USA > Pennsylvania > Delaware County > A history of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, and its people; Volume I > Part 32
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On the 14th a floating battery of the enemy was silenced, but on the 15th "the assailants brought up their ships as far as the obstructions in the river permitted, and added their fire to that of the batteries, which was the more fatal, as the cover for the troops had been greatly impaired. The brave garri- son still maintained their ground with unshaken firmness. In the midst of this stubborn conflict, the "Vigilant" and a sloop-of-war were brought up the inner channel, between Mud and Province and Carpenter Islands, which had, unob- served by the besieged, been deepened by the current in consequence of the obstructions in the main channel; and taking a station within one hundred yards of the works, not only kept up a destructive cannonade, but threw hand grenades into them, while the musqueteers from the round-top of the "Vigi- lant killed every man that appeared on the platform."
An effort was made by the galleys to drive these vessels away, but it could not be accomplished on account of the batteries on the Pennsylvania shore. With these vessels in the inner channel, it was impossible to continue the de- fence of the fort, and accordingly, about eleven o'clock on the night of the 15th, it was evacuated, the garrison retiring to Red Bank. Before leaving they set fire to the barracks, and moved off the cannon and stores. No troops ever behaved with more firmness-the fort being perfectly riddled before it was evacuated.
The loss at the fort is not officially reported, but it was not considerable before the last day of the conflict. It is reported that Lord Cornwallis con- fessed that the enemy "lost a great number of brave fellows," at the same time calling the site of the fort, "a cursed little mud island."
The loss on board of the galleys and other craft, constituting the Ameri- can fleet, on the 15th, was thirty-eight killed and wounded. It cannot be de- nied that this fleet rendered much more effective service in defence of the chevaux-de-frize, and against the passage of the enemy's vessels, than all the forts put together. The vessels chiefly belonged to Pennsylvania, and were in the service of the State. From that cause, or some other, a misunderstanding existed between the officers of the fort and those of the fleet, which probably led General Washington to underrate the importance of the latter in defending the obstructions placed in the river. The vessels were at no time fully manned, and on the last day's engagement several were not brought into action, partly from the want of men to work them, although the commander, from time to time, had implored Washington to furnish him with the necessary reinforce- ment.
After the evacuation of Fort Mifflin, it was decided by a conference of
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land officers, that the upper chevaux-de-frize could still be defended by hold- ing Red Bank and the Jersey shore, notwithstanding a council of naval officers had concluded that the galleys could not be very serviceable with the fort in the hands of the enemy. It was determined by Washington to make the effort. and accordingly General Greene was detached with a considerable body of troops to reinforce Fort Mercer, and to conduct military affairs in that neigh- borliood.
General Howe having completed a line of defence from the Schuylkill to the Delaware, and a reinforcement of troops from New York having arrived at Chester, he felt strong enough to place an army in New Jersey sufficient to reduce Fort Mercer without jeopardizing his troops in Philadelphia. Accord- ingly, at noon on the 17th, Lord Cornwallis crossed the Middle Ferry with 3000 men, and taking the Darby road, proceeded to Chester. At the Blue Bell they came upon a guard of Gen. Potter's scouts, and captured about thirty-three men, with a loss of one captain, one sergeant-major, and three privates, killed, and several wounded. Being joined at Chester by the reinforcement from New York, his Lordship, with the united force, embarked on board of trans- ports the next day, and on the 19th disembarked at Billingsport. Some little skirmishing occurred; but General Greene learning how greatly the force of the enemy exceeded his, recrossed the Delaware, and Fort Mercer was evacu- ated without an effort to defend it; while the fleet, waiting for a favorable op- portunity, passed the city at night, without being molested, except a few vessels which were burnt to prevent them from falling into the hands of the enemy. Thus, after a protracted effort of six weeks, the British general succeeded in forming a junction with the fleet.
