USA > Maryland > Anne Arundel County > The founders of Anne Arundel and Howard Counties, Maryland. A genealogical and biographical review from wills, deeds and church records > Part 46
USA > Maryland > Howard County > The founders of Anne Arundel and Howard Counties, Maryland. A genealogical and biographical review from wills, deeds and church records > Part 46
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From "Dorsey Hall" went out to "Dorsey's Search," in Fred- erick County, Judge Basil Dorsey, of the Frederick County Court and a member of its "Committee of Observation." By a daughter
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of John Crockett, merchant, of Baltimore, he had Evan Dorsey, whose wife was Susannah Lawrence. Evan Dorsey, Jr., married Julian Lawrence. They were daughters of John Lawrence, Sr., and John Lawrence, Jr., of Linganore.
Basil Dorsey, Jr .- Harriet Harris, daughter of Rachel Lawrence, widow of Captain Philemon Dorsey and wife of Nathan Harris; Cordelia Dorsey was the wife of William Downey, son of Captain John Downey, of Captain Nelson's Riflemen, of Philip Haas' Battalion in Canada, and was in Colonel Smith's Battalion on the frontier. Still later, Captain Downey was under "Light Horse" Harry Lee in the "Whiskey Rebellion." He cut down the pole erected by the rebels. His father was William Downey, the Scotch immigrant, and his mother was Ruhama Stocksdale, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Mrs. Cordelia Downey held 500 acres of woodland near Monrovia. When the Baltimoreand Ohio Railroad was under construction, timber along the line had advanced so high the company could not buy. Mrs. Downey offered her tract to complete the road. The officers of the company tendered her a memorial cup-an acorn, on which was engraved, "Tall oaks from little acorns grow." The first engine, "the acorn," was succeeded by the " tall oak," the mammoth engine.
The late Mr. William Downey, of New Market, and his son, Dr. Jessie Downey, former Fish Commissioner, hold much of Mrs. Cordelia Downey's estate. Mr. William Downey's wife was Margaret Jane Wright, of Jesse. Their daughter is Mrs. Dr. Hopkins.
Harriet Downey, sister of William, became Mrs. Francis Sappington Jones, descendant through Abraham and Charity Stans- berry, of Daniel Jones, who was the son of Deacon John Jones (of Piney Creek Church) and Hannah Crapster, of Sweden, progenitress of Basil Crapster (of Abraham.)
Albert Jones, former banker of Mt. Airy, John Dorsey Jones, William Downey Jones, Charles, Edward and Emma Jones are their heirs.
Upton Dorsey (of Evan)-Janette Hobbs whose brother William Hobbs-Susan Dorsey.
William Dorsey (of Judge Basil), through his son Corbin, was the progenitor of Senator Stephen Dorsey, of Ohio. Harriet (of William)-Colonel Thomas Gist, son of General Mordecai Gist. Evan, Basil, Vachel and Josiah Dorsey went West. Judge Dorsey married, second, Tabitha Richardson and had Tabitha, second wife of Hon. Upton Sheridine, member of Congress from Frederick. Mr. Albert Jones, of Baltimore, holds the seal and ring of Judge Dorsey.
Samuel Dorsey (of "Patuxent John") inherited "Dorsey's Search," near Columbia, and other tracts near New Market. His wife was Eleanor Woodward (of Henry and Mary Young). Their son, Henry Woodward Dorsey, was twice married, first, to Mary Maccubin, of Zachariah, whose daughter Achsah married Thomas Beale Dorsey, Jr., leaving a son, Samuel. Harry Woodward Dorsey's second wife was Mrs. Rachel Cooke (nee Magruder). They had an only son, Harry Woodward Dorsey, of New Market, whose wife was Sarah Waters (of Ignatius).
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From them descend Vernon Dorsey-Miss Worthington (of Rezin); the late Dr. Harry W. Dorsey, of Hyattsville-Miss Waters (of Dr. William) ; Captain Ignatius Dorsey, C. S. A .- Laura Hobbs (of William); Pottinger Dorsey-Mollie Morris; Elizabeth-William Blunt, of Goshen.
Harry Woodward Dorsey's homestead descended to Harry Dorsey Waters. It stands upon an eminence overlooking the National Pike, east of New Market. From it an extended view of a beautiful country is presented.
During the Civil War, when Lee's army held that country, General Fitzhugh Lee spent an evening there.
