histories of the United States and of Maryland have been consulted, of course. But the newspapers of the day have furnished the most abundant and the most valuable material. Of these Nile's Register and the Federal Gazette, of Baltimore, and the Republican Star and People's Monitor, of Easton, may be mentioned. A few private letters, which have by chance escaped the almost universal destruction that has come upon all collections of such documents in our county, have furnished some interesting and valuable items of information. The journal of Mr. Thos. H. Dawson has supplied many memoranda. The testimony of a number of aged men, taken down immediately from their lips, has been of great assistance. It is proper to say in this connection that much difficulty has been encountered in the attempt to reconcile conflicting statements made in every case more than sixty years after their occurrence. But the differences were upon trifles. In the main the stories of these witnesses agree. The persons who were consulted and gave the fullest and most connected recitals were Captain Thomas Auld, of Bayside, son of Colonel Hugh Auld; Mr. Jeremiah Harrison, of St. Michaels, a member of Captain Kemp's company; Mr. Stephen Denny, of Ferry Neck, a member of Captain Wayman's company. All of these participated actively in the affair at St. Michaels in 1813, and their memories of the events were full and accurate. Mr. Thomas Parrott, still living at a very advanced age, at Easton Point, and Mr. John H. Barrott, of Cambridge, possibly still living, the son of Solomon Barrott, the last surviving Talbot soldier of the Revolution, were able to give very full accounts of affairs in and around Easton. The Rev. Robert Kemp, late minister of the Wilmington Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, though a non-combatant, charged his mind with almost every minutia concerning the movements of the troops during the summer of 1813, and rehearsed them with great fullness, and, it may be added, positiveness, in the year 1874. Besides these, many other aged persons, whose names need not be mentiond, have given additional and confirmatory testimony, all of which has been used so as to present a connected and authentic relation of the incidents of the war of 1812-15, happening in Talbot. Because many words have been employed and many petty details noticed, it must not be inferred that any illusions have possessed the mind of the writer with regard to the importance of the occurrences related; or that he has wished to impress the minds of others with their importance. Their insignificant or nugatory character as materials of history is as distinctly acknowledged as it is sensibly felt: and if justification or apology for their presentation with so much fullness should be sought, it will be found in this, that these occurrences possessed a more absorbing interest for our people, because they were near and personal, than those grand events of which Europe was at that time the scene; and what so interested our fathers, should in some degree interest us, their descendants and the heritors of their opinions and of their feelings. P. S. Since the forgoing contribution was placed in the hands of the printer, a partial list of the names of the officers of the Maryland militia serving in the war of 1812, from Talbot, has been received from the office of the 3rd Auditor of the Treasury, at Washington. This list comprises the names of all the officers named in the muster rolls, as far as such have been filed; but it is very evident that many companies are not mentioned. List of the names of Officers of Maryland Militia, war 1812, from Talbot county: Robert Banning, Captain; Feddeman Rolle, 1st Lieutenant; William Roberts, 2nd Lieutenant. 9th Regiment John Carroll, Captain; James Haddaway, Lieutenant. William Dickinson, Captain; Isaac Bowdle, 1st Lieutenant; Daniel McGinnis, 2nd Lieutenant; Jabez Caldwell, Major 4th Regiment. Robert H. Goldsborough, Captain; William Harrison, Jr., 1st Lieutenant; Edward N. Hambleton, 2nd Lieutenant; E. Lloyd, Lieutenant Colonel; Daniel Martin, Major. Amos Hale, Captain; Thomas Cooper, Lieutenant; John Meredith, Major 4th Regiment. Oakley Haddaway, Captain; Jas. Jones, Lieutenant; Hugh Auld, Lieutenant Colonel 26th Regiment. Thomas Henrix, Captain; Thomas C. Nicols, Lieutenant; John Meredith Major 4th Regiment. William Jordan, Captain; William Austin, Lieutenant; Hugh Auld, Lieutenant Colonel 26th Regiment. John L. Kerr, Captain; John (William?) Hayward, Jr., Lieutenant; also William H. Groome, Lieutenant; William B. Smyth, Lieutenant Colonel, 4th Regiment. Joseph Kemp, Captain; John Graham, Lieutenant; Hugh Auld, Lieutenant Colonel 26th Regiment. John Merrick, Captain; Tristram Perry, Lieutenant; Jabez Caldwell, Major 4th Regiment. James Newnam, Captain; William Brown, Lieutenant; also, Matthew Higgins, Lieutenant. George Parrott, Captain; Jno. Dudley, Lieutenant; William B. Smyth, Lieutenant Colonel 4th Regiment. Jonathan Spencer, Captain; George Moffett, Lieutenant; also, Edward Price, Lieutenant, Hugh Auld, Lieutenant Colonel 4th Regiment. Samuel Stevens, Jr., Captain; William Jenkins, Lieutenant; Jabez Caldwell, Major 4th Regiment. Clement Vickars, Captain; Thomas A. Fisher, 1st Lieutenant; Thomas Parrott, 2nd Lieutenant; Artillery attached to 4th Regiment. Thomas Wayman, Captain; James Colston, Lieutenant; Hugh Auld, Lieutenant Colonel 26th Regiment. Of General Perry Benson, the chief in command, at the affair of St. Michaels, an extended memoir was printed in the Easton Star. Colonel Hugh Auld, the second in command, was the son of Edward and Sarah Auld, and born at Wade's point, which afterwards