,1)3 3^7 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 011 769 541 4 Hollinger Corp. pH6.5 Ittti^ttmg mh l^nBtnUtxm of tl|p Mommmt n^ttth an "iotJ^r ^vtttC* ba of tij? €tttri«ttatt i 1 2) ^ Edwin Jaquett Sellers, Secretary Betz Building Philadelphia f \ V .: TgcaMMrMRnci TO PotToarr tie ntvtmammtmwumv THE orncEm ano soumtrs OFTHEOEUttWREUMt KMOIM wcRc ncveKO on tms CRcr^ n» THC LAST TMC tMWCOItTELr PftKM TO WMCNtltC ON THrlR IMMOflTAL SOUTMCRN CAMPAi: IM THE WAR Of THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION ' «<«) mOM WHICH CAMPMCM BUT FTW :,..■ . . , rOTHORMATtytSTAIl NT IS ERECTEt, BT T' .JM .nrtfc STATE SOCIETV 3F THE CINCINNATI SNOTHC -'-■■"ITiCCITIZCNSOr ■E i-.TC OFOELAWARC MAY 30 * 1912 r MONUMENT ERECTED ON ■DOVER GREEN BY THE DELAWARE STATE SOCIETY OF THE CINCINNATI UNVEILED AND PRESENTED MAY 30. 1912 e-tf INTRODUCTORY. On the historic "Dover Green," at Delaware's State capital, Thursday, May the thirtieth, nineteen hundred and twelve, the monument erected by the Delaware State Society of the Cincinnati, to the memory of the officers and soldiers of the Delaware Line, was formally unveiled and presented to the citizens of the State. The exercises, which were most impressive and in- teresting, began at twelve-thirty o'clock in the afternoon, with Mayor Enoch Clark, of Dover, presiding, and intro- ducing the speakers of the occasion. Upon the conclusion of the exercises, luncheon was served at the Hotel Richard- son to the members of the Society and their guests. At a regular meeting of the Society, held on the fourth day of July, nineteen hundred and twelve, at Wilmington, Delaware, a resolution was presented and unanimously adopted for placing in a permanent and fitting form an event so noteworthy, not only in the history of the Society, but of the State whose name it bears. This memorial has been prepared in accordance with such resolution. Should it help to commemorate and pre- serve the heroism and self-sacrifice of those who first laid the foundations of our Great Republic, and made possible the many blessings which we, as a free and enlightened people now enjoy, the desired purpose will have been ac- complished. i (§rhn 0f lEx^rriB^fi Att^nbittQ tlyf Inunltttg mh f r^s^ntattnn at ttf? iionitm^ttt Prayer by the Rev. Kensey Johns Hammond, Chaplain OF THE Delaware State Society of the Cincinnati : "Almighty God who has in all ages showed forth Thy power and mercy in the care and guidance of those, both of nation and individual, who put their trust in Thee; we yield Thee hearty thanks for all Thou didst for our fore- fathers and for the land to which they came. May we always remember Thee and thank them through Thee. We would remember with gratitude that Thou didst give us not only brave soldiers, but far-seeing statesmen and sincere patriots. We would remember the courage, the spirit and devotion of those who planned and those who fought for the inde- pendence of our country. We would remember the or- ganized life of this Society, keeping alive the memories of those who died for their country in the same worthy work. Bless them and us always with Thy favor and guidance. As we thank Thee for these, our ancestors and the country they have given us, we pray that we may so follow their good examples as to leave our children a nation worthy of such founders, meet to do Thy will; a people wholly subject to Thee, our Divine Rule, and to Thy Son, our Lord, we ask it for His sake. Amen." Upon the conclusion of the prayer, the monument was unveiled by Miss Isabelle B. Wales, of Wilmington, Dela- ware, the daughter of Dr. John Patten Wales, President of the Society. Following the unveiling, the monument was formally presented by Philip Howell White, Vice-President of the Society, and accepted on behalf of the citizens of the State of Delaware by Governor Simeon S. Pennewill. A historic address was then delivered by Hon. Henry C. Conrad, and at its close the Society's Chaplain pronounced the bene- diction. piftltp iJ^omtli Pljttr 'BitB-l^vmlitnt of ©tnrinnatt iitt pr^fi^nttng tly? iSIottumpttt, oti beljalf of % f>onrtu, to t\^t nttz^ttB of tl|? ^tate of iFlauiar? "In May of 1783, at the close of the Revolutionary War, in the cantonment on the Hudson River, the historic and patriotic military order of the Society of the Cincinnati was founded by the officers of the American Army. "This society was designed to be a society of Friends, to endure as long as they shall endure or any of their