Washington DID NOT Sleep Here

Elk Landing has played host to many an important government and international figure, but none more important than the larger than life, General George Washington.  While the future president never slept at Elk Landing, he did visit in the fall of 1781 as Continental and French troops came through on their way to Yorktown, Virginia and eventual final victory over the British ending our Revolutionary War and gaining independence for these struggling now former colonies.

But all of that was in the future.  In September of 1781, Washington was anxious for his forces to find nautical transportation down the Chesapeake Bay to Williamsburg.  A few weeks earlier, Washington had ordered The Marque de Lafayette to Virginia, also by way of the Head of Elk.  Now it was Washington’s turn to head south with the bulk of his force to meet the enemy.

On September 5^th, 1781, writing from Chester, Pennsylvania to the Continental Congress, Washington informs the Congress of the arrival of French Admiral de Grasse “with 28 ships of the line” in the Chesapeake.  Then he continues, “On my arrival at the Head of Elk, if I do not find water craft sufficient to embark all the stores, baggage, etc and the troops, I shall forward on the former by water, with as many troops as can go by that conveyance, and march the others by land.”  And that is exactly what Washington did.

As if leading and coordinating not one, but two armies on a 600 mile march wasn’t enough, Washington also had to administer his army.  On September 6^th, writing from Elkton (Head of Elk) Washington ordered a Colonel Daniel Brodhead to resign his command of Fort Pitt amidst charges of “sundry accusations brought against him whilst in command.”

The next day, there are more administrative duties in the form of deserters as he writes to Major General William Heath in Massachusetts.  “I wish your particular attention for apprehending a number of deserters that have left this army and punish them with the greatest severity.”

But the journey south loomed large and was no easy task.  Next to transportation, Washington gave instruction, while at Elkton, on how to obtain food for his troops.  “You will therefore attempt to procure the necessary quantitated by purchase, contract, or application to the Authority of the State.”  But if this didn’t work, Washington authorized  his commanders “to take by Military impress such quantities of forage as shall be necessary to support the Horses, Teams and Cattle aforesd untill they join the army, giving proper Certificates and Vouchers for the receipt of the same.”  The spelling errors are the General’s (!), but the message is clear, do what is necessary to feed the troops, so they are ready for battle after so long a march.

In all, General Washington spent three days in Elkton that September of 1781.  And today, the 280^th anniversary of his birth, we remember those days, the part the Head of Elk played in that march to victory, and the contributions made by local citizens to feed, and in some cases, transport the troops in that endeavor that resulted in our nation’s birth.

“The Hulls of Some Packets”

“I have said that I was a carpenter – that is, I was learning the trade in the days of which I have been writing.  In 1818 I was with my brother Samuel, working at Frenchtown for Frisby Henderson, who was at that time engaged in carrying passengers and freight by packet and steamer.”

“Between the steamboat wharf and the residence of Frisby Henderson was some marshy ground, which at low tide showed the hulls of some packets belonging to the Hendersons which the British burnt during the war (1812), their blackened remains bearing testimony to the dastardly conduct of the British during that conflict.”

Those are the words, or more specifically, the written words of Judge Thomas Jefferson Sample in a column from his home in Indiana, titled, “Reminiscences. Men and Things of Long Ago,” as written in the April 9th, 1881 edition of the Cecil Whig.  Sample was a native of Cecil County and lived near Elk Landing during the War of 1812.  His father was a member of the Cecil Militia and served at Fort Hollingsworth during that conflict, just to the south and east of the still standing Stone Building at Elk Landing.

The vessels to which Judge Sample refers were the subject of an underwater archaeology project nearly 13 years ago. In the fall of 1999, the Maryland Historic Trust gathered a team from the East Carolina University’s Maritime Studies program and traveled to Frenchtown, Cecil County, Maryland.  Their objective was to locate and study the remains of some small boats known as packet boats that Judge Sample and others indicated were supposed to be lying in shallow water in the Elk Creek.   Packet boats were vessels that were used to transport goods in the Frenchtown area 200 years ago and were burned and sunk by British invaders during the War of 1812. 

