The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1868-07-25
From tho Newtown Bucks County, Enterpr
LOWER MARYLAND.

Bryantown consists of good country store, a
miserable old house, called II tavern, u black.
smith shop, and two or three other dwellings. -
The hotel is quite an institution. 1t is brick
house in nearly the last stage of decay. Down
stairs is bar-rOom and kitchen in 4 large room
up stairs, with bed in one corner, the congloln-
crate meals are served up by an old negrcss.-
A man rents the house, hires Il bar tender, Il
negro cook, n hOscr and negro or two to cut
wood and do chores, and runs his hotel.
Here first heard Of ague. 1t was pretty bad
here, and got worse and worse as l proceed
90 the peninsula. From Bryantown to
Port Tobacco is ~ miles or more. The country
is billy, Or rather cut up by ravincs. Much OF
the land worn out, and growing up with weeds
and bushcs-a miserable country. Road winds
around and it requires some degree of road
craft to come out right. 1t is gate after
gate, but little Of tine road being fenced but
few houses are near enough to it to inquire
but by following general course, WAS lucky
enough to come out through an immense corn
field into the telegraph road near Port Tobacco.
A traveller from Port Tobacco to Bryantown
would pass up this road half u mile then turn
square into an immense corn-lcld through u
gate And this is the main road between these
two towns.
Port Tobacco is the co,,nty-sea of Charles
county. 1t was built on II creek emptying
filled up, and schooncrs now come up to some
three miles of the town, and then freight is
transported IL mile or 50 further up the creek to
the warehouse on flats, instead of having u
wharf and warehouse that could be approached
by schooners.
Port Tobacco has some fine stores, at which an
immense business is done, and most Of them are
kept by enterprising, honorable men. The hotel
is a very good building, but kept miserably at
.stnt0 y1,s.i IN Inl,
" Southern" place. and noted haunt for block
ade runners during the war, who always man
aged to bride the Provost Marshas, or divide
profits with them In some way. But there are,
or were some Union men there. Rev. Lemuel
Wilmer an old man, was the officiating Episco-
pal clergyman when the war broke out lie
was out and out loyal, and stood up manfuly
for the government. His parishioners deserted
his church, and withheld their dues, but it
mattered nothing to him. lie still preached
loyalty and patriotism. He was made Chap
lain of the post during the war, and lie still
lives in the vicinity. Onc-ha.f Of the houses Of
Port Tobacco are in state Of decay, and there
are no new ones.
OF to the west of the town, encloscd in 4
great bend of the Potomac, lies the Nan emoy
District The land is most excellent-the tim
Der is very fine and valuable. The farms are
large, the people are aristocratc-all old slave
oWucIf. AhiS ~ HOW Iuil VI HtSiOcS,
OF course. Stores are starting up all through
this country as q new class Of customers have
sprung up. Heretofore the slave owners bought
their regular semi-anuual supplies of food and
clothing by Wholesale in the cities, getting them
from the commission men to whom they ship
ped their tobacco. Now the negroes get pay for
their work, and spend it at the country stores,
where they pay immense profits to the country
merchants. All these stores keep whisky, in
al, .,t.. D..A
of country stores in the lower counties in another
chapter. In Nanjemoy l saw new house
going up This was something new, and
cannot now recOllect that saw another one in
Charles county. 1t was frame house of pref.
ty good sizerjust under roof. As it was close
to the road l stopped to ask questions as to
the way, &c. Two negro carpenters were
working on the house. asked one of them
who was the employer or boss workman, he
said he was. and had recently been slave
now he Was II builder. l looked ut his work.
His joints were square and tght-his work
looked ship shape. But the negroes have no ca.
pacity for imprOvement-cannOt live without
the care Of u maser-are not fit to be free =
How we, the American people, lived year ntter
year, heariug this miserable twaddle, and how
many Of us believed it. or protested to !
Returned to Port Tobacco, and struck IN
east course, across the country-passed old tum.
Die down PLANTATION buildings, poorly cultiFa
ted land, and II town that had nearly fallen to
decay, called NentO,cn. The church even was
gone, its windows broken, its doors open to tho
elements. The point Of destination was Char
lotto Hall, st. Msry's county, but missed the
road. This is a really pretty village the seat Of
an old and highly respected institution oflearn
ing.
In 1923 an act was passed establishing II free
school in every county. Accordingly these
schools were erected, endowed, and successfully
carried on till the Revolution. Soon after the
close of that war, the schools Of the four lowe
counties were united in the Charlotte Hal
Academy, and it has continued a hcurishins
institution to this day.
As l entered this village, passed the stage