The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1903-03-28

part Of the county wherever there was a
stream large enough to admit of it, Many
of the races that were constructed for
this purpose are yet to be seen. Lime
was hard To obtain, and limAg was not
r"Surt"d To as means of enliching the
soil: indeed, it is probable that its use
as Il fertilizer was unknown to many of
the people of tllat day. Owing to what
would now be considered very bad syS-
tenn of farming. hut which was the best
their circumstances allowed them to pur
sue the soil on their farms became i'm
povcrishcd and many of them cmigratcd
to the fertile valleys of the Carolinas
and Virginia
This was the case with many of the
AlcXmdcrS and others Of New Munster,
who. about the year 17lG. rmgratcd to
Mccklrnhurg County, North Carolina.
Those of them who first settled there
were joined from time to time by Others
of the same family until. il is said they
were ut the time of the commencement Of
the Revolutionary War the most numcr-
Gus people of one name i'll that county.
Among the other families that cmigratcd
from this county to North Carolina.
where many of them and their descend
ants afterwards distinguished themselves
10y the active part thcy took in tn" affairs
of the Presbyterian Church and the Rev
dictionary struggle. were the Folks. Bro
wards and very probably the Pattons and
others. members of whose families were
active participants in the convention that
promulgated the Mrcklrnhurg Declara-
ton of Independence, in ITO. Abraham
.
ton. and John McKnitt Alexander was
its secretary. Doctor Ephraim Brrvard
was chairman of the committee which
drafted the Declaration. He was prob
ably son of the John Brrvar, who was
one of the elders of the Broad Creek
Church in this county. John McKntt
Alexander was born in Cecil County. aud
went to North Carolina in lI14. when he
WAS u years of age He WAS Il tailor
by trade. but became Il surveyor. and
was on" of the lcndn" patriots in his
adopted State in the trying times of the
Revolutionary War. when it waS over
run hT tn" British Army and many pro-
fcSSvtl patriots became traitors. Three
others of the Alexander family were
SignrrS of the Mrckrnhurg Declaration.
It's was also Col. Thomas Polk, Il grand
uncle of EXprrsidrnt James *. Polk.
whose father is believed to have clmig-
rated from this county ami settled n
North Carolina
There is some reason 1" believe that
tn" father of "X-PrcSidrnt Andrew Jack
son was among the number of those who
emigratcd to North CaroiG;i Tradition
says that he lived in IN old log house
hat stood near the head OF PrrSimmon
Fourth District, and that he went with
Il larg" number of other omigrants from
this county II few years anterior to the
Revolutionary War The old house in
which he lived, owing to the fact that its
walls were not perpendicular, was called
The "Rcndy House" The place where
II stood was long remembered AMI veneer
ntcd by the old residents of the ncighbor-
hood. on account of tradition connecting
il with the parents Of the hero of New
Orleans.
The cmigrantS from this county were
the founders Of the seven Presbyterian
Churches that existed in Mecklenburg
County, in 1853, and 50 great was the
interest taken by the Presbytcry of New
Castle in the spiritual welfare of these
'iih ollltIS III llldl part III inc
ministers there to preach the gospel to
them. the other members of the presby-
fiery supplying the pulpts Of the mis-
Sionaries during their absence. Rev.
John McCreary, during the latter part
of his pastOrate at Head of ChriStiana.
is said to have been absent from his
charge, in the latter part Of his life. en-
gagged in missionary labor of this kind
one-fourth of his time. Once, when on
visit TO his old pariShioncrs in North
Carolina, he was taken sick and remain
Cd there inc months.
1t is worthy of mention in this con-
neCtion rs an interesting historical fact
that Doctor David Ramsay. the author
of II history of the American Revolution
though not II native of this county. at
one time practiccd medicine at the Head
Of Bohemia River. and was one of the
large number of cmihcnt men who rmig-
rated from Cecil County to South Caro-
lima
CONTINUED NEXT WEEK.