USA > Maryland > Anne Arundel County > Annapolis > The Ancient City.: A History of Annapolis, in Maryland, 1649-1887 > Part 31
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The memorialists also told how the French 74, L'Eole, drawing twenty-one feet. seven inches, had come in the harbor of Annapolis in 1807. when the tide was not at its height, and that one mile above. Fort Severn, the river was 50 feet deep.
[1818.] January 24, a meeting was held in Annapolis looking to the formation of a branch society to colonize, with their consent the free colored people of the United States in Africa.
The Legislature of 1818 showed no disposition to move the capital to Baltimore, although the corporation of Baltimore pledged all the funds necessary to erect public buildings in case the capital was re- ;moved. An effort to remove the capital to Baltimore, was also made 'n 1864. It was again unsuccessful. The location of the seat of
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HISTORY OF ANNAPOLIS.
government at Annapolis is now a part of the organic law of the State.
On the 28th of May. President Monroe visited Annapolis and was received by John Randall, Mayor of Annapolis, art presented with a series of complimentary resolutions by the City Council, and was given a banquet by the citizens. The President visited Fort Severn where he was saluted with cannon. He then sailed up the Severn on the revenue cutter Active, as far as Round Bay, to obtain a view of the river. He remained until Saturday morning. the 30th.
At the election in October to select delegates to the Legislature from Annapolis, the following was the vote ; Democrats-Dr. Dennis Claude 143. John Stephen 135 ; Federals-Rob ;. Welch of Ben. 113. Addison Ridout 107.
[1819.] The question of changing the charter of Annapolis, which had remained almost untouched since its grant by Queen Anne in 1708, arose in 1819. A writer declared "its provisions are of the most ochious kind, and in the highest degree repugnant to the sentiments, the feelings, and the wishes of the independent citizens of a free re- public. In the true spirit of aristocracy, it permits none but free- holders to hold the office of mayor, alderman, or common councilman, and denies to our citizens the privilege of election more than one of the branches of government." Vacancies in the board of aldermen were filled by the common council, out of their own body, and also the Mayor was elected by a joint vote of the two branches, out of the board of common council. The charter was pronounced "one of the most aristocratical and absurd charters that ever disgraced the land of freedom." The movement was successful, and by act of December session, 1818, chapter 194, the charter of the city was altered and amended. On the fifth, the first Monday in April, 1819, the first election under the new city charter occurred, and the following were elected to fill the respective offices :
Mayor-Lewis Duvall.
Recorder-Thomas H. Carroll.
Alderman-James Hunter, Francis Hollingsworth, John Randall, Sr., Henry Duvall, Alex. C. Magruder.
Common Councilmen-John T. Barber, Geo. Schwrar, Joseph Sands, Washingron G. Tuck, William M'Parlin, Henry Magruder, James Shaw.
Sunday schools were opened in Annapolis, in April, 1818. The number of scholars entered during the year was 64. The colored scholars numbered over 20. The schools were under the charge of one directress and four superintendents, with a number of ladies, acting in rotation, as teachers. The school does not seem to have been denominational.
In this year, the time appears most vague from the indefinite terms used by the correspondents from whom the facts are taken, the col- lector of the United States, at Annapolis, had possession of certain goods, taken from a British vessel, on a charge of smuggling. The state court issued a writ of replevin. The high sheriff of Anne Arun- del proceeded to serve the writ, and the collector sent to Fort Severn, and when the sheriff attempted to take the goods, he and his posse were met by a United States officer and a file of soldiers standing be- tween him and the goods. The excitement amongst the citizens of Annapolis was intense. A number armed themselves, and executed
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the writ in spite of the soldiers, "nor was it without considerable personal exertion on the part of gentlemen holding high judicial and executive offices under the state, that the tumult was prevented from becoming more serious and fatal."
[1820.] The Religious and Literary Repository was commenced in Annapolis on Saturday January 15, 1820. It was edited by a Society of Laymen, members of the Protestant Episcopal Church. Its life seemed to have been of short duration.
February 28, Charles Carroll, of Carrolton, living then at Annapolis, at the ripe old age of 82, was represented as a striking instance "of activity of body, and energy of mind, evidencing a constitution pre- served by the strictest discipline, which promises him long to this country and the community of which he has long been considered the most venerable and distinguished ornament. His mansion has given celebrity to the hospitality of Maryland, by being open to distin- guished visitors from every quarter of the union and every civilized country of the globe. The utility of his public life is gilded by the peaceful beams of his declining years. A worthy associate of those men whose names are engraved upon a bolder monument than the pyramids of Egypt.'
