Cheney Clow
Encyclopedia
Cheney Clow was a loyalist
from Delaware
during the American Revolution
who staged a rebellion
against the colonial
government that was advocating separation from Great Britain.
, owned their own farm of unknown acres but was said to have been considerable. Land recorded in 1744, 50 acres (202,343 m²) was named "Clow's Hope." In 1747 another 50 acres (202,343 m²) was recorded and it was called "Boon's Hope". Boon's Hope cost Nathaniel and Susannah 2,100 pounds of tobacco, which was a common practice in the early colonies, paying for items with tobacco off your own land.
Nathaniel Clow died in 1748, his estate papers and will are filed in the courthouse in Annapolis
. He wanted his estate divided equally among his wife and children. The children were John born 1732, Mary born 1733, Cheney born 1734, Susannah born 1737, Rachael born 1738, James born1740, Sarah born 1742, Rebecca born 1743 and Ann born 1749.
Susannah Clow died before 1756. The exact date is unknown.
?) and settled in the same area as Nathanial and Susannah. They farmed and raised a family. They had two children that are known of, Joshua and Arrana.
, where Cheney Clow was living, the Loyalist were greatly outnumbered. Cheney chose to support the King of Briain and was commissioned a British Officer at some point either earlier before the Revolution began or toward the beginning of Colonial Revolutionary activities. He now found himself a Tory. As the war progressed the Tories constantly created terror by raiding and plundering the colonist, supplies to the British, robbed the mails, plotted against the life of Washington, and generally became very disliked by their neighbors.
During the War, in 1778, the colony passed a law requiring all male citizens over the age of 21 to take an "Oath of Allegiance
." A Tory
would be pardoned if the Oath was given, if not he would suffer the confiscation of all his land and possessions. When it became time for Cheney's Oath he refused. He also refused to pay taxes to Delaware claiming he was living in Maryland. His farm was on both sides of the state line but the house sat in Delaware.
On the morning of April 18, 1778, the Sheriff
of Kent County, Delaware, John Clayton, went out to arrest Cheney Clow. This attempt erupted into a gun battle and one of the Sheriff's men, named Moore, was killed. Cheney was charged with the murder of the posse
member Moore. Moore had been shot in the back while facing and firing toward Cheney Clow when he was shot. It is thought that Moore was shot by a member of his own posse. When the battle was over, Cheney's wife, Susannah, who had been helping her husband load rifles, was wounded
and Cheney was arrested and taken to jail. This action 200 years later would be known as "Cheney Clow's Rebellion".
At this point, the local citizens wanted Cheney's head, they wanted blood, they wanted him charged, and executed for treason. For four years he sat in prison and on December 12, 1782, Cheney Clow was brought to trial. He was tried for treason
for his role in the Loyalist rebellion against Delaware. The jury found him not guilty of treason and he was acquitted but authorities kept him in prison. It seemed that Cheney hadn't taken the Oath and therefore could not be charged with treason. Keeping him in prison, they charged him with burglary and murder, later the burglary charge was dropped for the lack of evidence but he had to stand trial on the murder charge.
It now fell on Delaware's governor Nicholas Van Dyke
to set the time and place for the execution. The Governor wished he could pardon Clow but felt that he was unable to pardon him for political reasons and did nothing. He did, however, postpone the execution without ever appointing an actually date. He, in essence, postponed Cheney's execution indefinitely. Nothing happened for six years. A new Governor, Thomas Collins
, came into office in October 1786. More petitions for pardon were filed by the family but still to no avail. Cheney's wife and children finally gave up their long fight.
In 1788 a final letter from Cheney Clow, having been in close confinement for 10 years, the letter addressed to the new Governor requested that a pardon be granted at once or that a warrant be issued without delay for his execution. The pardon
was not granted and Cheney Clow "went bravely to his death, singing a hymn as he walked to the gallows
.
No specific date was recorded for the execution. Cheney had no will, and there is no record of the disposition of his estate. After they hanged Cheney, the family took his body and buried it in a secret place. Many think the grave was near the house but unmarked.
In January 1790 the eldest daughter, Arrana, petitioned the State of Delaware to settle the estate of Clow and to distribute such among his heirs. The petition was "ordered to lie on the table" and on the table it remained. Nothing regarding the disposition of Clow's possessions is known.
