Defending Fort Hollingsworth

One hundred and ninety nine years ago musket and cannon fire erupted from Fort Hollingsworth at the confluence of the Big and Little Elk Creeks. That skirmish between members of the Cecil Militia and British Marines and sailors kept Elkton from being burned. The invading British and the Militia occupants of the fort are long gone, but what ever happened to Fort Hollingsworth? Does anything remain of that earthen fort? Members of the Northern Chesapeake Archaeological Society think they know and will attempt to locate Fort Hollingsworth and any artifacts its defenders may have left behind during this year’s archaeological field school to be held at Historic Elk Landing beginning on May 25th and running through June 4th. In addition to locating Fort Hollingsworth, the archaeologists will also look for evidence of Native American activity at the site which goes back as many as ten thousand years! The best part is you are invited to participate in this historic dig. Educators are especially encouraged to participate. Just go to the society’s web site at http://sites.google.com/site/northernchesapeake/ and complete a registration form. The Archaeological Society’s Dan Coates says “this represents a great opportunity for the northeast Maryland community to expand the discovery and preservation of local history.” In addition to the daily digs, Dan says guest speakers will discuss previous area digs as well as the history. “There will be lectures during the day and some evenings explaining the history of the area, what artifacts the archaeologists are looking for, and what is found.” Any and all artifacts found will be available to the Historic Elk Landing Foundation for future exhibits, research, and discussions. The documented results of the dig will be posted on the Foundation’s web site (www.elklanding.org) when they become available. Media outlets: For more information contact Historic Elk Landing Foundation President, Josh Brown through the foundation’s voice mail system at 410-620-6400.

That short paragraph tells us several things: the general location of Fort Hollingsworth, this particular soldier was stationed at the fort for18 days, at least some of those men went to Frenchtown to prevent its burning, and when the British approached Fort Hollingsworth, the militia there fired “three or four shots,” to drive the British away.

From the testimony of John C. Hull of Union County, Ohio, we learn that the militia members were protecting more than just the county seat.  “When the British fleet came into the Chesapeake Bay, about twenty sail of bay craft (sloops and schooners) came up to Elk Landing.  A breast work was thrown up, one long nine pound gun and four six pound cannonades were mounted.”

Like Davis, Hull also attempted to give assistance to the defenders of Frenchtown as he “volunteered to leave the fortifications at Elk Landing to carry a supply of ammunition to French towne but the place was burned before the party could reach the breast work; the party was nearly cut off by the British, escaping capture by their knowledge of the nearest route to the fortifications of Elk Landing.  They reached Elk Landing in time to beat off the enemy.”  “The British,” Hull continues, “were computed at two hundred strong, in ten barges, armed with swivels in their bows.”

Swivels are small cannons that were easily mounted on boats, barges, or other vehicles, both marine and land based.

The April, 1813 battle that we at Elk Landing celebrate as Defenders Day, was not the only British attempt at burning Elkton.  Another militia member, one Jesse Ferguson, testified that a similar incident occurred one year later. It appears that engagement was larger than the previous one.

“The English came up with four barges, and attempted to pass up and burn the town…. As soon as they came in range, (we)opened a fire upon them from 4 or 5 pieces of artillery and after firing about 20 shots and keeping up a general discharge of musketry, the enemy retreated down the river and abandoned the undertaking.”

Ferguson’s report on Fort Hollingsworth’s armaments seem to agree with that of Hull, each claiming “4 or 5” artillery pieces.

The complete volume 3: “Maryland Militia in the War of 1812″ is posted on the Historic Elk Landing web site at www.elklanding.org, under the Research tab.  Our thanks to Mr. Wright for allowing us to post his work.

Historic Elk Landing board member, John Carpenter, surveys the area the GPR report indicates Fort Hollingsworth may have been in 1813.

A team of researchers and archaeologists may have located Fort Hollingsworth, the earthwork structure that successfully defended Elkton from the British torch during the War of 1812.

In mid March, the team, using ground penetrating radar (GPR), swept across the grounds to the south of the Hollingsworth House in tight formation, attempting to unlock the secrets buried beneath the earth for nearly 200 years.  The group’s report, titled Ground Penetrating Radar Survey at the Elk Landing Site, Elkton, MD, says the team found “a clear linear feature, running from the SE to the NE, with two ‘cut-outs’.”  Those “’cut-outs’ may represent an area at the edge of the earthwork where gun emplacements were located.” 

