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.]
Colonel Thomas Cresap. 147
landgrab game. The family have been
ready to fight "pro patria"
ever since, and their coat of arms is a
mailed head, and uplifted
right arm; Head in Armor, brains and
bravery.
Years rolled on; the glorious
protectorate of Cromwell was
over and Charles II, came to the
throne in 1660. This was a
Revolutionary epoch. A little boy came
to a Manor house in
Yorkshire about 1671, who was
destined to outlive that merry
monarch, and several of his successors
viz. James II, William and
Mary, Queen Anne, George I, George II
and into the reign of
George III, some 17 years. The Yorkshire
boy proved to be a
sturdy youth. James II oppressed the
people-preparing for
another Revolution, and many came to the
Colonies to escape the
religlious upheaval and the power of the
Vatican. Among these
we find our hero, Thomas Cresap, in the
year 1686- at the age
of 15.
We have said those were stirring times
and a Revolutionary
epoch! Let us leave our hero, and glance
at the times. In
Cresap's day Louis XIV "Revoked the
Edict of Nantes" and
scattered the best families of France to
Germany, England and
our colonies! In Cresap's day, Louis XV
said, "After us the
deluge," and proceeded to prepare
the way for the French Revo-
lution, that awful flood which swept the
throne of his great grand-
son Louis XVI out of existence! In
Cresaps' day Peter the
Great went to school in Holland and
taught his people; revolu-
tionizing Russia! In Cresap's day
Peter's widow, Catherine,
Empress of Russia, assisted Frederick
the Great and the Em-
peror of Austria in the dismemberment of
Poland, each nation
picking up a piece, much as the European
nations now are looking
for curios - seeking rare bits of China!
During his life the great
Empress, Maria Theresa, settled the
Revolution in her empire and
secured the throne of her fathers. So we
might continue with the
revolution in Spain and the war of the
Spanish succession and so
on indefinitely.
But we return to our hero, Col. Cresap.
He had just arrived
in the Colonies and brought with him his
bravery, love of country
and loyalty. He settled in Maryland, and
began to "grow up
with the country. He became an Indian
trader, like the Astors
and some other notables. He married a
wife (Hannah Johnson)
148 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
and astutely settled at Havre de Grace,
thus having the rich valley
of the Susquehanna and the fur-bearing
wilderness on the one
hand and the Chesapeake Bay on the
other, ready to float his furs
to market.
He had a sterling honesty, that made and
kept friends.
Daniel Dulany was his early and
life-long friend. Col. Cresap's
oldest son was named for this "
Daniel" Dulany, and the many
Daniels in the Cresap clan testify not
only to the Colonel's faculty
of faithfulness, but to the heredity of
the quality. Once a friend
always a friend. Charles Calvert, the first
Protestant Lord Bal-
timore, but fifth of the title was
Cresap's earnest friend through
life, and the feeling was reciprocated.
Col. Cresap also made
friends with the Indians and they used
frequently to visit in
the early days at his house, and called
him "Brother Cresap."
He prospered at Havre de Grace and
accumulated a large quantity
of furs, which he shipped for England.
Unfortunately, the
French captured the ship and furs.
Cresap must begin over.
Nothing daunted, he went further into
the wilderness, hoping
for better fortune and quicker returns.
He obtained a Maryland
patent for 500 acres of land, up the
Susquehanna, and built a
stone house. Here he expected to reside.
But, "the best laid
plans of mice and men aft gang
agley."
The Kings of England were exceedingly
ignorant of the
geography of this country. Much trouble
and sore distress to the
Colonist were the results of this
ignorance. They suffered from
"over-lapping grants." These were frequently given; we will
speak only of the grants of Maryland and
Pennsylvania. These
"Grants" were full of
high-sounding phrases--and the land
granted was always worded--extending
"West to the Pacific
Ocean," so generous (?) were the
kings, and so little did they
know how far off the Pacific might be.
The original grant of Maryland had
been promised to George
Calvert, first Lord Baltimore, by James
I, but it was really given
to Cecil Calvert, second Lord Baltimore,
by Charles I, in 1632.
The settlers were brought in 1645 by his
brother, Leonard Calvert.
The title to the Province was confirmed,
after the restoration
of the Stuarts, by Charles II, July
31st, 1661, to Charles Calvert,
fifth Lord Baltimore (who was Col.
Cresap's friend), and the
Colonel Thomas Cresap. 149
grant took in Maryland's present
boundary and the whole of the
40th degree of latitude. This same
monarch, " who never said a
foolish thing, and never did a wise
one," settled his indebtedness
to William Penn, by issuing another
grant to him, which included,
a large amount of the territory already
given to Lord Baltimore!
