I 



SOLON ROBINSON, 1849 269 



dote illustrative of this point, which was told me by one 

 of the descendants of the family while visiting the prem- 

 ises a few years since, which took place during the war 

 of the revolution. 



While the British fleet was lying in the Delaware below 

 Philadelphia, a number of oflficers and men came on shore 

 one morning at Chester, for a little recreation on land, 

 and a supply of fresh meat and vegetables. They visited 

 the house of General Robinson,^ who was then absent with 

 the army, and openly offered freedom to the slaves. Dur- 

 ing the repast which Mrs. Robinson, with a great deal of 

 apparent friendliness had ordered to be provided for the 

 British officers, a slave entered and whispered to his mis- 

 tress to detain the company as long as possible at the 

 table, while he would take care of the soldiers outside, 

 for Col. Lee's troop were just in sight on the hill. One of 

 the oflficers suspecting treachery, drew his sword and 

 threatened the negro's life unless he instantly repeated 

 aloud every word he had said to his mistress. Faithful 

 and fearless, he instantly declared that he was telling his 

 mistress "dat dem dam red-coat steal all de chicken and 

 de duck, and one dam red-coat nigger had got old turkey- 

 cock, and dey all swear dat dey kill dis nigger cause him 

 no gib em any more rum." This quieted their alarm and 

 set the whole company into a burst of laughter, which the 

 negro continued to excite, and amid the continued roar 

 of which, that grew so boisterous that they took no note 

 of a bustle outside. Col. Lee burst into the room and de- 

 clared every one of them prisoners of war. 



This faithful slave was subsequently offered his free- 

 dom, which he refused to accept, and continued to serve 

 a good master as a slave, long after slavery was abolished 

 in that State. 



During the invasion of Baltimore in the war of 1814, 



^ Probably Thomas Robinson, of Pennsylvania, later one of the 

 original members of the Pennsylvania Society of the Cincinnati. 

 Letter of Julian P. Boyd, Philadelphia, May 20, 1936. See Heit- 

 man, Francis B., Historical Register of Officers of the Continental 

 Army . . . , 471 (Washington, D. C, 1914). 