Mike Plakos, an East Carolina University graduate student, was a member of that underwater archaeology project.  In his Masters Thesis, based on that project, Mike wrote, “On 28 April (1813), (British Admiral) Cockburn entered the Elk River at the head of the Bay.  Shallow waters prevented his larger vessels from continuing further.  Cockburn then ordered Captain George Westphall to continue upriver with a sizable force and attack Frenchtown.  Westphall,” Mike continues, “reached Frenchtown the next day and destroyed munitions, a flour warehouse, a small battery, and up to five vessels lying at anchor near the wharf.”  

Over the course of eight months, Mike and the other underwater archaeologists not only located the vessels, but took sonar pictures of them, mapped them, and confirmed that these packet boats were indeed burned and sunk by British torches during a failed invasion of the Elkton area in April of 1813. 

A copy of Mike’s Masters Thesis, “The Exploration of a Burned American Vessel from the War of 1812 in the Upper Chesapeake Bay” was donated to the Historical Society of Cecil County which allowed the Historic Elk Landing Foundation to scan and post it on our web site (www.elklanding.org).  Check out this unique perspective on the War of 1812 and maybe learn some things, not only about the war, but about underwater archaeology.  A link to the report is located on our War of 1812 page, in the last paragraph of that section.

Discoveries Under the Porch

Over a decade ago, neither the Hollingsworth House nor the Stone Building at Historic Elk Landing were in very good shape.  The Stone Building was literally crumbling before our eyes and the front porch of the Hollingsworth House was no longer safe.  During that time frame, the infant Historic Elk Landing Foundation authorized the stabilization of the Stone Building and both the dismantling of the decaying Hollingsworth House porch and its reconstruction.  The board also commissioned an archaeological study of the area under the porch before the new one was built.  That study was done in December of 2000 and led by Dwayne Pickett, principle investigator and author for TRC Garrow Associates of Durham, North Carolina. The contents of Dwayne’s report attracted much public attention when members of Dwayne’s team discovered a British half penny dated 1786 with the likeness of King George III on it.  However, that half penny was not the only discovery by Dwayne’s team, as written in the report:

“Other interesting artifacts encountered that allude to activities taking place in and around the Hollingsworth House include part of a bone toothbrush, clay marbles, a copper alloy handle to a possible fruit knife decorated with a flower motif, a possible iron harness buckle, and a British George III half penny dated 1786. Also several pins as well as bone and metal buttons were uncovered which represent sewing activities no doubt undertaken by the women of the Hollingsworth House.”

The crew also found 80 other historic ceramic fragments including some imported Chinese vessels.  The lack of “earth wares in front of the Hollingsworth House,” Dwayne wrote in 2000, “suggests that cooking functions were not taking place in the house during the early 19^th century but elsewhere on the property, most likely in a kitchen building.”  That building is yet to be found.

Surprisingly, Dwayne noted that he found no evidence that the house was constructed prior to 1800 or the existence of any ash remains from the fire that gutted the Hollingsworth House in 1848.  Subsequent to Dwayne’s dig, historic architect, James Wollon also theorized that the house, based on its original configuration, some of which can still be seen in the house’s basement, probably was a product of the 19^th, rather than the 18^th century.

Dwayne’s study, titled “Archaeological Testing in Advance of Renovation Activities at the Hollingsworth House, Historic Elk Landing, Elkton, Maryland” also includes an overview of both the historic and prehistoric period as they were acted out at the confluence of the Big and Little Elk Creeks that is Historic Elk Landing.  Since its publication in January of 2001, the study has rested in the files of the Historical Society of Cecil County, but was recently scanned and is now available on line on the Historic Elk Landing web site under Research along with other studies conducted of the site and its houses over the last decade.   We hope to continue to post electronic versions of studies and other documents related to Elk Landing as they are discovered and both time and volunteers are available to scan and post them. If you would like to participate in this endeavor, please contact The Historic Elk Landing Foundation through our web site at www.elklanding.org or on our Facebook page.

Coming next week… War of 1812 underwater archaeology at Frenchtown.