But little occurred within the limits of our county during the winter. which was now at hand, except sundry depredations committed by foraging parties sent out by the enemy, and the skirmishes that ensued when those par- ties came in contact with the American scouts that were constantly on the watch for them. In a letter from General Potter, dated at Radnor, Decem- ber 28th, one of these encounters is thus described: "On Monday last the enemy came out with a view to forrage; they encamped along the road from Gray's Ferry to the heights below Darby. There was a detachment sent down from our army to this place, who with Morgans Riflemen and the Militia went down to their lines and kept them close therein. On Tuesday we took thirteen of their light horse and ten of their horsemen, the next day two more of their horses and their riders. They have been prevented from plundering the inhab- itants as they usually do. * We had one killed and two wounded. We have taken upwards of twenty prisoners, and a number of deserters have come in. They have carried off a large quantity of Hay from the Islands, and Darby.
It sometimes happened that some of our militia scouts were captured by the enemy, when not sufficiently on their guard. About this period, such a party, under the command of the late General William Brooke, of Haverford. who was then a captain, were one night taking their case in a house, late the
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property of George Swayne, a mile below Darby, when the house was suddenly surrounded by a large party of the enemy. Brooke, determined not to be tak- en, leaped from a window and ran, but in getting over the fence into the road, found that a partial dislocation of his knee, to which he was subject, had hap- pened. Putting his foot through the fence, and giving his leg a quick exten- sion, the joint was brought into a proper condition, when he hastily made his escape.
Chester county, about this period, was infested with a bold and daring outlaw named James Fitz Patrick, but who generally went by the name of Fitz or Fitch. He was the son of an Irishman in low circumstances, and learned the blacksmith trade with John Passmore, a worthy citizen of the county. He joined the militia at the breaking out of the war, and accompanied the battalions that went to New York, but soon deserted and returned to his native county, where he was arrested, and afterwards confined in Walnut street prison in Philadelphia. Being released on condition of joining the Continental army, he soon deserted again, and once more returned to his native county. and went to work. Here he was arrested by two soldiers sent for the pur- pose. He obtained permission from the soldiers to visit his mother, but while there, seized his rifle and set them at defiance. He had now become so much offended at the Americans, that he determined on being revenged, and accord- ingly, when General Howe landed at the head of Elk, Fitz repaired to him ; probably received some appointment, and doubtless, from his knowledge of the country, rendered him essential service. He was present at the battle of Brandywine, and afterwards accompanied the British army to Philadelphia. While the enemy remained in that place, he, in company with one Mordecai Dougherty, from the neighborhood of Doe Run, and others, employed his time in capturing good Whigs and in stealing horses; carrying them within the British lines. Lieutenant Joseph Lucky, and Peter Burgandine, were among the number thus captured. It was believed that these desperadoes were se- creted and supplied with provisions by certain Tories of Newline and neigh- boring inhabitants of Chester county.
After the evacuation of Philadelphia by the British army, Captain Fitz, as he was generally called, established his headquarters on the Valley Hill, in the neighborhood of the present village of Coatsville, and commenced, on his own responsibility, a depredatory war upon the Whigs of Chester county. Af- ter having plundered his victims of their property, it was his custom, and ap- peared to be his delight, to flog and otherwise abuse them. So numerous and high-handed were the atrocities committed by him, that his presence caused as much alarm in some neighborhoods as that of the British army.
On one occasion, Fitz and Dougherty went into the harvest field of one James Shield, where Archibald Hambleton was reaping, and Fitz told Shield that he had borrowed his watch, a pair of silver buckles and shoes. Shield in- sisted that he should return them; but Fitz returned for answer that it would depend on his behaviour towards him. Hambleton was then taken prisoner, and carried to his father's house, where they robbed him of a rifle, powder-
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horn and shot-pouch ; after which, Fitz got the Bible, and forced him to swear "that he would not follow or betray him, or disturb any of his neighbours or friends on his account, and if he did, he would come and burn their house, and likewise the houses of the Rebels in the neighbourhood." They both threat- ened the lives of several persons in the neighborhood, whom they named.
Captain Fitz frequently fell in with armed men, but before making him- self known, he would seize an opportunity to disarm them. Having placed his pursuers in his power, he would tie them to trees and flog them. On one occasion, about fifty men were in pursuit of him, who incautiously parted with their arms while taking refreshment in a tavern. Fitz discovering their posi- tion boldly came in upon them, commanded them to keep their places, which command they dared not disobey. He then called for a glass of liquor, drank it, backed off with his rifle pointed towards the men, till he arrived at a safe distance to run.
On one occasion, a meeting was held for the purpose of adopting meas- ures for his arrest, which he attended in disguise. After dark, a militia cap- tain volunteered, with much boasting, to capture Fitz, which being overheard by the bandit, he at once decided to put the bravery of the boaster to the test. Taking a candlestick from the mantel, he invited the young man aside, remark- ing that he would show him how he might secure Fitz. When at some distance from the company, he demanded the watch of his victim, at the same time snapping the candlestick, and assuring him that he was Fitz. Obtaining pos- pession of the watch, he tied the captain's hands behind him, and sent him back to the company.
Fitz was at length captured by Captain Robert McAffee, of Edgmont, assisted by a young woman named Rachel Walker. Having entered the dwelling of Mr. McAffee, Rachel, who was up stairs, was made acquainted with his presence by the screams of a boy who said, "Captain Fitz was there." Upon coming down stairs, Fitz asked her how she did, and expressed his sorrow at the disturbance he had made. She went up stairs to secrete some valuables, when Fitz drove the balance of the family, consisting of Cap- tain Mc.Affee, his father and mother, and the above mentioned boy, up stairs also. He then proceeded to plunder the house. The manner of his capture is thus given by Rachel before the Council: "Fitz told McAffee to prepare for a march; laid down his sword and pistol, and raising his foot to the bed- stead, in order to put up at the heels a pair of pumps taken from Capt. Mc. Affee : she winked at Me Affee to seize Fitz; he seemed to decline; she winked again. and on seeing Mc Affee's motion as if to seize Fitz, she also sprang forward and seized him." Fitz in the struggle, this heroine says, seized a pistol, "which she griped in his hand and prevented him from firing it: that she afterwards took the pistol and stood sentry at the door." A reward of $1000 had been offered for the arrest of Fitz Patrick by the Execu- tive Council, which was equally divided between Rachel and Captain McAffee.
Fitz was captured in the latter part of August, and was convicted at Ches- ter, upon his own confession, of burglary and larceny, on the 15th of Septem-
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ber, and was sentenced to be hung. The time for his execution was fixed on the 26th of the same month; but before the day arrived he nearly succeeded in making his escape, "having filed off his irons, and got out of the dungeon." He was in consequence removed to Philadelphia for safe keeping, but suc- ceeded twice in removing his handcuffs before the day of execution. It is not known that his accomplice Dougherty was ever arrested.
The American army having retired into winter quarters at the Valley Forge, and that of General Howe being fortified within contracted lines in the city and liberties of Philadelphia, but little occurred within our limits during the winter, except repeated depredations committed by foraging parties sent out by the enemy. While General Potter remained in command of the militia stationed between the Schuylkill and Chester, the depredations of these par- ties were greatly restrained, but at his earnest request he was superseded by General Lacey in January, after which, the operations of the militia appear to have been chiefly confined to the country between the Schuylkill and Del- aware.
There was an outpost of the Valley Forge encampment in Radnor, on the property now belonging to Tryon Lewis. About seven acres of heavy timber had been cleared, near the middle of a large tract of woodland, by the troops stationed here; this was afterwards cultivated, and was well known in the neighborhood as "the camp field." Radnor Friends' meeting-house, which is more than half a mile distant from this camp ground, was occupied in con- nection with it, probably as officers' quarters, and for a hospital. The records of the Society show that they were deprived of the use of their meeting-house early in the year, "in consideration of its being occupied by soldiers," and that it required considerable repairs before it was put in a condition for holding a monthly meeting, which was not till near the middle of 1780.
It is probable that during the winter and spring, most of the scouting parties that served to restrain, in a measure, the foraging of the enemy within our limits, and at the same time to prevent disloyal farmers from carrying their produce to the city, were detached from the outpost at Radnor. The inhabitants of the townships on the Eastern margin of the county suffered severely while the enemy occupied Philadelphia, and numbers of the Whigs were captured and carried off as prisoners.
