Milford chronicle., 1958-07-04

and Robert r. Livingston, a mod
crate. Jefferson's talent for COM
position wss known by the MEM
bers of this committee and they
felt that his exceptional ability
fitted him for the task and so they
turned over to him the very inn
portant task of writing the decla-
ration. Franklin and Adams made
few alterations in Jefferson's
draft and the committee approved
it for presentation to Congress.
"Delaware's delegates to this
Second Continental Congress, as
have said, were Caesar Rodney,
Thomas Mexican and George Read,
all experienced statesmen. When
the news of the repeal of the hated
Stamp Act arrived, the Delaware
Assembly had appointed Rodney,
Mexican and Read to draw UP an
address of appreciation TO the
King. The King was so impressed
by this document that he read it
twice. In 1774 these same three
men were chosen delegates to the
Sirsts Continental Congress. At
some time each one served the
state as president"
What part of Delaware was
Caesar Rodney from?"
Caesar Rodney, the signer
whose name is most familiar, was
a country gentleman of Jones'
Neck, Kent County, and a bach
ele41. "A addition to serving his
state and conctry in politics, he
rendered military service as well,
being Brigadier General of Kent
County Militia. In this capacity he
assisted Washington in securing
supplies for his army and in sup
pressing Tory uprisings at home.
It was this militia duty that took
him from Congress at Philadelphia
when matters were reaching a
crisis there"
AUNT Molly, I've heard that Cae-
sar Rodney was in Lewes visiting
a widow
There is a legend to the effect
that while on trip to Lewes Gaze
sar Rodney became infatuated
with a beautiful and charming
widow, Sarah Rowland. The story
goes that Mistress Sarah, being a
Tory, intercepted McKean's fran
tic messages urging Rodney to re-
turn to Philadelphia. Finally a
Negro maid in the Rowland house
hold told him of the trick, where
upon Rodney jumped upon his
horse and galloped the 120 miles
to Philadelphia to cast his vote
for independence. But this ro-
mantle story seems to have no his
torical support
Caesar Rodney died in 1888 or
1884 and was buried on his planta-
tion "Byfield" in Jones' Neck in
the region of kits Hummock,
where he had grown up. In 1887
what were believed to be his bones
were dug up and re-interred in
Christ Cnurchyard, Dover, where
handsome monument marks his
final resting place"
Who was Thomas Mexican?
don't know anything about him."
Perhaps the reason is that he
spent most of his life outside Del
aware Thomas Mexican was.a law
yer of Scotch-Irish descent whose
residence was in both Delaware
and Philadelphia. At a rather early
age he went to New Castle to read
law with a relative. He was elected
to minor office and then to the
Delaware Assembly, serving in
that Office seventeen years, al
though during seven of those
years he resided in Pennsylvania.
In spite OF the fact that he had
taken up permanent residence in
Philadelphia, he was elected to
represent Delaware at the First
Continental Congress and again at
the Second Continental Congress.
In fact, he held high offices in both
states at the same time. 1t is in
terestiag 20 note that he is credited
with having written the State Con-
stitution for Delaware.
AN ardent believer that the col
onies should declare themselves
independent. of England, Mexican
worked increasingly toward that
end. On July 28th, 1774, he pre-
sented the case of the Colonies
against England to a large gath
ering in the town of LeWes, whose
people had given strong support
to the complaint against taxation
without representation. Incident
ally, Mexican was one of the few
members of the Continental Con-
gress who served in the army.
An interesting sidelight on
Thomas Mexican is the story of the
duels which he DID NOT fight
According to Scharf's HISTORY
OF DELAWARE, he was twice
challenged to a d0el. At the Stamp
Act CoRSres meeting in New York
in October 1865, he, in conjunction
with two other men, prepared an
address TO the House of Commons.
When President REggIes and other
members refused to sign the pro-
ceedings of the Congress, Mexican
condemned them so severely that
President Ruggles challenged him
to duel. Mexican accepted the