Elk Landing and Ben Franklin

Today marks the 306^th anniversary of the birth of American statesman, diplomat, philosopher, and entrepreneur, Benjamin Franklin.  Dr. Franklin has at least 2 connections to Historic Elk Landing.  The first occurred in 1756 when Franklin traveled through Elk Landing on his way to receive an honorary Masters Degree from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.  The second was a decade and a half later.  

In January of 1782 the American Revolutionary War was over, but the treaty officially ending the conflict had not yet been signed.  The Congress was in session from time to time, and the chief financier for the new nation, Robert Morris, was scrambling to pay bills.  Always a challenge, Morris now found lack of a Congressional quorum and word from our ambassador to France, Benjamin Franklin, particularly troubling.  France had agreed to foot the bill for the Revolution, but Morris was unsure as to the specifics of that underwriting.  So, putting pen to paper, Morris sent a somewhat disparate note to Dr. Franklin in Paris writing:

“…we remain in Uncertainty as to our pecuniary Dependence. And this is the more distressing as the Time rapidly approaches when I must draw Bills either with or without advise from you and therefore I must pray you to prepare for them if I should be compelled to do it with this Assurance nevertheless that as my Drafts will be delayed to the last Moment so they will be as moderate as I can contrive to make them.”

Morris’ “Uncertainty” was warranted because the former British colonies were essentially broke.

“This at least is certain that those States cannot pay in Coin as they have not Coin to pay. I send it [so] you may see we neglect no Opportunity of calling forth the Resources of this Country: and that when we ask Help it is not because we are unwilling to help ourselves.”

 

In addition, Morris enclosed information on a proposal for “a Plan for adjusting the public Accounts,” which Morris had introduced to Congress earlier. While confident of its passage, Morris is worried.

“It has not yet been adopted because there are now present so few members that it is with Difficulty they can get thro their Business, the Confederation requiring seven States to agree on most Questions. Whether this Plan will be adopted I really do not know but I incline to think that in Substance it will.”

Morris did sound one optimistic note, the establishment of the Bank of the United States, “or,” as he wrote, “according to the Stile of it the national Bank of America which opens and does Business this Day. I expect to derive great Advantage from it, and that the Commerce of this Country will lie under great Obligations to an Institution long wanted among us.”  Morris than makes a sales pitch for Franklin to purchase stock in the new bank.  “Several of the shares are yet in the Hands of the Public so that if you chuse to become interested or any of your Friends it can be done without Difficulty.”

The entire letter may be read at http://franklinpapers.org/franklin/framedVolumes.jsp

What, you may ask, does any of this have to do with Historic Elk Landing.  Well, quite a bit.  As Morris wrote: “This Letter is to go by the French Frigate Hermione. Mr. le Comte de la Touche Captain of that Frigate is now here and will go in a Day or two to the Head of Elk where his Ship lies and sail thence for France stopping in his Way down the Chesapeak to receive the Dispatches of the Comte de Rochambeau.”

Rochambeau remained at Yorktown, Virginia with General Washington, following the October 1781 battle that essentially ended the Revolutionary War.   The Hermione had a famous, from the French perspective, and infamous history from the English.  Two years earlier the Hermione transported The Marquis de La Fayette to the United States to deliver word of French re-enforcements totaling five thousand men and five frigates.  In 1781 the Hermione participated in the Naval battle of Louisbourg with between 26 and 36 twelve pound cannons.   After the Revolution, the Hermione served in the Indian Ocean campaign against the British and sank off the western coast of France in 1792.

In 1997 work began in France on the reconstruction of the Hermione which continues today.  There is a web site, http://www.hermione.com/en/home/  with news of the reconstruction including videos of its progress.

But in January of 1782, the Hermione was sitting at anchor next to one of the docks at what would become, Historic Elk Landing, waiting to once again, sail into history.

Happy New Year… almost!

From the Board of Directors of the Historic Elk Landing Foundation, thank you for a fun and successful 2011.

