Tangier and The Revolutionary War: When the Revolutionary war broke out with the Boston Tea Party, and the cry of No Taxation Without Representation, the inhabitants of Tangier Island as with all the islands in the bay did not feel the economic pinch the added tax on tea and other imports imposed on those in the big cities of Boston MA, New York NY and Charleston SC and other booming American cities and towns. They led a very simple life farming to support their families living their lives and very rarely thinking about King George and life in England. By the time the Revolutionary War started they were at least 5 generations away from their immigrant ancestors, had no living relative in England, and had no clue what the fight was all about. They were content with life as it was. Tangier like Somerset County MD became a Tory base. On 13 April 1782 the Governors Council presented a new set of sailing directions, . . . . to depopulate the Tangier Islands within the limits of this State [Maryland] . . . This command was abandoned. Because Tangier Island, like Smiths Island to its north, and the other small Islands of the Chesapeake Bay are divided with waterways, guts and creeks it was used by the British as hideouts and escape routes from the American Army. This led to the rise of the Picaroon or Pirate of the Chesapeake, who would joint forces with whoever would benefit them the most. One of the most noted Picaroons of the Chesapeake Bay was one Stephen Mister. He was the son of Abraham Mister of Dorchester County and the nephew of Marmaduke Mister of Smiths Island and William Mister of Accomack County VA. With a high price on his head he sailed in and out of the guts and creeks of the islands and those on the mainland blundering American ships and homes and never getting caught. The final Naval Battle of the Revolutionary War was fought in Maryland waters in Kedges Straits, the water that divides Smiths Island and South Marsh Island to the North. A Captain Frazier was sent by Commodore Walley (Whaley) to locate the British ships. The night before the battle sailing into Tangier, he raised the British colors and pretended to be British to fool the local Tories. He landed at the home of a Mr. Crockett. Crockett knew nothing about the Americans other than that he had seen them lying off the Watts Island. Mr. Crockett then added that 6 barges left his house early that morning and stood up for Fox Island. The barges had also informed Crockett that they would lay over at Kedges Straits that night. Armed with the knowledge Mr. Crockett had given them they followed the British barges to Kedges Straits where the battle ensued. After the American barges entered the Straits the British barges came back on them. Commodore Walley, Lieutenant Handy of Maryland, George Christian of Accomack and twenty five crewmen were lost. Colonel Cropper and twenty nine others were injured, four of them mortally. This battle took place in late November 1781 after Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown 19 October 1781.
Posted on: Wed, 30 Apr 2014 20:12:19 +0000
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