What a just and liberal king! As Penn's
grant was dated March
4th, 1681, or 20 years later
than Lord Baltimore's, it does not re-
quire a "Philadelphia lawyer"
nor an Ohio one either, to foresee
the trouble and friction that would
follow. Thomas Cresap's new
stone house and his 500 acres of choice
land, were situated up the
Susquehanna (at Wright's Ferry, near the
present town of
Columbia, Penn.), and in the disputed
territory claimed by the
Penns.
Our hero naturally, and warmly, espoused
the cause of his
friend, Lord Baltimore. Certainly, to
the unprejudiced and just
eye of to-day, Lord B. had the prior and
the correct claim.
Cresap to his latest day, said-" If
the son and successor of
Lord Baltimore had pursued the proper
course, Maryland would
have been the richer, by a large strip
of territory," perhaps one-
third of Pennsylvania. Once when asked
what he thought of
Philadelphia? He answered promptly-"Why, it is the finest
city in the State of Maryland."
While the Baltimores and Penns were
settling their contro-
versy, Cresap must be about the business
of life. So at a great
sacrifice of house, land and
improvements, he went West as far
as Antietam. There he again took out a
patent for land of
1400 acres.
He built another stone house, a kind of fort,
inclosing a spring, for use in case of
trouble with the savages.
This he sold later to his friend, Daniel
Dulany. Another
friend Lord Baltimore persuaded him,
then, to go to the western
frontier. Scharf gives the reason:
"This Thomas Cresap, usually
called the "English Colonel,"
was a much trusted friend and
agent of the fifth Lord Baltimore, and
was sent to the west por-
tion of the Province to guard his
interests against Lord Fairfax.
It was another case of overlapping
grants. Thomas Cresap is
named in the 'Treaty of the Six
Nations,' with the Province of
Maryland. (Dated June 30th, 1744.) The
family of Colonel
Cresap (writes the historian), was
therefore one of the oldest
150 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
Maryland families, and from the time of the 'English Colonel' until the present, have occupied a high position of the first families of Maryland." There, a little above the junction of the North and South branches of the Potomac, Col. Cresap made his permanent resi- dence, and there he acquired an immense estate on both sides of the Potomac, a part of which still remains in the hands of his descend- ants. There he built his third stone house, rather fort, as he was then at the extreme outposts of civilization. "Here he renewed his acquaintance with the Washington family and soon became one of the most distinguished pioneers of the West; his name was a household word, not only among the whites, but also with the In- dians." Scharf calls him "the guardian genius of the western frontier," and adds, "that the settlers built close around Cresap's fort and when alarmed, fled into it." Cresap called his place " Skipton," from his birthplace in Yorkshire. |
|
In person, Cresap was not large, but was firmly built, and possessed of great muscular strength. Jacobs says: "Had |
Colonel Thomas Cresap. 151
Providence placed Col. Cresap at the
head of an army,
state or kingdom, he would have been a
more conspic-
uous character, for he was not inferior
to his contempora-
ries, Charles XII, of Sweden, in
personal bravery, nor to Peter the
Great, whom in many things he much
resembled, viz: in coolness
and fortitude and in that particular
talent of learning wisdom from
misfortune and levying a tax upon damage
and loss, to raise him
to future prosperity and success."
Perhaps no trait in Colonel
Cresap's character was more highly
estimated than his benevo-
lence and hospitality. In early times
when hotels were few and
indifferent, Col. Cresap's house was
open to all respectable
travelers, and they were made welcome to
his table at Skipton
or Oldtown, as it was called later. His
delight was to give and
receive useful information. This
friendly disposition and warm
hospitality was not limited to the
whites. The Indians called on
him in large parties, as they passed and
re-passed North
and South on their expeditions. He kept
a very large kettle for
their especial use and gave them a beef
to kill for themselves,
each time they called; for his
liberality to them, they gave him
the honorable title of the "Big
Spoon." The Indian Guide Ne-
macolin, had so strong an affection for
Col. Cresap and his family,
that he spent much time there, and when
he finally went away,
he brought them his son, "George", to raise, and
"Indian
George" lived and died in the
Colonel's family.
Col. Cresap had a vigorous and
comprehensive mind, and
was called to fill many public offices.
He was County Surveyor
of Prince George's County, which then
included, also, Montgom-
ery, Frederick, Washington, Allegheny
and Garrett Counties.
He frequently represented this district
in the Provincial or State
Assembly. And says Jacobs: " For
clearness of understanding,
soundness of judgment and firmness of
mind, he was esteemed
one of their best members." He
served well his Province and
Nation, and through his services his
descendants may be " Colon-
ial Dames;" or, " Sons and
Daughters of the Revolution."