With your support, the foundation tried some new types of activities and kept some old favorites in 2011.  Among the new ideas were the “Take a Walk on the Wild Side” of Historic Elk Landing in May which featured a Maryland State Naturalist showing off and describing some of the many plants and animals that inhabit the 66 acres of land the foundation interprets and protects.  We also scheduled then rescheduled, when Mother Nature wouldn’t cooperate, a British Invasion Car show in June.  Those old favorites included the Independence Day celebration, the Pirates Invasion, a militia encampment, and the Ghost Hunt.

We also became more fully involved in cyber space with the expansion of the foundation’s web site to include more historic documents including a whole new section on the War of 1812, pictures, schedules, and an interactive Timeline containing links to pictures and primary documents related to Elk Landing.  Late in the year we began a blog which comments on everything Elk Landing.

While it’s early, there are some events we’ve already identified for presentation in 2012; some you will recognize, and one which is a surprise.  We’ll begin with Defenders Day on April 28th. This will be a special Defenders Day as it will mark the start of a multi-year observance of the bicentennial of the War of 1812.  Elk Landing’s 200^th anniversary is in 2013, but we’ll start early, featuring the introduction of two characters who played roles in both the British invasion of 1813 and the recording of the history of that key event in Elkton’s history.

In May we’ll bring back the Paranormal Show for all you ghost hunters with the British Car Show returning in June.  Two long time favorites at Elk Landing: the Ghost Hunt and our Holiday Open House will be featured in October and December respectively.

But that’s not all.  If the approvals all come in and the stars align correctly, the Historic Elk Landing Foundation will offer one more program around Memorial Day which has never been offered in Elkton and hasn’t been offered in Cecil County since 1975.  Can’t tell you what it is yet, but stay tuned.  We’ll certainly brag about it through every media source available when the time comes.

So, again, thank you for your support in 2011 and here’s to a successful 2012 yet to come!

Happy Holidays from the members of the Board of Directors of Historic Elk Landing.

A Tribute to a Local Veteran

Let me first state clearly that I am not a military historian. And I am not a Revolutionary War historian either. But having said that, it is important to remember that several members of the Hollingsworth family, and their descendants from Elk Landing, have served in the United States armed forces over the decades and even centuries. All should be held up and honored on this Veterans Day. But one of these veterans deserves special mention as he was one of the highest ranking members of the Hollingsworth family to ever serve his nation and he did it even before he or anyone else was sure we were going to be a nation.

Henry Hollingsworth was born in Cecil County, Maryland on September 17, 1734 to Zebulon Hollingsworth and his wife, the former Mary Jacobs. Henry’s father, Zebulon Sr., was a captain in the local militia and served as the commander of foot militia in Cecil County. He also purchased what became Elk Landing in 1735. Growing up, Henry was involved in his father’s businesses especially milling and the shipping business. This gave him a knowledge of and access to wheat and other food stuffs plus military hardware that would be important to the coming Revolutionary War effort. According to The History of Cecil County, Hollingsworth was elected Lt. Colonel of the Elk Battalion of the Cecil Militia in January of 1776. Six months later he received a letter from the Continental Congress :

“Sir, we are in immediate want of about 400 bayonets of different sized sockets for the army of the Eastern Shore militia, who are to compose part of the flying camp, and have sent an order on you to Mr. Winters for them, and we request that you will supply him with that number as soon as possible.”

Hollingsworth was also enlisted as a local observer for General Washington. In August of 1777 Washington knew British General Howe was going to stage a huge landing of troops to attack Philadelphia, but Washington didn’t know where. So he employed observers, including Henry Hollingsworth, to keep a look out. Washington’s efforts paid off as Hollingsworth reported in an urgent letter to Congress: “I am informed this morning that there are about 200 sails of shipping at the head of the Chesapeake Bay lying from the Turkey Point to the mouth of the Sassafras River.” He described one ship as having so many troops that “the deck appeared all red.”

As Commissary General of the Continental Army Colonel Hollingsworth had the unenviable responsibility of supplying the army which stretched from New England to Georgia. In February of 1778, General Washington, writing from Valley Forge, told Hollingsworth “the situation of the army is most alarming in want of provisions.” He urged Hollingsworth to gather supplies from “Head of Elk, Dover, and all of Pennsylvania” to feed the troops. While Hollingsworth did his best to gather and ship the supplies to Valley Forge, most did not make it there. Later Hollingsworth would be investigated by the Congress for his underperformance, but was cleared of all wrong doing. He and Washington continued their correspondence through the President’s time in office and nearly up to the General’s death in 1799.