, National Register of Historic Places
Inventory Nomination Form:
The scene of Cheyney Clow's Rebellion is on two farms, very near the Maryland line, in Delaware's Kent County; both farms extend across the line into Maryland in Northern Queen Anne's County. The southern half of the site is the farm of Mary Ford, on which stands the Clark House, a 21/2-story structure that was built in three parts, with frame portions flanking the original two-bay brick portion. Part of this house may have been standing during the Revolution.
Northward from the Clark House, the Gravelly Branch of Chester River
divides the Ford farm from the Holtz farm. Nearby is the survey
corner that in 1829 was described as being near the Cheyney Clow fort site.
In 1829, while James E. B. Clark was assembling his farm, he bought a piece of land from John and Sophia Chase. One of the corners of the deed was a "small distance above Cheyney Clow's fort." When this deed
is plotted, the point is very near the Gravelly Branch bridge, north of the stream. This property had descended through the heirs of Robert Wright
, a governor of Maryland
; his father, Solomon Wright, a member of the Maryland convention of 1775, had owned the property during the Revolution.
Because the fort lay on or near the Wright-Tilghman property line, it is impossible to discover who owned it during the Revolution. Since both owners were ardent patriots, it is impossible that they would have knowingly harbored Cheyney Clow.
The acreage that is the subject of-this nomination was the scene of Cheyney Clow's Rebellion. Documentary sources place Clow's fort on the site, although cursory archaeological surface collection has failed to reveal tangible evidence of its exact location. Since the fort probably stood in a large swamp near the confluence of two prongs of Gravelly Branch, it is unlikely that many surface indications would be found in the plowed fields nearby.
It is known from contemporary military dispatches that the fort stood in the swamps. According to an 1839 article, some logs of the fort were still in place, even though the Delaware militia is supposed to have burned it. Since scorching retards rot, and since logs in wet ground sometimes last many years, it is not surprising that part of the structure should have survived for half a century after 'the battle.
, National Register of Historic Places
Inventory Nomination Form continues with:
Cheney Clow's Fort site and the surrounding fields were the scene of Kent County, DE's only Revolutionary battle. Although the fort no longer stands, the two farms on which the battle took place are still under cultivation. The character of the neighboring country has changed little since the Revolution.
Cheyney Clow was a local eccentric
who obtained a British commission and raised a force of Tories along the western boundary of Delaware. Although the line between Delaware and Maryland had be finally settled a few years earlier, Clow insisted that he was a Marylander; even though his house lay 200 yards inside Delaware, he refused to pay Delaware taxes.
He led his small band of loyalists in raids on the scattered farms of the area, until the inhabitants appealed for military protection. Charles Pope was sent to put down the rebellion, and camped with his Delaware militia at Grogtown (now Kenton, DE). In a letter to Caesar Rodney
on April 14, 1778, Pope reported that Clow a fort erected nearby. Two days later, he informed Rodney that he had ordered "militia from the Head of Chester to join me at Marches Quarter within one-mile and a half of their fortress." The attack proved unsuccessful; Clow fled, and the militia
burned the fort. In May, the Delaware Assembly called for inhabitants to take an oath of loyalty, which Clow refused. In 1782, a warrant
was issued for Clow's arrest on charges of treason, and the sheriff of Kent County, Delaware was sent to take him in custody. Clow and his wife defended their house; a man was shot, and Clow was taken prisoner. He was eventually sentenced to hang, but the sentence was not executed until 1788, when he asked the State to decide between pardon
and death. Public sentiment, which had been a factor in the decision to hang him, changed almost immediately after his death. Clow became a popular martyr, who had been unjustly executed because of his political convictions. The circumstances surrounding Cheyney Clow's last ten years serve to emphasize Kent County's indifferent support of the Revolutionary cause.
Archaeological exploration, to determine the exact fort site, would be desirable.
and Kent County, Delaware
area, raised families and lived their lives passing from generation to generation until the present day. One of Cheney's children, his Son, Joshua, left the Maryland and Delaware area, changed the spelling of the name to Clough and moved West to the Ohio Valley. Documents show a marriage certificate of Joshua Clough and Sarah Walker being married in Kent County, Delaware on October 2, 1794 and they had a son, Edward, who was born in 1794 in Virginia
.
Joshua Clow died in Harrison County, Ohio where a large contingent of descendants still reside.
