The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1903-05-16
JohnSton's History
Of Cecil County.
CHAPTER Xxx CONTINUED.

during Ine time 1nat the BRUSH were
in Elkton and vicinity they sent n de-
tachment Of troops to Elk Forge who
committed many depredations there and
destroyed much of the property that
they found. Most of the stock had been
removed and concealed in anticipation of
the raid The people, for Il distance of
twelve or fifteen miles around Elkton, in
Delaware, and Pennsylvania, took pains
to conceal their horses and cattle by
driving them to secluded places i'll the
woods. Many of them had taken the
more valuable portions of their portable
property and fled to places of safety
where they remained until the danger
was past. 1t was mt the time of the raid
upon Elk Forge that they took James
Ramage prisoner and carried him to
Philadelphia, where they detained him
on board prison ship for some months
His wife went with him, and probably
owing to her solicitations and cXertionS
he was released. This man Ramagc was
the maternal grandfather of Mrs. Aga
tina Scott, the wife of David Scott. Esq,
of the fourth district. lis was Scotch
man and had not been long i'll America.
At this time there lived somewhere in
the vicinity of Chestnut Hill. a gentle
man and his wife, who had the honor of
lodging General Washington This mans
name WAS Seth James. He lived to be
ouitc old and taught school in the latter
mart of his life. The General WIS ar-
comnoricd hv his servant and asked thr
favor of lodrfnr with Them. The old
lady fixed M the hest feather bed She
had in tbn hnst stvln Tho servant how
ever. was of the oDinion that something
might hr concealed in thc bed and he
Subjected if 70 II minute insprctiou. after
which he rrarranrpd it and the General
then retired They arose early the next
morning and deportcd
That pnrt of the British army. under
General Knvphauscn and Agnrw. prob
ably crossed thc ELK River shortly after
the departure of the light troopS under
General Howe. for they were cncampcd
near Court House Point on the :i1St of
August This division was composed of
HeSSianS and Scotch HighlnndcrS, They
appear to have spread over the greater
part of Sodom, and were cncamprl for
a short time near st. Augustine Church,
the windows of which they DESTROYED.
One of the British Generals is said to
have occupicd the house ON the Writ
farm, near st, Augustine Church. and
some one drew Il picture of soldiers
drawn up in military order on one of the
wooden partitions of that house. This
picture is said by those who saw if to
have been executed in beautiful and
artistic manner. The house is now
standing but the picture has been ohlit-
Grated by the partition being whtc-waSh-
ed.
There is Il tradition that nineteen of
the HcSSians deserted. hut were captured
and shot ut Welsh Point. and buried
there in one common grave. Some indi-
cations of grave of that kind are to
be seen at the Point at this time. The
depression in the earth that is said to
be their grave is called The HcSsian's
Hole"
A detachment of the British army also
crossed the Elk River. and landed at
Welsh Point. 1t is probable that il was
this detachment that afterwards Joined
that part of the army that was COM
mandcd bv General Howe. at ,;rav's
Hill. For it is not probable. is stated
by several writer's of that period. that
the division under Knyphnusrn and Az
new. that is known to have been ut ST.
Augustine Church. and to have been en-
camped near the Summit Bridge. on the
Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. took a
rctro-gradc courS" and came back to
Gray'S Hill
II is generally believed that the British
burned the Court House on Court House
Point. when they were there this year.
but such WAS not the ease. Nor i there
any reason To believe that they injured
it in the least. At the August term Of
Court. 1TT6. one Joseph Watson (hattrrr.
was presented by the Grand Jury for
'entcring the Court House of Cecil
County with force and arms. on Tues
day. the twenty-thir of july last and
then and there with fore" and arms
breaking and pulling down the window
saShcs. glass. and window shutters of
said Court House" The records of the
Court show that some time after the
British were ut Court House Point. the
damages referred to in this prrSentmcnt