DigiCat Publishing presents to you this special edition of "The Entailed Hat; Or, Patty Cannon's Times" by George Alfred Townsend. DigiCat Publishing considers every written word to be a legacy of humankind. Every DigiCat book has been carefully reproduced for republishing in a new modern format. The books are available in print, as well as ebooks. DigiCat hopes you will treat this work with the acknowledgment and passion it deserves as a classic of world literature.

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Better known as a journalist and correspondent during the American Civil War, George Alfred Townsend was also an author of fiction. Townsend combined the two, fiction and journalism, in The Entailed Hat, or Patty Cannon's Times: A Romance. This novel provides readers with an account of the life and crimes of Martha "Patty" Cannon. Patty Cannon was a criminal leader who lived in the Delmarva Peninsula region of the United States. The gang that she led was responsible for the kidnapping and sale of slaves and free blacks from the area to plantation owners in the South. Told from the perspective of a newsman decades after the crimes were committed, the story is a semi-fictionalized account of Cannon's crimes and the racial prejudice that made them possible. It is a tragic story of the failure of humanity that includes a romantic storyline. While the historical accuracy of Townsend's book is unproven, it remains one of the most detailed accounts of this period in history. Townsend was a gifted writer, and the author brings his experience as a war correspondent to this book. While presented as a novel, the book is ripe with factual details. Townsend builds an engaging romance story to further the narrative, but remains always focused on the terrible actions of Patty Cannon and her gang of criminals. As both a fictionalized story of romance and an account of a dark period in history, The Entailed Hat, or Patty Cannon's Times is a fascinating read. The historical significance of the subject matter makes Townsend's novel affecting in a way few novels are and readers interested in a novel rooted in truth will find this to be a highly engrossing book. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

“Details the brazen robberies, shameless kidnappings and heartless murders committed by Delmarva’s legendary criminal.”—Cape Gazette Truth lies behind the grim legend of Patty Cannon. In the early nineteenth century, Patty and her gang terrorized the Delmarva Peninsula, kidnapping free African American men, women and children. Using surprise and treachery, Cannon even employed a free African American accomplice to lure her unsuspecting prey. Captives who survived confinement in Patty’s cells were sold south. The position of the Cannon home on the shadowy border between Delaware and Maryland allowed her to dodge the law until a local farmer unearthed the remains of her victims in 1829. Patty mysteriously died in jail awaiting trial. Author Michael Morgan investigates the chilling history of one of the nation’s first serial killers.

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