Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1910-04-21

competitive drill, awarded to Captain
William Darke's company the diStin-
guiShed honorof being Company No. :"
On january 4, I'M, Captain Darke was
made major, and as such hewaS, OF the
4th of October following, taken prisoner
by the British at Germantown and de-
tanned for three years, most OF the time
on prison ship. He was released No
vember /, 1850, and remained at home in
the service of the government for eight
months, but he had, although taken pris-
oner, won his laurelS al Germantown,
and had become noted for bravery and
heroic daring" Such man could not
remain long out OF active service. Dan
iel Morgan, one OF Braddock's wagoners,
who had already become famous as a
Continental colonel, and was al that time
engaged as recruiting officer of the gov
ernment, sent from Winchester to Berke-
ley county for H.-Col. William Darke,
Major George Scott and John Morrow,
and took them into his counsel, as how
best TO enlist men for the army. The re-
suit of this conference was that Lt.-Col.
William Darke recruited body OF men
that were known as the Hampshire and
Berkeley Regiment" This regiment,
made up of soldiers, many OF whom had
already seen service in the long-drawn-
out war, from. these two counties, and
led by Lt.-Col. Darke, as commandant,
distinguished itself at the siege OF York
town on October 10Th Of the year Of IFS
enlistment.
Colonel Darke served 10 the end OF the
war. II was practically over when Corn
wallis surrendered at Yorktown. He the n
went home TO his fields just below Duf-
fields, where he received from the gov
ernment $50 month, as half pay for his
services. and a land warrant from his
State of Virginia.
In 1882 we find him, in company with
Adam Stephen, recommending Captain
William Cherry, the keeper OF the old
hosiery at Charles Town, which place,
at this time, was but struggling village,
as a suitable person to become recruit
ing officer. Cherry was veteran OF the
war, and, no doubt, made good recruit
ing officer. He knew all the boys, and
Stephen and Darke had, doubtless, often
refreshed themselves at his hospitable
bar. The treaty of peace was signed in
Paris on September 3, 1873, and shortly
after, in 1856, the little village at Charles
WaShlngton'S, then in Berkeley county,
aSpired to become town. and was ac-
cordingIy chartered as such by the LegiS-
lature OF Virginia. The Governor ofVir-
glnia made Colonel Darke, now over 30
years of age, one of its trustees. He was
associated as such with the WashingtonS,
Alexander White, Robort Rutherford and
other men, prominent soldiers and polIti-
clans. In this same year Hardy county
was cut off from Hampshire, and we can
see something of the condition OF the
country when we know that Hardy, the
newly-organized county, in 1889, three
years later, had population Of 7 1886.
In December OF the next year, as an old
chronicler states, Colonel Darke was one
of the interested spectators at the trial OF
RumSey's boat, and he describes him as
"a Stoutly built man of brIsque address,
who though descended from one OF the
Regicides OF Charles Ist, had very little
of the cant OF Puritanism in his compost
ton"
In 1888, when Berkeley wanted two
representative men TO go to the Virginia
Convention, they elected William Darke
and Adam Stephen. Stephen was at this
time a Major General and veteran OF
the Revolution; both he and Darke were
at the battle Of Germantown, and Darke,
as we have said, performed glorious
part, although made prisoner, but Steph-
en- was dismissed from the service by
Washington for breach Of army diSci-
pline-for being drunk on the field OF
battle. General Stephen served his coun-
try heroically, and won an enviable rep
utation on many ahard-fought field, but
his passion for drink did for him what the
enemy could not do il conquered him.
He was an educated Scotchman, and was
one Of the founders Of Berkeley county,
and Of Marinsburg. His body lies in the