or mows STORIES 
 
 AND 
 
 IffECIOlES 
 
 09 
 
 \ YE OLDEN 
 
 *'
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES AND 
 ANECDOTES.
 
 THE OLD WELSH OR JENKINS 
 COAT OF ARMS.
 
 GRANDMA'S 
 
 Stories and Anecdotes 
 
 "YE OLDEN TIMES." 
 Incidents of the War of Independence, Etc. 
 
 BY 
 
 S. M. X. 
 
 Of the Visitation Academy, Baltimore, Md. 
 
 BOSTON : 
 
 ANGEL GUARDIAN PRESS, 
 1899.
 
 COPYRIGHT, 1899, 
 
 BY THE 
 
 ANGEL GUARDIAN PRESS. 
 BOSTON, MASS.
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 THERE is a charm in a well-told story that 
 few other things in life seem to possess ; for 
 children especially, it is the most engaging 
 pastime. They will readily leave an inter- 
 esting game and listen for hours to tales of 
 adventure, historical anecdotes, or incidents 
 of real life. Unfortunately, all well-told 
 stories are not equally productive of benefit. 
 Some, while they recreate and interest the 
 child, convey to the mind nothing to improve 
 it, or that cultivates the intellect. 
 
 Children's minds are as impressible as wax, 
 with this difference ; the image may be effaced 
 from the wax , but from the memory, seldom 
 or never ; careful, then, should we be in our 
 selection of stories for the little ones, re- 
 membering the adage of old : "Early impres- 
 sions are lasting."
 
 As the tree is easily bent when a sapling, 
 so can the tender minds of children be 
 inclined to good or evil by the nursery 
 teachings. Too much care cannot be 
 taken to impress them with a love of what 
 will render them virtuous and happy in 
 after life. Stories that convey the moral of 
 truthfulness, uprightness and strict adherence 
 to duty, can never fail to produce a lasting 
 effect. Fiction is good but truth is more 
 desirable. The contents of this little volume 
 are founded on fact, and given in the simple 
 language we caught up from the venerated 
 grandma of years long since gone by ; we 
 fondly trust they may prove useful and 
 recreative to the little lovers of tales and 
 stories. 
 
 Baltimore, 1899
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 PA'.E 
 
 THE STAMP ACT AND TAXATION OF THE 
 
 COLONIES - 13 
 
 THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE AND 
 
 ITS CELEBRATION 33 
 
 GENERAL LAFAYETTE AND HIS BALL IN 
 
 BLADENSBURG - 49 
 
 MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF COLONIAL 
 
 DAYS til 
 
 REMINISCENCES OF ouiiWAR WITH ENGLAND, 
 
 18121814 84 
 
 BUSHWOOD, THE HOME OF THE ANGLO- 
 AMERICAN PLOWDENS - 105 
 
 BLENHEIM OF COLONIAL DAYS - - 125
 
 Grandma's Stories and Anecdotes 
 
 OF 
 
 "YE OLDEN TIMES." 
 PART I. 
 
 THE STAMP ACT AND TAXATION OF 
 THE COLONIES. 
 
 THERE was nogreater'pleasure or treat 
 for us than to gather around our dear 
 old grandma in the long winter-evenings 
 and listen to the stories of what she called 
 "Ye Good Olden Times." She had many 
 of the quaint sayings of old England that 
 rendered her anecdotes and histories the 
 more interesting. 
 
 Grandma was a remarkable personage; 
 at the advanced age of eighty and more, 
 her faculties were unimpaired and it was
 
 14 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 only thejbent form that indicated decline 
 of years and made us realize that the 
 shades of night were fast gathering around 
 the life that had been but sunshine and 
 happiness to others for nearly a century. 
 Her memory, to the last, was a store of 
 useful knowledge and general information; 
 often have we wished for it in latter years 
 and days of study. She was well versed 
 in the history of nations, and had learned 
 from tradition every important incident 
 connected with our own loved country, 
 from the commencement of Maryland's 
 great part in the historical drama, or from 
 its settlement by the Cal verts in 1634. 
 Her experience and personal acquaintance 
 with the leading characters of Virginia, 
 Maryland, etc., would have sufficed for 
 volumes : unfortunately, we knew not the 
 treasure we possessed until it was hope- 
 lessly lost. 
 
 Grandma had long been promising us a
 
 GRANDMA'S STOKIES. 15 
 
 series of historical facts and anecdotes of 
 the old Colonial period. She one day re- 
 marked that as Yule-tide was approaching 
 she would make those stories one of her 
 Christmas-gifts to us; it is needless to say 
 we counted the days and hours and could 
 hardly wait with patience the coming of 
 those joyous evenings when all could be 
 together, free from books and essays. 
 
 On the second evening of the glorious 
 festival, we were summoned to the dear 
 old lady's sitting room where we found 
 her prepared to give us a charming wel- 
 come. A neat little table in front of her 
 large arm-chair, was laden with knicknacks 
 of all kinds, each bearing the name of the 
 one for whom it was intended. It was a 
 jolly moment, one never to be forgotten. 
 
 Well, after the presentation ceremony 
 was over, and many loving words to our 
 grandma, Charlie, the oldest amongst us, 
 became spokesman for the evening and
 
 16 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 ventured to remind our hostess of the 
 promised stories. He began with: "Now, 
 grandma, let us have a toast to the good 
 olden times of yore, and to your youthful 
 
 She laughed in replying: "Yes, Charlie, 
 those were good old times; there are none 
 like them now and never will be." 
 
 "Grandma," said Charlie, "don't you 
 think every generation says the same ? 
 I bet when we are old we shall tell the 
 youngsters about our grand old times, 
 won't we, grandma ?" I can just hear my- 
 self now telling the little boys and girls 
 about to-night and all the other pleasant 
 evenings you have given us." 
 
 "Well, yes," replied grandma, "that is 
 true, but our times were different from any 
 that will ever occur in the future of this 
 country. We were in the midst of war, and 
 the rumors of war, and had a great deal to 
 contend with, anxieties of eveiy kind.
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 17 
 
 "All, rich and poor, had the same trials 
 and difficulties, and all were united, 
 having one heart and one soul, determined 
 on resisting the oppression of our mother 
 country, England. We had to work and 
 turn our hands to everything and any- 
 thing ; still, we were happy, except when 
 thinking of the dear ones that had fallen on 
 the field of battle, and of those who might, 
 share the same sad fate." 
 
 Grandma lost two brothers, both under 
 Washington, and she never spoke of them 
 without a sigh or a tear, and no doubt she- 
 often wept bitterly in her silent hours 
 and moments. She told us of many that 
 were never heard of after they enlisted. 
 
 She was born in 1755, consequently, was 
 ten years old when the famous Stamp Act 
 was passed by the British Parliament in 
 1765, and could relate many incidents 
 and interesting anecdotes of that perilous, 
 age. She told us the Act created great
 
 18 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 consternation throughout the entire coun- 
 try, and especially among the business 
 portion of the population, as all the legal or 
 business paper was stamped and could not 
 be used without it. In those days a great 
 many grants, deeds, transfers, etc., had to 
 be signed by the Lord Proprietary or 
 Lieutenant Governor, and the cost 
 amounted to quite a sum, which few could 
 afford. But the young people did not 
 bother about the Stamp Act, "for, as 
 you may imagine," said grandma, laughing, 
 "our love-letters were not written on the 
 stamped paper. But when, in the following 
 year the Act was repealed and the 
 <luty put upon tea, glass, etc., then you 
 ought to have heard the ladies talk ; old arid 
 young were roused to the highest talking 
 pitch. They held meetings of indignation 
 and drew up resolutions of protest, etc., 
 which, however were never sent to King 
 George or any of his representatives.
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 19 
 
 "One elderly lady declared she would 
 die without her tea, and that if it was 
 beyond her ability to get it, she would 
 give up the ghost; that tea was her only 
 beverage, and she would become as dry as 
 a haystack if deprived of her little tea-pot. 
 To her dining-room maid she said: 'Minty 
 chile, take good care of the tea; it's going 
 to be taxed, and I do not know if we will 
 ever see any more after the present supply 
 is gone. Dear, dear, what will I do?' 
 
 " 'What,' said the darkey, k tacks on tea! 
 Why don't dey say nails at once, and be 
 done with it? Tacks on de tea! who eber 
 heard of it. Laws, missus! is de Britishers 
 gwiue to be as mean as dat, make us drink 
 tacks tea ? We is cum to a fine pass, in- 
 deed we is, to be drinking dat stuff. Surely 
 Massa George Washingtun ain't gwine to 
 stan' dat !' 
 
 "The mistress attempted explanation of 
 the tax, but the darkey knew almost as
 
 20 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 much as the mistress," said grandma, and 
 she laughed heartily. 
 
 u ln those days, tea seemed to be the 
 general remedy for all pains and aches; if 
 one had a cold, it was, 'take a cup of hot 
 tea, chile, that will cure you.' 
 
 "Yes, tea was considered the staple of 
 life and many were the groans and laments 
 at the prospect of its becoming too expen- 
 sive for use." 
 
 Grandma was full of humorous wit and 
 delighted in the telling amusing anecdotes. 
 
 "One day," said she, "old Mrs. Wrigger, 
 who sometimes spun for us, came to see 
 about her work, and as soon as she got in 
 she began her tale of woe. 
 
 "'Laws sake!' she said to my mother, 
 'isn't it awful times, Mrs. N ? I hear 
 Parliament has taken all the stamps off the 
 paper and put them on the tea and glass; 
 dear me! what will we come to next? I 
 believe it will be the death of poor mother;
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 21 
 
 she just lives on tea. She and me sets by 
 the tea-pot at breakfast, dinner and supper, 
 and what she don't take I do, so there's 
 not a drop left betwixt us. I used to be 
 inclined to like the Britishers,but can't bide 
 them now; when people touches tea, they 
 touches me, and I'm done with 'em forever 
 and aye. Poor mother sets shaking her 
 foot ; she looks at the pot and then at me; 
 but she don't say anything, only says she 
 to me the other day, says she, "Caddy, 
 won't we miss the old tea-pot !" Says I to 
 her, "Oh, mother don't be worrying about 
 the tea; I'll manage to keep the pot 
 agoing." ' 
 
 "My mother kindly told Mrs. Wrigger 
 to tell her mother she would see to her tea- 
 pot when the worse would come to the 
 worse. 
 
 " 'There, now,' responded Mrs. Wrigger, 
 'I knowed you would, and told mother so. 
 Well, I'm going home much more light-
 
 22 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 hearted than when I cum in, good-bye/ 
 and off she went. 
 
 "Old Mrs. Dempsey made a great to-do 
 about glass ; she was not so fond of tea. 
 Her husband coming in one afternoon, she 
 accosted him with: 'John Dempsey, is it 
 true we are to have a heavy duty on glass?' 
 
 " ' It seems so,' replied the old man. 
 
 " ' Then,' said she, 'I'll give up, for when 
 a pane breaks, where will we get another? ' 
 
 " 'Cover it up with sheepskin, Sallie, 
 that's plenty good enough these times.' 
 
 ' 'Cover the window with sheepskin, 
 John Dempsey ? Why, surely, man, you 
 are dreaming. Whoever heard of sheep- 
 skin windows? I tell you, sir, they'll 
 never come into my house. Sheepskin 
 windows I Great heavens! I'd sooner have 
 no windows at all. 
 
 " 'You forget, John Dempsey, that our Sal 
 and Betsy are both going to turn out in 
 company next winter, and how will it look
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 for people to be riding up the lane and 
 seeing our sheepskin windows ? You may 
 laugh as much as you please, man, but I'll 
 never let sheepskin windows in my house. 
 I'd sooner daub up the walls entirely and 
 have tallow candles in day time. I 
 know what I would like to do ; I would 
 take every pane of glass in this house, go 
 over to England and pitch the whole kit 
 and bile in old George's face ; and as to 
 the tea, I'd make it boiling hot by the 
 gallon and pour it clown his throat until I'd 
 see him burst every inch of him ; then he'd 
 know what it is to be putting his old 
 fingers in our pie, as the saying goes.' 
 
 " 'Well, well,' said old Dempsey, 'I never 
 heard a woman talk and go on like you, 
 Sal ; s'pose you hold on till you feel the 
 weight of the taxes.' 
 
 " 'Hold on, and for what? Just to see 
 the Redcoat walk in and carry off all we 
 possess, just because we own a little tea
 
 24 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 and some glass ? When they sez glass they 
 mean everything that looks like glass, and 
 nary a tumbler will be left to drink out 
 of when company comes. I know them 
 fellers by heart, John Dempsey, and you 
 don't.' " 
 
 Grandma stopped to take a pinch of 
 snuff and a sip of water, then related 
 another anecdote. 
 
 "Well, old Mrs. Lyons, the weaveress, 
 entered one afternoon, and she began with : 
 *Mrs. N ,' said she to mother, 'don't you 
 think it a mean thing in the Parliament to 
 be putting the big stamp from the papers, 
 to the tea and glass ? They might as well 
 have left it on the papers, don't you think 
 .so ? I know it puts me in a fix, for just 
 one month ago I went and bought six glass 
 tumblers, the first we ever had; we always 
 drank out of tin cups and gourds, and I 
 tell you, Mrs. N , our gourds are nice 
 enough to give the king himself, but our
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 25 
 
 Jane gets airs sometimes and she allowed 
 we ought to have a few tumblers for com- 
 pany, and I gratified her, but I am deter- 
 mined to sell three of them. I'm sure 
 three is a plenty for any family like ours, 
 and since Jim Jinks went to war she never 
 has more than one youngster to come at a 
 time. I s'pose you don't want to buy any 
 more tumblers, do you, Mrs. N ?' Mother 
 answered her kindly but negatively, adding: 
 'Haven't you paid for them, Mrs. Lyons?' 
 'Laws yes I took over to the store three 
 dozens of chickens, a dozen ducks and two 
 pecks of dried apples, and exchanged them 
 for the tumblers; it's true, they throwed in 
 a wee bit of sugar and a pint of molasses 
 in the bargin !' " 
 
 "You had many a laugh in those days, 
 grandma," said my brother Edward, "and 
 I think the women had a great deal of 
 spunk, hadn't they?" 
 
