USA > Maryland > Harford County > History of Harford County, Maryland : from 1608 (the year of Smith's expedition) to the close of the War of 1812 > Part 6
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The grand jury for that term consisted of the fol- lowing named persons :
Bennet Bussey, Foreman.
Richard Hutchins,
James Barnet, Jr., Benjamin Jones,
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HISTORY OF HARFORD COUNTY.
William Wilson of James, John B. Biddle,
Benjamin Nowland, John Ashmore,
Nicholas Horner, Edward Prall,
William Smith of Samuel, Richard Kruson,
George Amoss, John Montgomery,
John Rutledge, David Bell,
Barnet Johnson of Barnet, Parker Hall Lee,
Henry Vansickle, Thomas Jeffrey,
John Forwood of William, William Morris.
David Crane, Jr.,
Samuel Day, Bailiff.
Petit jury for same term :
Thomas Bond of Daniel,
Henry Richardson,
Godfrey Waters,
Billingslea Bull,
John Grindall,
James Trapnell,
James Lytle,
William Clark, Jr.,
Thomas Bond of John,
John Street,
Thomas Richardson,
Daniel Scott,
Henry Waters,
Ralph Bond,
Asael Hitchcock,
Jacob Norris,
John Hall,
Fell Bond,
George Patterson,
Sedgwick James,
Archer Hays,
Bennet Barnes,
Robert Morgan,
Samuel Calwell.
John Barclay,
July 28, 1800, the Court, consisting of Benedict E. Hall and William Smithson, associate justices, ap- pointed the following judges of election for the several districts of the county, viz :
First District-John Rumsey, William Smith, of Wil- liam, James Lytle.
Second District-Roger Mathews, John Holland Barney, John Cooley.
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HISTORY OF HARFORD COUNTY.
Third District-John Moores, Bennet Bussey, Jacob Norris.
Fourth District-Thomas Hope, John Clendening, James Varney.
Fifth District-Hugh Whiteford, farmer; James Steel, Dr. John Smith.
At the term of court, commencing March 16, 1801, before William Smithson and Benedict Edward Hall, justices ; John Lee Gibson, clerk, and John Churchman Bond, sheriff, the following is the list of the grand and petit juries for the term :
GRAND JURY.
Jacob Norris, Foreman. John Forwood,
John Bond of William,
Roger Mathews,
Bennet Bussey,
Thomas Bond of John, Barnet Johnson of John, Nicholas Allender of Nicholas,
Nicholas D. McComas,
John Yellot, George Presbury,
Parker H. Lee,
Henry McAtee,
Samuel Richardson, Sr., John Grindall,
Zaccheus O. Bond,
Joseph Brownley,
Bernard Preston,
Alexander McComas,
Richard Hawkins,
Stephen Jones,
James Steel,
Benedict Hall, Jr.
PETIT JURY.
John Street,
Abel Maple,
James Lytle,
John Stump,
Harry Gough, Thomas S. Bond,
John Norris of John,
George Patterson,
Derick Kruson,
John Chauncey,
George Cunningham, John Hall,
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HISTORY OF HARFORD COUNTY.
Henry Vansickle,
Samuel Webster of Richard,
Samuel Bradford,
Col. Samuel Hughes,
Moses Magness,
Samuel Richardson,
William Walsh,
Bennet Jarret,
Thomas Richardson,
John Carlile,
James Carroll,
David Street,
John Ashmore,
At this term of court, John Lee Gibson, who had been clerk of the court for twenty years, offered his resignation in the following letter :
"To the Honorable the Chief Justice and the Associate Justices of Harford County:
"Gentlemen-I beg leave to request your acceptance of my resignation of the office of clerk of Harford county, which I lay before you. Particular circum- stances prevent me from holding the appointment longer. Permit me to express to you the grateful sen- sations I feel for your politeness to me while in office and the sensations of great and sincere respect with which I am, gentlemen,
Your obedient servant,
JOHN LEE GIBSON."
March 27, 1801.
On the same day the resignation was accepted and the court appointed Henry Dorsey, of Edward, clerk of the court, who gave bond in the sum of five thou- sand pounds, with Daniel Scott and William Smithson as sureties.
CHAPTER X.
SIGNS OF THE REVOLUTION.
IMPORTATION ACT-STAMP ACT-THE PEGGY STEWART-THE AMER- ICAN ASSOCIATION-CONCORD AND LEXINGTON-ANNAPOLIS CONVENTION OF JUNE, 1774 -HARFORD REPRESENTATIVES THERE-RESOLUTIONS-CONVENTION AT BUSH-RESOLUTIONS ASSOCIATION OF THE FREEMEN OF MARYLAND.
