April Anniversaries of Coastal Calamities

Dates in April of 1777, 1813, and 1926 are remembered for noisy and calamitous happenings in the vicinity of Delaware’s Cape Henlopen——that sandy spit marking the trysting place of the Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bay. The first two events in the series were man-made while the most recent occurrence was under the command of Mother Nature.

The Cape Henlopen Lighthouse, placed about 1765 on a lofty sand dune on the ocean coast, was mute witness to the activities involving man and munitions in the 1777 and 1813 encounters, and the loss of the stately beacon itself is the reason for remembering April 13, 1926. That was the date when the lighthouse, according to an eyewitness, crumpled into three sections as it fell toward the sea that long had been eating away at the tower’s foundation.

The bombardment of old "Lewistown" by the British during a War of 1812 episode has been told through the printed word and via costumed portrayal in Lewes celebrations. Responsible for telling the story on a widespread front is the children’s book, Cornstalks and Cannonballs by Barbara Mitchell.

No human life was lost during the 22-hour cannonade that spanned the dates of April 6 and 7, 1813. The village was defended under the leadership of a colorful native, Col. Samuel Boyer Davis. As British cannonballs landed with a thud on beach and marsh, it is said that local lads retrieved the ammunition which fit nicely into the cannon lined upon the canal bank. The balls were then returned in like manner to their providers. When smoke settled, there was a report of a hole in a chimney and slight damage to the door on Caleb Rodney’s store; a cannonball was imbedded in a house foundation. A local washerwoman was aflutter because a bundle of clothes riding on her head had been toppled during the foray. Wives and children were making their return to town after spending the night with residents several miles into the countryside.

To go back in time to the earlier war with England, the Revolution found Sussex County infested with local folk who were known to be Tory sympathizers. If unwilling to leave home to join the British in actual battle, they appeared to be satisfied with the status-quo and did not wish to depart from allegiance to England. Although military combat did not occur in the coastal area, there were many incidents involved as local patriots struggled to see that the English did not gain a foothold on land or benefit from their decided advantage on the sea.

One account is of a tragic occurrence that has received little attention in recalling the events of the time. A brave and committed ship’s captain gave his life and that of his vessel as he "went up" with his ship. The use of the direction "up" is in contrast to the familiar phrase of a captain’s final act in going down with the ship.

The account is based on a letter to the State Navy Board from Henry Fisher, local patriot, with dateline of Lewistown, April 12, 1777. Fisher told that on the previous day a Capt. Anderson (first name not given) had aboard his brigantine Morris an important packet destined for Congress in Philadelphia. As the captain made ready to proceed upriver, he attempted to run the gauntlet of British warships in the bay. Chased by the heavily gunned Roebuck and a tender, Capt. Anderson ran his vessel aground about a half mile from the Cape Henlopen Lighthouse. As shots were exchanged, the mate and 14-man crew from the Morris escaped with the official papers. Only then did the captain lay a train of explosive powder and blow up the ship, sacrificing his own life in the bargain. The cargo of guns, gun-locks, and clothing, strewn over the beach, was being salvaged the day the letter was written. Fisher wrote: "The scene was horrible to behold."

Another primary source furnished a bit of information about the incident. William Adair of Lewes wrote in his journal under date of April 11 that the Morris was blown up and the English fleet was approaching. From his pen: "Scene of ye Ships Explosion beyond description——made ye Earth quake which shook Houses more [than] 30 Miles."

Today’s tranquillity along the bay and ocean shore can be more deeply enjoyed in the wake of such stories. How good to have a pleasant stroll interrupted only by the sound of surf and sea birds!

©copyright 1997 Hazel D. Brittingham