The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-08-01
For The Cecil Wing.
JOHN ALDEN AND MILES STANDISH.


For The Cecil Wing.
JOHN ALDEN AND MILES STANDISH.
1t is not generally known that there are
many of the descendants of John Alden,
the hero of the MagfO,oer, living in the
Fourth Election District of Cecil county.
John Alden, it will be recollected by
those familiar with the history of the land
ing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock, was
the first of those hardy pioneers to step
ashore upon that interesting and important
occasion; and, if Longfellow is right, he
was the youngest of them also.
Some time near the beginning of the
present century, Ebenezer Alden, lenial
descendant of JohnAlden, the fair haired,
azure eyed youth, as Longfellow calls him,
came in company with several other natives
of New England, to Delaware Bay for the
purpose of cutting slaves and cedar shin
giles, in the marshes along its southern
shore. They came in small coasting
schooner, and during the Winter, took out
enough of slaves and shingles to load their
craft, and returned to New England in the
Spring to dispose Of the fruit of their in
dustry and enjoy their hard earned money.
They followed this trade for several Win
tiers, and finally Ebenezer Alden and one
of the descendants of Miles Standish, the
"Stalwart Captain of Plymouth con-
cluded to come to this latitude and make it
their permanent home.
They landed at New Castle and found
their way to the northeast corner of Mary
land, within two miles of which the de-
scendants of Ebenezer Alden yet reside,
upon plantation which he purchased about
sixty years ago, and in the same house he
built in 1916.
Old Mr.. Alden, Or neighbor Alden, as his
Quaker friends we're wont to call him,
inherited some Of the distinctive peculiar
tiles of John, of Mayfowcr fame. He was
"fair haired and azure eyed" and the
Representation of goodness, gentleness
and Goodness. A pious, God-fearing man,
that loved his country and discharged every
duty as father, husband and citizen in the
fear of God, ant with due regard to the
rights and feelings of his fellow men.
There were ew of his neighbors but
esteemed it t,eat to sit at the fireside Of
the venerable Patriarch and hear him tell
for, like Join Alden" he could say it
in eloquent language the adventures Of
himself and comrades in the Cedar Swamps
of Delaware BY. How upon one occasion
they had sawed off a mighty cedar, and
80 evenly balaIced were the limbs of the
tree around itshuge trunk, that in spite of
all their effors with wedges, levers and
other mechanical means at their disposal,
though cut entirely off, they could not
throw it from its perpendicular position;
and how, upol going to the scene of their
labors the nett morning, thanks to kind
Providence, ii had fallen just where they
wished it to fill, without injury to itself or
their saw.
Mrs. Aldenwas, believe, a native of New
England; if not, her parents were. She
was fitting companion for such man.
A nobler, true, kind hearted, pieus woman
never lived. She, like her husband, minded
her own business and let other peoples
alone.
Long yearsbefore Longfellow published
the Courtshp of Miles Standish," has the
writer heard the venerable lady tell the
story of JOIN Alden's bridal procession.
Not as Lonfdlow tells it in the prettiest
poem in the Inglish language, in the fol-
lowing quaintand beautiful style:
"Then from stall near at hand, amid
exclam:tions of wonder,
Alden, the thoughtful. the careful, so happy,
SO proui Of Priscilla,
Brought out he snow-white bull, obeying
the hand Of its master,
Led by cord that was tied to an iron ring
in it's Dstrils,
Covered will crimson cloth, and cushion
placedfor saddle;''
but in her own peculiar style, with a smil-
ing, kindly fee, and voice amongst the
mellowest and sweetest in the world, it
sounded to Our youthful ears as pretty: aye
far prettier tlan the language of the gifted
poet.
But, alas alas the bright scenes of
childhood andthose who made them bright,
have vanished from our view, and this
Cody couple now sleep in the quiet grave
yard at Lonton Track Church, near the
beautiful White Clay creek, in the lower
part of Chester county, Pa.
Some tweny or twenty five years ago a
legal gentlemn of New England, came to
Cecil county search of the descendants
of Miles Standsh, knowing as before stat
ed, that one of his descendants had mgrat-
ed here with tie Alden family years before.
The descendants of this branch of the
Standsh fanny had moved West, and he
found some of them, believe, in the State
of Ohio. 1t vas said, and there is little
doubt of the tuth of it, that they are heirs
to very largeestate in England; probably
the same estat, referred to by Longfellow's
poem, where ie makes John Alden the
"Taciturn Stiply," say, when pleading
the cause of Niles Standish with the beau
tiful Priscilla:
"He was gentleman born, could trace his
pedigree plainly
Back to Hugh Standish, of Duxbury Hall,
in Lancashire, England,
Who was the sen of Ralph and the grand
son of Tlruston de Standish;
| Heir unto vast estates of which he was
| baSely derauded -