The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-07-03
A REVOLUTIONARY HERO.
Remins -ences Of Col Nathaniel Ramsay

New York G!WPitir We believe it is from
the pen of l. Il. PemnypaclSer, Esq, of the
Philadelphia bar, Who if we mistake not,
married Il granddaughter of Col. Ramsay.
The RamSayS came here from Lancaster
county, Pa. The Col. Ramsay mentioned
below WAS Il brother of DIR. David Ramsay,
the historian, who, in l..2, resided ut the
head of Bohemia river and practiced his pro
frSsion on the Manor. Col. Nathaniel Ram
say was Il lawyer, and was admitted to prac-
ticc in the court of this county Just before
the beginning of the Revolutionary war
HAvEE DE GRACE, Md, June ~.
| took Il sail boat on Sunday and sailed
over to Carpenters Point That sounds like
m easy thing to do. And so it was. The
trouble began when started back. OF that
sail back, which i'll n straight line would
have been only five miles, but which, owing
to the strong winds, stretched, with its nu
merouS tackS, into something like fifteen
miles OF its difficulties and general I'M
pleasantnesS shall tell hereafter. | started
on Sunday morning as Il matter of economy.
On that day one can get the use OF :; sail
boat at Havre de Grace from morning until
night for s. or 81. But on week days, dur
inc t he fishing and ducling seasons, one has
to pay from SO to so per day for the use of
one of these old sailing tubs. The shad fish
inc season is about closing on the Chesa-
pealle. At night the "gillers'" lights upon
the bay are is thick rs the stars in the heav
ems, but the SeneS of two, three, or four
miles in length have been hauled upon the
fishing shores for the last time, and stored
away until next spring. The season nj the
Carpenter Point shore has been the most
successful in Il numbcrof years. Here along
the Chesapeake they used to catch 900 Shad
and maybe, 300 barrels Of herring ut sin
Gle haul. Now 300 shad and Il couple hum
dred barrels of herring make a good haul.
New York sportSmen have become tamil-
ar with the shores of the Chesapeake, and
New York epirurcS appreciate the drlicacy
of the unrivulc,t canvaS-hack, but few peo-
Pile know any thing of the country back
from the bay, or Of the hospitahle people
who dwell there. Carpenters Point is 1;
place of local fame. Two hundred and thir-
tv Years agoi it was called Carpenters Point,
after its owner-Carpender. We ran the
sail boat as near ashore as possible at the
foot of the bluff. John, the obliging helms
man, jumped into the water and made 4
back" which l mounted, and upon which
| was carried to the beach dry-Shod. On
the bluff is the low, long, and rambling
frame mansion, from whose broad piazza |
could see the headlandS and islands, the
mouths of broad rivers and the waters of
the bay miles away glistening in the pleas
ant Sabbath morning sunlight. About the
time of the Revolution these acres, man
sion, and fishing shore belonged to Colonel
Nathaniel Ramsay, of the famous Mary land
line. This doughty warrior had more or
less to do with New York in those times
which with us stand for antiquity. He was
a captain at the battle of Long Island, and
when the Connecticut troops We're driven
back, and the Marylanders stood alone,
Ramsay, thirty feet ahead of his soldiers.
led Il charge upon the enemy. He was six
feet three inches in height, and tradition
says that i'll the retreat across Gowanas
creek lie saved his life Che could not swim)
by holding his chin high i'll the air, thus
barely preventing the water from getting
into his nostrils. Ramsay was married in
L second story room of the building now
occupied by the New York Historical So
ciety. His first wife was Il Miss Peale, Il
sister of Charles Wilson Peale, the artist.
Ieae'S portrait of Ramsay and of his broth
er, David Ramsay, the historian, hang i'll
Independence Hall, in Philadelphia.
