The Cecil Whig., 1860-01-21
For The Cecil W hig.
Burning OF FrcnChtOWn.

burning OF l. EfcnCntOWns
Year by year we see the roll of revolution
hry soldiers growing less and less, until now
they are few, very few indeed; and but few
remai in to tell of the deeds that were done in
'sthe time that tried mems souls;'' of the
victories that were achieved, which crowned
nations independence; of the most i'm
portant covenant that humanity has ever yet
compiled; of the building Of that altar where
nation o freemen mightworshp, the shekina
of which was but the glorious dawn Of that
day, the rising sun of which in full splendor
shone, 6! when nation o + lreemen were born,'
and the Declaration of Independence of the
United States of America was published to an
admi iring world, and the Constitution of a
mighty Republic framed. And this Constitu-
tion, thank God, as n Gordian knot, still holds
the band that binds our Union together; the
band which was knit as if of the snews ofa
million Of men who 1" resolved TO conquer or
de.''
And although it is but few years since the
war of 1Sl2-l4 was ended, soon they who hen
Marched to the tap of the drummer
When the foes of our country were Nigh
shall have all passed away, and the homes
which they defended shall no more know them
forever. But, what dgression we have made /;
we intended to give an account of the burning
of Frcnchtown, as we have lately heard it
from colortd woman, named lletty Boulder,
about 20 years of age, who now lives with DR..
r. G. Carter, of Cherry Hill, in this county.
She was Il servant Of the late Frisby Hen
dcrson, who lived at " White llall,'' at that
time. She says there were number of
American soldiers at Frcnchtown on the look
out for the English; and when one man, who
was looking down the river through spy
glass. called out " they are coming-lhey are
coming" they all took to their heels and scam
percd across the fields toward Elkton. The
English came up in II or IA barges, and
landed at White Hall, and inquired the way to
Elkton. Mr.. II. told them bargcs could not
get up to Elkton. The English officers then
made him send lIctty to show them the way
by land; she being afraid to go, one of the
officers told her she should not be hurt and
that he would give her more money than she
could carry. She took them across to Cedar
Point; though she could have taken them the
the direct road, if she had wished to do so.-
This was about noon in the day, she thinks, in
the month Of Fcbrury, 1873.
They took no cannon with them, only their
muskcts. When they came to Cedar Point
and saw the water they concluded they had
better go back, swearing they would burn all
they could. She came back to White Hall
with them, and heard them threaten to hang
Mr.. II. before his own door for deceiving
them Several Of the bargcs then went up the
river near to Fort Defiance, in which Jeremiah
Cousdcn was hid with muskct he fired at
one of the English officers, cutting of one of
his epaulets. Two bargcs continued up as far
as Cedar Point, when they were fired into by
few Americans stationed at Elk Landing,
but could do them but little harm, having
neither grape or canister shot. They then left,
the Americans firing at them till they were
below Georges Landing. The English who
remained at Frcnchtown while the others were
up the river, set fire to the warehouses, which
were filled with government goods, and also
burned two vessels which were lying at the
wharf, one schooner, the other a soop from
Port Deposit.
The English officers dined with Mrs PEN
nington, who kept tavern in an old frame
building, which was torn down several years
ago. They paid her well. One OF them was
very much pleased with a daughter of Mrs.
P's, and compimented her by saying, sy you
have a - pretty daughtcr.' They were all
ready to leave by the time the other barges
l,,r Nj, 4
gone down but short distance when Captain
Henry Bennett, with two boats loaded with
men, armed with muskcts, pushed across from
Elk Landing to Cedar Point, and then started
across the fields, expecting to have shot
at the barges as they came down. But they
were too late, only few shots were exchanged
as the English were going down the river
They then went to Havre de Grace and burned
it. She could see the smoke from Mr., HIS.
She thinks there was about four or five hun
of the English soldiers.
Nearly all the above is corroboratcd by
Captain Henry Bennett he says, when the
people of Elkton heard the firing at French
town,--thcy sent Maj. Armstrong with 20 men
and supply of ammunition to assist body
OF USnerMen VINO were stationed on FRENCH
town dixie, with two cannons firing at the
English as the came up the river But
Armstrong met the fishermen rctreating
toward ElktoE; their ammunition having
given out, except one kcg of powder, which
the man who was carrying it swore the scoun-
drels should not have to fire at them as they
were retreating. Capt. Lort (father of our
townsman, Capt. Isaac Lort,) and his sailors
and the men on the soop from Port DEPOSIT,
assisted the fishermen while firing on the
barges. Old Thos. Foster just before
leaving Frenchtown, went to barrel
of liquor, took drink turned the faucet, and
let the liquor run out; he said &c the English
should NOT have drop"
Capt. Bennett says that while standing near
the old frame tavern, at Frenchtown, Il ball
weighing III lbs, struck the ground near him,
buryiDg itself 81 feet in the ground.
HEAvEs. "Hcaves," the common name for
broken wind in the horse. is susceptible oe
great aeviatlon by attending to the character
and quantity of food to be eaten by the ami
NAL If horse suffering from this disease is