Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1876-04-27
cEarFMMiAl PAPERS.
Ne, l..
14e 1evolqtioaaxv Rsriod In Dslsvars-
gIssm ~ g Col. Aaalse % Oscar kodnsy

l
cord, April 18th, l776, stirred the blood Of
tile radical party In Delaware ~ IL did
everywhere throua hout the colonies. BY the
Efforts OF tho half-dogsn men who had been
active the previous year in sending dele
gates to the Philadelphia Congress, steps
were at ones taken to organize troops for
whatsoever emergency should call them into |
service. Nay 25th, there WAS meeting 1t |
Dover, (duly reported . few days there
after, In the Pennsylvania Packet, Of Phil |
Adslphia,) when IL wss resolved to raise |
two regiments In Kent county, and that
Cesar Rodney should 10 Colonel Of one,
and John Haxlet Of the other.
John. Hsxlet was by birth an Irishman,
and was, In Its, oitisen Of Kent county.
He had been educated for = Presbyterian
minister, and had preached for some time,
but subsequently, had studied medicine,
aud practiced with success, IL not with |
great profit, in Kent. His home was near
Dover, and hin feelings were 70 strongly
OH the side Of the progressive movement
that he had become, an . writer on this
subject says, Caesar Rodneys right hand
man." HIS age 10 uncertain, but he must
have been fully Of middle life. In person
he was tall and athletic.
From the large aud valuable collection Of
Revolutionary documents. now In the han =
OF Mr.. q. A. Rodney, Of this city, We draw
for these papers, . number OF Colonel Hsz.
let's letters. Some Of them have never
been Published others have been quoted
from or simply referred to In the few his
torical works which have been prepared
concerning the Revolutionary period in
Delaware but all sre practically new to
the public. The hrst IL from Colonel Hax.
let, written Of Dover on the eve Of Christ.
mas, l7T5, to Cesar Rodney, in philAdsl.
phia, (where he waa attending the session
Of the Continental Congress II il ~ fol.
lows -
COL. HAzLkr TO akN. RODNEY
SIR by maans Of Mr.. She's, l am IA
vored with q message from you to know
whether Colonels Commission In Con.
tinental Battalion, to be raised Immediately,
would be acceptable to mo. l am much
obliged BY the Honor Of the Proposal,
and the Friendship expressed in it. Were
l to consult my private Interest, or Domes-
tic Subtraction, should be induced to re.
fuse, but, Sir, have for some time past
thought it my principal business to sup
port the Present Virtuous Opposition. and
think every Wise and Good American must
sooner or later Second the Generous Strug-
gle-in this View Of the mAttor, it would be
Infsny to refuse rather than Virtue w &C.
cept.
/ feel no uneasiness in being thus Ex-
plicit, but what Arises from . Conscious.
ness Of being Unequal to the task, and
the apprehension OF bringing unmerited
censure on tue unreserved Friendship
which has dictated the offer. However, il
the Congress desire it, (who look
on their Resolves ~ the Political
Bible Of Liberty aud American will con.
slider their Appointment ~ the Voice Of
Heaven. (of the People it most certainly
Will be, and strain every nerve to prove
the Confidence OF my Friends las not been
Misplaced.
As this Business has originated from you,
Please to accept my most Hearty thanks
for your Goodness to the, and believe ne to
be, with great truth and Esteem, Sir.
Your Most Obeditnt L Most Humble
Servant, JOHN HAzLlT.
Kent, Gath Deer, l775.
Cesar Rodney, Esq
Not only the composition OF this, land
Of all the same writer's other letters, } but
also the handwriting, is good. The style lis
dignihed, and OF the old-fashioned ampli-
tude in forms Of compliment. The spell
ing is accurate in every word, aud only the
free use Of capital letters, (Which We have
above carefully preserved would expose
the nissiye to the remark OF critic of the
present period.
Hazlers acceptance was promptly acted
upon At Philadelphia. Jan. 18th, l77G, Con
gress elected the field officers Of tho Della
ware Regiment-the "Fra Deiatcare''-xs
follows Colonel, John Hazlet Lieutenant
Colonel, Cunning Bedford Major, John
Macpherson. The last named had already
fallen, December 3ist,) fighting ut the side
, OF Montgomery, IN the terrible iattacki on
Quebec, but news OF tho fact Lad not yet
reached Philadelpbia.
The regiment must have been at once re.
crmted. Probably the months OF February
March and April, were devoted to organiz-
ing it. On March 22nd, Congress chose
Thomas McDonough, Major, in place OF the
slain Macpherson, and DR.. James Tilton
became Surg on, and Rev Joseph Mont
gomery, Chaplain. There were eight COM
} panies in the regiment, with all average OF
over ninety privates, the officers being as
follows
Joseph Stidhsm Cap.sin Robert Kirk
wood, First Lieutenant /; Enoch Anderson,
Second Lieutenant. (Ninety privates.)
Nathan Adams, Captain James Moore,
First Lieutenant James Gordon, Second
lieutenant. (Ninety-one privstes)
Samuel Smith, Captain John Dixon,
First Lieutenant James McDonough, Sec
ond Lieutenant. (Ninety-seven privxtes
Charles Pope, Captain James Wells,
First Lieutenant 4; Alexander Stewart, Sec
ond Lieutenant (Ninety privates.)
! Lonathan Caldwell, Captain John Pat
ten, First Lieutenant; Geo. Mccall, Second
Lieutenant. (Ninety privates.)
Henry Darby, Captain Lewis Worrell,
First Lieutenant William Pophsm, Second
Lieutenant. (Ninety. three privstes.)
Joseph Vaughan, Captain Joseph Truitt,
First Lieutenant John Perkins, Second
Lieutenant. (Ninety-one privstes.)
David Hall, Captain Genethan Harvey,
First Lieutenant John Learmouth, Second
Ii.,,.,.,t N;na,v-,v, ,,;..,as
~, f,'A'''''
Ihefe IL no certainty That this was the or
der of the companies according to their
mnstsr.,n the ro,,a in tho ofs,o n, N. s.o.
"o
re'a'y OF sIsee' ~ Do'er' not giving THIS
with precision.
BY the first OF NAV. certainly. .ome nor.
,;,,, -, ~. .oa,,,.,,, ma, -. =.
s'0n VI 'no '0e.nioh' "A' lnus.ereo III sho
Oh duty, though there WAS difiicnlty in get
ting arms. On the 7,h Of that mouth, Col
:.