Newark post., 1914-11-25
NEWARK in WARTIME
Interesting Recollections By
A Resident

LOOKING out Ul my NlHuON l. Sec
two sentries of the Organized
Militia of Delaware pacing back
ward and forward in front of the
Deer Park Hotel, guarding the in
terest of the State in reference to
the mouth and hoof disease which
is causing so much loss to farmers
in Delaware. The sentries on guard
carry me back in memory to my
boyhood days during the Civil
War, when where the sentrles now
stand. | have seen mounted cavalry
on guard at the some spot. During
the war troop of cavalry rode out
from Wilmington and proclaimed
martial law in Newark and station
ed mounted cavalry guards at all
the approaches to the town to see
that none should escape. A search
was then made for those that had
been informed on as supposed SYM
pathizers of the Rebellion. The
Rev. James L. Vallanding was ar
rested and compelled to take the
oath of allegiance to the United
States Government. Francis S.
Bradley, William Schultz and
others were arrested and taken to
the city hall in Wilmington and
forced to scrub the pavement in
day light to the amusement of the
spectators. Both of these men
We're capable Of breaking the fifth
commandment, and no doubt had
pronounced qualifying adjectives
in their minds, but under the cir
cumstances utterances of public
speech was not prudent at that
time. When they were put in the
carriage that was to convey them
to Wilmington | saw the officer
give them a kick as they stepped
into the vehicle that was to convey
them to the City Hall in Whining
ton. The supposed informer of
those arrested was John Kennedy
who was celebrated for his famous
ice cream which was served in the
parlor where Doctor Dnulevy is
sometimes called upon to exercise
his muscular strength in pulling
operations, in an easy manner. A
of troops were stationed
at the old depot most of the time
during the war, and it was at that
time a great sight for the people of
Newark to see the soldiers drill.
They were stationed here more for
perfecting themselves in the man.
ual of arm than for defence. They
were quartered in the old freight
house, and at times it was hard to
tell which were the most numerous
there, the rats or the soldiers. 1t
was customary sight every day
to see long trains of soldiers going
and waving their flags as happily
as children at play, on their way
to the front from which thousands
and tens of thousands never re-
turned. A military spirit pervaded
the entire community. The boys
of Newark formed a company and
had regular drills. We used wood
en- guns and tin bayonets. | re-
member that | aspired to be an Of
ficer. My brother being a member
also joined company gotten up
under Captain David J. Murphy.
He was much under age, but | have
heard him say that the drilling he
had with the boys gave him a great
er advantage in drill than the raw
recruits. The company from New
ark was composed of from forty to
sixty men-some of them still in
Newark. Joseph Luton, Thomas
Mullen and James L. Walker were
three that | can remember. They
joined the Seventh Delaware regi-
ment and were stationed at Fort
Hill near Baltimore-Camp Canon,
and Cockysville on the York road,
when the Governor mansion was
burned by the rebels. They were
not in any active service and all
returned and were mustered out in
Wilmington, and were allowed to
retain their blankets which my
brother has now in a good state of
preservation. The boys at Chris
tiana also had a company who
drilled with wooden guns and tin
bayonets. There was some dis
agreement between their company
and ours and we were to give each
other battle, but peace terms were
arranged and no blood was shed.
In view of the recent unprepared-
ness Of some of the European coun-
tries | think it would be well for
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