Colonel Cresap had a fine constitution,
and lived to be 106
years old. When 70 years old, he made
the voyage back to En-
gland. Those were not the days of Ocean
Greyhounds. A voy-
age then, meant much physical endurance
and inconvenience, in
152 Ohio Arch. and His.
Society Publications.
1741, or 160 years ago. At the age of
100 he went partly by
sea and partly by land to Nova Scotia on
business with a rela-
tive, Col. O'Ferrell, who a was a
Colonel of the 22nd Regt. of
Infantry in Braddock's campaign, and
returned safely without a
palace car.
BOUNDARY LINES.
While in London, at the age of 70,
Colonel Cresap was com-
missioned by his friend, Lord Baltimore,
to survey the Western
Boundary of Maryland, to decide which
was the most Westerly
Branch of the Potomac - the North or the
South Branch, a mat-
ter of dispute between Lord Baltimore
and Lord Fairfax. The
survey was completed and Cresap drew the
first map ever made
of these North and South Branches of the
Potomac, showing the
course of the streams. And Cresap's
survey, according to a Bal-
timore paper we saw last summer, is
still the legal boundary of
Maryland. This map can be seen in
Baltimore, as it is still ex-
tant. It was sent to Gov. Sharpe and is
attested by his secretary,
Horatio Rideout, and on the map is this
endorsement, by the son
of the Secretary (Henry Rideout):
"The Cresaps will be re-
membered forever."
THE OHIO COMPANY.*
We said Col. Cresap " had renewed
his friendship with the
Washington family," which began in
early life. In 1749, a small
company of gentlemen of wealth and
influence in Maryland and
Virginia (and a few in London), formed
an organization called
"The Ohio Company." Among
these men, were Gen. Wash-
ington, Col. George Mason and Col.
Thomas Cresap. (Mason
and Dixon's line was called from Col.
Mason).
To quote from the historians: "
There can be no doubt that
the exertions and influence of this
Company, accelerated the ex-
plorations and settlements of the West.
They were in fact the
Corps of Pioneers, that opened the way
to that immense flood
of population we now see, spreading like
a torrent to the Pa-
cific Ocean. The nation is under
obligation to this company and
especially to the bold and enterprising
spirit of Col. Cresap, for
an early knowledge and acquisition of
the country west of the
Allegheny mountains."
*This was the first Ohio Company not the
later one that settled Marietta, 1788-ED.
Colonel Thomas Cresap. 153
In 1750 this company built a small stone
house at
"Wills Creek," Cumberland, and
stocked it with goods, for the
purpose of trading with the Indians, and
the following year, one
of their number-Colonel Thomas Cresap,
laid out and marked
a road from Wills Creek to the mouth of
the Monongahela, now
Cumberland to Pittsburg. Col. Cresap
with his usual judgment
called in an Indian to assist him, old
Nemacolin. Scharf says-
"The work was so well done, and the
route so well chosen, that
General Braddock with his army,
afterward pursued this route,
which thence forward was called
'Braddock's road.'" Scharf
adds-"Col Cresap was one of the
earliest settlers of Maryland,
and without exaggeration, was one of the
most remarkable men of
his day." It should have been
called "Cresap's road" but perhaps
the sad fate of Gen. Braddock, it being
the last road he ever
traveled, helped to fix his name
upon it. When the great "national
road," the wonder of its day, was
built across the mountains, it too,
almost exactly followed Cresap's road.
How glad would Col. Cre-
sap have been to have looked upon the
magnificent arches of
solid masonry, across ravines and
rivers, which still testify to
the splendid quality of the work done,
over 60 years ago, and to
have looked upon the streams of travel
and the relays of coaches,
changing every twelve miles, coaches
which carried our earlier
Presidents to Washington. And then to
have seen the railroads,
with millions of traffic. In
laying out this road Col. Cresap was
a public benefactor, and worked for
posterity and his name for
that should never be forgotten.
Soon after the road was completed to
Pittsburg, the Ohio
Company made a settlement there, at
their own expense. His-
torians tell us, the peace supposed to
have been assured by the
"treaty of Utrecht 1713" was
broken constantly, if not consecu-
tively. On this side the water, our poor
colonists realized that
it was war off and on, for nearly 100
years. It was called vari-
ously, "Old French and Indian
war," King James', King Wil-
liam's, Queen Anne's, Braddock's and
Dunmore's war-but it was
all horrid war. Our own Sherman named it
rightly -"War is
hell." The sufferings that our
ancestors endured, that we might
enjoy our free, glorious country, we can
never rightly understand
or appreciate. France and England were
ever striving for su-
154 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
premacy. France spared no effort to
crush England, and claimed
nearly everything-and to hold it,
enlisted the savages as her
allies, a measure which produced
suffering unspeakable to our
ancestors-which would make the blood run
cold even in this
July weather to relate. This we do know,
England never would
have conquered France and wrested from
her the Canadas but
for the colonies who loyally stood by
her, and enabled her to hear
the shout "they fly, they
fly," at the siege of Quebec.
