History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Part 23

Author: Ashmead, Henry Graham, 1838-1920
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : L.H. Everts
Number of Pages: 1150

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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

Governor Henry Lee, of Virginia, as chief com- mander of the army, took up the line of march for the scene of tumult, and an imposing body it was when we recall that Governor Thomas Mifflin led the Pennsylvania troops, Governor Richard Howell, of New Jersey, those from his State, Governor Thomas S. Lee those from Maryland, and Gen. Daniel Mor- gan those from Virginia. President Washington, ac- companied by Gen. Knox, Secretary of War, Alexan- der Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury, and Judge Richard Peters, followed the army. In the mean time the more conservative part of the inhabitants of the offending counties, when they learned that the overwhelming force was coming against them, dis- patched a committee to visit the President. An inter- view was had, and the campaign finally ended without further bloodshed. A few of the leaders in the insur- rectionary outbreak were subsequently tried, and con- victed of treason. They were, however, pardoned by Washington, and the rebellion, which at one time promised to be difficult of suppression, melted away be- fore the determined action of the Federal government.

The general history of Delaware County, until the declaration of war between Great Britain and the United States, is very meagre of stirring incidents, and little took place excepting those matters which belong to the story of the several townships, or judi- cial narrative, which will be related under these head- ings, so that it is unnecessary to refer to those events in this summary of the county's annals. Dr. Smith has so admirably portrayed this placid period in our his- tory that a reproduction of his statement will suffi- ciently represent the quiet but certain progress of that day. "Owing to the European war that raged during this period," he says, "the commerce of our country was benefited, and there was an increased de- mand for its agricultural products. Our county fully shared these advantages, and the result was an effort on the part of our farmers to improve their lands, and thereby to increase their products. These lands in many places had become exhausted by a system of bad farming that is generally adopted in new coun- tries, and it was not then uncommon to see large tracts abandoned for agricultural purposes and left uninclosed. These exhausted tracts generally re- ceived the appellation of 'old fields.' The use of gypsum and lime as manures now began to be intro- duced ; the former at first worked almost miracles by tbe increased productiveness it imparted to the soil. It was soon discovered, however, that its effects were greatly diminished by repeated application, and, as a consequence, it became less used ; while lime, though slow in developing its benefits, soon became the gen- eral favorite with our farmers, and deservedly so, for it cannot be denied that it was owing to its extensive and continued application, combined with a better system of farming, that much of this county has been brought from an exhausted condition to its present state of fertility and productiveness."

CHAPTER XII.

THE SECOND WAR WITH ENGLAND.

IN a work such as this it is not to be expected that space can be given to a discussion of the causes which led the Congress of the United States, on June 18, 1812, to a declaration of war against Great Britain, but it is sufficient to say that the act was looked upon as largely a political measure,-the Democratic party, which was then in power, declaring for a vigorous prosecution of the war, while the Federalists opposed the contest as unnecessary, injudicious, and destructive of our commercial prosperity. In the city of Balti- more to such an extent was party spirit aroused that serious breaches of the peace and riotons attacks were manifested between the opposing political factions.

In the county of Delaware, as elsewhere, there was a division of sentiment, but the preponderance of opinion was adverse to the war, and was outspoken in its disapproval. On Aug. 5, 1812, in the Chester and Delaware Federalist (now Village Record),1 appeared the following advertisement :

"COUNTY MEETING. THE FEDERAL REPUBLICANS and all others friendly to PEACE and COMMERCE in Delaware county are ra- queeted to meet at the house of Isaac Cochran, io the township of Upper Providence, on Saturday, tha 8th of August, at 2 o'clock P.M., ou busi- nees preparatory to the ansning ELECTION in October and Novembar next."

The county meeting thus called was largely at- tended. Thomas Smith was appointed chairman, and Maskell Ewing secretary, and the following preamble and resolution were unanimously adopted :

"The Congress of the United States having on the 18th of Juve last passed an act declaring war againat Great Britain and her dapendaucies, which has tbrown this heretofore happy and prosperous country into a hoatile ettituda, at a time, too, when we are unprepared by laud or sea, our territory and citizena exposed to invasion and plunder, our com- morce toprotected, a prey to an enemy whose ships have power to cou- trol the ocean,-

" Resolved, Thet we view the proceedings as hostile to the happinesa and intorest of this country, and consider the man who sanctioned it by their votes as nuworthy of our confidence, that we will axarcise avery constitutional right to displece them and put those at the head of our affairs whom we daem capable of honestly representing ua."