Most of the other lineal descendants of Cheney Clow have lived in and around the area where Cheney Clow lived and had his rebellion, in the Northern Queen Anne's County, Maryland
area, specifically the town of Sudlersville, Maryland
, ever since. The Clow name has changed over time and many of the Clow lineage
in the area now go by both Clow and Clough. On April 6, 1967, the local County Newspaper, the Queen Anne's County Record Observer, ran a story with the headline, "Sudlersville Couple are Married 67 Years!" This couple was Dudley Clow and his wife, Emma Everett Clow. Mr. Clow was 90 years old at the time and of interest is that the family still used the 'Clow' spelling instead of 'Clough'. In 1969, the same newspaper published a photograph of five generations of Cheney Clow's descendants sitting together on a park bench. All were farmers and/or residents of the local Sudlersville community. In April 2009, a direct descendant of Cheney Clow, while serving as the local Fire Chief
of the Sudlersville Volunteer Fire Company was killed in a single vehicle crash while responding to an alarm in a Fire Department
Emergency Response Vehicle. 41 year old Charles F. "Buck" Clough, Jr. was hailed as a hero, made national news and his accident and death has had a profound effect on the small, tight-knit farming community.
Cheney Clow's descendants suffered another terrible blow in the last part of 2009 when Nelson H. "Dickie" Clough of Millington, Maryland
died on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2009. He was 85. He was the uncle and best friend of Charles F. "Buck" Clough, Jr. and was the current cornerstone of the huge Clough clan
in the Northern Queen Anne's County area.
He was a member of United States Army
during World War II. He served with D Company, 83rd Armored Reconnaissance
Battalion
, 3rd Armored Division. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge
, the Ardennes
and the Rhineland
. He fought in and across Europe until Victory in Europe was declared. He was a life member of VFW
Post 652 in Millington, MD where he served as Commander 5 times and he was a member of the American Legion
Post 14, Smyrna, Delaware
. His passing has also had a profound effect on the local community and the Clough family in particular.
Cheney Clow's life and legacy continue to influence the area and his life and actions are still rippling through the fabric of life in the Kent County, Delaware
and Northern Queen Anne's County, Maryland
areas.
Loyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
from Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
during the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
who staged a rebellion
Rebellion
Rebellion, uprising or insurrection, is a refusal of obedience or order. It may, therefore, be seen as encompassing a range of behaviors aimed at destroying or replacing an established authority such as a government or a head of state...
against the colonial
Colonialism
Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...
government that was advocating separation from Great Britain.
Early life
Cheney Clow was born in 1734 in Delaware, the third of nine children to Nathaniel Clow and his wife Susannah. They lived in Queen Anne's County, MarylandQueen Anne's County, Maryland
Queen Anne's County is a county located on the Eastern Shore of the U.S. state of Maryland.As of 2010, the population was 47,798. Its county seat and most populous municipality is Centreville. The census-designated place of Stevensville is the county's most populous place...
, owned their own farm of unknown acres but was said to have been considerable. Land recorded in 1744, 50 acres (202,343 m²) was named "Clow's Hope." In 1747 another 50 acres (202,343 m²) was recorded and it was called "Boon's Hope". Boon's Hope cost Nathaniel and Susannah 2,100 pounds of tobacco, which was a common practice in the early colonies, paying for items with tobacco off your own land.
Nathaniel Clow died in 1748, his estate papers and will are filed in the courthouse in Annapolis
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
. He wanted his estate divided equally among his wife and children. The children were John born 1732, Mary born 1733, Cheney born 1734, Susannah born 1737, Rachael born 1738, James born1740, Sarah born 1742, Rebecca born 1743 and Ann born 1749.
Susannah Clow died before 1756. The exact date is unknown.
Marriage and family
Cheney Clow married Elizabeth (néeNEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
?) and settled in the same area as Nathanial and Susannah. They farmed and raised a family. They had two children that are known of, Joshua and Arrana.
Cheney's Rebellion, capture and imprisonment
At the outbreak of the American War of Independence, about a third of the colonist had no desire for independence from Britain but in Kent County, DelawareKent County, Delaware
Kent County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is coextensive with the Dover, Delaware, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 the population was 162,310, a 28.1% increase over the previous decade. The county seat is Dover, the state capital...