Notwithstanding the punishment of death was denounced against those who furnished aid and comfort to the enemy, still a large amount of marketing reached the British lines, and those engaged in its transportation, when cap- tured by the American scouts, were rarely subjected to any other punishment than the forfeiture of their goods and the imposition of a fine. In default of the latter, a good whipping was sometimes substituted. In the townships nearest the city, even some of those who were not disposed to favor the enemy, engaged in this traffic; for while persons at a distance had no temptation but British gold, these had no alternative but to carry their produce within the lines of the enemy and receive its value, or have it taken without com- pensation.
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It is a singular circumstance, and one not easily accounted for, that such a bold and efficient officer as General Wayne, and one so perfectly acquainted with the country west of the Schuylkill as he undoubtedly was, should not, at this particular juncture, have been assigned a position where his local knowl- edge would have been so valuable in defending the inhabitants of his native county from the aggressions of the enemy. But his command was encamped during nearly the whole winter and spring at Mount Joy, in Lancaster county, a point so distant that even the advice that his local knowledge would have enabled him to give, could not be made available.
But our people were not subjected to the depredations of the enemy alone. The necessities of our army at the Valley Forge had become so great that Congress had authorized the Commander-in-chief to seize provisions for its use at any place within seventy miles of his headquarters. Washington reluct- antly yielded to the overwhelming necessity that induced Congress to confer this unusual authority upon him; but he did yield, and in order that the pres- ent year's crop should be made available for the pressing necessities of the army, he had, early in the winter, issued a proclamation enjoining and requir- ing all persons residing within seventy miles of the head-quarters to thresh out one-half of their grain by the first of February, and the other half by the first of March, under the penalty of having all that remained in sheaves after the last mentioned period seized by the Commissaries and Quartermasters of the army and paid for as straw. The necessities of the army were too great to await the times specified in the proclamation; and the General was obliged to keep parties of his troops threshing grain to prevent his supplies from fail- ing. Certificates were given for the property taken for the American army, payable in Continental money, but unfortunately for the credit of the govern- ment, this currency was never redeemed. The Friends generally refused to receive compensation for what was taken from them for war purposes.
On December 10-11-12, 1779, Cornwallis, with a detachment of the British army, made a sally from Philadelphia into Darby, Haverford and Radnor, and at that inclement season of the year stripped many families of all their provisions, their stock and provender, and many articles of household furniture. These outrages were premeditated; were committed under the eye of the General and by his authority, and many of them were against per- sons who had never raised a hand against the home government. For unfeel- ing brutality they scarcely have a parallel in civilized warfare. Many of the Whigs were captured at this time, and many had been captured previously and carried to Philadelphia, where they were detained as prisoners till the enemy evacuated the city, but after that event the tables were turned; for now the Tories, who had given aid and comfort to the enemy, or who were suspected of having done so, were seized and tried as traitors, their property confiscated, and a few were executed. No one who resided in what is now Delaware county suffered the extreme penalty of the law.
The commissioners of attainder for Chester county, appointed in pursu- ance of an Act of Assembly, were William Evans, Thomas Cheyney, Patter-
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son Bell and John Hannum. The number charged with having "knowingly and willingly aided and assisted the enemies of the State and of the United States of America, by having joined their armies at Philadelphia," who re- sided in what is now Delaware county, was about fifty, while only about forty persons were actually attainted of treason.
Several classes of the militia were called out in the year 1778, but many refused to turn out, and also refused to pay their fines. When the goods of these defaulters, such as horses, &c., were levied upon and sold, they would be frequently stolen from the purchaser, which rendered the collection of fines very difficult.
In 1777 but little tax was collected in this part of the country. The pres- ence of the enemy rendered its collection very difficult in some places, and the robberies committed by them made collections impossible in others. Many col- lectors refused to serve, and paid their fines during the period of the Revolu- tion, but more particularly in the years 1777-78. Two taxes appear to have been laid the latter year, but the commissioners of Chester county reported to the Council, May 29th, that "they had not been able to get a return of proper- ty from near one third of the townships-the township assessors having re- fused or neglected to act," owing, as the commissioners supposed, to the prox- imity of the enemy. The delinquents were fined, and writs issued to the sher- iff, but, for the same reason, these writs were not executed. The aggregate of the taxes laid upon the townships now included, or partly included, in Delaware county, amounted to £3059 18s. 4d., but a large proportion of it was never col- lected, or if collected was received in certificates for articles that had been tak- en for the use of the army.