The resolution met with such general approval that a meeting of the young men of the county was called in the court-house at Chester, and on Aug. 22, 1812, the building was crowded, many persons who attended being unable to enter the doors. Samuel Edwards, Esq., then a rising young lawyer who had been ad- mitted a few years previous, was called to preside, and Zedekiah W. Flower was appointed secretary. A lengthy address, evidently carefully prepared, was read, in which it was argued that no good reason, ex- cepting the impressing of American seamen by Eng- lish vessels, had been advanced by the advocates of the war, and even that cause should and could be re- moved by negotiation between the two nations. The. following resolutions were adopted :

1 No newapaper was then published iu Delaware County.

THE SECOND WAR WITH ENGLAND.

" Resolved, That we ara determined to employ all our exertiona to pro- duce a apeady and honorabla peace, and that we will obay all cooatitu- tional acts of our goverumant.

" Resolved, That, feeling confident that nothing but a change of men and measures will produce the blessings of peace and National proapar- ity, we consider it a aolemo duty imposed on every citizen by true aod gennina patriotiam to use all honorable maana io tha exercise of tha right of suffrage to procure au immediate change in the administration of the National Government, and thereby save na from the dreadful consequencea of a protracted war.

" Resolved, That at a tima like tha present, when one of our moat flour- iahiog and commercial cities has been subjected by an infuriated mol,1 we consider it the duty of avery citizan to aid and assist in auppressing all riots, tumulta, and mohe, believing that they are tending to ovar- throw the only Rapublican government on earth.

" Resolved, That although we do oot apprehend aoy disturbance of tha kind in this quertar, yat should any outragea he attempted wa pledge onraelves to each other and to society to usa our utmost exertiona to aupport the laws and defend the lives and property of our fallow-citizena against euch proceediuga."

Little of interest can be gleaned, at this late day, from our annals respecting the progress of the war. That there were a number of soldiers enlisted from our county is fully ascertained, but the names of such persons have been forgotten in the lapse of time, and because they were recruited into organizations not strictly local. We know that the two sons of Elisha Price, of Chester, both died in the service, one from diseases contracted, and the other killed in action on the Canadian frontier.

An interesting scrap of local history is furnished in the following extract from the Freeman's Journal, pnb- lished in Philadelphia, March 12, 1813, for it not only shows the means nsed to convey intelligence of im- portant events in those days, but it indicates that the ancient borough of Chester was proud to have an op- portunity to send forth to the public the news of the great victory achieved by the gallant captain who made that town his home:

"Poatscript. Another Naval Victory .- The following important oote waa endorsed on the way-bill from Chester, Padoa., received at the Poat- offica last night: '" Essex" frigate captured the British frigate " Castor," and killed one hundred and fifty of her men.' The report adds that + tha 'Easex,' Capt. Portar, had arrived in the Daleware, March 10, 1813."

The safe arrival of the "Essex," thus reported, was only six days previous to the active blockade of the Delaware River and Bay by the British vessels of war "Poictiers," " Belvidere," and several smaller crafts under the command of Commodore Beresford. On March 16th, when the former vessel lay off the village of Lewes, near Cape Henlopen, and threat- ened to open fire on the hamlet unless twenty-five bullocks and a proportionate quantity of vegetables should be contributed to the support of the English fleet, the news of the outrage was carried by couriers to arouse the people to resistance, and Delaware County promptly responded. That organization was effected within our county previons to Admiral Cock- burn's attack on and spoliation of Havre de Grace, and even before the latter's forces applied the torch to the village of Fredericktown, on May 6th, is evident from the official correspondence. Under date of April