, where Cheney Clow was living, the Loyalist were greatly outnumbered. Cheney chose to support the King of Briain and was commissioned a British Officer at some point either earlier before the Revolution began or toward the beginning of Colonial Revolutionary activities. He now found himself a Tory. As the war progressed the Tories constantly created terror by raiding and plundering the colonist, supplies to the British, robbed the mails, plotted against the life of Washington, and generally became very disliked by their neighbors.
During the War, in 1778, the colony passed a law requiring all male citizens over the age of 21 to take an "Oath of Allegiance
Oath of allegiance
An oath of allegiance is an oath whereby a subject or citizen acknowledges a duty of allegiance and swears loyalty to monarch or country. In republics, modern oaths specify allegiance to the country's constitution. For example, officials in the United States, a republic, take an oath of office that...
." A Tory
Tory
Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada...
would be pardoned if the Oath was given, if not he would suffer the confiscation of all his land and possessions. When it became time for Cheney's Oath he refused. He also refused to pay taxes to Delaware claiming he was living in Maryland. His farm was on both sides of the state line but the house sat in Delaware.
On the morning of April 18, 1778, the Sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
of Kent County, Delaware, John Clayton, went out to arrest Cheney Clow. This attempt erupted into a gun battle and one of the Sheriff's men, named Moore, was killed. Cheney was charged with the murder of the posse
Posse
Posse may refer to:* Posse comitatus , a group of men assembled to assist in law enforcement* Posse , starring Kirk Douglas* Posse , starring Mario van Peebles...
member Moore. Moore had been shot in the back while facing and firing toward Cheney Clow when he was shot. It is thought that Moore was shot by a member of his own posse. When the battle was over, Cheney's wife, Susannah, who had been helping her husband load rifles, was wounded
Wounded
Wounded may refer to:* The Wounded, a Dutch wave-rock band* "The Wounded" , a fourth season episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation* "Wounded ", a song by the American rock band Third Eye Blind...
and Cheney was arrested and taken to jail. This action 200 years later would be known as "Cheney Clow's Rebellion".
At this point, the local citizens wanted Cheney's head, they wanted blood, they wanted him charged, and executed for treason. For four years he sat in prison and on December 12, 1782, Cheney Clow was brought to trial. He was tried for treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
for his role in the Loyalist rebellion against Delaware. The jury found him not guilty of treason and he was acquitted but authorities kept him in prison. It seemed that Cheney hadn't taken the Oath and therefore could not be charged with treason. Keeping him in prison, they charged him with burglary and murder, later the burglary charge was dropped for the lack of evidence but he had to stand trial on the murder charge.
Murder trial and execution
At the trial, the testimony from the Sheriff was that Moore was shot in the back, and not from Cheney's gun, but probably was shot from one of the Sheriff's own men who was firing toward Cheney from a position behind Moore. The evidence that Clow actually killed the man was weak, however, this did not sway the jury. In May 1783, a jury convicted him of murder and the judge sentenced him to death. He was sentenced to be hanged by the neck until dead.It now fell on Delaware's governor Nicholas Van Dyke
Nicholas Van Dyke (governor)
Nicholas Van Dyke was an American lawyer and politician from New Castle, in New Castle County, Delaware. He served in the Delaware General Assembly, as a Continental Congressman from Delaware, and as President of Delaware.-Early life and family:Van Dyke was born at Berwick, his family's home in St...
to set the time and place for the execution. The Governor wished he could pardon Clow but felt that he was unable to pardon him for political reasons and did nothing. He did, however, postpone the execution without ever appointing an actually date. He, in essence, postponed Cheney's execution indefinitely. Nothing happened for six years. A new Governor, Thomas Collins
Thomas Collins (governor)
Thomas Collins was an American planter and politician from Smyrna, in Kent County, Delaware. He was an officer of the Delaware militia during the American Revolution, and served in the Delaware General Assembly and as President of Delaware.-Early life and family:Collins was born in Duck Creek, now...
, came into office in October 1786. More petitions for pardon were filed by the family but still to no avail. Cheney's wife and children finally gave up their long fight.
In 1788 a final letter from Cheney Clow, having been in close confinement for 10 years, the letter addressed to the new Governor requested that a pardon be granted at once or that a warrant be issued without delay for his execution. The pardon
Pardon
Clemency means the forgiveness of a crime or the cancellation of the penalty associated with it. It is a general concept that encompasses several related procedures: pardoning, commutation, remission and reprieves...
was not granted and Cheney Clow "went bravely to his death, singing a hymn as he walked to the gallows
Gallows
A gallows is a frame, typically wooden, used for execution by hanging, or by means to torture before execution, as was used when being hanged, drawn and quartered...