Captain Ignatius and his late brother, Pottinger Dorsey, had adjoining properties.
Benjamin Dorsey (of Patuxent John) inherited "Long Reach," "Partnership" and lands adjoining "Dorsey's Search," in Anne Arundel County. He married Sarah Dorsey (of Henry and Eliza- beth Worthington). Issue, Allen, Elizabeth, Ralph, Joshua, Sarah, Samuel and Rachel.
Ralph (of Benjamin) remained upon the homestead and married Harriet Warfield (of Joshua). Issue, Galen, Ralph, Joshua, bachelors; Benjamin and Rinaldo. Their sister, Mary Ann Jones Dorsey-Dr. William Henry Worthington; Benjamin Dorsey- Henrietta Mathews. Issue, Samuel, killed at Greenland Gap; Louisa -Trusten Polk; Eliza Dorsey. Benjamin Dorsey was Register of Wills for Howard. His residence was the northern border of 'Warfield's Range." He held also a part of "Montpelier."
Rinaldo Dorsey (of Ralph)-Achsah Worthington, sister of Dr. William Henry. Issue, Joshua Warfield Dorsey, who still holds her inheritance, "Wildwood." He also holds a fine farm near it.
SHERIFF JOHN.
Sheriff John Dorsey, son of Patuxent John, inherited "Good Luck" and "Mt. Pleasant," near New Windsor, containing one thousand acres.
As there seemed to be no good luck for sheriffs in those days, his estate became involved, and by order of Chancellor Hanson, David Alexander Dorsey, a son, was made trustee. Harry Dorsey Gough held a mortgage which was taken up by Mrs. Rachel Hall, a sister of Sheriff John, and by Stephen West, father of Mrs. John Lawrence, of Linganore. Sheriff John Dorsey married Mary Cum- ming, daughter of William Cumming and Margaret Thomas, both of whom held a considerable estate in Howard. William Cumming also became involved and transferred his estate to William Cum- ming, the younger, of Frederick County.
Mrs. Margaret Cumming in her will of 1804, after having sold "Presley," near Roxbury Mills, to Henry Gaither, and by him conveyed to Captain Philemon Dorsey, left to her granddaughter, Margaret Dorsey, "Gosnell's Chance" and part of "Creagh's Enlargement" and to her daughter, Mary Dorsey, the other half of the same two tracts.
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To daughter Araminta Cumming, "Howard's Chance," "Mt. Gilboa," "Barnes' Luck" and "Cumming's Bower." She made her daughter Araminta her executrix.
This daughter became the second wife of Captain Ely Dorsey, whose estate in Frederick County adjoined that.
The heirs of Sheriff John Dorsey were David Alexander, John, Samuel Thomas (named for his grandfather), Basil William, Eliza- beth, Mary and Margaret Dorsey.
David Alexander Dorsey and his brother William assigned their interest in the estate through David Cumming, to their sisters. The sisters assigned their interest to their brothers, John and Samuel Thomas Dorsey, and to their nieces, Araminta Hammond, Lucy Dorsey and Maria Dorsey, daughters of brother William (deceased), and to their nephews, William Alexander, Clagett Warfield and Basil Dorsey, sons of brother Basil (deceased.)
Samuel Thomas Dorsey in 1836 held the present estate of the late Harry Peddicord, near Unionville, and left it to nephews William Alexander and Clagett Warfield Dorsey, sons of brother Basil, who married Harriet Jones, daughter of Westley Jones and Harriet Warfield, daughter of Colonel Charles Warfield, of Sam's Creek.
Their son, Clagett Warfield Dorsey, in 1843, granted to Upton Dorsey and Mary Forsythe a tract called "Cumming's Farm," a resurvey for Margaret Cumming, formerly sold to Philip Hammond. In 1843 Henry Forsythe and wife deeded the same to Upton Dorsey, son of John Dorsey, of Sheriff John.
Through Judge Thomas Beale Dorsey, Captain Ely and Ara- minta (Cumming) Dorsey, in 1817, deeded to Basil (of John) "Gray's Bower," and to Peggy Dorsey "Gosnell's Chance," on the old road leading from Hollofield to Frederick. In 1823 Mrs. Ely Dorsey left her mother's estate to her sister's children and their descendants. It finally came to John Dorsey, father of Upton and Mrs. Forsythe.
He held a large estate upon the old Frederick road. He died upon "Gosnell's Chance," which descended to his son Upton. His wife was Miss Cochran.