England's grant, of 600,000 acres of
land to the "Ohio Com-
pany"-("on the south side of
the Ohio River, between the Mo-
nongahela and Kanawha rivers, and west
of the Alleghenies,,), re-
opened the struggle. By the charter the
Ohio Company was to
select its lands immediately. Soon after
the Company made
its settlement at Pittsburg, the French
with 1000 men fell upon
the defenseless works and took them, and
called the place Fort
Duquesne. (April 1753.) Then they seized
and pillaged the
trading posts of the Ohio Company all
along the frontier, and
roused the savages against the English
colonists. It was then,
that Gov. Dinwiddie of Virginia, sent
Washington to the "Com-
mandant at Pittsburg to remonstrate with
him and to demand
the evacuation of the territory (Oct.
31, 1753.). The demands
of Virginia, delivered by Washington
were not granted. Noth-
ing was left but war.
Gov. Dinwiddie then summoned together,
the "House of
Burgesses," and sent a note to the
British Secretary of State,
(Earl of Holderness) "stating the
precarious, and dangerous con-
dition of the western frontier," as
the western part of Maryland,
Virginia and Pennsylvania was then
called. He also issued circu-
lar letters to all the English colonies,
"to repel by force all at-
tempts by the French, to intrude upon
the settlements within the
colonies." Then the Maryland
Assembly met, and they decided, that
they were resolutely determined to repel
any hostile invasion by
any foreign power."
General Washington came to Fort
Cumberland on a tour of
inspection, and also visited Col.
Cresap, his old friend, at his
fortress home of Old Town. Departing,
after having inspected
the frontier, Washington left Col. Innes
(the son-in-law of Col.
Cresap) at Fort Cumberland, in charge of
the forces. Gov
Colonel Thomas Cresap. 155
Sharpe again called the "Maryland
Assembly" together which
appropriated 6,000 pounds, "for his
Majesty's use for the de-
fense of the colony of Virginia,
attacked by French and Indians,
and for the relief of the wives and
children of the colonists, who
put themselves under the care of the
Government, etc."
On the passage of this act, Governor
Sharpe immediately
notified Governor Dinwiddie, of
Virginia, who recommended
"that Maryland raise a company of
soldiers, to act in conjunc-
tion with the forces under Col. Innes,
now at Cumberland."
Thereupon Gov. Sharpe issued a
Commission to "Captain
Thomas Cresap, later called
Colonel," who, writes the Governor,
"had behaved himself at all times,
as a good servant of the Gov-
ernment, to raise a company of riflemen
to serve beyond the
Alleghenies" July 25th,
1754. This Commission antedated Gen-
eral Braddock's arrival at Fort
Cumberland by some months, as
he did not reach that fort until May
10th, 1755. Scharfe relates
"When Gen. Braddock arrived at Fort
Cumberland he
found a large body of troops there, and
among the officers, were
those present, who afterwards
distinguished themselves in the
Revolution, viz: Thomas Cresap, Hugh
Mercer, George Wash-
ington, Daniel Morgan, Horatio Gates and
Thomas Gage."
The Indians were by this time laying
waste all the frontier
settlements, instigated by the French.
The family of Cresap, was
in a perilous situation, so he removed
them to Conscocheage for
safety, but on the way was attacked by a
party of Indians. They
were soon dispersed however, and he was
not further molested.
Many families fled to Frederickstown and
others to Baltimore.
After placing his family in safety, Col.
Cresap obedient to Gov.
Sharpe, raised a company of volunteer
riflemen, and among
them were two of his own sons, and
marched to attack and repel
the Indians. This was April 23rd, 1756.
We will quote from
the Maryland Gazette verbatim-"When
they reached the mount-
ains, a little east of what is now
Frostburgh, they saw a party of
Indians advancing. One of the riflemen
firing too soon, alarmed
the Indians, and they fled as fast as
they could into the thickets,
leaving their horses, and baggage which
our people took and
brought off. Among their baggage, one
white scalp was found.
156 Ohio Arch. and His. Society
Publications.
Colonel Cresap's son, Thomas Cresap Jr.,
chased one of the In-
dians nearly a mile, and gained on him,
the Indian saw, he would
be overtaken, and they both fired at
once. Young Cresap was
wounded, with a bullet and 7 buckshot,
the bullet going through
his breast; the others coming up, he
said, "Pursue the enemy,
don't mind me, I am a dead man,"
and he dropped down dead!
The Savage was also mortally wounded,
but not yet dead, so
they dispatched him, with a tomahawk.
They then buried the body
of young Cresap, as privately as
possible, to preserve his scalp,
and the mountain where this tragedy
occurred, has ever since
been called "Savage Mountain."