Hollingsworth himself died in Elkton on March 24th, 1803 at the age of 68. His home, located on Main Street in Elkton, still stands and is, appropriately enough, the home of the local American Legion.

“A Gentleman who Resided Here….”

Friday, November 4^th will mark the 211^th anniversary of the birth of one of Cecil County’s own who is receiving new acclaim as the 200^th anniversary of the War of 1812 approaches.  Judge Thomas Jefferson Sample would grow up to contribute a plethora of knowledge about Elkton in the early 19^th century.  For example, beginning on January 29^th, 1872, the first of at least 13 letters to the editor of the Cecil Whig newspaper appeared, titled “Reminiscences of Elkton.”  This, and succeeding letters, would illuminate the history of Elkton and Cecil County from 1800 to 1819, as seen through the eyes of a native son, from birth through his teenaged years. Sample, who was the son of Captain John Sample, a member of the Cecil County Militia before, during, and after the War of 1812, would contribute invaluable information about that war and how it impacted Elkton. 

“My earliest recollection,” Sample wrote in that first letter, “are connected with the farm of Tobias Ruduolph (sic) where my father, Capt. John Sample, then lived.  It was on the Glasgow road, opposite the Cowden farm.  From there I used to go to school over Ginn’s Hill – where the residence of Postmaster General Cresswell now stands – to Elkton, about a mile and a half.”

However, in 1811, Sample’s life changed as his family moved to Elk Landing where Sample says he lived for about 3 years before moving into Elkton proper.  It was while living at The Landing, that Sample witnessed and later wrote about the events around the War of 1812, as the war literally came to his door step. 

During the time that the British fleet lay at anchor in the upper Chesapeake Bay, Sample writes that terror was the constant companion of local residents.

“The British fleet lay in the bay,” Sample explained, “down about Pool’s island and Spesuita island, and from thence they sent marauding parties in barges up Sassafras, Susquehanna, and Elk rivers, robbing hen roosts, firing private property, and turning up Jack generally.  They thus destroyed warehouses and schooners at Frenchtown, where we had an unfinished fort.”

As for the “battle” at Elk Landing, Sample says the Cecil Militia used a medieval weapon to stymie the British efforts to reach Elkton.

“They (the British) essayed to reach Elkton, but finding a chexaux-de-frise across the river, and the little battery at the landing ready to receive them, they retreated, remembering that discretion was the better part of valor.”

A “chexaus-de-frise” is a military defensive barrier, in this case consisting of a metal chain laid across the Little Elk Creek by the militia, anchored on each end to a shore point just below Forts Hollingsworth on the eastern shore and Defiance on the western.  British barges could not pass this chain and so retreated to Frenchtown, and eventually their fleet, leaving Elkton unscathed.

In future letters, Sample would write more about the battle, who participated in it, the forts, and the outcome.  He would also reminiscence about ordinary people and places with which he was familiar, even describing some former girl friends and their dates!  Some of the locations he talks about still stand in and around Elkton, including Elk Landing which boasts two structures that stood during the battle for Elkton in April of 1813. 

As for young Sample, he and his family would move to Indiana in 1819 where Sample would attend school and eventually become a state judge.  He would marry and have children, one of whom was Katie Friedley.  Mrs. Friedley was married to the Rev. T. A. Friedley who was the president of De Panew College.   It was in her home that Judge Sample died in 1882 at the age of 81.   But Judge Sample’s legacy lives through his letters, thirteen of which may be read on the Historic Elk Landing web site.  Just go to www.elklanding.org, click on History, then the Timeline near the bottom of the page, and scroll down to 1813.  Some of them are more easily read then others.  The originals may be viewed on micro film at the Historical Society of Cecil County.  See its web site, www.cecilhistory.org for hours of operation and directions.