Daily Republican., 1879-05-10
HISTORICAL.
A Nameiess Battle in Delaware
Named, s'Fights ON Delaware Soil
in the Wars OfISl2o

Named, ''Ffghts ON Delaware 6Oil
in the Wars ofIsI2."
To THE EDIroRs or THE DELAWARE
REPUBLICAN.
Respected Gentiemen:-To.day (the
10th of May sixty six years ago, was
fought one of the most gallant actions
ofgthe war..of 1872. 1t was fight of
Delaware troops on Delaware soil, and
as this battle as heretofore been with
out a name will take the liberty Of
giving it a name myself, and will there-
fore call it
| THE BATTLE OF NEWBOLD LAKE.
On the 10th of May, y,1Sl3, the British
squadron that had entered our Bay in
the month of March, after it had attack
ed and bomba,d ded the town of Lew es-
town on the 9Th of April, Con account
of the inhabitants refusing to supply
them with twenty cattle and a cores
ponding supply of vegetables and
water. And had been repulsed by the
Delaware militia, under the command
of the gallant Colonel Samuel B. Davis;)
appeared in the Atlantic Ocean, about
seven miles below Lewestown, opposite
what was then called Newb bold's Pond,
but what is now known as Nswbold's
Lake.
There are four of these lakes or
ponds on the Atlantic Sea Coast of the
State of Delaware. Two OF them con-
tain fresh water, and two salt water
Two of them are situated in Lewes and
Rehoboth Hundred, Sussex county.
And two of them in Baltimore Hundred
in the same County. The two lakes in
Lewes and Rehoboth Hundred, are
Gourden's Pond, which is very salt,
and where salt works were once (and
probably are now in operation and
Newb bOld's Lake mentioned above,
which joins the watering place of Re-
hoboth city, and is a pretty sheet of
fresh water, about mile in length, by
probably a quarter ofa mile wide and
situated within few hundred feet of
the Atlantic Ocean. The two ponds in
Baltimore Hundred are named Salt
Pond and, Fresh Pond, each being in
accordance with its name. The former
filled with salt water and the latter
with fresh water, and within
about half mile of each other.
At this Newbold's Lake, the British
fleet expected to supply themselves
with water, which had been refused
them by the inhabitants of Lewistown.
1t consisted of the Poictiers, ship
of the line of "A guns, commanded by
the Commodore Of Squadron, Sir John
Beresford. The sloop of war Belvi-
dere commanded Ivy Captain Byron.
The Pass, and number of smaller yes
sells. Col. Davis at once OWNED their
intention, and sent major George Hun
ter with one hundred and fifty men to
keep them from landing. He arrived
before the British, and when the arm
ed launches and boats approached the
shore, he opened fire upon them, and
drove them back to their ships. Ac-
cordng to the information | have, in
my notes, (Which cannot lay hands
upon at the present time to verify,)
there were about seven men killed on
the side Of the English, upon the Amer
lean side none. The fleet upon this
repulse left the Delaware coast and
sailed away for Bermuda.
do not intend to say anything more
in relation to the attack upon Lewis
town, in this letter, as in a shorttime
| think of writing a sketch of the life Of
Col. Samuel B. Davis, which | shall
publish in some of our papers, and
then | shall give more full details
of this battle. But shall simply now
recount f,w of the skirmishes upon
our shores, and of the effect of the in
vasion of our waters by the British
fleet, upon the people of our State.
As soon as it was known that the
British feet had entered the bay, the
State raised in arms almost to a man
Wilmington and New Castle especially
were in ferment, Smyrna was wild
with excitement, and Dover was in q
perfect fury. Such is the descri, .ioL
of the feeling of our citizens il! the
letters of the time.
IN WILMINGTON.
A committee of Safety wa lormed,
consisting of James A. Bayard, George
Morrow, Outerbridge Horsey, James
Tilton, and Cesar A. Rodney. Several
companies of troops were Immediately
raised, amongst which werean Artillery
Company commanded by Captain Rod
ney. Cavalry Company commanded
by Captain Warner, and two Infantry
Companies, one commanded by Captain
Shipley, and the other by Captain Will
son. A strong fort, named Fort Union,
was erected at the Rocks, the site of
old Fort Christiana. Signals of alarm
were agreed upon, which were to be the
ringing of the Town Hall bell, the
brating of drums, and two dis sharges
of cannon altogether. The specie in
the banks of both Wilmington aud