eldest male posterity or, in failure thereof, the collateral branches who may be judged worthy of becoming its supporters and members. "It was founded on certain immutable principles, to wit: to preserve, inviolate the rights and liberties secured by the war ; to promote and cherish union of national honor between the respective states ; to render permanent the cor- dial affection subsisting among the officers, and especially to assist by acts of beneficence according to the abihty of the society, such officers or their families as might be in need of aid. "Each state society was to meet two or three times each year and delegates from these state societies were to meet once in three years to constitute the general society. "In course of time, from various causes, seven of these state societies, the Delaware Society among them, became dormant. "A few years ago an effort was made to revive them and now the whole thirteen state societies are restored and working together harmoniously. "The Delaware Society effected a permanent organiza- tion on February 22, 1895, in the City of Wilmington, Dela- ware, and very soon afterwards took steps to raise funds to erect a monument in memory of the officers and men of the Delaware Line, who so nobly fought to obtain for them- selves and their posterity the liberty which we now enjoy. "This monument to the officers and men of the Dela- ware Line has not been raised because they needed it, for their valor and patriotism will be remembered as long as the country lasts, but it will be an object lesson to those who come after them, stimulating them to grand and noble actions when they reflect on these men who gave all that they had, and in many cases, life itself, that their country might live. "I regret exceedingly that our worthy President, John Patten Wales, is unable to be present, but in his place, and in the name of the Delaware State Society of the Cincinnati, I present this monument to the State of Delaware, through you, her worthy Governor, with the request that it be properly cared for, so that future Delawareans may have their patriotism stimulated when they recall the memory of those whom this stone is intended to honor." AlilirrHB S^ltnrr^b bg ^iin. i>im^0tt B. ^^ttn^mtU (Sotiertuir of % ^tal^ of iflauiar? 3ln a((^}ititt0 tl|? iiottum^ttt ott b^l|alf of t\^t (H'xtxztm of ttyp &late of iflamare "In my judgment there is no purpose which should call forth louder praise from the people of this state and nation, or receive more earnest support, than the purpose for which your society was organized. "Like that noble Roman, Cincinnatus, who left his plow to respond to the call of his countrymen, and become Consul of the Roman Empire, our forefathers left their plows to respond to the call of the Continental Congress, and to struggle for the future independence of the thirteen original states, our own fair state being numbered among them. "It is impossible to overestimate the service rendered this country by those brave men, to preserve whose memory and for the aid of whose loved ones the Society of the Cincinnati had its inception. "I know of no nobler source of inspiration than Bunker Hill, Valley Forge and Brandy wine; I know of no loftier ancestors than those brave men of 'seventy-six who flung into a tyrant's face the declaration of their independence, and drove him back across the sea. "What names theirs are to glory in; Washington, Wayne, Lee, Putnam, the men of our own Delaware Line, Haslett and Rodney, who probably drilled their troops on this very Green, Bedford, McDonough, Kirkwood, and all the rest, patriot fathers in whose every footstep there blooms today a rose. "What deeds theirs are to boast of, from Lexington to Yorktown was the triumphal march of liberty ; out of every hardship that was borne has come a choice blessing, bene- fitting all mankind. "Theirs are names that shall never be forgotten. Theirs are deeds that shall never cease to challenge the admiration of the world. "In these days of hurrying events, of gigantic under- takings, of crowded avenues of endeavor, men are so apt 8 to lose sight of sentiment, and to forget those who sacrificed and died that freedom might become man's birthright ; and because of that such societies as yours are a national bless- ing. "No land can long endure that has no cherished senti- ment, and the highest sentiment that can stir the soul is patriotism. "You may send your sails to every shore bearing the richest