Delaware-2023-HB390-Draft

WHEREAS, on September 8, 1777, General George Washington and his Continentals were pursuing 16,000 British and Hessian forces who were marching from the area of Cooch’s Bridge towards Philadelphia to seize the colonial capital; and

WHEREAS, General Washington’s force of 11,000 continental soldiers were positioned along the east banks of the Red Clay Creek west of Newport expecting the British to march towards his position and give battle; and

WHEREAS, on that day the British did not advance to General Washington’s position as expected; and

WHEREAS, General Washington needed to find the exact location of the British march so that he could position his Continental army advantageously for a battle that would end the war in his favor; and

WHEREAS, from the position at Red Clay Creek, General Washington ordered George Weedon’s brigade to advance in a northwest direction to find the British; and

WHEREAS, General Weedon’s brigade marched to a hill along the east banks of Mill Creek in an area known as Spring Grove from which this position they observed British forces positioned on the next hill located on the opposite side of Mill Creek where the historic Spring Grove Mill House stands today; and

WHEREAS, gunfire was exchanged throughout the night between the two hills separated by Mill Creek; and

WHEREAS, this combat event would become known as General Weedon’s Foray at Spring Grove; and

WHEREAS, on July 20, 2023, Delaware Public Archives placed historical marker number NCC-264 next to the driveway entrance of the Spring Grove Mill House at 3200 Stoney Batter Road, Wilmington, Delaware commemorating the location as the “Site of General Weedon’s Foray at Spring Grove”; and

WHEREAS, Scottish born Lieutenant James McMichael of the 13th Pennsylvania Regiment was a member of General Weedon’s brigade and participated in the foray; and

WHEREAS, Lieutenant McMichael kept a personal diary that recorded his experiences during the Revolutionary War from 1776 to the end of his service in 1788 providing a significant primary source of detailed information for future generations; and

WHEREAS, in his diary Lieutenant McMichael referred to the hill where General Weedon’s brigade engaged in the foray with the British as “a hill of eminence”; and

WHEREAS, the foray was the most impactful combat event that occurred on Delaware soil because it aided General Washington in making strategical adjustments that enabled his forces to reach Chadds Ford in time to create defensive positions in preparation for the Battle of Brandywine on September 11, thus preventing the British from seizing Philadelphia without the strong resistance imposed by the Continental army in the Battle of Brandywine; and

WHEREAS, this provided the French with a higher level of confidence in General Washington’s ability to fight the war leading the French to formally recognize America as a sovereign nation, and France became fully committed to joining America in the Revolutionary War; and

WHEREAS, French support was a significant factor in the United States of America winning the Revolutionary War; and

WHEREAS, on July 4, 2026, the State of Delaware and the United States of America will be celebrating the Semiquincentennial anniversary of the birth of our nation and identification of significant Revolutionary War events and locations will enhance the experience for all current citizens and future generations;

NOW, THEREFORE:

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:

Section 1. The hill east of Mill Creek situated on New Castle County Parcel number 08-025-00-018 is hereby named “Lieutenant McMichael’s Hill of Eminence”.

Section 2. Where appropriate, maps produced depicting Lieutenant McMichael’s Hill of Eminence will be labeled as such.