For years before the Revolution there was great un- rest in the American colonies on account of the tax laws enacted by the British Parliament.
As early as 1733 the Importation Act was passed, by which large duties were laid on sugar, molasses and rum brought into the provinces. Then England for- bade the manufacture of steel or the cutting of pine trees outside of inclosures. These laws could not be enforced and only served to deepen the resentment of the people. The ground of objection was the absence of colonial members in the British Parliament, and the claim was made that taxation without representation is tyranny.
On March 22, 1765, in spite of the remonstrance of Pitt, Parliament passed the celebrated Stamp Act, the provisions of which were that every bond, mortgage, note, deed, license or legal document should be executed on paper bearing an English stamp and furnished by that government. The price of these stamps ranged from a few pennies to several pounds.
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HISTORY OF HARFORD COUNTY.
Every newspaper, pamphlet or almanac was required to be printed on stamped paper, costing from a half penny to four pence. Every advertisement was taxed two shillings. Failure to comply with these require- ments invalidated the document. The colonies were greatly exasperated on learning of the passage of this law. Public meetings were held in the large cities ; in Boston the bells were tolled and in Philadelphia they were muffled. A great procession marched through the streets of New York, bearing a copy of the Stamp Act, with a death's head nailed to it, and with a large placard displaying the words, "The Folly of England and the Ruin of America."
At the invitation of Massachusetts, the colonies sent delegates to a "Stamp-Act Congress," which met in New York October 7, 1765, and protested against the act.
Public opinion in America was so outraged by this law that on March 18, 1766, it was repealed by the British Parliament and the wavering allegiance of the colonies was temporarily restored to the British Crown. But the trouble soon broke out again with the tax on imported tea, and riots occurred in Boston, Philadel- phia, Annapolis, Charleston and elsewhere on its ac- count. The owner of the ship Peggy Stewart was forced to burn his own vessel laden with tea in the harbor of Annapolis in October, 1774. A call was issued for a general convention on September 5, 1774. The first Continental Congress met in Carpenter's Hall, Philadelphia. The most distinguished men of the colo- nies were members, prominent among them being George Washington and Patrick Henry, of Virginia. On October 8 the following resolution was passed :
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HISTORY OF HARFORD COUNTY.
"That this Congress approve the opposition of the inhabitants of Massachusetts bay to the execution of the late acts of Parliament; and if the same shall be attempted to be carried into execution by force, in such case all America ought to support them in their opposition."
The attempt was made to carry them into execution and all America joined in the opposition, which brought on the Revolutionary War.
The Congress also adopted, on October 14, a "Decla- ration of Colonial Rights," and on the 20th of the same month the American Association was adopted, which was an agreement of non-importation, non-consump- tion and non-exportation applied to Great Britain, Ire- land and the West Indies.
The mother country turned a deaf ear to these re- monstrances, which may be regarded as preliminary declarations of independence. General Gage was instructed to enforce all these measures with his army, and at Concord and Lexington, on April 19, 1775, was shed the first blood of the Revolution.
The Maryland Convention, which sent delegates to the first Continental Congress, met at Annapolis on June 22, 1774. Matthew Tilghman, of Talbot county, presided. The delegates representing Harford county in this convention were Richard Dallam, John Love, Thomas Bond, Benedict Edward Hall and Jacob Bond. At this convention it was declared that the acts of Parliament were cruel and oppressive invasions of the people's rights, and that the cause of Boston was the cause of all the provinces ; that the colonies should unite to stop all importation from and exportation to Great Britain until the acts should be repealed; that
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HISTORY OF HARFORD COUNTY.
a subscription should be opened in the several counties for immediate collection for the relief of the distressed inhabitants of Boston, then cruelly deprived of the means of procuring subsistence for themselves and families by the operation of the act for blocking up their harbor, and that the same be collected by the committees of the respective counties, and shipped by them in such provisions as may be thought most use- ful; that there should be no dealings with any colony which should refuse to come into the general plan which might be adopted by the colonies ; that the depu- ties from Maryland to the Continental Congress, upon their return, call together the committees of the sev- eral counties and lay before them the measures adopted by the general congress.
Matthew Tilghman, Thomas Johnson, Jr., Robert Goldsborough, William Paca and Samuel Chase were sent as delegates to Philadelphia.