merchandise, you may dig the richest ore from the deepest mine and gather untold wealth, but unless there is a deep-rooted love for your country's flag, a reverence for those who first unfurled it, and a patriotism for the soil in which they firmly planted it, then all is cold and sordid. "It is a grand thing and worthy of the highest praise that your society should seek to perpetuate the memory, and to emulate the spirit of those Revolutionary heroes, by the erection and preservation of this monument ; had it not been for their deeds of valor this country, possibly, might still have been a part of the British Empire, and certainly would not hold the position among the nations of the earth that it holds today. "On behalf of the citizens of this State, I acept this monument and extend to you their sincere thanks; feeling assured that it will not only rekindle the first of patriotism in the breast of every citizen, but will serve as an inspiration to each succeeding generation." I brliof rjpli bi| Aasortate SuHtir? of tl|? ^«pr?m? (Enurt of llj? ^tat? of ielauiar? ? "Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen: "In the late Winter or early Spring of 1776, the first Delaware Regiment for service in the Revolutionary War was enlisted with the following officers: Col. John Haslet, Lieut.-Col. Gunning Bedford, Major Thomas Macdonough, Surgeon James Tilton, Chaplain Joseph Montgomery. The regiment was made up of eight companies with a total of eight hundred men. "John Haslet w^as educated for the Presbyterian Min- istry, but afterwards studied medicine, and was practicing his profession at Dover at the outbreak of the war. He was one of the most intimate of Caesar Rodney's friends. His military career was of brief duration, as he was killed at the Battle of Trenton on January 3, 1777, while gallantly leading y his regiment. He was buried in the graveyard of the First Presbyterian Church at Philadelphia, and at the close of the war the State of Delaware caused a marble slab to be placed over his grave. "In 1841, Col. Haslet's remains v/ere, by resolution of the General Assembly, moved to Dover, and re-interred in the graveyard of the Presbyterian Church of that town. His son, Joseph Haslet, a resident of Sussex County, was twice elected Governor of Delaware, in 1811, and in 1823. He was the one man thus honored by the people of Delaware. "Gunning Bedford, the Lieutenant-Colonel of the Regi- ment, was a member of the Bar of New Castle County. He served for three years as a member of the State House of Representatives, was twice a member of the Privy Council, and was twice elected a member of the Continental Con- gress. He was one of the first presidential electors from Delav.are in 1787, casting his vote for George Washington as the first President of the United States. He also served as Prothonotary and Register of Wills of New Castle II County, and in 1796 became Governor of the State by elec- tion of the people, serving until September 30, 1797, w^hen he died. He was buried in the graveyard of the Immaneul Church at New Castle. "Thomas Macdonough, the Major of the Regiment, was a medical doctor living at a small village called "The Trap," in New Castle County, between Odessa and St. Georges. Afterwards, the name of this place was changed to Mac- donough, in honor of the latter family. Major Macdonough served for seven years as a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of the State. And was also a member of the General Assembly. He was the father of Commodore Thomas Macdonough, who rendered such signal service in the War of 1812. At his death. Major Macdonough was buried on his farm at "The Trap." "Doctor James Tilton, the surgeon of the Regiment, was born near Smyrna. He was a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, and enlisted from Kent County. After the Revolution he settled in Wilmington, and for years lived in the house now occupied by Mr. J. Danforth Bush, at the corner of Ninth and Broome Streets. He served through the Revolutionary War and was Surgeon-General of the United States Army in the War of 1812. During his life he was a most eminent surgeon and leading citizen, a man of wide learning and superior judgment. He died in 1823 and was buried in Wilmington. "The Regiment under command of Col. John Haslet was short lived. At the Battle of Trenton where Haslet was killed, the Regiment had been reduced from eight hundred to one hundred and twenty-four, and, being so