became his own residence, July 20th, 1767. He was a gentleman of good capacity, genial manners, and unquestioned courage as a soldier. He died November 3rd, 1820, and is buried at his old homestead. He left a large family of children, among whom was the late Thomas Auld, Esq., who is likely to be remembered as the owner and master of Frederick Douglas, the distinguished orator, and most considerable man of the African race in this country. Col. Auld has descendants in the wives of Mr. John C. Harper and Mr. William H. Bruff, respected citizens one of St. Michaels, the other Texas. GENERAL LA FAYETTE AND THE PEOPLE OF TALBOT One of the most pleasing episodes in the grand epic of our national history is the visit of General La Fayette to America in the year 1824-25. The whole story of his coming to our country during our war of Independence reads like the adventure of some hero of romance. Indeed we may say that chivalry and knight errantry had their noblest manifestation, and their culmination in that young marquis who forsook fortune and station, the ease of home and the splendors of the court, and wandered across an ocean of dangers to redress the wrongs, not of some captive maiden, but of an oppressed people whose liberties were threatened. There is no purpose here to give an account of his coming nor of the noble and gallant services he rendered to the struggling colonies. These belong to the general history of the country, and a recollection of them is embalmed in the memory of a grateful people. The object of this paper is to narrate with a degree of particularity some occurrences that happened in this county upon the occasion of General La Fayette's return to America in 1824, concerning which we may look in vain among the chronicles of the time. It will be remembered that immediately after the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown, and before peace had been declared, General La Fayette returned to France for the purpose of raising additional forces to aid us in our struggle. There was not time then for any popular expression of the national thanks, but from Congress, the inestimable services he had rendered received due recognition. But soon after peace had been restored and our independence acknowledged, among the very first acts of the government was to invite our generous deliverer to America. Accordingly in 1784 upon an invitation extended to him by General Washington, General La Fayette again was upon our soil, and then he received the delightful reward of his efforts in our behalf in the generous thanks of a grateful people. His tour through the country was like that of a triumphant procession, and in every place he was the recipient of the warmest testimonials of affection and respect. It was during this visit that he received the compliment, which the State of Maryland honored herself by bestowing, of being constituted a citizen, a special act having been passed for that purpose, by which it was ordained that "the Marquis De la Fayette and his male heirs forever, shall be taken as natural born citizens of this State." But the young nation had just then passed through an exhausting war. It had hardly yet learned the magnitude of the great boon that had been conferred upon it, nor was it capable of estimating the services of its benefactor. Forty years of wonderful prosperity and development elapsed. The thirteen confederate colonies had grown to a grand nation. There was again a longing to give some adequate expression of gratitude to the man who had been so instrumental in giving the opportunity for achieving this marvelous growth. Accordingly in 1824 Congress, giving utterance to the popular desire, passed a resolution directing the President of the United States, Mr. Monroe, to invite General La Fayette to America, as the guest of the nation; and to offer a ship of the line to convey him to our shores. The invitation, so heartily given, was cordially accepted, though the use of a national ship was respectfully declined. He arrived at New York in the packet ship "Cadmus," Aug. 15th, 1824. In that commercial metropolis he was received and feted as no other ever had been, and upon leaving there he commenced a tour of the country, everywhere receiving the plaudits of the people, with enthusiastic demonstrations of the most lively gratitude. Deputations of citizens from all the chief cities and towns of the country waited upon him to pay their tributes of respect and affection; and even villages and remote country districts solicited the honor and pleasure of having an opportunity to express in some humble way their high regard and warm attachment for the nation's benefactor. Our own county was not amiss in this pleasing duty, as will appear from what is now to be related. Moving South from his place of debarkation, towards the capital of the nation, it was expected that General La Fayette would set foot upon the soil of our State, and be in the City of Baltimore on the 7th day of October. Grand preparations were made for his reception, but of this reception at the hands of the authorities, the military and the people of that city, it is not necessary to say anything here, yet in as much as certain citizens of Talbot were most prominent in the ceremonies which preceded his entrance into the bounds of the corporation, it may not be amiss to mention their participation in the interesting rites of hospitality that took place upon the arrival of the guest in Maryland. The Gubernatorial Chair was at the time filled by His Excellency Samuel Stevens, a native and resident of this county; a man of great simplicity of character, of great private worth, and of unaffected urban |