On Tuesday morning, September 28, the H. B. M. Frigate Spartan, arrived at Annapolis having on board Stratford Canning, Esq., the British Minister, and Mr. Charles F. Wilmot, his secretary. Fort Severn and the frigate exchanged saluts.
[1821.] Acts of December session, 1820, chapter 67, provided for the building of the present Court House in Annapolis. The commis- sioners to superintend the building were Richard Ridgely, Thomas B. Dorsey, Samuel Brown, Jr., Henry Woodward, Lancelot Warfield, Thomas Hodges, Rezin Estep Joseph MeCeney, Jamer P. Soaper, Francis Hancock, John T. Barber, and Richard Harwood, of Thomas. Twelve thousand dollars was the limit of the levy to be made for the Court House.
October 10th, Wm. Kilty, aged 64 years. Chancellor of the State, died. Hon. John Johnson was appointed Chancellor in his stead.
[1822.] It is not uninteresting and will have a mollifying effect on those who believe that rings political, only in these latter days. en- circled the body politic, to hear Mr. John C. Weems, of Elk Ridge, openly under his own signature declare against the "Star Chamber of Annapolis, where it is believed by those few keepers of the State, and more particularly of this congressional district, that no man can be found as well calculated to support their contest, as my friend Doctor Kent, who by Mr. Howard's account, has been brought out in direct opposition to myself, although he assured me four yearsago, he never would be again in my way, and although helast year assured General Marriott, he would not be in his way." The writer further indicates that the "Annapolis-Junto, " as he styles the unnamed State Managers of that day, had already laid out a plan of elections by the people pre- cisely in the order, it is currently reported and generally believed, that the political leaders parcel out beforehand posititions and places to- day.
September 15th, at the early age of 38, Jehu Chandler, a native of Delaware, but for the previous thirteen years a resident of Annapolis, and editor of the Republican, died.
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The city election on Monday, October 1822. presented the curious incident of two men running before the people for two offices each on the same day. Lewis Duvall was a candidate for Mayor of Annapolis and delegate to the Legislature for Annapolis. To the former office he was elected. For the latter he was defeated by the following vote : Cancus-Jeremiah Hughes 152. Thomas H. Carroll 147. Anti-Cau- cus-Col. Lewis Duvall 139. Thomas H. Carroll was also elected re- corder of the city the same day.
September 24th, Dr. Rafferty, Vice Principal of St. John's College, advertised a course of lectures upon Natural Philosophy, to be illus- trated with experiments. The Philosophic Apparatus of the College at this time had cost nearly $5,000, and "was made by the first artists in London." The apparatus, however, did not arrive in time and the course was postponed until the next year.
November 2, Jeremiah Hughes took charge of the Maryland Repub- lican, as proprietor.
[1823.] In December Session, 1822, a bill was passed to incorporate a company to build a bridge over the Severn River. Reverdy John- son was among the directors to open books for subscription. Thirty- five thousand dollars was the amount of capital stock in 1400 shares at $25 each. The structure was to be at Annapolis and was to be a toll bridge. The draw was to be forty feet wide. The bridge was not then built. It was not until 1886 that this bridge was finally erected. The County Commissioners who executed the work were Wm. Brewer Gardiner, Arthur Carr, Wm. P. Baldwin, Wm. A. Shipley, and Wm. Jones.
In this year Strawberry Hill Farm, now the Government Farm, op- posite Annapolis, on which stood for many years the Alms House of the county, was sold by the trustees of the poor for $6,000. The trus- tees then purchased the commodious house and ten acres on the south side of South River, now in use, as the Alms House, from Mr. Lari- more. This is on the site of a town projected in the early history of the province under the ambitious title of New London.
In June of this year the committee, to which was referred the annual report of the Mayor, dismissed the question of police for the city saying that "if, instead of one city constable, three men of good, energetic, firm, and respectable standing, could be obtained, and give them $80 per annum each, who should at all times, by night as well as by day, pa- trol the city. and particularly on the Sabbath, and that their salary should be made payable quarter yearly, by an order from the Mayor to him, they should weekly report, and be accountable for the peace of the city. But when your committee view their fellow-citizens, with respect to having this service performed, as it should be to our city, they confess themselves under conviction that it. would be ex- tremely difficult to find men possessing the necessary qualifications." A further insight into the state of local affairs is seen by the statement of a writer in the public press, that "one-third of the revenue of this city is pocketed by those holding appointments under the corpora- tion."
