The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1876-07-01
LOCAL "REMINISCENCES
j LEGEND OF MARYLAND.
GAN OWRE TRUE TALE"
CHAPTER VII.
THE OLD CITY,

Let me now once more shift the scene.
In the Summer of 1854, the peaceful little
port of st. Mary's was visited by phe-
nomenon of rare occurrence in those days.
A ship of war of the smaller class, with
the Cross of St. George sparkling on her
broad flag, came gliding to an anchorage
abreast the town. The fort of St. Inigoes
gave the customary salute, which l have
reason to believe was not returned. Not
long after this, a bluff, staggering, vulgar
captain came on shore. He made no visit
of respect or business to any member of
the Council. He gave no report of his
character or the purpose of his visit, but
strolled to the tavern,-I suppose to that
kept by MIR. Cordea, who, in addition to
his calling of keeper of the ordinary, was
the most approved shoemaker of the city,
and here RECALLED himself with potation
of strong waters. 1t is likely that he then
repaired to Mr.. Blakiston's, the Kings
Collector, "a bitter and relentless enemy of
the Lord Proprietary,-andt there may have
met Kenelm Chiseldine, John Coode, Col
onel Jowles, and others noted for their
hatred OF the Calvert family, and in such
company as this INDUCED himself in derid-
ing Lord Baltimore and his government.
During his stay in the port, his men came
on shore, and, initiating their captains
unamiable temper, roamed in squads about
the town and its neighborhood, conducting
themselves in noisy, hectoring manner
towards the inhabitants, disturbing the re-
pose of the quiet burghers, and shocking
their ears with ribald abuse of the authori-
ties. These registering sailors-I mention
it as a point of historical interest-had
even the audacity to break into Alderman
Garrett Van Swearingen's garden, and to
pluck up and carry away his cabbages and
other vegetables, according to the
testimony of Mr.. Cordea, whose indigna-
ton was the more intense from his venera-
ton for the Alderman, aud from the fact
that he made his Worship's shoes-they
would have killed one of bis Worship's
sheep, if his (COrdea's) man had not pre-
vented them; and after this, as if on pur-
pose more keenly to lacerate his feelings,
they brought these cabbages to Cordea's
house, and there boiled them before his
eyes,-he being sick and not able to drive
them away.
After few days spent in this manner,
the staggering captain-whose name, it
was soon bruited about, was Thomas Allen,
of his Majesty's Navy-went on board of
his ketch, or brig, as we should call it,
the Quaker, weighed anchor, and set sail
towards the Potomac, and thence stood
down the Bay upon the coast of Virginia.
Every now and then, after his departure
there came reports to the Council of insults
offered by Captain Allen to the shippers of
sundry bay craft and other peaceful traders
ON the Chesapeake: these insults consist
ing generally in wantonly compelling them
to heave to and submit to his search, in
vexatiously OBTAINING them, overhauling
their papers, and offending them with
coarse vituperation Of themselves, as we'll
as of the Lord Proprietary and his Coun-
Gil
About month later the Quaker was
observed to enter the Patuxent River, and
cast anchor just inside of the entrance,
near the Calvert county shore, and oppo-
site Christopher Rousby's house at Drum
Point. This was-says my chrOnicle--on
Thursday, the 30th of October, in this
year 1854. AS yet Captain Allen had not
condescended to make any report of his
arrival in the Province to any officer of the
Proprietary.
On Sunday morning, the end of Novem-
Der, the city was thrown into state of
violent ebullition-like little red-hot tea
kette-by the circulation of rumor that
got wind about the hour the burghers were
preparing to 60 to church. 1t was brought
from Patuxent late in the previous night,
and was now whispered from one neighbor
to another, and soon came to boil with an
extraordinary volume of steam. Stripping
it of the eXaggeration natural to such an
excitement, the rumor was substantially
this: That Colonel Talbot, hearing of the
arrival OF Captain Allen in the Patuxent
on Thursday, and getting no message or
report from him, set off on Friday morn
ing, in an angry state of mind, and rode
over to Patuxent, determined to give the
unmannerly captain lesson upon his
duty. That as soon as he reached Malta
pony House, he took his boat and went on
board the ketch. That there he found
Christopher Rousby, the Kings Collector,
cronying with Captain Allen, and uphold
ing him in his disrespect to the govern
ment. That Colonel Talbot was very sharp
upon Rousby, not liking him for old grudges
and more moved against him now; and that
he spoke his mind both to Captain Allen
and Christopher Rousby, and so got into
high quarrel with them. That when he
had said all he desired to say to them, he
made move to leave the ketch in his boat,
intending to return to Mattapony House;
but they who were in the cabin prevented
him, and would not let him go. That
thereupon the quarrel broke out afresh,
and it became more bitter; and it being
now IN the night, and all in great heat
of passion, the parties having already come
from words to blows, Talbot drew his skean
or dagger, and stabbed Rousby to the heart.
That nothing was known on shore of the
atfray till Saturday evening, when the body
was brought to Rousby's house; after
which it became known to the neighbor-
j.. Sc Al &c
als plantation, which adioined Rousby's,
having thus heard of it, set out and rode
that night over to St. Marys with the
news. which he gave to the Major before
midnight. 1t was added, that Colonel Tai
bot was now detained on board of the
ketch, as prisoner, by Captain Allen.
This was the amount of the dreadful
story over which the gossips of St. Mary's
were shaking their wise heads and dis
coursing on "crowner's quest law" that
Sunday morning.
As soon as Major Sewall received these
unhappy midnight tidings, he went in
stantly to his colleague, Colonel Darnall,
and communicated them to him; and they,
being warm friends of Talbot's, were very
anxious to get him out of the custody of
this Captain Allen. They, therefore, on
Sunday morning, issued writ directed to
Roger Brooke, the sheriff of Calvert coun-
ty, commanding him to arrest the prisoner
and bring him before the Council. Their
next move was to ride over-the same morn
ing-to Patuxent, taking with them Rob-
ert Carvil, and John Llewellin, their secre
tary. Upon reaching the river, all four
went on board the ketch to learn the par
ticulars of the quarrel. These particulars
are not preserved in the record and
we have nothing better than our con-
lectures as to what they disclosed. We
know nothing specific Of the cause or char
acter of the quarrel. The visitors found
Talbot loaded with irons, and Captain
Allen in a brutal state of evaporation,
swearing that he would not surrender his
prisoner to the authorities of the Province,
but would carry him to Virginia and de-
liver him to the government there, to be
dealt with as Lord Effingham should di-
rect He was grossly insulting to the two
members of the Council who had come on
this inquiry; and after they had left his
vessel, in the pinnace, to return to the
CONTINUED ON FOURTH PAGE.