The counties promptly responded to the recommen- dation of the provincial convention. Harford had anticipated the recommendation, for, on June II, a large meeting of the inhabitants was held at Bush to take action in the matter. Aquila Hall presided over the meeting and the following resolutions were adopted :
"I. Resolved, It is the opinion of this meeting that the town of Boston is now suffering in the common cause of America, and that it is the duty of every col- ony to unite in the most effectual constitutional means to obtain a repeal of the late act of Parliament for blocking up the harbor and port of Boston.
"2. Resolved, That, therefore, we will join in an association with the other counties of this province, on
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HISTORY OF HARFORD COUNTY.
oath, not to export to, or import from, Great Britain, any kind of produce or merchandise after such a day as the committee of the several counties at their gen- eral meeting shall fix, until the Repeal of the Boston port act.
"3. Resolved, That we will deal with none of the West India Islands, colony or colonies, person or per- sons whatsoever residing therein, who shall not enter in similar resolves with the majority of the colonies within such time as the general committees of this province shall agree, but hold him or them as an enemy or enemies to American liberty.
"4. Resolved, That we join in an association with the other colonies to send relief to the poor and dis- tressed inhabitants of Boston, to enable them to perse- vere in defence of the common cause.
"5. Resolved, That the merchants ought not to ad- vance the price of their goods, but sell them as they intended had not these resolves been entered into.
"6. Resolved, That the gentlemen of the law ought to bring no suit for recovery of any debt due from any inhabitant of Great Britain, or this or any other col- ony, until the said act be repealed ; except in such cases where the debtor is guilty of a wilful delay in payment, having ability to pay, or is about to abscond or remove his effects, or is wasting his substance, or shall refuse to settle his account by giving his bond on interest (or security, if required), which fact or facts are to be made appear to some neighboring magistrate and cer- tified under his hand.
"7. Resolved, That the following gentlemen, viz : Rev. William West, Messrs. Aquila Hall, Richard Dal- lam, Thomas Bond (son of Thomas), John Love, Capt.
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HISTORY OF HARFORD COUNTY.
John Paca, Benedict Edward Hall, Benjamin Rumsey, Nathaniel Giles and Jacob Bond be a committee to meet the committees of other counties in this province, to consult and agree on the most effectual means to preserve our constitutional rights and liberties, and promote that union and harmony between Great Bri- tain and her colonies, on which their preservation de- pends ; and that the same gentlemen, together with the following, Capt. John Matthews, Capt. William Smith, Dr. John Archer, William Younge, Abraham Whita- ker, William Webb, Amos Garret, George Bradford, John Rumsey, Jeremiah Sheredine, William Smithson, William Bond (son of Joshua), Isaac Webster and Alexander Cowan, be a committee of correspondence, and on any emergency to call a general meeting, and that any six of them have power to act.
"Signed per order, "JOSEPH BUTLER, Cl. Com."*
At the meeting of the convention held December 8 of that year (1774), the sum of four hundred and sixty-six pounds was named as the amount to be sub- scribed in Harford county for the purchase of arms and ammunition.
Meanwhile, in Congress, the war spirit continued to grow. On June 26, 1775, the Maryland Convention again assembled at Annapolis, and its first movement was to throw off allegiance to the proprietary power and form a provisional government for the State. Then was organized what was known as the "Association of the Freemen of Maryland," which the members of the convention signed. To this association are found
*Scharf's History.
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HISTORY OF HARFORD COUNTY.
subscribed the names of Benedict Edward Hall, Thomas Bond, Richard Dallam, Ignatius Wheeler, Jr., and William Webb, who represented Harford county in that convention.
CHAPTER XI.
HARFORD IN THE REVOLUTION.
THE PEOPLE OF THE NEW COUNTY ALIVE TO PUBLIC AFFAIRS- FAVORABLE SITUATION OF COUNTY SEAT AT BUSH-GREAT MEN PASSING ALONG-HARFORD DECLARATION OF POPULAR RIGHTS.
