Pat Neild had in his possession a handwritten copy of the following account of the Battle of the Ice Mound, which was apparently passed from generation to generation.
I dedicate this little booklet to Mr. James Keene Spicer of Taylor's Island, Md.
- Sarah Robinson (1931)
Becky Phipps old cannon captured at Taylor's Island in 1814.
In the winter of 1814 a British tender commanded by Lieut Phipps entered the Little Choptank river and proceeded up the same landing at several farms and taking supplies. On the south side of Tabaccostick they set fire to a vessel and were attacked and driven off by the men of the village.
They then attempted to return to their base in the Patuxent river. When they reached the mouth of the Little Choptank they found considerable drift ice and decided not to venture across the bay that night. They anchored in a hollow on Abbott's bar, off the east side of James Island. In the morning they found themselves surrounded by ice.
The citizens of James Island, seeing their plight, notified Capt. Stewart who commanded a company of volunteers comprised of men from Tobaccostick, Taylor's Island and James Island. In those days small companies were formed in each community under a leader. Capt. Stewart and his men went out on the ice and began firing. The British, in order to test the marksmanship of the Americans, put a cap over the muzzle of a gun and held it up through the hatch way of the boat. It was riddled instantly by the gun fire of Capt. Stewart and his men. The British, seeing their good marksmanship and being confronted with a superior force, became frightened and a man ran out on deck with the intention to fire the cannon now in question. Before he could do so Capt. Stewart's men fired at him and hit him in the arm. He quickly disappeared within the hold of the boat and stuck up a white flag, (a handkerchief on a bayonet) as a sign of surrender. When Capt. Stewart and his men went aboard to take charge of the tender, Lieut. Phipps asked, "Do you take us prisoners of war or truce?" A member of the Company William Geoghegan, with his characteristic Irish brogue answered, "prisoners of war, Sir." The prisoners were Lieut. Phipps, a crew of seventeen men, and a colored cook named Becky. The crew included the following: one midshipman, thirteen seamen, and three mariners.
The prisoners were taken to Tobaccostick and kept in a barn belonging to a Mr. Phillips. As prisoners of war at that time were exchanged, they were marched under guard to Cambridge and from there to Easton. The old negro woman, Becky, was a slave so she was sent back to St. Mary's County where she had been taken by the British crew.
The tender was dismantled and the spoils were taken to the wharf of Mr. Jeremiah Spicer, on James Island and sold at public auction. These spoils included the famous "Becky Phipps," a cannon weighing about 1100 pounds, which had been jokingly named for the colored woman and the British commander. This cannon was sold to Mr. Jeremiah Spicer who also bought an old gun which is now hanging in Mr. James Spicer's hall at his home on Taylor's Island.
The cannon stayed for many years on the banks of Oyster Creek which was formerly called "Long Cove" and was fired only on special occasions. About the time of Cleveland's election "Becky Phipps" was carried down to "Ferry Point" and used in celebrations. It was fired at all elections and at Wilson's election in 1912 the old cannon was overloaded and burst. Part of it has never been found, but over three fourths of the original was recovered and now at Taylor's Island.
In 1816 congress recognized the bravery of Capt. Stewart and his volunteers and passed an act authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to pay unto Joseph Stewart and his associates $1800. Owing to the fact that a number of the volunteers deserted their comrades at the shore but put in their names for a share in the reward, it became necessary for Congress to pass another act in 1817. This act authorized the Secretary of the Treasury to pay unto Joseph Stewart and his associates $1800, naming each participant, and also property to the captors. It is said that each participant received $55.00.
The Daughters of the American Revolution have become interested in reclaiming and preserving the old cannon, "Becky Phipps". They have had it mounted at Taylor's Island on a concrete platform surrounded by four concrete posts bearing the following inscription: The Becky Phipps. This cannon was taken from a British tender in 1814 "editors note: it was actually taken in 1815". Lieut. Phipps and crew of 17 men and one colored woman were taken prisoners at James Point, by Capt. Jos. Stewart's company of militia, composed of men from Taylor's Island and Tobaccostick.
The following is a list of Capt. Jos. Stewart's company of Militia:
William Geoghegan (of Madison)
Jeremiah Travers
William Dove
Thomas Woalen
Samuel Edmondson
Harvy Carder
Roger Tregne
Thomas Arnold
Samuel Creighton
Jeremiah Creightgon
Benjamin Keene
Thomas LeCompte
Jamie LeCompte
Fountain LeCompte
Elijah Tall
Charles Woodland
William Barnes
William Robinson
Joseph Simmons
Daniel Wilson,
Jeremiah Spicer
Travers Spicer
Moses Navy
John Bell
Moses Geoghegan
Mathias Travers
Henry K. Travers
Hicks North
Thomas Tolly
Joseph Cator
John Willoughby
James Hooper
Hugh Roberts
John Tolly
Moses Simmons
Robert Travers
John Simmons
Edward Simmons
William Powers
William Geoghegan (of James Island).
The facts in the above are attested by letters from:
Mr. James Keene Spicer, Taylors Island, MD
Mr. Duncan Noble, Taylors Island, MD
and by interviews with:
Mr. James S. Shepherd, Attorney at Law, Cambridge, MD, and
Mr. Thomas W Simmons, Attorney at Law, Cambridge MD.