.
No specific date was recorded for the execution. Cheney had no will, and there is no record of the disposition of his estate. After they hanged Cheney, the family took his body and buried it in a secret place. Many think the grave was near the house but unmarked.
In January 1790 the eldest daughter, Arrana, petitioned the State of Delaware to settle the estate of Clow and to distribute such among his heirs. The petition was "ordered to lie on the table" and on the table it remained. Nothing regarding the disposition of Clow's possessions is known.
The site description of Cheney's Rebellion
The present and original appearance of the site of the Cheney Clow Rebellion was summarized in the US Department of the Interior, National Park ServiceNational Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
, National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
Inventory Nomination Form:
The scene of Cheyney Clow's Rebellion is on two farms, very near the Maryland line, in Delaware's Kent County; both farms extend across the line into Maryland in Northern Queen Anne's County. The southern half of the site is the farm of Mary Ford, on which stands the Clark House, a 21/2-story structure that was built in three parts, with frame portions flanking the original two-bay brick portion. Part of this house may have been standing during the Revolution.
Northward from the Clark House, the Gravelly Branch of Chester River
Chester River
The Chester River is a major tributary of the Chesapeake Bay on the Delmarva Peninsula. It is about long, and its watershed encompasses , which includes of land. Thus the total watershed area is 20% water. It forms the border between Kent County and Queen Anne's County, Maryland, with its...
divides the Ford farm from the Holtz farm. Nearby is the survey
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
corner that in 1829 was described as being near the Cheyney Clow fort site.
In 1829, while James E. B. Clark was assembling his farm, he bought a piece of land from John and Sophia Chase. One of the corners of the deed was a "small distance above Cheyney Clow's fort." When this deed
Deed
A deed is any legal instrument in writing which passes, or affirms or confirms something which passes, an interest, right, or property and that is signed, attested, delivered, and in some jurisdictions sealed...
is plotted, the point is very near the Gravelly Branch bridge, north of the stream. This property had descended through the heirs of Robert Wright
Robert Wright (politician)
Robert Wright was an American politician.Wright was born at Narborough, near Chestertown, Maryland, attended the common schools, and the Kent Free School of Chestertown. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1773, and commenced practice in Chestertown...
, a governor of Maryland
Governor of Maryland
The Governor of Maryland heads the executive branch of the government of Maryland, and he is the commander-in-chief of the state's National Guard units. The Governor is the highest-ranking official in the state, and he has a broad range of appointive powers in both the State and local governments,...
; his father, Solomon Wright, a member of the Maryland convention of 1775, had owned the property during the Revolution.
Because the fort lay on or near the Wright-Tilghman property line, it is impossible to discover who owned it during the Revolution. Since both owners were ardent patriots, it is impossible that they would have knowingly harbored Cheyney Clow.
The acreage that is the subject of-this nomination was the scene of Cheyney Clow's Rebellion. Documentary sources place Clow's fort on the site, although cursory archaeological surface collection has failed to reveal tangible evidence of its exact location. Since the fort probably stood in a large swamp near the confluence of two prongs of Gravelly Branch, it is unlikely that many surface indications would be found in the plowed fields nearby.
It is known from contemporary military dispatches that the fort stood in the swamps. According to an 1839 article, some logs of the fort were still in place, even though the Delaware militia is supposed to have burned it. Since scorching retards rot, and since logs in wet ground sometimes last many years, it is not surprising that part of the structure should have survived for half a century after 'the battle.
Significance of Rebellion
The Statement of Significance of the Cheney Clough Rebellion site from the US Department of the Interior, National Park ServiceNational Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
, National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
Inventory Nomination Form continues with:
Cheney Clow's Fort site and the surrounding fields were the scene of Kent County, DE's only Revolutionary battle. Although the fort no longer stands, the two farms on which the battle took place are still under cultivation. The character of the neighboring country has changed little since the Revolution.
