Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-09-05

1912, when wanton attack was made
by the British upon the quaint old set
Element OF Lewes, but that was a naval
engagement wherein
The commander and all his men
Shot dog and killed hen.
But here by the banks of the placid
head waters Of the Ohristiana a gerita.
BILE battle was fought, and while its i'm
portanco has been overshadowed by the
magnitude OF the battle OF Brandy inc,
which followed so closely aiterwa
yet here was contest that deserves to
be remembered and which we are iusti.
lied In preserving for our children 8
children. just here, where We are as
Hembled, and to the westward, stretch
ing to the south as far as Glasgow and
to the northward nearly to Newark was
posted the British army under the com
mand OF Sir William Howe. an astute
and brilliant military commander. With
him were Gems. Corvallis. knyp-
hansen and Grant, all trained and
efficient military men. He had with
him an army of 1900 men we'll armed
and equipped. They were all here, au
army OF l7,000. 1t was martial array.
fonder on the highlands, west of
Newport, with its right wing resting OH
the White Clay Cieea Just west of
Stanton. ana its left near the village
of Newport 1.-THE MAN army being on
the east eide of the Red Clay Greek.
GEAR the present Kiamen5i Mill the
American army OF II 900 men was en-
trenched, under the command OF thar
greatest OF all commanders, our great
and only Washington. With Washing
Nm Nnat - r.
chieftans that the Revolutionary War
produced. Gen. Nathaniel Greene was
there--the plain but intrepid Quaker
who dared to take up arms even though
threatened with discipline by the
Friends meeting, In which he claimed
birth right membership. He and
Washington differed as to the location
Of the American encampment, but not
seriously. Gen. Benjamin Lincoln was
one OF the division commanders, a1d
Lord Stirling the head of another divi-
Rion, was one Of tine most trusted of
Washington's generals. Commanding
Que OF the hrigades was Gen. Anthony
Wayne" Mad Anthony, y build and gal
liant, who made so much reputation in
the storming OF Stony Point. Henry
Knox, Peter MuhlenbuIg and William
Maxwell were other brigade command
ets. have seen a copy Of a letter
written by Anthony Wayne while the
army was encamped In Delaware, sug
fgesting to the commander in chief that
where 1t could be done, that no mode
OF warfare brought better results than
for detachment Of trained truops to
be sent to attsok aud harrass the
enemy's marching lines. Whether this
letter from Wayne led to the course
that was pursued here / do not know,
but after the American army was safely
posted behind the Red Clay Creek,
Washington directed Gen. William
Maxwell to select detachment of
picked men from the different brigades
and advance to the lines of the British
army with express directions to be con-
stantly near the enemy and to give
them every possible annoyance. The
presumption is that they followed these
instructions so fully that Howe con-
cluded il possible to get rid of them,
and after three or four days of this
kind of warfare, Maxwell's advanced
corps found itself on the morning OF
September Sd, confronted not only with
the major part of Howe's army, but
the artillery Of the enemy was also
brought into requisition. Montresor,
in his journal. says that Maxwell's
light force kept up continuous irregu-
lar fire for nearly two miles, showing
how effectively they were keeping
"close TO the enemy and giving them
every possible annoyance. 1t was an
engagement Of no mean proportions.
Washington speaks Of il as pretty
smart skirmishing. " The British army
extended from Glasgow ON the south to
inkh 4ho i. Il
Meeting on the north and along this
entire line Maxwell's light force was
actively harassing the enemy, and it
vas only after the cannon of the British
began to do their deadly work that
Maxwell deemed it policy tU fall back.
This movement OF Maxwell, however,
had the effect desired; it prevented the
British army from advancing; it i'm
peded their progress for after the en-
counter here September Sd, what seems
to have been the beginning of the
march Of the British to Philadelphia
suddenly stopped, and the whole Of tn
British army was ordered to encamp,
which 1t did in this immediate vicinity,
resting here for five days until Septem-
her 8th, when the march began to the
northward through Newark.
Washington had entrenohed himself
behind Red Clay Creek. "Uannon
were placed on this rise of ground
for half a mile, as thick as they
could stand, ''says Byrnes referring to
the ridge bordering the northerly side
of White CLAY Creek at Stanton. The
evident design of this was to guard the
Old Kings Road toward Philadelphia,
which runs from Christiana to Stanton
and then to Newport. This was the
direct route for Howe to go. Montresor
tells us that Howe ordered his whole
army to go by the lower road from
Aikens Tavern Glasgow to Christians
Bridge, the seeming intent of Howe
being at that time to take the most
direct road to Philadelphia. The right
wing OF his army reached Christiana,
but there Howe seems to have dis
covered how firmly Washington's forces
were entrenched. for he came no
further in an easterly direction, but
his whole force veered in north
westerly direction, towards Hockessin,
the different divisions using various
routes for that purpose. Washington
expected the decisive battle to be
fought at Red Clay Greek for under
date OF September 9th, in his dispatch
to the President Of Congress, Waahing-
ton says: 1.-The enemy advanced yester-
day with seeming intention of attack
log us upon our post near NewIcrt
We waited for them the whole day
Michael, 10 his journal, says: 1.-THE
American army was drawn up in line
OF battle for several hours on Septem-