His death was lamented by all
who knew him, he was a young widower,
and left a little daughter.
From this wee lassie, only child of
Thomas Cresap. Jr., are still
many descendants, and among the noblest
in the land, and some
of them are present to-day, projectors
of this re-union, being also
descendants of Judge Schofield.
The war was raging in earnest now. It
might have been
settled, but abroad it was waged with
fury by most of the Euro-
pean powers, and called there, the
"Seven Years War." France
and England were fighting and the others
joined in for various
reasons. Empress "Maria
Theresa" allied herself with France
instead of England, because France had a
grudge against Prussia,
and she hoped France would help recover
"Silesia"-stolen by
the Great Frederick. Empress Elizabeth
of Russia-daughter of
Peter the Great, fough twith them,
zealously, against Prussia and
England, because Frederick had said of
her, "Elizabeth is entirely
too fat and orthodox, and has not an
ounce of nun in her com-
position." And so, because of
revenge, and wounded vanity, and
stolen provinces and the coveting of one
another's territory, by
these Kings, Queens, Emperors and
Empresses-thousands of
miles away, our colonists on this side
of the ocean must meet
death, by torture and scalping knife,
and be burned in their
homes by yelling, painted savages. We
would not go into the
horrid details, but the Indians claimed
"that they took '50 white
scalps' for every Indian killed."
June 30th, 1756, Col. Cresap and his
party, had another
skirmish with the savages. He had not
forgotten the lamented
sleeper on Savage Mountain; he enlisted
another company of
Colonel Thomas Cresap. 157
volunteers, taking with him his two
surviving sons Daniel and
Michael and a gigantic negro servant,
belonging to him.
This time they advanced into the
wilderness as far as a
mountain, a mile west of Grantsville.
There, they met the In-
dians; a fight took place and the negro
Goliath was slain,
and the mountain has been "Negro
Mountain" ever since. An-
other mountain is connected with the
ramily of Col. Cresap. It is
called "Dan's Mountain" and
its summit "Dan's Rock." It was
named for Daniel Cresap, oldest son of
Col. Cresap, because of a
daring and brave hunting exploit in his
early youth, and it will
wear his name forever. It is near
Rawling's Station, where stands
also Daniel's stone house. Dan's
Mountain, though rugged, steep
and difficult of ascent is much
frequented by tourists, but they
do not ascend on foot as Daniel marched
up it. So the very
mountains testify to the bravery of Col.
Cresap and his family.
The troubles of our colonists increased.
October 10th, 1755.
the frontier men, gathered at Col.
Cresap's and strengthened his
Block House for defense. Gov. Sharpe
then ordered into service,
the militia of the eastern counties too.
His order reads-"The
troops are to march to Frederick, where
James Dixon, will fur-
nish them provision for five days,
thence to the mouth of the
Conecocheague where George Ross will
furnish subsistence for
eight days, or until they can reach Col.
Cresap's, where they are to
assist in the protection of the
frontier!" Once at Col. Cresap's,
the Governor seemed to know that they
would be provided without
any special command. Still the war
raged, and in large scalp-
ing parties the Indians were ravaging
the whole frontier. It was
a concerted attack, and Washington wrote
thus: "Another temp-
est has broken out on the frontier and
the alarm spreads wider
than ever. In short the inhabitants are
so apprehensive of danger,
that no families remain above
Conecocheague road, and many
are gone from below. The harvests are
lost, and the distresses
of the settlements are evident and
manifold." On the 10th of
July 1763, Col. Cresap wrote Gov. Sharpe
for aid and men to assist
in repelling the savages. Said "his
fort was filled with distressed
families who had fled to his stockade
for safety, and they were all
in hourly danger of being butchered,
unless relief was afforded."
His letter is a vivid picture of the
sufferings of our ancestors, and,
158 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
is still in existence, preserved by the
Historical Society of Mary-
land, and we herewith produce a
certified copy;
OLD TOWN July 15th 1763.
May it Please your Excellency
I take this opportunity in the hight of
Confusion to acquaint you
with our unhappy & most wretched
Situation at this time being in Hourly
Expectation of being Massicread by our
Barberous & Inhuman Enemy the
Indians we having been three days
Successively Attacked by them viz.
