Wilmington daily commercial., 1876-05-06
CENTENNIAL PAPERS.
No. 2.-,COntinucd.

The Revolutionary Period in Delaware
Letters of Col. Iia2let to Cesar Rodney
in l775-6.
The following letter communicates furth-
er as to the complications in the lower part
of the State. L. is written at en- interval of
TWEEN .y-fye days from the one last given :
COL. HA2LET TO MIR. RODNEY.
KENT, 30sh June, 1776
SIR have tho pleasure to inform you
that the evening after your departure a
party of oflic srs from Snow Hill brought up
Job Ingram prisoner to Lewes where he is
now confined, mighty innocent-as he says.
Barkley Townsend yesterday morning also
surrendered himself, and ls in safe keeping.
A ma q t. Inn mt of ID ,lawares and he-
men went 10 q lest of the General Boar, 1r
Boaz, perhaps-ED.l but returned with non
aSUentus est Capt. Oyerlin aud others have
signed the Declaration and been disarmed.
Yesterday l reo'd an order of Congress-
dated 25ih June, TO furnish guard for the
po der wfggon 10 Virginia, Which was i'm
laedlately obeyed. At the same time another
dated l85h inst. to station two companies of
the Battalion under my command at Cape
May, to replace two companies formerly
there, now ordered to Canada. You well
know, sir, the peculiar circumstances Of the
Battalion. This ord ~ to me is extremely
embarrassing; it appears to me very proba
Bile the Com nissAry, now absent, will not
supply those two companies with provisions
at such distance you also know we have
no aims fit to be depended on but the mill
tia aims of Kent, and that my reputation is
engaged to the Council of Safety not to
order them out Of the Government, and to
return them when called for. You will lay
me under great obligations, by stating this
maftnr tn GOnuraaa M hu diraofiopu i,,r yI,oH
manner to conduct myself. Only furnish
us with arms and command US where you
please. To send over two companies of
unarmed men would by no means answer
the intention Of Congress.
have only time to assure you of the
mlst respectful regard, from, sir. your
most obedlent servant, JOHN HAzLET.
Hon. Caesar Rodney, Esq.
The foregoing indicates that there we're
American forces operating farther down, in
the Virginia Eastern Shore counties, at this
time, by the reference to the "powder
Wagon escort
+ Affairs in Congress had been rapidly Gull
minating within the month of June, while
Hazlet was at Lswes preserving order,
maintaining the courage of 1.-THE revolution
lists, and breaking up the loyalist organiza-
tlons. The instructions of the Delaware
Assembly, on the 14th of June, virtually
permitting Messrs. Rodney, Read, and
Mexican, tie OOlony's delegates in Con-
gress, to v5te for Independence, had
strengthened the hands, and made still more
firm the purpose, of Rodney and Mexican,
who favored Independ sncs, aud on the I'd
of July, when the momentous question
came to vote, they two, being maj ority,
gave the Colony5 voice in favor of the
Declaration, though Road opposed it. The
fact that Rodney was absent, the day before
the vote, and that Nick san sent an express
messenger for him, TO which summon
Rodney hastily responded by riding all nj ght
from Dover to Phladelphia, and hurrying
into Independence Hall in his boots and
spurs, is already celebrated in history. 1t
may be noted here as probable that Rodney's
ride to Philadelphia occurred not on the
night preceding the vote upon Lees resolu-
tions, (that Independence ought to be de-
clared, which were, after debate on July
1st, adopted on July And, but probably a
few days earlier, and perhaps on account OF
McKean's desire to have the decision of the
three delegates from Delaware, in advance
of the vote in Congress. We draw the con-
clusion that "Rodney's Ride " was not OIL
the night of June 80, or even July /, fol
HaZet's letter above, dated on June 80, re
fers to Rodney's just previous departure,
from Dover. L >ssing speaks of the "Ride,
as on the night of July Sd, but it seems very
unlikely that it could have occurred then
for the presence of Rodney was required ii
order to declare Delaware's voice, McKe eaI
and Read balancing each other,) and he wal
needed for this purpose Immediately befor'
the vote of July 2nd which decided tn,
Resolution of Independence, after whicl
the mere adoption of the Declaration wa
substantially a formality, and as it fol
lowed in forty eight hours, Rodney wa
unlikely to go away pen ling its disposition
Hazlet's next letter was after Independ
ence had been voted. and the formal Decla
ration itself adopted.
1t says =
roT uA1rET no nfp poNSp.,