1777.] HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. 32.5 



for a favorable opportunity, passed tlie city at night, witliout 

 being molested, except a few vessels which were burnt to j)re- 

 vent them from falling into the hands of the enemy. Thus, 

 after a protracted eft'ort of six weeks, the British General suc- 

 ceeded in forming a junction with the fleet. 



But little occurred within the limits of our County during the 

 ■winter, which was now at hand, except sundry depredations 

 committed by foraging parties sent out by the enemy, and the 

 skirmishes that ensued when those parties came in contact with 

 the American scouts that were constantly on the watch for them. 

 In a letter from Gen. Potter, dated at Radnor on the 28th of 

 December, one of these encounters is thus described: "On 

 Monday last the enemy came out with a view to forrage; they 

 encamped along the road from Gray's Ferry to the heights below 

 Darby. There was a detachment sent down from our army to 

 this place, who with Morgans Riflemen and the Militia went 

 down to their lines and kept them close therein. On Tuesday 

 we took thirteen of their light horse and ten of their horsemen, 

 the next day two more of their horses and their riders. They 

 have been prevented from plundering the inhabitants as they 

 usually (^0. * * * * * We had one killed and two wounded. 

 We have taken upAvards of twenty prisoners, and a number of 

 deserters have come in. They have carried off a large quantity 

 of Hay from the Islands, and Darby. * * * * *"i 



It sometimes happened that some of our militia scouts were 

 captured by the enemy, when not sufl'iciently on their guard. 

 About this period, such a party, under the command of the late 

 Gen. Wm. Brooke, of Haverford, who was then a captain, were 

 one night taking their ease in a house, late the property of 

 George Swayne, a mile below Darby, when the house was sud- 

 denly surrounded by a larger party of the enemy. Brooke, de- 

 termined not to be taken, leaped from a window and ran, but in 

 getting over the fence into the road, found that a partial dislo- 

 cation of his knee, to which he was subject, had happened. 

 Putting his foot through the fence, and giving his leg a (juick 

 extension, the joint was brought into a proper condition, when 

 be hastily made his escape. 



Chester County, about this period, was infested with a bold 

 and daring outlaw named James Fitz Patrick, but who generally 

 went by the name of Fitz or Fitch. He was the son of an 

 Irishman in low circumstances, and learned the blacksmith 

 trade with John Passmore, a worthy citizen of the County. He 

 joined the militia at the breaking out of the war, and accom- 



Penna. Archives, vi. 141. It appears that the American party had been specially 



t I " 



hands 



sent by Gen. Washington to destroy the hay and prevent it from falling into the 

 Is of the enemy. Marshall's Life i>f Washington, i. 213. 