Mrs. Forsythe inherited her estate where she lived and died. It is now owned by Henry Forsythe, who, with his brother Arthur, holds a large and productive estate.
Upton Dorsey-Louisa Sophia Crawford and left John Cummings Dorsey-Alverda Owings; William Clagett Dorsey-first, Elizabeth Carr; second, Catharine Linthicum (of Lloyd); Upton Wallace Dorsey -Ella Waters (of James); Mary Virginia-William Clarke (of Thaddeus); Laura Lee-Samuel Cashell and Basil B. Dorsey, a bachelor; Howard Crawford-Miss Gartrell. Their estate, "Howards' Chance" and other tracts, is at Clarksville.
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THE "MICHAEL DORSEYS" OF "ELIOAK."
Michael Dorsey, youngest son of Michael and Ruth (Todd) Dor- sey, married Honor Howard, daughter of Henry and Sarah Dorsey, and removed to her estate at the junction of The Manor Road and Clarksville Pike. This property is now held by Quill, who tore down the old house, a long frame one, with dormer windows and porch, and rebuilt upon the site. Mrs. Michael Dorsey had an interesting career. She was taken from her birthplace near, if not the same, whereon she then resided as the bride of Rezin Warfield (of Alexander) down to "White Hall" near Guilford; as his widow with three children, she married, after 1767, Rezin's rich cousin, John Davidge; as his widow in 1773, with five children, she became Mrs. Joseph Wilkins, and with him administered upon the estate of John Davidge, and then, marrying Michael Dorsey, Jr., returned to her own inheritance. As his widow, in 1817, she named "her daughter Jemima Warfield, her daughter Oner Dorsey, and her son Owen Dorsey, her executors." But there was another son with a large family. Her son, Lloyd Dorsey, married Anna Green and had Mrs. Achilles Simpson; Honor, wife of Thomas Burgess, of " Pros- pect Hill;" Mrs. Annie Barnes, of Ohio; Michael Lloyd, Washington; William and Mary N. (Dorsey) Green, of Ohio.
Washington left Virginia Mitchell, Cecelia Lynch, Emma, Washington, Jr., Howard, Melvilla and Edward Dorsey.
William had issue: William Lloyd Dorsey, of Martinsburg, Nannie, Lucy and Mary Green, who married Charles W. Dorsey (of Hanson).
Judge Owen Dorsey (of Michael and Honor) was Judge of the Orphans' Court of Baltimore and made many sales of real estate in Howard. He built the present large brick house at Elioak, which he transferred to Michael Dorsey, the third, in exchange for other lands. Judge Owen Dorsey married Henrietta Dorsey (of Nicholas), of Annapolis Junction, and had Owen, Edwin, Elizabeth Duer and Lorenzo, who married Anna Hanson McKenney, the authoress, parents of Louis, Clare-R. B. Mohun, Angela-Major Eastman, Flor- ence, and Ella Loraine Dorsey, of Washington, successor to her mother in literary work.
The daughters of Michael and Honor were Elizabeth, wife of Wil- liam Dorsey Ball. Her son was Owen Dorsey Ball, who married Frances E. Boyd and was the father of Mrs. John William Hunter Porter, of Portsmouth, Virginia. Jemima Dorsey (of Michael and Honor) became Mrs. Alexander Warfield, of Sam's Creek. Honor married Joshua Jones, Cecelia-Daniel Dunn.
Michael (of Michael and Honor), of Elioak-his cousin, Amelia Green.
: Dr. Hanson Dorsey (of Michael, third, and Amelia Green) 1 graduated at University of Maryland, 1836, practiced his pro- fession at Wickliffe, Park County, Virginia, until 1844; he then married Amanda Castleman, of Auburn, near Wickliffe, daughter of William Castleman, Jr .; he then removed to Front Royal, Warren
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County, Virginia, where he spent the remainder of his life, respected and beloved by all around him; was learned and successful in his pro- fession and a most intelligent and cultured gentleman of the old school; was remembered with love and gratitude by neighbors and friends; he died at Greenfield, near Front Royal, Warren County, June 21, 1903. Children of Dr. Hanson and Amanda Dorsey:
William Hanson, died in early manhood; Isabel, Louise, Rosalie, Owen, Warfield, dying in childhood; Charles Worthington, aged forty-four years, died March 10, 1898, in Baltimore. Living: Vir- ginia, Howard and Caroline Hanson Dorsey, youngest of the family and unmarried. Charles Worthington Dorsey married his cousin, Mary Green Dorsey, only daughter of William Dorsey (of Martins- burg, West Virginia, and son of Lloyd) and Lucy Harrison, issue of Charles W. Dorsey and Mary G. Dorsey; Lucy Harrison Dorsey, aged twenty-one years; she and her mother are living in Washington, D. C. William Dorsey also left one son, William Lloyd, unmarried, in Washington, D. C.