 "Yes, indeed, child, they had spunk and
 
 26 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 pluck to the backbone, and I believe if the 
 women had been called to the field of 
 battle, they would have conquered the 
 enemy sooner than the men. But they 
 were generous; mothers sent off their sons, 
 and sisters urged their brothers to be 
 valiant and courageous, and I tell you. 
 children, we had anxious days though 
 many a little sparkling of fun. Every now 
 and then sad news would reach us and our 
 spirits flagged for a while; then again we'd 
 hear of some great victory on our side, and 
 there would be fine cheering ; that's the 
 way in war. you know. 
 
 "Once a poor man wretchedly clad, 
 came to our house and said he was 
 from Washington's Army in New York; 
 that he had been sent out on the scout, 
 taken captive by the Indians and kept for 
 several weeks, almost starving ; he made 
 his escape one dark night and pushed 
 southward. He gave good tidings of our
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 27 
 
 northern array, but we did not trust him 
 much, fearing he was a spy. Father and 
 mother gave him a night's lodging and 
 meals. Next morning he was ill with what 
 he called 'Camp Fever,' and he died in 
 a few hours. We kept his coming and 
 death profoundly secret ; none of the 
 neighbors knew anything about it for 
 nearly a year. 
 
 "In those days, when we were told not 
 to tell a thing we dared not speak of it." 
 
 "I bet," said Harry, "it would have been 
 told these times as there are so many girls, 
 about." 
 
 "Thank you, master Harry," said I, "foi 
 your compliment." 
 
 "When was the first battle fought, 
 grandma ?" queried Harry. 
 
 "Well, you know, child, the Redcoats 
 entered Boston, September 27, 1768. Gen- 
 eral Gage was sent over with two regiments 
 to make us submit to the English taxation,
 
 28 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 and he carried a high head from all ac- 
 counts." 
 
 "He ought to have had some of the 
 plucky ladies to deal with, Mrs. Dempsey 
 for instance," said our Charlie. 
 
 "And," continued grandma, "you know 
 all the duties except those on tea, glass, 
 etc., were removed in 1767. In 1770, 
 only the tax on tea remained and the 
 British were determined to get that out 
 of the Americans, and the Americans just 
 as determined not to pay a cent of it. 
 
 "Our men disguised themselves as Indians 
 and in the very face of the British, emptied 
 a whole cargo of tea in Boston Harbor. 
 Wasn't it plucky in them ? And in An- 
 napolis they burnt the Peggy Stewart and 
 all the tea on board of her, but spared the 
 crew and let them get home the best they 
 could. 
 
 "In and about Boston annoying little 
 skirmishes frequently occurred, in most of
 
 GRANDMA'S STOEIES. 29 
 
 which our men were whipped ; that, how- 
 ever, did not discourage them; on the con- 
 trary they rallied with more energy and 
 every man and boy that could muster a 
 gun of any kind, hurried northward. 
 
 "The battle of Bunker Hill was fought 
 June 17, 1775, and though we lost, 
 Gen. Howe, then in command of the 
 British, was glad to run into Boston and 
 hide his army. After that battle, Gen. 
 Washington was appointed Commander- 
 in-chief and we all said: 'Now we'll whip 
 the Redcoats,' and sure enough we did. 
 
 "Prescott headed our troops at Bunker 
 Hill; he was a good general but not like 
 Washington." 
 
 "How did you all get the news so quickly, 
 grandma ?" asked Edward. 
 
 "Why, child, we had smart messenger- 
 boys and men who rode from town to 
 town conveying the result of each battle 
 or fight. As they passed through the
 
 30 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 villages, even at night, they shouted out 
 whatever it was they had to report ; if favo- 
 rable, there was great rejoicing, but if 
 disastrous, our faces were long enough for 
 days or until we heard something to cheer 
 us. Little boys were paid for carrying the 
 news to private houses, and if you 
 had been there, Charlie, you would have 
 made a few pennies. Every one was eager 
 to hear and know everything concerning 
 the army. 
 
 "I knew one poor little drummer-boy 
 who was shot in two by a cannon-ball at 
 Bunker Hill. He went from our neigh- 
 borhood; his poor mother never got over 
 his sad death, but was resigned to God's 
 holy will, knowing he died in a glorious 
 cause. She knew he would have fared 
 badly if a prisoner in the hands of the 
 English. Oh, indeed, my dear children, 
 we had a mortal horror of the English 
 soldiers, they were so cruel and so deter-
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 31 
 
 mined on our submitting to their tyrann- 
 ical yoke. 
 
 "Sometimes in the winter our men would 
 be allowed a furlough or leave of absence 
 for a definite time, and we would hear an- 
 ecdotes and stories worth listening to, some 
 sad, others joyful, most of them amusing. 
 Of the last you must hear one that will in- 
 terest you. During the battle of German- 
 town, October 4, 1777, when the fight was 
 hottest, Major Burnet, one of the officers 
 of Gen. Greene, was shorn of his handsome 
 cue, by a musketball. Gen. Greene per- 
 ceiving it, said: 'Don't be in a hurry, get 
 down and save your cue.' The major 
 followed the advice and regained his hair. 
 A few minutes after, a shot came whizzing 
 by and carried off one of the powdered 
 curls of the general. Burnet could not 
 resist the temptation to retort on his su- 
 perior officer and said: 'Don't be in a hurry, 
 dismount and save your curl.' As the
 
 32 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 enemy were in close pursuit, the general 
 preferred to lose his curl rather than him- 
 self and fine horse. 
 
 "O, my dear children," continued grand- 
 ma, "our struggle for liberty was a hard 
 one, but, thanks to Almighty God, we have 
 been repaid for our sacrifices. You, my 
 dear ones, can never know how much you 
 are indebted to your ancestors for what 
 you now enjoy, and I trust you may be 
 able to say to future generations, what I 
 have so often said to you: 'There are no 
 times like our good old times.' I think 
 it is time now for our night prayers, so a, 
 happy good night with pleasant dreams. 
 
 "Tomorrow evening I will tell you 
 something of the Declaration of Indepen- 
 dence, and the joy it brought to all hearts."
 
 PART II. 
 
 DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE AND 
 ITS CELEBRATION. 
 
 4 ' T\/T THER ' ' Said m y brother Ed ~ 
 
 IVJ. ward, at the dinner table, "can't 
 you let us have supper a little earlier this 
 evening? Grandma has promised to tell us 
 about the Declaration of Independence, 
 and I know it is going to be jolly." 
 
 "Advance supper!" replied mother. '"I 
 fear you children are worrying your 
 grandma ; you must not forget she is old, 
 and should not be fatigued unnecessarily." 
 
 Turning to the waiter, she said: "Ad- 
 vance ten minutes, John. I guess that 
 will give time enough, won't it, children?" 
 
 "Yes, and thank you, mother," replk-d 
 one and all.
 
 34 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 Brother Charlie said in his dry way: 
 
 "I reckon if you had seen grandma last 
 night, mother, you would not call her old; 
 it did my heart good to see her so young. 
 I believe she could have danced the horn- 
 pipe." 
 
 Papa joined in saying, "Yes, and she is 
 yet worth ten young ones." 
 
 Nettie, our little sister, went to pay 
 grandma an afternoon visit and told her 
 we were going to have early supper. 
 
 "Early supper," said the old lady, 
 "what's that for ? Is anything expected?" 
 
 "Why, grandma," said the prattler, "the 
 boys told mother you were going to 
 tell us a jolly story about the 'Declamation 
 of Innopenance,' and they wanted more 
 time." 
 
 "Good gracious," replied grandma, "do 
 they expect me to talk all night, the little 
 scamps ?" 
 
 "And," continued Nettie, "mamma said
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 35 
 
 we must not worry you, grandma, because 
 you are so old, and Charlie told her you 
 were young enough last night to dance the 
 hornpipe. What's that, grandma?" 
 
 "The good-for-nothing fellow," replied 
 grandma. "Tell him, Nett, I will crack his 
 head for him. I, young enough to dance 
 the hornpipe!" and the old lady's laugh 
 might have been heard outside her room. 
 
 The hours sped on and soon brought 
 supper; when all were fairly in, Nettie ac- 
 costed Charlie with: 
 
 "Ah, master Charlie, you are going to 
 catch it; grandma says she will quack your 
 head for saying she was young enough to 
 dance the hornpipe." 
 
 "Did you tell grandma that, you little 
 vixen?" said Charlie. "I declare, mother, 
 Nettie is getting to be a real tattler and she 
 ought to be hauled over; she told grand- 
 ma the other, day that I said her nose and 
 chin would soon meet."
 
 36 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 "Nettie," said her mother, "you really 
 must not repeat to grandma or any on & 
 else, the little things you hear; after a 
 while everyone will be afraid of you. 
 Now, you needn't go to grandma and say 
 I said this, do you understand?" 
 
 Nettie was as pleasant as though she 
 had received no rebuke or chiding, and 
 that is the way all little girls should be 
 when corrected, and never look angry or 
 pout when found fault with. 
 
 Well, supper was over and we sat wait- 
 ing for a summons from grandma; after a 
 while down came her maid to say: "Ole 
 missus is read}- for the chillun." 
 
 How we scampered up the stairs I 
 There was dear grandma, seated in her 
 large arm-chair, closely wrapped in her 
 little shawl. She kissed us all and after 
 taking a good pinch of snuff said: "What 
 did I promise to tell you to-night? "
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 37 
 
 "The Declaration of Independence," we 
 all shouted. 
 
 'Tell me first," said grandma, "when 
 was Independence declared?" 
 
 "The fourth of July, seventeen hun- 
 dred and seventy-six," answered Charlie. 
 
 "Yes," said the old lady, "that was the 
 happiest day America ever saw, decidedly 
 the happiest, and there were great rejoic- 
 ings, I assure you, children. 
 
 "We knew our statesmen were in ses- 
 sion, debating the point of freedom, etc. 
 Congress was held in the State House at 
 Philadelphia, for you know we had no 
 fixed capital at that time and it was only 
 in 1800, that the city of Washington be- 
 came the seat of Government. General 
 Washington laid off and planned the 
 city in 1790, and it was then decided 
 to begin the building of the Capitol. 
 Washington took his ideas from a wheel. 
 He intended the Capitol to represent the
 
 GRANDMA S STORIES. 
 
 hub, and the radiating avenues the spokes 
 of the wheel. And here I must tell you 
 an anecdote lest I forget it. When it 
 was decided to remove the Capital, a 
 countryman met another and hailed him 
 with: 'Arrah, and did you hear the news?* 
 
 " 'No/ replied his friend, *and what's up,, 
 tell me, Jim.' 
 
 " 'Well," said the other, 'they are going- 
 to fetch the Capitol from Philadelphy 
 clean down to Washington, and I tell you, 
 man, there's going to be game in it.' 
 
 "Pshaw, Jim,' shouted Jerry, 'you don't 
 tell me that; how will they ever do such a. 
 tiling. Why, man, it will take years for 
 such a job as that, and there'll be no team 
 left at all, at all, after such a pull and 
 haul. 'Twill kill every horse and mule in 
 the country to drag such a big house so 
 fur.' 
 
 " 'Ha, ha, ha,' shouted Jim, 'they ain't 
 going to fetch the house, but only the
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 39 4 
 
 goods and chattels ; they can't move the 
 State House.' 
 
 " k But, } T OU know, Jim, 'capitol' means 
 house, and 'capital' city, so a fellow told 
 me the other day, and you say they are go,, 
 ing to fetch the Capitol, and sure that 
 means the house.' 
 
 " "I believe you are about right, Jerry,' 
 said Jim, 'and I lay bet on seeing that big- 
 house hauled down by horse power. 
 George Washington was a great man.' 
 
 "At that time, children, Washington 
 was but a small, insignificant village, with 
 only a few houses and shanties. George- 
 town was a much handsomer place, and 
 Bladensburg a very pretty little town; at 
 one time they thought of making it the 
 Capital city. But excuse my digression,, 
 and now to the Declaration of Independ- 
 ence again. 
 
 "For days we were in the greatest 
 anxiety, fearing some of our men would
 
 40 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 favor subjection to the English yoke a little 
 while longer. Every Colony had what 
 we now call reporters, standing around 
 the old State House in Philadelphia, to 
 give notice of the decision. Besides, all 
 through the country, there were telegraph 
 stations, not wires as we have at present, 
 but very high poles, and it was agreed that 
 if the decision was in favor, a red flag 
 would be hoisted; if not, a black one. 
 
 "There was very little work done those 
 days; every one seemed apprehensive of a 
 great calamity, and we prayed as hard as 
 we could, for it would have been worse 
 than death to hear we were still to be 
 under British rule. Well, on the morning 
 of the fifth of July we heard the firing of 
 guns in every direction, and we hoped all 
 was right, still no news had come to us. 
 The excitement all through the country 
 was simply terrible. At last we saw 
 father coming home, as fast as his horse
 
 ( GRANDMA'S STORIES. 41 
 
 could carry him. We all ran out and 
 surrounded him; he was so overcome that 
 he could only say, 'Free, free!' We cried 
 with joy and could do nothing but go 
 from one to the other saying, 'Glory be to 
 our men; glory be to Congress,' though our 
 first act was to kneel down and give 
 thanks to Almighty God for so watching 
 over his poor American children." 
 
 Grandma was quite overcome and we 
 sat in silence till Nett broke the spell by 
 saying : "Grandma, did you fire any 
 guns ?" We were relieved by the laugh 
 she gave us. 
 
 "Wiry, yes, child, we all had learned 
 how to shoot, and I fired many a gun. 
 
 "But," continued grandma, "there were 
 some few that did not unite in the rejoic- 
 ings. I mean the Tories, they looked 
 black enough, I can tell you." 
 
 "Who were the Tories, grandma?" en- 
 quired Edward.
 
