As passed down through the
Crain Family of the
Village of Pulaski, Hancock County, Illinois

1511 North Walnut Street
Danville, Illinois
February 2, 1932


     While visiting in Danville, Illinois, at the home of Mr. & Mrs. Phil Hawes (the latter being the daughter of my brother, Fred Crain - deceased), Mrs. Hawes (Dorothy) showed me a manuscript which my sister Mary Crain (Augusta, Illinois) had received from Florence Holman, of 212 North 30th Street, Corsicana, Texas (a Tong descendant though at the moment I am not aware [informed, I should say) regarding her exact family connection. A copy of this will be sent her and doubtless this information will be received from her. (This written by Ralph W. Crain).

     My parents were: William Harris Crain (1834-1904) and Rachel Baxter (Crain) 1840 - (will be 92 years of age on February 26, 1932). 

     My father's parents were: Rev William Crain (1802-1884) and Harriet Eleanor Tong (Crain) (1817-1894). 

     Harriet E. Tong was the only child of James Tong (who was born, I believe, in 1783 and who lived at least until 1823, as a letter exists - in the Crain farm safe, Augusta, Ill., dated 1823 written in the "Spanish Domain" - now Texas, where he died soon after, earnest research being made about 50 years later by Major (& Missouri State Senator many years) James Crain McGinnis, of St. Louis, to secure the inheritance for Harriet E. Tong and her descendants (heirs) of an alleged extensive estate in Texas, on or near the Brazos River, on or near which estate he died and was buried, as I understand it). James Tong's wife (Harriet's mother) was Elizabeth Thompson. They were married at St. Genevieve, Missouri, September 15, 1816. I do not know the date of birth or date or place of either birth or death, or scarcely any information regarding Elizabeth Thompson (Tong). James Tong was born in Maryland where his father and Grandfather (and perhaps G. Grandfather) had resided.

     James Tong's parents were: William Tong (author of the following narrative), born August 9, 1756, on Piscataway Creek, Prince George's County, Maryland, 7 miles from Mt. Vernon, home of George Washington, across the Potomac. Died February 8, 1848, at Mt. Vernon, Illinois, where he was buried in the old Union Cemetery his grave being marked by a headstone furnished by the U.S. Govt., or by a marker placed by the D.A.R., I do not know which - probably the former. His first wife, Eleanor Ford (daughter of William Ford, Jr.) was born and reared in the same County and neighborhood, and the two had known each other from childhood. They were married August 4, 1776. These were my great great grandparents.  R.W.C.
   
     The following narrative was either written in person or dictated by William Tong, a Revolutionary soldier, at Fredericktown, Missouri, on October 7, 1844:

My dear Children:
     Having been requested by you to commit to writing some of the events of my life for you to look upon and preserve as a memento of me, after I shall have done with the things of this world, I herewith give you a very brief account of what I have seen and done during my lifetime which has been spent amidst a series of the most interesting events that have transpired since the records of authentic history began: and I hope that the same ever watchful Providence, who has defended me amidst many dangers, and brought me, surrounded with numerous blessings, to an extreme old age will also preserve you, and bring all of my numerous family safely through the countless perils of this world to meet me in those regions of light and blessedness to which the Blessed Saviour has gone to prepare mansions for all who love and serve Him.

     I was born in Prince George's County, Maryland, on the 9th day of August 1736. The place of my nativity is on Piscataway Creek, but 7 miles from Mt. Vernon where our venerated Washington lived and where his ashes now repose. My parents, both on the paternal and maternal side emigrated from England and settled in the State of Maryland about the same time that the grandfather of General Washington settled in Virginia.  I am the oldest of a family of two sons and five daughters. My parents were poor, but industrious, honest and pious. My father was remarkable for his love of truth and some of the events of my earliest recollections were plans, which he adopted to instill the same righteous principle into the minds and hearts of his children. You are aware that I was born during what is sometimes termed "The Old French War". Some of the events that transpired about the close of that war I distinctly remember, particularly the return of some Colonial Troops who had been in the English service and had assisted in the capture of Quebec, etc. There is perhaps nothing further of my early life which would materially interest you until the commencement of the Revolutionary War.  All the commotion, the allarums and apprehension, the hopes and fears (consequent upon the vacillating policy of the Mother Country in reference to her colonial difficulties) which preceded that memorable struggle, are fresh in my memory. But as these are all detailed in history and are within your reach, I shall pass them by, it being my wish to give you nothing more than a concise account of those scenes in which I was an actor.

     In the month of February 1775, I joined an Independent Company of Maryland Troops under the command of Captain Resin Bell. This was one of three similar Companies which were organized under the supervision of the "Maryland Committee of Safety" for the purpose of resisting the depredations of Lord Dunmore's Fleet upon the parts contiguous to the Potomac and Patuxent Rivers and upon neighboring regions adjacent to the Chesapeake Bay. You must bear in mind that this was prior to the Battle of Lexington and the commencement of the War proper. At this period, no general or united military organization had taken place, and the Company to which I was attached acted under the authority of the State of Maryland, and not under the control of the Continental Congress. Thus you perceive that my native state was among the first of the "Old Thirteen" to prepare for the fearful crisis which was raised to resist the aggressions of our Country's opposers. The members of these three Companies were styled "Minute Men" to signify that they were ready to turn out and repel any outrage at a minute's warning.

