Middletown transcript., 1915-05-08
child knows the name of Caesar Rodney.
WANTED vEILED PICTURE

1
state little was ever done to honor its
memory. The late Thomas F. Bayard,
of Delaware, United States Senator
and Secretary Of State, was one of
those who held the opinion that por-
trait showing the veiled face of Caesar
Rodney would appeal strongly to the
American people, but the picture never
was made for the famous hall in this
city.
In 1911, following the publishing of
the poem to Caesar Rodney, Mrs.
Deemer, a member of the Caesar Rod
ney Chapter of the Daughters of the
American Revolution, began a move
ment, which bids fair to succeed in at
least slightly honoring the memory of
the man who saved the nation and made
the signing of the Declaration of Inde-
pendence possible.
With the aid of Mrs. John M. Wilson,
who with Mrs. Deemer lives in New
New Castle, DEL, the members of the
Caesar Rodney Chapter, D. A. R. have
had tablet made setting forth the
deeds of the man it is to honor and has
requested permission to place it in In
dependence Hall.
The tablet in question has been de-
signed twice, the first dot suiting Mrs.
Deemer. That tablet showed Rodney
in the uniform of a Continental soldier.
This was later changed as the hero of
the famous ride did not wear the uni
form until after he had swung the un-
deciding delegates to the side of indie
pendence. The tablet ready to be
placed in the hall shows a mounted
horseman, dressed as despatch bearer
done in relief at the top of the tablet,
while the lines below tell little of the
deed of valor he performed the morn
ing of the day the United States was
born.
Of all the descriptions of Caesar Rod
t ney perhaps the best is that left by
. ohm Adams, who in one of his letters
to his wife describes Rodney as very
+ tall and excessively thin, which thinness
was due to the malady which killed
him. His head, according to Adams,
was hardly larger than two good-sized
+ apples, his manner gentle and kindly
although deeply impressive when he
O was aroused. He looked upon deatf
, cheerfully and walked with it always
His patriotism was of the highest quail
f itv and his craftsmanship remarkable
for it's plain homely nature.
r Although Mrs. Deemer of New CastlC
is justly proud of her ancestry there il
a still another reason why she is so an
g xious to honor the name of Caesar Rod
Q ney. The old homestead which stand
Il in almost the center of historic New
% Castle contains the only stretch of tn
n old Kings Highway over which Rodne
IL rode that is still in the condition it wa
= the morning of the famous ride. TIL
ss stretch of road lies just in front of tn
III house now more than a century old
10 where each day the flower hedged pat
Ii is daily reminder of the morning O
l. July 4, 1776.
t. VEIL FLUTTERS IN WIND
ut The road over which the almost ur
lie known patriot rode is not the only re
ne minder of the day the nation was Dor
re to the people of New Castle. The pre'
ne ent home of Mrs. Deemer marks one {
'ir the stations where Rodney stoppe
ne that morning so many years ago, an
1g it was when he changed horses at tn
he point that the veil he had tied abol
of his face became unfastened, and fro
IL New Castle to Philadelphia fiuttered
to the wind, as if it were the pennant fl.
IS. ing from some ugly vulture of the Sc
en- A few miles from the Deemer hon
IS Rodney crossed the Delaware aft
passing historical point after poin
he for New Castle is filled with Landmark
in of the earliest history of the Colonie
lld Just what course Rodney took when
pm entered Pennsylvania will never exaC
to ly be known. The old Kings Highway
disappeared with one of the previo
TX generations, and with its disappearan
mis- the name of Rodney went also.
1g. Interesting as is the history regar
re- ing the famous ride of the man w
saved the nation, his history followil
9Th the signing of the Declaration of Ind
asst pendence is equally interesting, +
for Rodney did not die after his ri
vas through the hot sun of July a, LII
ced but lived four years, serving his cou
ere try under Washington and winnil
ce. fame and honor in the ranks of t
cen Continentals. He rose to the rank
for Major before the sword of Lord Coz
ote wallis was accepted and was in many
the councils when Washington ask
had his aides for advice.
Oh The information about the ride
q, anu Rodney has been gathered by NJ
Inc Deemer after years of search, for h
ere tory makes little mention of the m
who turned the tide the day when de
'alh gates from every colony were abe
lrus ready to decide to wait few years
US fore declaring their independence. Nj
was Deemsr has gathered her informant
gan after tracing the personal correspt
ma dence of the great men who attend
VINO the meetings in the State House
IN long ago.
the Army Shoe Has Short Life