Resolutions were introduced in the Corporation of Annapolis in January, by Mr. Shaw, for subscribing for shares of stock in the com- pany, incorporated to build a bridge over Severn River.
17
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' 'THE ANCIENT CITY.""
As an evidence of the scarcity of ready money in the Spring of 1823, and the morality of the county, at the April term of Court. over 680 suits were brought and only one indictment found by the Grand Jury and that of petty larceny. Anne Arundel at this time was the third in population in the State, having nearly 30,000 inhabitants. It was before Howard had been carved out of Anne Arundel.
By the report of the Mayor. Lewis Duvall. made in April of this year, it is learned "that the Police of the city is too much weakened, within the last few months, by the discontinuance of, or from reducing the number of city-constables, from which period the city appears to have relapsed into its former propensities, by indulging in riots and noise at nights, and gambling on the Sabbath and other days, to the annoyance of sundry parts of the city."
An article written for the Maryland Republican of June 21st, raises the question, and parenthetically answered it, whether, or not, the cele- brated Marshal Ney of France, was not ".a certain Michael Rudolph," of Cecil county, Maryland, who had served with distinguished bra very as a Captain in Lee's dragoons during the American Revolution. Ney's nephew, Edward C. Genet, gave the true piace of his birth as one of the German departments of France, in 1769.
The pleasures of the turf in Annapolis were attended with evils that afflict them in modern days. The Maryland Republican, of October 18th, says : "It is with pleasure we announce that the members of the Jockey Club have reconsidered their articles of association and abandoned the proposed races this season. If there be any advantage to the breed of horses, in such sports we have certainly been paying too deara price for that advantage in the sacrifice of time, money, character, and morals which the race week costs."
[1824.] A census of the population of Annapolis was taken February 1824. The population was 2,500 including the United States Troops, in Fort Severn. In 1820, the census had made the number 2.260.
During the December Session of the Legislature, of 1823, protracted until March, the question of the right of the soldiers, stationed at Fort Severn, to vote in Annapolis at the State and national elections arose in the General Assembly. The question came to the Legis- lature under a petition from the fifty-one men stationed at the Fort. The Fort was then in the corporate limits of Annapolis. The judges of election in the preceding October election "refused to receive the votes of certain soldiers who had been in Fort Severn a longer term than six months, and who were citizens of this state at the time they en- tered into the service of the United States." Some of the very men who were not allowed to vote at this election had voted at former elec- tions. The indignation on the subject was further heightened by' the fact that the officers had been allowed to vote. The Legislature adopted the report of the committee on the subject that it was then inexpedient to legislate on this question.
On the first Monday of April, the city election occurred between the Caucus and Anti-Caucus party. The vote stood for Mayor-anti-cau- cus, R. Harwood, 161 ; caucus, James Boyle-152. For Recorder- anti-caucus, E. D. Ridgely, 159; T. H. Carroll, caucus-156. For Aldermen, the following anti-caucus party men were elected : T. An- derson, 161; J. N. Watkins, 162; J. W. Duvall. 159 ; caucus-D. Claude, 159 ; J. Williamson, 157. For Common Councilmen-the an- Li-caucus men elected J. Randall, Jr., 161; Geo. Shaw, 160 ; Bennett
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Hurst. 159; the caucus-W. G. Tuck, 158; B. B. Brewer, 158; J. Hughes, 158. W. R. Thompson, P. Schwrar and Jona Hutton, anti- caucus, and J. Boyd, caucus, each received 157 votes, and a new elec- tion had to be held to elect one Common Councilman. At that elec- tion the vote stood W. P. Thompson, 154 ; J. L. Boyd, 135. These parties represented on one side a party opposed to the caucus system of nomination and on the other the advocates of it.
August 12th, H. B. M. Frigate Phaeton, 44 guns, Captain Sturt, arrived in Annapolis with Mr. Vaughin, minister plenipotentiary from the Court of St. James to America. The usual salutes were ex- changed between Fort Severn and the ship. The Mayor. General Harwood, and others waited on the minister, and congratulated him on his arrival. The Minister, whilst in the city, gave a dinner to Capt. Sturt, in honor of his attentions during the voyage.