Michael, thefourth, late of Elioak-Eliza, daughter of David Jones, late of "Cedar Grove," Baltimore County. Their daughter, Marion B. Dorsey, became the wife and widow of Mr. Louis Gassaway, Cashier of the first bank in Annapolis. The only son, Louis Dorsey Gassaway, fourth in line of his name, is the assistant cashier of the Farmers' National Bank of Annapolis, and Recorder of the South River Club. He married Miss Iglehart, a descendant of the distinguished family that has given the name to Iglehart Station in Anne Arundel. The only daughter of Mrs. Gassaway is the recent bride of Lieutenant Fisher, U. S. A. Mary Dorsey (of Michael, fourth) now resides in the handsome home of "Elioak" as the wife of Ex-Treasurer James T. Clark, of Howard. Their son, Louis T. Clark, attorney-at-law of Ellicott City, owns the historic house of "Walnut Hill."" His bride is a daughter of Rev. Henry Branch, of Ellicott City.
HISTORIC CLARKSVILLE.
Rich in limestone, lovely in landscape, far-famed for its handsome daughters, this section was popular even before it had a name. To-day it is the centre of a progressive settlement.
A most attractive home is that of Mr. Nicholas Miller, son of Mr. Denton Miller, of Millersville, who lies buried upon his old homestead adjoining the former home of Thomas Cornelius Howard. Mrs. Denton Miller was a Miss Jenkins, aunt of Dr. William and Mr. John Hardy.
Clarksville has two attractive churches, two stores and several modern residences.
THE HARDY BROTHERS.
Southwest of Clarksville are the two substantial dwellings of the late Dr. William Hardy and his brother, Mr. John Hardy, now an octogenarian. Their father came up from St. Mary's County and settled across the Patuxent in Montgomery.
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In 1875 Dr. Hardy was School Examiner of Howard and Mr. John Hardy was a School Commissioner of Howard. The latter also represented the county in the State Legislature.
The wife of Dr. Hardy was a Miss Speers, a niece of William Clark. The homestead is now held by Miss Jennie Hardy, who conducted for years a successful school near by.
Mrs. John Hardy was a Miss Rowles. Their daughter is Mrs. Thomas Clark.
Clarksville has for years been noted for its Rattlesnake Spring picnics and its tournaments. The Hardy brothers were always lead- ers in all social enjoyments. To these were added their long-distance fox-hunts over the Patuxent grounds. Mr. John Hardy can not resist a desire to follow his dogs even now.
Two roads leading across the Patuxent enter Clarksville. At Highlands was "Wall's Cross-Roads Tavern," long since lost to memory. It gave place to the wayside tavern at Clarksville, where the village pump still offers free entertainment, but the old hostelry is closed and its keeper, Mr. John Simms, with his fund of history, has passed away without recording it. Much of it was related to the author, but not for publication.
Long before Clarksville had a name or a tavern, three surveyors met at a corner stone in Mr. Nicholas Miller's field and determined to possess that entire country. The first was Hon. John Dorsey, who laid out "White Wine and Claret;" then Colonel Henry Ridgely and his brother-in-law, Major Thomas Worthington, came up. They surveyed, first, "Henry and Thomas," but later Mr. Worthington resurveyed it as "Worthington's Range;" still later, the Howard heirs of it resurveyed theirs as "Howard's Chance."
Colonel Henry and Major Thomas took up all the land north of "Snowden's Second Addition," up through Highlands and Clarks- ville, to the neighborhood of Glenelg. They put upon this long stretch an expanding line of descendants.
THE HOWARDS OF CLARKSVILLE.
Thomas Cornelius Howard, the merchant, son of Cornelius Howard, increased his mother's dower and left a large estate. His will makes no mention of his wife. It left to his son, Thomas Worthington Howard, "two tracts, 'Worthington Range' and ' Howard's Chance,' on the east side of the main road leading from Snell's bridge to Elli- cott's; also a part of the said two tracts which lie between the main road leading from Green's bridge to Owing's Mill and the aforesaid main road from Snell's bridge to Ellicott's, which said part adjoins the lands of my son-in-law, Joseph Howard.