the 13, 14 & this Instant on the
13th as 6 men were shocking some wheat
in the field 5 Indians fired on them
& Killed one but was prevented
Scalping him by one of the other men
firing on them as they Came to
do it & others Running to their
assistance. On the 14 5 Indians Crep up
to & fired on about 16 men who were
Sitting & walking under a Tree
at the Entrance of my Lane about 100
yards from My House but on
being fired at by the white men who much
wounded Some of them they
Immediately Runn off & were followed
by the white men about a Mile
all which way was great Quantitys of
Blood on the Ground the white
men got 3 of their Bundles Containing
Sundry Indian Implements & Goods
about 3 Hours after Several gunns were
fired in the woods on which a
Party went in Quest of them & found
3 Beaves Killed by them, the In-
dians wounded one man at their first
fire tho but slightly. On this Instant
as Mr. Saml. Wilder was going to a house
of his about 300 yards Distant
from mine with 6 men & Several women
the Indians Rushed on them
from a Rising Ground but they Perceiving
them Coming, Run towards
my House hollowing which being heard by
those at my house they Run
to their Assistance & met them &
the Indians at the Entrance of my lane
on which the Indians Immediately fired
on them to the Amount of 18 or
Twenty & Killed Mr. Wilder, the
Party of white men Returned their fire
& Killed one of them dead on the
spot & wounded Severall of the Others
as appeared by Considerable Quantitys of
Blood Strewed on the Ground
as they Run off which they Immediately
did & by their leaving behind
them 3 Gunns one Pistol & Sundry
other Emplements of warr &c &c.
I have Inclosed a List of the Disolate
men women & Children who
have fled to my House which is Inclosed
by a Small Stockade for Safety
by which youl See what a number of Poor
Soals destitute of Every Neces-
sary of Life are here penned up &
likely to be Butchered without Imme-
diate Relief & Assistance & Can
Expct none unless from the Province
to Which they Belong. I shall Submit to
your wiser Judgment the Best
& most Effectual method for Such
Relief & shall Conclude with hoping
we shall have it in time
I am Honnourable Sir
Your most Obedt. Servt.
THOS. CRESAP.
Colonel Thomas Cresap. 159
P. S. those Indians who Attacked us this
day are part of that Body
which went to the Southward by this way
In Spring which is Known by
one of the Gunns we now got from them
The Maryland Gazette of July 19th,
1763, says: Fred-
ericktown has contributed to the support
of men to be added to
Col. Cresap's force, as we look upon the
preservation of Cresap's
Fort at Old Town, to be of utmost
importance to us, and a proper
check to the ravages of the Indians, and
to keep the enemy at a
distance, and thus, shelter the whole
province." July 21st, 1763,
the "Maryland Gazette"
mentions "Cresap is not yet cut off,"
and later reports "ten men more
were sent to his assistance.
The "Seven Years' War" ended
in Europe, and with the
ceding of Canada to England by France on
this side the sea.
(Sept. 1763.) Peace smiled on our long
suffering colonists for
a few months. Then England forgot it was
colonial valor
enabled her to conquer the Canadas; so,
lest the colonies grow
too strong, she began to oppress and
repress them. In just a
year and a half or March 22nd, 1765, the
odious "Stamp Act,"
was proclaimed. The colonies rebelled.
In Frederickstown, the
Stamp distributor, was burned in
effig. The Governor called
the "Provincial Assembly"
together. Among those present from
Frederick County, which then constituted
western Maryland, the
first one named is Col. Cresap.
This "Assembly" adopted
resolutions against the "Stamp Act."
They did not stop with that. Feeling was
too high. In October,
1765, "The Sons of Liberty"
organized under the leadership of
Col. Thomas Cresap. Nov. 30th, the
"Sons of Liberty" assembled
at the house of Samuel Swearingen, whose
two sisters "Ruth"
and "Drusilla," married Col.
Cresap's sons Daniel and Thomas,
and whose daughter Elizabeth, wedded the
Col.'s grandson, Daniel
Cresap Jr.; (afterwards a Colonel in the
Revolution). From the
residence of Samuel Swearingen, the
"Sons of Liberty" marched,
two and two, taking up the coffin
containing the "Stamp Act"
at exactly three o'clock, with drums,
and banners, and civic officers,
and a figure in a chariot representing
the Stamp Agent, (who
is named), and placards containing more
truth, than compliments;
they marched through the principal
streets, and arrived at the
gallows, on the Court House green, where
the "Stamp Act" was
160 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
buried under the gallows, amid loud
huzzas. Then one of the
"Sons of Liberty" read a
paper, taken from the bosom of the
figure, in a loud voice, purporting to
be the Confession and last
wishes of the Stamp distributor. After
filling up the grave, the
acclamations were repeated and the
procession re-formed, and
marched back to Samuel Swearingen's,
where an elegant supper
was prepared, and a ball given to the
ladies, who made a brilliant
appearance, and many loyal and patriotic
toasts were drunk, and
the whole concluded with the utmost
decorum." The result was,
the Stamp Act was soon rendered null and
void in Maryland for-
ever, for through the influence of these
Sons of Liberty, their
leader Col. Cresap, the Provincial Court
of Maryland, March
31st, 1766 rescinded it. True, England
repealed it March 18th,
but the news did not reach Maryland till
May 22nd, 1766, and it
was already dead and buried. From this
on, the mutterings of
the coming tempest or cyclone were
heard. Lord Dunmore's
war broke out, instigated it is now
believed by him and his agent,
with a view to the future enlistment of
the Indians against the
colonists. He was an inveterate foe to
the Revolution, and fore-
saw the inevitable, and used his power
as Governor of Virginia
later on for Great Britain, and hoped by
and through the aid of
the Indians-to weaken the much enduring
colonists.