7, 1813, James Trimble, deputy secretary of the com- monwealth, wrote to William Brooke, brigadier-gen- eral of the Third Division of militia, stating that on the application of Samuel Edwards and Thomas D. Anderson, of Chester, Governor Snyder had consented to furnish sixty muskets with bayonets, and, if possi- ble, as many cartridge-boxes, for the purpose of arm- ing the Chester Company of Infantry, on condition that Messrs. Edwards and Anderson, with two other gentlemen to be approved by Gen. Brooke, should enter bonds to return the arms and accoutrements in good order in six months after they received them. On May 12, 1813, Secretary of State Boileau wrote to Thomas S. Anderson that Governor Snyder was pre- pared to forward as early as practicable five or six hnn- dred stands of arms and cartridge-boxes, and orders had been forwarded to Deputy Quartermaster-Gen- eral Foering to furnish whatever ammunition might be required, but that there were no tents or other camp equipments belonging to the State, fit for use, that could be had. He suggested that in the then season of the year, and in a country so thickly settled, the men in service might find shelter from any inclement weather in houses, barns, or temporary huts. He fur- ther stated that in 1793 Governor Mifflin had loaned one hundred and sixty tents to the Board of Health in ; Philadelphia, and Gen. Foering would be instructed to ascertain their condition, and, if found fit for use, they would be delivered to Gen. Brooke, the brigade inspector for the district including Delaware County. Under date of May 15, 1813, Secretary Boilean wrote to Joseph Engle that three hundred and fifty stands of arms, with other articles, had that day been for- warded to Chester, and as Gen. Brooke lived some distance from the latter place, the arms had been sent in Mr. Engle's care, and he should receipt to the wagoner for them. In a postscript he adds that after the muskets were loaded in the wagon it was found it would not carry more than three hundred boxes, and as it was thonght the other articles were not as neces- sary as the guns, they had not been forwarded.

The muskets mentioned in the letter to Anderson of May 12th, and those that were forwarded to Engle on May 15th, were doubtless intended to arm the emergency men, when the intelligence of the de- struction of Fredericktown was received, together with the report that a large force of English troops, accompanied by Indians, who spared neither women nor children, had landed there, donbtless intending serious mischief. The latter part of this rnmor was without foundation.

Nothing of interest appertaining to the war oc- curred in Delaware County for fifteen months, al- though the militia must have been held in readiness to move at short notice. In the early part of March, 1814, Secretary Boileau wrote to Gen. Brooke that a thousand muskets had been sent by the United States to the State arsenal in Philadelphia to arm the mili- tia, and the quota of Delaware County would be de-

1 Riota had occurred in Baltimore.

HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

livered when it became necessary. The cartridge- boxes which had been sent to Chester must have been sadly out of order, for in the same letter the Secretary says in respect to them, "Although not of the best quality, (they) will at least serve for a short campaign. Any man who receives a box can easily put a few more tacks to secure the belts." On the same day Secretary Boileau wrote to Deputy Quarter- master-General Foering, "That in case of a threat- ened invasion of the shores of the Delaware, and you should be called upon by Brig .- Gen. Brooke, of the Third Division, or Maj .- Gen. Steele, of the said di- vision, for arms, equipments, and ammunition, that you furnish them with what may be deemed neces- sary."

The idea of gathering the militia into camps of in- struction seems to have been the suggestion of Presi- dent Monroe, for April 6, 1814, he wrote to Gen. Joseph Bloomfield, stating that the military organiza- tions "ought to be assembled and a camp formed," suggesting that such cantonment should be on "some commanding, healthy ground between the Schuylkill and the heights of the Brandywine." The President urged the gathering of this force at once, as "we must keep together a nucleus at least of an army, with every necessary equipment, sufficiently strong to oppose the enemy on his landing until you can get the whole together to overwhelm him." 1

In the early summer of 1814 the inhabitants of the Middle and Southern seaboard States were fully aware that England, now that peace in Europe had appar- ently released a large force of veteran soldiers from service there, and that they were under orders to America, meditated a decisive movement against the United States, and, being uncertain where the blow would be struck, made every effort to place all ex- posed situations on our coast in a position of defense. Hence when the city of Washington fell before the British army under Ross, on the 18th of August, when the incendiary Cockburn had applied the torch to the unfinished capitol, the library of Congress, the President's house, and other public buildings, and Baltimore was menaced, Governor Snyder promptly, on Aug. 27, 1814, issued a general order, setting forth that "the recent destruction of the capital of the United States, the threatened and probable conflagra- tion of the metropolis of a sister State, and the gen- eral threatening aspect of affairs, warranted the opin- ion that an attack is meditated by the enemy on the shores of the Delaware." To repel the foe and to guard against surprise, he deemed it necessary to have a sufficient force "of freemen" ready for every emergency, and therefore required that the militia generally of the counties of Philadelphia, Bucks, Montgomery, Delaware, Chester, Lancaster, Dauphin, Lebanon, Berks, Schuylkill, Lehigh, Northampton, and Pike, in addition to those drafted for the service

of the United States, under orders of July 22d, who were already subject to the orders of Gen. Bloom- field, " be held in readiness to march at a moment's warning."

