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


| by the valor and heroism of our fore
| fathers whose lives and sacred honor
were pledged to freedoms cause cen
| tury and more ago. and whose blood
| was shed on this very spot In unfolding
the Independence of tho struggling
American colonies.
When Lord Howe and his English
squadron of 266 sail started from New
| York on the 18th of July, 177!, there
was much con lecture on the part of
| the American authorities as to the des
| tination Of the expedition. 1t was
presumed that the objective point was
| Philadelphia, but when two weeks later
| the fleet SAILED by the mouth Of the
Delaware Bay, bound in southerIy
direction, the uncertainty was increased.
Washington and several of his closest
advisers thought that Howe was bound
| for Charleston, s. c., while others
thought that Gen. Howe's designs were
ultimately against New England, not
| withstanding his eccentric movements.
During this uncertainty Gen. Nathaniel
Greene wrote: This is q curious cam
paign; in the spring we 1.-THE southern
army, had the enemy about our ears
every hour; the northern army could
neither see nor hear any enemy. Now
| Iu6J hhFo ROt thO oDOub bboli'
heads and we have lost ours, compelled
to wander about the country like Arabs
IN search of Them"
On August 22d, 36 days after Lord
Howe had sailed from New York, his
fleet was reported high up the Chesa-
peake Bay, and on the .25th, the fleet
came to anchor and the British troops
were landed on Elk Neck nearly oppo
site Court House Point. 3Howe's force
consisted of 5000 troops ami 1000
artillery, making total of l7,0t,0 men.
The most carefully written description
Of this expedition, OF which | know, is
contained in the journal which han been
preserved by Capt. John Montresor,
chief of engineers OF Howe's army. His
journal for August 25th and the two
days following contains the following
"Sunday, 25th. This day, August
25th, 1777, landed at head OF Elk. This
morning at 1s past 8 the Van of the
fleet came to an anchor opposite Cecil
Court House and Elk Ferry and in half
an hour the at.bottomed boats made
good their landing the fefryhouse called
Elk Ferry in the Province OF Maryland,
the rebels consisting only of four COM
psnies militia under Col. Rumsey
fled without firing shot. The troops
hutted with rails and Indian corn
stalks, no baggage or camp equipage
admitted. Came on about 10 this night
heavy storm of rain. lightning and
thunder. The wind being southerly
brought up the fleet q short time after
the landing, The army surprisingly
healthy after SO long a voyage and in
such climate the return OF the sick
are about four to each battalion, very
| IStf1a Oh nollaotad nd inn, far M
accounts of the situation of the enemy.
Inhabitants in numbers aud well
dressed at Cecil Court House Point.
Troops landed with 60 rounds per man.
"26th. No motion. NO inhabitants
having deserted their houses and drove
off their stock. Orders this evening fol
: the troops to march tomorrow morning
at 3 o'clock. A very heavy storm al
, this night of thunder, lightning and
rain at North East. The Shoalness Of the
Elk convinced the rebels that our feet
would never navigate it, but through
} the great abilities of our naval officers Il
! was happily effected, although the bot.
tom was muddy and tho ships on II
we're cutting channels through it fol
each other.
"27th. The storm continuing most
of the morning the order for marching
vas countermsnded. The roads heavy
and the horses mere carrion the sol
diery not sufficiently refreshed and
great part of their ammunition dam
aged, made it upon the whole no delay.
Our galley up the Elk tire at boat
that had taken one of ours. No In
habitants as yet came in. A man-of.
wars boat and midsiipmen taken by the
rebels, the men being on east shore
for milk, &c. The galley fred but
could not recover them. This night
cold. The guards only had 5000 car
tridges damaged by the storm"
On August 22d, information reached
the American army of the arrival Of
the British feet in the chesapeake.
The American army was at chat time
sncamped in Neshaminy, in Warwick
Township, Bucks county, about 20 miles
north of Philadelphia. Orders were
i issued for the army to proceed at once
to Chester. On the morning of the 23d
army moved down the old York road,
, and that night they had reached Ger
! mantown where they encamped for the
, night. The next day the army marched
through Philadelphia with General
, Washington at its head, he having
given express orders that the meI
/ should be drawn out in long array, ir
. order to impress the populaoe with its
: size aud Importance. That day the
: army advanced a. far as Darby, and the
next day continued its march through
Chester and Neaman's Greek to viii
mington. On reaching Wilmington,
Washington tuok up his headquarter:
on Quaker Hill, in house which fol
many years afterwards stood on the
west side of West street, midway
, between Third and Fourth streets. The
: army enoamped on the high GROUND
: lying north of the present Delaware
avenue, between Harrison and Clayton
: streets. Washington continued hi:
headquarters at Wilmington until tn,
! 9th OF September, the army In the
! meantime having taken post on the
. north side of White CLAY Creek and on
: the east side Of Red Clay Greek, in th,
: immediate vicinity of Stanton ane
! Kiamensi, with pickets out as far al
!. !. Christiana Bridge. The following let
ters were sent by Washington Will,
his headquarters were In Wilmington
Wilmington, 8 p. M, Aug. 25th
1777. Washington to President OF Con
gress -Greene's and Stephen divisionl
are within few miles Of this place.
: shall order them to march immediatei,
here. do not know what number o.
militia Of this State is yet collected
E but am told they turn out with grea
: alacrity. purpose to view the ground
i towards the enemy in the morning
a L am yet stranger to them"
(. Wilmington, p. M, Aug. 25th
1777. Washington to Gen, Armstrong