The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1878-03-23

NtVTI
Historical Researches that Quilp Made
as Bohemian.
CHAPTER KIN.
TIE FRENCH NEUTRALs


"2400 HIS. Tobacco; this court to trans
port to Louisiana. Elizabeth Boussa, he
son and five girls by the last day of July
1867. 1000 lbs. Tobacco; this court to
transport to ditto, Eneas Hebber. one boy
4 girls, by the last day of July, 1867. The
above sums of Tobacco to be paid to the
person or persons advancing the money fol
such transportation, on producing certif
cate thereof"
We We're surprised to find the above en-,
tries and several others of similar nature
on a small sheet of paper which We found
among the papers appertaining to the levy
of taxes for the year 1867. The papers
were slowed away in AN old book case in
one of the jury rooms in the second story
of the court house. The writing was about
as bad specimen of chirography as we
have ever met with. The writer could, no
doubt, have written better, and no doubt
would have done SO, if he had supposed
that one hundred and ten years after the
time he penned the lines of angular char
acters chat we eau liken to nothing else
than the tracks that file of infinlteSimal
birds would make by marching in regular
order over the ground when it was covered
with a slight skift of snow, they would
| have been deciphered with so much inter
est. Had the writer imagined this, we do
| really believe he would have written them
better, and not caused us so much trouble
and loss of time in decipherins them
! What made the matter provoking, was.
that it seemed as though the writing might
be easily read; yet, when We made the eff
I fort to read 1t, we found we were sadly mis-
taken. This almost unintellgible manu-
script seemed to be typical of the subject.
the memory of which it was written to
perpetuate. We wondered much why the
court of Cecil county should appropriate SO
much tobacco for the transportation of men,
women and children to Louisiana and CAM
adee for the dingy old sheet upon which
the record was written contained four en-
tries or minutes of the action of the court,
all of which were in reference tc the to-
hacco necessary and requisite to pay for
the transportation OF each one of four fani-
lies OF French Neutrals to Louisiana and
Canada. However, we had examined many
quaint and curious Old documents before
we reached this mysterious one, without
| finding any thing OF interest, and now we
had stumbled upon something so different
from the ordinary documents that, with
increased interest, we continued the search,
and in short time afterwards were re.
warded by finding the following petition:
"To the Worshipful, the Justices of the
Peace for Cecil county: The humble fet-
ton of the French t%eutras in Frederick
town sheweth that, Whereas, your Pet-
TONERS have now an opportunity of remov-
ing to the French Settlements on the River
Mississippi, at their own expense & charge
which they Oh account of their large num-
Der of small children and long captivity
here, find themselves entirely unable to
pay. They, therefore, Humbly request
your worships to grant such timely assist
auce and Relief as may enable them to exc
cute their purpose of removing. And your
Petitioners snail ever pray.
lssahel Erassey, in family; Eneas Au-
Der, Glscs Huber, in do. Eneas Granger,
8 orphans, Joseph Auber.
24M Of March, 1867
These making twenty four French Neu
trails who were DESTROYS of migrating to the
French settlements in Louisiana.
Rummaging awhile longer .s.,oHg the
bundle Of oil h.st,.riJ pape,s, We found one
which. parporteu to L. a certified copy of
the returns of justices of the peace made
by the clerk of the oonrt. This curious
document was made upon what had once
been a leaf of the doquet for the year 1868.
and upon which the names of John Doe
and Richard Roe " were still distinctly leri-
ble. 1t was Endorsed on the back" List
of profane swe2lers, l7Gt. copy hereof I'M
der seal, delivered to sheriff, 19th February,
| 1GS" The writer states that Colonel
Hylaud certities that Thomas Hart by the
information Of William Ellis, pedlar, swore
four oaths profanely, contrary to the act of
assembly made and provided against ours
ing" And, strange to say, VIM. Ram
sey, Esq certiiies that William Chick,
constable, was convicted before him of
swearing three profane oaths.' William
Ramsey, Esq, also certii,es that " Richard
Dicks Of CECIL county, ioyher, was con
victed LeiGra him OF swearing eleven pro-
fame oaths, and thereby forfeited two
pounds twelve shillings and six pence
current money of Maryland" The docu-
ment was signed by Francis Key, clerk of
Cecil county aforesaid. Though the writ
ing on this paper was as distinct as if writ
ten the day before, tie Impression of the
seal was NOS visible, which is not to be Won
derad at, when we recollect that it was
placed there one hundred and ten years
ago.
1t must not be supposed that the people
of Cecil county. who lived at that time
were more profane than those VhQ live here
now. The fat = they executed the laws
III these days ana took some pains and in
| CURED some trouble to bring offenders to
justice. Who has heard of anybody being
| Hneu Tor pfOlane swearing III cecil county
during the recollection of the oldest inhab
liant? And who would now think of fin
ing constable for profanity? AS mjSht
be supposed, necq!a Vaa were such good
morailGt2 vera a generous people, cOnse-
| quently we were not surprised to find
petition from a doctor, praying to be re
Enumerated for his attendance upon the
widow Ricketts,, who, he stated had Ia
bored under that lingering disorder, kaown
by the name of the hgs,ar.c., till, by Its
! progression. it had arrived at its last stages"
! that he had attended her for some months.
land by the blessing of Cod she seemed
surprisingly relieved. Appended to the
doctors petition was his bill. tie last item
of which, il he meant what he said, GER
, tainly speaks well fer his assiduous care
and attention. Ii reads thus: "To con-
slant attendance from January 21st to May
9Th, 81 U.s." We commend this item to