At the home OF Charles Wilson Peale, in
New York. the officers of the army We're ac-
customed to meet socially, and there they
sometimes amused themselves by attempt
ing to lift the girl baby of the artist to the
ceiling of the room. Ramsay and Washing
ton who We're of the same height, We're the
only two OF the officers who We're tall
enough to lift the baby until its hands could
touch the ceiling. Ramsay and the Com
aander-in- Chief We're good friends At the
/battle of Monmouth, Washington took him
by the hand and told him that if he could
hold the British in check for IL half hour
the day would be saved. Ramsay, at the
head of the Maryland troops did hold the
British III check, and he gets good deal OF
the credit for that days victory. But he
himself was wounded and taken prisoner,
and for the next two or three years he re-
manned an involuntary guest of the British
at Flatbush, l.. L. From his published let
tiers he would seem to have had an unpleas-
ant time while there But these letters
were written to the Commissary-Ge OF
Prisoners and other officials with the pur-
pose OF getting an exchange. According to
private tradition he formed some pleasant
acuuaintances about Flatbush, went out to
dine, to take tea, Ne, and would not have
had so bad Il time if there had not preyed
upon his mind the knowledge that while he
was in enforced idleness the army was being
reorganiZed, junior officers were being pro-
NOTED to his place and over his head, and
that even if his exchange should be effected
he would be compelled to retire to private
! life because there was no vacancy for him.
II the American prisoners We're not forgot
ten, they We're neglected, and Washington
was in no hurry to make an exchange OF
| officers, since it increased the force of the
British but added nothing to the strength
of the rebels Ramsay was finally eX-
changed in December, 1880, and soon after
! brought his wife to Carpenter Point.
! These places along the bay have never
been regarded as healthy. The creeks
"make up as they call it, into the land;
/ tides check the current: there is standing
| water and marsh, and the reSultingS aguC
| and bilious fever, In a few Years Ramsay
wife died. In a few more he married again.
This time a Hail. of one Of the oldest Mary
| land families, connected with the CAROLS
and William White, the first Episcopal
Bishop i'll America. The Barnards and
others, of New York, are an offshoot from
the Halls and Ramsays. Ramsay was
elected to the old Congress, sitting ut Phil,
adelphia and New York. The records show
that he voted steadily enough during the
Winteruntil about the beginning OF March
| Then his name appears among the ayes anu
NAYS no longer That is because he came
here to Carpenters Point to Superntend
the shad fishing. He was temporary chair
man of the meeting of soldiers that organ
lied the General Society of the Cincinnati
and he was treasurer of that society. Wash
iuntou appointed him to the Marshalship o
Maryiand. and lie went to Baltimore to live
But each Summer lie returned to Carpen
ter's Point, and his private letterS SHOW
that he came with his family i'll coach
stopping over night ut his wite's cousins
the famous Dairy Farm, and crossing The
bav in a small boat. There is still curren
Il story, how once disturbed ut night by th'
nuis. OF Il tumult among the drunken fish
| ernen he came down upon tho shore VIII
the broadsword he had carried ut Mon
mouth in his hand and queled the riot
This sword is in the possession OF Mrs
Whitaker, his granddaughter, Of lIarior,
county.
SportSrncn now think twenty pair of can
vas back ducks Il big return for one day ;:
cunning. but III Colonel Ramsay's day hi
men brought down the ducks by means o
Il small cannon arranged i'll the stern OF +;
boat Duckiug and fishing are still carrict
on, probably lit Carpenters Point; by 1t
owner, Mr., Barnes. I'm the mansion h
showed me the thigh bona Of what ha'
been all unusually large horse, The bon
bore an inscription, tho name OF the horse
Hunter" and an indistinguiShable date
Ii was on this horse, Il hunter, that son o
Colonel Ramsay, in the war of 1877, whel
the British sailed up the Chesapeake
plunged into the North East River, mil
wide and was borne safely to the opposit
shore. Colonel Ramsay died in 1917, an,
his obituary, the facts of which were b.
mistake drawn from the life of his brother
! David Ramsay, the historian, of South Car
DINA. duly appeared IN tho English gentle
mans NuJtziHe. He was Il bright eIampl
of the old time Southern gentleman. and h
was Il brave soldier whom his GountrYmel
should know better than they do
When | returned to the shore the vim
was blowing fresh, and in the bottom of tn
boat | noticed two or three great rock
/ viii al, no there when | left it | ask