 42 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 "The Tories, my dear," she replied, "were 
 those who desired to remain under the 
 English Government, and those who were 
 for free America were Whigs. There was 
 an old Squire Lee, not far from us, who was 
 a noted Tory; he was a sort of cousin to 
 the famous Light Horse Harry Lee, but 
 unlike him in loving America. He was 
 very wealthy, having brought all his for- 
 tune from England and would have gone 
 back if he had lived, so it was said. Well, 
 he had an only daughter, Eliza Lee, who 
 despised American ways. She died of 
 pleurisy some years after the close of the 
 war. When she was taken ill her physician 
 assured her she could be relieved and saved 
 only by bleeding. She said, 'No, indeed, 
 I will never allow one drop of my royal 
 blood to be spilled on American soil.' She 
 died, of course. " 
 
 " Yes, " said Harry, " and spilled the 
 whole of her royal blood and herself in the
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 43 
 
 bargain ; what an old spook she must have 
 been! " 
 
 " The next thing," continued grand- 
 ma. " was to consider and make plans for 
 the due celebration of the fourth of July 
 in the future years. It was decided to 
 make it a legal holiday to perpetuity. The 
 first anniversary, we thought, should be 
 kept with as much pomp as circumstances 
 would permit: meetings were held from 
 time to time to devise means, ways, etc., 
 for the celebration of 1777. The conclu- 
 sion was to have a barbecued dinner in 
 every district of the country, and a ball 
 at night. Well, such preparations you 
 cannot imagine. Some weeks beforehand, 
 a committee of gentlemen in our dis- 
 trict met for the purpose of selecting 
 a delightful grove for our entertainment. 
 
 " They found in my father's wood a very 
 suitable spot and at once had it ploughed, 
 rolled and beaten till the ground, for about
 
 44 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 a quarter of a mile, was as hard as marble ; 
 the dancing grounds, especially, were 
 lovely, and no marbled floor of Italy could 
 have been smoother and more fit for 
 dancing. Every family agreed to send 
 supplies for the table, and you know 
 barbecue means that all the animals, 
 poultry, etc., are to be cooked whole, and, 
 my children, it was a curious sight to see 
 the long tables set off with lambs, pigs, 
 chickens, ducks, etc., all looking so life- 
 like that you might have expected to hear 
 the pigs squeak or the ducks say quack, 
 quack, etc. The desserts were very hand- 
 some and delicious; we met about ten a.m. 
 and danced till half-past twelve, then had 
 dinner which lasted till about two, and after 
 a short recess we danced again till five, 
 when we had supper. The children had 
 their table to themselves in a far off corner, 
 and the little rogues enjoyed it. The 
 branches of the trees were so closely inter-
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 45 
 
 laced, that not a ray of the sun could get 
 in at any hour of the day. The children 
 were sent home about six. We began the 
 ball about eight, danced till twelve, then 
 stopped to take cake and lemonade, 
 resumed the dance and kept it up till 
 broad daylight. 
 
 "Now, I must tell you about our dresses. 
 All the ladies agreed to appear in home- 
 spun apparel. I made two fine linen 
 dresses for the occasion, and three pairs of 
 sheepskin slippers. One pair I trimmed 
 with blue satin ribbon, another with pink, 
 and the third with white. I danced out 
 the blue trimmed ones before dinner, the 
 pink ones in the afternoon, and the white 
 at night. 
 
 " One of my dresses was striped with 
 blue and pink, the other pure white." 
 
 "My! grandma, were you not tired to 
 death after all that? '' asked Edward. 
 
 " No, indeed, child, I could have gone
 
 46 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 over the whole again without stopping and 
 without being fatigued. We allowed the 
 domestics to enjoy the remnants of the 
 dinner and supper, so they had their turn 
 the next day and enjoyed it, too. We 
 depended on them for the safe return of 
 the dishes, etc., and not one was broken 
 or lost. 
 
 " The frolicking in our district was con- 
 tinued for several weeks. We had sailing 
 parties on the Potomac, fishing parties, 
 dances at night, etc.. until I believe some 
 ^vere tired. We began to feel that our 
 country was safe and free, though we knew 
 our poor men were still fighting for liberty, 
 and, many a hard battle had they after the 
 Declaration of Independence. 
 
 " In 1778, France acknowledged our 
 freedom from England. General Lafayette, 
 you know, came to our relief in April 
 1777, and he brought over quite a number 
 of well-disciplined Frenchmen, though few
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 47 
 
 are mentioned in history. They were 
 everything to our army. Cornwallis, you 
 know, surrendered to General Washington 
 at Yorktown, Va., October 19, 1781, so we 
 had a long, trying struggle. However, the 
 old ladies that were so terribly worried 
 about the tea and glass, were comparatively 
 at ease. Good Mrs. Dempsey expressed 
 her willingness to depart for a better world. 
 She was never obliged to patch her windows 
 with sheepskin, and I heard her daughters 
 married to her satisfaction and did well. 
 Mrs. Lyons used her six glass tumblers 
 when Jimmy Jinks returned from the war, 
 and they made quite a display on the 
 waiter my mother sent 'our Jane,' for a 
 wedding present. 
 
 "After the surrender many of the Red- 
 coats, especially the Hessians, dodged 
 around our place and skulked through the 
 country; they met with very little en- 
 couragement to remain, for we were wish-
 
 48 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 ing to see them get out as fast as the ocean 
 could drift them over to their own lands. 
 Our own poor men came back to us des- 
 titute of everything but their skin, and 
 many had lost a good portion of that 
 precious article. They soon recuperated 
 and enjoyed for the rest of their lives the 
 peace and liberty so dearly purchased. 
 Many families had to lament the loss of 
 loved ones, but knowing the glorious cause 
 for which they laid down their lives, none 
 could grieve. 
 
 "Some other time I may be able to relate 
 a few pleasant events that occured after the 
 Declaration of Independence, but cannot 
 now, a^ I see poor little Nett is dozing. 
 To-morrow evening you shall hear all 
 about my meeting with General Lafayette 
 and the grand ball he gave in Bladensburg. 
 Good night, my darlings. "
 
 PART III. 
 
 GENERAL LAFAYETTE AND HIS BALL IN 
 BLADENSBURG. 
 
 "\T 7ELL, children," said grandma, "I 
 ' promised to tell you about General 
 Lafayette; he was truly a great man. You 
 know he arrived in this country in 1777, 
 and history says he brought over eleven offi- 
 cers; from what we saw, there must have 
 been many well-bred gentlemen among 
 his subordinates. I never beheld finer 
 looking men. You know, also, that La- 
 fayette fitted out the vessel and crew at 
 his own expense, so he must have been a 
 wealthy man and one of influence; he was 
 a marquis in France, and, of course, that 
 means something there. Congress, almost 
 immediately, appointed him to the rank of
 
 50 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 major-general in our army, and a portion 
 of our troops were assigned him. The 
 first battle he engaged in, was that of 
 Brandy wine, and our men were routed. 
 Toward winter, Washington moved far- 
 ther down the country and took up his 
 winter-quarters at Valley Forge ; Lafayette 
 and his portion of the army quartered 
 around Blandensburg; the officers lodged 
 at the hotel kept by Colonel Bradford; in 
 those days, only first class men such as Col- 
 onel Bradford, a man of wealth and position 
 kept first-class hotels. General Lafayette 
 made himself very agreeable, and as Colonel 
 Bradford had three handsome and accom- 
 plished daughters, Lafayette frequently 
 slipped into their private parlor, and it 
 was there I first met him. He was a 
 grand looking man, tall and graceful, a 
 fine dancer and good musician; his broken 
 English often amused us. He told many 
 interesting anecdotes and incidents of
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 51 
 
 his country, and we could plainly see 
 he was in favor of Republicanism. He ex- 
 pressed a great desire to become acquainted 
 with our American ladies, and said he had 
 heard much of their beauty, elegance of 
 manners, etc. At length he proposed to 
 Colonel Bradford, or asked as a favor that 
 he would be allowed to give a French ball 
 in his hotel; of course, the colonel agreed, 
 and you may imagine the joy and excite- 
 ment of the ladies, old and young, when it 
 was made known, and such preparations 
 for a ball I suppose had never been made 
 in old times or new. 
 
 " In those days few ladies had more than 
 two silk gowns, but they were very hand- 
 some. It was the custom for every lady to 
 be married in white satin and to have, for 
 what they called 'the second day's dress,' 
 a handsome brocaded silk: we do not see 
 such silks nowadays. I assure you, chil- 
 dren, a dress would almost stand alone, so
 
 52 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 thick and heavy was the material. The 
 young or unmarried ladies seldom wore 
 silk; taffeta and pongee, both a fine texture 
 or fabric of silk and thread, or silk and 
 worsted, were their fashionable dress- 
 goods, with cambric and muslin of the fin- 
 est texture, and sometimes very fine linen 
 lawn, though that was considered expen- 
 sive."' 
 
 kt What did you wear, grandma?" asked 
 Charlie. 
 
 "Why, child, I wore a blue taffeta trim- 
 med with white satin, and it was considered 
 a handsome dress. Mrs. Washington wore 
 a brown satin, with pearl necklace and 
 ornaments. She was escorted to the ball 
 by her cousin, Major Fairfax, but would 
 not dance ; she said her partner was absent, 
 and there was no enjoyment for her while 
 she knew him to be exposed to the dangers 
 of war. She joined in the promenade and 
 left soon after the supper.
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 53 
 
 Everything was on the grandest scale ; 
 the hall lighted with reflectors and colored 
 lamps inside and outside the house, gave a 
 fairy-like appearance to everything ; the 
 scene was enchanting, Lafayette and all 
 the officers wore red velvet coats lined 
 with white satin ; the tails of their coats 
 were square and stood out as if stiffened ; 
 their waistcoats extended to the hips and 
 showed to perfection the beautiful ruffled 
 shirt bosoms, set off with a diamond or 
 pearl pin. All wore short breeches of a 
 fawn color, either cloth or some other 
 material that we knew not the name of; 
 their long white silk stockings were fast- 
 ened with gold buckles, and their slippers 
 were of a soft, black kid, fastened also with 
 gilt buckles ; in those days the gentlemen's 
 slippers were called pumps. It was the 
 style for both ladies and gentlemen to 
 wear the hair powdered ; the gentlemen 
 had long cues tied with ribbon. General
 
 54 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 Lafayette wore a bow of white satin on his 
 cue. Many gentlemen kept wigs on hand 
 so as to be always ready for an entertain- 
 ment. They brushed back their hair that 
 not a strand could be seen by which the 
 color would be known, therefore, some 
 with very black hair wore white wigs and 
 all appeared alike, old and young. The 
 ladies wore long trains to their dresses 
 and when they danced the train or trail, as 
 some called it, was thrown over the left 
 arm. The dance of the times was the 
 minuet and at one of the figures the train 
 was dropped for a series of courtesies ; it 
 was a part of the ceremony for the partner 
 to lift the train at the proper time, and I 
 believe the gentlemen made it one of their 
 practices to do it gracefully. 
 
 "I have always been so sorry, children," 
 said grandma, "that knee-breeches went 
 out of fashion for the gentlemen, and can 
 truly say I have never since seen a gentle-
 
 GRANDMAS STORIES. OO> 
 
 man in what I called a real, full dress. I have 
 never liked long trousers and the short 
 vest. General Lafayette asked, byway of 
 a compliment, I suppose, to lead off the 
 ball with Miss Nancy Bradford,* and she 
 was a suitable partner for him, being hand- 
 some and graceful. The supper table was. 
 elaborately set and you must believe me 
 when I say we drank out of solid gold 
 wine-cups, all belonging to the French 
 troops or, I suppose, to the general. The 
 last dance was after supper, and we 
 wound up with a slow and graceful promen- 
 ade, a little different from the entrance 
 one. You may be sure we had enough to talk 
 about for months and even to this day. 
 
 "As General Lafayette had been anxious- 
 to see the elite of American ladies, they in 
 turn expressed a desire to see the French 
 officers in full uniform; therefore, Colonel 
 
 *Miss Nancy afterward married Major Boarman 
 of Charles County, Maryland.
 
 56 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 Bradford gave an entertainment to which 
 he invited both French and American 
 officers. 
 
 "The same ceremony was gone through 
 as for the French ball, and it was worth 
 seeing. All the officers wore full dress, 
 even the chapeau de bras and sword. One 
 of the old ladies asked the meaning of 
 chapeau de bras, and her daughter told 
 her it meant gilt spurs and copper heels. 
 After the opening promenade, a valet 
 approached each officer to remove his 
 chapeau de bras and sword, as it was con- 
 sidered contrary to etiquette to wear them 
 when dancing. 
 
 "Mrs. Washington made her appearance 
 when the entertainment was about half 
 over; her escort was Baron de Kalb, one of 
 Lafayette's companions ; he had lately 
 come from Valley Forge and gave good 
 tidings of General Washington, though the 
 suffering there had been excessive and
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 57 
 
 not a few had died from the want of 
 clothing and protection from the severity 
 of the season." 
 
 "Toward the latter part of February, 
 Mrs. Washington called on the ladies of 
 Virginia and Maryland to assist in collect- 
 ing clothes and other necessary articles for 
 the poor soldiers in different portions of 
 the northern Colonies. You know, chil- 
 dren," continued grandma, "that we had 
 not states then; we formed what they called 
 the United Colonies. Well, we responded 
 to Mrs. Washington's appeal, and soon we 
 had wagon loads that were sent under 
 guards to the appointed places. 
 
 "The latter part of that year of 1778, 
 we heard of Lafayette's departure for 
 France, his object being to collect money 
 and whatever he could for dear America. 
 He did not return till 1780, when he re- 
 joined Washington and took part in the 
 fight for American freedom.
 
 58 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 "In 1781, Washington, Lafayette and 
 others pushed forward to the southern 
 Colonies. Cornwallis was marauding- 
 Virginia and its surroundings and Wash- 
 ington had serious apprehensions. Corn- 
 wallis had destroyed about 815,000,000 
 worth of property and had taken his 
 position at Yorktown. A French fleet 
 under the command of Count de Grasse 
 arrived off the coast of Virginia and re- 
 mained in the Chesapeake waters awaiting 
 orders from Washington, who directed him 
 to attack the British at Yorktown. 
 
