The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1948-02-12

InlS week L am bringing TO l1gnt
another one of Washington County's
famous men. One who settled here
even before Jonathan Hager. The
gentleman is Col. Thomas Cresap,
one time owner of Long Meadows.
Thomas Cresap was English and
was born about the year of 1902 at
Spipton- on-C Craven, Yorkshire, Eng
land. At the age of fifteen he came
to America and learned the carpen-
tar trade, but this work was too
tame for Thomas Cresap, who was
possessed with an energetic and adj
venturous disposition.
Like so many he was attracted by
the opportunity of securing land on
the frontier, and made a journey
into Virginia with those intentions.
However, he was unsuccessful there
and so turned his interest to the
territory claimed by Maryland, west
of the Susquehana, which is with
in York County, Pa. today.
Here he secured a tract of sew
eral hundred acres nearly opposite
the town of Columbia and located
there on March IS, 1882 This was
disputed territory and brought a
clash between Cresap and John
Hendricks, the latter having made
some improvements on tract Sc
cured by a Pennsylvania patent. |
might add here that this boundary
was used by the people to avoid pay
ing taxes. When the collectors
from Pennsylvania came, the people
would say that they had their land
from Maryland and when the col
lectors from Maryland arrived, their
land was in Pennsylvania. But to
get back to Cresap.
In the year 1874 he had the same
tract Of land as Hendricks surveyed
and had workmen build a house
about hundred yards from Hend-
rick's door Then the fireworks be-
gan! Cresap and his men were try
ing to drive the Hendricks away and
then the land was to be divided be-
tween them. During the battle"
a man named Knowels Daunt was
killed. The sheriff of Lancaster
proceeded against Cresap with
posse. But that did not bother Gre
sap, who, together with six other
men, secured himself in his house
and stood on the defensive, while
the officer read the warrant and
called to him to surrender. But
Thomas CreSap did not give in cas-
lily. He was a brave bold Indians
fighter and a mere Sheriff was not
to stand in his way-especially as
Lord Baltimore gave him authority
to hold the land for him. So attack
he did-so furiously that finally the
Sheriff and his men gave up all hope
of taking him by force But there
were other ways, and when night
came the good sheriff set fire to the
house and then nobly offered to
"quench" il if Colonel Cresap
would surrender. The answer was
more shots. It finally got rather
hot for the famous Colonel and the
entire party made dash for free
dom, firing as they ran.
During the confusion, one of
Cresap's men, Michael Reisner, shot
down by mistake one of his com
rades, Lanchlon Malone.
Cresap was jailed in Philadelphia
and it states that: "as he was borne
through that city, we are assured
that the streets, doors, and windows
were thronged with spectators to see
the Maryland Monster, who tainted
the crowd by exclaiming why this
is the finest city in the Province of
The following dispatch to the
Provincial Council describes the
affair:
"The sheriff and his assistants,
having waited until sunset and find
ing they must either return without
executing their warrant or destroy
the house to come at him, set fire
to it, but offered to quench it if he
would surrender. He nevertheless
obstinately persisted in his refusal,
neither would he suffer his wife and
children to leave the house, but fir
ed at those who proposed it. When
the fire prevailed and the floor was
ready to fall in he and those with
him rushed forth loaded with arms,
which, as they fired at the sheriff
and his assistants, they threw away,
and in this confusion one of Cresap's
men, Michael Reisner, shot down by
mistake another of the gang named
Lachlan Malone. Cresap was at
length apprehended and it has since
appeared that he intended to have
had his wife and children burned in
tho hO,Ico opd fhot d11riro tho 4iv,oo