Several things conspired to cause the people of Har- ford county to be especially active and interested in public affairs at the breaking out of the Revolutionary War. In the first place, the county had been formed but a year before Lexington and Concord were fought ; our people had all the zest and interest in public mat- ters which always characterize newly organized gov- ernmental agencies, and the same feeling which made them restless under the removal of their county seat and led to the formation of the new county, was mani- fest in the spirit that actuated them under the wrongs inflicted by the mother country. One of the first duties imposed upon the new county was to send delegates to the Provincial Convention at Annapolis, which pro- tested against the Stamp Act. The situation of the county seat at Harford Town, or Bush, on the route to and from Philadelphia and New York, the early national capitals, was particularly favorable to our an- cestors keeping thoroughly in touch with the spirit of the times. There were several hotels at Bush at the time of which we write, and when our people in those
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HISTORY OF HARFORD COUNTY.
days would repair to the county seat on court business, or whatever might be their errand, it was an usual occurrence for them to meet with and enjoy the ac- quaintance of such men as Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Randolph, Patrick Henry, the Lees and other great men of those days who lived in the South and who would pass that way in their journeys to and from the large cities of the North.
It is not too much to assume that something of the same spirit and feeling that actuated Washington, who commanded our armies, and Jefferson, who wrote the Declaration of Independence, and Madison, the father of the Constitution, and the other prominent men who were in the habit of stopping at Bush, was infused into our own people, and to the extent of their association with these great men, which, as indicated, was con- siderable, to the same extent our ancestors had the advantage in public information, knowledge and public spirit over those sections not so favorably situated. As we look back to that distant day, we can see the village hostelry filled with jurors, witnesses, judges and others of our people who had repaired to the county seat on public business. The great open fire- place would be blazing with the cordwood logs; kindly feeling and good cheer would prevail; Mr. Jeremiah Sheredine, Mr. William Webb and Mr. Thomas Bond, of the lords justices, would discuss with Mr. William Smithson the opening of a new road from the Hickory Fork to Winter's Run and debate the probable cost ; in another part of the room Mr. Alexander Lawson, the clerk of the court, would be engaged in conver- . sation with Mr. Aquila Hall and Mr. Aquila Paca, who lived nearby and had dropped in for a social hour ; a
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HISTORY OF HARFORD COUNTY.
slight commotion would be heard outside and, as is the custom in the country, all would go to discover the cause. Just coming over the brow of the hill from By- num's run two horsemen would appear, the dress, car- riage, horses and tout ensemble of the riders would clearly indicate that they were gentlemen of distinc- tion ; following them would be two negro servants equally well mounted; the livery of the servants and their perfect manners indicating that they were of the quality as well as their masters; some one of the better acquainted would advance and address the elder traveler with "Colonel Washington, how do you do?" The gentleman accosted would reply, "Mr. Paca, I am glad to see you ; allow me to present to you my friend, Mr. Jefferson, of Virginia," and then the entire assemblage would be presented to the great men and would for the rest of the evening enjoy the conversation of one or both of them. The politics of the day would be discussed and the latest views of the leading men of the times would be freely given to the guests thus gathered together. We can imagine Mr. Jefferson, with his tall, spare form, red face and hair, advising the fathers of our county met at the Bush tavern to organize and send delegates to the An- napolis Convention and the Continental Congress. We can see him standing in front of the open fire, exhorting his auditors to organize and pass resolutions expressing their views; and to scenes such as these were the rep- resentative people of the county so accustomed that when the hour arrived they were ready, active and courageous.
This association, with the leading men of the colo- nies, bore fruit in the passage of a resolution by the
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HISTORY OF HARFORD COUNTY.
committee of Harford county on the 22nd day of March, 1775, which may properly be called the first Declaration of Independence made by any representa- tive body in America. The committee of Harford county was not in any sense a mass-meeting. Its members were duly elected by the ten thousand white people of the county; the thirty-four names signed to the resolution were the leading men of the new county, and their descendants are justly proud of this signal evidence of the courage and patriotism of their ances- tors. The terms of the resolution, even without the aid of the knowledge of the resolves and the associa- tion of the Continental Congress and the resolves of the Provincial Convention, indicate beyond a doubt that the signers realized that they were not dealing in mere glittering generalities, but that it was necessary for them to hang together, so that they might thereby avoid the unpleasant alternative of hanging separately.
When it was considered necessary to close the reso- lution with these words, "We do most solemnly pledge ourselves to each other, and to our country, and en- gage ourselves by every tie held sacred among man- kind, to perform the same at the risque of our lives and fortunes," we may know that the signers had a full realization of the meaning of their famous decla- ration and of the work in which they were about to engage.
The following is the language of the declaration :
"We, the Committee of Harford County, having most seriously and maturely considered the Resolves and Association of the Continental Congress and the Resolves of the Provincial Convention, do most heart- ily approve of the same, and as we esteem ourselves
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in a more particular manner intrusted by our Constitu- ents to see them carried into Execution, we do most solemnly pledge ourselves to each other, and to our country, and engage ourselves by every tie held sacred among mankind, to perform the same at the risque of our lives and fortunes.
