.
Finally, when all possible mischief had been achieved along the river
bank – when farm-houses had been plundered and burnt a long distance on
the Baltimore road – when, after the lapse of four hours, forty of the
sixty houses in the village had been destroyed, and nearly all the remainder
of the edifices, except the Episcopal Church, 13 were more or less injured,
the marauders assembled in their vessels in the stream, and at sunset sailed
out into the Bay to pay a similar visit to villages on the Sassafras River.
14 Havre de Grace was at least sixty thousand dollars poorer when they
left than when they came twelve hours
before.
It was a sunny but blustery day [November 22, 1861.] when I visited
Havre de Grace and the scenes around it, made memorable by its woes. I
arrived in the evening by railway from Baltimore, where I had spent three
days in visiting the battle-ground at North Point and other interesting
places hereafter to be described. The town was full of soldiers, many being
stationed there to guard the ferry and public property from the violence
of the sympathizers with the rebels in Maryland. The only hotel in the
place was entirely filled with lodgers, and private houses were in like
condition. The prospect for a night’s repose was unpromising. For myself,
a settee or an easy-chair might have sufficed; but I had a traveling companion
(a young woman and near relative) who required better accommodations. The
obliging proprietor of the hotel, after much effort, succeeded in placing
us in the unoccupied furnished house of his son-in-law, where we passed
a dreary night, the windows of my room clattering continually at the bidding
of the gusty wind. Early the next morning I went out in search of celebrities,
and, after sketching the old residence of Commodore Rodgers, printed on
page 182, I fortunately fell in with Mr .Howtell, already mentioned, who
became my cicerone. Under his direction I was enabled to find every place
sought after.
While sketching the landing-place of the British near the light-house
(page 671), the keeper of the pharos came to know my business. He was an
aged man, and I soon discovered that he was one of the oldest residents
of the place, having been a half-grown boy at the time of the British visitation.
"Did you know John O’Neil, who behaved so gallantly at the Potato Battery?"
I asked.
"I ought to," he replied, "for he was my father."
"Can you tell me any thing about the sword presented to him by the
authorities of Philadelphia for his bravery on that occasion?"
I inquired. "If you will go with me to the house," he replied, "it
will speak for itself."
When I had finished my sketch of the weather-beaten lighthouse (from
which most of the stucco had been abraded) and the cove, with the distant
Turkey Point,
Spesutia Island, and the Maryland main on the right, I followed Mr.
O’Neil to his little cottage near by, and there not only saw and sketched
the honorary sword, but from the brave John O’Neil’s own family Bible obtained
a few facts concerning his personal history. He was born in Ireland on
the 23d of November, 1768, and came to America at the age of eighteen years.
He was in the military service under General Harry Lee in quelling the
Whisky Insurrection in Western Pennsylvania, and in 1798 entered the naval
service against the French. He became an extensive nail-maker at Havre
de Grace, sometimes employing as many as twenty men. The destruction of
the place ruined his business. When the present light-house was built on
Concord Point in 1829 he became its keeper; and on the 26th of January,
1838, he died in the house where his son and successor resides.
