Elmer: My name is Elmer A. Brittingham. I live at (redacted) in Pocomoke City,
Maryland.
The Spy in World War I
In April 1917, the United States declared war on Germany. Within a short time,
a detachment of the Pennsylvania State Guard was stationed in Pocomoke to
protect our railroad bridge. The guards lived in a tent camp near the railroad
station and used our school grounds at 4th and Walnut Street for their daily
training. When the draft law was enacted, many of our able-bodied young
men found they had physical defects to keep them out of the service. Others
moved to the farm. In Pocomoke, an infantry company of the Maryland Home
Guard was formed. Captain F. Lee Bonneville, later referred to as Colonel,
was named the local commander. Lt. Clarence Dickerson, who had learned
his military training at Maryland’s St. John’s College, was the drillmaster. The
Pocomoke company was soon proficient in drill and (audio not clear)
used the sand hills in back of Winter Quarters Manor for a rifle range and
continued weekly drills until the end of the war. A drum and bugle corps was
formed at the high school and the cost of the instruments was donated by
Colonel Bonneville. The drum and bugle corps continued to play for parades,
liberty bond drives, and other ceremonies until the armistice.
Yes, we have our own spy story. A German spy arrived in our town in the
summer of 1917. The spy sometimes stayed at our Parker House hotel and at
other times at Townsend’s rooming house. Shortly after the spy came to
Pocomoke, there was a rumor that he could be a spy. The rumor was
discounted when Colonel Bonneville made a public statement that the spy
was a native American and of good character. Thereafter, the spy was well
accepted and attended the Salem Methodist church regularly. The spy owned
or leased a waterfront farm near Girdletree. The spy was known to visit the
vacant farmhouse often. A neighbor watched the spy throw a wire from an
upper window and secure the end to a tree. The neighbor reported this act to
proper authorities and within days the spy was caught sending information
to the Germans. The spy never returned to our town. The spy was caught in
the summer of 1918, about a year after his arrival.
The Pocomoke River
In 1922, my brother and I purchased a used Evinrude outboard motor from
Captain Will Stevenson. We used the outboard motor to propel a 30-foot red
boat. I had a bow net similar to the one used by the Pocomoke Indians for
catching the spring run on rock, shad, and other fish. In addition to fishing,
we took sightseeing trips. Sometimes on holidays and weekends, we would
camp out along the banks of the river. When the party numbered 5 or 6 boys,
we would tow a 15-foot skiff to accommodate the extra riders.
Bridges
Now this is about the history of the bridges: In 1607 (?), Captain William
Stevens established a ferry near the present site of the highway bridge over
US (Route) 13. There were five bridges built in the Pocomoke area. The first
was built by our Indians, perhaps more than a thousand years ago, located
some 40 yards upriver from Winter Quarters. I viewed the remains of this
bridge in 1919 or 1920. It was a period of extremely low tides. The water
covered no more than 1/3 of the area between the banks. It may have been a
geologic fault in this area. A bridge of stones from each bank led toward the
channel and disappeared. It would appear over the centuries, the tides had
partly destroyed the center and perhaps our steamboats with their metal
prows had completed the job. In 1865, at the close of the Civil War, a wooden
draw bridge was completed near the site of Stevens Ferry. In 1880, the iron
railroad bridge was erected to give rail service from New York to Cape
Charles and Norfolk. In 1922, the Market Street bridge was finished. Shortly
thereafter, the old wooden bridge was removed. The dual highway bridge on
US 13 was completed in 1959. During World War I, when the old drawbridge
was closed for repairs, I rode across the ferry and back. The Stevens Ferry
had been pulled by the ferryman, by hand, but the one I rode was pulled by a
pair of horses on each side of the river. There was room on the ferry for a
large farm wagon or two carriages. Young horses often had hoods placed
over their eyes to quiet them.
Steamboats
Steamboats made weekly trips from Baltimore to Pocomoke City and to Snow
Hill. The steamboat was scheduled to arrive at the Market Street wharf at 12
noon. Our merchants used the steamboat for supplies because the rate was
much less than by rail and also faster. In the summer of 1920, I was working
at Vaughn’s Market. I was required to meet the steamer and pick up one or
more large baskets of bananas and push them on my bicycle to the store.
The sooner the better, since many of our farmers came by horse and carriage
and left town to be home by dark. The steamboats were side-wheelers. They
had 3 decks. On the lower deck was the freight, the engine room, and the
galley. On the second deck, there were cabins, a dining room, and an
observation deck. On the top deck was the pilot house, the lifeboats, and the
rafts. Steamboats had a speed of 12 miles per hour and required 24 hours to
make the round trip back to Baltimore. Sewards (?) Ferry was located
(unintelligible)…a part of it run right across the area that the highway bridge
on US 13 now is located, the dual bridge, the new bridge.
Continues next Saturday here at The Pocomoke Public Eye.
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