"Aquila Hall, Jos. Carvel Hall, Geo. Patterson, Wm. Morgan, Frans. Holland, Saml. Caldwell, Aquila Paca, James Lytle, Aquila Hall, Jr., Robt. Morgan, Robt. Lemmon, Thos. Brice, Thos. Johnson, Alex. Rig- don, Edward Ward, Abm. Whitaker, Charles Ander- son, William Fisher, Jr., Richd. Dallam, John Durham, James McComas, William Bradford, Sen., Wm. Smith- son, John Donohuy, John Patrick, Daniel Scott, Benj. Bradford Norris, James Harris, Edward Prall, Green- berry Dorsey, John Archer, W. Smithe, W. Webb, John Taylor."
In this declaration is foreshadowed Lexington and Concord, Bunker Hill and Long Island, Trenton, Mon- mouth and Princeton, and the final triumph at York- town.
When we consider that the Resolves of the Conti- nental Congress were the Bill of Rights defining the privileges of English speaking people everywhere, and that the signers to the Bush declaration declared their intention to see them carried into execution at the risk of their lives and fortunes, we may consider that except in detail this declaration breathed the same spirit as Jefferson's instrument of more than a year later.
A revolution differs from a rebellion only in that the former is attended with success. And had the Revolution of 1776 failed, and had the army of Wash- ington been overthrown, it is not too much to suppose
-
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that the good people of our county, who rejoice in their descent from these patriots whose names are signed to the Bush declaration, would have as part of their inheritance the bitter knowledge of the execution of an ancestor for treason.
The same quality of the Englishman that put Har- rison to death and dug up the dead body of Cromwell and hung it in chains after it had been in the grave for years, would have made itself manifest at that later day had the British government triumphed in their effort to enslave the American colonies. The date of this declaration is but two days after the celebrated speech of Patrick Henry, in Virginia, when he ex- claimed: "The war is inevitable. Gentlemen may cry peace, peace, but there is no peace. The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the crash of resounding arms. What would you have? Is life so dear or peace so sweet to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery. I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death."
The fires were beginning to be kindled and liberty or death was the prevailing sentiment. And so the rep- resentatives of the county signing this declaration at Bush sixteen months before the declaration at Phila- delphia on July 4, 1776, was a cry for liberty, from an obscure community, if you please, but it breathed the same patriotic spirit and bore the same central thought as the great instrument itself.
Let no one belittle this act of our forefathers, or take one laurel from the brow of those great and good men of our county, who at the risk of their lives and their
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fortunes were the first to give utterance to such senti- ments, looking to national freedom and independence. They have all long ago passed over the dark river and joined the silent majority, and of them we can say in the ritual of the church, to the Author of every good and perfect gift, "we bless Thy holy name for all Thy servants departed this life in Thy faith and fear," and in particular "we give Thee hearty thanks for the good example of these, Thy servants, who having finished their course in faith do now rest from their labors."
The surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown was the final overthrow of English supremacy. With the success of the American arms came the neces- sity for a more perfect union. The first government was under the Articles of Confederation, which proved inadequate, and so the constitution was formed and adopted, and with the inauguration of Washington the new government went into operation in all its branches.
CHAPTER XII.
THE REVOLUTION-CONTINUED.
THE ENROLLMENT OF THE COUNTY MILITIA- THE FLYING CAMP- ALEXANDER LAWSON SMITH'S HARFORD COMPANY AT THE BATTLE OF FORT WASHINGTON.
In accordance with the recommendation of the Provincial Assembly, companies were enrolled in Har- ford county as follows :
"We whose names are subscribed do hereby enroll ourselves into a company of militia, agreeable to the resolutions of the Provincial Convention held at Annap- olis the 26th day of July, 1775, and we do promise and engage that we will respectively march to such places within this province, and at such times, as we shall be commanded by the convention or council of safety, of this province, or by our officers, in pursu- ance of the orders of the said convention or council, and there, with our whole power, fight against whom- sover we shall be commanded by such authority as aforesaid."
JOSIAS CARVIL HALL'S COMPANY .- NO. I.
Witness our hands this 12th day of Sept., 1775. JOSIAS CARVIL HALL, Capt. Edward Hall, William Young, Ist Lieut. Edward Carvel Tolley, John Beadle Hall, 2d Lieut. John Patterson, Thomas Hall, Ensign. Thos. Peregrine Frisby,
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