"To my son, Henry Howard, I give five shillings above his part; to son Charles Howard 'Brown's Chance' and 'Friendship,' com- monly called 'Ryan's land,' whereon my son-in-law John Rowan now lives, provided the title shall ever be made good to my estate, but if not, then I give to son Charles a bond from William Taylor.
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"To son Brice Howard all the remaining part of 'Worthington Range' on the north side of the main road, from Green's bridge to Ellicott's, provided my son Brice shall pay to my daughter Ann How- ard, his sister, £150. To my daughter Mary Howard, wife of Joseph Howard, all she has already, as well as the account against her hus- band on my books, also, 'Poor Man's Beginning' and six head of horned cattle. To my daughter, Rachel Duvall, and her children a number of negroes named.
"To my daughter, Elizabeth Rowan, two tracts of 'Worthington Range' and 'Howard's Chance' in the fork of roads where a new house is built.
"To my daughter Rebekah, negroes and furniture. To daughter Anna Howard, negroes and furniture, horse and cattle. To my grandson, Thomas Howard, son of Charles, a grey colt; to grandson, Thomas Duvall, a colt. My son Brice and son-in-law, John Rowan, executors."
Thomas Worthington Howard (of Thomas Cornelius) named his wife Emma, nephew Thomas H. Howard, son of brother Charles: To Betsy Howard, daughter of brother Charles, be granted "White Wine and Claret," purchased of Charles Ridgely (of Charles); niece Nelly Howard, daughter of Joseph Howard. Test William Welling, Henry Welling and William L. Matthews.
Major Worthington's heirs at Clarksville were his daughter Rachel, wife of Cornelius Howard, who received 369 acres of " Worth- ington's Range;" Elizabeth Worthington, wife of Henry Dorsey, 369 acres; Sarah, wife of Basil Dorsey, 368 acres; Ariana Watkins, wife of Nicholas, received the remainder and 300 acres of " Altogether" adjoining it.
Thomas Cornelius Howard (of Cornelius) came into possession of his mother's portion, which embraced the whole site of Clark sville.
Thomas Worthington Howard-Eliza Ridgely Crabb, and their daughter Emily-John G. England, whose son is John G. England, of Rockville.
THE WATKINS OF CLARKSVILLE.
Nicholas Watkins, of Clarksville, son-in-law of Thomas and Elizabeth (Ridgely) Worthington, was a descendant of John Wat- kins, of Nansemond County, Virginia, who was one of the members who assumed to pay the church tithes of the Non-Conformist Church of 1642. Lower Norfolk records give the marriage contract of his widow, Frances Watkins, with Edward Lloyd, later commander of the Severn. She relinquished her dower in Virginia to Edward Lloyd and stipulated that her son, John Watkins, was to be paid his portion by Lloyd. This was carried out in 1658, when Edward Lloyd surveyed for John Watkins "his son-in-law" (step-son) 100 acres and "John Watkins demanded one hundred acres more in his own right." This was granted in "Watkins' Hope" surveyed in 1663. In 1675 John Watkins was living upon the Severn. His
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daughter Annie married John Watkins Lord; his widow, Ann (Watkins) Lord, married William Burgess, Jr., without issue. Her former husband's children inherited from William Burgess 1,000 acres in Baltimore County.
John Watkins, Jr., in 1688, married Ann, daughter of Colonel Gassaway. They were the executors of Colonel Gassaway in 1691.
In 1699 Ann Watkins took out letters upon the estate of her husband. Their son John Watkins, in 1715, conveyed as heir-at-law of his father, a tract of land located on Swan Creek, Kent County, to his brother, Nicholas Watkins, who was born in 1691. In his deed of conveyance it is stated that his father had so intended to devise this land, but died before the execution of his will. The third son of John and Ann (Gassaway) Watkins was Gassaway Watkins, to whom Colonel Thomas Gassaway left in 1739 "the farm on which he now lives."
Elizabeth Watkins (of John and Ann [Gassaway] Watkins) was born in 1693.