 "On the twenty-eighth of September, the 
 combined forces began the bombardment,, 
 and Cornwallis, seeing no hope of escape, 
 surrendered to Washington ; the capitula- 
 tion took place October 19th, 1781, a day 
 of real gladness for all Americans, though 
 I told you this before. 
 
 "Cornwallis feigned sickness and de- 
 puted General O'Hara to meet Washing-
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 59 
 
 ton who showed magnanimity beyond 
 description. The surrender virtually 
 closed the long war with England. The 
 Treaty of Peace was signed at Paris, 
 September 8, 1783, and the British left 
 the country November 25th, following. 
 
 "Washington bade farewell to his sol- 
 diers soon after and retired to his resi- 
 dence in Virginia, a beautiful place called 
 Mount Vernon. Lafayette and his French 
 companions returned to France, and took 
 a conspicuous part in the awful revolution 
 of 1798. He returned for a social visit to 
 this country in the year 1824, and was 
 received with all the honors due to his 
 merit. 
 
 Our country began, after the Declara- 
 tion of Independence, to recover its losses, 
 and in a few years was on a solid footing, 
 coping with other great nations. I must, 
 another time, tell you something of the 
 ways, customs, and hardships of our
 
 60 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 colonial days, and maybe you will say 
 you are not sorry for being in the after 
 times, so much easier and in some respects 
 better, though I must adhere to my first 
 saying : 'No times can be like our good 
 old times.' Now, let us have good night, 
 and may God Almighty bless you, my dear 
 children."
 
 PART IV. 
 
 MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF COLONIAL, 
 DAYS. 
 
 " \T7ELL, now, children, where shall 
 I begin?" said our dear, old 
 grandma. 
 
 "Anywhere, grandma, that suits you." 
 "Then, I will tell you first how we pre- 
 pared our clothing, and begin with the 
 cotton. We planted the seed in the spring 
 and soon we saw the beautiful green bushes 
 growing as tall, some of them, as Master 
 Charlie or Edward. In the fall, the burrs 
 opened with the frost, and early in the 
 morning we would go out with large 
 baskets to gather the cotton. When dry 
 we picked it, that is, we removed the cot-
 
 62 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 ton from the burrs, which was a pleasant 
 pastime in the long winter nights. You 
 know the seed of cotton contains an oil, 
 and when it becomes heated, the cotton is 
 easily taken off; sometimes we threw the 
 burrs or seed in the fire when the wood 
 was burning low. You know we had noth- 
 ing but wood fires in those days; the 
 fireplaces were very wide, and andirons 
 supported the wood. Those in the parlors 
 were made of highly polished brass; the 
 beautiful fenders, shovel and tongs, were 
 also of brass, highly ornamented, and, my 
 dear children, I know of nothing prettier 
 than a bright wood fire reflecting its 
 glowing flames upon everything around: it 
 was cozy and enchanting. 
 
 After the cotton-picking, we generally 
 had apples and nuts or, perhaps, a taffy- 
 stew. When several young people gathered 
 together, they sometimes wound up with a 
 dance: altogether, we had pleasant even-
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 63 
 
 ings in those good old times. I must tell 
 you here a little event that may amuse 
 you," said grandma, with a little twitch of 
 mischief in her eye. 
 
 "One evening, soon after the marriage 
 of your father and mother, a few young 
 people came for tea ; two of the young 
 ladies came to my room to prepare their 
 toilette ; one of them* had false curls in 
 her reticule, and taking them out, she laid 
 them on the warm hearth to soften the 
 pomatum, which you know makes the curls 
 fall more gracefully. Well, I saw them 
 on the hearth and took them for cotton 
 burrs ; reaching for a little broom, I swept 
 them into the fire. When she was ready 
 for her curls she could not find them 
 and declared she had put them on the 
 hearth. I heard her and it immediately 
 
 *Miss Juliaun Bevan, who later became a Sister 
 of Charity at Emmitsburg and died there many 
 years ago.
 
 64 GRANDMA'S STCRIES 
 
 occurred to me that I had swept them in t he 
 fire and I told her so. I shall never forget 
 her consternation ; she had to appeal- 
 without her beautifiers that evening." 
 
 And grandma seemed to enjoy the joke. 
 "Was she angry, grandma?" asked I. 
 
 " Don't know, child ; she was polite 
 enough to make the best of it, and I fancied 
 she was just as pretty without her curls, 
 though no beauty by any means. 
 
 "After the cotton was picked, we had to 
 card and spin it, then wind it into balls 
 and send it to the weavers. All of us had 
 very pretty cotton dresses with little stripes 
 of blue, or pink, etc. That is sufficient 
 about the cotton, isn't it?" asked grandma. 
 
 "Well, now, about the linen ; that was 
 made from the flax we grew on the place. 
 It was carded into tow, then spun out on a 
 small wheel, into fine fibres or threads. 
 All the underclothing, sheets, pillow-cases, 
 table-linen, etc., were made from the
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 65 
 
 flax, and it was very interesting work. In 
 fact, everything about farming and 
 domestic employment was charming to 
 those that liked it, and most of the ladies 
 enjoyed it immensely. We all knew how 
 to knit stockings, socks, gloves, etc., and 
 sometimes we knit the underwear for the 
 more advanced in years who needed 
 warmer clothing. I knit my father a full 
 set of everything he required in that line. 
 "The older gentlemen liked their coats ? 
 etc., of white flannel, and a very pretty 
 sort was woven for that purpose. We 
 made our carpets of rags sewed together 
 and wound into large balls, and some- 
 times we dyed them very bright colors. 
 The red was dyed with sumach berries set 
 with copperas, the black with walnut hulls, 
 and the yellow with peach leaves or 
 saffron ; the saffron plant was largely cul- 
 tivated, and we used it for its lovely 
 flowers, when arranging the large pots that
 
 bb GRANDMA S STORIES. 
 
 stood in the fire-places during the summer. 
 The farmers raised all their own grain, 
 and every family had a handmill with 
 which they ground their flour, meal, etc., for 
 common use. We sent much of the wheat 
 to the water-mills and had it ground into 
 tine flour, which we kept for pies, cakes, etc. 
 Rye flour also made very sweet bread for 
 daily use, though corn-meal was the staple 
 for breadstuffs. I must tell you the origin 
 of our nice 'hoe-cakes' and delicious 'john- 
 ny-cake.' Lord Calvert, to gain the 
 friendship of the Indians, presented them 
 with many little trinkets ; in gratitude 
 they showed the white man how to use the 
 corn-meal. On little griddles they baked 
 what they called 'hoe-cake, ? and on 
 long, narrow boards that stood before the 
 fire, they baked the 'johnny-cake' which 
 you all are so fond of, so you see we are 
 indebted to the poor Indians for something.
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 67 
 
 J believe they were disposed to be very 
 kind to the English people." 
 
 u Tell us, grandma, " said Charlie, "how 
 the water-mills were worked. " 
 
 " Well, child, there was a large and 
 deep pond or dam of water just ahead of 
 the mill; immensely heavy and thick gates, 
 called 'flood-gates,' were kept down to pre- 
 vent the water escaping from the dam until 
 it rose high enough to work the wheels. 
 When the miller raised those gates, the rush 
 of water was terrifying and the noise 
 deafening, so that every miller was a very 
 loud and high-toned talker. Whenever 
 you hear a person speaking very loudly or 
 in a boisterous manner, you may ask, as we 
 used to do: 'Is he a miller?' " 
 
 " What kind of bonnets did you wear, 
 those days, grandma?" enquired Nettie. 
 
 "Beautiful bonnets and hats, my dear, 
 made of platted straw, which we dried our- 
 selves when the wheat and rye were
 
 68 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 gathered in; we also pegged a sort of 
 material that was very pretty for bonnets. 
 What you call crocheting now, we called 
 pegging ; you know the crochet needle has 
 a little hook which we named the peg. 
 Once my brother Sam was going hunting 
 and told me over night he had no gloves 
 to wear and it was very cold. I began to 
 peg a pair about eight o'clock and finished 
 one that night; next morning I was up 
 by times and before breakfast I had the 
 other done; now, wasn't that smart in 
 grandma? 
 
 " We felt the want of coffee and tea 
 more than anything else, as we were out 
 of the city limits and often had not the 
 time to send for such things; we generally 
 laid in our groceries in the fall and spring. 
 We supplied the want of coffee by roast- 
 ing rye or gumbo, and you would be 
 surprised what nice coffee they made. Our 
 salt was procured from persons living near
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 69 
 
 the bay or salt-water rivers. It was manu- 
 factured by evaporation. The farmers 
 raised a great deal of tobacco, which they 
 sold to the neighboring merchants, or ex- 
 changed for useful commodities, such as 
 dry-goods, shoes, etc., though very nearly 
 every family had its own shoemaker and 
 weaver. We lived rather economically, 
 those times, while having an abundance of 
 everything needed for comfort and domes- 
 tic life. 
 
 "There were very few really indigent 
 and all were kind in assisting one another. 
 Certainly we enjoyed great happiness: there 
 was no jealousy about style and fashion 
 that I hear of now-a-days. But there was 
 one serious trouble, my children. We were 
 obliged by English law to contribute to 
 the Protestant minister, the tithes of all we 
 made, and I can tell you, it took the heart 
 out of me to see the wagon-loads of grain,
 
 70 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 tobacco, etc., going to one so hard on the 
 poor Catholics. 
 
 "He was the wealthiest man in the United 
 Colonies; had one child only, said to be a 
 very lovely girl. Professors or teachers 
 were brought from England to cultivate 
 her talents, and she was pronounced ac- 
 complished beyond everything ever known 
 before in America. 
 
 u lt was very usual in those days to hear 
 it said: 'such a one has gone home to 
 England, for this, that and the other. ' 
 
 "Well, the old minister made very little 
 by his riches. His daughter married a 
 very clever, fast-living gentleman, who, in 
 a few years made way with the fortune, 
 and not a penny is now to be found in the 
 hands of the new generations, nothing that 
 once formed a portion of the plantations, 
 bank stock, etc., so cherishedby the domino. 
 Some of the grandchildren still survive, but 
 they are very destitute of this world's goods:
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 71 
 
 truly, a mark of God's retributive justice, " 
 and grandma shook her head sorrowfully. 
 
 "Grandma," queried my brother Edward, 
 "why is it that the English people seem 
 always to have had such an ill feeling to- 
 wards the Catholics?" 
 
 "That is easily accounted for, my dear," 
 replied grandma. "Don't you know that 
 Pope Paul III. refused to annul the mar- 
 riage of Catherine of Aragon with King 
 Henry VIII. because our holy Church 
 forbids divorce? Well, the mighty sover- 
 eign became very angry with the pope and 
 declared himself head of the Church in 
 England, and from that epoch, 1534, 
 Catholicity has been held in abomination by 
 the English nation. The Catholic spirit, 
 however, lingers around the throne and 
 among the people, notwithstanding the hat- 
 red to everything in the Church of Rome." 
 
 "Grandma," asked Charlie, "how did 
 you all travel in those good, olden times?"
 
 72 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 "What a question, Charlie," responded 
 grandma. "We had very few carriages, 
 it is true, but we managed to get along 
 pretty well. Many of the richest loved 
 to ride on horseback; we had fine horses 
 and our ladies rode gracefully ; I wish 
 you could have seen them on the fox- chase. 
 The first carriage or coach brought to the 
 Colonies was owned by the Squire Lee of 
 whom I spoke last night. Some had a 
 very neat little vehicle called 'Carry-air 
 and a ride in it was always desirable. It 
 held many. 
 
 "The would-be lords of creation, or aris- 
 tocrats, drove the stylish 'gig and tandem;' 
 that meant the gig with two, three, and 
 often four fine horses harnessed in single 
 file to the gig, driven by a coachman in 
 livery, while the proud old lord looked on 
 with contempt at the pedestrians and gal- 
 lant riders met on the way. 
 
 It was really a very handsome sight to
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 73 
 
 behold several of those brilliant equipages 
 on the road at one time. 
 
 "The phaeton was also in great vogue 
 among the grandees. It was usually drawn 
 by two horses, though some of the old 
 English potentates revelled in the show of 
 four fine animals, capering to the caprice 
 of the haughty owner. 
 
 "Those English nobility were very osten- 
 tatious, self-conceited people and as much 
 disliked in the new country as they had been 
 in the old. We often wished them back 
 under their old kings and tyrannical 
 masters. 
 
 "Of course, we ceased to contribute to 
 the support of the English Church, after 
 Independence was declared and our men 
 began to make laws to suit the Republic. 
 
 "In some years the Catholics could look 
 up, though for a long time a secret perse- 
 cution went on that could not be controlled 
 or taken hold of. Catholics were regarded
 
 74 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 as a set of ignorant people, who knew 
 nothing but a few prayers and supersti- 
 tious practices ; unfortunately for them, the 
 larger portion of our population, at that 
 period, were dissenters from Rome, backed 
 in their belief and bigotry by the powers 
 of Great Britain and their own immense 
 wealth, consequently their influence was 
 great. 
 
 "For a long time we were not allowed to 
 have Catholic Churches. The divine ser- 
 vice was given us at rare intervals and us- 
 ually in private residences. By degrees 
 our numbers increased, and we were able 
 to construct throughout the district, 
 little chapels here and there, or within 
 twenty miles of each other. 
 
 "One priest attended to several churches 
 and by that means we heard holy Mass at 
 least three or four times a year. 
 
 "In every congregation there were Catho- 
 lic homes called the Stations. The pastor
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 75 
 
 would announce on Sunday the Station he 
 would be at on a certain day of the week T 
 and, my dear children, you would have 
 wondered at the nnmbers of old and infirm 
 that would arrive by the wagon-load, at the 
 appointed place. It was my privilege for 
 years to attend to the service, etc., at 
 my father's. Long before any of us were 
 up in the morning, the front yard would be 
 crowded with men, women, babies and 
 children of all ages and sizes. It was an 
 amusing, though edfying spectacle for us to 
 behold ; sometimes we might well have 
 selected from the motley crowd, old Father 
 Noah, his wife, his three sons and three 
 daughters-in-law; so many looked as if just 
 out of the ark. When the season was faiiv 
 we erected a temporary altar in the yard 
 and many times have I seen our good old 
 pastor go to the wagons that contained the 
 helpless and aged, and give them the Bread 
 of Life, with tears streaming from his eyes.
 
