Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1880-07-22
LOCAL AFFAIRS.
FATAL LIGHTNING STROKE
A Barn Consumed and a Horse
Killed.
A DELAWAREAN'S DILEMMA
Arrested in New York for Desertion
from the Army--Woman Killed
at MiddIetown--The Deals
Island Murder.
1 DELAWAREAN'S DILEMMA
A LITTLE CHILD'S HAND CUT OFF
A SCRAP OFLOOAL HISTORY.
what IL Band Of Spanish Privatcer's-
men Did at bombay Hook.

what IL Band Of Spanish Privatcer's-
men Did at bombay Hook.
In the year 1915 Sir Edmond Andross
granted to Morris Liston several tracts of
land sin the parks of Cedar Creek, and
on the Apoluinimy one of these tracts
lay upon the shore of Delaware bay. be-
tween Bsckbird creek and Bombay Hook;
there the forests of immense poplars, oaks
and walnuts sloped gently upward from
the fringe of green marsh along the bay,
and again downward to the marshes Of
Blackbird creek and the ''Oedar swamp"
The soil was rich and kind there Liston
settled, cleared land, built his house and
reared family. And his name is familiar
STILL for the great poplar tree at morris
Listons" stood as landmark for all the
navigators of the Delaware until few
years ago, when it was destroyed by light
ming.
On the southern part of this tract ON
ground commanding II beautiful view of
the bay, Edmund Liston, a descendant of
Morris. built himself, in 173G a brick
house. in which some of his lneal descend
ants still live and farm their broad acres.
and look out on the bay, on whose waters
their ancestors came sailing from England
2U0 years ago. In the same locality the
occurrences took place, the record of
which is here transcribed. The people of
Philadelphia and Now Castle were very
much alarmed by reports of threatened
attacks by the Spanish naval forces and
the following depositions, taken in Phila-
delphia, added very much to their fright.
Edmund Liston, of Appoquinimink hum
dred, in the county of New Castle, yeoman,
being one of the people called Quakers, on
| that on Sunday the 18th day of this instant,
| July, about O'Clock in the afternoon, a COM
pany of foreigners, which this aifirmant
| believes to be Spaniards, to the number of
| 10, came ashore in an open boat from pilot
| boat riding at anchor in the river Delaware,
| over against the aflirmant's house, which is
| about four miles above Bombay Hook, and
about half mile from the banks of the said
river Delaware and, ar this afiirmant was
afterwards told by his daughter, as soon as
| they landed some of them ran to the place
| where his daughter and negro girl hap
pened to be getting crabs, seized the negro
| girl, tyed her and put her into the boat. This
attirmant further declares that the said
| foreigners came directly to him, this affirm
ant, armed with guns, cutlasses and PISTOLS
and telling him they belonged to n Spanish
| privateer not far off, they demanded his
| negroes, money, and the keys of his drawers
and having got some keys from him they
proceeded to rifle and plunder his house, and
took ont of it several sorts of wearing
| apparel. bedding, clothes and furniture, and
tying them in separate bundles they carried
them to the shore, and afterwards put them
on board the open boat. They likewise took
negro woman and two little negro children.
one of them u sucking child, and then capping
their pistols to this aifirmants breast they
compelled him to go with them to the next
plantation, belonging to James Hart, at the
distance of about half mile.
| his
EDMUND T.. l.. LISTON.
Affirmed July 9th, 1747, before me,
Thomas Hopknson.
James Hart Of Appoquinimy hundred, III
the county of New Castle, in Delaware, being
sworn on the holy Evangeists of Almighty
God, did depose and declare, that on Sunday
the twelfth day of this instant July, about
three of the clock i'll the heaftcrnoon, several peo-
pie whom this deponent took to be Spanards
to the number of fifteen, and one man with O
laced hat whom this deponent took to be an
Englishman, (being much fairer than the
rest came around to this deponents house,
situate about half mile from the river side
together with Edmund Lston neighbor OF
this deponents whom they had forced along
with them. That this deponent seeing then
come at some distance, shut up and bolted hi
doors and got his gun i'll readiness. lest they
should prove to be enemies That they camt
directly up and surrounded this deponent'
house, and some of them pursued Negro
girl belonging to this deponont, which thi,
deponent perceived through a window
that some one of the said compan,
called out to this deponont in goot
English, to surrender or they would Sc
fire to the house. and several bullets were
fired into the room where this deponent ant
his wife and children were that one of tn,
bullets wounded this deponent's wife in til,
hip and she bled very much whereupon til,
this deponent thought fit to surrender, ant
accordingly opened the doors of his house
thereupon the Spaniards seized this deponen
and bound his hands aud Immediately plum
, dered the house and took away the aboy,
mentioned negro, almost all of th
deponents wearing apparel a pair of golt
buttons and several other things to the valn'
of about seventy pounds. That when the,
, , had done plundering this deponents hous,
as aforesaid, they forced this dcponent ava!
with them to l.. L.. plantation about half
mile from this deponent's, where they tyet
up into bundles the plunder they had got a
this deponents house and the said EdmunC
Iistons, and having carried it on board th
boat. they went or to the pilot boat from
whence they came. JAMES HART.
Sworn July 9th, 1747, before me, Thoma
lIopkinson.