At all events, the Indians were on the
warpath again, de-
stroying the settlements and butchering
the inhabitants.
Lord Dunmore formally declared war April
21st,
1774,
though Governor of Virginia, he sent a
Captain's Commission to
Cap. Michael Cresap dated June 10th,
1774, in spite of the fact
that the latter was a resident of
Maryland.
As many petitions had reached Capt.
Cresap from various
sections of the frontier, to come to
their aid he accepted Lord
Dunmore's Commission; raised a company
and joined Maj. Angus
McDonald's command, and marched with
them to attack the In-
dians, at their strong town of
"Waccatomica," on the Muskingum,
where Dresden (Ohio) now stands. Like
his father, old Col.
Thomas Cresap, Capt. Michael Cresap was
ever ready to obey his
country's call. He was so popular, and
so many men flocked to
his standard that after his own company
was full, he filled com-
pletely that of his nephew, Capt.
Michael Cresap, Jr., and partly
Colonel Thomas Cresap. 161
the company of Capt. Hancock Lee. They
did their duty and con-
quered the Indians again, and Dunmore's
war ended in October,
1774. It however was only the precursor
of the Revolution. The
troubles with England had increased, the
"tax on tea," the "Bos-
ton Massacre," and "Boston
Port Bill," had exasperated the
people.
So Frederick County had another
convention, June 20th,
1774, and here again, we find our aged
hero, Col. Cresap. This
convention suggested calling together
the colonies. On the
22nd of June, there was a general
convention at Annapolis, and
Cresap was a delegate there, and
Maryland propsed the first Con-
tinental Congress, and elected the first
set of delegates. The 18th
of November, at Fredericktown was
another meeting and Col.
Cresap is present. Jan. 24th, 1775, a
county convention held at
Frederick. Col. Cresap is there, and is
named as one of the "Com-
mittee of Observation" to carry the
resolves of the American
Congress into execution, and to raise
money for arms and ammu-
nition. The Provincial Convention had
ordered $10,000, a large
sum of money, to be collected. A
subscription was to be opened
in every "hundred" in all the
counties. For Skipton Hundred,
we find three names, and one is that of
our aged hero, Col. Cresap.
The money collected was to be paid over
March 23rd 1775,
just in time too, for April 19th
"the shot was fired at Lexington
that echoed round the world," and
set the colonies aflame with in-
dignation and patriotism.
The Maryland "Sons of Liberty"
including Col. Cresap, were
all activity. They held meetings, and
enlisted for service on the
field and at home. The heroic Colonel,
so long called the "Eng-
lish Colonel," always foremost for
liberty, justice, and loyalty,
was now too aged to go himself, but,
urged his sons and grand-
sons to take up arms and march to the
front.
The Second Continental Congress, sent
word to Maryland,
"you will get experienced officers,
and the very best men that can
be procured, as well, from affection to
the service, as for the honor
of the Province." In consequence of
this command Maryland
issued her first commission to Cap.
Michael Cresap, the third son
of the brave Col. Cresap. Says Scharf:
"Cresap's company
Vol. X-11.
162 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
of riflemen was the first from the South
to reach Cam-
bridge and join General Washington.
After traveling 550 miles
over the rough and difficult roads of
that period, they arrived
at their destination the 9th
of August, making the march in 22
days, without losing a man. His riflemen
were enrolled at Rox-
bury in Washington's command, August 13th."
A letter from
a gentleman of Fredericktown to
Baltimore, July 19, 1775 says:
"Capt. Cresap with his brave
company have marched-I need not
say anything of Capt. Cresap's undaunted
courage. Not an Amer-
ican but knows him to be an intrepid
warrior, and of course he
knows his men and has called them from
the many." So pop-
ular was Capt. Michael Cresap that he
enlisted enough for two
companies; he made his selection and
kept 130; the rest were
added to other companies in the
Regiment.
Colonel Cresap promised Capt. Michael to
look after his wife
and little ones, and was exceedingly
active in every way in helping
our country's cause. He stirred up three
of his grandsons to also
go to the front in their Uncle's
company.
We might quote from Brantz Mayer of
Baltimore, be-
fore the Historical Society of Maryland.
