Newport daily independent., 1905-06-01

? tlfll1g W the soil, but merely place fixed upon by Claibourne for conven- i fence of trade with the Indians. Kent island was clearly within the jurisdic- tion of Lord Baltimore, but Claibourne very foolishly resisted his authority and refused to take out traders li- .ense from the proprietary's govern ment at St. Mary's. This stubborn stand of Claibourne resulted in the capture early in the year by Capt. Thomas Cornwaleys. ono of the Mary land commissioners. of a vessel be- longing to Claibourne for trading in the waters of the Chesapeake without Maryland license.
 Claibourne realized now that he would either have to break down Lord Baltimore's authority by force of arms or be compelled to submit to that au- thority. He chose to fight and. accord ingly. he fitted out an armed boat. the Cockatrice. which was manned by 30 men and placed under the command of Lieut.. Radcliffe Warren. who was com- capture any pinnacles or other vessels belonging to the government of St. Mary's."
 This was a declaration of war and when the news of the rebellion reached Gov. Calvert he at once determined to put 1t down, as becomes a governor whose rights are denied and whose au- thority is defled. Knowing the strength of the insurgents, he wisely fitted out a | rvy(k f,,f l1k tion to crush the spirit that was giv- Ing him no little trouble. So he manned and commissioned two vessels l the St. Margaret and the St. Helena placed them in command of the gall lant Capt. Cornwaleys, with orders to search out and destroy the enemy and reduce Kent island to submission. 4
 The little squadron sailed out from St. Mary's with the Maryland colors dying from the flagship and animated by the same courageous spirit that two and . half centuries later inspired an other Maryland naval commander in his gloriously successful search for the Spanish fleet ln the waters of the West Indies. Their course took them across the bay and soon they were rewarded by sighting the sails of the insurgeht sh::< 76 the mouth of the Pocomoke. Cornwafeys skillfully maneuvered his little fleet so as to prevent the escape of the enemy and both sides cleared for action. The insurgents delivered the first Ire, and SO true was the aim that William Ashmore, of the Mary. flanders, fell to the deck, the first American sailor whose life was sacrt- feed while in action upon the altar of duty. The sight of their dead comrade inspired tho Maryland men to greater determination, and made more deadly their aim and threefold more terrible their revenge. Their first fire killed tho enemy's commanding officer Lieut.. Warren-and two of his crew. The insurgents having lost their leader and two of their comrades and seeing certain destruction staring them in the face, were brought to realize that dis cretion was the better part of valor and therefore they wisely struck their col ors and surrendered themselves and their vessel to the victorious aMry- landers
 Kent island was afterwards subdued and Claibourne stripped of his posses sion. But he did not cease to be a source of great trouble to the settlers of St. Mary's and more than once sue ceeding In destroying, for time, the government of Lord Baltimore. But that belongs to another story.