The Cecil Whig., 1878-03-09
For The Cecil Wing
"REMINISCENCES OF ELKTON.

INTERESTING LETTER FROM JUDGE SAMPLE.
FORT HoLLINGswoRTH AT ELK LANDING
IN 1Sl5-RURsTING OF GUN AND
woUND1NG OF COL AFTERWARDS JUDGE,
EZEKIEL F. CHAMBERS NARROW ESCAPE
OF TOBIAS RUDOLPH AND OTHERS A
BEAUTIFUL LETTER FROM JUDGE CHAM
BERs IN RELATION TO IT "A FAINT HEART
NEVER WON FAIR LADY IN ELKTON-
RHYMING sADDLER-THE OLD BANK
HoUsE-ZEB FERGUSON
MUNCIE. Indiana.
H. r. ToRBERT, ESQ. ELKToN, MD,
/ Dear 4Sir:-This morning, with great
pleasure, | received your kind letter of the
sth. accompanied by two numbers of The
/ Cecil Whig. They reminded me of the lines
of OssIan. There comes voice which
awakes my soul; it is the voice of years
which are past; they roll before me with
all their deeds. And, indeed they make
a Me feel like one who treads alone
Some banquet hall deserted.
Whose lights are fled. whose garlands dead,
And all but hope departed
! You kindly ask me to furnish any sug
gestions which | can of the events con
nected with the attack on Fort Hollings-
worth, and particularly any thing | may
know about Col Chambers being hurt by
the bursting of gun at the fort. I will
take up the latter matter first.
! IL
bers when that event transpired. The news
of the treaty of peace at Ghent reached
Elkton in February of 1875 the court then
in session. Col. Chambers was there, |
think, as States attorney. The court ad-
.journed at once, and all now repaired to
Fort Hollingsworth to fire salute. The
river was frozen very hard. Upon the ice
some half mile from the fort, barrel was
placed, and the firing with ball commenced.
Chambers had charge of an IS FOUNDER at
the north end of the fort. The embank-
ment made turn there eastward. stood
on the bank about ten or twelve feet, !
think. from the gun, and was watching the
effect of the shot, wher scale or small
gravel struck my left leg. looked towards
the gun and saw Chambers lying against
the bank with pieces of the debris lying
upon him. He was bleeding freely; sup
posed him dead. He had fired the gun
with the result stated. There were many
narrow escapes from death. An empty
barrel was standing Immediately in rear of
the gun. Whilst it was being loaded, To
bias Rudolph was sitting on it. When the
gun was about being fired, Mr.. Rudolph
arose and stood on the barrel to observe
the effect os the shot. The breech of the
gun knocked the barrel to pieces and he
fell to the ground. The northern bank of
the fort was near to two-story stone house.
In the gables were two small windows. In
the east oDe it is SAID, little girl was
looking out on the proceedings, when a
large piece of the exploded gun passed in
at the window without touching her. 1t
was said at the time that the explosion was
caused by some one who assisted in the
loading of the gun. forcing a frozen clod
into the muZzle of it.
at the house of mutual friend in New
Port, Rhode Island, a merely casual meet
ing, and. having learned his address, wrote
hlm after my return, adverting to that in
ter from him, which copy here.
CHARLEsTowN. 9Th September, 1853.
JUDGE SAMPLE-Dedr Sir:-Yuur kind
letter of recollections was delivered by Mrs
Bourne on my return from Boston, while
enjoying the cordial and liberal hospitality
of Mr.. Bourne and herself. which | did
most agreeably for several days. Had
known, when so stoutly resisting their
efforts to seat me at the table with You, who
this person was, introduced as Judge Sam
pie, l would certainly enjoyed the privi
lege of talking over with you the events OF
forty years ago. The one to which you
alude, the bursting of the Is pound can
non, was to me a memorable one. But for
the watchful care and guardianship of
benefcent and projecting Precedence, which
has never ceased To attend me through life,
my escape from death was quite an lmpos.
sibility. Some of the particles of that shat
tered gun remain buried in my person to
this day-tokens as well OF the goodness
and power of a guardian Being, as also the
mementos of the gratitude due from me as
their recipient. Alas. how many of the
witnesses of that event now sleep in silent
grave, awaiting the summons of the last
trumpet sound. The Sewalls the Rudophs,
the Alexanders, Partridge, Hollingsworth.
Mitchells, Wards and others-where are
they? Their places know them no more.
Noble, generous and good as wer, some of
them. they are gone. All that was mortal
has ceased to be. but there comes before us
the awful thOught-where will they be at
the great day of account? This after all,
is the important item in the history of hu-
man life. How it fastens on the mind as
we near the end of our earthly pilgrimage!
May God, in His mercy, grant US grace to
live and to die in His faith and fear, that
we may meet again at that joyful resurrec-
tion of the just made perfect. And may
we then tind again our long lost friends
amid the happy number who shall be vel
coined to the joys OF heaven.
Very truly, E. +. CHAMBERS"
In your chapter four you speak of per-
sons aud circumstances with which | am
somewhat acquainted. Mrs. Gilpin knew
very well. The two companies of volun.
teers from Lancaster | remember very we'll
oue VI tuo Cohpauies WAS dudTIereu III tnt
house pertaining to the mill owned then by
Colonel Adam Whann, an old bachelor
used to often carry them vegetables, sent
from our garden by my patriotic mother,
who knew how to feel for the soldier away
from home, for my father was then in
Camp Patapsco, near Baltimore, as cap
tain of company. You mention Miss
Mary Gilpin, the daughter; was we'll &C
quainted with her. She was very pretty,
intelligent, and modest young lady. She
was courted by Zeb Rudolph, and when he
popped the question, she declined the honor.
heard the girls, associates of my sister,
laughing over it. saying they thought it a
very poor tree that would fall at one chop.
The burning of Havre de Grace is spoken
of. Iplainly saw the smoke from the burn
ing. some sixteen miles away from Elkton.
You speak of the roasting of the OK on the