The militia of Pennsylvania having been ordered to assemble at the town of York to the number of five thousand, on Sept. 8, 1814, Governor Snyder wrote to Gen. Bloomfield that he proposed asking the Secretary of War to transfer the troops to the shores of the Del- aware for the defense of the city of Philadelphia and the country along the river. In his letter to President Monroe dated September 9th, the Governor advocated this movement, adding that the authorities " must at present rely upon the patriotic feeling which per- vades Pennsylvania, rather than on coercing obedi- ence to our militia laws, and before that feeling can have an effect, the enemy, by rapid movements, may have effected his depredatory incursions." He sug- gested a locality for the camp should be selected so that the troops would be marched in a few days either to the Delaware River or Chesapeake Bay. On the 10th, Governor Snyder wrote to the President that about six thousand volunteers had arrived in Phila- delphia, and many others were on the march to that city ; that Gen. Bloomfield thought a camp should be formed at Marcus Hook, where the volunteers should be organized under United States regulations, and Gen. Bloomfield would himself take command of the forces. The Governor was of the opinion that inas- much as the militia had selected their own company officers, they would be unwilling to be consolidated into other bodies and have strange commanders placed over them. He, therefore, suggested that they should be organized in accordance with the laws of the State, in battalions and regiments, under which they would willingly serve the term of three months for which they had enlisted.

Immediately below Marcus Hook, to command the river, extensive earthworks were hastily constructed and mounted with cannon, while between Ridley and Crum Creeks earthworks were erected to control the Queen's Highway to Philadelphia. So intense was the alarm in the borough of Chester and county of Delaware that the records were packed ready to be transported, if necessary, at a moment's notice to the interior of the State.

On Sept. 18, 1814, Secretary Boileau wrote to Gen. Brooke that, during the alarm at Elkton the preceding summer, three hundred stands of arms had been sent to Chester for the use of the militia. These muskets Gen. Brooke was ordered to have delivered to him, and if any repairs to them were needed, to have them mended in the neighborhood, if possible, but if that could not be done, to send them to the State arsenal at Philadelphia for that purpose. He also required Gen. Brooke to inquire for and take into his posses- sion the cartridge-boxes which had been forwarded to Chester at the same time the muskets were sent.

We learn, from a letter written by Secretary Boileau,

1 Penna. Archives, 2d series, vol. vii. p. 735.

THE SECOND WAR WITH ENGLAND.

Sept. 28, 1814, that the drafted men at that date, who were stationed at Marcus Hook, were destitute of tents and other camp equipments, while the volunteers had good quarters and were well supplied with all neces- sary camp furniture. The cantonment was located just back of Marcus Hook cross-roads, was called Camp Gaines (subsequently Fort Snyder), and was under the command of Maj .- Gen. Worrall. Col. William Duane, Adjt .- Gen. and Maj. Hunter, both of the United States army, had the care of the camp and superintended its discipline.

Dr. Smith states, respecting the drafted troops from Delaware County, that "the first company was con- vened at the 'Three Tuns,' now the Lamb Tavern, in Springfield, on the 14th of October, and marched to Chester that day. Its officers were Capt. William Morgan, Ist Lieut. Aaron Johnson, 2d Lieut. Charles Carr, and Ensign Samuel Hayes. This company re- mained at Chester two weeks waiting for camp equip- age, before repairing to the encampment at Marcus Hook. During this time the men occupied meeting- houses and other public buildings." 1

From the manuscript Orderly Book of the Mifflin Guards of Delaware County, commanded by Capt. Samuel Anderson, we learn that on Sept. 15, 1814, that body of volunteer infantry was at Camp Bloom- field, Kennett Square, Chester Co. That on the 17th of the same month they broke camp, and the troops marched to Gregg's Tavern, three and a half miles from Wilmington, while the following day they were in cantonment at Camp Brandywine, and on the 29th they were at Camp Dupont. This cantonment was located in the neighborhood of Wilmington, Del., and was under the command of Brig .- Gen. Thomas Cad- walader. Governor Snyder, on October 5th, visited the camp and was received with a Federal salute, fired under direction of Maj. Provost, as soon as the head of the escort entered the main grounds, the troops presenting arms and "the drums giving the ruffles." Gen. Bloomfield was superseded in control of the Fourth Military District, Oct. 7, 1814, on which date Maj .- Gen. Gaines assumed the command and re- viewed the troops at Marcus Hook on the 12th of the same month.

