1776 DELMARVA booksigning Saturday August 22, 2015 Wicomico Tourism Center 9AM to 12 Noon

Phil Webster will have a booksigning on Saturday August 22, 2015 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon at the Wicomico County Tourism Center between Delmar, Maryland and Salisbury Maryland on Rt. 13.

John Henry of Vienna, Maryland: Maryland's First United States Senator

Francis Makemie pioneered the planting of Presbyterian churches on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia. Churches at Rehobeth (Maryland), Manokin (Princess Anne, Maryland), Snow Hill (Maryland), Rockawalkin (Salisbury,Maryland) Pocomoke (Maryland) (Virginia) and (Virginia) all claim their heritage from Francis Makemie. Reverend John Henry replaced Francis Makemie at Rehobeth, Maryland (the oldest Presbyterian church in the United States). Rev. John Henry and his wife had a son who became Colonel John Henry and lived on the Nanticoke River near Vienna, Maryland. They also had three other sons and five daughters. Colonel John Henry died in 1781.

John Henry III (born 1750) received his education by travelling up the Chesapeake Bay to Cecil County where he attended the famous Nottingham Academy. Being from the stock of Rev. John Henry, John Henry III attended and graduated from the College of New Jersey (Princeton University today) and studied under Rev. John Witherspoon. After graduating from Princeton, Henry studied at the Temple in London (as did Arthur Middleton and John Blair). Henry defended the American position while studying and received much opposition. During the American Revolution, John Henry III became a delegate in Continental Congress. IN 1787 Henry served on a committee which made the Northwest Ordinance. This committee could have followed the historical pattern of colonies being subservient to the mother country. This committee and ordinance gave the colonies and territories the freedom to self govern and eventually become equal states.

Article Three of the Northwest Ordinance states that "Religion and morality... shall forever be encouraged until 1962." Scratch that last phrase; it is what the anti-God Gestapo want you to believe. The real quote is "Religion and morality...shall forever be encouraged."

The same year that the Northwest Ordinance was passed (1787) was the same year that the United States Constitution was adopted. The Maryland Convention voted for John Henry to be the first Senator under the Constitution for Maryland. John Henry and the other Senators and Congressmen attended George Washington's Swearing In Ceremony where he took the Oath of Office by putting his hand on the Bible and said "So help me God." That group of Senators and Congressmen followed President Washington on a six block march to St. Paul's Chapel where the government leaders dedicated the new government to God. It is worthy to note that the same church where the government dedicated itself to following God was saved by the falling wreckage of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Imagine that a guy from Vienna Maryland attended the church service that dedicated the country's government to God. What have we done with what our Founding Fathers passed down to us?

Below are two quotations from John Henry while he served in Continental Congress. John Henry to Thomas Johnson (Apr. 20, 1778) IX, 454. “...I make no doubt you have heard of the insurrection in the Delaware State. By a Letter from a Mr. Patterson we are informed that a considerable Number of the disaffected have assembled at a place near the head of the Chester River. They are exerting themselves to add to their Numbers and those who will not join them, they deprive them of their Arms and Ammunition. It is said here they have British officers among them and expect to be reinforced from Philadelphia. This Matter is viewed as very serious by some. Mr. Carroll gives his Compliments to you and desires me to acquaint you that there is a considerable quantity of provision at Charles Town at the Head of our Bay which appears to be in a dangerous Situation. There’s also as I am informed by Mr. S. Stewart quantities of provisions at Princess Ann in Somerset, and other places in that neighbourhood.”

John Henry to Thomas Sim Lee (Aug. 8, 1780) XV, 562. “...The General and the Army have returned to this side of the N. River and it is a very happy and fortunate Event that his movements called back the Attention of the Enemy to N. York. If they had proceeded to attack Rhode Island the General informs us he should have attempted N. York. He is now busily engaged in some preparatory steps toward the accomplishment of the great object of the Campaign. God grant him success. My Expectations are slender.”

1776 Delmarva Now Available on ebook

1776 DELMARVA now available in ebook format

Many people have the misconception that nothing happened on the Delmarva Peninsula during the American Revolution. On the contrary, my friend, every community had to struggle in one way or another during the struggle for independence. The population at the time turned out to be approximately one third patriot, one third Tory and the other third in the middle ground. Soldiers from Delaware, Maryland and Virginia played a huge role in the Continental Army in battles in the North and South.

Most Marylanders (let alone the rest of the country) do not realize that Maryland has the unique privilege of flying their flag at the same height as the United States’ flag because of the sacrifice of Maryland soldiers at the battle of Brooklyn. Delmarva soldiers fought at Brooklyn, Kip’s Bay, Harlem Heights, Fort Washington, Washington Crossing, Trenton, Princeton, Brandywine, Germantown, Monmouth, Stony Point and Paulus Hook. That sounds like enough right there but in 1780 they were called upon to march south to the Carolinas and fight eventually at Camden, Cowpens, Guilford Courthouse, the Race to the Dan, Hobrick’s Hill, Ninety Six, Eutaw Springs and Yorktown.

