The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1903-05-16

.
that had served Washington the night
before. The British seem to have pro
c"r,lrd slowly and cautiously. For II
time they Were enrampcd on the plain
north Of the town. Afterwards they Oc-
! cupird Il strong position on the summit
! of Grny'$ Hill On the third of Septem-
Der their lines extended from Glasgow,
! then called Aikens or Allentown, to II
point some distance northwest of the
Baptist Church on Iron Hill. On that
day severe diminishing took place be-
tween them and the Maryland and Della
! ware militia, near Cooch's Bridge and
the Baptist Church on Iron Hill. In
these skirmishes the Americans lost
about forty men, the British somewhat
! less.
| Just after this fight the British burned
. C"oCh's Mill, and INDUCED in many other
acts of wanton destruction Of property.
/ The shutters on the old Baptist Church
showed that ball had been fired through
one of them and passed diagonally across
the building and out through another
one.
There was an old and eccentric sur
iv"yor. called by the name of IIumph
, rics. who was tifer in the American
| Army at the battel of Cooch's Bridge.
/ He was accused of cowardice, inasmuch
a> he hid his fife just before the fight at
the bridge, in order to keep out of dan
ger This man HUMPHREYS left son,
Edward IIumphrics, better known in the
northeast part of the county as cold
| Ncddy." He was well educated, but
very eccentric: rather too fond of whisky
| NH haJ lnl, Of al
ing to himself \ friend Of the author
one" asked him about til" accusation
against his father. oh. yes replied
| Nrdly. ''hc had ii" iif" aud hid the fcr
ton"
The people of Cecil County. as before
| remarked. Were generally loyal To the
rau~" 1T their country. There were, how
ever II few EXCEPTIONS; hut 10 person Of
good standing in society, except Robert
Alexander. is believed t" have joined the
enemy. He belonged t" III nIi>turlmtic
family that formerly owned Il large tract
of land AT Elkton. lying between the lIol-
low and the Farr Creek, which he in
| hrritrd from William Alexander, the
third husband of Ariminta Alexander.
who afterwards married George Catto.
| and who was one Of the most ariStocratic
lar!ir,. that ever lived in the county. This
man Alexander joined tn" British fleet
when il was in Elk River. and went
away with it and never returned. II"
LETT II wife ami several children. who
| then Hnd for many ycal> afterwards re-
| sided in f.lktnn. His son. William Alex
amber. studied law. and was for some
| tim" States Attorney. He is spoken of
| by th">" who knew him aS being both
| uriahi" and eloquent. Robert Alexander
| VII" lived in the house nrw occupied by
| nauirl Brattnn, is said to have prepared
i fine entertainment for the British off
"rr>. aaI t" hav" gun" down the river
I" welcome them ia the town. but while
hr "@> AWAY upon that rrrand the
Americans cam" to Elkton and the feast
fell into their hands
| With III" exception of the removal IF
tn" Records Of the county and the cap
| tui" ri the publ" stores at the Head of
| Elk. the British did littl" damage in this
| county. They seem to have taken pains
to roncIilatr thoS" VINO We're opposed to
them, and not to have he>itatcd to plum
der their friends. Many Of the people
l"f tn" n,'ghhoring village of Newark and
| vicinity, rs well a> som" Of the people Of
| Chester County, were tainted with trea-
son. y writer of the period says that
the British captured all the records and
public papers of New Castle County and
every shilling of the public money. to-
g"thcr with the fund belonging to the
| Trustees Of Newark Academy. In con-
| sequence of the rcyrrSes sustained by
the Americans ut the battle of Brandy
| wine, says writer of that period. the
people of New Castle County were dis
| spirited aud dispersed. and the less vir-
tunu> 'aIt that remained were daily en-
| rl"y"d in supplying tn" British troops in
| Wilmington and N New Castle with all
| kird> Of provisions. Thomas Mexican.
a distinguished citizen of PENNSYLVANIA.
| in II letter written {" General Washing
t"n from Newark, Delaware. on the Sth
of the following October. says the only
remedy he can suggest for this lament
ahl" state If affairs j. to have Il rryi-
m"rt of continental troops stationed 1t
| Newark. Al the time this letter was
| written. h" had jus heard of the battle
NJ &c rmant"wn from some QuakcrS VIII"
were returning IT, Nottingham from their
yearly meeting in Philadelphia They ut
first refused to tell him anything of the
| battle; but he compelled them to stop
and says h" was of the opinion that their
| account wa, derived from the Tories aud
| English in Philadelphia. Tie pacific
principles of the Friends prevented them
| from taking an artiy" part in military
| operations in the field, but most of them
War" loyal To- the cause Of their country.
and did all they were able without Sacri-
triug their religious conviction to aid its
| "au~r
IN" winter after the battle of Brandy
wine. the british occupied Philadelphia.
and it is II we'll established fact that
some "f the di>at1ected and mcrcrnary
] citizens of til" county, some Of whom
! We're indicted for the offrnse, were in
the habit of smuggling provisions to
them. Notable among these was one
Michael Trump. who resided near
C"lora. This man Trump lived to a
great age. He trapped several wagon
loads Of wild pigeons, which We're very
|