Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1904-01-23

Watkins. grandfather of Governor War

Watkins grandfather of Governor War
field.
We find him entering the Revolution
airy Army as a young man at the battle
of Long Island in the year 1916 with a
commission as sergeant. In every hard
fought battle for seven years and nine
months he was in the Ghickest of the
fray.
Flushed with the recognition of brave
condu he is the toast of his command
ing officer. General Greene, at a public
dinner. ION the High Hills of Santee. "
Retiring with the title Of captain to his
estate. Walnut Grove. in Howard coun-
ty. he lived the life of country gentle
man until. responding to his country's
call a second time. he accepted the COM
mission of colonel aud was assigned
command IF the militia troops stationed
at Annapolis during the War of 1912
At this post Colonel Watkins had as
his aid-de-camp his son. Lieut.. CASA
way Watkins. Jr.. of the regular army.
So popular was this dashing young Off
Ger. the favorite of Annapolis society,
that ball was given in his honor by the
residents of the capital city when at the
close of the war he left for his post in
North Carolina.
At the time of Col. Gassaway Wat
kins' death he was president of the So
ciety of the Cincinnati and last surviv.
ing officer of the Maryland Line. famous
for having given the British their first
taste of American steel.
Every road leading to Annapolis is
also rich in ancestral associations for our
new Governor. as the highways over
which the Colonial coaches bore his dis
tinguished forebears from their planta-
tions to sit in the High Court of Chan
Gerry, in the Council or in the Governor s
mansion when the season was propi-
tious for rural life. AS we well remem-
ber. it was over the principal highway
that Col. Charles Alexander Warfield
rode with impetuous haste the 10Th of
October, l774. leading his followers to
burn the Peggy Stewart. In our minds
eye we can see the cavalcade of coaches
with the members of the council and of
the lower house Fastening to the scene.
the gold lace of their cooked hats spark
ling in the mild October sunshine. Here
again we find near ties of kinship with
the ringleaders and the stately officials
who were called to sit upon the question
of "the detestable weed"
In giving hasty retrospective view
of few Of the ancestors of Governor
Warfield who in helping to place the
colony Of Maryland on firm founda-
tion assisted in laying the cornerstone of
| our national life much of interest must
necessarily be omitted In 1888 Howard
county, which was until then part of
Anne Arundel. was laid off into Howard
district. Mr.. Warfield's uncle. DIR. w.
W. Watkins, was the representative
who presented and carried the bill
through which erected this district.
When, in 1851, il was constituted a
county DIR. Watkins was the first Sena-
tor from Howard county. and in 1882
Governor Warfield was elected Senator.
being the third of his family to repre-
sent Howard county in the Senate. his
uncle, John S. Watkins. having been
the second. Governor Warfield con-
tinued to represent it until 1887. being
president of the Senate in the year 1886.
He served in Annapolis during the ad-
ministrations of three Governors-Gov-
ernor Hamilton in 1882, Hon. Robert
McLane in 1884 and Hon. Henry Lloyd
in 1886. During these years he was a
frequent guest at the Executive Man
sion, and so has grown up with the
present generation of Annapolitans and.
being descended from SO many early
settlers in Anne Arundel county, his kim
ship with the people of Annapolis in
cludes practically every representative
family in that city.
Being so pre-eminently to the manner
born, it is safe to predict that the old
prestige of the Gubernatorial Office will
be revived during the next four years as
it could never be by one living out of
the historic environment of the ancient
city, or by one whose ancestors had not
been for more than tw, centuries high
in the official. social and religious life
of the community.
The opportunity has come and the
man is not wanting. 1t is the return of
the native. the homecoming Of the son
of old Maryland.