depleted in numbers, it was soon afterward disbanded. "In the summer of 1776, a call was made for more troops, to act chiefly for home protection. In obedience to this call a battalion was furnished from Delaware, under the command of Col. Samuel Patterson, and called "The Flying Camp." This designation was given to the battalion by reason of the fact that it was intended that it should be subject to quick orders and go quickly from place to place. Ihe battalion served only until December 1, 1776 when its term of enlistment expired. Correspondence that has been preserved, indicates that the service of the Regiment was not altogether satisfactory. "Samuel Patterson was a man of means, who operated a grist mill about a mile west of the village of Christiana, m New Castle County. He was a patriot and brave officer and was later, during the war, Brigadier-General of the Delaware State Militia. He is buried in the graveyard of the Presbyterian Church at Christiana village. "A new Delaware Regiment was enlisted, and the fol- lowing officers appointed : Col. David Hall, Lieut.-Col. Charles Pope, Major Joseph Vaughan, and among the captains were the following : John Patten, Robert Kirkwood, Joseph Anderson, Peter Jacquett, John Learmonth, and James Moore. ''David Hall, the Colonel of the Regiment, was a mem- ??L t^ ^.^^ '"^ ^"''^"^ ^^"^*y' h^vin^ been admitted in 1 / M. His hold upon the community is evidenced by the fact that he served as one of the Associate Justices of the Courts prior to the Revolution. His home was at Lewes. His Regiment is what has always been known as the famous Delaware Regiment.". It was mustered in November 30 1776. For three years the Regiment was with the northern division of the Army, and its services were largely in New Jersey. Col. Hall remained with the Regiment less than a year. He was wounded at the Battle of Germantown, Octo- ber 4, 1777, and this necessitated his going home and he 13 did not return to his Regiment. He was a leading and honored citizen of Sussex County ever after and from 1802 to 1805 served as Governor of the State, and during the last four years of his life was one of the Justices of the Court of Common Pleas. He died in 1817, and is buried in the Presbyterian graveyard at Lewes. Our honored Chairman of today, Mr. Phihp H. White, the Vice-President of the Delaware State Society of the Cincinnati, is a descendant of Col. David Hall, and while his life has not been spent in Delaware, yet he has reason to be proud of his Delaware an- cestry. "Lieutenant Charles Pope was a resident of Smyrna, and enlisted from that place. He rendered valiant services as a soldier; but shortly after the termination of the war he moved with his family to Georgia, and some years after- wards died there. The fact of his removing from the State has made it difficult to trace his subsequent career. "Joseph Vaughan, Major of the Regiment and after- wards Lieutenant-Colonel, lived in Western Sussex, and was proprietor of an iron furnace. The iron industry, which for many years had been an important one in Sussex County, was paralized by the Revolutionary War, owing to the enlistment in the Army of so many of the men engaged in the business. Vaughan served as captain in Haslet's first Regiment, and was appointed Major in Hall's Regiment. He went south with the Regiment and was taken prisoner at Camden. He was not with the Regiment afterwards. He died and was buried on his farm near Bridgeville. "John Patten was a farmer near Dover. He entered the Army as a Lieutenant in Haslet's Regiment, and after- wards became Senior-Captain in Hall's Regiment. By pro- motion, he became Major. He, too, was taken prisoner at Camden and was paroled. This ended his life with the Army, and he returned to his farm. He was twice elected a member of Congress. He died in 1800, and was buried in the graveyard of the Presbyterian Church at Dover. He 14 was the grandfather of Hon. Leonard E. Wales, late Asso- ciate Justice of our State Courts and the fifth judge of the United States District Court for the District of Delaware, and was also the grandfather of Dr. John Patten Wales, one of the oldest and most highly respected of the medical practitioners in the city of Wilmington and the honored president of your Delaware State Society of the Cincinnati. It is a matter of profound regret that his health does not allow him to be with us to-day. "Delaware has produced no braver soldier than Robert Kirkwood, born in Mill