     The first active service in which I was engaged was in an encounter with a part of Dunmore's Marines at St. George Island, near the mouth of the Potomac, in the month of March 1775. The inhabitants of the island, alarmed at the approach of the fleet, fled with as much of their effects as in their haste they could collect and convey to their retreat. After having plundered the island of such movables as were left and having burned the houses which had been evacuated, Lord Dunmore's men went upon the mainland and there renewed their infamous work of burning, robbing and destroying. Here they were met by Captain Bell's Company, were fired upon, returned the fire and immediately retreated to their ships, leaving much of their ill-gotten property behind them. In this skirmish, Capt. Bell was slightly wounded in the abdomen. Shortly after this affair, the fleet ascended the Patuxent, robbed several houses and burnt many dwellings beside doing much additional damage to the country. During the latter part of the same year, or early in 1776, the whole extent of the country on both sides of the Patuxent from Lower Marlborough to the mouth of the river was ravaged by this band of piratical plunderers. All the houses within their reach were burned and every article of movable furniture winch had not been removed out of their way was either destroyed or stolen. During this season of alarm and distress all that we could do was to watch the movements of the enemy and attack such small parties as ventured beyond the reach of their artillery. The first year of my service expired in February 1776, when I entered another Company of the same description as the first to which I was attached. The latter Company was commanded by Capt. Thomas Dent. During this year we had but little service to perform, as the military operations about Long Island, New York City and in the State of New Jersey, appeared to engross the almost entire attention of the enemy, so that our region of the country was comparatively tranquil. In April, 1777, the British Fleet of about Thirty Sail ascended the Potomac as far as Mt. Vernon and burnt the dwelling house and all the outbuildings of Colonel Lisle, upon the Maryland side of the river, directly opposite the residence of General Washington. The enemy also carried away all his stock-which had not been removed out of reach. It was here that I was engaged in an affair of some danger. On the third morning after the destruction of Col. Lisle's property, a party of the enemy in three boats rowed toward the shore and attempted to land. In the meantime a number of scattering volunteers, myself in the number, amounting in all to 68, under the command of Col. Lisle, had concealed themselves amidst the thick growth of swamp which skirts the river near the landing place of the enemy. Jug as they were about to step on shore we rushed from our ambuscade, fired upon them, killed several and captured 3 of their number.  We were now in the most imminent danger, as we were exposed to the artillery fire of the fleet and our only hope was in a rapid retreat behind a hill nearly a mile distant. This was effected without any loss or injury to our party, although during the greater part of the time which we occupied in reaching our retreat the cannon shots were falling all around us, often covering us with sand, pebbles, etc. After we had reached our place of safety the Commander of the fleet sent us a flag accompanied by a message proposing an exchange of prisoners stating that there were American prisoners on board. To this proposition Col. Lisle replied that if there were American prisoners on board the fleet and if the British Commander would furnish him with a list of their names and places of residence an exchange could be made; but if instead of American soldiers he had refugees and Tories, they might stay with him. Shortly afterwards, the fleet weighed anchor, hoisted sail, and dropped down the Bay. From this until Capt. Dent's Company joined the Continental Army under Washington I had but little to do though I was at all times ready for service, and our Company's organization was kept up during the interval In September, 1777, the Company entered the Continental service as a part of a regiment of Maryland Troops under the command of Col. Luke Marberry. The regiment constituted a part of a division under the command of General Smallwood. You are aware that about this period all of Gen. Washington's efforts were directed to the preservation of Philadelphia, as the movements of the British Army under Sir. William Howe plainly indicated his design to attack that city. Soon after we joined the Army we commenced moving towards North. At the Battle of Brandywine, Gen. Smallwood's Division of Maryland Militia was posted upon the left wing of the American Army in order to prevent the British from surrounding and attacking the Regulars in the rear. Whilst occupying that position the British made several attempts to break our lines but without success. Here the right wing of our army was guarded by the New Jersey Militia under General Foreman. I was at the Warren Tavern but one mile from the Paoli Hill on the night of that savage massacre and on the next day I saw the mangled remains of the poor soldiers who had been betrayed by a faithless sentinel and butchered by a perfidious enemy in defiance of all established rules of civilized warfare. At the Battle of Germantown, as at the Battle of Brandywine, our division formed the left wing of the Army and performed the same service as at the latter engagement.  Here again the British made several attempts to break our lines but were uniformly repulsed. It was at Germantown that our Col. Marberry was captured in a very singular manner: during the heat of action a sudden and severe firing of musketry was opened upon our division by an advance party of the enemy who were endeavoring to surround us but who had accidentally encountered our lines which, owing to an intense fog, were visible at only a few paces distant. As soon as the firing commenced Col. Marberry advanced a short distance from the lines to discover if possible, the strength and position of the enemy who, upon our returning their fire, instantly fell back and as they were moving off, fell in with him and made him their prisoner. He was detained as a prisoner from that time until the close of the war. You are aware that shortly after the Battle of Germantown Gen. Washington went into winter quarters at Valley Forge, when all of the Maryland Militia were discharged and returned to their homes. It may be mentioned as a fact worthy of notice that every man of Capt Dent's command returned to safety. From the time of our Company's discharge after the Battle of Germantown until the close of the War I was ever ready to answer any call that might be made for my services. We had our regular days for training until after the siege of Yorktown nor was our Company dismissed until after the treaty of 1783.

