CHAPTER THREE

Eleazer Oswald, Lieutenant-Colonel in the Revolution,

Printer in Baltimore and Philadelphia, Soldier of

Fortune in the French Revolution

LTHOUGH Eleazer Oswald's name does not appear
in the imprint of any issue of the Goddard press, he
occupies an important position among the early printers
of Baltimore through his association with William
Goddard during the latter years of the Revolution.
In the annals of Maryland printing it would be diffi-
cult to find an individual whose career embraced as
many diversified interests and exciting incidents as his. Patriot, while
at the same time confidant of Benedict Arnold and Charles Lee, ardent
defender of "the Liberty of the Press," prominent Antifederalist, con-
troversialist and duelist, and soldier of fortune under the banners of
Revolutionary France—his whole life may be summed up as a militant
defense of the rights of man.

He was born at Falmouth, England, in 1755, the son of a sea captain
engaged in trade with Jamaica. After his father's disappearance he left
his mother and, at the age of fifteen, set sail for the New World where he
hoped to make his fortune. Arriving in New York about 1770, he was
fortunate to become an apprentice to John Holt, printer of The New-
Tork Journal, or General Advertiser. His industry as well as his other per-
sonal qualities soon endeared him to the Holt family and he achieved
that fondly hoped goal of every ambitious apprentice—marriage to his
master's daughter. In writing about him to Samuel Adams, his father-
in-law proudly said:

"He has Youth, Health, Hardiness, Activity, Courage & Perseverance. He is skilful in the
Manual Exercise, a very good Penman Accomptant & Arithmetician, with some knowledge of
Navigation, above all his Honour & Integrity may be safely relied on."

Soon after his arrival from England, he was converted to the American
cause by Holt who was an active critic of the British government, par-
ticularly of the administration of the Colonial post office.

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