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The History of Caroline County, Maryland, From Its Beginning |
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Introduction |
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The continual need of the children, teachers, and officers of our public
schools having some historical data concerning the home county of
Caroline has led to the publishing of this book which is here presented
to the public. The constant neglect of a citizenship to compile facts concerning its growth and history must inevitably lead to an almost total ignorance of the same and subsequently to a lack of appreciation of the local heroes. Having read of the struggles of the colonial troops during the Revolutionary War, how many of us are conscious of the fact that our county then only in its infancy furnished not only its quota of soldiers and supplies, but the leader of the troops of the Eastern Shore – Colonel William Richardson? Have we fully realized that the immortal Declaration of Independence was made possible by just such assemblages of determined citizens as the one held in this county in June 1774? Has it ever occurred to us that our county furnished one subject of the cause for the war of 1812—the impressments of American Seamen? Generally may it be said that Caroline’s worthies of the past and present have held and still hold an honored place among the leaders of the State. To give due credit to these is one valid reason for such a volume. Perhaps, a more important reason, however, for such an effort is the necessity of the pupils in our schools acquiring a fundamental knowledge of the organization and earlier history of our county (1) to teach an appreciation of home and local environments and (2) to furnish a proper basis for state and national history. Assuredly, Caroline County has a rich background which adds dignity to the present, for out of the early days step stately personages who add charm to every scene; stirring events that warm the blood; and spots hallowed by the acts of brave ones; yes, changing persons and events—moving pictures so to speak. In the “History of Caroline County” an attempt has been made to record in simple form the substance of facts gleaned from reliable sources by the pupils, teachers, and officials of the public schools through talks with the older residents, county officials, by means of old manuscripts, deeds, wills, newspapers, church and court records, and from the several volumes of history and novels pertaining to our county and state. Our appreciation is here extended to those principals, teachers, and children of our schools who have contributed material as well as to that large host of parents and friends who have answered the questions of children from day to day with such uniform courtesy and cooperation. Especially our thanks are due to Capt. Chas. W. Wright, Edward T. Tubbs, Zebdial P. Steele, J. Kemp Stevens, James E. Hignutt, officials of the Clerk’s office, and others who either through personal knowledge, memory, data or help of records aided us greatly in this publication. To the Editors of the County newspapers—Greensboro Enterprise, Denton Journal, American Union, Federalsburg Courier, and Caroline Sun, as well as to Swepson Earle, author of the Colonial Eastern Shore, we desire to acknowledge our gratitude for the use of valuable engravings and etchings loaned us. While conscious of the laborious efforts and painstaking care bestowed, we fully realize that a work, so largely one of original research, is inevitably not without imperfections and some errors. In submitting it, therefore, to the public, it is with the hope that generous readers will appreciate the difficulties attending the undertaking and will accord consideration and justice to the motive which has animated this humble tribute. EDWARD M. NOBLE Denton, Maryland, October 10, 1920. |
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| Last Updated: January 2021 | |