John Watkins and Mary Warman were married in 1715. She was a descendant of Ninian Beall and held an estate in Prince George County. His will of 1734 left his Prince George estate to his sons John and Stephen, which, in the event of no heirs, was to descend to his son Nicholas. His wife, Mary Watkins, named her daughters, Hester Lane, Jane Smith, Sarah Keene and Frances Dorsey (wife of John Hammond Dorsey. She also named her grandson Nicholas Watkins (of Stephen) and her granddaughter Mary Smith (of Anthony).
Nicholas Watkins, Sr., second son of John and Ann (Gassaway) Watkins, in 1657, named his wife Margaret Watkins. His sons were Nicholas, born 1722; John Gassaway, Joseph, Thomas and Jeremiah; daughters, Elizabeth Hall and Ann Watkins.
Nicholas Watkins, Jr., married Ariana Worthington, daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth (Ridgely) Worthington, and removed to her estate near Clarksville. Their heirs were Margaret, Thomas, Elizabeth, John, Nicholas and Gassaway Watkins.
After the death of Nicholas Watkins, his widow became Mrs. John Ijams and with him administered upon the estate. In 1761 she deeded her estate of " Worthington Range" and "Altogether" to her sons.
Some of the marriages in the Watkins family after the Revolu- tion were: 1778, Richard Watkins and Ruth Beard; 1778, Adam .
Richardson and Ann Watkins; 1787, Joshua Dorsey and Margaret Watkins; 1791, John Watkins and Ann Rutland; 1794, Benjamin Watkins and Anne Harwood; 1797, John Watkins (of Stephen) and Elizabeth Hall; 1798, Nicholas G. Watkins and Margaret Harwood; 1801, Rev. Nicholas Watkins and Rachel S. Watkins; 1805, Dr. William Watkins and Eleanor Harwood; 1806, Nicholas Watkins and Margaret Todd.
Margaret Watkins (of Nicholas and Ariana Worthington) married Benedict Dorsey, son of Thomas and Mary Warfield; she after- ward became Mrs. Basil Gaither and was the mother of Nathan
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Gaither, who was in the Constitutional Convention of Kentucky. Elizabeth Watkins, her sister, also became Mrs. Gaither. Thomas Watkins, their oldest brother, was High Sheriff of Anne Arundel, and, like many other sheriffs, lost his estate.
Gassaway Watkins entered the Revolution in 1776, and was mustered out with General Greene.
HIS RECORD IN THE REVOLUTION.
The following partial sketch of his services during the Revolu- tionary War was found among his papers some years after his death. It is evidently incomplete, and no doubt the balance has been lost, as it is contained on one side of a sheet of foolscap-size paper, and stops very abruptly.
"I entered the Revolutionary Army with Colonel Smallwood's regiment in January, 1776, and was in the battles of Long Island and White Plains as sergeant. Was taken sick in November, and sent to and left at Morristown, Jersey. I put my clothing in the regimental wagon, and the driver carried all to the enemy. I traveled from Morristown to Annapolis without money or clothing, and got to Annapolis in January, '77, and lay confined to my room until the last of April. I was then inoculated for the small-pox, and remained in Maryland as lieutenant on duty until September. I joined the army a few days before the battle of Germantown and remained with the army and wintered at Wilmington, in 1778. I was in the battle of Monmouth and was attached to the command of General Scott's light infantry and after the battle, came to Bownbrook. Left camp the 24th of December, on furlough, and joined the army 26 of April, 1779. Continued in camp at West Point and wintered at Heck's farm. I was several times in the vanguard and was on Staten Island, in March, 1780, and was in Elizabethtown a few hours, after Major Egleston and his guard were taken. Was present when Colonel Hazen arrested Colonel Howard, for not keeping his men on the parade until they were frozen. I left camp the last of April for the South, and was in the battle of Camden. Was sent to a house by General Greene for information; was pursued by Tarleton's horse, jumped a fence eleven logs high and was two nights and days without eating and without seeing anyone and slept in the woods. Rejoined General Smallwood, at Elizabethtown. Was sent by General Small- wood, in September, with special despatches to General Marion. Joined the General at Hillsborough. Left Hillsborough under the command of Colonels Howard and Morgan. Commanded a com- pany in the battle of the Cowpens, 1781. In February, the day Gen- eral Davidson was killed, I left camp with orders from General Greene and was with the retreating militia, two miles from the battle ground. At twelve o'clock that night, I stopped at a house on the road, cold, wet and hungry, but got nothing to eat. There were at least one hundred persons in the house. My dress was noticed by an old man of the country, who asked to speak in private with me. He told me there were enemies as well as friends in the house and offered
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