     On the 4th day of August, 1776, I was married to Eleanor Ford, daughter of William Ford, Jr. She was born and raised in the same County and neighborhood with myself and we had known each other from early childhood. I lived with her in peace until the 7th day of December, 1793, when she was taken from me after an illness of not quite forty eight hours. By her I had thirteen children, six sons and seven daughters, all of whom lived to be heads of families with the exception of two who died in infancy.

    On the 4th day of June, 1796, I was married to Elizabeth Thomas, daughter of Captain John Thomas of Charles County, Maryland. She is still living and is the faithful companion and friend of my old age. By her I have had thirteen children, seven sons and six daughters. My youngest child is almost 23 years of age. I have been the father of 26 children 13 girls and 13 sons. Eighteen of my children are still living and it affords me the highest gratification to say that none of them have by their conduct brought disgrace upon their father or saddened his old age with shame and mortification for their misdoings. My posterity, including great-great-grandchildren, mounts to at least two hundred souls who reside in Ohio, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas and Texas, They are all, so far as I know, in comfortable circumstances and maintain a respectable standing in society. I have lived almost ninety years and of my health and physical strength you can form some estimate from the fact that on the 13th day of November 1834, I started on horseback and alone and traveled in that manner from Fredericktown, Missouri, through Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia and Maryland to Washington City. The object of this trip was to secure the payment of my pension by the United States and State of Maryland for my services during the Revolutionary War. I was present when the attempt was made upon the life of General Jackson by the lunatic Lawrence and heard his trial upon the following day.

     I receive annually from the United States forty dollars and the same sum from the State of Maryland for my Revolutionary services.

     During all my life I have never given or received from a fellow creature a blow in anger but have always endeavored to act the part of peacemaker and reconciler of difficulties between my neighbors who have unfortunately been at variance. I have lived in an age of innovation and have witnessed the rapid and resistless march of improvements in almost everything pertaining to the welfare of mankind. I have seen my native country in her infancy, with a population of but three million, struggling for her independence against the most powerful and nation upon the earth. I have seen her successfully emerge from the unequal and fearful contest, and from that day to tins have beheld her steadily advancing with giant strides to the very summit of national renown and greatness. Now it is my privilege to contemplate that country, with vastly extended territories reaching from the Atlantic to the Pacific, as the home and pride of seventeen million freemen who constitute a great political brotherhood and who enjoy the means of happiness, both individually and socially, in greater abundance than were ever bestowed upon the same number of people at any previous period of the world's history, and my prayer to Heaven is that the union of these States may be preserved and that strife and political animosity may never break the ties that bind together in happy and prosperous union the sister republics of this great Confederacy; that the American people may yet rise higher and higher in the scale of national prosperity and greatness until our happy country shall become emphatically the light of the whole world, the instructress of all mankind in the important lessons of political and moral and religious liberty. My sands of life have nearly run out; God has been merciful to me amidst all the trying vicissitudes through which I have passed and though I must walk through die valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for God my shepherd will be with me and His rod and His staff they will comfort me.
    (signed) William Tong

The following letter accompanied the above autobiography:
Cairo, Illinois, September 28, 1875
Mrs. Eliza Harvey

My dear Friend:
     I have taken much pleasure in copying for your keeping the brief autobiography of your Grandfather Tong, with a few closing remarks written by a friend as a memento for his children and his children's children to look upon after his departure from this world of sin, of care and of sorrow. You and I have already passed the meridian of fife, the morning of life is in the past, the evening shades are gathering around us, and how soon the sun may set with us we know not but whether it sets soon or late, well will it be with us, and all if we can, as he did, exclaim with our dying breath "(Eliza) I am going, I see my Jesus coming for me!"

     Please accept this: I feel that (though you entertain but a passing thought or think not at all of him who copied it) you will keep it, that you will read it and prize it as a memento reminding you of the good old father whose last utterances on earth were addressed to "Eliza".
    Yours truly, (Signed) Casper Yost

Note: I have typed this original with ten carbon copies, which I am sending to various relatives who are Tong descendants. One copy will be sent to the Illinois State Historical Society, and one placed in the fire-resisting safe at the Crain farm (my birth-place) about six miles southeast of Augusta, Illinois.
                                                                                 
                                                                         Ralph Waldo Crain
                                                                         Danville, Illinois
                                                                         February 2, 1932