The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1879-08-16

The two days after the British landed
were Stornly, which probably prevented
them from advancing sooner, but on the
morning of the 2Sth of August two bri-
gales Of light infantry under Howe march
ed by the old road, traces of which may he
seen at this time, that led from Elk ferry,
opposite Court House Point, to the Head OF
Elk They reached the latter place Just
after the morning sun cast its beams over
the summit of Gray's Hill and lighted up
the quiet valley in which stood the village
of the Head of Elk. Those who saw the
advance of the British troops on that bright
August morning spoke of it as being a
grand and imposing sight.
On the 30th, IL brigade of British troops
and Il battalion of Scotch HighlanderS
crossed the Elk river, as we are informed
by LOSING in his Pictorial Field Book OF
the Revolution. This detachment probably
landed at Welsh Point and afterwards
Joined Howe at Gray's Hill, for it is neither
reasonable nor probable, as stated by the
writers of that period, that the other part of
the army, composed largely of Hessans,
commanded by Gems. Agnew and Kuy-
phausen, that crossed the river the next
day and landed at Court House Point and
pursued a circuitouS line of march via ST.
Augustine and where the Buck Bridge now
stands, took Il retrograde course and came
back to Gray's Hill. This view of the case
is strengt hened by the statement of LOSING
that that part of the army that crossed to
Court House Point, on the 3lSt, had re-
manned to cover the debarkaton of the
stores and artillery. It's generally believed
that the British burned the court house on
Court House Point, when they We're there
this year, but such was not the ease. Nor
is there any reason to believe that they in
jured it in the least, for IN individual was
indicted, shortly after they We're there, for
breaking the windows and otherwise injur-
ing the building.
We found the Indictment among the
papers of that time, but have been unable
to find any other reference to the matter i'll
the records of the court. He probably was
il Tory and may have been one of the few
in this county that joined the British army.
The fact that the British carried away with
them all the public records except :; few
that had been removed to the Head of Elk
for safety, probably gave rise to the errone-
Gus story that they burnt the court house.
Some of the records We're found i'll New
York and brought back tn the county after
the close of the W.T.. TIL s, were tran
scribed, but many of the orr ginal records
were never recovered, which accounts for
the imperfect condition of the land records
previous to the beginning of this century.
The Americans had large quantities OF
grain, salt and other stores ut the Head of
Elk, and owing to the fact that salt was
scarce and difficult to obtain, they were very
anxious to remove it to a place OF safety
In order to do this, rs well as to be in posi-
ton TO watch the movements of the British,
Washington left Philadelphia on the 9th OF
August and on the 18th encamped on Red
Clay creek, with his headquarters at Will
mington. His army consisted of about l l.
900 men. The Pennsylvania and Delaware
militia, under Generals Armstrong and kod-
ney We're ordered to press forward to Head
of Elk and secure the stores deposited there:
but they failed to do so, and the stores fell
into he hands of the enemy. Generals Green
and Weeden accommodated the country be-
tween Wilmington and Head of Elk, and
Washington himself rode through heavy
rains to the latter place, on the 9th, to
make personal reconnaissance. 1t was upon
this occasion that Washington pissed the
night in the old brick house Just west OF the
Episcopal Church, then occupied by Jacob
HolliurSworth as Il hotel. General Howe
occupied the same room ON the night OF the
oSth of August, and was waited upon by
the same negro servant that had served
Washington the night before. The British
seem to have proceeded slowly and eau
tiously For a time they were encamped on
the plain north of the town. Afterwards
they occupied a strong position ON the sum
nit of Gray's Hill On the third Of Sep
TENDER their lines extended from Glasgow,
then called Aiken's or Allentown, to a
point some distance northwest of the Bap-
fist Church on Iron Hill. On that day Sc
! we're skirlnishins took place between them
and the Maryland aud Delaware militia