Testimony from those who fought at Fort Hollingsworth in 1813, indicates that there were several cannons at the fort.  When applying for War of 1812 pension benefits, Private Jesse Ferguson testified that he and his comrades “opened a fire upon them (the British) from 4 or 5 pieces of artillery….”  Private John Hull’s testimony at his pension hearing collaborates Ferguson’s memory.   “A breast work was thrown up, one long nine pound gun and four six pound cannonades were mounted.”

In the conclusion to the GPR report, researchers noted that “the (radar) reflection profiles proved to be valuable for identifying the shape and depth of reflections related to the possible earthwork.  It is important to remember,” the report points out, “that while the reflection features support the above interpretations, they should be confirmed with some type of excavation.”

That excavation will occur later this month when the Archaeological Society of the Northern Chesapeake, Inc., and the Archaeological Society of Maryland team up with the Maryland Historic Trust to hold a Field School at Historic Elk Landing.  This school, which is free to Historic Elk Landing Foundation members, and open to the public for a fee, will begin on Friday May 25^th and run through June 4th.  During the dig, participants will have the opportunity to have hands on experience with archaeological work as well as hearing lectures from archaeologists and historians who have done work in the area and who can help interpret exactly what is found in this year’s dig.

The full GPR report will be posted on the Historic Elk Landing web site under the Research tab.

For more information on the field school including how to register, go to the Archaeological Society’s web site: http://www.marylandarcheology.org/2012_FS.php

Thank You.

Prior to the Civil War and the end of slavery, the Underground Railroad operated throughout the northeast and southern states, conducting escaped slaves from bondage to freedom.  A major station on the Underground Railroad was in Philadelphia. The secretary of the Anti-Slavery Society of Philadelphia, and a conductor on the Underground Railroad, was William Still.  In 1872, Still wrote a book, documenting the efforts of the Underground Railroad in Philadelphia and many of the slaves who passed through there.

Still writes that at least 32 runaway slaves from Cecil County, Maryland escaped through Philadelphia.  According to Still, one of them escaped from William Hollingsworth, possibly the William Hollingsworth of Elk Landing in 1838.  The escaped slave was named James Williams, aged about 13.  This is Williams’ story as told by Williams to Still.  It is quite the adventure.

“I remained with him (William Hollingsworth of Elkton) until I was thirteen years of age, when I took one of his blooded mares and made my escape. Whilst riding, I met a number of men, one of whom said to me: ‘Little boy, where are you going?’ ‘I am going to Mr. Cuche’s mill.’ ‘Who do you belong to?’ ‘I belong to Mr. William Hollingsworth.’ I, at the time, had on two pairs of pants, with leather suspenders over my coat. A man asked me, ‘Why do you wear your suspenders over your coat?’ ‘These are my overalls, to keep my pants clean.’ Ere I arrived at Mr. Cuche’s mill, I met a little boy. I said to him, ‘Little boy, what is the name of the next town beyond Mr. Cuche’s mill?’ He told me, ‘New London Cross Roads.’ Ere I arrived there I met a white man. He accosted me thus: ‘Boy, who do you belong to?’ I told him that I belonged to Mr. William Hollingsworth. ‘Where are you going to now?’ ‘I am going to New London.’”

The story continues with great detail for a few more paragraphs until Williams reached the village of Somerset, Pennsylvania where he met one William Jourden.

“This Jourden was my stepfather; he married my mother, who had runaway years before, and the way that I knew where she lived was through a man by the name of Jim Ham, who was driving a team in Lancaster City, whose home was in Elkton.”

“She was sold by Tom Moore to Mr. Hollingsworth, for a term of two years, for the sum of one hundred dollars, and at the expiration of that time, she was to go back to Tom Moore’s. One morning Mr. Hollingsworth said, ‘Abby, it is hard enough to serve two masters, and worse to serve three. You have got three months to serve me yet, but, here is twenty-five dollars; I won’t tell you to run away. You can do as you like.’”

Only a few years later, Williams went to work for the Underground Railroad, returning the favor of assistance that was afforded to him.

