction, and assumed the name of Ricketts to distinguish him from another John Evans. He was the father of John W. Evans, of Newark, Delaware.
.
FF
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medical department of the Pennsylvania University, by which he was licensed to practice his profession, on the 5th of June, 1805. For some years prior and subsequent to this time he practiced his profession in partnership with his father in Elkton, but in 1808 was elected one of the repre- sentatives of this county in the General Assembly of the State, and served in that capacity during the session of 1808-9, being a zealous supporter of President Jefferson's administration. Having declined a re-election to the General Assembly, he was elected a member of the Executive Council, and took his seat in that body on the 27th of No- vember, 1809; Edward Lloyd being at that time Governor of the State. Mr. Mitchell's colleagues were Thomas W. Hall, Levin Duvall, Reverdy Ghiselin and James Butcher.
In January, 1809, he was offered the position of captain of light dragoons in the regular army, which he declined, and continued to serve in the council, of which he had been made president, until the spring of 1812, when it became apparent that war would soon be declared against Great Britain, he resigned, and on May 1st was appointed major of the third artillery, in the regular army. Soon after his resignation, he raised a company of volunteers in this county and entered into active service.
The summer and fall of 1812 he spent in camp at Albany, New York, assisting Colonel Macomb in disciplining his regiment, and marched with it, in November, to Sackett's Harbor, on Lake Ontario. He had command of the regi- ment after reaching Sackett's Harbor, and spent several weeks of an intensely cold winter encamped amid the frost and snow of the Canadian frontier. Huts were subsequently erected, and the remainder of the winter was spent in guarding the fleet on the lake and in making preparations for the approaching campaign.
For his valuable services during the winter, General Armstrong, Secretary of War, promoted him to the rank of lieutenant-colonel on the 3d of March, 1813. In the spring
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of that year the campaign on the northern frontier was opened by the capture of York, an important post in Upper Canada. Colonel Mitchell was a volunteer in that brilliant but unfortunate affair. After the British troops had been beaten and completely routed, the diabolical plan of de- stroying the American troops, which were advancing in columns, by exploding their magazine, containing five hundred barrels of gunpowder, was carried into effect, and General Pike and three hundred gallant soldiers were killed or badly wounded by the explosion. Colonel Mitchell, who was much injured, assisted in reforming the shattered col- umns. He was the first to raise and revive for the moment the gallant and lamented Pike. His aides-de-camp being killed or badly wounded, he gave Colonel Mitchell his last orders for Colonel Pierce, the second in command of the land forces, who immediately ordered Colonel Mitchell on duty under him, and afterwards spoke in the warmest terms of commendation of his conduct upon this occasion. Colonel Mitchell was with General Dearborn at the capture of Fort George, a strong fortification on the Canadian side of the Niagara River, and aided much in the achievement of that brilliant victory. A few days after the capture of Fort George he was ordered to the command of Fort Niagara, which important post he commanded during the summer and fall of 1813. And on account of his bravery and good generalship, was placed in command of the rear guard of the second division of the Northern army while on its march, under command of General Brown, from French Mills to Sackett's Harbor, in February, 1814. His command con- sisted of one thousand men, and was one of the most im- portant in the army, on account of the pursuit and attacks that were expected from the enemy. This duty, like all others assigned him, was discharged in a manner highly creditable to him and satisfactory to his countrymen.
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