Re: [RC] [RC] Endurance Rider sways vote on Declaration of Independance - Howard Bramhall
I do
believe this is da guy.
cya,
Howard
On July 1-2, 1776 Caesar Rodney made a
ride that made him the Hero of Delaware!
The Continental Congress was meeting
during the spring and summer of 1776 to contemplate declaring its independence
from the British Crown. The Delaware delegates included "Thomas McKean" of New Castle, "George
Read", also of New Castle, and Caesar Rodney of Kent. "Thomas
McKean" and Rodney were in favor of independence and "George
Read" felt that it was too drastic of a move at this time.
Rodney was busy with his many offices
during June of 1776. He was after all a Brigadier General of Delaware's militia,
speaker of the state assembly which had also declared him as their leader. He
was alternately in his seat in congress, and at work in Delaware, stimulating
the patriots and repressing the royalists. When the question of independence was
raised he was delayed in getting to congress owing to the fact that, after
presiding in June over the session of the assembly that had authorized support
of the inter-colonial movement for independence and which virtually declared
Delaware independent of the Crown, he had gone to Sussex County to look into a
threatened Loyalist uprising.
Rodney received a message from "Thomas McKean" letting him know that on July 2 the congress
was going to vote on its independence from the British. Knowing that "George Read" was opposed to the idea "Thomas
McKean" asked Rodney to dash up to Philadelphia to settle the issue for
Delaware.
It was an agonizing 80 mile ride through
the summer's heat, an angry thunderstorm and torrential rain, over dirt roads
choked with mud, across rickety bridges spanning swollen streams, over slippery
cobblestone streets of the towns. There wasn't an hour to waste.
A lone rider, suffering from a serious
facial cancer and afflicted with asthma was headed for Philadelphia. All that he
had worked for, hung in delicate balance: the nations independence. As he pushed
northward, he must have realized he was rushing to vote for a document that well
might put a noose around his neck. On he rode, through Duck Creek (Now Smyrna),
Blackbird, Cantwell's Bridge (Now Odessa), past the McDonough mansion, St.
Georges, Red Lion, Tybout's Corner to New Castle. On through Wilmington, Marcus
Hook and Upland......finally reaching Philadelphia.
He arrived at Independence Hall on the
afternoon of July 2 during the last minutes of the debate of this resolution on
Independence. "Thomas
McKean" noted that Rodney was tired, dusty and covered with mud. We don't
know for sure what Rodney said during his vote but he is suppose to have
declared the following:
"As I believe the voice of my constituents and
of all sensible and honest men is in favor of independence, my own judgement
concurs with them. I vote for independence."
Subject: Re: [RC] [RC] Endurance Rider
sways vote on Declaration of Independance
Then there was a storey (I really need to lookit up, it was a
kids tape on History0 that to get Texas in the union, one farmer rode all
day to vote, who got one guy elected gby one vote, who voted by one vote
to elect another guy who voted for the Statehood. (If anyone wants the
exact names and detail I probabaly could fine it, in my, like spare
time< Laurie/it is raining again in Ga.
>From: "goearth"
<goearth@xxxxxxxxxxx> >To:
"Ridecamp" <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> >Subject:
[RC] Endurance Rider sways vote on Declaration of
Independance >Date: Sat, 5 Jul 2003 10:26:02 -0400 > >Back
in 1776 in Philadelphia, there was a tie vote on the ratification of
>the Declaration of Independance. Supposedly, there was someone,
(the >article did not list his name) rode 80 miles to cast his
vote. And that is >the rest of the story. tom
sites
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