New Castle and Wilmington, both in New Castle County, one of the Three Lower Counties on Delaware. Dr. Robert Honyman in 1775 described Wilmington as “a large place, at least as large as Fredericksburgh [Va.], but much better built, the houses being all of Brick, & very neat” (HONYMAN description begins Philip Padelford, ed. Colonial Panorama 1775: Dr. Robert Honyman’s Journal for March and April. San Marino, Calif., 1939. description ends , 11). New Castle, on the Delaware River at the confluence of Brandywine Creek and Christina (Christiana) River (Creek), was the capital of the Three Lower Counties until 1777. A British officer described it in that year as “small, and its Buildings mean & scattered” (SERLE description begins Edward H. Tatum, Jr., ed. The American Journal of Ambrose Serle: Secretary to Lord Howe, 1776–1778. San Marino, Calif., 1940. description ends , 257).