American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1825-07-26


from US old men, what passed in youth will state
few circumstances which will show the change that has
taken place in customs, and manners and agriculture
give them as they to my mind.
When very young, rccolect being near where the
lower wharf stands and seeing vessel of two masts
anchored in the stream with her decks full Of negroes who
knew slaves from Africa | cannot fix on the wear
but / think it about 1850 My friend John Ferris
who is older than myself recoecs this and informs me
she owned by captain Giles who have received
the slaves in remittance in preference 10 West India mn
duce rle West India Islands British Colonies and
we the therefore these slaves British importa
tons from Africa and OF course made of their pay
ments IN this nnprncpied traffic. 1t was the British who
introduced slavery into these colonies, United States
They unwilling to acknowledge this fact but Law the
blame entirely on uswhen in fact they only blame
In or about the year l7o4 gang or drove of slaves
about 20 or 80 in NUMBER passing my fathers door,
driven by their owner for sale My mother selected
boy between years old at fathers request who re-
manned in the family until manumitted, and then removed
into Lancaster county and married. and there would have
been enslaved, but Friend that knew him. protected him
Friends held slaves at this time.
Caleb Seal who died in this Borough last year, in his
93d year, informed me that he knew Wilmington when
calf Of common size furnished sufficient fresh for the
inhabitants on an ordinary market day. Indian
very modern article of culture a crop least in Ches
ter county, Pennsylvania for ecolect friends from
Concord and birmingham going to the neghborhood of
Newcastle 10 purchase few bushels of every fall for
their The mllers of Brandvwne had their sup
ply OF that article from tho south of his State and Mary
land NOW Chester county alone, suppose, could give
supply, and of better quality, for their purpose The me-
tod Of culture is also changed: them made hill of
earth round the stalks, very much the shape and size
of sweet potato hill of this day. The grazing of cattle
for the market, little tended This time, and
long SINCE as the culture ct corn Few farmers ted more
than for their usehere and there farmer had
fat cattle than he wanted for home consumption
In the last Is the number OF fat cattle has been tr
pied.
The first green silk umbrella was brougtnto Wilmington
by Capt Jacob Bennett from Lisbon for his wife eldest
daughter Alice the second by John Ferris for his first
wife, Lyda from the same place and by the same persoo
and believe the third was by my father, from the IVES,
Tndes and recolect being much ashamed Of that
held it but few minutes over me- while walking by his
side day. suppose about the year 1770 The militia
annccdote that am about 10 relate, gave much
and laughter the time and for years after
that may be excused for relating it
The British troops were in the neigborood of Cooch's
mill, the Christianna. Our militia and those of New
poti and Newcastle in their front.--Among these
elderly, tlml man, but not older than the command
ing Colonel and an intimate acquaintance of all the officers
and believe they called him Colonel. Whether he had
any command, do not recoect-but he was with them
in camp The commanding officers, knowing his timidty
were determined to have some fun with him. Having
ranged Their scheme as the evening approached they took
grave faces limited to each other if something was
expected that night from the British, taking care not TO
say thing their mabut be began take the hint
OF danger and told the Colonel he thought he could mt
all night, but must 60 to his family, they
protected With repetition of their ambiguous hints,
they frightened him after dark the time intended He pur-
sued his way homeward, on horseback, until he to
wet piece of ground Inhabited by the large Bull Frogs
Ills fears, and the dreaineSs Of the road had such effect
his mind that he imagined. hearing frog, he
hailed by tIessian. lie called ont I" surrender-but
his horse for tmehc supposed Iessan did not
come up-he then ventured to make his horse proceed
slowly for few PAGES, when he hailed again by the
frog he then that he taken, and called
out q your prisoner-i ask pafdon--I not going
away'-,nd tismounted No iessan comng-after time
he proceeded and got sale home This he told to his
friends, and by that means il became public S.