The ten year struggle for independence happened on Delmarva itself. Neighbors fought against and spied on neighbors. In quite a few occasions family members were against each other. Raids came up rivers at night time and either captured patriots or burned their houses. As you read, check out how your area fared during the struggle. Find out about people like Tench Tilghman, John Dickinson, Robert Morris, William Richardson, Robert Kirkwood, Allen McLane, Enoch Anderson, Levin Winder, Alexander Roxburgh, John Gunby, Southey Simpson, John Haslet, Lambert Wickes and others.

1776 DELMARVA Available now on ebooks through Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Xulon Press Available in paperback form in about 2 weeks (mid July 2015 or earlier)

AMAZON http://www.amazon.com/1776-DELMARVA-Defending-Delmarva-Revolution-ebook/dp/B010M7GTZK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1435612883&sr=8-1&keywords=1776+Delmarva

BARNES AND NOBLE http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/1776-delmarva-phil-webster/1122218990?ean=2940150964990

Richard Wickes Signs the Declaration of Independence With His Life

The time has come to allow the Wickes Brothers’ Light to shine on the nation’s naval history. In this author’s humble opinion, Lambert Wickes blazed the trail for the Continental Navy. John Paul Jones was certainly a great sailor but the one preceding him blazed a brighter trail. While being given the duties of Captain on the Reprisal, Lambert Wickes had to first break through the British Navy blockade of the Delaware Bay. He successfully did that on June 28, 1776. After breaking through the Royal Navy blockade, Wickes and another ship saw that the ship Nancy was trying to bring a sorely needed load of gunpowder to the Continental Army.

Lambert put his brother Richard in charge of getting the ship Nancy to shore. Richard carried out his responsibilities and beached the ship on Turtle Gut Island near Cape May, New Jersey. On shore people helped unload about 250 barrels of gunpowder out of a total of 386 barrels. The British tried to prevent this and ended up blowing up the ship. Richard Wickes and those still on board paid with their lives. On July 2, 1776; the day that the actual Declaration of Independence was signed, Richard Wickes signed with his life.

1776 DELMARVA Welcome and Index

Welcome to 1776 DELMARVA (www.1776delmarva.blogspot.com) This blog attempts to chronicle and make interesting the history of the American Revolution on the Delmarva Peninsula. 2015 -1776 DELMARVA Welcome and Index -1776 DELMARVA book coming out soon! -Ship life Continental navy- Tribute to Captain Lambert Wickes of the Reprisal -Oxford Maryland:Tench Tilghman and Robert Morris -Robert Morris Senior and Robert Morris Junior Oxford MD -Tench Tilghman buried in Oxford Cemetery -Parker Mill Pond Update Feb. 2015 -Rock Hall and Chestertown Maryland: Breeding Ground for Sea Captains in the American Revolution -Colonel William Richardson -Maryland and Delaware Soldiers on February 2, 1781 Crossing the Yadkin River 2014 -Maryland Continental Soldiers at Valley Forge -New Castle -Chincoteague's Blanket Part in Washington Crossing the Delaware -Delaware Continental Army Regiment -St. Paul's Episcopal Church at Hebron, Maryland from 1773 Burned Down July 22, 2014 -Maryland flag at same height as US flag because of... -Wye Mills -Churches of Delmarva During the American Revolutio... -Chestertown Tea Party -HMS Roebuck Visit to Parker Mill Pond Salisbury Ma... -Rockawalkin Presbyterian Church from 1767

1776 DELMARVA book coming out soon!

Coming Soon: The Publication of 1776 DELMARVA Hopefully available by July 4th, 2015 through Xulon Press

Ship life Continental navy- Tribute to Captain Lambert Wickes of the Reprisal

This post is dedicated to Lambert Wickes. Captain Wickes was arguably the best American sea captain of the American Revolution. Yes, I have heard and read about John Paul Jones; however let me make the case for Captain Wickes. Wickes paved the way for Jones but gets little credit. Have you ever seen a painting about Wickes? I haven't seen one either. The reason that there is no picture of Wickes is that he died early in the struggle for America's independence. In late 1776, Wickes was entrusted by Continental Congress to deliver Ben Franklin to France unharmed so that Franklin could attempt to persuade France to help the United States with a treaty as well as financial assistance. On the way over to France in the ship Reliance, Wickes captured four British vessels with Franklin on board. Apparently Wickes did not go for the evade the enemy strategy. After safely delivering Franklin to France Lambert started a huge campaign in which 18 British vessels were captured in 1777. Now do you see where I am coming from about calling Wickes the best sea captain for the United States in the American Revolution. While coming back to the United States in 1778, the Reprisal crashed off of Newfoundland and all hands were lost except for the cook. Even though we have no portrait of Captain Lambert Wickes, he still deserves recognition. Use your imagination to see what life would have been like for the crew of the Reprisal. On top of that, imagine having Ben Franklin on board with all the activity of capturing 4 British vessels. From Yorktown Battlefield Museum Preble Museum United States Naval Academy