Cheyney Clow was a local eccentric
Eccentricity (behavior)
In popular usage, eccentricity refers to unusual or odd behavior on the part of an individual. This behavior would typically be perceived as unusual or unnecessary, without being demonstrably maladaptive...
who obtained a British commission and raised a force of Tories along the western boundary of Delaware. Although the line between Delaware and Maryland had be finally settled a few years earlier, Clow insisted that he was a Marylander; even though his house lay 200 yards inside Delaware, he refused to pay Delaware taxes.
He led his small band of loyalists in raids on the scattered farms of the area, until the inhabitants appealed for military protection. Charles Pope was sent to put down the rebellion, and camped with his Delaware militia at Grogtown (now Kenton, DE). In a letter to Caesar Rodney
Caesar Rodney
Caesar Rodney was an American lawyer and politician from St. Jones Neck in Dover Hundred, Kent County, Delaware, east of Dover...
on April 14, 1778, Pope reported that Clow a fort erected nearby. Two days later, he informed Rodney that he had ordered "militia from the Head of Chester to join me at Marches Quarter within one-mile and a half of their fortress." The attack proved unsuccessful; Clow fled, and the militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
burned the fort. In May, the Delaware Assembly called for inhabitants to take an oath of loyalty, which Clow refused. In 1782, a warrant
Warrant (law)
Most often, the term warrant refers to a specific type of authorization; a writ issued by a competent officer, usually a judge or magistrate, which permits an otherwise illegal act that would violate individual rights and affords the person executing the writ protection from damages if the act is...
was issued for Clow's arrest on charges of treason, and the sheriff of Kent County, Delaware was sent to take him in custody. Clow and his wife defended their house; a man was shot, and Clow was taken prisoner. He was eventually sentenced to hang, but the sentence was not executed until 1788, when he asked the State to decide between pardon
Pardon
Clemency means the forgiveness of a crime or the cancellation of the penalty associated with it. It is a general concept that encompasses several related procedures: pardoning, commutation, remission and reprieves...
and death. Public sentiment, which had been a factor in the decision to hang him, changed almost immediately after his death. Clow became a popular martyr, who had been unjustly executed because of his political convictions. The circumstances surrounding Cheyney Clow's last ten years serve to emphasize Kent County's indifferent support of the Revolutionary cause.
Archaeological exploration, to determine the exact fort site, would be desirable.
Legacy
After Cheney Clow was hung, most of his children stayed in the Northern Queen Anne's County, MarylandQueen Anne's County, Maryland
Queen Anne's County is a county located on the Eastern Shore of the U.S. state of Maryland.As of 2010, the population was 47,798. Its county seat and most populous municipality is Centreville. The census-designated place of Stevensville is the county's most populous place...
and Kent County, Delaware
Kent County, Delaware
Kent County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is coextensive with the Dover, Delaware, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 the population was 162,310, a 28.1% increase over the previous decade. The county seat is Dover, the state capital...
area, raised families and lived their lives passing from generation to generation until the present day. One of Cheney's children, his Son, Joshua, left the Maryland and Delaware area, changed the spelling of the name to Clough and moved West to the Ohio Valley. Documents show a marriage certificate of Joshua Clough and Sarah Walker being married in Kent County, Delaware on October 2, 1794 and they had a son, Edward, who was born in 1794 in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
.
Joshua Clow died in Harrison County, Ohio where a large contingent of descendants still reside.
Most of the other lineal descendants of Cheney Clow have lived in and around the area where Cheney Clow lived and had his rebellion, in the Northern Queen Anne's County, Maryland
Queen Anne's County, Maryland
Queen Anne's County is a county located on the Eastern Shore of the U.S. state of Maryland.As of 2010, the population was 47,798. Its county seat and most populous municipality is Centreville. The census-designated place of Stevensville is the county's most populous place...
area, specifically the town of Sudlersville, Maryland
Sudlersville, Maryland
Sudlersville is a town in Queen Anne's County, Maryland. The ZIP code is 21668 and the area code is 410. The population was 391 at the 2000 census...
