Show EVADED CAPTURE BY BRITISH quick wit of american patriot saved himself and family when in dire peril there is an incident in th elife ot george read worthy of mention in connection with these men who were martyrs to the declaration fortunately read suffered no real privation at the hands of the british a fact due however solely to his presence of mind when president mckinley presiding officer of delaware commonwealth was made a prisoner soon after the battle of brandywine it was necessary for george read to take charge he then being vice president of that colony he was in philadelphia at the time of the presidents capture and to return home entailed considerable danger the enemy occupied the west bank of the delaware river and mr read had to take the new jersey shore run the risk of crossing the river and elude if possible the vigilance of the ships which were strung along the whole distance the 1 ath of october 1777 mr read reached salem N J where he obtained a boat for the purpose of conveying himself and family across the river at the place where he undertook the tha crossing the river was about five miles wide almost in view of the british ships he had about reached the delaware coast when he was discovered for his b oat boat hail had grounded just too far from shore to make it practicable to land his family Una unable bleto to s go on or r leave the boat they were forced to wait while a ships boat came up to them 1 sir reads wits had not been idle die however and he devised a plan which he be and his wife immediately put into practice they destroyed all traces of identification of their baggage a feat made possible by the time required for the other boats approach when the boat came alongside he politely informed them ot of his plight and added that he was a country gen aleman returning home from a pleasure excursion he had made with bis family the presence of his mother wife and children added weight to this story the commander of the english boat was only a coxswain his compan ions common sailors there was noth ing suspicious about the party so taking pity upon a family thus stranded but a short distance from their destination the english boats crew obligingly assisted them to land helped to get the baggage on r shore bore and after receiving thanks for their kind assistance returned to their ship mr read continued his journey the end of which was the colons col onys governmental ern mental headquarters where rehe he assumed the role of chief executive un til the release of the president was secured |