The discipline of the troops of course was very lax, and the desertions from camp numerous ; therefore, October 19th, Gen. Gaines issued a general order, in which he stated that he had received the finding of a court-martial, to which he had refused his approval, because the sentence imposed on certain soldiers found guilty of desertion, in his opinion, " has no ade- quate proportion to the offence committed by them. Slight punishments for high military offences are worse than useless. The infamous crime of desertion particularly calls aloud for the highest punishment. Deserters must be shot."

1 History of Delaware Cuunty, p. 31. There is a slight error in the dates given by Dr. Smith, since the official recorde at Harrisburg show that the company was in camp at Marcus Hook ou Ocl. 10, 1814.

A general order was issued on Oct. 14, 1814, dated at Marcus Hook, commanding that the Pennsylvania volunteers called into service under the order of Governor Snyder, Aug. 27, 1814, should be imme- diately organized under the act of Assembly of March 28, 1814. On Oct. 29, 1814, the Delaware County Fencibles, Capt. Serrill, was attached to the First Brigade Pennsylvania Volunteers till further orders.

On Nov. 15, 1814, Lieut .- Col. Raquet was ordered to march the next day with Capt. Leonard's company of artillery, and Capts. Mifflin's, Swift's, Brown's, Ser- rill's, and Murray's companies of infantry, and take a position to cover New Castle. The artillery was to consist of two six-pounders and two howitzers. On the same day, Gen. Gaines issued an order approving the finding of the court-martial which sat at Fort Clem- son, November 1st, for the trial of David Jefferies, a private in Capt. Patterson's company, Thirty-second Regiment, United States Infantry, charged with deser- tion, who was found guilty, sentenced to be shot to death, and the execution ordered to take place the next day, November 16th, between twelve and four o'clock, at such place as Col. Irwin, or the officer in command at Camp Clemson, near New Castle, should appoint.

The dread of an immediate invasion or attack on the Middle Atlantic States having subsided, on Nov. 28, 1814, the artillery companies commanded by Capts. Rodney and Reed, of Delaware Volunteers, were ordered to take post at New Castle for the de- fense of that town, and Gen. Cadwalader was in- structed to put the whole of the Advance Light Brigade in march for the city of Philadelphia, there to await further orders.

That this was done appears from an affidavit of Abel Green, of Edgmont, on file in the prothonotary's office, Media, who, under date of April 7, 1855, states that he was a private in the company of Capt. Benja- min Weatherby, which was drafted for the term of three months, and "was honorably discharged at Philadelphia on the 2d day of December, 1814." That the Mifflin Guards were ordered to Chester we know beyond dispute, because at the latter place, under date of Dec. 10, 1814, Capt. Samuel Anderson issued the following order :

" The company will assemble for drill in Chester on every Wednesday and Saturday at ten o'clock until further ordere. The orderly or a eer- geant acting as orderly will attend at my headquarters every morning at nine o'clock to receive and execute such orders as may be given. All knapescke, lieversacke, and centeens in possession of the members will be delivered at my quertera on the next company day. It is expected thet the members will pay the same attention to the cleanliness of their arms as they did while in camp. As a reward for industry, the four per- sone having the cleanest muskets on each day of parade will be excused from duty for one week. The company will bear in remembrance that they are still in the service of the government, consequently thet they are subjected to the penalties and punishmente prescribed by the arti- cles of war for the neglect of duty, disobedience of ordere, or any other violation of the rules and regnletioue laid down for the government of the armies of the United States. It is therefore expected thet ell orders from your commender will be respected aud punctually obeyed. De- faulters must and will be punished.

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History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Part 23

Author: Ashmead, Henry Graham, 1838-1920 Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : L.H. Everts Number of Pages: 1150

Author: Ashmead, Henry Graham, 1838-1920
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : L.H. Everts
Number of Pages: 1150