, ever since. The Clow name has changed over time and many of the Clow lineage
Lineage
Lineage may refer to:- Science :* Lineage or kinship, descent group that can demonstrate their common descent from an apical ancestor or a direct line of decent from an ancestor....
in the area now go by both Clow and Clough. On April 6, 1967, the local County Newspaper, the Queen Anne's County Record Observer, ran a story with the headline, "Sudlersville Couple are Married 67 Years!" This couple was Dudley Clow and his wife, Emma Everett Clow. Mr. Clow was 90 years old at the time and of interest is that the family still used the 'Clow' spelling instead of 'Clough'. In 1969, the same newspaper published a photograph of five generations of Cheney Clow's descendants sitting together on a park bench. All were farmers and/or residents of the local Sudlersville community. In April 2009, a direct descendant of Cheney Clow, while serving as the local Fire Chief
Fire chief
Fire Chief is a top executive rank or commanding officer in a fire department, either elected or appointed...
of the Sudlersville Volunteer Fire Company was killed in a single vehicle crash while responding to an alarm in a Fire Department
Fire department
A fire department or fire brigade is a public or private organization that provides fire protection for a certain jurisdiction, which typically is a municipality, county, or fire protection district...
Emergency Response Vehicle. 41 year old Charles F. "Buck" Clough, Jr. was hailed as a hero, made national news and his accident and death has had a profound effect on the small, tight-knit farming community.
Cheney Clow's descendants suffered another terrible blow in the last part of 2009 when Nelson H. "Dickie" Clough of Millington, Maryland
Millington, Maryland
Millington is a town in Kent and Queen Anne's counties in the U.S. state of Maryland. The population was 416 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Millington is located at ....
died on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2009. He was 85. He was the uncle and best friend of Charles F. "Buck" Clough, Jr. and was the current cornerstone of the huge Clough clan
Clan
A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clan members may be organized around a founding member or apical ancestor. The kinship-based bonds may be symbolical, whereby the clan shares a "stipulated" common ancestor that is a...
in the Northern Queen Anne's County area.
He was a member of United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
during World War II. He served with D Company, 83rd Armored Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
Battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
, 3rd Armored Division. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
, the Ardennes
Ardennes
The Ardennes is a region of extensive forests, rolling hills and ridges formed within the Givetian Ardennes mountain range, primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, but stretching into France , and geologically into the Eifel...
and the Rhineland
Rhineland
Historically, the Rhinelands refers to a loosely-defined region embracing the land on either bank of the River Rhine in central Europe....
. He fought in and across Europe until Victory in Europe was declared. He was a life member of VFW
VFW
VFW may refer to:*Vereinigte Flugtechnische Werke*Veterans of Foreign Wars*Veterans of Future Wars*Video for Windows*VFW Parkway...
Post 652 in Millington, MD where he served as Commander 5 times and he was a member of the American Legion
American Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
Post 14, Smyrna, Delaware
Smyrna, Delaware
Smyrna is a town in Kent and New Castle counties in the U.S. state of Delaware. It is part of the Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. His passing has also had a profound effect on the local community and the Clough family in particular.
Cheney Clow's life and legacy continue to influence the area and his life and actions are still rippling through the fabric of life in the Kent County, Delaware
Kent County, Delaware
Kent County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is coextensive with the Dover, Delaware, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 the population was 162,310, a 28.1% increase over the previous decade. The county seat is Dover, the state capital...
and Northern Queen Anne's County, Maryland
Queen Anne's County, Maryland
Queen Anne's County is a county located on the Eastern Shore of the U.S. state of Maryland.As of 2010, the population was 47,798. Its county seat and most populous municipality is Centreville. The census-designated place of Stevensville is the county's most populous place...
areas.
External links
- Cheney Clow's Rebellion and the text of Delaware marker KC-97
- Dedication of Historic Marker
- Wikimapia - site of Cheney Clow's Rebellion
- http://books.google.com/books?id=-OtF1_gxW08C&pg=PA24&lpg=PA24&dq=Cheney+Clow+Rebellion&source=bl&ots=hkOcXnqBba&sig=OzePcT_ogCk9u9MVVc3_NnqAxAs&hl=en&ei=rCUVS_eoItPTnAeT5tHYBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CA0Q6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=Cheney%20Clow%20Rebellion&f=falseHaunted Delaware: ghosts and strange phenomena of the First State By Patricia A. Martinelli - blurb about the Cheney Clough Rebellion from the book]
- Joshua and Sarah Walker Clough 1790s in Vargina and Ohio by David Clow - includes descriptions of Cheney Clow's parents, life, children and other information
- US Department of the Interior, National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form for the 'Scene of Cheney Clow's Rebellion'
- The obituary announcement of Nelson H. "Dickie" Clough, a direct descendant of Cheney Clough