 76 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 at beholding such profound veneration, 
 piety and devotion in that lowly and 
 humble portion of Christ's vineyard. 
 
 "The hatred of our dissenting brethren 
 to the Catholic clergy in those times was 
 beyond anything I can now describe ; one 
 instance will give you an idea. The gentle- 
 men of those days were great huntsmen, 
 and, in the hunting season, the farmers us- 
 ually lowered the fencing for the conven- 
 ience of hunters. Our holy pastor* found 
 out those short cuts and made use of them, 
 as they saved him many miles' ride in his 
 sick calls. On one occasion he was riding 
 through the field of an inveterate Protes- 
 tant, not knowing the fencing had been 
 raised. The farmer saw him and knew him 
 to be the priest ; calling to his domestics, 
 he ordered the dogs to be loosened and set 
 
 *Fr. David, afterwards Bishop Coadjutor to the 
 Bishop of Bardstown, Ky., consecrated, August 15, 
 1819.
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 77 
 
 upon the track of the man of God. His 
 dogs were considered the most vicious in 
 the neighborhood and the terror of every- 
 one; they were always chained during the 
 day for fear of serious trouble. The 
 animals started off in hot pursuit of the 
 priest, and just as they reached him they 
 stopped, turned back and crouched at the 
 feet of their master, trembling in every 
 limb. The darkeys who were in the field 
 expected to see the holy man torn to- 
 pieces ; two of them were Catholics. They 
 all declared that when the dogs were in 
 the act of springing upon the priest, 
 a white figure, the size of a well grown boy y 
 stood by the side of the horse, and 
 the dogs instantly turned and scam- 
 pered as fast as they could run. The 
 humble servant of God turned back also 
 and on coming up with the farmer, raised 
 his hat and said most apologetically: I 
 beg your pardon, Mr. N , for trespassing
 
 78 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 on your grounds. I did not know you ha4 
 raised your fencing.' The farmer, for a 
 wonder, raised his hat to the priest and 
 replied : 'You are at liberty, sir, to pass 
 through my fields whenever it suits you'; 
 then turning to one of his servants, added, 
 You be always ready to lower the fencing 
 for this gentleman, and to raise it after he 
 has passed.' That hater of Catholic clergy- 
 men was never afterward known to say an 
 unkind word of them. You see, children," 
 continued grandma, "how the Lord watches 
 over His anointed. We cannot have too 
 much reverence for our pastors, and in my 
 day we never met a priest without asking 
 his blessing, but I believe that holy custom, 
 like many others, is dying out among our 
 Catholic people. I hope you will en- 
 deavor to keep up such old-time practices 
 and prove yourselves worthy of your saint- 
 ly ancestors. I will sometime tell you a few 
 pretty traits of the dear and holy Father
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 79 
 
 David. He came to the lower Maryland 
 Missions in 1792, or early in '93. No 
 priest ever did more good than he, and 
 his name will ever be a household word 
 among the people of our section of the 
 country." 
 
 "Grandma," said Nett, "did you have 
 any schools in your old times ? I wish we 
 had none." 
 
 "Why, my darling, do you want to be a 
 dunce?'' 
 
 "No," replied the child, "but I do hate 
 schools and books and as to these old 
 academies, I wish I could send them out 
 of the country, indeed, I do." 
 
 "You needn't laugh, Mr. Charlie for I 
 know you hate school." 
 
 "Who told you that ?" said Charlie. 
 
 "Why, I heard you say the other day 
 that skating did you a great deal more 
 good than the old college." 
 
 "I don't mind school and books so
 
 80 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 much," continued Nettie, "but I do not 
 want to be so long away from my canary, 
 and my kitten, and my pug dog." 
 
 All laughed at poor Nett's heavy sigh. 
 
 "Well," said grandma, "I will tell you 
 something about our schools. In the first 
 place,education in the Colonial days could 
 not be much attended to; facilities were 
 meagre. We managed to learn from our 
 fathers and mothers what they had 
 learned from their parents. Occasionally 
 there would come over among the emi- 
 grants or refugees from the Emerald Isle, 
 gentlemen of learning who would be glad 
 to get the position of 'tutor' in private 
 families, or assume the more onerous duties 
 of 'country school-master.' They taught 
 well, though it seems to have been the 
 idea of the times that the mastering of the 
 'Rule of Three' in Pike'* Arithmetic and 
 'Equations' in Bonny castle's Algebra con- 
 stituted education sufficient for practical
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 81 
 
 life. The children learned to write, not 
 on the beautifully ruled copy books of our 
 modern day, but on a coarse, rough paper, 
 the very sight of which would make our 
 delicate children nervous and their tender- 
 hearted mammas more so. 
 
 "Slates and pencils were scarce; the 
 children took them by turns or borrowed 
 from each other. They used small lap- 
 boards,painted white,and their crayons were 
 not the artistic charcoal ones of modern 
 make, but a bit of fire coal, which some of 
 the boys were very skilful in pointing; 
 every clever lad took a pride in keeping his 
 favorite girl supplied with a nice coal 
 pencil, so you see there was real gallantry 
 in the 'Colonial country school.' We 
 learned Latin, which was considered a 
 very essential branch of education; spelling 
 was very much attended to, and I think 
 we were better spellers than some high 
 scholars of the nineteenth century. My 
 
 6
 
 82 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 dear children, always try to spell correct- 
 ly. 
 
 "Ned wishes to know when steel pens 
 were introduced; well, we read that 
 metallic pens were in use among the ancient 
 Romans, and that one or more were found 
 among the ruins of Pompeii and Hercul- 
 aneum. Such as I see you have now 
 were introduced only a few years since. * 
 
 "But, withal," continued grandma, "our 
 men and women were educated and 
 highly cultivated; I meet very few now-a- 
 days to compare favorably with them." 
 
 "Did children have parties in your day, 
 grandma?" asked Nettie. 
 
 "Why, yes, my dear, they had very nice 
 ones, but not at night as you all have 
 
 *The first steel pens used in England were in- 
 vented by a Mr. Wise, in 1803, and a Mr. Pere- 
 grine Williamson, of Baltimore, took out the 
 first patent for manufacturing them in America, 
 in 1810. Chamber's Encyclopaedia.
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 83 
 
 these times. The little visitors were ex- 
 pected to arrive about three p.m. and to 
 leave about six, so that they might be 
 snug in bed by eight." 
 
 "Good gracious!" we all exclaimed, "in 
 bed at eight! Why, grandma, that was 
 barbarous. The poor, little children !" 
 
 "Indeed," replied grandma, "you would 
 all be healthier and better every way if 
 made to go to bed earlier than you do ; 
 I do not believe in children sitting up so. 
 late, or dancing and frolicking at night 
 like the old people; we were not allowed 
 to do it and we were very happy, I assure 
 you. But it is time for me to stop talk- 
 ing; I see Nett is sleepy, so good-night, 
 my darlings and a pleasant rest to you. "
 
 PART V. 
 
 REMINISCENCES OF OUR WAR WITH 
 ENGLAND, 1812 1814. 
 
 IT was a real January evening. After 
 a heavy fall of snow a drizzling rain set 
 in, which rendered travel difficult and 
 out-door exercise impossible, much to the 
 discomfort of our boys, Charlie especially, 
 as he had invited his skating club to meet 
 on our pond. Among his Christmas gifts 
 he had received a pair of patent skates, 
 which we suruamed "Seven League Boots," 
 so rapidly did they carry him over the ice, 
 and he was anxious to show them off. 
 
 Mother said to us : "Why don't you get 
 grandma to tell you one of her stories? " 
 
 "Sure enough," replied Charlie, "run 
 up, Nett, and sound the old lady, then tell
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 85 
 
 us how the wind blows, and if you get us 
 a story I'll pay you. " 
 
 "Will you give me a pair of skates ?" said 
 Nett. 
 
 "No," answered Charlie, "but I will 
 give you some trapped partridges. " 
 
 "All right," said Nett, and off she 
 tripped to grandma's room. 
 
 "Grandma," said Nett, "it is an awful 
 evening and mother says, if such another 
 day comes, she will make the boys hem 
 towels or do some kind of sewing ; they 
 are so tired in the house all day. " 
 
 "Poor darlings," replied dear grandma, 
 "tell them to come up to me and I will tell 
 them a story." 
 
 That was just the thing we wanted. 
 
 Down came Nett saying: "All right, 
 grandma says come, come." 
 
 One might have thought we had not 
 seen grandma for a week, so joyous was the 
 meeting, though she had dined with us
 
 86 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 and remained till nearly two o'clock chat- 
 ting, She usually dined and supped with 
 us, but adhered to her old-time early 
 breakfast, saying that she could not wait 
 for us " lazy boots. " 
 
 4 Well, " said grandma as we entered, 
 "do you want a story? " 
 
 " Yes, indeed, " we exclaimed, and Nett 
 added, " Tell us, grandma, what you 
 promised about the last war with England." 
 
 The old lady took out her watch and 
 seeing it was only fifteen minutes of five 
 said she would have sufficient time to give 
 us plenty of talk before the supper bell 
 would ring. 
 
 "Can any of you tell me," she said, "what 
 caused the war?" No one answered. 
 "Well" she continued, "the English 
 people never got over our shaking off their 
 yoke, and the acknowledgment of our 
 independence by European nations was 
 a thorn that rancoredin their hearts. They
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 87 
 
 lost no chance of showing it, and as they 
 were always fighting with some nation or 
 other, they needed soldiers and everything 
 else, so they had the assurance to attack 
 and search our vessels on the high seas, 
 pretending we had some of their men in 
 our service, and sometimes they carried off 
 not a few and pressed them into their army, 
 or imprisoned them. They also entered 
 our waters and carried away the vessels. 
 All that our government would not put up 
 with. They remonstrated in vain; the 
 English became bolder until at last Mr. 
 Madison, our fourth president, declared 
 war against them, June 19th, 1812. 
 
 In 1813, we had to fight their troops from 
 Canada, while numberless skirmishes took 
 place on the seas, all of which you must 
 read about in your histories. I will only tell 
 you what occurred in our own section of 
 the country, viz: Maryland. 
 
 "Early in 1814, Admiral Cockburn.
 
 88 GBAKDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 sailed along the coast of the southern 
 states and later entered the Chesapeake, 
 doing all he could to intimidate and annoy 
 the people. 
 
 "On August 17th, he was joined by a 
 large force of infantry under the celebrated 
 General Ross, who had come over under 
 the command of Admiral Cockrane. His- 
 tory says, General Ross landed at Benedict 
 on the Patuxent River, August 20th, 
 with a force of 5,000 men, and that Bene- 
 dict is distant from Washington twenty- 
 seven miles. That is a mistake, Benedict 
 cannot be less than forty miles from Wash- 
 ington and Ross did not land so strong a 
 force at Benedict ; only a small party 
 landed there, the others proceeded up the 
 Patuxent, some of whom landed at Notting- 
 ham, a small town below Marlboro ugh ; all 
 the others landed in the vicinity of Marlbo- 
 rough, which is about twenty-seven miles 
 from Washington. The forces concen-
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 89 
 
 trated at Marlborough. But I must tell 
 you about those that landed at Benedict. 
 They marched to a small village called 
 Bryantown, five miles from our residence, 
 and about twelve or fifteen miles northwest 
 of Benedict. They halted in the village a 
 day and night. Their conduct there was 
 not very gentlemanly. On the heights, 
 there lived an old lady named McPherson. 
 As she had known some of the ravages of 
 the Revolution, there was not much good 
 feeling in her heart for the Redcoat. 
 When she heard they were ascending the hill 
 leading to her residence, she went out to 
 meet them, (as she said) in her short gown 
 and petticoat, such as old ladies wore in 
 those days. She accosted the general 
 very civilly and enquired what business he 
 had with her. 'We are only reconnoitring, 
 madam, ' replied he. 'Have you any sons ?' 
 " 'Yes, I have one,' answered Mrs. Me., 
 'and he is at the cannon's mouth, ready to
 
 90 GBANDMA'S STOBIES. 
 
 put a ball through you or some of your 
 comrades. You have no business on our 
 land; we have never interfered with you 
 and you should have stayed at home, sir.' 
 The general smiled and enquired if she 
 could give them something to eat. 
 
 " 'Yes,' said the old lady, 'I will give you, 
 in God's name, all I have in my cupboard.' 
 Then calling to Jim, the colored man, she 
 directed him to put out all he could find, 
 after which she invited the soldiers into 
 her house. 
 
 "'Whose rifle is that over your door? T 
 queried the general. 
 
 " 'It was my husband's, sir, and he used 
 it well on your people years ago; it was on 
 his shoulder when he saw your Cornwallis 
 give up to Washington at Yorktown.' 
 
 " 'I would like to have it,' said the gen- 
 eral. 
 
 " 'You'll take my life first, sir,' said Mrs. 
 McPherson. 'I'll defend it to my last breath
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 91 
 
 and whoever dares to touch it will feel the 
 weight of my arm.' She advanced to the 
 fireplace, took up a strong poker and sta- 
 tioned herself beside the door on which 
 hung the rifle. 
 
 " 'You are very plucky,' said the general. 
 
 "'Yes,' she replied, 'and all my people 
 are of the same stamp, and I can tell you, 
 sir, that many of you who have come in to 
 fight us will never go out: your old car- 
 casses will be left on plucky soil. Just 
 then Uncle Jim entered with the eatables, 
 which he placed on a table. 
 
 " 'Good day, uncle,' said the general. 
 
 " 'Sarvint, sar,' answered Jim. 
 
 "'Will you come with us, uncle?' asked 
 the general. 
 
