Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-01-14
CHESTERTOwN,
The Tranquil Region Which Was Disturbed
BY the Murder of DIR. Hill.

The Tranquil Region Which W. Disturbed
BY the Murder of DIR. Hill.
To the Editor of The Evening Star:
An error Of type perhaps made you say that
DIR. Hills murder at Chestertown. Nd, "was
the first murder of a white man that had
occurred in Kent county for more than fifty
years." am nearly done with ffty-two years
of life, but was eight or nine years old, and
lived at Chestertown when the Cosden family, two
gro wn white women and a white man, as
recollect, were killed by gang of neighbor-
hood white robbers under circumstances of
cold atrocity, without the motive of revenge
I can almost recollect the names of the muir
derers, though left Maryland as a home for
forty years at that early period. They were
Drummond. Shelton and Murphy and were
hanged about 1851 near an old mill in the en-
virons of Chestertown.
am glad Gov. Brown saved that tranquil
old region from the cowardice and stigma Of a
lynching deed.
Chestertown was the home of Senator Alfred
Pearce. who rode with Lincoln to that noble
mans Inauguration, whom lynchers were yearn-
ing to kill. and there at Chestertown grew up
Charles Wilson Peale. whose portrait of Wash
ington as Virginia colonel is the most salts
flying representation of hero who often went
to Philadelphia from Mt. Vernon by way of An
napolis Rock Hall and Chestertown.
Near the site Of the two murders which have
been referred to grew up the last great whig,
Justice David Davis, Abraham Lincoln execu-
tor and cousin of the last great Marylander,
Henry Winter Davis.
There were three Methodist preachers sons
eastern shore of MARYLAND. their fathers as
friendly wi b each other the boys-Gov.
Patttson Of Pennsylvania, the late leader of
Washington society pleasures and paragon of
personal appearance, Surgeon DR.. Meancth on
Ruth, and myself.
he -
judged by one Of Tom Corwn's sillicisms, but
1t possessed, in the words of the historian of
the EPISCOPAL Church in Maryland and Virginia.
''the most tranquil and kindly society of good
breeding in America"
1t would lose that exceptional reputation il
any bloodthirsty consanguinity wrecked the
character Of the cline to lynch the helpless in
such a cause might have acquitted white
men.
may add that the highest literary reputa-
ton, the greatest lyceum orator of Mary
land. is Frederick Douglass. who grew up near
the mouth of Chester (town) river. The
parents of Gen. Corse, who "held the fort at
Alatoona, emgrated west from Corsice creek,
q stream Of Chester river. He has been post
master Of Boston. As that oft-libeled gentle
man, J. A. J. Creswell, our most suggestive
Postmaster General, he came from the eastern
shore.
The house Of Gen. Beale, at the corner Of the
Presidents square, was built by Commodore
Stephen Decatur, who was born on the eastern
shore Of Maryland. Thence came Admiral
Goldsborough, who married, I think, the
daughter Of VIM. Writ, great nationalspirit and
literary endeavorer. Acolored man, like our dig
nified fellow citizen, Mr. Douglass though he was
white on his mothers instead of his father .
side. assisted to lay out the streets and squares
and ascertain the latitude and longitude Of
Washington city. 1 allude to Benjamin Ban
neker Of the eastern shore of Maryland.
think that Thorndike Rice, who refounded
the North American Review, was of eastern
shore parentage. From Easton, on that PENN
| sula, came the first theater manager Of the city
Of Chicago, afterward . republican member Of
Congress from that city-Mr. Rice, / believe his
name was
The confederate ram Merrimac or Virginia,
fought with singular force, was commanded,
think, by Buchanan of the eastern shore, and
l am glad that the Union governor of Maryland,
q man who got ''righ, side up with care" Gov.
Hicks, came also from that shore.
GEORGE ALFRED TOWNSEND.