Creek Hundred, almost under the shadow of the old White Clay Presbyterian Church. He became a lieutenant in Haslet's Regiment and fought val- iantly with Haslet in the New Jersey campaign. Re-enter- ing the service as captain in Hall's Regiment, he fought at Monmouth, Brandywine and Germantown. Going south, he assumed charge of the regiment after the capture of Vaughan and Patten at Camden. In the southern cam- paign his whole record is one of splendid bravery. No man made a more enviable record. Gates, Greene and Lee all bear testimony to his courage and efficiency as a soldier. He passed through thirty-two battles and skirmishes in the Revolution without a scratch, but at the defeat of St. Clair, on the western frontier a few years afterwards, Kirkwood was killed by the Indians and he was buried in that far- away place. "Peter Jacquett served as captain in both the Haslet and Hall Regiments. He was in the service from January, 1776, to the close of the war. I have seen a letter written by him, in which he says that when he returned to his home in Delaware after the war, he did not have enough money to rattle on a tombstone. He lived about a mile south of Wilmington, at the end of what is called the cause- way. His record as a soldier was a remarkable one and it is narrated quite at length on his tombstone, which can be seen in the graveyard of the Old Swede's Church, at Wil- mington. He died in 1834. 15 "Another man who rendered conspicuous service in the war and who afterwards attained prominence in public affairs in Delaware, was Caleb P. Bennett. He came from Chester County and his ancestors were of Quaker stock. He entered the Revolutionary Army as a private and came out at the close of the war as first lieutenant. He was in most of the battles of the war and spent that memorable winter of 1777 and 1778 with Washington at Valley Forge. After the war, he lived retired in Wilmington, his home being what is now known as No. 841 Market Street. I have known people in my lifetime who remember Bennett with silk stockings and knee breeches, sitting on his steps in Wilmington. For twenty-five years he was treasurer of New Castle County, and in 1832 was elected Governor. After serving a little more than three years, he died in 1836 while still Governor. It is said that he was honored with a military funeral and, inasmuch as he was a member of the Society of Friends, it made rather a peculiar situa- tion. He was buried in the Friend's Burying Ground, at Wilmington. "Another brave Delaware officer was Allen McLane, and still another was Nathaniel Mitchell, who was a captain in Paterson's 'Flying Camp/ and afterwards rose to the rank of major. He was a Sussex man, living in or near Laurel. After the war, he was a member of Congress, and from 1805 to 1808, served as Governor of Delaware. "Another Delaware regiment was organized in July, 1780. It was sometimes known as the Second Delaware Regiment. It was in command of Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Neill and served only from July to November, 1780. During most of its term of service, the regiment was sta- tioned on the western shore of Maryland, and as far as known, was never engaged in open battle. "Ramsey, the historian, pays the following handsome tribute to the service of the Delaware Regiment in the Revolution: 'The Delaware Regiment was reckoned the i6 most efficient in the Continental Army. It went into active service soon after the commencement of the contest with Great Britain and served through the whole of it. " 'Courting danger wherever it was to be encountered, frequently forming part of a victorious army, but oftener the companions of their countrymen in the gloom of dis- aster, the Delawares fought at Brooklyn, at Trenton and at Princeton, at Brandywine and at Germantown, at Guil- ford and at Eutaw, until at length, reduced to a handful of brave men, they concluded their services with the war in the glorious termination of the Southern Campaign. ' "In 1775, the population of Delaware was 37,219; of these, 2,000 were slaves, leaving a white population of 35,219. It is reasonable to assume that one-half of these were males and one-fifth of the male population is reckoned as being between the ages of eighteen and forty-five, and thereby liable for military service. On that basis, about 3,500 men were competent for the army in Delaware at that time, but Judge Whitely calculates that Delaware fur- nished 4,728 men to the Revolutionary