 " 'No, sar, I'se very well satisfied wid my 
 old missus, and won't leave her; she's good 
 tome.' 
 
 " 'How long have you been here, uncle?' 
 said one of the other officers.
 
 92 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 " 'Eber since I'se bin born, sar ; de old 
 missus of all riz me, sar.' 
 
 " 'You had better come with us, and 
 may be we'll take you whether or no,' said 
 the officer. 
 
 " 'Ah, sar,' answered Jim, 'dat trick was 
 played too often by your daddies and grand- 
 daddies in Gineral Washington's war. 
 They took my father and made him tote an 
 old sick Hissian into Virginnie, and dad said 
 he was the heaviest old varmint he eber 
 fetched on his back. But dad was a smart 
 nigger, sar, and he done watch for the 
 comin' of de night, and den he cut sticks 
 and flew from the Britishers, ha, ha, ha.' 
 
 " 'So you won't come, then?' 
 
 " 'Ah, sar, I know you all too well of old 
 and you ain't a gwine to catch dis nigger 
 asleep. ' 
 
 "No doubt they found old Jim too smart 
 for their use. 
 
 "Mrs. McPherson had a pet monkey
 
 GRANDMA'S STOREES. 9S 
 
 named Jacko. When he saw the Redcoats 
 he ran to the tip-top of a large old oak 
 in the front yard and no persuasion or coax- 
 ing could get him down. One of the offi- 
 cers said: 'I'll bring him down.' Crack 
 went his rifle and poor Jacko fell dead on 
 the ground. We may imagine the anger 
 of the old lady. She flew to her dear 
 monkey, took it in her arms and turning 
 to the officer said: 'You scoundrel of a 
 vandal; that shows what you are; what 
 harm did this poor creature do to any of you, 
 you vile rascals. Begone off my plantation. 
 I'm not afraid of any of your kind, and 
 God grant that you, sir, who killed my poor 
 monkey may soon fall as dead as he is 
 now. Go off, every one of you.' They 
 must have been ashamed of the brutality of 
 one of their number, and with a 'good day, 
 madam,' they hurried off. 
 
 "Whilst this was going on, Captain Gor- 
 don ascended the Potomac. History says
 
 94 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 he was very much molested on the banks 
 of that river. It might be truer to say he 
 molested the people on those shores, In 
 the lower part of Charles County, in Mary- 
 land, there is a tract of land called Cobb 
 Neck; it lies between the Potomac and 
 Wicomico, and as the name is somewhat 
 historic, I will give you its origin. 
 
 "In our early days we had no mint or 
 coins ; after the Declaration of Independence 
 we would not use the English money. 
 Traffic was mostly in vogue, that is, one 
 man would trade cotton for corn, another 
 give his corn for groceries, etc., etc. They 
 had, however, bars or rolls of silver of var- 
 ious sizes, the largest being the dollar roll. 
 
 "In moulding those bars, little divisions 
 were made so that each piece could easily be 
 chopped off as needed. Every piece of the 
 largest bar was the value of a dollar, and 
 they were called Cobb-dollars from the man 
 who suggested the silver bars, etc. With
 
 BANDMA'S STORIES. 95 
 
 such dollars that tract of land was purchased 
 by the early settlers, hence the name 
 'Cobb Neck.' 
 
 "There lived in Cobb Neck an old gentle- 
 man by the name of Hammersley; he was 
 a descendant of the English and celebrated 
 for his exquisite politeness. It was said 
 he never passed the smallest child without 
 raising his hat and saying: 'good morning,' 
 or 'good afternoon.' 
 
 "Once he noticed an opossum crossing his 
 path. He stopped his horse and said to 
 the animal: 'Pass by, Mr. Possum.' After 
 that he was surnamed 'Possum Pass by,' 
 
 'His grounds ran to the water's edge of 
 the Potomac, and his residence was but a 
 short distance from the landing. Captain 
 Gordon cast anchor directly opposite Mr. 
 Hammersley's plantation. The old gentle- 
 man, seeing several barges filled with Red- 
 coats coming toward his place, proceeded 
 to the landing to give them welcome. He
 
 96 GBANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 was most courteous and invited them to hi& 
 dwelling, set out wine, etc., and expressed 
 regret that his madam was not at home to 
 assist him in offeiing them hospitality. 
 They conversed for a length of time and 
 no allusion was made to the purport of 
 their visit plunder. On leaving they 
 politely thanked Mr. Hammersley for his 
 courtesy and assured him that nothing on 
 his place should be disturbed. In almost 
 every other house in the same section, 
 everything was lugged off that the men 
 could lay hold of. The feather beds, pil- 
 lows, etc., were taken to the windows and 
 doors, opened with bayonets and every 
 feather scattered to the winds. The poul- 
 try was shot down, the fruit and vegetables 
 carried away, and every outrage that could 
 be perpetrated marked their passage 
 through the neighborhood. Fortunately, 
 the women, children, servants, horses, etc., 
 had been sent into the interior of the coun-
 
 GRANDMAS STORIES. Ht 
 
 try, and the silver ;mol other valuables 
 .secreted in some place of safety. 
 
 "Some miles above Mr. Hammersley's, the 
 militia made a desperate stand and a smart 
 skirmish ensued. The British were wor- 
 sted, then continued their sail to Alexan- 
 dria, where they loaded their ships with 
 every species of merchandise. On descend- 
 ing the Potomac, they fired several times 
 into Cobb Neck, and, only a few years 
 since, large cannon balls were lying around 
 in the yards of some of the residences. 
 They were of immense Aveight, and chil- 
 dren could roll but not lift them. 
 
 "The American forces were concen- 
 trated near Washington, and their aim was 
 to keep between the enemy and the Capital. 
 The British wound themselves betwixt the 
 city and the road leading to Baltimore by 
 Bladensburg. They knew reinforcements 
 could join the Americans from that direct- 
 ion. They drew up their lines on a plain 
 
 7
 
 98 GRANDMA'S STOIUES. 
 
 near Bladerisburg, and the Americans 
 under General Winder, advanced to give 
 battle about noon, August 24. Your 
 father," said grandma, "can tell you more 
 of the fight than I, as he was a surgeon in 
 the marine corps under Commodore 
 Barney. 
 
 "Father had just graduated as physician 
 a few months previous, and when v the call 
 was made for troops in Georgetown, where 
 lie was at that time, he enlisted and 
 received the appointment of surgeon. He 
 said there was no reason why our men 
 should nothave been victorious, and thought 
 they would have been but for the cowardice 
 of their general, Winder, who. when the 
 fight was thickest, galloped off at full 
 speed. Then, of course, the ranks broke 
 and the soldiers began to scamper in all 
 directions. Commodore Barney and his 
 marines fought to the last, and fired back- 
 ward, when retreating from the enemy,
 
 GRANDMAS STOHIES. 
 
 who did not make any endeavor to pursue 
 the fugitives. Father used to say hi* gun 
 was the last fired by the Americans. 
 
 "So anxious were the victorious Redcoats 
 to enter the city, that they took no notice 
 of their wounded and dead on the battle- 
 field. Ross entered Washington about 
 eight in the evening. He and his 
 vandals spent the entire night in burning 
 and destroying everything they could lay 
 their hands on. Grandma said the flames 
 of the burning offices and buildings were 
 distinctly seen at her residence, fully 
 forty-five miles below Washington. 
 
 'After the battle, father was appointed 
 to visit the grounds and examine the dead 
 and wounded. The loss of the Americans 
 was about eighty ; that of the enemy about 
 two hundred and forty-nine. Among the 
 dead was a handsome young English 
 officer. In his pocket was found a Catholic 
 prayer lx>ok, bound in red and gold, and
 
 100 GRANDMA'S STOIUES. 
 
 within its leaves, a letter to his wife in 
 England. He told her his commission 
 would expire in three weeks and lie would 
 turn homeward, hoping to be with her 
 and his dear little ones in a few months, or 
 just as soon as he could be taken across the 
 ocean. There were marks of tears on his 
 letter, and poor father could never speak 
 of that circumstance without expressing 
 sympathetic regret. Our men buried the 
 enemy's - dead with their own. Ross left 
 Washington on the evening of August 2f>, 
 and reached his gunboats in the Patuxent 
 River on the 27th.' 
 
 "His next appearance was before Balti- 
 more, September 12th. On his march 
 toward the attack, it is said he remarked 
 he would sup in Baltimore or in the lower 
 regions. 
 
 "He did not sup in Baltimore, as he was 
 killed by a discharge ,of cannon about 
 3 p. m. Some say Ross was fired "at from
 
 CUANDMA'S STOKIKS. 101 
 
 a tree, by two daring bo} ? s of Baltimore, 
 who were instantly shattered into atoms 
 by the Redcoats. 
 
 "It was on the occasion of^the battle of 
 Baltimore, that the far famed "Star 
 Spangle*! Banner" 1 was written by the 
 patriotic Francis S. Key, of Maryland. 
 
 "But, my dear children," resumed 
 grandma, "we in lower Maryland were not 
 the only sufferers. The inhabitants of the 
 little town of Havre do Grace, at the 
 head of the Chesapeake, endured indigni- 
 ties and injury almost exceeding ours. 
 
 "The ships being so near, the enemy 
 could well load them with their booty ; 
 they ransacked every house and burnt 
 to the ground some of the handsomest 
 dwellings. 
 
 ''General Parker had command of that 
 division of the English troops, or vandals 
 as they may be truly called. O, my 
 children, war is a terrible scourge. And
 
 102 <;I:ANDMA'S STOUIKS. 
 
 may none of you ever have experience of 
 it. 
 
 "After the defeat at Fort MeHenry or 
 Baltimore, the enemy sailed around to New 
 Orleans, where they were met by a siipr- 
 rior force under the intrepid General 
 Andrew Jackson. A terrible battle ensued 
 and the British were driven back with 
 great loss. Almost at the beginning of 
 the fight, their leader, General Packenham, 
 fell mortally wounded. That, of course, 
 spread terror among his followers. I think 
 they must have been glad to sail out of 
 the Crescent City, though every hope of 
 conquering the Americans was lost. The 
 eighth of January will ever be a memorable 
 anniversary for the inhabitants of Ne\v 
 ( >rleans. 
 
 "Some Aveeks after, news was received 
 of a definite Treaty of Peace having been 
 signed at Ghent by the American and 
 English commissioners, and yon may be
 
 ;KAND.MA"S STOIIIKS. 103 
 
 sure there was great exultation and rejoic- 
 ing throughout our immense country; 
 everyone felt safe once more." 
 
 "Grandma,'' asked Kdward, "what be- 
 came of Lord Cornwallis after he sur- 
 rendered to General Washington? Did he 
 ever return to England ?" 
 
 " Why, yes, my dear," responded 
 grandma, "he went back and continued to 
 render service to his country for many 
 years. The last notable thing I remember 
 having heard of him was, that he was 
 commissioned to see Napoleon safely land- 
 ed on the Island of St. Helena, and you may 
 be sure he did that duty to perfection, and 
 saw that the poor general would never 
 have it in his power to move a budge from 
 the spot marked out for his last resting 
 place. Poor Napoleon!" 
 
 "Was he a good man, grandma?" en- 
 quired Charlie. 
 
 " Yes, Charlie, he was good in some
 
 104 <;I:AMMA'S STORIES. 
 
 respects, and very bad in others. He 
 was raised up by Almighty (rod for a 
 great work and he accomplished it ; had he 
 l>een content to remain as he was, lie 
 might have become one of the greatest 
 men the world ever beheld, but Napoleon 
 was elated by his success and became a 
 proud, ambitious man, desiring to conquer 
 the world, so it was well for his career to 
 be checked before too much mischief was 
 done by him. We all have good and 
 bad qualities, Charlie, and it is necessary 
 for us to be watchful and put to profit our 
 knowledge of them, ever endeavoring to 
 root out the bad and to improve the good, 
 that we may attain the end God had in 
 view in creating us. Another time 1 may 
 tell you more of some of the noted men 
 whose names you will see in history and 
 other good books. Xow, I think, it must 
 be time for us to stop. My watch says it 
 is near seven, the hour for tea."
 
 OUR ANCESTRAL HOMES. 
 
 BUSHWOOD, 
 
 ST. MARY'S COUNTY, MAKYLANH 
 
 THE nineteenth century is drawing to 
 a close and with its departed sisters 
 will soon be numbered with "The Ages of the 
 Past." From the first pages of its Annals 
 to the last, we can trace the workings of 
 an all-wise luler and His watchful Provi- 
 dence over our beloved country, thus 
 proving it to l>e the land of His adoption 
 and of His love. 
 
 Comparing the close of the century with 
 its commencement in America, we are lost 
 in wonder at the complete transformation 
 af all things around us and read with
 
 106 ;KAXIMA'S STMKIKS. 
 
 laudable pride, the events recorded by 
 histoiy, with the rise and progress of the 
 nation. History, however, has made no 
 mention of the lordly mansions of our 
 ante-Revolution or Colonial days, some 
 few of which still exist and are pointed 
 out as precious landmarks or links connect- 
 ing the present with the past and future. 
 It must be remembered that after the 
 settlement of the Colonies, not a few of 
 the English nobility emigrated to our 
 shores, bringing immense wealth, by which 
 they were enabled to maintain or keep up 
 the style and customs of the mother-coun- 
 try. Lavish were they in making their 
 homes and surroundings correspond with 
 their aristocratic ideas. Even after the 
 Declaration of Independence, the des- 
 cendants of the high-born lords, vaunted 
 their pedigree, displayed their coat of-arms, 
 emblazoned their coaches with heraldic 
 escutcheons and vied with each other in
 
 <;KAM>.MA'S STOKIKS. 107 
 
 showing the new world some of the pomp 
 and pageantry of the old. 
 
 But, it is of their mansions we wish to 
 give the rising generations an idea. 
 
