300 HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. [1777. 



the great roads, even beyond four miles ; " the several places 

 where an enemy may land, and the kind of ground adjoining, 

 whether marshy, hilly, open, or covered with woods, and where 

 there are several heights near each other, remarking their alti- 

 tudes and distances apart;" the streams of water, "as high up 

 as the tide flows, and the places where they may be forded or 

 passed by bridges — where there are swamps near the river, or 

 roads — their kinds and sizes." Passes of difficulty to an army, 

 were to be accurately surveyed and well described. The sur- 

 veyors were directed to enter upon their duties immediately, and 

 with as much secrecy and dispatch as the case would admit, and 

 all persons were requested to be aiding and assisting them in 

 the service. 



The duty of making the survey from the Schuylkill to Chris- 

 tina Creek was assigned to Nathan Sellers.^ 



On the "7th of July, certain information was received by the 

 Council of the approach of the British fleet towards the Delaware 

 Bay. This news produced the highest degree of excitement 

 among the people, and induced the authorities of the State to 

 redouble their exertions to ward off the threatened blow. 



A draft of the militia of Philadelphia County had marched 

 before harvest into New Jersey ; one from Bucks had guarded 

 the fords of the Delaware for two months ; a second class from 

 Bucks, two from the City, and one from Chester, had occupied 

 for some time and assisted in finishing the defences of the Dela- 

 ware between the city and Chester. On the 28th of July, Con- 

 gress made a requisition on the Executive Council of Pennsyl- 

 vania for 4000 militia in addition to those already in service ; 

 in response to which, the Council, on the same day, ordered one 

 class to be immediately called into service from the city, and 

 one class from each of the counties of Philadelphia, Bucks, 

 Chester, Lancaster, York, Cumberland, Berks, and North- 

 ampton; also a detachment of artillery from the City of Phila- 

 delphia, equal to three -eighths of the whole. Most of these 

 troops were dfrected "to march immediately for Chester." 



The persons appointed to drive off" the cattle from the borders 

 of the Delaware,^ on the approach of the enemy, were reminded 

 of the importance of their trust, and of the necessity of holding 

 themselves in readiness for the performance of it when the ex- 

 pected emergency should happen. Caleb Davis, who had been 

 recently appointed Prothonotary, &c., for Chester County, was 

 directed to remove the County Records from the town of Chester 



' Pcnnn. Archives, v. 441. 



2 The pcr.son.s upon whom devolved the duty of driving off the live stock in Chester 

 County, were: Saml. Levis, Wni. Kerlin, Sketchley Morton, John Pearson, Nicholas 

 Delhi, Isaac Hendrickson, Isaac Serrill, Harvey Lewis, and Ja'c. Richards. — Col. Jiec. 