cause, being over one-fourth of her entire male population. "It is meet and proper that this shaft should have been erected. "One hundred and thirty-six years ago this month, the first men enlisted from Delaware in the great cause of American Independence were mustered in on Dover Green, "This, then, was the place at which a memorial in gran- ite should be set up in honor of the brave men who pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to the cause of American liberty; men, whose every energy and ambi- tion were exerted that there should be established on the earth a veritable 'land of the free and home of the brave.' "The men who marched with Haslet and Hall deserve to be remembered, not only the gallant officers who are represented in the Delaware State Society of the Cincinnati, I? through whose happy thought this shaft, unveiled to-day, was conceived and made possible, but also the brave and faithful men who fought in the ranks and responded so promptly and courageously to duty's call. "They are all in our memory to-day, the gallant officers, the faithful men, the trusting wives and sweethearts, who sat by lonely firesides waiting for the return of some who never came. "And in placing this stone in front of the State Capitol of the first State of the Union, we seek to impress upon those who come after us, to whom the valorous deeds of the men who lived more than a century back of us will be- come less real and vital as the years go on ; that we, in our day and generation had not forgotten, but were keenly alive to the great debt due to the men of every rank who made the issue of freedom the paramount thought of their lives, and through toil and blood and sacrifice aided in no immaterial way in the founding of the greatest republic of modern times. "The men of Delaware, of '76, both in field and council, 'builded better than they knew.' We look upon the work they did and find it has stood the test of nearly a century and a half of years. We are reaping where they sowed, and the harvest has been abundant. "The past is secure, but what of the future? We are proud of our ancestry and greet with loud acclaim the heroes of the past, but the living present is our opportunity. The duties of citizenship are upon us of to-day. A govern- ment of the people rests for its security upon the patriotism of the individual citizen. "We are hearing much in recent days of the rule of the people. The greater the mass, the greater the problem of government. In all ages and in all countries we have had the demagogue, and there are men in the twentieth century, as there have been in every century, who seek to tear down, i8 instead of building up, and whose public speech panders to the passions and prejudices. «i 'I have an abiding faith in the sound sense of the American people. The ship of State has encountered shoals and perils have threatened, but thanks be to God, the crew has been loyal and we have been spared shipwreck. "It is from occasions like this of to-day that we take fresh hope and encouragement for the future. Taking the lives and sacrifices of our forefathers as an inspiration, our resolve should be to maintain in its full integrity the mag- nificent heritage left to us. "The foundation stones of government so wisely laid and the principles of loyalty so firmly established by our Revolutionary sires are among our most cherished posses- sions. If to their teachings we give our firm allegiance and are not driven by false teachers to the trial of new schemes of government, whose merits are at least untried and un- certain, then the future will be safe, and the country will prosper, and our children and our children's children will rise up to call us blessed, and they, like us, will rejoice at the accomplishments of those who lived in generations before them." 19 i J__ % T ■I -• ,^. 1* , THIS TABLET MARKS THE LUCATION OF ^ GENERAL WASHINGTON'S HEADUUARffiRS, : OF THE AMEHJCAN AMY IP^' WlLe^lNCTOM /DELAWARE ,mmC THE WAR OF THE DEVOLUTION AND - ^.mtiYPntm to the battle of the BRW^ioyiriifE, ONSEPTEWBER 11i:«A^.1777 Ij ERECTED BY THE irELAWARE STATE SOCIETY OF THE CINCmNATJ h FEBRUARY 221^,4) J902. (@ -Vr^vn^H^t.- ■ TABLET PLACED ON WASHINGTON'S HEADQUARTERS ON "QUAKER HILL" (NOW FORMING PART OF THE CITY OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE.) BY THE DELAWARE STATE SOCIETY OF THE CINCINNATI f LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 011 769 541 4 CHARLES l_. STOR Y. PRINTER ^