 AVhere shall we find them? They are 
 dotted all along the heights of the historic 
 Potomac, on the elevated ridges of the 
 Wicomico and Patuxent rivers and on the 
 lowlands, whose shores are laved by the 
 bays and inlets that so beautifully indent 
 the coast of southern Maryland. In forest 
 districts also, and in the inland sections, 
 we may now and then meet an old 
 homestead, whose historic legends and 
 traditions have never been caught up by 
 pen or pencil, and which no doubt, would 
 throw a vivid light upon the days of yore. 
 It seems to be desirable that some energetic 
 historian or antiquarian, (one with mind 
 unprejudiced against sect or section, creed 
 or nation,) would come among the old 
 ruins of our lower counties and gather the
 
 108 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 historic points that have rested in oblivion 
 for centuries ; such a gleaner might find 
 the wherewith to add to his already well 
 iilled volumes, pages that would be read 
 with interest in every State and Territory 
 of our Union, or wherever a Maiylander 
 may be found, and such seem to be scatter- 
 ed broadcast throughout the land. 
 
 While awaiting that abler pen, \ve 
 venture to give a brief sketch of a few of 
 the old places of Colonial note, and shall 
 begin with the one most famous in the 
 history of our State, viz : ' BUSHWOOD," 
 the home for genemtions of the Anglo- 
 American Plowdens. 
 
 Kushwood is beautifully situated on an 
 eminence that slopes to the water's edge 
 of the Wicomico, quite near its confluence 
 with the Potomac. The mansion is 
 strongly built in the old ancestral style of 
 England and of material imported from the 
 mother-land. The prospect from the resi-
 
 <;I:AXIIA"S STORIES. 109 
 
 dence and heights can scarcely be surpassed. 
 For miles the Potomac may be seen wind- 
 ing its way northward toward our grand 
 Metropolis, Washington, at which point it 
 takes its course to the mountains of the 
 northwest, where its tiny source may be 
 found. 
 
 Though the river is about eleven miles 
 in width at its junction with the Wicomico, 
 the shores and hills of Virginia are dis 
 tinctively visible from Bush wood. With 
 a strong spy glass, or telescope, the farmer 
 may be seen tilling the soil and the cattle 
 browsing on the green sward above the 
 river. 
 
 Directly opposite Bush wood is the 
 historic "Cobb Neck" in Charles Co. ; so 
 low is its situation between the two rivers, 
 that a beholder from the heights is seized 
 with a fear of its sinking below the 
 waters. After a dead level of about six 
 or seven miles, the surface . of Cobb
 
 110 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 Neck begins a gradual ascent to the 
 highland above, where the elevations o 
 the Potomac on the left and those 
 of the Wicomico on the right, verge 
 into a dense woodland, usually called 
 'Picawaxen Forest." 
 
 A drive through that forest in spring or 
 summer is most delightful: the level road 
 wends for miles in a perfect shade, then 
 cuts through a pine forest, leaving on either 
 side a mass of brush and underwood so 
 dense as to be impenetrable to the rays of 
 a noonday sun. The monotony of the 
 drive is tempered by a view, now and 
 then, of a handsome residence, with its 
 fields of growing grain, tobacco and the 
 like. Occasionally, a cleared spot gives 
 the traveller a glimpse of the Potomac 
 and the far away Blue Mountains of 
 Virginia. Birds of every sort and species 
 flit by and 'overhead, heedless of the 
 stranger and fearless of molestation.
 
 QRANDHA'S STOKLKS. Ill 
 
 Of that beautiful forest, one at Bush- 
 wood has a clear view. In the autumnal 
 months, when the foliage presents every 
 variety of color and shade, we might ask 
 if such a spot is not something beyond the 
 ordinary creation of nature. We can 
 never tire viewing the works of God from 
 the heights of Bushwood. 
 
 The earliest mention of this old resi- 
 dence, we find in the history of Bancroft, 
 where it is written: "The first represent- 
 ative assembly emanating from the people 
 was held at Bushwood." It is also said 
 by the same author, "that a resolve as to 
 the ancient coinage of Maryland was made 
 there by the burgesses about the year 
 1654." 
 
 The next mention of Bushwood is 
 met in the will of Gerard Slye, made in 
 the year 1753, in which he bequeaths the 
 half of Bushwood to his son, George 
 Slye, and the other half to his wife, Mary
 
 112 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 Slye, during her natural life, with the 
 condition of its going to George Slye at 
 the death of the widow. 
 
 Again, in the will of George Slye, made 
 in 1773, Bushwood is bequeathed to his 
 nephew, Edmund Plowden, in case his 
 widow. Clara Slye, dies without heirs; her 
 only child, Mollie Slye, died when seven 
 years of age and, of course, the Bushwood 
 estate accrued to said Edmund Plowden 
 and his heirs. 
 
 In the same will of George Slye, his 
 wife, Clara, was bequeathed two acre? of 
 land on which stood a chapel, near the 
 residence, Bushwood. The chapel has 
 since risen to the large and handsome 
 Church of the Sacred Heart, which is at- 
 tended by the Jesuit Fathers of Leonard- 
 town. In the cemetery attached to the 
 church, may be found handsome tombs and 
 flagstones, bearing the names of -the Plow- 
 den and 4)ther families, for generations.
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 113 
 
 Said George Slye and his sister Hen- 
 rietta, who married Edmund Plowden, the 
 father of the first owner of Bush wood, 
 were the only surviving children of Gerard 
 Slye, Esq., a man of note and power under 
 the British Government. His estate in 
 Maryland becoming somewhat involved, 
 he made a voyage to England, either to 
 recover property or to attend a lawsuit. 
 As soon as he left America, his wife, 
 Mary Slye, began to curtail expenses, and 
 in seven years, the length of his stay 
 abroad, the estate was cleared of difficulty 
 and she hastened to join him in England. 
 He returned with her and soon after be- 
 came a Catholic. Their two children, 
 George and Henrietta, were left to the 
 training of the mother, yet, on account of 
 the father being a Protestant and the laws 
 against Roman Catholics so rigid, she was 
 compelled to send them every Sunday to 
 the Protestant Church; the children would
 
 114 GRANDMA'S STCRIES 
 
 enter the church, make a noise to attract 
 the attention of the Congregation, then 
 run to the servants in waiting outside, 
 and be driven to the Catholic Church, 
 where their mother was worshipping. 
 The Slyes lived very handsomely; their 
 equipage was among the best in the coun- 
 try. The old English style of livery was 
 a buckskin suit with brass buttons, a black 
 hat with gilt band, and high black boots. 
 A curious fact relative to the daughter, 
 Henrietta, deserves mention. She was a 
 young lady of great beauty and among 
 her suitors was a nobleman of English 
 birth. One night she dreamed she saw 
 the English lover, with another young 
 man attired in black, appear before the 
 judgment-seat of God. The Englishman 
 was rejected, and the gentleman in mourn- 
 ing accepted. The dream made such an 
 impression on the mind of Miss Henrietta, 
 that she discarded the English lover.
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 115 
 
 Soon after, she met Edmund Plowden, in 
 whom she recognized the stranger of the 
 dream. He proposed and was accepted. 
 
 Edmund Plowden, the husband of Hen- 
 rietta Slye, was the lineal descendant 
 of Sir Edmund Plowden, Earl of New 
 Albion. Sir Edmund Plowden received, 
 in 1634, a Charter from Charles I. of Eng- 
 land, the commencement of which runs 
 thus: "To Sir Edmund Plowden, Earl, 
 Knight, Lord Palatine, Proprietary and 
 Governor of New Albion, etc." In an- 
 other part of the said Charter, Sir Edmund 
 is granted, "four hundred miles of land, 
 lying on the Bay of Delaware, between 
 Virginia and the New England States." 
 
 We learn from the old records in St. 
 Mary's county, that a tract of land, con- 
 sisting of 4,000 acres, was surveyed March 
 24th, 1650, and the possessor, George 
 Plowden. The tract was called "Resur- 
 rection Manor."
 
 116 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 Again, a place called "The Tavern," 
 consisting of 200 acres, was surveyed 
 March 20th, 1670, George Plowden, pos- 
 sessor. 
 
 " Plovvden's Discovery, " granted to 
 Edmund Plowden, 1746, was devised by 
 his will, dated 1757, to his son, Francis 
 Gerard Plowden. 
 
 From the many investigations into the 
 genealogy of the Plowdens, no possible 
 doubt can exist of the lineal descent of 
 the American Plowdens from the old Sir 
 Edmund, Earl, Knight, Lord Palatine and 
 Governor of the Province of New Albion, 
 according to the Charter of 1634; nor can 
 it be denied that the rights, privileges, and 
 titles by which Sir Edmund was honored, 
 belonged to his descendants in America, 
 and had investigation been made by them 
 at an earlier date than what we have, every 
 difficulty might have been removed. 
 
 The late Most Rev. James Whitfield,
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 117 
 
 the fourth Archbishop of Baltimore, assured 
 some members of the Plowden family in 
 America, that he was raised and educated 
 in England, in the same neighborhood as 
 the Plowden s, and was intimately ac- 
 quainted with the family. He saw a 
 striking resemblance in the American 
 Plowdens to those in England. 
 
 A few years since, some of the descen- 
 dants of the Plowden family journeyed 
 to England to obtain important facts 
 relative to their English ancestry. They 
 visited Temple Church, London," to view 
 the tomb where the remains of Sir 
 Edmund Plowden, Jurist, (grandfather of 
 Sir Edmund of Albion,) are entombed in 
 a handsome sarcophagus, surmounted by a 
 life-size figure in effigy, of the noble dead 
 resting beneath. 
 
 The Plowdens were connected by mar- 
 riage and relationship to the leading 
 families of Maryland and Virginia, viz:
 
 118 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 the Brents, Neales, Fen wicks, Carrolls,etc., 
 and history can tell the services rendered 
 to State and Church by their worthy 
 descendants. 
 
 We read that after the disturbances of 
 Clayborne, 1635, Protestantism attained 
 its ascendancy in Maryland, and that not- 
 Avithstanding the " Repeal Act, " passed in 
 1649, the Legislature of Maryland, five 
 years later, declared the Catholics "not 
 entitled to the protection of the laws of the 
 State." 
 
 The indignities and insults to which they 
 were subjected, we have learned from the 
 traditions handed down by our Catholic 
 ancestors, as well as from those who were 
 opposed to our religion. In 1661, rights 
 being restored to Lord Baltimore, the 
 Catholics, for about thirty years, enjoyed 
 comparative peace, or until the fall of the 
 Stuart dynasty, 1688. 
 
 William of Orange found the English
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 119 
 
 people but too ready and willing to re-open 
 the blood-stained paths that had been 
 traced in the time of the lawless Henry 
 and his winsome, wily daughter Elizabeth; 
 consequently, the spirit of animosity was 
 again stirred against the Catholics of 
 Maryland and they endured persecution 
 and trials untold, until the Declaration of 
 Independence. 
 
 Sir George Slye not being a Catholic 
 at the time accounts for his residence being 
 a rendezvous for the government officials 
 of Maryland. Annapolis was selected for 
 the capital of the State only in 1699. 
 
 Edmund Plowden, great grandson of 
 the Earl of Albion, married Jennette 
 Hammersley of St. Mary's Co., Decem- 
 ber 5th, 1779, and from them our States 
 and Counties have had some of their 
 most distinguished statesmen and citizens 
 of every profession, and too much cannot 
 be said of their noble efforts to sustain the
 
 120 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 rights and privileges of their countrymen, 
 irrespective of creed or worship. To them, 
 especially, is the Catholic Church in 
 America greatly indebted for their stead- 
 fast faith during the turbulent days of 
 prejudiced ascendency, for, certainly, it 
 was not a little encouragement to the more 
 lowly to behold strict adherence to "Roman 
 Catholicity," among the wealthy and in- 
 fluential portion of the struggling Church. 
 
 Rev. Charles Plowden, a relative of the 
 owners of Bushwood, was among the early 
 missionaries of lower Maryland, and much 
 has been told of his noble zeal and gener- 
 osity. He bestowed his large fortune upon 
 the missions and lived in bare sufficiency 
 during his laborious career, far from the 
 comforts of family and home. He returned 
 to Europe when his days were drawing to 
 a close and died in France. 
 
 Sir Edmund Plowden, consort of 
 Jennette Hamersley, was registered as a
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 121 
 
 member of the Maryland Legislature in 
 1791, and was still there in 1798, six years 
 previous to his demise, April 20, 1804, his 
 wife having preceded him to the tomb by 
 only a few months. 
 
 The venerable Mrs. Austin Jenkins, now 
 residing in Wilmington, Delaware, is the 
 only surviving member of their third 
 generation. Though a little over the four- 
 score of years, her intellect is unimpaired 
 and her memory clear and retentive. Her 
 children may well rise up and call her 
 blessed. 
 
 Edmund Plowden, of William, the last 
 of his race to possess Bushwood, died in 
 1864. After his demise the beautiful 
 homestead passed into the hands of 
 strangers, who are most courteous in point- 
 ing out to tourists and visitors every spot 
 of interest in the mansion and its surround- 
 ings. The old Council Hall is still to be 
 seen and one can but exclaim on entering
 
 122 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 it: "Would that walls could speak." 
 As nations pass away with time and 
 dynasties change, so do we find that of the 
 old influential families of our Colonial days, 
 there is scarcely a member to perpetuate 
 the memory of, or to carry to coming 
 generations the name of his noble ancestors. 
 Truly, a lesson to teach us the vanity and 
 nothingness of all here below, save what 
 has reference to the kingdom of Heaven. 
 
 But Bushwood cannot die ; it must 
 live in the heart of the patriot and be 
 cherished for its connection with the 
 history of the early struggle of our nation 
 for the liberty it now boasts of. In the 
 near future there may be found someone 
 to investigate, more closely, the right it has 
 to a prominent place in the general history 
 of our great Republic. 
 
