Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1873-08-01

this fall.
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Port Tobacco.
We publish elsewhere in our paper this
week an article taken from the Marlboro
Gazette headed Salem and written by
the Editor pro tenn. of that journal. The
occasion of the article in question was a
recent visit of the writer to our ancient
town. AS we mentioned last week, seve-
raj errors appear in the article touching
interesting matters connected with the
early history of our village. Before pro-
ceeding however to lay before our readers
such facts as we have been able to collect
In that connection, we would remark that
the present railroad station, spoken of as
Salem" takes its name from q small col
lection of houses located on the road lead
ing from Port Tobacco to the railroad
Salem proper being at least half mile
distant from the station of that name. The
station too is now more generally known
as Port Tobacco Station, being the most
convenient depot for this place and ada
cent country.
We have been unable to discover any
data by which we can conclude that the
original county seat was at Pope's Creek.
Until the appearance of the article in
question we never heard that the county
seat had ever, at any time, been elsewhere
than where it is at present. Pops's Greek
doubtless was originally an Indian settle.
ment, and oysters in great abundance are
supposed to have been found in the Poto.
mac near that point. The immense a
mount of oyster shells to be seen banked
up and imbedded at Pope's Creek are be-
Ieved to have been deposited there by the
aborigines through long course ofyears
We have no hesitatiaa-in saying there is
-a.-a.. ;..4hA-aappesition that the county
seat of this county was ever at any time
located at Pope's Creek.
In reference to the name of our town we
have gathered some interesting informa-
ton from very old map, which is now in
the possession of gentleman of this coun-
ty. This map or chart was published in
London, and is dated in the year 1906, and
was noticed by US editorially some few
years back. The notice we then made was
generally republished in the papers of the
State, and the map spoken OF, as it doubt
less is, as being valuable relic of an early
period in our history. It is a copy of a
map originally made by Capt. John Smith.
previous to his settlement in Virginia and
some years before the first settlers of Mary-
land set foot on the shores of st. Mary's.
Captain Smith appears to have assembled
the Potomac, penetrating all the differ
emit inlets of the river and making ex-
plorations of the adjoining lands. Among
other points visited by him was the Indi-
an village of Potopaco at the head of a
creek or inlet of that name and located
precisely where the village of Port Tobac-
co now stands. On the map referred to
the topography of the country seems to
have been noted with faithful accuracy,
and the Indian word Potopoco is interpret
ed to mean "the town between two hills.
soon after the coming of white settlers
from Europe; Rotopaco, being situated at
the head OF navigable water, offered an
eligible site FOE the white mans settlement
as being advantageously located for the
purposes of trade and traffic with the In
dams. Accordingly, some enterprising
Scotchmen improved the opportunities
offered, and to that fact we are indebted
for the existence of the present town of
Port Tobacco. Port Tobacco is but an
Anghcized corruption Of the Indian word
Potopoco, doubtless suggested by striking
similarity of sound in the pronunciation
of the words, as well as by the fact that in
colonial or provincial times considerable
commerce in tobacco was carried on with
the mother country by means of ships
trading directly from this point to Europe.
Years after the settlement of the white
HILL hoICl, 1t0HfOfCA3 ChS CoSUo AoAlO OA GAlC
place, was Ch0r1estoUn, and we remember
to. have read, some years since, speech
or published letter Of the late Judge Lee
Grand, in which he nounced that in the
Revolutionary period the first military
company in all the Colonies that ever
marched beyond its own colonial limits to
the defence of a. sister Colony, was organ
lied by Capt William Smallwood at Port
nobacoos in Charles county. They march
ed to, Long Island and fought with mark
ed bravery under their leader In the bloody
fights, there for the defence of New York
General Smallwood died and was buried
in this his native county, but, strange to
say, the exact spot of his interment is un-
known. No stone or other memorial is to