The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1893-06-03
From the baltimore American of Nav is.

From the Baltimore American of May 1s
The Maryland Historical Society recent
ly appointed committee to investigate the
history of the old stone building known as
The Garrison, situated upon the Me-
Donogh estate, about two miles from
Pikesville This old building was found
to have been closely identified with the
most stirring incidents in the colonial his
tory of Maryland, and the report of the
committee, made through Rev. DIR. George
A. Leakin, will be an interesting addition
to the archives of the society.
The report is as follows: "We have
held four meetings and have visited the
stone building known as The Garrison,
said to have been erected about the year
1893, to protect the frontiers of Maryland
against the French and Indians, and further
used for the same purpose about the time
of BIaddock's defeat in 1855. The build
ing is of stone, twenty feet by fifty in the
embrasure, and the interior contains Il large
fireplace. 1t belongs by the will of Mr..
Samuel Tagart, to the trustees of the Nc
Donogh Institute. Its location is about
ten miles from Baltimore, mile south of
Stevenson Station, and about two miles
from Pikesville. The evidences obtained
in regard to the purposes and use of the
buildings are as follows:
"First-the universal history of the
neighborhood, and of all historians who
have written on Baltimore county. The
committee met several prominent residents,
one of whom stated that he asked Mr.. Con-
diff Tagart for the stones, as there was now
no apparent use for the building, where
upon Mr.. Tagart replied 1T was an old
colonial fort, and l wish it should be kept
as an historic monument or memorial.
Second. A more direct evidence than
tradition is a map of Baltimore county,
made long before it was county. in the
year 1855, where the place is marked as
The Garrison, while four miles to the
northeast is marked The Garrison Church,
now known as ST. Thomas
eThird. At the accession of William
and Mary, in 1858, war broke ont be-
tween France and England, with the inva-
sion of Ireland by James ii, aided by
France. This war extended to the Ameri-
can colonies, both nations struggling for
their possession. Baron Vincent Castine
left his home, on the Pryrenees, came to
Quebec, raised the French flag on the St.
Croix river, raging a relentless war on the
border settlements of New England, where
'apon Governor Andres offered a reward for
the capture Of Castine, who, escaping to
the Penobscot, settled among the Abinakis
Indians, where he married an Indian wife
and gained great influence, exciting the
tribe by religious and political motives
against the English. A beautiful town in
Maine now bears his name, and his mem
ory is preserved in the poetry of Whittier
and Longfellow, and also in the histories
of Parkman.
IA letter was sent by Capt. James, of
Cecil county, Nd, to Gov. Copley in 1892
stating that Castine, with 500 Indians, was
upon the manor of Col. Herman with hos
tile intentions, and he forwarded the testi-
mony of one Drury, who had visited the
manor of Col. Herman, and being acquaint-
ed with the Penobscot Indians and the
wife of Castine, identified them as the same.
Accordingly, on the 9th of March, 1892,
the Council of Maryland ordered three
forts to be built, in each of which was a
dwelling house sufficient to accommodate
captain and nine soldiers, with cabin for
four friendly Nanticoke Indians. One fort
was in Charles, then including Prince
Georges county, under command Of Capt.
John Addison; one in Anne Arundel coun-
ty, including Howard, under direction of
Col Nicholas Greenbury, and the other
about the Falls of the Hatapsco, towards
or near the Susquehanna River, in Balti-
more county. Capt. Richard Brightwell
was later in command of the Charles county
fort, and Captain Thomas Richardson of
that In Baltimore county.
BUILT BY TOBACCO
can amount or assessment of 10000
pounds of tobacco was laid on the inhabi-
tants to meet this emergency, and vessel
sent to conciliate Castine, or that failing, to
arrest aud bring him to St. Mary's but on
March II, 1862, Drury testified that he
was mistaken in identifying Castine, who
was not on the manor, though his wife was
This false alarm did not suspend the coun-
ellis order; the three forts were built, and
very properly, as the frontiers we're con-
tinually exposed to Indian raids, especially |
on the high grounds between the Patapsco
and the Susquehanna.
''Fourth-In August, 1886, Governor
Nicholson called on Captain John Oldham,
then commanding @The Garrison" for
report Of its location. He replied AN
account Of the roads made back of the in
habitants by the rangers of Baltimore
county (the present Baltimore town not
then existing) is as follows Northeast
from The Garrison to the first cabin, fif-
teen miles; northeast to the second cabin,
fifteen miles Or thefeahoHts; then, ten miles
further from the same course TO another
cabin on the north side of Deer Greek;
likewise between ftwynn's Fails and the |