Ohio History Journal

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146 Ohio Arch

146        Ohio Arch. and His Society Publications.

 

 

 

COLONEL THOMAS CRESAP.*

 

 

BY MRS. MARY LOUISE CRESAP STEVENSON.

 

To write the history of Colonel Thomas Cresap is to write

the Colonial History of Maryland and Virginia and more or less

of Ohio. To recount the story of these colonies is, to tell the

story of the Revolution.

The rehearsal of that noble struggle would involve much of

the history of the great powers of Europe and you might con-

clude, we were like Tennyson's brook, and would 'go on for-

ever.' Therefore, we will try to give you only a snap shot at the

life and times of our hero. We will give you items here and

there, and leave you to develop the composite picture.

We believe, that when William the Norman invaded Eng-

land, he found the family of our hero on the ground. His char-

acteristics were essentially of the sturdy, faithful, "Cedric, the

Saxon" type! His family was ever loyal to country and flag.

Kings came and went, and the days of Edward III and the

Black Prince arrived. The British Lion was just the same, then

as now, only at that time, it was France, instead of South Africa

he was reaching for. The day of the famous "Battle of Cressy"

(1346) dawned, when Philip of Valois had 100,000 soldiers and

the victorious English only 30,000. Among these, it is said, was

the ancestor of our hero, Col. Cresap; and for great bravery on

that renowned field his family name, whatever it may have pre-

vionsly been, for we cannot now definitely learn, was changed

to "Cressy." In due course of evolution (there is nothing new

under the sun, not even the doctrine of evolution) the name be-

came "Cresap."

Notice the first characteristics we discern in the heredity

of our hero, are loyalty and bravery. Loyalty to his country

though she was reaching for the lilies of France and playing a

 

*This paper on the life of Thomas Cresap was read by Mrs. Stevenson, a

double descendant of Colonel Cresap, at the Eluathan Scofield Reunion held at

the residence of Mr. Frank Tallmadge, Columbus, Ohio, August 7, 1901. Mrs.

Stevenson is a resident of Dresden, Ohio.-[ED.]