"I have had the happiness of seeing
Capt. Michael Cresap
marching at the head of a formidable
company of upward 130
men, from the mountains, painted like
Indians, and armed with
tomahawks and rifles, and dressed in
their hunting shirts and moc-
casins and though some of them have
traveled nearly 800 miles,
from the banks of the Ohio River, they
seemed to walk as light,
and with as much spirit, as the first
hour of their march." He then
describes their wonderful dexterity in
rifle practice, standing up,
lying down, bending in a circle, in any
position, and adds: "I
had the opportunity of attending the
captain during his stay in
town, and observing the behavior of his
men, and his manner
of treating them. It seems, all who go
to war under him, not
only pay the most willing obedience to
him, as commander, but
look to him in trouble as their friend
and father, and he treated
them with kindness without losing his
dignity. Among his men
were Michael Cresap Jr., Daniel Cresap
Jr., and Joseph Cresap,
his nephews. Daniel Cresap Jr., became a
Colonel and the others
were Lieutenants. The old Colonel was
soon bereft of his son
Colonel Thomas Cresap. 163
Capt. Michael who died in the service,
but he felt then as ever,
"it is sweet and glorious to die
for one's country."
The old Colonel did not live to know the
victory at Yorktown,
but saw it with the eye of faith, and
never for a moment doubted
our ultimate triumph, and he labored for
the cause of liberty and
country while he lived. His name is
still held in reverence for
his brave achievements and sufferings
which have helped to make
this great nation. All honor to him and
his compatriots!
Col. Cresap's voice has echoed in the
halls of Congress
through his descendants. On the Judge's
Bench, and from the
legal forums, and in Legislative
Assemblies, in most of our
States, including our own Ohio, his
descendants have served with
the hereditary wisdom, for which he was
so esteemed in the As-
semblies of the Province and State of
Maryland.
His bravery did not expire on the battle
fields of the Revo-
lution. In the War of 1812 through later
Cresaps, his blood
flowed on the "Essex" upon the
sea, and on the land too it was
shed.
In the Grand Army of the Republic, they
marched with Sher-
man to the Sea. With Grant at Vicksburg,
Shiloh and Appo-
mattox were many of his posterity, serving
through the war, from
lieutenants in rank to generals. The
commanding general of the
battle of Inka, and who served with
honor through the war and
had charge of the Southwest Division
later, was a grandson of
Col. Daniel Cresap of the Revolution,
and great grandson of Col.
Thomas Cresap our aged hero, and he
served until on "Fame's
eternal camping ground" he slept.
(Gen. Edward Otho Cresap
Ord.)
In Cuba and Manila and in the home land,
his children's
children to the seventh generation,
fight for "old glory," and sup-
port the cause he loved and for which he
suffered; the cause
of liberty, loyalty, country. Still his
characteristics follow his
descendants. Among the promotions to
higher rank, made this
month by President McKinley in the
Regular Army, were some
of Col. Cresap's descendants. What must
have been the strong
remarkable character of Col. Cresap, who
could so impress upon
his children to the seventh generation,
his honesty, integrity, be-
164 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
nevolence, wisdom, courage, patriotism,
loyalty to country and
to friends!
Up San Juan hill that awful day, we hear
the voice of the
brave old Colonel in one of his latest
descendants. "All who are
brave follow me," he would rush,
upward and onward, shouting
that cry and leading his men, then rest
a few moments, and again
that young voice would ring
out-"All who are brave follow me,"
calling to his men, then run ahead
again-"All who are brave
follow me," when nearly at the top
and in the moment of victory,
it is also the spirit of his ancestor Col. Cresap, the "bravest and
tenderest" which impels him, as he
regards a wounded Spaniard
with pitying eye, to turn to his men
with the order-"Take that
Spaniard and carry him behind the block
house, out of the fire,"-
he was just in range and also in danger
of being trampled to death
and, continues one of the men who
received the command, "The
scoundrel listened, and then pulling out
his pistol poked it in our
Lieutenant's face, and killed him on the
spot, the brave boy, we
had been following all day, and, who in
the moment of victory
had thought how he might save the
scoundrel's life-and" con-
tinues the historian, "the leader
of this scattered line, this forlorn
hope, that persisted in advancing
through the leaden hail, was of
a family that has given many a brave
soldier to our country, but
none braver than he"-"and so
the officer we worshipped, lay
cold in death in the hour of
victory." Shall we not hearken to
the will of this youthful scion of a
brave house, we who are of
his blood, and though we lament the loss
to our country of our
young
hero, (Jules Gansche Ord, son of General
Edward Otho
Cresap Ord), and with him descendants of
the intrepid Col. Cre-
sap, shall we not love the starry banner
and follow it where it
leads? mindful of the last message of
that sweet young voice
"All who are brave follow me!"
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.]