The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1876-07-08

married Jane Bane, from Peru; became !,
land surveyor, large land holder and one
of the most prominent aud pnblic-s spirited
citizens of n. G. His grandson, s. b..
Alexander, resides on his old homeste I'd,
some miles from Charlotte, N. c. Tradi
ton says that thirty families of the Alex
anders and their connections left Cecil
county for n. G. about the same time and
settled mostly in Mecklenburg county.
DR.. Brevard was man of liberal educa-
ton, and was chairman of the committee
on the Declaration"
The fact being established that DR.. Bre-
ward and John McKnitt Alexander, who
were the active men in getting up the Meek
lenburg Declaration were natives OF Cecil
county, let us turn to the document itself,
and we will find 1T in advance of every docu
ment in the colonies of that day. At a
meeting of the representatives of the mill
tia companies of Mecklenburg county. n.
G., held in Charlotte, in Sand county, May
Goth, 1775, the following delegates We're
present: Col. Thomas Polk. Ephram Bre
ward, John Ford, Richard Barry, Abraham
Alexander, Jno. McKnitt Alexander, Heze-
kiah Alexander, Adam Alexander, Charles
Alexander Hezekiah J. Batch, John Phifer,
Hezekiah Downs, Ezra Alexander, FAC
cheus Wilson, VIM. Avery, Benjamin Pat
ton, Matthew MCLEAN, Neil Morrison,
James Harris. VIM. Kennon, VIM. Ora
ham, John Queary, Robert Irwin, John
Flenniken, David Rose and Richard Har-
ris, ST..
Abraham Alexander was appointed chair
man, and John Mcknitt Alexander, Secre-
tary.
DR.. Ephraim Brevard, chairman of the
committee on resolutions, reported the fol-
lowing Declaration of Independence, which
was unanimously adopted:
1. Resolyed, That whatsoever abetts, or in
any way, form or manner, countenances
the unchartcred and dangerous invasion OF
our rights, as claimed by Great Britain, is
an enemy to his country, to America, and
to the Inherent and inalienable rights of
man.
g Resolced, That we, the citizens of
Mecklenburg county, do hereby dissolve
the political bands that have connected us
with the mother country, and hereby alb
solve ourselves from all allegiance to the
British Crown, and adjure all political con
nection, contract or association with that
nation, who has wantonly trampled on our
rights and liberties, and inhumanely shed
the blood of American patriots at Lexing-
ton.
g. Resolced, That we do hereby declare
ourselves a free and independent people,
and of right ought to be a free and self
governing association, under the control of
no power other than that of our God and
the General Government of Congress; to
the maintenance of which, under Provi-
dence, we solemnly pledge to each other
our lives, our fortunes and our most sacred
honor.
On the Goth of May, 1915, the centennial
of the Mecklenburg Declaration was cele-
brated at Charlotte, N. c., by representa-
tives of most of the States of the Union.
A sIGNER OF THE DECLARATION OF INDIE
PENDENCE.
George Read, a signer of the Declaration
of Independence, was born in Cecil county,
Md, September Is, 1888, and died at New
Castle, Delaware, September 81, 179S.-
The father, who settled on the Little North
East, had three sons, Andrew, John and
George. The late John Mearns married a
daughter of Andrew Read, and resided on
a part of his estate John Read resided on
the property adjoining, but on the east
side of the creek. George Read studied
law at Philadelphia, was admitted to the
bar at the age of 10; began practice at New
Castle, and in 1853 was appointed Attorney
General for the three lower counties on the
Delaware, the designation by which the
present State of Delaware was then known.
In 1774, he was elected to Congress, of
which he continued member, with brief
interval, till nearly the close of the Revo-
luton. In 1776, he was President of the
Convention that formed the first constitu-
ton of Delaware, of which he was the
author, and under which he was chosen
Vice President, and served for short time
as President during the captivity of the
regular incumbent. In 1882, he was made
Judge of the U. S. Court of Appeals in
admiralty cases. He represented Delaware
10 the Convention that framed the Consti-
tuition of the United States, was the first
Senator chosen under it for that State, and
retained his seat until 1893, when he was
made Chief Justice of Delaware.
LANDING OF HowE's ARMY.
The most important event in Cecil county
during the Revolution was the landing of
the royal army under Gen. Howe, at the
old Ferry on Elk river. There was pub.
lie ferry opposite the Court House, which
was on the Manor side of the river at the
place known as Court House Point. Bo-
hemia Manor was then the most important
part Of the county, and for the accommo-
county having business at Court public
ferry across Elk river was established at
this place. Gen. Howe had embarked his
army at Staten Island, and its destination
was subject of conjecture until he entered
the Chesapeake Bay and his tall ships
arrived at the old Ferry on Elk river
There was great CONSERVATION among the
inhabitants of Elk Neck, when the Red
Coats began to land with their glittering
armor, and there was great haste in driv-
ing away cattle and horses, and removing
property. One family hastily gathered
together their most valuable property and
piled it up beside hay stack, and then
built the stack over it and thought it secure;
but no sooner than the soldiers saw the
newly built stack did they suspect the
object, and threw it down. The citizens
were informed that they would be paid in
gold and silver for all the cattle and pro-
duce. they would bring in. The tories
availed themselves of this opportunity and
drove in more cattle than their own. 1t
was the 25th Of August, TIT, when Howe S
army landed on the Elk Neck side of the
river, and the division under Knifhausen
landed at Court House Point, on the 31st
of said month. The latter destroyed the
public buildings at that place, and the
puOlIC TtCoTuTS were Idkeu away, Out AFTER
the war were found at New York, except
two or three volumes. Howe's army reach
ed Elkton on the 9th OF August, and was
beyond all question the grandest military
display ever seen in Cecil, as they came in
view early in bright Summer morning
an army of 5000 men, regular soldiers,
we'll equipped with all the trappings, the
munitions and furniture of war; the adj
vanced corps of cavalry with their brilliant
regalia, their gayly caparisoned steeds, and
their glittering armor rejecting the rays of
the morning sun; and the skirmishers gal.
Looping rapidly over the hills to the north
of the town; and then to the stirring strains
of martial music came the great body of
the Red Coats, with regular and measured
steps. The old citizens who saw it spoke
of its grand appearance as being worthy of
a better cause. Its object was oppression,
and the day of its humiliation was not far
in the future. On the 30th, they had a
skirmish at Cooch's Bridge; on the 10th of
September encamped at Kennett Square,
and on the 18th at Chadd's Ford, on the
Brandywine.
The Eastern troops on their march to
Yorktown passed through this county, by
what was known as the Bald Friar road,