A sloop made weekly trips between that place and New York, where were the headquarters of the British army at that time--and frequently carried passengers with a flag, and also parcels.
"The Americans had a strong guard at a tavern near the shore, and one or two sentinels paced the causeway that extended across the marsh to the wharf.
"One day in November, 1781, the vessel came in with a lady on board who had permission to visit a sister at Elizabethtown, and Mr.Caldwell drove down to the wharf in his chaise to receive her; then, not finding her on the wharf, went aboard the sloop and presently returned, carrying a small bundle.
"The sentinel on the causeway halted Mr.Caldwell and demanded the bundle for examination, saying he had been ordered not to let anything of the kind pass without strict investigation.
"Mr.Caldwell refused to give it to the man--James Morgan, by name--saying it was the property of a lady and had been merely put in his care.
"The sentinel repeated his demand and Mr.Caldwell turned and went toward the vessel, it is presumed to carry the bundle back to its owner, when the sentinel leveled his piece and shot him dead upon the spot.
"Morgan was arrested, tried for murder, and hung.

He was first taken to the church, where a sermon was preached from the text 'Oh, do not this abominable thing which I hate.' "Mr.Caldwell had been much beloved as a pious and excellent minister.
He was shot on Saturday afternoon, and the next day many of his people came in to attend church knowing nothing of the dreadful deed that had been done till they arrived.
"Then there was a great sound of weeping and lamentation.

The corpse was placed on a large stone at the door of the house of a friend whither it had been carried, and all who wished to do so were allowed to take a last look at the remains of their beloved pastor.

Then, before the coffin was closed, Dr.Elias Boudinot led the nine orphan children up to the coffin to take their last look at the face of their father, and, as they stood weeping there, made a most moving address in their behalf." A few more days were spent by our friends in and about Philadelphia, during which brief visits were paid to places interesting to them because the scenes of historical events of the Revolution--Whitemarsh, Germantown, Barren Hill, Valley Forge, beside those within the city itself.
But the summer heats were over and the hearts of one and all began to yearn for the sweets of home; all the more when word reached them through the mails that the members of their party left in the Newport cottages had already succumbed to the same sort of sickness, and were on their homeward way by land.

A day or two later the _Dolphin_, with her full complement of passengers, was moving rapidly southward..