I dedicate this little booklet to Mr. James Keene Spicer of Taylor's Island, Md.
- Sarah Robinson (1931)
Becky Phipps old cannon captured at Taylor's Island in 1814.
In the winter of 1814 a British tender commanded by Lieut Phipps entered the Little Choptank river and proceeded up the same landing at several farms and taking supplies. On the south side of Tabaccostick they set fire to a vessel and were attacked and driven off by the men of the village.
They then attempted to return to their base in the Patuxent river. When they reached the mouth of the Little Choptank they found considerable drift ice and decided not to venture across the bay that night. They anchored in a hollow on Abbott's bar, off the east side of James Island. In the morning they found themselves surrounded by ice.
The citizens of James Island, seeing their plight, notified Capt. Stewart who commanded a company of volunteers comprised of men from Tobaccostick, Taylor's Island and James Island. In those days small companies were formed in each community under a leader. Capt. Stewart and his men went out on the ice and began firing. The British, in order to test the marksmanship of the Americans, put a cap over the muzzle of a gun and held it up through the hatch way of the boat. It was riddled instantly by the gun fire of Capt. Stewart and his men. The British, seeing their good marksmanship and being confronted with a superior force, became frightened and a man ran out on deck with the intention to fire the cannon now in question. Before he could do so Capt. Stewart's men fired at him and hit him in the arm. He quickly disappeared within the hold of the boat and stuck up a white flag, (a handkerchief on a bayonet) as a sign of surrender. When Capt. Stewart and his men went aboard to take charge of the tender, Lieut. Phipps asked, "Do you take us prisoners of war or truce?" A member of the Company William Geoghegan, with his characteristic Irish brogue answered, "prisoners of war, Sir." The prisoners were Lieut. Phipps, a crew of seventeen men, and a colored cook named Becky. The crew included the following: one midshipman, thirteen seamen, and three mariners.
The prisoners were taken to Tobaccostick and kept in a barn belonging to a Mr. Phillips. As prisoners of war at that time were exchanged, they were marched under guard to Cambridge and from there to Easton. The old negro woman, Becky, was a slave so she was sent back to St. Mary's County where she had been taken by the British crew.
The tender was dismantled and the spoils were taken to the wharf of Mr. Jeremiah Spicer, on James Island and sold at public auction. These spoils included the famous "Becky Phipps," a cannon weighing about 1100 pounds, which had been jokingly named for the colored woman and the British commander. This cannon was sold to Mr. Jeremiah Spicer who also bought an old gun which is now hanging in Mr. James Spicer's hall at his home on Taylor's Island.
The cannon stayed for many years on the banks of Oyster Creek which was formerly called "Long Cove" and was fired only on special occasions. About the time of Cleveland's election "Becky Phipps" was carried down to "Ferry Point" and used in celebrations. It was fired at all elections and at Wilson's election in 1912 the old cannon was overloaded and burst. Part of it has never been found, but over three fourths of the original was recovered and now at Taylor's Island.
In 1816 congress recognized the bravery of Capt. Stewart and his volunteers and passed an act authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to pay unto Joseph Stewart and his associates $1800. Owing to the fact that a number of the volunteers deserted their comrades at the shore but put in their names for a share in the reward, it became necessary for Congress to pass another act in 1817. This act authorized the Secretary of the Treasury to pay unto Joseph Stewart and his associates $1800, naming each participant, and also property to the captors. It is said that each participant received $55.00.
The Daughters of the American Revolution have become interested in reclaiming and preserving the old cannon, "Becky Phipps". They have had it mounted at Taylor's Island on a concrete platform surrounded by four concrete posts bearing the following inscription: The Becky Phipps. This cannon was taken from a British tender in 1814 "editors note: it was actually taken in 1815". Lieut. Phipps and crew of 17 men and one colored woman were taken prisoners at James Point, by Capt. Jos. Stewart's company of militia, composed of men from Taylor's Island and Tobaccostick.
The following is a list of Capt. Jos. Stewart's company of Militia:
William Geoghegan (of Madison)
Jeremiah Travers
William Dove
Thomas Woalen
Samuel Edmondson
Harvy Carder
Roger Tregne
Thomas Arnold
Samuel Creighton
Jeremiah Creightgon
Benjamin Keene
Thomas LeCompte
Jamie LeCompte
Fountain LeCompte
Elijah Tall
Charles Woodland
William Barnes
William Robinson
Joseph Simmons
Daniel Wilson,
Jeremiah Spicer
Travers Spicer
Moses Navy
John Bell
Moses Geoghegan
Mathias Travers
Henry K. Travers
Hicks North
Thomas Tolly
Joseph Cator
John Willoughby
James Hooper
Hugh Roberts
John Tolly
Moses Simmons
Robert Travers
John Simmons
Edward Simmons
William Powers
William Geoghegan (of James Island).
The facts in the above are attested by letters from:
Mr. James Keene Spicer, Taylors Island, MD
Mr. Duncan Noble, Taylors Island, MD
and by interviews with:
Mr. James S. Shepherd, Attorney at Law, Cambridge, MD, and
Mr. Thomas W Simmons, Attorney at Law, Cambridge MD.