March 9th, Dr. Wm. Rafferty, was chosen Principal of St. John's College.
in April, the Baltimore Medical College, awarded the first premium medal to Dr. Edward Sparks, of Annapolis, for the best medical Latin thesis.
On Monday, April 19th, the boiler of the Steamboat Eagle, on her first trip from Annapolis to Baltimore, exploded off North Point. A soldier from Fort Severn was killed, four persons were scalded, and Captain Weems and all his crew, more or less injured. Among the scalded was Henry M. Murray, of Annapolis, aged 34 years, who sub- sequently died of his injuries. The explosion set the Eagle on fire but it was extinguished by the crew and passengers. The son of Captain Weems, a lad of 12 or 13 years, was blown through the sky-light from: the cabin without sustaining serious injury.
[1825.] At the foot of Maryland Avenue, on the Severn, now part of the Naval Academy, ran transversely the highest hills in and about Annapolis. They remained until that part of the city was taken into the Naval Academy. About the year, 1825, Daniel H. Wiggins, an ingenious inventor of various implements, one of which was a wheat drill, which successfully accomplished the work, conceived the idea of erecting on this prominent elevation a wind-mill that would run on any quarter from which the wind would blow. The idea conceived, the mill was built. On the day for it to start, the assembled citizens gathered around the ingenious contrivance, the sails were set, the wind filled their open wings, and the latent machinery began to move. Around and around it went obedient to the currents, but utterly un- controllable by the inventor. He had neglected to provide means by which to throw off the power, and to render the mill subservient to his will. There it went on whirling and whirring to the chagrin of the inventor, who had to abandon his creation to the elements as a monument of misdirected genius.
The power was taken from the wind and conveyed to the mill by means of sails rigged to the spokes of a wheel that any wind would. revolve.
[1827.] In this year the act was passed which established the State Library. The law restricted the use of the books to members of the executive or legislative departments.
In October, George Wells, Jr., and John N. Watkins were elected delegates from Annapolis to the Legislature. It seems to have been
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a purely personal contest and party lines were not drawn. The vote was George Wells, Jr., 151 ; John N. Watkins, 143 ; Henry Hobbs, 142 ; Richard J. Crabb, 141.
In April of this year, Dr. Dennis Claude, was elected Mayor by this vote : Dr. Dennis Claude, 154; Richard J. Crabb, 138.
[1828.] In Annapolis this year, national politics showed itself in the election for delegates to the Legislature. The vote was :
Jackson ticket-Richard J. Crabb, 158; Thomas Anderson, 148. Adams ticket-John N. Watkins, 153 ; George Wells, Jr., 149.
Jeremiah Townley Chase, an ex-member of Congress, and Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals of Maryland, died in Annapolis, May 11th, aged nearly 80 years.
Jeremiah Townley Chase was from early manhood until nearly the close of his long and active life, a public man in many im- portant offices, in all of which he acquitted himself with honor and distinction. Mr. Chase was born in Baltimore in 1748, and removed to Annapolis in 1779. He was Mayor of Annapolis in 1783, and de- livered the address of welcome to General Washington when he came to resign his commission in 1783. He also enjoyed the honor of meet- ing and welcoming Lafayette, when he crossed the Prince George's border and entered Anne Arundel in 1824, on his way to visit Annapo- lis. Judge Chase took an early and decided part in the arduous and doubtful contest with Great Britain, supporting with vigor the rights of his country. During the whole of that trying conflict, he exhibited the most active and patriotic zeal and unshaken firmness.
The beginning of his public services was his appointment upon the first Committee of Safety in Baltimore, and he enlisted as a private in one of the first military companies in Maryland. In February, 1775, he was elected by Baltimore county, of which the town was then a part, a member of the Convention which framed the Constitution, and formed the Governmeno of the State, and was one of that body which united in the Declaratint of Independence for Maryland.
He continued to be a representative from Baltimore until he re- moved to Annap lis. He was at that time elected a member of the Executive Council, in which capacity he served to the close of the Revolutionary War. It was this Governor, Thomas Johnson, in whose council Judge Chase served, who received the acknowlegements of General Washington for procuring supplies of flour and cattle for the American Army. Judge Chase was a member of Congress in 1783, and, in 1784, was appointed one of the Executive Committee of that body to act in the recess of Congress.
In 1789, Mr. Chase was appointed a Judge of the General Court of the State. On the abolition of that Court, he was appointed Chief Judge of the Third Judicial District, and Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals.
