From The Second War With England To 1850.

M. G. Lescure, represented the county of Delaware at the military convention of the State, which assembled at Harrisburg January 2d of that year. Col. Price was one of the four vice-presidents of that convention. He was succeeded in command of the Pennsylvania Artillerists by Capt. John K. Zeilin. In 1817 the Union Troop, of Chester and Delaware Counties, was a military organization existing in the two counties, and at Paoli in 1817 had the right of the line under the command of Capt. Harris. This organization continued until 1838, when it was commanded by Capt. William Haines, and John Lindsay was its first lieutenant. In 1824 the Forty-ninth Regiment of militia of the county of Delaware was commanded by Col. John Smith, Lieut.-Col. Benjamin F. Johnson, and Maj. Abner Barrett; while the Thirty-eighth Regiment, of the same county, was commanded by Col. Benjamin Wetherby, Lieut.-Col. Benjamin Smith, and Maj. Jonathan David.

In 1857, the Delaware County Volunteers, organized about 1822, was disbanded, and from its fragments a new company - the Harmony Rangers - was formed, Capt. Jesse L. Green commanding, who was succeeded by Capt. Simon Leany. It was disbanded in 1842. In 1834, Lieut.-Col. Henry Myers was in command of the Delaware County Volunteer Battalion, succeeding Col. George G. Leiper in that office.

Besides the foregoing military organizations, in 1824 there was a company of militia known as the Washington Artillerists, in 1833 the Union Guards, Capt. George Kirk, and Jesse Sharpless orderly sergeant, and in 1840 the Delaware County Rangers, Capt. Samuel Hall.

On Friday, Oct. 11, 1833, the City Troop of Philadelphia, commanded by Capt. Hart, was met at Darby by the Delaware County Troop and escorted to Chester, where they remained until the Monday following, when they returned to Philadelphia, stopping to dine on that day at the tavern kept by J. R. Lamplugh, in Darby.

During the riots of 1844 in Philadelphia, a meeting was held at the court-house in Chester, on July 15th, at which resolutions were adopted calling for the immediate organization of a corps of volunteers, "citizen soldiers," which body was directed to be equipped and armed, so that, if necessary, the authorities could call on it to preserve public order. The next day, July 16, 1844, the Union Troop of Delaware and Chester Counties marched to Philadelphia, reaching that city in the evening, when they immediately relieved the Philadelphia Cavalry, which had been in service for some days, and were then worn out from loss of sleep.

In August, 1844, the Delaware County Grays were organized by the election of John K. Zeilin, captain, Charles W. Raborg, first lieutenant, and Joseph Taylor second lieutenant. The following year the Forty-ninth Regiment of militia, in this county, was commanded by Col. John K. Zeilin, and C. W. Raborg was adjutant, while the companies composing the organization were commanded by Capts. Walter, Johnson, Crosby, Eyre, Ulrich, and Irwin. The public feeling was then strongly adverse to military service. On May 13, 1845, Maj. Charles Peck, brigade inspector, visited Chester, reaching that place an hour before noon, when some of the older citizens waited on him, and apprised him that the boys in the town were armed with eggs, which they proposed to present to him in no quiet manner, and he hurried away without inspecting the undisciplined militia, which had assembled for that purpose, according to his published orders. On Saturday, June 13, 1846, the Delaware County Grays were inspected by Maj. Peck, Capt. Zeilin having, through Governor Shunk, offered the services of the company to President Polk for the Mexican war. The quota of Pennsylvania being filled, however, the offer was not accepted.

The next year Maj. Peck again visited Chester, when he was made the victim of a practical joke, which, as tradition ascribed, was suggested by John M. Broomall. Several of the practical jokers who then infested Chester induced the major to visit the prison, on the pretext that within its ancient precincts were several relics of the long ago worthy of the notice of a stranger. The plan worked to a charm. After the party had gained admission to the jail, the door was locked behind them, the keys were concealed, and all that day until evening the military gentleman and two of the roysters of Chester stood looking through a grated window in the second story, calling to the people below in the street to procure their release. The keys could not be found until night had nearly come, but several times during the day the imprisoned men lowered strings to the crowd below and drew them up with provisions and other refreshments attached thereto. After his release Maj. Peck had several other jokes played upon him before he shook the dust of Chester from his feet, never to return to it again.

Not only was the brigade inspector personally trifled with, but the commissioners of Delaware County failed to enforce the collection of the militia tax; hence Maj. Peck instructed his counsel to bring suit against the county commissioners for their neglect in not issuing duplicates to the collectors for collection of the military fines. The suit, however, never was pressed, the act being repealed by the Legislature in 1849.

The following is the list of persons holding the office of brigade inspector for Delaware County, so far as I have been able to obtain their names: