328 HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. [1778, 



victed at Chester, upon his own confession, of burglai-y and lar- 

 ceny, on the loth of September, and was sentenced to be hung. 

 The time for his execution was fixed on the 26th of the same 

 month ; but before the day arrived he nearly succeeded in mak- 

 ing his escape, " having filed ofi" his irons, and got out of the 

 dunf^eon." He was in consequence removed to Philadelphia for 

 safe keeping, but succeeded twice in removing his handcuffs 

 before the day of execution.^ It is not known that his accom- 

 plice Dougherty was ever arrested. 



The American army having retired into winter quarters at the 

 Valley Forge, and that of Gen. Howe being fortified within con- 

 tracted lines in the city and liberties of Philadelphia, but little 

 occurred within our limits during the winter, except repeated de- 

 predations committed by foraging parties sent out by the enemy. 

 While Gen. Potter remained in command of the militia stationed 

 between the Schuylkill and Chester, the depredations of these 

 parties were greatly restrained, but at his earnest request he was 

 superseded by General Lacey in January, after which, the ope- 

 rations of the militia appear to have been chiefly confined to the 

 country between the Schuylkill and Delaware. 



There was an outpost of the Valley Forge encampment in 

 Radnor, on the property now belonging to Tryon Lewis. About 

 seven acres of heavy timber had been cleared, near the middle of 

 a large tract of woodland, by the troops stationed here ; this was 

 afterwards cultivated, and was well known in the neighborhood 

 as "the camp field." Radnor Friends' meeting-house, which is 

 more than half a mile distant from this camp ground, was occu- 

 pied in connection with it, probably as officers' quarters, and for 

 a hospital. The records of the Society show that they were 

 deprived of the use of their meeting-house early in the year, 

 "in consideration of its being occupied by soldiers," and that 

 it required considerable repairs before it was put in a condition 

 for holding a monthly meeting, which was not till near the mid- 

 dle of 17b0. 



It is probable that during the winter and spring, most of the 

 scouting parties that served to restrain, in a measure, the forag- 

 ing of the enemy within our limits, and at the same time to pre- 

 vent disloyal farmers from carrying their produce to the city, 

 were detached from the outpost at Radnor. The inhabitants of 

 tho townships on the Eastern margin of the County suffered 

 severely while the enemy occupied Philadelphia, and numbers of 

 the Whigs were captured and carried off as prisoners. 



Notwithstanding the punishment of death was denounced 

 against those who furnished aid and comfort to the enemy, still 

 a large amount of marketing reached the British lines, and those 



' Pcnna. Packet. Cul. Rec. Penn. Archives. Hist. Chester County. 



