1778.] HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. 331 



more particularly in the years 1777 and 1778. Two taxes 

 appear to have been laid the latter year, but the ConiniiBsioners 

 of Chester County reported to the Council on the 20th of May, 

 that "they had not been able to get a return of pr<»j)erty from 

 near one third of the townships — the township assessors having 

 refused or neglected to act," owing, as the Commissioners sup- 

 posed, to the proximity of the enemy. The delinquents were 

 fined, and writs issued to the Sheriff, but, for the same reason, 

 these writs were not executed. The aggregate of the taxes laid 

 upon the townships now included, or partly included, in Delaware 

 County, amounted to i;305D 18.V. 4«/., but a large proportion of 

 it was never collected, or if collected was received in certificates 

 for articles that had been taken for the use of the army. 



In the minutes of a meeting of the County Commissioners, 

 "held at the sign of the Ship in East Cain, Jan' y* 5"' 1778," 

 the following entry occurs : 



" The Board appointed Sketchley Morton, David Cloyd and 

 the Clerk to remove the press and chest of books, papers &c 

 from Chester to James McClellans in Sadsbury." 



The next meeting of the Board was held at the house of James 

 McClellan on the 2t)th of the same month, when " the committee 

 appointed to remove the records from Chester, reported that they 

 had removed the same according to order & presented their bill 

 of expense," &c. 



During the occupation of Philadelphia by the enemy, the 

 armed galleys and other craft that escaped up the river were 

 sunk by order of Gen. Washington to prevent them from being 

 captured, but after the evacuation they were put afloat again, 

 and some of them fitted up for active duty. Mud Island fort 

 and Billingsport were both to be put in repair and to be re-occu- 

 pied ; the former was to be supplied with two and the latter with 

 four heavy guns. The Council employed Col. John Bull to 

 direct the workmen and to complete the worjis, and agreed to 

 pay him " three pounds per day and forage at Billingsport for 

 one horse." 



The evacuation of Philadelphia by the British was the dawn 

 of returning prosperity in this section of our country. Up to 

 this time Pennsylvania had suffered more from the war than any 

 other State; more of her men had been captured or lost, and no 

 district had been so thoroughly plundered as that which had 

 been overrun by Gen. Howe, between the Head of Elk and 

 Philadelphia. From this time till the end of the war, our people 

 suffered no serious inconvenience beyond what was common all 

 over the country. Troops were frequently called out, heavy 

 taxes were laid, and wagons with teams were impressed into 

 service; but really the greatest amount of inconvenience suffered 