 Of those that clustered around the 
 festive board of Bushwood, (whose very 
 name is synonomous with hospitality), but
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 123 
 
 few remain and they are scattered far and 
 near. In the days when the land was filled 
 with peace and plenty, Bushwood was the 
 centre of attraction. 'Twas there that the 
 lord and lady met to trip the light fan- 
 tastic toe ; to feast on the luxuries of the 
 deep, taken by themselves in their fishing- 
 parties, turtle-hunts, etc. 'Twas there 
 that the needy sought and obtained assist- 
 ance, that the Catholic missionary found 
 rest and quiet after his arduous duties and 
 fatiguing rides, for then the Catholic 
 missions were few and far between. 'Twas 
 there the neighbor sought consolation and 
 solace in his hour of trial, the wayfarer 
 a refuge from the tempest and the be- 
 nighted traveller, a home in a strange 
 land. 
 
 We will glance once more at the hal- 
 lowed walls, the deeply recessed windows, 
 the corridors and spacious halls, and all 
 that bespeak the ancient glory of the
 
 124 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 historic Bush wood, 'then hang upon its 
 time-honored portals the following tribute 
 of affection and due appreciation of what 
 it was in the days of yore and what it will 
 ever be in history. 
 
 The *liarp that once thro' Bushwood's hall* 
 
 The soul of music shed, 
 Is hush'd and still within its walls 
 
 As Bushwood's noble dead. 
 
 No more will chevalier and knight 
 
 In tilting make their mark, 
 Nor sportsman hunt the fallow deer 
 
 In Bushwood's lordly park. 
 
 The glory of its day is gone, 
 
 And peace be to its Shade, 
 'Round which the laurels Hist'ry twined 
 
 Will never wilt or fade. 
 
 *The last harpist of Bush wood was Henrietta 
 Plowden, daughter of William.
 
 BLENHEIM OF COLONIAL DAYS 
 
 IN lower Maryland, on the heights of the 
 beautiful Potomac, and not very dis- 
 tant from its junction with the waters of 
 the Chesapeake, the old Blenheim mansion 
 peered above the surrounding residences 
 of the picturesque vicinity. It was built 
 in the latter part of the seventeenth cen- 
 tury, and was famed for the strength and 
 solidity of its structure. Its owner was 
 Squire Lee, a descendant of one of the 
 Lees who emigrated from England soon 
 after the settlement of Maryland by the 
 Cal verts. Not only the mansion but all 
 the out-houses, stables and pigeon-house, 
 were, built of brick imported from England 
 for the purpose. Modern builders have as- 
 serted that those bricks were made of 
 quite a different material or earth from
 
 126 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 what has ever been found in our section of 
 North America. The English brick is 
 thoroughly red and hard to break. 
 
 The old mansion was a square building, 
 two stories high, with an attic. The roof, 
 for more than half its length and breadth, 
 was arranged for a fish-pond, and it was 
 said that the old Squire actually supplied 
 his table with trout caught by himself in 
 that overhead fishery; no one else was 
 ever allowed to fish there. 
 
 The windows of the mansion were most 
 curiously constructed, and consisted of 
 many panes of stained glass, all very small 
 and of different sizes, shapes and colors. 
 When the evening sun reflected its rays 
 upon them, the effect within was enchant- 
 ing, and dazzling without. The heavy 
 damask curtains added not a little to the 
 boauty of the scene, especially about sun- 
 set. 
 
 All around the roof was an iron railing,
 
 GEANDMA'S STOKIE*. 127 
 
 to prevent accident to those who loved to 
 ascend for the magnificent view there pre- 
 sented. For miles, or as far as the eye 
 could reach, the most beautiful of American 
 forests, the green, hills and plains of Vir- 
 ginia, and, on a clear day, the far off Blue 
 Ridge Mountains, formed a panorama that 
 the eye rested upon with delight. 
 
 When the old Squire desired to be the 
 perfect Englishman, he invited his visitors 
 and guests to a view of the surrounding 
 country, through his "first class spy-glass," 
 as he termed it. At the south end of the 
 roof, a small tower was erected to protect 
 the instrument, which was kept mounted, 
 except in bad weather, then there would 
 be quite a ceremony of calling in two or 
 three stalwart darkeys to aid in lowering a 
 movable covering for the " dear telescope." 
 Viewed through the instrument, the sceqe 
 at night was one of grandeur, especially in 
 the autumnal months, when Orion, Taurus,
 
 128 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 and the sister constellations appear in their 
 glory. It was the Squire's greatest pleas, 
 ure to watch and note the rising, the cul- 
 mination and the setting of the stars, and 
 when the nights were cloudy, lie was sure 
 to be in a disagreeable mood. 
 
 He delighted also in fox-hunting, and 
 his hounds were generally pronounced the 
 best in the country. When he heard them 
 praised his usual comment was : "English 
 blood in them." Many a brush did he 
 send to his friends "at home," as England 
 was often called in those days. 
 
 He kept a set of handsome barges for 
 crossing the Potomac, to visit his clan in 
 Virginia. Occasionally he gave magnifi- 
 cent entertainments, all on the English 
 plan and in the English style. We never 
 heard of the old Squire having any sons; 
 we only know of two daughters, one of 
 whom survived him. If noblemen could 
 have been hooked as easily as the trout in
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 129 
 
 the father's skyey pond, they might not 
 have died wailing their single blessedness. 
 
 The Squire was on intimate terms with 
 General Washington, and they frequently 
 exchanged visits. After the first inaugu- 
 ration, he tendered a grand banquet to the 
 President. Ladies and gentlemen, from far 
 and near, attended in full colonial costume 
 and it was said that the head-dress of the 
 hostess towered fully a foot above her pow- 
 dered hair. The best band of music that 
 New York could boast of, was hired for the 
 occasion at an enormous expense. The 
 dance was kept up from nine in the even- 
 ing to near dawn. 
 
 Washington and many other Virginians 
 attended the funereal rites of the old Squire. 
 The service was performed by the then lead- 
 ing minister of the Church of England, th e 
 old Domino Campbell. His eulogy was 
 long and gratifying to the family and 
 friends.
 
 130 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 It was the custom of all the old English 
 settlers to have their burial-ground quite 
 near to, and within sight of the family resi- 
 dence. Every individual grave was sur- 
 rounded by a brick wall about three or four 
 feet in height and covered with a massive 
 flagstone of the best marble, on which were 
 engraved the name of the deceased, his age, 
 date of emigration and demise. All the 
 slabs were imported from Europe, and 
 sometimes it was years before the last rest- 
 ing place of a dear one was completed. 
 
 The last survivor of the old Squire, El- 
 iza Lee, died soon after the close of the 
 Revolutionary War, or about 1792. Be- 
 fore breathing her last, she confided to a 
 very special friend the secret of having in 
 her possession a bag of gold coin, which she 
 requested should be placed Hinder her 
 head in the coffin, and buried with her. 
 The promise seems to have been made, but 
 how kept we do not know. It is certain
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 131 
 
 that a bag of something went with her re- 
 mains to the brick-walled sepulchre and 
 was safely deposited beneath the powdered 
 hair and fine ornaments that decorated 
 Miss Eliza's seat of knowledge her royal 
 head. 
 
 Such a wonderful secret was hard to 
 keep and we are not surprised to hear it 
 was the talk of the neighboring counties 
 within three days after the royal decease. 
 As the sepulchre had not yet been hermeti- 
 cally sealed, and the expensive flagstone not 
 at hand, two darkeys ventured in search of 
 the gold on the second night after burial. 
 A little after twelve they started and 
 advanced toward the grave with cautious 
 steps ; the small lantern they carried gave 
 very poor light and they were careful to 
 keep the dark side turned toward the 
 mansion. They quietly removed the 
 temporary stone, lifted the royal remains 
 and drew forth the coveted prize, then
 
 132 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 gently laid the dame to rest again, and 
 replaced the stone. 
 
 "Aren't we the lucky fellows," said Jim 
 to Josh, "to be gittin' dat ole squire's 
 fortune and de ole witch's cash. Hurrah!" 
 
 "Jump up here," said Josh, " and let us 
 frustricate it," and they mounted a tomb- 
 stone. 
 
 Josh, giving the bag a shake, said : 
 
 "Dare no jingle in dis bag, Jim." 
 
 "O," replied Jim, "dat's bekase its 
 Inglish gool, and dat don't jingle you 
 know ; let's be at it." 
 
 The bag was sewn together with very 
 strong thread, that rendered it more diffi- 
 cult to open than was the grave or coffin. 
 
 "Well, come ; you pull one ob de strings, 
 Jim, and I'll pull de oder," said Josh, 
 "and see who gits it ajar de fust." 
 
 "Stop, Josh," said Jim. "What's you 
 gwine to do wid de money when you gits 
 it?"
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 133 
 
 "I'll hide it fust, and arter dat I'm 
 gwine to buy a boss and cart for Judy and 
 de chillun to ride in of a Saunday," ans- 
 wered Josh, "and what's you gwine to do 
 wid yourn?" 
 
 "O, I'se a gwine to git a plantation to 
 raise taters on and not be beholding to de 
 white folks any longer. Ain't dat a gittin 
 np in de world?" 
 
 "Come, let's begin de opperation arid be 
 done with it ; you pull one end ob de 
 string, Jim, and I pulls de oder. Here 
 goes it, we'll open together Jim, pull 
 away. " 
 
 The bag flew open and lo! Instead of 
 gold, hickory nuts and black walnuts 
 tumbled out on the tombstone. 
 
 "Whew, whew! ain't dis a spilt job, 
 Josh?" said Jim. 
 
 Their white eyeballs might have been 
 seen at quite a distance ; they looked on 
 with wide opened jaws and knew not what
 
 134 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 to think or say ; their hopes were dashed 
 to the ground, Josh scratched his head and 
 after considering a while, both roared out 
 in a loud laugh. 
 
 "Well," said Jim, "let's make de best of 
 de bargin and eat the nuts." 
 
 In those days the darkies were very apt 
 in impromptu songs and had great facility 
 inputting thei/ words to music. By the 
 following week a very lively song was 
 going the rounds in the neighborhood, and 
 soon became very popular. It ran thus: 
 
 Miss Liza Lee, Miss Liza Lee, your gold is turned 
 
 to nuts, 
 We'll crack and eat ; den fling the bulls into de 
 
 ole cart ruts 
 Miss Liza Lee, Miss Liza Lee, we wonder where's 
 
 you now ; 
 We guess if you'd come top agin you'd raise a 
 
 dandy row. 
 Miss Liza Lee, you'd better stay jist down dar 
 
 wbar you is, 
 Kase be dat's got your bag of gold will always 
 
 sware it's his.
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES, 135 
 
 The darkeys cracked nuts and ate until 
 near day-break. For a few days they kept 
 very quiet, fearing the white folks would 
 get wind of the robbery and have them 
 arraigned before the court of justice. How- 
 ever, the rumor got afloat that Miss Lee was 
 up every night about twelve, sitting on her 
 tombstone cracking nuts, and so strong 
 was the belief that for years no darkey 
 would pass within gunshot of the old 
 graveyard after night fall. Only a few 
 years since it was pointed out to the visit- 
 ing tourist as a dangerous spot. At one 
 time the old mansion was said to be 
 haunted also, and various were the tales 
 and stories of hobgoblins dwelling therein. 
 
 Report said no one ever returned who 
 had been seen to enter the house or go 
 near it after sunset. Noises were heard, 
 groans, etc., even in broad daylight ; 
 everyone shunned the place. At length 
 five young gentlemen determined to as-
 
 136 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 certain what the trouble was and to lay 
 the ghost, if any there were. According- 
 ly, they went to pass a night in the old 
 mansion, taking with them rifles, pis- 
 tols, some bottles of wine, etc. About 
 eleven they heard the drawing back of 
 a bolt on the door leading from the cellar 
 below. They secreted themselves so as 
 not to be seen. After a few minutes 
 a huge darkey emerged from be-hind 
 the door and advanced too far into 
 the room to retreat before being seized. 
 He was terrified and at the pistol's point 
 gave his history. He was a poor fugi- 
 tive slave from Virginia, and with five 
 others had been living in the old mansion 
 for nearly two years. At night they went 
 out foraging for food, etc., and during 
 the day uttered groans, etc., that they 
 knew would frighten off visitors. He 
 declared they were perfectly harmless and 
 if the gentlemen would allow it, he would
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 137 
 
 call his companions and let them speak 
 for themselves. 
 
 The gentlemen saw the poor, frightened 
 fugitives and believed their sad story. 
 They advised the darkeys to make their 
 way out of the county as quickly as pos- 
 sible ; gave them money and clothing, and 
 kept Avatch over the old residence until 
 they knew it was vacated. Many years 
 after, one of the gentlemen was travelling 
 in New York State and met one of his old 
 friends at a hotel. The waiter made him- 
 self known to his kind liberator, and 
 could not do enough for him dining his 
 stay at the hotel. He said the other five 
 were doing well in the country, and had 
 often wondered how their kind friends 
 were, or if they had survived the Civil 
 War, etc. 
 
 When the writer last visited Blenheim, 
 the lower rooms only were fit for habitation 
 and they were occupied by mulattoes.
 
 138 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 
 
 The beautiful and curious winding stairs 
 leading to the story above, and where the 
 old relics were kept, were so rickety 
 that it was unsafe to attempt ascent. 
 
 The most noted of the relics was a 
 coach, said to have been the first brought 
 to the United States, or Colonies, The 
 entire body of the vehicle was a bright 
 yellow ; the upper parts of black leather ; 
 the coachman's seat much lower than the 
 seats within. There were, also, several 
 old style chairs, quite unlike any we see 
 in the present day. 
 
 But ; alas for Blenheim ! During the 
 Civil War of 1861-1864, the time-honored 
 mansion was razed to the ground by the 
 Unionists. All the beautiful bricks, each 
 of which could have told a tale of the past, 
 were carried off for the purpose of building 
 ovens, etc., at the places of rendezvous on 
 the shores and banks of the Potomac, and 
 for what other uses they were needed. It is
 
 GRANDMA'S STORIES. 139 
 
 said that many of the bricks were sold to 
 the darkeys, or given to them in reward for 
 the service they rendered to the portions 
 of the army scattered in different sections 
 of the county during the winter months. 
 Such a dilapidation and sucli destruction 
 of an old, historic residence can but call 
 forth the exclamation : "/SYc transit gloria 
 mundi"
 
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