About 15 years later, Williams moved to California where he remained until the end of the Civil War.  Still writes that Williams came east to visit. “Williams returned to Maryland and his master’s home in 1869 and found a very different place than the one he escaped from. The trip home ended with a short ride to Philadelphia to commemorate the passing of the fifteenth amendment.”

“Very different”, indeed; the Hollingsworth house from which Williams escaped in 1838 burned ten years later and was replaced by William Hollingsworth’s wife, Mary to the structure we can still see and visit today.  Soon you will be able to visit our website at www.elklanding.org for the unabridged  version of James Williams escape from Elkton on the Underground Railroad. You may also view our 2012 events schedule on line and follow us on Facebook.

Two archaeological teams descended on Historic Elk Landing this week in anticipation of this spring’s archaeological field session in May.  After just two days, the teams are making some discoveries.  Dan Coates, of the Archaeological Society of the Northern Chesapeake, says both teams used ground penetrating radar as part of a preliminary review of what’s lurking under the ground’s surface.

“The ground penetrating radar covered about half of the lawn area south of the Hollingsworth House, that was surveyed by magnetometer, last July. The metal hits were largely farm tool and building residue, with the exception of two small iron balls that could possibly be 1813 military materiel.”  Dan says all the finds, including the “iron balls,” were removed for further study and analysis.

At least one War of 1812 era canon ball has been found at Elk Landing in recent years.  One of them is on display on a fireplace mantel in the Hollingsworth House.  It’s a 3 pounder that was located under the lane that runs through The Landing grounds.

Also found this week was a “spear point” which was apparently lying on or near the surface.  It too deserves and will receive further analysis to determine its origin and age.  In fact, Dan reports that study began yesterday, Thursday, when more archaeological experts arrived on scene.

“Dr Charles Hall (State Terrestrial Archeologist) and Dr Bob Wall (field session co-investigator and Towson University professor) visited the site, to develop a strategy for the prehistoric component of the field session.”

The teams will take a break next week, but will return to do some physical digging the week of April first. Dan says, that’s when soil core-sampling will start. The goal is to locate buried clay that might reveal soil displacement that occurred when Fort Hollingsworth was constructed just to the east of the Stone Structure in 1813. 

We will continue to review the preparation for the archaeological field session and update all the activities.

Dan Coates, of the ASNC says non-invasive testing will begin on Monday, March 19^th.   “(The testing) will be through the use of ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and metal detectors.  The GPR,” Dan explains, “will further define soil anomalies that were discovered last July, by magnetometer use.”

Then, Dan says, comes the physical digging. “The soil core-sampling begins the first week in April.”  The crew will use “hand augers that are simply screw devices of about 4 inches in diameter, that allow a soil sample of some depth to be brought to the surface for analysis.”  Dan says “the ultimate goal would be the discovery of a pattern of buried clay that would indicate displacement of the soil in 1813, to constructFortHollingsworth.”

FortHollingsworthwas the earthen fort that was constructed to the immediate east of the Stone structure and was one of two forts,FortDefiancebeing the other, which guarded the Little Elk Creek and prevented the British from moving up stream and burning Elkton as was their intention.

Again, the May 25^th field school will be open to the public and free to Historic Elk Landing Foundation members.  Dan notes, for Boy Scouts in the area, that “the requirements of the Archaeology Merit Badge can be met at this 2012 Field Session at Elk Landing.”

Back in 1980,Cecil County commissioned an archaeological study of the land that would become the county detention center just to the north and east of Elk Landing.  That study yielded thousands of artifacts which were inventoried and bagged for future reference.  A report on that work is available through the Historical Society of Cecil County.  However, Dan points out that the ASNC is revisiting that work done over 20 years ago.  “Thirty-two different members of the ASNC and Harford Community College (HCC) anthropology students have logged 52 man-days toward detailed study of the 1980 Hollingsworth Farm artifact collection.” Dan says this work “includes re-bagging the material, re-cataloging it in an EXCEL Worksheet using up to 7 defining categories.”  According to Dan, “the artifacts are on a one year loan to HCC for study and outreach purposes.  A major focus of this work,” Dan continues, “is to prepare vocational participants of the May 2012 Field Session for the property identification of recovered artifacts.

So, as you can see, a lot of preparation goes into such a field session and leaders will be well prepared for the event.  Our thanks to Dan Coates for updating us on the lead up to this spring’s field session.

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.

“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.