The War of the Revolution had passed and "political
independence" was an assured fact. Now scarcely more than
a quarter of a century had elapsed, when, because of Great
Britain's interference with our trade came the demand from our
nation for Commercial Independence.
The following is the voice of our
government.
"AN ACT Declaring War between the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland and the dependencies thereof and
the United States of America and their territories.
BE IT ENACTED by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled, That War
be and the same is hereby declared to exist between the U.
Kingdom of G. Britain and Ireland and the dependencies
thereof and the United States of America and their
territories, and that the President of the U. States be and
he is hereby authorized to use the whole land and naval
forces of the U. States to carry the same into effect and to
issue to private armed vessels of the U. States commissions
or letters of marque and general reprisal, in such form as
he may think proper, and effects of the government of the
said U. Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of the
subjects thereof, June 18, 1812.
Approved,
James Madison
The military records from the
State of Maryland of the War of 1812 were removed from the
Adjutant General's office in Annapolis to the War Department at
Washington during the Civil War and are not now accessible for
private citizens to collect historical data therefrom, therefore
the war history of local interest relating to Caroline County
cannot be fully obtained.
While six thousand soldiers were Maryland's quota,
twelve thousand volunteered. Without records, however, for
examination, the volunteers from Caroline County cannot be fully
named.
Caroline County, true to the spirit of Revolutionary
days, took up the cause and called a citizens meeting which was
held at Denton. Col. William Whitely, state
senator, was made chairman, and Sheriff Robert
Orrell, secretary; while William Potter,
a Federal leader, headed the committee on resolutions. The
committee of eight appointed to draft the resolutions was also
made "A Committee of Correspondence and empowered by the meeting
to represent Caroline in any subsequent measures taken by her
sister counties in vindication of the national honor."
Resolutions condemning the attack of the "Leopard" were
also adopted.
Again when the nominating committee from the electoral
district met in Denton, July 21, 1812, they passed resolutions
which the following gives in part:
"That an important and awful crisis has now
arrived."
"That it is no longer a contest between Federalists
and Democrats but a contest of much more serious nature."
"That the time has now arrived for a line to be
drawn between the friends of their country and those who
stand up bodily and condemn the measures of government and
advocate or palliate the conduct of our implacable enemies."
Then came the call for militia and Caroline responded to
the call by contributing to the 12th Brigade, commanded by
Brigadier-general Perry Benson, captain of
the Fifth Regiment, Maryland line during the Revolution. Her
contribution was the 19th Regiment, also an extra Battalion.
The Regiment and extra Battalions were officered as
follows:
Governor Wright appointed Robert
Orrell, Lieutenant Colonel and commander of the Regiment.
INFANTRY
|
William Potter |
Major & Lieut. Col.
|
|
Nehemiah Townsend |
Major |
|
Solomon Richardson |
" |
|
John Boone |
Adjutant
|
|
Andrew Baggs |
Captain
|
|
Selby Bell |
" |
|
Levin Charles |
" |
|
James Colson |
" |
|
Frederick Holbrook |
" |
|
Purnell Fisher |
" |
|
Elijah Satterfield |
" |
|
Hugh Taylor |
" |
|
Thomas Styll |
" |
|
Joseph Talbot |
" |
|
Thomas Carter |
" |
|
Peter Willis |
" |
|
William Chaffinch |
" |
|
Garretson Blades |
" |
|
Henry Harris |
" |
|
Thomas H. Douglass |
" |
|
Emory Bailey |
Lieutenant
|
|
Henry Jump |
" |
|
William Coursey |
" |
|
James Richardson |
" |
|
John Morgan |
" |
|
William Turner |
