Evening journal., 1905-10-18
HIS FATHER WAS
IN REVOLUTION
Capt. NAPLES, of Onancock,
Va, Rides a Bicycle
at 81
DARING ESCAPE OF HIS PARENT

Onancock. Va, oct. 17.--captain Ed
ward Bassett NAPLES, who is nearly 50
years old. saw an account recently of
the death of James Carville Lee, of Bel
lair, Nd, aged SO years. IL was claim
ed by Governor Warhem that so far
as he knew Mr.. Lee was the only son
of q Revolutionary War soldier then
Living. Captain NAPLES wishes it stat
ed TO the Governor and TO the public
generally that he is a son Of Lieuten-
ant Samuel NAPLES, a soldier who
fought CALAMITY under the command OF
General Washington in that great war
for independence.
Lieutenant NAPLES was a native Of
Accomac county He enlisted in his
2ist year in the Ninth Virginia Regi
ment and marched with his command
to or near Philadelphia to joint the
continental Army under the leadership
OF General Nathaniel Greene His reg
iment fought In the battles of the
lBrandywine and at Germantown. AT
the latter place the Ninth Virginia was
cut TO pieces after fierce lighting. and
many We're captured by the British,
among them Lieutenant NAPLES.
The prisoners were taken to Phila-
Lieutenant NAPLES made his escape in
a most daring and peculiar way. He
had served an apprenticeship In Phila-
delphia and while there had boarded
with a Mrs. Jones. a true sympathizer
and advocate Of freedoms cause. Mrs.
Jones. on hearing of Lieutenant Wa
pies capture, went to see him and car
ried him a suit Of Quaker clothes and
to mend. The lieutenant was the OBJ
iect Of much sport from his comrades
owing to his new clothes.
One day, however. Colonel Cropper,
"a fellow prisoner grabbed a Quaker
hat from another comrade, gave it to
Lieutenant NAPLES and told him to go
down and make his escape. The Lieu
tenant took the Colonel at his word and
started down the stairs, at the foot Of
which he met British officer who,
taking him for a real Quaker, collared
him and demanded 20 know his busi-
ness there. The officer reprimanded
the sentinel for letting the man pass up
ITO the prisoners. took the supposed
Quaker to the door, gave him a kick out
and ordered him never to be seen there
again. which the Virginian' was very
ready to agree to.
Lieutenant NAPLES made his way to
the Jones home, where he found a num-
Der OF British officers quartered. Mrs.
Jones, for fear OF detection, made a
servant Of the Lieutenant and put him
70 doing domestic duties around the
supper table, The next morning Mrs.
Jones fixed up a market basket put it
on the arm Of the brave soldier and es-
corted him out Of the city on a foraging
/ lexpedition. Soon finding himself clear
Of arrest from the soldiers, the Lieu
tenant quickly made his way to Wash
lngtons troops at Valley Forge.
Lieutenant NAPLES had a son in the
War Of 1912. He was a lifelong Dem
ocrat and one OF the chief leaders OF
that party in his day. His son and five
grandsons follow in his footsteps.
Captain r. b. NAPLES, the son o
Lieutenant NAPLES. is stil active and
vigorous at So. He represents nurs.
cry house and rides his bicycle some
days more than twenty miles over the
surrounding territory. visiting the far
mers in quest Of orders. He prides
himself ON being the only person ovei
S0 years old i'm the United States who
can ride wheel He gets his title o.
lcaptain from having organized an'
commanded a company IN the Civi
War for the defense Of Accomac's sa
Tered soil.
The facts concerning Lieutenant wa
lples. = Revolutionary fame. were writ
, ten by his son. Captain Edward B. Wa
Z piles. a modern octogenarian of mar
b velous vitality. energy and ability. II
AT 50 writes a clearer and more char
. acteristic hand than many of the schoc
I boys of today. His aptness at expires
y sion has not left him, as the fact
4 above narrated by himself attest iii
e secret Of success has been the Golde
s Rule and temperatures.