Conclusion Of The Revolutionary War

if "cannot be procured in any other way, must be impressed." On July 25th, Council made requisition for supplies for the army, and Cheater County was required to furnish eight hundred barrels of flour per month, two thousand bushels of forage per month, two hundred horses, forty wagons, and five hundred militia; and, on August 8th, David Denny for First; Owen Thomas, Second; Joseph Luckey, Third; David Wilson, Fourth; Thomas Strawbridge, Fifth; John Crosby, Sixth; George Price, Seventh, and Joseph Spear for Eighth Battalion, to collect quota of horses in Chester County, under direction of Col. Andrew Boyd, wagon-master. On August 10th, John Beatan was appointed paymaster of the militia, with instructions that Continental money was to be paid out at the rate of sixty dollars for one in that of State issues. As an illustration of the depreciation of Continental money, - owing to the fact that Congress then could not levy a tax to provide for the redemption of these issues, - some of the payments made for cattle in 1780 are annexed:

June 20, 1780. John Crozer received $6000 for 5 head of cattle.
June 27, 1780, Gideon Gilpin £2400 for 6 cattle.
June 27, 1780, Israel Gilpin £700 for 20 sheep.
June 27, 1780, James Hannum £2000 for 5 cattle.
June 27, 1780, Caleb Pyle £1240 for 5 cattle.
July 12, 1780, Isaac Sewell £19,106 for 14 head of beef cattle.

In the latter month, Commissary-Gen. Ephraim Blaine gave notice that William Evans was his representative in Chester County to receive live stock; and that "the magazine" for such supplies was located in Philadelphia.

Early in April, 1782, - for the vessel did not sail from Philadelphia until the 8th of that month, - occurred in Delaware Bay the remarkable engagement between the Pennsylvania vessel-of-war "Hyder Ali," commanded by Capt. Joshua Barney, and the British ship "General Monk." The American vessel carried sixteen six-pound guns and a crew of one hundred and ten men, while that of the English had one hundred and thirty-six men and twenty nine-pounders. The victory of the former was largely due to the fact that the understanding between Barney and his men was that every order should be executed as though an exactly opposite command bad been given. Thus, while the two vessels were approaching each other. Barney cried out, "Hard a-port your helm; do you want him to run aboard of us?" The Englishman heard the order and made preparations to counteract the movement, as the American captain hoped, so that when Barney's vessel answered the helm, which had been clapped hard a-starboard by the men at the wheel; the enemy's jib-boom caught in the fore-rigging of the "Hyder Ali," and there remained during the short engagement which followed, giving the latter a raking position. The same confusion of orders mystified the British captain throughout the action, for, as understood, when Barney gave the command "Board!" his men were to fire, and when he shouted "Fire!" they were to board. When the vessels ran together, as stated, Barney in a loud voice gave the order "Board!" and the stubborn Englishmen crowded forward to repel the enemy, when a broadside was discharged at close range; and so rapidly did the American gunners load, that in twenty-six minutes, the time the action lasted, the "Hyder Ali" had fired twenty broadsides. The English vessel kept her colors flying until she had twenty killed and thirty-three wounded. Among the former were the first lieutenant, purser, surgeon, boatswain, and gunner; among the latter Capt. Rogers and every officer on board, except a midshipman. The American loss was four killed and eleven wounded. Captain Barney left the "Hyder Ali" at Chester, at which place he took Capt. Rogers ashore to the house of a Quaker lady, who nursed him until he had entirely recovered from his wounds. The victor proceeded to the city in his prize.

In the latter part of 1782, Col. Hannum, Col. Frazier, and Dr. Gardner, as representatives of the Council in Chester County, seized a quantity of British goods while passing through the county, designed for the prisoners of war at Lancaster. The wagon-train was under a flag of protection granted by Washington. The seizure was made because of some alleged violation of the passport granted to those having the goods in charge. Congress, immediately after receiving information of the fact, took action in the matter, and it was presented to the attention of Council in such a manner that the latter required the opinion of Attorney-General Bradford as to whether Council could summarily dispose of the case, and thus prevent a trial of the cause in Chester County. Bradford was clearly of opinion that Council had no authority to interfere, asserting that if the goods seized were necessary for the prisoners of war and were covered by a passport issued by the commander-in-chief, they were not contraband or liable to condemnation; if the passports had been violated the offense was one against the law of nations, and punishable in our courts of judicature. On Jan. 17. 1783, Congress appointed a committee to confer with Council on the subject, and the following day President John Dickinson, in a special message, called the attention of the attorney-general to the matter. On the 21st the committee of Congress, a committee from the General Assembly, and Council met in the chamber of the latter body, where the question was discussed, and the position of each fully understood, and adjourned to the 23d, when a representation of the case as agreed on was drafted, which, after being signed by Cols. Hannum and Frazier and Dr. Gardner, was referred to Congress, and thus the difficulty terminated; although on March 24, 1783, John Gardner, sheriff of Chester County, a brother of the doctor, was instructed by Council to proceed with the utmost diligence in securing such of the goods seized in the county which had not as yet been delivered to the person designated by the Secretary of War to receive the articles.