" |
|
George H. Smith |
" |
|
Thomas Manship |
" |
|
Henry Willis |
" |
|
Jesse Collins |
" |
|
Richard Cheezum |
" |
|
John Jump |
Ensign
|
|
Nathan Russell |
" |
|
James Shaw |
" |
|
Thomas Andrew Jr. |
" |
|
George Andrew Jr. |
" |
|
Thomas Silvester |
" |
|
Jacob Covey |
" |
|
Daniel Cheezum |
" |
|
William Bell |
" |
|
Peregrine Rouse |
" |
|
Marcellus Keene |
Surgeon
|
|
Sharles Tilden |
" |
|
Timothy Caldwell |
Surgeon’s Mate
|
|
Nathan Whitby |
Quartermaster
|
|
Alemby Jump |
Paymaster
|
|
James Sangston |
" |
CAVALRY
|
Richard Hughlett |
Major |
|
Mitchell Russum |
" |
|
William Boone |
" |
|
Wm. Hughlett |
Captain
|
|
Samuel Slaughter |
" |
|
Thomas Goldsborough |
" |
|
Thomas Saulsbury |
" |
|
Jemfer Taylor |
1st Lieutenant
|
|
Wm. Hardcastle |
" |
|
Daniel Leverton |
" |
|
Henry Nichols |
2nd Lieutenant
|
| John Stevens |
"
|
|
Wm. Orrell |
" |
| Peter Hardcastle |
"
|
|
John Stewart |
Paymaster
|
|
Stephen Fisher |
Coronet
|
Of the extra Battalion only two
officers are named indicating, probably, that it was as yet
incomplete. These officers were Captain Alemby
Jump and Lieutenant Samuel
Culbreth.
While the British were ravaging
the Eastern Shore as a whole, wanton outrages were committed at
many points along the Bay, and later we will see that Caroline
was probably saved by the stern resistance of the Militia along
the bay coast.
Among the places suffering from
British depredation were:
1. Capture of Mail packet on Bay.
2. Attack on Frederickstown, Cecil
Co.
3. Attack on Georgetown, Kent Co.
4. Occupation of Kent Is. by
British.
5. Attack on Queenstown.
6. Attack on St. Michaels.
7. Fleet at Castle Haven.
Caroline County was indirectly
connected with some of the above. In the capture of the Mail
boat this county lost a quantity of mail.
When the British fleet set sail
from Kent Island and landed at Castle Haven near the mouth of
the Choptank River informants said the British were coming north
to the Dover Bridge vicinity, from there proceed to ravage the
town of Easton and probably all the surrounding territory. A
letter written at Chestertown during that period says, "This day
their (British) whole fleet got under way, and stood down the
bay, so that we have a little more respite but how long God
knows. Report from Kent Island says they intend going up the
Choptank River at or about Dover Ferry."
Why they went no further than
Fairhaven will never be positively known but remembering the
strong resistance of the Militia at St. Michael where a British
soldier was overheard to say that one officer had been killed
who was more valuable than the whole town, we may give the
bravery of the militia as a probable reason.
Caroline lent her aid to the
unfortunate citizens in the bay section by permitting them to
drive their cattle inland to the Choptank marshes where they
could feed safe from the marauding British.
The war closed. We son in our
second bout with the English in spite of blunders, and strange
to say when the treaty was made no mention was made of the
cause, i.e., Free Trade and Sailor's Rights.
Of the war, Hart says,
"The United States
was like a turtle which draws its feet and tail beneath a
protecting shell, yet reaches out its hooked jaws to catch
its adversary in the most vulnerable part";
while of the Treaty, Tubb says:
"The best that
could be said of the treaty of Ghent was that it was an
honorable one."
AN INTERESTING DOCUMENT
Mr. William A.
Stewart holds the Commission issued by Gov.
Thomas G. Pratt in July 1846 whereby his father Alexander
Stewart, Esq. was appointed captain of a uniform Volunteer
Corps attached to the 17th Regiment Md. Militia. This
Caroline County Corps was known as the "Caroline Stars."
The Commission says, "That reposing especial trust and
confidence in your Fidelity, Courage, Good conduct, and
attachment to the State of Md. and the U.S. you are constituted
and appointed captain." Captain Stewart never
saw active service, as the Mexican situation was soon well in
hand.
|