In June, 1824, Judge Chase resigned the office of Chief Justice. In the administration of justice, Judge Chase was firm, dignified, and im- partial ; in the domestic circle, amiable; in society, brilliant ; in private conduct, kind and temperate ; exhibiting in all his acts, pub- lic and private, the benign influence of a sincere Christian life.
Judge Chase died in 1828, and was buried in the City Cemetery, Annapolis.
[1829.] In December Session, 1828, an act was passed incorporating the Annapolis and Potomac Canal Company to connect the city of
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Annapolis and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Company. The project came to naught.
At the election for the Legislature this year, the following was the vote in Annapolis :
Administration, (Jackson's Administration, ) Richard J. Crabb, 150; James Murray, 137 ; Anti-Administration, George Wells, Jr., 167; Dr. Dennis Claude, 162.
[1830.] The following extract, taken from the Maryland Gazette, of May 13th, 1830, shows that the freemen of Annapolis early put the tem- perance question in politics :
At a meeting of sundry individuals, held on the 14th of April, 1830, in the city of Annapolis, the following Preamble and Resolutions were adopted :
"Whereas, the manner in which elections have been for a long time conducted in the city of Annapolis, is viewed by us, as having a per- nicious tendency to corrupt the morals of youth, as well as fraught with evil to our citizens in general : And, whereas, the baneful effects of such conduct cannot be counteracted successfully but by taking a decided stand against it ; Therefore :
"Resolved by the undersigned, that we solemnly pledge ourselves to vote for no candidate or candidates for any office, for which we are entitled to vote, who shall himself give, or who shall for him, directly or indirectly suffer to be given, any kind of ardent spirits, fermented liquors, money, clothing or any thing else, to any voter or voters, at any election, for the purpose of obtaining their votes.
"Resolved further, That the course adopted by this meeting be re- commended to our respectable fellow-citizens, and that they are in- vited to unite with us in putting down an evil as degrading as it is desolating.
"Resolved, That in order to carry our object more fully into effect, we agree to reserve our votes to 4 o'clock in the afternoon, unless the business or circumstances of any of us should require him or them to vote earlier.
"Resolved, That the above proceedings be published in the different newspapers printed in this city.
Signed by Edward Williams,
Samuel Goldsmith,
Lewis Gassaway,
Grafton Munroe,
Basil Shephard, Thomas G. Waters,
Andrew Slicer,
M. W. Conner,
Samuel Peaco,
Jacob Bassford,
William Ross,
Peter Saussac,
Vachel Severe,
Samuel Parrott,
Daniel H. Wiggins,
Daniel Dorsey,
Thomas Sands,
W. J. Goldsborough,
Charles Henshaw,
N. J. Watkins,
Thomas King, Jr.,
Philip Clayton,
Thomas King,
William M'Parlin."
William Kirby,
They are dead, but around the names of many of them there lingers the odor of a holy sanctity of life that has made their memory precious to their descendants and an honor to the community.
[1831.] The startling episode of American slavery, Nat. Turner's re-
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volt, alarmed the people of Anne Arundel, and companies of infantry were organized and night patrols established to defend the people from an expected uprising. Whilst the whites were preparing for belligerent measures, the following pacific action was taken in this city :
At a numerously attended meeting of the Free People of Colour of the city of Annapolis, and its vicinity, convened in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, on the evening of October 4th, 1831,-to take into consideration the propriety and expediency of adopting certain resolu- tions, expressive of their views, wishes, and desires, the object of the meeting having been explained by the Chairman, the following Pre- amble and Resolutions were adopted :
" Whereas certain rumors, accompanied with suspicions of an unfav- orable character, have been in circulation through the country respect- ing the colored population, calculated to destroy the confidence which the white population have reposed in them.
"Resolved therefore. That we deeply and sincerely regret that any circumstance should have transpired to create those suspicions.
"Resolved, That we who reside in this city, and its vicinity, who now compose this meeting, cannot refrain from expressing our grateful acknowledgments in possessing the assurance that the confidence of their white friends is still reposed in them, and that no rumor has been able to impair the same.
"Resolved, That, as we are not insensible of thefriends we have among the white population, and that many of them have labored to ameliorate our condition, we pledge ourselves, that our future con- duct and deportment shall continue to be such as will be calculated to increase and continue their confidence and good wishes.
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