The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1931-10-22

| MS IdCHef SLdHu, ne was greatly
grieved when the elder Tilghman's
outspoken Toryism forced him to re-
sign his colonial honors and retire in
the face of the patriotic indignation
of other Pennsylvania leaders. De-
spite their divergent views, no open
breach between .Tench and his father
resulted, although their disagreement
was so great that at one time Tench
wrote his parent that as he found
himself unable to agree with you in
sentiment upon present measures 80.
1 will say nothing upon the score of
politics. wish it might be dropped
in all future letters between u.s."
AS the war spirit gained momen-
tum, Tilghman prepared to dissolve
his business and entered a military
role with enlistment in what, to our
unromantic natures, seems oddly
named, the Ladies' Light Infantry"
voluntary unit drawn from the
highest Philadelphia circles and some
times called "The Silk Stockings"
Sharpe Dulaney, also a Marylander,
originally, captained the outfit and
Tilghman was commissioned lieu
tenant.
Before Tlghman saw active duty
under arms, however, he was called
to serve the colonies in a civil and
diplomatic capacity as secretary to a
commission named to treat with the
Six Nations. This commission was
headed by Maj.-Gen. Philip Schuyler
and it's purpose was to persuade the
Iroquois to ally themselves with the
Continentals, or at least to remain
neutral in the conflict. Turbutt Fran
els, Tilghman's uncle, was member
of the commission, and it was doubt
less due to his influence that Thigh
man was given the triple post of Sec
rotary, treasurer and paymaster of
the body. Tilghman went to Albany
with the commission and followed it's
deliberations so closely and so ami
cably with the Indians that the Onon-
daga tribe adopted him into its ranks
at ceremony at which Teahoga, the
Onondaga chief, stood his sponsor. At
the conclusion of the parleys, the Con-
gressional report on which is believed
to have been written by Tilghman, he
returned to Pennsylvania and plunged
into the war as captain of new COM
pany, drawn largely from the men,
bership of the Ladies' Light Infantry.
The exact date on which this outfit
was mustered is not known, but it ap-
pears early in the fighting as unit
of General Washington's army and a
member of the "Flying Camp" In
August of 1776, Tilghman joined Col
onels Harrison, Meade and Webb in
what Washington termed his "mili-
tary family"
Thenceforward Tilghman partici-
pated in most of the major engage
ments of the conflict. He was among
the vanquished at White Plains, saw
the fall of Forts Lee and Washing
ton, retreated with the army through
New Jersey and crossed the Delaware.
At Manhattanville he coined in the
action to animate the troops, who
charged with great intrepidity." In
the victories at Trenton and Prince
ton he played part and went through
the dismal winter at Valley Forge
with the suffering troops. In fact,
his service was continuous until the
day when Washington resigned his
command in the State House at An
napolis.
Despite the continuity and impor-
lance of his prior duties, however, it
was undoubtedly at and after York
town that he achieved the distinction
that brought his service before the
public eye. Washington, all too well
aware of the instability of the decen-
tralized government under the admin
istration of the Continental Congress,
fully realized the danger of uncer-
tainty even on the eve of\victory. AS
a result, second only to CORVALLIS
definite surrender he held it vital that
news of the triumph be officially and
promptly dispatched to Philadelphia.
No sooner, then, was the British ca
pitulation an accomplished fact than
he commissioned Tilghman to bear the
tidings northward.
Travel between Philadelphia and
the South was at that time a tedious
and often hazardous undertaking,
with the primitive trails by land and
water presenting many obstacles. 1t
was customary for voyagers from
Philadelphia to travel by stage, foot
or horse to the mouth of Elk River or
on to Kent Island, and thence be fer
ried across the Chesapeake to Annap-
oils, resuming the overland march at
! II 4 Il