In the minutes of a meeting of the county commissioners, "held at the sign of the Ship in East Caln, Jany ye 5th 1778," the following entry occurs : "The Board appointed Sketchley Morton, David Cloyd and the Clerk to remove the press and chest of books, papers &c. from Chester to James McClellans in Sadsbury." The next meeting of the board was held at the house of James McClellan, on the 26th of the same month, when "the committee appointed to remove the records from Chester, reported that they had removed the same ac- cording to order & presented their bill of expense," &c.
During the occupation of Philadelphia by the enemy, the armed galleys and other craft that escaped up the river were sunk by order of General Wash- ington to prevent them from being captured, but after the evacuation they were put afloat again, and some of them fitted up for active duty. Mud Island fort and Billingsport were both to be put in repair and to be re-occupied ; the former was to be supplied with two and the latter with four heavy guns. The Council employed Colonel John Bull to direct the workmen and to complete the works, and agreed to pay him "three pounds per day and forage at Billings- port for one horse."
The evacuation of Philadelphia by the British was the dawn of returning prosperity in this section of our country. Up to this time Pennsylvania had suffered more from the war than any other State; more of her men had been
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captured or lost, and no district had been so thoroughly plundered as that which had been overrun by General Howe, between the head of Elk and Phil- adelphia. From this time till the end of the war, our people suffered no serious inconvenience beyond what was common all over the country. Troops were frequently called out, heavy taxes were laid, and wagons with teams were im- pressed into service : but really the greatest amount of inconvenience suffered by the people generally, resulted from the great depreciation of the paper money authorized by Congress. Early in the year 1779, it had depreciated so much that the price of every article had become almost fabulous, and yet it had not then reached its lowest point. A barrel of flour was sold for £20, and a bushel of salt for £15; a journeyman blacksmith was paid £8 per day, and the price for shoeing a horse all round was £4.
The county commissioners encountered very great difficulties in levying taxes. The moderate fines that the law had imposed upon officers for neg- lect of duty when the currency was good, failed to secure the services of those whose duty it was to assess and collect the taxes. By a minute made by the board of commissioners and county assessors for Chester county, at a meeting held on the 18th of January, it appears that "from the greatest number of townships" no return of taxable property had been made. The assessment was consequently postponed till the 26th of April; the Commissioners in the mean- time having borrowed money, and the legislature having enacted a law impos- ing fines on delinquent assessors and collectors more in accordance with the inflated character of the currency.
Many of the small vessels composing the Pennsylvania fleet were sold; but still encouragement was given for fitting out privateers. Garrisons were kept, both at Fort Mifflin and Billingsfort, at the expense of the State; but the object appears to have been more for the prevention of smuggling, and to en- force the temporary embargoes that were from time to time laid, than to guard against any apprehended attack from the enemy.
The crew of the brigantine "Holker," to sail as a privateer, appears to have been enlisted at Chester by Captain Davis Bevan, who probably commanded the vessel. Most of the enlistments were made in July, 1779, as appears by the receipt book of the captain, now in possession of the Delaware County In- stitute of Science. The bounty paid by Captain Bevan for a single cruise was from $50 to $100, most probably Continental money.
Before the close of the year 1779. Continental money had depreciated enor- mously. Commissioners appointed by the Assembly to purchase provisions for. the French fleet, in October, fixed the price of good merchantable wheat at £15 per bushel. and that of flour at £42 per cwt. The price of salt before the end of the year was £30 per bushel. The rates of toll for crossing the floating bridge over the Schuylkill, at Market street, were, for a single person, 25. 6d. ;. for a horse, 5s. ; horse and chair, 225. 6d. : chariot or phaeton and pair. 37S. 6d .. &c.
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