National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-03-27


territory granted in tho Maryland charter
are given In greater detail than was custom
ary III instruments OF this kind in those days,
thore was great deal of difficulty in locating
the precise boundaries, and for two or three
years arbitrators were still trying to find tho
true southern boundary between Maryland
and Virginia. There were numerous collisions
with tho Virginia colOnists in the early days,
there was war oil the northern border with
the settlers who claimed title under the Penn
grants, and the Delaware line was settled by
decree in equity passed in one Of the
English courts moro than n hundred years
after tho grant was made. Cecilius Calvert,
the second Lord Baltimore, to whom
tho charter was given, assisted in
making the preparations for trans.
porting colony to Maryland, but
did not accompany the oolonists to Mary
land. Tho command of the expedition was
entrusted TO his brothers, Leonard and
George, upon the elder Of whom, Leonard,
he conferred tho titlo of governor. Lord
Baltimore betrayed tho whole expense of
the first emigration, which amounted to
100000 The two vessels in which the
Colonists sailed were named, respectively, the
Ark and tho Dove. Nearly 200 persons came
over in these vessels. Before they were
permitted to leave Grayesend an officer of
the crown went on board and administered
an oath to all the emigrants ho could
swear allegiance to the king, and to dony
that the pope had power to grant immunity
to subjects who rcbcllod against an excom-
municated prince Some of the Catholic
emigrants. who did not care to take tho oath,
slipped away from the ships and were taken
on board again at the Isle of Wight. Among
these was Father White, q Catholic priest
who wrote narrative of the voyage. The
vessels sailed from the Isle Of Wight Nov. -
1888; thoy touched at Barbados on Jan. 3,
and spent nearly month among tho islands
Sailing from there they passed in the
Capes on Feb %, and stopped at Point
Comfort On March 3 they started up the
Potomac, frequently dropping anchor and
accommodating the shore. On March 81 1854,
$50 years ngo to-day, the Colonists landed at
an Indian town called Yoacomaco, and there
they resolved to setulo, and first made
treaty of peace with the natives. To this
was given the name of st. Marys, and
which has since been transferred to the river
on which it was located and to the county
that occupies tho lower part of the western
peninsula of Maryland
This was the beginning of the settlement of
Maryland From the foregoing sketch 1t will
bo seen that the colony was projected by
George Calvert, tho first Lord Baltimore (;
that the charter was granted to Caecilius
Calvert, son Of George Calvert and the second
Lord Baltimore and that his brothcrn, Leon
and Leonard was the first governor of the
colony. The beginning of the new settle
ment was most auspicious; the country was
delightful, the natives were friendly, and the
colonists were cOntented. But the tranquil
lity of this Arcadian paradise was soon
Disturbed by Capt. William Claiborne,
who belonged TO the Virginia col.
Kent Island in the Chesapeake and finding
himself within the limits of Lord Baltmore's
charter, forthwith set up a claim of prior
occupancy, put the two colonies in turmoil.
Hostile expeditions were fitted out at Kent
Island and at st. Mary's. and the vessels of
the belligerents met in Pocomoke river There
was naval battle, in which Lieut.. Warren.
Claiborne's commander, was killed, his vessel
captured, and tho crew made prisoners.
Claiborne fled to Virginia and afterward
went to England to lay his case before the
king After the naval engagement in the Po-
comoke river the Jurisdiction of Gov. Calvert
over Kent Island was acknowledged, Clai-
borne's property was confscated by an act of
provincial assembly passed in 1857 10 trace
the history of the colony through its success
sive periods Of prosperity and tribulation is
too great an undertaking to he attempted in
u newspaper sketch. About the year 1912
Claiborne came back to Virginia and renewed
his plots against the Mary land colony. The
Indians residing on tho Eastern Shore and
about the mouth of the Susquehanna became
troublesome, and had to be chastised on
various occasions. The contest between par.
lament and Charles | reached the American
colonies Lord Baltimore adhered to the king;
William Claiborne, who had in the meantime
been appointed treasurer of Virginia, became
a jealous partisan of the parliament. Clai-
borne organized an expedition, seized his old
plantations on Kent Island and then invaded
st. Mary's. Gov. Calvert fled to Virginia
and tn
mercies of Claiborne, who for nearly two
years ruled with n nigh hand. He drove
some of the Catholics into exile, confiscated
the estates of others, and sent tho Catholic
missionaries, including Father White, back
to England In this raid on st. Mary's in
1914, the early records of the colonial govern
ment were destroyed.
Gov. Calvert gathered up force Of loyalists
in Virginia and returned to st. Mary's to-
ward the close Of the year 1916. The usurpers
quietly surrendered, and tho authority of the
governor was re-established. In the follow
ing April he made an expedition to Kent
Island, re-established his authority, and
issued proclamation granting amnesty TO
tho people who participated in the rebellion.
On June 8, 1647, Leonard Calvert died,
Thomas Greene being named as his successor.
The revolution that took place in the Mary
land colony, after the beheading of King
Charles, is most interesting chapter in its
history; but it can only be mentioned here.
The proprietary governor was deposed, and
the colony was governed by commissioners
appointed by Claiborne, who for the time
being represented the Cromwell party. There
was Puritan settlement on the Severn river,
in Anne Arundel county, which was one OF
the strongholds of the Clairborne govern
ment. Lord Baltimore (who still resided in
Ireland), hearing that the proprietary gov
ernor had surrendered his authority to the
Puritan commissioners, sent a messenger to
Capt. Stone (the deposod governor), to inform
him that his tame surrender was disapproved,
and that he must reassort his authority. Gov
Stone gathered up q force of about l3O men,
and sailed with eleven vessels for the Severn
river. They landed near the present site OF
the city of Annapolis, and marched up tho
peninsula in battle array.
The Puritans were of the same stock as
Cromwell's inyincble soldiers, and where ami
mated by the same religious fervor They
looked upon Gov Stone as the representative
of the Catholic power, sent by the lord pro-
prietor to reduce them to Bubjection. They
mustered about 10 men, who crossed the
river and made detour of six miles SO as to
take the invading force in tho flank. Stones
guard was suddenly encountered,
and several shots were fired into the Puritan
ranks, one man being killed. The Puritans
set up their battle cry, God is our strength" +"
and charge the Marylanders with such
fury that the whole force was COM
PEELED to surrender. About fifty were killed
and wounded. Tho loss Of the Puritans was
two killed and two mortally wounded. Some
time after the battle Stone and ten of his men
were tried by court.martial and sentenced to
be shot. Through efforts of some of tho